The Dark Side of Addiction Support Forums: Impacts of Poor Quality and Insufficient Emotional Support on Perceived Support Availability and Health Efficacy

Research has identified many benefits of participating in online social support forums; however, the potential negative impacts of these communities have rarely been examined. This study explored the negative impacts of low quality (i.e., low person-centered) and insufficient (i.e., under-benefitted) emotional support on online support seekers. Health stigma and perceived support availability were also examined as mediating and moderating variables, respectively, in the model. An online survey of addiction support forum users (N = 321) was conducted. Results showed that for participants with low health stigma, low person-centered support decreased health self-efficacy through reducing perceived online emotional support availability, but under-benefitted support did not impact them. For those with high health stigma, low person-centered emotional support had positive effects on health self-efficacy through increasing perceived support availability, whereas under-benefitted support reduced health self-efficacy through decreasing perceived support availability. Importantly, a considerable proportion of participants (44.86%) reported under-benefitted emotional support. These findings suggest support forum participation can have negative impacts, but not all participants are adversely impacted equally. Instead, moderating variables, such as health stigma, can play an important role. Implications for future research and health care practitioners are discussed.     

Magnesium intake and primary liver cancer incidence and mortality in the Prostate,Lung, Colorectal and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial

Epidemiological studies on magnesium intake and primary liver cancer (PLC) are scarce, and no prospective studies have examined the associations of magnesium intake with PLC incidence and mortality. We sought to clarify whether higher magnesium intake from diet and supplements was associated with lower risks of PLC incidence and mortality in the US population. Magnesium intake from diet and supplements was evaluated through a food frequency questionnaire in a cohort of 104,025 participants. Cox regression was employed to calculate hazard ratios for PLC incidence and competing risk regression was employed to calculate subdistribution hazard ratios for PLC mortality. Restricted cubic spline regression was employed to test nonlinearity. We documented 116 PLC cases during 1,193,513.5 person-years of follow-up and 100 PLC deaths during 1,198,021.3 person-years of follow-up. Total (diet + supplements) magnesium intake was found to be inversely associated with risks of PLC incidence (hazard ratio_{tertile 3 vs. 1}: 0.44; 95% confidence interval: 0.24, 0.80; p_trend = 0.0065) and mortality (subdistribution hazard ratio_{tertile 3 vs. 1}: 0.37; 95% confidence interval: 0.19, 0.71; p_trend = 0.0008). Similar results were obtained for dietary magnesium intake. Nonlinear inverse dose–response associations with PLC incidence and mortality were observed for both total and dietary magnesium intakes (all p_nonlinearity < 0.05). In summary, in the US population, a high magnesium intake is associated with decreased risks of PLC incidence and mortality in a nonlinear dose–response manner. These findings support that increasing the consumption of foods rich in magnesium may be beneficial in reducing PLC incidence and mortality.     

Epidermal growth factor‐induced COX‐2 regulates metastasis of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma through upregulation of angiopoietin‐like 4

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) expression and activation are the major causes of metastasis in cancers such as head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). However, the reciprocal effect of EGF‐induced COX‐2 and angiopoietin‐like 4 (ANGPTL4) on HNSCC metastasis remains unclear. In this study, we revealed that the expression of ANGPTL4 is essential for COX‐2‐derived prostaglandin E₂ (PGE₂)‐induced tumor cell metastasis. We showed that EGF‐induced ANGPTL4 expression was dramatically inhibited with the depletion and inactivation of COX‐2 by knockdown of COX‐2 and celecoxib treatment, respectively. Prostaglandin E₂ induced ANGPTL4 expression in a time‐ and dose‐dependent manners in various HNSCC cell lines through the ERK pathway. In addition, the depletion of ANGPTL4 and MMP1 significantly impeded the PGE₂‐induced transendothelial invasion ability of HNSCC cells and the binding of tumor cells to endothelial cells. The induction of molecules involved in the regulation of epithelial‐mesenchymal transition was also dependent on ANGPTL4 expression in PGE₂‐treated cells. The depletion of ANGPTL4 further blocked PGE₂‐primed tumor cell metastatic seeding of lungs. These results indicate that the EGF‐activated PGE₂/ANGPTL4 axis enhanced HNSCC metastasis. The concurrent expression of COX‐2 and ANGPTL4 in HNSCC tumor specimens provides insight into potential therapeutic targets for the treatment of EGFR‐associated HNSCC metastasis.     

