Estimating quality weights for EQ-5D (EuroQol-5 dimensions) health states with the time trade-off method in Taiwan

Background/PurposeEQ-5D (EuroQol-5 dimensions) is a preference-based measure of health, which is widely used in cost–utility analyses. It has been suggested that each country should develop its own value set. We therefore sought to develop the quality weights of the EQ-5D health states with the time trade-off (TTO) method in Taiwan.MethodsA total of 745 respondents consisting of employees and volunteers in 17 different hospitals were recruited and interviewed. Each of them valued 13 of 73 EQ-5D health states using the TTO method. Based on the three exclusion criteria for valuation data, only 456 (61.21%) respondents were considered eligible for data analysis. The quality weights for all EQ-5D health states were modeled by generalized estimating equations (GEEs).ResultsOver half of the responses were given negative values, and the medical personnel seemed to have a significantly higher TTO value (+0.1) than others after controlling for other predictors. The N3 model (level 3 occurred within at least 1 dimension) yielded an acceptable fit for the observed OTT data [mean absolute error (MAE) = 0.056, R2 = 0.35]. The magnitude of mean absolute differences (MADs) between Taiwan data and those from the UK, Japan, and South Korea ranged from 0.146 to 0.592, but the rank correlation coefficients were all above 0.811.ConclusionThis study reaffirms the differences in health-related preference values across countries. The high proportion of negative values might indicate that we have also partially measured the intensity of fear in addition to the utility of different health states

Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 activation is associated with bladder cancer cell growth and survival

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Constitutive activation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (Stat3) signaling pathway plays an important role in several human cancers. Activation of Stat3 is dependent on the phosphorylation at the tyrosine residue 705 by upstream kinases and subsequent nuclear translocation after dimerization. It remains unclear whether oncogenic Stat3 signaling pathway is involved in the oncogenesis of bladder cancer.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We found that elevated Stat3 phosphorylation in 19 of 100 (19%) bladder cancer tissues as well as bladder cancer cell lines, WH, UMUC-3 and 253J. To explore whether Stat3 activation is associated with cell growth and survival of bladder cancer, we targeted the Stat3 signaling pathway in bladder cancer cells using an adenovirus-mediated dominant-negative Stat3 (Y705F) and a small molecule compound, STA-21. Both prohibited cell growth and induction of apoptosis in these bladder cancer cell lines but not in normal bladder smooth muscle cell (BdSMC). The survival inhibition might be mediated through apoptotic caspase 3, 8 and 9 pathways. Moreover, down-regulation of anti-apoptotic genes (Bcl-2, Bcl-xL and survivin) and a cell cycle regulating gene (cyclin D1) was associated with the cell growth inhibition and apoptosis.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>These results indicated that activation of Stat3 is crucial for bladder cancer cell growth and survival. Therefore, interference of Stat3 signaling pathway emerges as a potential therapeutic approach for bladder cancer.</p

Impact of cognitive behavior therapy on osteoarthritis-associated pain, insomnia, depression, fatigue, and physical function in patients with knee/hip osteoarthritis: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

BackgroundThis meta-analysis aimed at evaluating the efficacy of cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) against osteoarthritis-associated symptoms in patients with knee/hip osteoarthritis.MethodsMedline, PubMed, Cochrane Library, and EMBASE databases were searched from inception to July 2022 to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing the efficacy of CBT with other treatment approaches in adults with confirmed knee/hip osteoarthritis. The pain intensity (primary outcome) and the secondary outcomes including insomnia severity, sleep efficiency, physical function as well as the severity of depression and fatigue were assessed at two time points (i.e., immediately after treatment and during the follow-up period). The effect size is expressed as standardized mean difference (SMD) with SMDs of &lt; 0.2, 0.2–0.5, and 0.5–0.8, and &gt; 0.8 representing negligible, small, medium, and large effect sizes, respectively.ResultsFifteen RCTs were included for analysis. Immediately after CBT intervention, meta-analysis showed similar treatment effect in pain severity [SMD = –0.46, 95% confidence interval (CI): –0.95 to 0.04, 11 studies, 1557 participants] and other symptoms including depression (SMD = –0.26, 95% CI: –0.58 to 0.06, five studies, 735 participants), fatigue (SMD = –2.44, 95% CI:–6.53 to 1.65, two RCTs, 511 participants), and physical function (SMD = –0.11, 95% CI:–0.25 to 0.02, five RCTs, 720 participants) between CBT and control groups, while there was an improvement in insomnia severity (SMD = –0.65, 95% CI: –1.06 to –0.24, four RCTs, 639 participants, medium treatment effect) and sleep efficiency (SMD = 0.32, 95% CI: 0.04 to 0.59, three RCTs, 352 patients, small treatment effect). During follow-up, CBT improved pain severity (SMD = –0.52, 95% CI: –1.03 to –0.01, eight studies, 1447 participants, medium treatment effect), insomnia (SMD = –0.43, 95% CI: –0.85 to –0.01, three RCTs, 571 participants, small treatment effect), and depression (SMD = –0.39, 95% CI: –0.59 to –0.18, four RCTs, 791 participants, small treatment effect). Nevertheless, sleep efficiency, fatigue, and physical function were not improved in the follow-up period.ConclusionOur results may suggest the durability of CBT-associated treatment benefits, supporting its role as a potential promising alternative or complementary intervention for patients with knee/hip osteoarthritis, especially against pain and insomnia. Future large-scale investigations are warranted to verify our findings.Systematic review registration[https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/], identifier [CRD42022331165]

