Search

High-oleic acid peanut oil (HOPO) and extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO) have been reported previously to have an attenuating effect on metabolic syndrome (MS). This study aimed to evaluate the metabolic effect of HOPO and EVOO supplementation in attenuating MS and the role of gut microbiota in regulating the metabolic profile. Sprague-Dawley rats were continuously fed with a normal diet, high-fructose and high-fat (HFHF) diet, HFHF diet containing HOPO, or a HFHF diet containing EVOO for 12 weeks. The metabolomics profiles of feces and serum samples were compared using untargeted metabolomics based on UPLC-Q/TOF-MS. Partial Least Squares Discriminant Analysis (PLS-DA) was used to identify the potential fecal and serum biomarkers from different groups. Correlation between gut microbiota and biomarkers was assessed, and pathway analysis of serum biomarkers was conducted. Differences in metabolic patterns in feces and serum were observed among different groups. There were 8 and 12 potential biomarkers in feces and 15 and 6 potential biomarkers in serum of HOPO group and EVOO group, respectively, suggesting that HOPO and EVOO supplementation mainly altered amino acids, peptides, and their analogs in feces and serum. The branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) biosynthesis pathway was identified as a major pathway regulated by HOPO or EVOO. This study suggests that HOPO and EVOO supplementation ameliorate diet-induced MS, mainly via modulation of the BCAAs biosynthesis pathway.

Background: Patients with Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status (ECOG PS) 2 probably cannot tolerate chemotherapy or other antitumor therapies. Some studies have reported that immunotherapy combined with antiangiogenic therapy is well‐tolerated and shows good antitumor activity. However, the efficacy of this combination as a later‐line therapy in patients with ECOG PS 2 is unclear. This study evaluated the effectiveness and safety of this combination strategy as third‐ or further‐line therapy in stage IV non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with ECOG PS 2. Methods: In this retrospective study, patients treated with camrelizumab plus antiangiogenic therapy (bevacizumab, anlotinib, or recombinant human endostatin) were included. Objective response rate (ORR), disease control rate (DCR), progression‐free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), quality of life (QOL) assessed by ECOG PS, and safety were analyzed. Results: Between January 10, 2019, and February 28, 2024, a total of 59 patients were included. The ORR was 35.6% (21/59) and the DCR was 86.4%. With a median follow‐up of 10.5 months (range: 0.7–23.7), the median PFS was 5.5 months (95% confidence interval [CI]: 3.8–7.3) and the median OS was 10.5 months (95% CI: 11.2–13.6). QOL was improved (≥1 reduction in ECOG PS) in 39 patients (66.1%). The most common Grade 3–4 treatment‐related adverse events were hepatic dysfunction (6 [10%]), hypertension (5 [8%]), and hypothyroidism (3 [5%]). There were no treatment‐related deaths. Conclusions: Third‐ or further‐line immunotherapy combined with antiangiogenic therapy is well‐tolerated and shows good antitumor activity in stage IV NSCLC patients with ECOG PS 2. Future large‐scale prospective studies are required to confirm the clinical benefits of this combination therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social decisions often require individuals to balance conflicts between their own selfish interests and the need for equality. The way information about available options is presented can have an impact on how people process information and make social decisions. In this study, we examined the effect of information presentation on social decisions in a mini‐dictator game, where participants must make binary choices about how to allocate money between themselves and another participant. We conducted two tasks with different presentation styles: the attribute‐based task, where attributes such as own payoffs or others' payoffs were displayed sequentially, and the alternative‐based task, where alternatives were displayed sequentially. We found that participants in the attribute‐based task made more selfish choices and were less sensitive to equality than those in the alternative‐based task. The direction of information search and the complexity level of information processing played a mediating role in the effect of task on social decisions. Our findings highlight the relationship between information search and social decisions, shedding light on the mechanisms and processes that underlie social decision‐making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Various transgressions and crimes can be accomplished by individuals, but are also committed by groups. A similar transgression may have varying punishment intensities for individuals and groups, and this difference may also vary between the American and Chinese cultures. Using a questionnaire on bribery scenarios, two studies were carried out to examine the differences in punishment intensities for individuals and groups in the aforementioned two cultures. Results confirm that punishment intensities on individuals are harsher than those on groups in the American culture. In contrast, punishment intensities on individuals and groups are equally harsh in the Chinese culture. Further evidence indicates that the underlying mechanism can be attributed to the construal of agency, which mediates the moderating effect of cultural group (American vs. Chinese) on the relationship between transgression type (group vs. individual) and punishment intensity. Findings provide an in‐depth understanding of the cultural differences in the punishment of individuals and groups and their underlying mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Time preference reversals refers to systematic inconsistencies between preferences and valuations in intertemporal choice. When faced with a pair of intertemporal options, people preferred the smaller-sooner option but assign a higher price to the larger-later one. Different hypotheses postulate that the differences in evaluation scale or output format between the choice and the bid tasks cause the preference reversal. However, these hypotheses have not been distinguished. In the present study, we conducted a hybrid task, which shares the same evaluation scale with the bid task and shares the same output format with the choice task. By comparing these three tasks, we can