Health-related Quality of Life in Women with Breast Cancer: a Literature-based Review of Psychometric Properties of Breast Cancer-specific Measures

Niu, Hui-Yan,Niu, Chun-Ying,Wang, Jia-He,Zhang, Yi,He, Ping Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2014 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.15 No.8

Background: Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in women in the world. Health-related quality of life (HRQL) at treatment endpoint in cancer clinical trials is widely considered to be increasingly important. The aim of this review was to provide a literature-based assessment of the validity, reliability and responsiveness of breast cancer-specific HRQL instruments in women breast cancer patients. Materials and Methods: The databases consulted were Medline, PubMed, and Embase. The inclusion criteria required studies to: (1) involve use of HRQL measures; (2) cover women with breast cancer under standard treatment (surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, hormone therapy, and targeted therapy); (3) involve the validity, reliability, or responsiveness of HRQL; (4) deal with validation of breast cancer-specific HRQL instruments. Results: A total of 16 studies were identified through the literature search that met the 4 inclusion criteria. Some seven instruments were assessed among these 16 studies: EORTC QLQ-BR23, FACT-B, FACT-ES, HFRDIS, LSQ-32, QLICP-BR, and SLDS-BC. EORTC QLQ-BR23, FACT-B, LSQ-32, QLICP-BR, and SLDS-BC are more general breast cancer-specific HRQL instruments. FACT-EB is the endocrine subscale combined with FACT-B in order to measure the side effects and putative benefits of hormonal treatment administered in breast cancer patients. HFRDIS is the HRQL measure focusing on hot flash concerns. Conclusions: This paper provides an overall understanding on the currently available breast cancer-specific HRQL instruments in women breast cancer patients.

Beneficial effects of natural Jeju groundwaters on lipid metabolism in high-fat diet-induced hyperlipidemic rats

Yan-chao Wang,Jin-miao Lu,Hui-zi Jin,Ai-niu Ma,Jin-yang Zhang,Nian Gong,Qi Xiao,Bin Zhu,Ying-fang Lv,Na Yu,Wei-dong Zhang,Yong-xiang Wang 한국영양학회 2014 Nutrition Research and Practice Vol.8 No.2

BACKGROUND: Groundwater is believed to possess many beneficial effects due to its natural source of various minerals. In this study, we examined the effects of natural Jeju groundwater S1 (SamdasooTM), S2 and S3 pumped up from different locations of Jeju Island, Korea, along with local tap water, on body weight gain, serum lipids and lipoproteins, and liver histopathology in high-fat diet-induced hyperlipidemic rats. MATERIALS/METHODS: Rats were randomly and equally divided into 6 groups. Different water samples were supplied to the hyperlipidemic rats as their daily drinking water and the widely-used anti-hyperlipidemic drug simvastatin was used as a positive control. Body weight, serum lipids and lipoproteins were measured weekly. Liver weight, liver index and liver histopathology were examined after the execution of the rats. RESULTS: After drinking Jeju groundwaters for two months, S2 but not S3 significantly reduced weight growth and serum triglycerides levels and increased high density lipoprotein-C (HDL-C) without affecting total cholesterol or LDL-C. S1 and particularly S2 significantly reduced the severity of liver hypertrophy and steatosis. All Groundwaters had much higher contents of vanadium (S3>S2>S1>>tap water) whereas S1 and S2 but not S3 markedly blocked autoxidation of ferrous ions. CONCLUSION: Jeju Groundwater S1 and particularly S2 exhibit protective effects against hyperlipidemia and fatty liver and hypothesize that the beneficial effect of Jeju Groundwaters may be contributed from blockade of autoxidation of ferrous ions rather than their high contents of vanadium.

Gate-tunable phase transitions in thin flakes of 1T-TaS2.

Yu, Yijun,Yang, Fangyuan,Lu, Xiu Fang,Yan, Ya Jun,Cho, Yong-Heum,Ma, Liguo,Niu, Xiaohai,Kim, Sejoong,Son, Young-Woo,Feng, Donglai,Li, Shiyan,Cheong, Sang-Wook,Chen, Xian Hui,Zhang, Yuanbo Nature Pub. Group 2015 Nature nanotechnology Vol.10 No.3

<P>The ability to tune material properties using gating by electric fields is at the heart of modern electronic technology. It is also a driving force behind recent advances in two-dimensional systems, such as the observation of gate electric-field-induced superconductivity and metal-insulator transitions. Here, we describe an ionic field-effect transistor (termed an iFET), in which gate-controlled Li ion intercalation modulates the material properties of layered crystals of 1T-TaS2. The strong charge doping induced by the tunable ion intercalation alters the energetics of various charge-ordered states in 1T-TaS2 and produces a series of phase transitions in thin-flake samples with reduced dimensionality. We find that the charge-density wave states in 1T-TaS2 collapse in the two-dimensional limit at critical thicknesses. Meanwhile, at low temperatures, the ionic gating induces multiple phase transitions from Mott-insulator to metal in 1T-TaS2 thin flakes, with five orders of magnitude modulation in resistance, and superconductivity emerges in a textured charge-density wave state induced by ionic gating. Our method of gate-controlled intercalation opens up possibilities in searching for novel states of matter in the extreme charge-carrier-concentration limit.</P>

