Cancer prevention recommendations: awareness in a Mexican public hospital
Background The recommendations of both the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) and the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) for the prevention of cancer are important public health tools. These recommendations for the prevention of specific cancers are related to body weight maintenance; physical activity; foods and drinks that promote weight gain; plant foods; foods of animal origin; alcoholic beverages; preservation, processing, and preparation of food; food supplements; and breastfeeding. Methods This study was a descriptive, cross-sectional, retrospective study. All patients provided written informed consent prior to enrollment in the study. Stratified random sampling was carried out with a convenience sample size of ≥280 participants. The characteristics of the participants were investigated using validated questions. Knowledge about the WCRF/AICR recommendations for the primary prevention of cancer was determined using 14 multiple choice questions validated in this study. Group A included participants who answered that cancer can be prevented and that lifestyle is the main factor related to the onset of cancer; the remaining participants were assigned to Group B. The χ2 test and Mann‒Whitney U test were used to determine differences in the groups. A p-value of ≤0.05 was considered statistically significant. A multiple linear regression analysis with gamma response was performed to assess the knowledge score. Results A total of 289 participants were included; 168 (58%) participants were in group A, and 121 (42%) participants were in group B. Using a 0 to 14 scale, the median (P25, P75) number of correct answers was 11 (10, 12). There was no evidence of a difference between groups in sex, relationship status, literacy skills, years of education, occupation, monthly income per person, and BMI. Most of the participants reported that they did not consume tobacco (n = 259/289) or alcohol (n = 261/289) in the week prior to completing the survey. Discussion Most of the participants (58%) considered cancer preventable and agreed that lifestyle factors were the most important factors in cancer development. The results also showed a high level of public awareness of some evidence-based associations between cancer and lifestyle factors, such as tobacco use. Some confusion among the public on other risk factors was also identified: waist circumference, a variable related to excess weight, was not identified as a risk factor for cancer by most of the participants, but the consumption of foods and beverages high in calories was identified as a risk factor by the majority of participants. Awareness of cancer protective and risk factors may lead to positive behavioral changes and eventually reduce the burden of cancer.
Trujillo Rivera et al. (2024) Cancer prevention recommendations: awareness in a Mexican public hospital. PeerJ 12:e17593 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.17593
Risk factors of bloodstream infection in erythroderma from atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, and drug reactions: a retrospective observational cohort study
Background Atopic dermatitis (AD), psoriasis, and drug reactions associated with erythroderma are frequently complicated by infections. However, bloodstream infection (BSI) have received less research attention. Objectives This study aimed to investigate the clinical characteristics and risk factors associated with BSI in patients with erythroderma. Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on 141 erythroderma cases. Eleven cases were identified as having BSI. Clinical records of both BSI and non-BSI groups were reviewed and compared. Results BSI was diagnosed in 7.80% (11/141) of erythroderma cases, with a breakdown of 7.14% in AD, 2.00% in psoriasis, and 17.14% in drug reactions. Notably, all positive skin cultures (7/7) showed bacterial isolates concordant with blood cultures. Univariate logistic regression analysis revealed several significant associations with BSI, including temperature (≤36.0 or ≥38.5 °C; odds ratio (OR) = 28.06; p < 0.001), chilling (OR = 22.10; p < 0.001), kidney disease (OR = 14.64; p < 0.001), etiology of drug reactions (OR = 4.18; p = 0.03), albumin (ALB) (OR = 0.86; p < 0.01), C-reaction protein (CRP) (OR = 1.01; p = 0.02), interleukin 6 (IL-6) (OR = 1.02; p = 0.02), and procalcitonin (PCT) (OR = 1.07; p = 0.03). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves demonstrated significant associations with ALB (p < 0.001; the area under curve (AUC) = 0.80), PCT (p = 0.009; AUC = 0.74), and CRP (p = 0.02; AUC = 0.71). Conclusions Increased awareness of BSI risk is essential in erythroderma management. Patients with specific risk factors, such as abnormal body temperature (≤36.0 or ≥38.5 °C), chilling sensations, kidney disease, a history of drug reactions, elevated CRP (≥32 mg/L), elevated PCT (≥1.00 ng/ml), and low albumin (≤31.0 g/L), require close monitoring for BSI development.