figure out the key reason for time preference reversal. The eye-tracking measures reflecting attention allocation, cognitive effort and information search pattern were examined. Results showed that participants' time preference and eye-tracking measures in the hybrid task were similar to those in the choice task, but different from those in the bid task. Our findings suggest that the output format is the core reason for time preference reversal and may deepen our understanding of the mechanisms that underlie time preference reversal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to compare the clinical effectiveness of minimally invasive clamp-assisted reduction and open reduction with wire cerclage and intramedullary nails for unstable subtrochanteric fractures. Between January 2016 and October 2019, 68 patients who had unstable subtrochanteric fractures experienced intramedullary nail surgery in this retrospective study. There were 41 cases in the minimally invasive clamp or closed reduction group (group A) and 27 cases in the open reduction with wire cerclage group (group B). There were 3 cases of complications in group A and 2 cases of complications in group B. Remarkable distinction was observed between the two groups in the operation time (p < 0.05), quality of reduction (p < 0.05), and union time (p < 0.05). For the successful surgical treatment of unstable femoral subtrochanteric fractures, an anatomical reduction is crucial. Reduction and wire cerclage are cut to give medial support for the anatomical reduction, which has a positive effect on fracture healing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: As an important part of health literacy, oral health literacy has been adapted to dental practice and research. The 14‐item short version of the Health Literacy in Dentistry (HeLD) scale demonstrated excellent reliability, validity and precision when tested among English‐speaking populations. However, an appropriate and reliable assessment of this scale in other language contexts remains lacking. The reliability and validity of the Chinese version of HeLD (HeLD‐C) for the Chinese population must therefore be examined. Methods: The short version of HeLD was translated into Chinese, and one item was deleted because of its unsuitability for the Chinese healthcare system. The psychometric properties of HeLD‐C were evaluated in a sample of 404 Chinese participants aged from 19 to 72 years. The item selection analyses were performed by comparing the difference of each item between the high‐ and low‐score groups. The internal consistency reliability was assessed using the Cronbach's alpha coefficient. Construct validity was assessed using exploratory structural equation modelling. For the criterion validity, correlations between the HeLD‐C and the criterion validity scales, including the eHealth Literacy Scale (eHEALS), oral hygiene maintenance habits, and oral health status were tested using Pearson's correlation. Results: Results of item selection reveal significant differences among all items between the high‐ and low‐score groups (Ps <.001). The internal consistency reliability of HeLD‐C was measured using Cronbach's α (0.92), whereas its construct validity was measured using χ2[df] (3.30), comparative fit index (0.95), Tucker–Lewis index (0.94), root mean square error of approximation (0.08), and standardized root mean square residual (0.05). The criterion validity analyses show that HeLD‐C is correlated with the criterion validity scales, including eHEALS, oral hygiene maintenance habits and oral health status (Ps <.001). Conclusions: Chinese version of HeLD is a reliable and valid instrument for measuring the oral health literacy of the Chinese adult population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We are constantly faced with decisive situations in which the options are not presented simultaneously. How the information of options is presented might influence the subsequent decision-making. For instance, presenting the information of options in an alternative- or dimension-wise manner may affect searching patterns and thus lead to different choices. In this study, the effects of this manner of information presentation on risky choice according to two experiments (Experiment 1, N = 45; Experiment 2, N = 50) are systematically examined. Specifically, two tasks with different presentation are conducted. Participants could search the information of one option (alternative-wise task) or dimension (dimension-wise task) for each time. Results revealed that the participants assigned in the alternative-wise task exhibited more choices consistent with expected value theory and took a longer decision time than those in the dimension-wise task. Moreover, the effect of task on choice was mediated by the direction of information search. These findings suggest a relationship between information search pattern and risky choice and allow for a better understanding of the mechanisms and processes involved in risky choice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intertemporal choices refer to decisions involving tradeoffs between costs and benefits at different times. Two types of models, namely, attribute‐ and alternative‐based models, have been developed to account for the intertemporal choices of individuals. Although behavioral evidence favors attribute‐based models, eye‐tracking data have produced mixed evidence. Examining the causal link between eye gaze and intertemporal choice may help resolve the controversy in these two intertemporal models. This study then performs a gaze‐contingent manipulation to direct the gaze time of the participants while they are choosing between two intertemporal options. The intertemporal choices of these participants were found to be biased toward a randomly determined target when their gazes were directed to the target attribute (Study 1, N = 45), but their choices were not biased when their gazes were directed to the target option (Study 2, N = 45). The gazed longer attribute also mediated the effect of gaze‐contingent manipulation on intertemporal choice. These findings suggest a causal link between intertemporal choices and the gaze‐contingent manipulation of the attribute‐based gaze pattern and contribute to the theoretical understanding of the mechanisms and processes involved in making intertemporal choices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of combined-modality therapy for elderly patients with locally advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) invading