Annals of medicine
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We discovered that vitiligo was associated with sexual dysfunction in clinical diagnosis and treatment; however, no further analysis had been performed due to a lack of data. ⋯ Patients with vitiligo were found to be at greater risk of sexual dysfunction. Moreover, the association between vitiligo and sexual dysfunction was stronger in women than in men.Key MessagesPatients with vitiligo were found to be at greater risk of sexual dysfunction.The association between vitiligo and sexual dysfunction was stronger in women than in men.
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More than half of the metastatic breast cancer patients with brain metastases (BCBM) are HER-2 negative, and the prognosis of HER2-negative BCBM is dismal. But few clinical trials have investigated systemic therapies for this subgroup of patients. ⋯ Apatinib-based chemotherapy demonstrates potential feasibility with acceptable tolerance for HER2-negative BCBM. Its clinical application in BCBM still needs further verification.
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Interprofessional education (IPE) has been promoted as a breakthrough in healthcare because of the impact when professionals work as a team. However, despite its inception dating back to the 1960s, its science has taken a long time to advance. There is a need to theorize IPE to cultivate creative insights for a nuanced understanding of IPE. This study aims to propose a research agenda on social interaction by understanding the measurement scales used and guiding researchers to contribute to the discussion of social processes in IPE. ⋯ Our data provided support for the validity of the scales when used among healthcare students in Hong Kong. SIAS-6 and SPS-6 have sound psychometric properties based on students' data in Hong Kong. We identified quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods research designs to guide researchers in getting involved in the discussion of students' social interactions in IPE.Key MessagesThe Social Anxiety Scale (SIAS-6) and Social Phobia Scale (SPS-6) scales have sound psychometric properties based on the large-scale healthcare students' data in IPE in Hong Kong.Social interaction anxiety and social phobia negatively predicted students' behavioural engagement with IPE and positively predicted behavioural disaffection. The scales are invariant in terms of gender, year level and discipline.Quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods studies are proposed to aid researchers to contribute in healthcare education literature using the SIAS-6 and SPS-6.
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Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are an important part of tumour microenvironment, but its role in immunotherapy of gastric cancer (GC) is still needed to further study. In this study, we firstly distinguish the GC related CAFs via single cell sequencing dataset. CAFs in deep layers of GC tissues gain more developmental potential. ⋯ Key messagesGlypican-3 (GPC3) is up-regulated in the CAFs subgroups of the advanced gastric cancer. Gastric cancer patients with GPC3high CAFs have lower response rate to PD-1 therapy. Targeting GPC3high CAFs sensitizing the PD-1 blockage therapy in gastric cancer.
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Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease associated with an increased risk of death, but its underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have recently been implicated in various biological processes. The aim of this study was to investigate the key circRNAs related to RA. ⋯ The findings of this study may help to elucidate the role of circRNAs in the specific mechanism underlying RA.Key messagesMicroarray assays showed that a total of 35,342 and 6146 DEcircRNAs were detected in RA patients compared to controls and OA patients, respectively.Nine out of the DEcircRNAs in RA were validated by real-time PCR, and the levels of the DEcircRNAs were related to some of the laboratory indices.GO analyses revealed that the DEcircRNAs in RA were closely related to cellular protein metabolic processes, gene expression, the immune system, etc.Functional annotation of host genes of the DEcircRNAs in RA was implicated in several significantly enriched pathways, including metabolic pathways, ECM-receptor interaction, the PI3K-Akt signalling pathway, etc.