Liufu et al. (2024) Risk factors of bloodstream infection in erythroderma from atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, and drug reactions: a retrospective observational cohort study. PeerJ 12:e17701 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.17701
The usefulness of peri-trigger female reproductive hormones (delta-FRH) in predicting oocyte maturation in normal ovarian reserve patients who received in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer: a retrospective study
Objectives To evaluate the efficacy of peri-trigger female reproductive hormones (FRHs) in the prediction of oocyte maturation in normal ovarian reserve patients during the in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET) procedure. Materials and Methods A hospital database was used to extract data on IVF-ET cases from January 2020 to September 2021. The levels of female reproductive hormones, including estradiol (E2), luteinizing hormone (LH), progesterone (P), and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), were initially evaluated at baseline, the day of the trigger, the day after the trigger, and the day of oocyte retrieval. The relative change in E2, LH, P, FSH between time point 1 (the day of trigger and baseline) and time point 2 (the day after the trigger and day on the trigger) was defined as E2_RoV1/2, LH_RoV1/2, P_RoV1/2, and FSH_RoV1/2, respectively. Univariable and multivariable regression were performed to screen the peri-trigger FRHs for the prediction of oocyte maturation. Results A total of 118 patients were enrolled in our study. Univariable analysis revealed significant associations between E2_RoV1 and the rate of MII oocytes in the GnRH-agonist protocol group (p < 0.05), but not in the GnRH-antagonist protocol group. Conversely, P_RoV2 emerged as a potential predictor for the rate of MII oocytes in both protocol groups (p < 0.05). Multivariable analysis confirmed the significance of P_RoV2 in predicting oocyte maturation rate in both groups (p < 0.05), while the association of E2_RoV1 was not significant in either group. However, within the subgroup of high P_RoV2 in the GnRH-agonist protocol group, association was not observed to be significant. The C-index was 0.83 (95% CI [0.73–0.92]) for the GnRH-agonist protocol group and 0.77 (95% CI [0.63–0.90]) for the GnRH-antagonist protocol group. The ROC curve analysis further supported the satisfactory performance of the models, with area under the curve (AUC) values of 0.79 for the GnRH-agonist protocol group and 0.81 for the GnRH-antagonist protocol group. Conclusions P_RoV2 showed significant predictive value for oocyte maturation in both GnRH-agonist and GnRH-antagonist protocol groups, which enhances the understanding of evaluating oocyte maturation and inform individualized treatment protocols in controlled ovarian hyperstimulation during IVF-ET for normal ovarian reserve patients.
He et al. (2024) The usefulness of peri-trigger female reproductive hormones (delta-FRH) in predicting oocyte maturation in normal ovarian reserve patients who received in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer: a retrospective study. PeerJ 12:e17706 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.17706
Effect of intensity training block on anxiety state and performance in competitive swimmers
Background An increase in training intensity could create changes in psychological and physiological variables in competitive athletes. For this reason, it is very relevant to know how an intensive training block could influence psychological variables in competitive swimmers. This study examined the effect of an intensive training block (HIT) for 2 weeks on the anxiety state and swimming performance compared to standard aerobic training. Methods Twenty-two male competition swimmers were randomly assigned to two groups: HIT group (n = 11; age = 16.5 ± 0.29 years) and control group following the standard training program (n = 11; age = 16.1 ± 0.33 years). Psychological status variables (cognitive anxiety, somatic anxiety and self-confidence) and swimming performance (100-m front crawl) were measured pre-and post-test. Results A significant effect of time was found for all psychological variables and swimming performance (F ≥ 17.6; p < 0.001; d ≥ 0.97). Furthermore, a significant group × time interaction effect was found in cognitive (F = 14.9; p < 0.001; d = 0.62) and somatic anxiety (F = 5.37; p = 0.031; d = 0.55) were found. Only a significant group effect was found in somatic anxiety (F = 27.1; p < 0.001; d = 1.2). Post hoc comparison revealed that both groups increased their cognitive anxiety and swimming performance, and decreased their self-confidence from pre to post test. However, cognitive anxiety increase significantly more in the HIT group compared to the control group. Furthermore, only the HIT training group significantly increased somatic anxiety over time, while somatic anxiety did not change significantly over time in the control group. Conclusion Our findings indicated that a sudden increase in training intensity increased state anxiety more than standard training, but both conditions similarly enhanced swimming performance. Although the current level of psychological state is not affecting swimming performance negatively over this period, it should be regularly monitored by psychologists as it over a longer training period perhaps could have a negative influence on swimming performance.
Aouani et al. (2024) Effect of intensity training block on anxiety state and performance in competitive swimmers. PeerJ 12:e17708 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.17708
Do the effects last? A comparison between internal and external focus of attention instructions on golf putting accuracy over multiple days
Background The role of attentional focus is a well-explored topic in exercise sciences. Studies generally indicate that external focus (EF) enhances motor performance and learning compared with internal focus (IF). However, most studies only included one or two experimental days which limits participants’ exposure to the focus conditions. This raises the question of whether the superiority of EF varies over time. Methods Accordingly, in this pre-registered within-subject study, we examined the effects of focus instructions on golf-putting performance over four days, with 48–72 h between them. On each day, participants performed 15 putts under three instructional conditions: (1) EF, (2) IF, and (3) control, in a randomized and counterbalanced order. Results We observed trivial differences in performance between conditions but considerable improvements from day 1 to day 4. When using an exploratory analysis, we found that participants performed better under EF and control conditions compared with the IF condition on day 1, but not on subsequent days. Conclusions Since IF instructions are more commonly used in practice, we speculate that the two other focus conditions were experienced as more novel, potentially accounting for their superiority on Day 1. Nevertheless, our results question the significance of employing EF to enhance performance.