the chest wall. Patients and Methods: We retrospectively enrolled 21 elderly patients (aged ≥ 60 years) with locally advanced NSCLC invading the chest wall. For external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) of the primary tumor, 40Gy was applied and supplemented with iodine-125 seed implantation while 60Gy was applied to the lymph nodes of the mediastinum. Follow-up was conducted every 3 months postoperatively. The related analytic parameters were change in tumor size, the objective response rate (ORR), the disease control rate (DCR), the degree of pain relief, the improvement of physical status, and toxicity. Results: The combined-modality therapy significantly inhibited local growth of the tumor (from 7.84± 1.20 to 4.69± 1.90 cm) (P < 0.0001), with 71.4% ORR and 90.5% DCR at 1 year. The cancer-related pain was significantly relieved (P < 0.05) and physical status was significantly improved (P < 0.05). No procedure-associated death or grade > 2 irradiation-related adverse effects were reported in this study. Conclusion: The combined-modality therapy of EBRT with 40Gy and permanent iodine-125 seed implantation is an efficacious and safe treatment option for elderly patients with locally advanced NSCLC invading the chest wall. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies have presented evidence revealing that the dispositional personalities of consumers, or the traits associated with their gambling behaviors and risk preferences, differ across various gambling types. Those studies leave open the question of whether and how personality differences affect domain-specific gambling preferences. Using latent class analysis (LCA), we explored the latent classes of risk preference for different gambling types and the effects of personality traits on these classes. A total of 732 Macau residents completed a questionnaire assessing 13 gambling types and personality traits. Preferences for gambling shown by the participants varied between three latent classes of games: chance gambling, entertainment gambling, and technical gambling. Moreover, not all personality traits consistently predicted preferences for these gambling classes. For instance, aggression-hostility positively predicted a general preference for both chance gambling and technical gambling, but impulsive sensation-seeking positively predicted only a preference for chance gambling. However, neuroticism-anxiety traits showed no such predictive effect for any of the three gambling classes. This study suggests that personality patterns emerge for overall and specific gambling types and underscores the value of LCA to help resolve the longstanding debate over whether gambling is domain specific. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peanut stems and leaves have been used traditionally as both herbal medicines and special food in Asia. In this study, the main functional compounds of peanut stems and leaves extracts were identified using UPLC separation coupled to high resolution mass spectrometry (QTOF-MS), and a traditional medicine library. Three different extraction solvents (ethyl acetate, petroleum ether and n-butanol) were evaluated to prepare the extracts of peanut stems and leaves. A total of 283 chemical compounds were identified in peanut stems and leaves extracts, of which 207 compounds are tentatively new identifications in Genus Arachis. The integration of data acquisition and processing with the traditional medicine library provides a simple, efficient process to effectively facilitate the identification of chemical ingredients in complex natural product extracts. The integrated workflow for separation, detection and identification of functional compounds in natural products using UPLC/QTOF-MS greatly improves productivity for development of traditional herbal medicines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding urbanization and evaluating its impact are vital for formulating global sustainable development. The results obtained from evaluating the impact of urbanization, however, depend on the kind of measurement used. With the goal of increasing our understanding of the impact of urbanization, we developed direct and indirect subjective indicators to measure how people assess their living situation. The survey revealed that the projected endorsements and perceived social ambiance of people toward living in different types of settlements did not improve along with the urbanization level in China. The assessment scores from the city dwellers were not significantly different from those from the country areas and, more surprisingly, both were significantly higher than the assessment scores of the town dwellers, which we had expected to fall between the assessment scores of the country and city dwellers. Instead their scores were the lowest. We dubbed this V-shaped relationship the “town dislocation effect.” When searching for a potential explanation for this effect, we found additional town dislocation effects in social support, loss aversion, and receptivity toward genetically modified food. Further analysis showed that only social support mediated the relationship between the three tiers of settlements (cities, country areas, and towns) and the subjective indicator. The projected endorsements yielded significant subjective assessments that could enhance our understanding of Chinese urbanization. Towns posed specific problems that require special attention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to obtain a high purity and high biological activity of mannoprotein fromS. cerevisiae, the extraction, structural characterization, and antineoplastic activity of mannoprotein were investigated. The mannoprotein was dealt with trichloroacetic acid to remove the protein, and then purified by gel filtration chromatography to the purity of 92.61 ± 0.42%. The molecular weight of the mannoprotein was determined to be 166–700 Da by GPC-LLS. Structural analysis revealed that the mannoprotein was a glycoprotein. The mannan consisted of α-1, 6-glycosidic linkages as the main chains, while some α-1, 2-glycosidic linkages existed as the side chains, and the protein consisted of 17 kinds of amino acids. The atomic force microscopy results showed mannoprotein was composed of many conglobulations. S. cerevisiae mannoprotein exhibited significantly higher inhibition ratios of HepG2, HL-60, and Eca109 cells than degradedS. cerevisiaemannoprotein by proteolytic enzymes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]