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Selenium (Se) is an essential trace element for maintaining human health, for example, plays a crucial role in preventing aging-related diseases. However, most studies on the health effects of Se among the community middle-aged and elderly have been observational or the health indices were single, and the related study among the Chinese population is limited. Additionally, China is recognized as among the countries facing a significant deficiency in Se, and Se contents in the human body may decrease with age. Therefore, a two-step study was conducted to explore the health effects of Se exposure and supplementation among such populations in China. Firstly, a retrospective cohort study was conducted to compare the health outcomes between such populations residing in Se-rich regions and non-Se-rich regions, involving a total of 102 subjects, with 51 residing in Se-rich regions and 51 in non-Se-rich regions. The hair-Se (H-Se) contents, serum-Se (S-Se) contents, and total cholesterol of subjects from Se-rich regions were significantly higher than their counterparts. Notably, significant positive associations were observed between S-Se and lipids. Secondly, a before-after self-control Se supplementation study among subjects residing in non-Se-rich regions was conducted. A total of 40 subjects administered Se tablets orally for 30 days, with Se of 120 μg/day. The results showed significant increases in H-Se and S-Se. Se supplementation also exhibited positive effects on alanine aminotransferase, homocysteine, and fasting glucose; however, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol significantly decreased. Overall, the community middle-aged and elderly residing in Se-rich regions or receiving quantitative Se supplementation could effectively improve Se contents in bodies and certain health indices, excluding lipids. These improvements encompass liver function, cardiovascular health, and glucose metabolism. These findings enhance our understanding of how Se impacts the health of the middle-aged and elderly, emphasizing the significance of targeted interventions for such populations in non-Se-rich regions. Trial registration: ChiCTR2000040987 (https://www.chictr.org.cn). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is a common complication of dermatomyositis (DM) and one of the main risk factors for poor prognosis in DM patients. The aim of this study was to reveal the clinical characteristics of DM patients with ILD. Methods: Clinical data from the Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University were used to conduct a retrospective case–control study. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis were performed to identify risk factors for ILD in DM. Results: A total of 78 DM patients were included in this study, including 38 DM patients with ILD and 40 DM patients without ILD. Compared with patients without ILD, patients with ILD were older (59.6 vs. 51.2 years, P = 0.004), and had higher rates of clinically amyopathic DM (CADM) (45 vs. 20%, P = 0.019), Gottron's papules (76 vs. 53%, P = 0.028), mechanic's hands (13 vs. 0%, P = 0.018), myocardial involvement (29 vs. 8%, P = 0.014), and higher positive rates of anti-SSA/Ro52 (74 vs. 20%, P < 0.001) and anti-melanoma differentiation-associated gene-5 (MDA5) (24 vs. 8%, P = 0.048) antibodies, while albumin (ALB) (34.5 vs. 38.0 g/l, P = 0.006), prognostic nutritional index (PNI) (40.3 vs. 44.7, P = 0.013), the rates of muscle weakness (45 vs. 73%, P = 0.013) and heliotrope rash (50 vs. 80%, P = 0.005) were lower. In addition, the five patients who died were all DM patients with ILD (13 vs. 0%, P = 0.018). Multivariate logistic regression showed that old age (odds ratio [OR] = 1.119, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.028–1.217, P = 0.009), Gottron's papules (OR = 8.302, 95% CI = 1.275–54.064, P = 0.027) and anti-SSA/Ro52 (OR = 24.320, 95% CI = 4.102–144.204, P < 0.001) were independent risk factors for ILD in DM. Conclusions: DM patients with ILD usually present with older age, higher rates of CADM, Gottron's papules, mechanic's hands, myocardial involvement, higher positive rates of anti-MDA5 and anti-SSA/Ro52 antibodies, lower ALB, PNI, and lower rates of muscle weakness and heliotrope rash. Old age, Gottron's papules, and anti-SSA/Ro52 were independent risk factors for ILD in DM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article, based on the Appraisal System, investigates British journalists' different attitudes toward China and Vietnam in British news reports about the Dover migrant tragedy in 2000 and the Essex migrant tragedy in 2019. By analyzing affect resources in a newly built corpus with the help of UAM Corpus Tool 3.3, this study finds that more negative affect resources are used to portray China than those depicting Vietnam. British journalists manipulated emotions to emphasize that China, whether in 2000 or 2019, was a backward and underdeveloped country where citizens tried all means to escape to Britain. However, when British journalists found that the victims were Vietnamese instead of Chinese, they shifted attention to the pitiful Vietnamese families of the victims and tended to arouse readers' sympathy. The corpus findings highlight the ideological contradiction between Britain and China, reveal Britain's distrust of China's system, and suggest that the different comprehensive national powers of China and Vietnam have different impacts on Britain's international status, verifying that news discourse is permeated by ideology, politics, and economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]