Nevo et al. (2024) Do the effects last? A comparison between internal and external focus of attention instructions on golf putting accuracy over multiple days. PeerJ 12:e17718 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.17718
Hypertension in frail older adults: current perspectives
Hypertension is one of the most common chronic diseases in older people, and the prevalence is on the rise as the global population ages. Hypertension is closely associated with many adverse health outcomes, including cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease and mortality, which poses a substantial threat to global public health. Reasonable blood pressure (BP) management is very important for reducing the occurrence of adverse events. Frailty is an age-related geriatric syndrome, characterized by decreased physiological reserves of multiple organs and systems and increased sensitivity to stressors, which increases the risk of falls, hospitalization, fractures, and mortality in older people. With the aging of the global population and the important impact of frailty on clinical practice, frailty has attracted increasing attention in recent years. In older people, frailty and hypertension often coexist. Frailty has a negative impact on BP management and the prognosis of older hypertensive patients, while hypertension may increase the risk of frailty in older people. However, the causal relationship between frailty and hypertension remains unclear, and there is a paucity of research regarding the efficacious management of hypertension in frail elderly patients. The management of hypertension in frail elderly patients still faces significant challenges. The benefits of treatment, the optimal BP target, and the choice of antihypertensive drugs for older hypertensive patients with frailty remain subjects of ongoing debate. This review provides a brief overview of hypertension in frail older adults, especially for the management of BP in this population, which may help in offering valuable ideas for future research in this field.
Li et al. (2024) Hypertension in frail older adults: current perspectives. PeerJ 12:e17760 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.17760
Anthropogenic fertilization influences a shift in barley rhizosphere microbial communities
Background Anthropogenic mediations contribute a significant role in stimulating positive reactions in soil–plant interactions; however, methodical reports on how anthropogenic activities impact soil microorganism-induced properties and soil health are still inadequate. In this study, we evaluated the influence of anthropogenic fertilization of farmland soil on barley rhizosphere microbial community structure and diversity, and the significant impacts on agro-ecosystem productivity. This will help validate the premise that soil amendment with prolonged synthetic fertilizers can lead to a significant reduction in bacterial abundance and diversity, while soils amended with organic fertilizers elicit the succession of the native soil microbial community and favor the growth of copiotrophic bacteria. Methods The total metagenomic DNA was extracted from soils obtained from the barley rhizosphere under chemical fertilization (CB), organic fertilization (OB), and bulk soil (NB). Subsequently, these samples were sequenced using an amplicon-based sequencing approach, and the raw sequence dataset was examined using a metagenomic rast server (MG-RAST). Results Our findings showed that all environments (CB, OB, and NB) shared numerous soil bacterial phyla but with different compositions. However, Bacteroidetes, Proteobacteria, and Actinobacteria predominated in the barley rhizosphere under chemical fertilization, organic fertilization, and bulk soils, respectively. Alpha and beta diversity analysis showed that the diversity of bacteria under organic barley rhizosphere was significantly higher and more evenly distributed than bacteria under chemical fertilization and bulk soil. Conclusion Understanding the impact of conventional and organic fertilizers on the structure, composition, and diversity of the rhizosphere microbiome will assist in soil engineering to enhance microbial diversity in the agroecosystem.
Enagbonma et al. (2024) Anthropogenic fertilization influences a shift in barley rhizosphere microbial communities. PeerJ 12:e17303 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.17303
Estimation of environment stability for fruit yield and capsaicin content by using two models in Capsicum chinense Jacq. (Ghost Pepper) with multi-year evaluation
Background Capsicum chinense Jacq. (Ghost Pepper) is well-known for its high pungency and pleasant aroma. The recent years witnessed a significant decline in popularity of this important crop due to the use of inferior planting material and lack of elite lines. To maintain constant performance across a variety of settings, it is crucial to choose stable lines with high yield and capsaicin content, as these are the most promising traits of Ghost Pepper. Method In this study, 120 high-capsaicin genotypes were subjected to a 3-year (kharif 2017, 2018 and 2019) stability investigation utilizing two well-known stability methods: Eberhart-Russell (ER) and additive main effects and multiple interaction (AMMI). Three replications were used following Randomized Complete Block Design for 11 traits. The experiment soil was sandy loam with pH 4.9. Minimum and maximum temperature of 18.5 °C, 17.5 °C, 17.4 °C and 32.2 °C, 31.3 °C, 32.7 °C and rainfall of 1,781, 2,099, 1,972 mm respectively was recorded for the study period. Result The genotype-environment linear interaction (G×E Lin.) was highly significant for days to 50% flowering, capsaicin content, fruit length and girth, fruit yield per plant and number of fruits per plant at p < 0.005. G×E interaction for fruit yield and capsaicin content in AMMI-analysis of variance reported 67.07% and 71.51% contribution by IPCA-1 (interactive principal component axis) and 32.76% and 28.49% by IPCA-2, respectively. Eight genotypes were identified to be stable with high yield and capsaicin content. The identified stable lines can be opted for cultivation to reduce the impact of crop failure when grown in different macro-environments. Moreover, the pharmaceutical and spice sectors will also be benefitted from the lines with high capsaicin content. Further research assessing the lines’ performance across various regions of India can provide a solid foundation for the crop’s evaluation at national level.