中医药治疗慢性前列腺炎研究概况

综述近年中医药治疗慢性前列腺炎的临床研究,认为本病病因病机之核心在于脾肾亏虚为本,湿热、痰浊、瘀毒为标,病久则伤及脾肾,由实转虚。中医内治法主要以辨证论治、辨病论治或单方验方为主,外治法以中药洗浴、中药灌肠、肛门给药、针灸为主。中医药治疗本病优势明显。应继续完善对中医药作用机制的认识,制订统一的辨证论治及疗效评价标准,针对效果显著的名方开展研究。     

Antiviral Properties of Traditional Chinese Medicine against Coronavirus: Research Clues for Coronavirus Disease-2019

The objective of this study was to provide research clues for the prevention and treatment of coronavirus disease?2019 (COVID?19) and coronavirus (CoV) infection using Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). A review on research and clinical trials that using TCM extracts and active ingredients against CoV was performed, and a table of TCM agents and their effects on CoV were summarized. Relevant analysis was performed and visual expression of the data included summarizing the types of TCM and treatment methods for COVID?19. TCM fighting against CoV is mainly used in the lung and heart channels, and its medicinal properties are mainly cold and mild, while its taste is mainly bitter and sweet. The majority of research focused on treatments that clear away heat and toxic materials and those that strengthen body resistance and tonify deficiencies. TCM has unique advantages to fight against CoV. The development of new anti?CoV therapy using TCM is of great significance for the prevention and treatment of COVID?19 pneumonia and various viral infectious diseases.     

Analysis of Similarities and Differences between Coronavirus Disease 2019 and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome

Both coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID?19) and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) are epidemic, contagious, sudden, and publicly harmful diseases. The whole?genome nucleotide identity of the pathogens causing the two diseases reached 79.5%. The mechanism and treatment of COVID?19 are still under investigation. Combining the experiences of SARS prevention and treatment in 2003, and the case data and literature of COVID?19, the similarities and differences between the two diseases in terms of causes, susceptible people, characteristics, dialectical mode, and treatment were analyzed. The two diseases are both plagues in terms of Chinese medicine. The cause of SARS was “heat poison,” and its pathogenesis was “heat poison, stasis, and qi and yin deficiency.” Therefore the treatment regimen was mainly to clear away heat, detoxicate, and expel evil. While the cause of COVID?19 was “wet poison,” and its pathogenesis was “wet, poison, heat, stasis, close, syncope, and yang collapse.” Hence the basic treatment strategy was to declare lung and remove dampness. Treatment of COVID?19 was clearing away evil qi as soon as possible, with the basic treatment regimen, which was declaring lung, removing dampness, and dispelling the evil. Combined with Traditional Chinese medicine’s (TCM’s) understanding and experience in SARS prevention and treatment, and Chinese clinical cured cases, we try to provide strategies for people all over the world to understand and respond to COVID?19, through the analysis and comparison. To improve COVID-19 prevention and treatment regimen and give full play to the advantages of TCM.     

Effect of Acupoints on Acupuncture-Moxibustion and its Therapeutic Mechanism

The clinical efficacy of acupuncture-moxibustion(AM) mainly depends on acupoints, but the relationship between the acupoints and AM remains unclear. Improving clinical efficacy and clarifying the mechanisms of AM is critical. We found that the specificity and sensitivity of acupoints, the skill of operation, and reasonable amount of stimulation can significantly improve the efficacy of AM. In addition, some studies have shown that Neural-Endocrine-Immune network and metabolites are involved in this process, clarifying the therapeutic mechanism of acupoints. Therefore, how to effectively use acupoints to improve the clinical efficacy of AM is one of the key issues in need of an urgent solution. In summary, this article reviewed the Chinese and English databases on the clinical efficacy and underlying mechanisms of acupoints to clarify the relationship between acupoints and AM efficacy and ultimately improve clinical efficacy through effective and rational use of acupoints.     

氯氮平片辅助治疗PD合并精神障碍患者的有效性及不良反应研究

目的:对氯氮平片在帕金森病(Parkinson’s disease,PD)合并精神障碍辅助治疗中的应用价值予以探讨。方法:选取50例我院2013年1月1日—2019年6月30日接诊的PD合并精神障碍患者进行研究,按照随机数表法分为对照组和观察组。对照组用多巴丝肼,观察组联合氯氮平片,对比治疗效果。结果:观察组疾病治疗总有效率96.00%(24/25)高于对照组68.00%(17/25),差异有统计学意义(P<0.05),不良反应发生率8.00%(2/25)与对照组20.00%(5/25)差异无统计学意义(P>0.05);观察组UPDRD评分、VGI-S评分和BPRS评分明显低于对照组,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。结论:氯氮平片辅助治疗PD合并精神障碍患者,既可提高临床疗效,也不会增加用药后不良反应,安全性高,值得推广。