Xylophagia : a meta-synthesis of the literature

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide an insight into xylophagia, its treatment, intervention options, etiological causes and possible relationship with other diseases. Design/methodology/approach – A systematic search was performed across four scientific databases (i.e. Ovid Medline, Embase via Ovid, PubMed and ProQuest). All of the qualitative studies reporting on xylophagia from the inception of databases until August 2019 have been included. The quality of included studies was assessed through a ten-item checklist given by Kmet et al. (2004). Findings – A total of 18 studies were included, and five primary themes emerged after analysis: precipitation/onset of xylophagia, co-morbid psychiatric or medical illnesses, assessment and investigation modes to confirm diagnosis, outcomes of xylophagia and treatment options comprising medical care, psychological care, counseling and duration of recovery. There were 16 females and 9 males in included studies. The mean ages and standard deviations of males and females were 29.25(12.17) years and 32.81(11.92), respectively. The mean duration and standard deviation of paper pica were 4.80(4.27) years. Research limitations/implications – Despite the limitation that this meta-synthesis is based upon findings from case studies, results show that standardized medication regimens for treating xylophagia are still not available or are unknown. There is a dire need for further research in order to better understand the disorder. The healthcare professionals need to use reciprocal, mutually constituent influence of biological and sociocultural factors in order to screen, diagnose and manage complex psychological problems like xylophagia. Originality/value – The findings advance our understanding of the positive effects of patients and family members undergoing counseling or cognitive behavior therapy in reducing stress and enhancing coping skills thus, avoiding self-damaging behaviors

Liver cancer cells with nuclear MET overexpression release translation regulatory protein‐enriched extracellular vesicles exhibit metastasis promoting activity

Abstract MET receptor tyrosine kinase is a cell surface receptor that plays important role in embryonic development and tissue regeneration. Aberrant MET activation has been widely reported in different human cancers, making MET an attractive therapeutic target. The presence of truncated MET within the nucleus (nMET) with potential novel functions poses a great challenge to the current therapeutic strategies against MET surface receptor. Previous work has demonstrated the promoting effect of nMET in aggressive properties of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells by activating TAK1/NF‐κB signalling pathway. Herein, we report the role of nMET in modulating tumour microenvironment and tumour metastasis mediated by extracellular vesicles (EVs). EVs released by nMET overexpressing cells enhanced cell motility and provoked metastasis. Proteomic profiling revealed the enrichment of translational regulatory proteins in EVs derived from nMET overexpressing cells. These proteins include eukaryotic initiation factor (EIF), ribosomal protein small subunit (RPS) and ribosomal protein larger subunit (RPL) gene families. Knockdown of EIF3I, RPS3A and RPL10 diminished the promoting effect of EVs in cell migration invasiveness and metastasis. In conclusion, the findings reveal an unrecognized capacity of nMET to augment HCC through the release of EVs with oncogenic effect. Targeting these translation‐related proteins may serve as an alternative treatment for patients with nMET overexpression

Testing intelligent textiles

Intelligent textiles represent the next generation of fibers, fabrics and products made from them. In the last decade, research and development in smart/intelligent materials and structures have led to the birth of a wide range of novel smart products in aerospace, transportation, telecommunications, homes, buildings and infrastructures. New methods of testing and evaluation procedures for testing intelligent and smart fabrics are becoming extremely important in the industry as the future lies in these textiles. In this chapter the principles and some of the important test methods for testing intelligent fabrics, such as shape memory fabrics, phase change materials and self-cleaning fabrics, are explained.Institute of Textiles and Clothin

Are heart doses associated with survival in patients with non-small cell lung cancer who received post-operative thoracic radiotherapy? A national population-based study

10.1097/MD.0000000000017020MEDICINE983