Detection of SARS-associated Coronavirus in Throat Wash and Saliva in Early Diagnosis

Early detection of SARS-CoV in throat wash and saliva suggests that these specimens are ideal for SARS diagnosis

Proteomic Analysis of Anti-Tumor Effects of 11-Dehydrosinulariolide on CAL-27 Cells

The anti-tumor effects of 11-dehydrosinulariolide, an active ingredient isolated from soft coral Sinularia leptoclados, on CAL-27 cells were investigated in this study. In the MTT assay for cell proliferation, increasing concentrations of 11-dehydrosinulariolide decreased CAL-27 cell viability. When a concentration of 1.5 μg/mL of 11-dehydrosinulariolide was applied, the CAL-27 cells viability was reduced to a level of 70% of the control sample. The wound healing function decreased as the concentration of 11-dehydrosinulariolide increased. The results in this study indicated that treatment with 11-dehydrosinulariolide for 6 h significantly induced both early and late apoptosis of CAL-27 cells, observed by flow cytometric measurement and microscopic fluorescent observation. A comparative proteomic analysis was conducted to investigate the effects of 11-dehydrosinulariolide on CAL-27 cells at the molecular level by comparison between the protein profiling (revealed on a 2-DE map) of CAL-27 cells treated with 11-dehydrosinulariolide and that of CAL-27 cells without the treatment. A total of 28 differential proteins (12 up-regulated and 16 down-regulated) in CAL-27 cells treated with 11-dehydrosinulariolide have been identified by LC-MS/MS analysis. Some of the differential proteins are associated with cell proliferation, apoptosis, protein synthesis, protein folding, and energy metabolism. The results of this study provided clues for the investigation of biochemical mechanisms of the anti-tumor effects of 11-dehydrosinulariolide on CAL-27 cells and could be valuable information for drug development and progression monitoring of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC)

Frailty and Its Impact on Health-Related Quality of Life: A Cross-Sectional Study on Elder Community-Dwelling Preventive Health Service Users

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to identify the incidence of frailty and to investigate the relationship between frailty status and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in the community-dwelling elderly population who utilize preventive health services. METHODS: People aged 65 years and older who visited a medical center in Taipei City from March to August in 2011 for an annual routine check-up provided by the National Health Insurance were eligible. A total of 374 eligible elderly adults without cognitive impairment had a mean age of 74.6±6.3 years. Frailty status was determined according to the Fried frailty criteria. HRQoL was measured with Short Form-36 (SF-36). Multiple regression analyses examined the relationship between frailty status and the two summary scales of SF-36. Models were adjusted for the participants' sociodemographic and health status. RESULTS: After adjusting for sociodemographic and health-related covariables, frailty was found to be more significantly associated (p<0.001) with lower scores on both physical and mental health-related quality of life summary scales compared with robustness. For the frailty phenotypes, slowness represented the major contributing factor in the physical component scale of SF-36, and exhaustion was the primary contributing factor in the mental component scale. CONCLUSION: The status of frailty is closely associated with HRQoL in elderly Taiwanese preventive health service users. The impacts of frailty phenotypes on physical and mental aspects of HRQoL differ

Zebrafish Her8a Is Activated by Su(H)-Dependent Notch Signaling and Is Essential for the Inhibition of Neurogenesis

Understanding how diversity of neural cells is generated is one of the main tasks of developmental biology. The Hairy/E(spl) family members are potential targets of Notch signaling, which has been shown to be fundamental to neural cell maintenance, cell fate decisions, and compartment boundary formation. However, their response to Notch signaling and their roles in neurogenesis are still not fully understood. In the present study, we isolated a zebrafish homologue of hairy/E(spl), her8a, and showed this gene is specifically expressed in the developing nervous system. her8a is positively regulated by Su(H)-dependent Notch signaling as revealed by a Notch-defective mutant and injection of variants of the Notch intracellular regulator, Su(H). Morpholino knockdown of Her8a resulted in upregulation of proneural and post-mitotic neuronal markers, indicating that Her8a is essential for the inhibition of neurogenesis. In addition, markers for glial precursors and mature glial cells were down-regulated in Her8a morphants, suggesting Her8a is required for gliogenesis. The role of Her8a and its response to Notch signaling is thus similar to mammalian HES1, however this is the converse of what is seen for the more closely related mammalian family member, HES6. This study not only provides further understanding of how the fundamental signaling pathway, Notch signaling, and its downstream genes mediate neural development and differentiation, but also reveals evolutionary diversity in the role of H/E(spl) genes