Baruah et al. (2024) Estimation of environment stability for fruit yield and capsaicin content by using two models in Capsicum chinense Jacq. (Ghost Pepper) with multi-year evaluation. PeerJ 12:e17511 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.17511
Identification and validation of calcium extrusion-related genes prognostic signature in colon adenocarcinoma
Background Disruptions in calcium homeostasis are associated with a wide range of diseases, and play a pivotal role in the development of cancer. However, the construction of prognostic models using calcium extrusion-related genes in colon adenocarcinoma (COAD) has not been well studied. We aimed to identify whether calcium extrusion-related genes serve as a potential prognostic biomarker in the COAD progression. Methods We constructed a prognostic model based on the expression of calcium extrusion-related genes (SLC8A1, SLC8A2, SLC8A3, SLC8B1, SLC24A2, SLC24A3 and SLC24A4) in COAD. Subsequently, we evaluated the associations between the risk score calculated by calcium extrusion-related genes and mutation signature, immune cell infiltration, and immune checkpoint molecules. Then we calculated the immune score, stromal score, tumor purity and estimate score using the Estimation of STromal and Immune cells in MAlignant Tumor tissues using Expression data (ESTIMATE) algorithm. The response to immunotherapy was assessed using tumor immune dysfunction and exclusion (TIDE). Finally, colorectal cancer cells migration, growth and colony formation assays were performed in RKO cells with the overexpression or knockdown SLC8A3, SLC24A2, SLC24A3, or SLC24A4. Results We found that patients with high risk score of calcium extrusion-related genes tend to have a poorer prognosis than those in the low-risk group. Additionally, patients in high-risk group had higher rates of KRAS mutations and lower MUC16 mutations, implying a strong correlation between KRAS and MUC16 mutations and calcium homeostasis in COAD. Moreover, the high-risk group showed a higher infiltration of regulatory T cells (Tregs) in the tumor microenvironment. Finally, our study identified two previously unreported model genes (SLC8A3 and SLC24A4) that contribute to the growth and migration of colorectal cancer RKO cells. Conclusions Altogether, we developed a prognostic risk model for predicting the prognosis of COAD patients based on the expression profiles of calcium extrusion-related genes, Furthermore, we validated two previously unreported tumor suppressor genes (SLC8A3 and SLC24A4) involved in colorectal cancer progression.
Jin et al. (2024) Identification and validation of calcium extrusion-related genes prognostic signature in colon adenocarcinoma. PeerJ 12:e17582 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.17582
Pan-cancer analysis identifies olfactory receptor family 7 subfamily A member 5 as a potential biomarker for glioma
Background Human olfactory receptors (ORs) account for approximately 60% of all human G protein-coupled receptors. The functions of ORs extend beyond olfactory perception and have garnered significant attention in tumor biology. However, a comprehensive pan-cancer analysis of ORs in human cancers is lacking. Methods Using data from public databases, such as HPA, TCGA, GEO, GTEx, TIMER2, TISDB, UALCAN, GEPIA2, and GSCA, this study investigated the role of olfactory receptor family 7 subfamily A member 5 (OR7A5) in various cancers. Functional analysis of OR7A5 in LGG and GBM was performed using the CGGA database. Molecular and cellular experiments were performed to validate the expression and biological function of OR7A5 in gliomas. Results The results revealed heightened OR7A5 expression in certain tumors, correlating with the expression levels of immune checkpoints and immune infiltration. In patients with gliomas, the expression levels of OR7A5 were closely associated with adverse prognosis, 1p/19p co-deletion status, and wild-type IDH status. Finally, in vitro experiments confirmed the inhibitory effect of OR7A5 knockdown on the proliferative capacity of glioma cells and on the expression levels of proteins related to lipid metabolism. Conclusion This study establishes OR7A5 as a novel biomarker, potentially offering a novel therapeutic target for gliomas.
Bao et al. (2024) Pan-cancer analysis identifies olfactory receptor family 7 subfamily A member 5 as a potential biomarker for glioma. PeerJ 12:e17631 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.17631