2-Hydroxy-3-methylanthraquinone from Hedyotis diffusa Willd induces apoptosis in human leukemic U937 cells through modulation of MAPK pathways

Nan Wang,Dong-Yang Li,Hui-Yan Niu,Yi Zhang,Ping He,Jia-He Wang 대한약학회 2013 Archives of Pharmacal Research Vol.36 No.6

The herb of Hedyotis diffusa Willd (H. diffusaWilld), an annual herb distributed in northeastern Asia, hasbeen known as a traditional orientalmedicine for the treatmentof cancer. Recently, Chinese researchers have discovered thattwo anthraquinones isolated from a water extract of H. diffusaWilld showed apoptosis-inducing effects against cancer cells. However, the cellular and molecular mechanisms responsiblefor this phenomenon are poorly understood. The current studydetermines the role of mitogen-activated protein kinases(MAPK) in human leukemic U937 cells apoptosis inducedby 2-hydroxy-3-methylanthraquinone from H. diffusa. Ourresults showed that 2-hydroxy-3-methylanthraquinone decreasedphosphorylation-ERK1/2 (p-ERK1/2), and increasedp-p38MAPK, but did not affect expressions of p-JNK1/2 inU937 cells. Moreover, treatment of U937 cells with2-hydroxy-3-methylanthraquinone resulted in activation ofcaspase-3. Furthermore, PD98059 (ERK1/2 inhibitor)significantly enhanced 2-hydroxy-3-methylanthraquinoneinducedapoptosis in U937 cells, whereas caspase-3 inhibitoror SB203580 (p-p38MAPK inhibitor), decreased apoptosis inU937 cells. Taken together, our study for the first time suggeststhat 2-hydroxy-3-methylanthraquinone is able toenhance apoptosis of U937 cells, at least in part, throughactivation of p-p38MAPK and downregulation of p-ERK1/2. Moreover, the triggering of caspase-3 activation mediatedapoptotic induction.

The standards of obstetrics and gynecology core outcome sets: A scoping review

Shi Jiyuan,Gao Ya,Wu Shuang,Niu MingMing,Chen Yamin,Yan Meili,Song Ziwei,Feng Hui,Zhang Junhua,Tian Jinhui 한국한의학연구원 2022 Integrative Medicine Research Vol.11 No.1

Background: Core outcome sets (COSs) are the minimum outcomes which should be measured and reported by researchers investigating a specific condition. The definition of standards of COSs vary across different health-related areas. This investigated the characteristics of COSs regarding obstetrics and gynecology (OG) and examined the reports and designs of standards of OG COSs. Methods: A comprehensive search was conduced on the COMET database on December 20, 2019 to identify systematic reviews on COSs. Two reviewers independently evaluated whether the reported OG COS met the reporting requirements as stipulated in the Core Outcome Set-STAndards for Reporting (COS-STAR) statement checklist and the minimum design recommendations as outlined in the Core Outcome Set-STAndards for Development (COS-STAD) checklist. Results: Forty-four OG COSs related to 26 topics were identified. None of them met all the 25 standards of COS-STAR statement which representing 18 items considered essential for transparent and complete reporting list for all COS studies (range: 6.0-24.0, median: 14.0). The compliance rates to 16 standards of methods and result sections ranged from 27.3%–68.2%. Total COS-STAR compliance items for OG COSs with the prior protocol was significantly higher than without prior protocol (MD = 3.846, 95% CI: 0.835–6.858, P = 0.012). None of the OG COSs met all the 12 criteria in the COS-STAD minimum standards (range: 3.0-11.0, median: 5.0). The compliance rates for all three standards of stakeholders involved and all four standards of the consensus process were lower than 60%. Conclusions: Methodological and reporting standards of OG COSs should be improved. Background: Core outcome sets (COSs) are the minimum outcomes which should be measured and reported by researchers investigating a specific condition. The definition of standards of COSs vary across different health-related areas. This investigated the characteristics of COSs regarding obstetrics and gynecology (OG) and examined the reports and designs of standards of OG COSs. Methods: A comprehensive search was conduced on the COMET database on December 20, 2019 to identify systematic reviews on COSs. Two reviewers independently evaluated whether the reported OG COS met the reporting requirements as stipulated in the Core Outcome Set-STAndards for Reporting (COS-STAR) statement checklist and the minimum design recommendations as outlined in the Core Outcome Set-STAndards for Development (COS-STAD) checklist. Results: Forty-four OG COSs related to 26 topics were identified. None of them met all the 25 standards of COS-STAR statement which representing 18 items considered essential for transparent and complete reporting list for all COS studies (range: 6.0-24.0, median: 14.0). The compliance rates to 16 standards of methods and result sections ranged from 27.3%–68.2%. Total COS-STAR compliance items for OG COSs with the prior protocol was significantly higher than without prior protocol (MD = 3.846, 95% CI: 0.835–6.858, P = 0.012). None of the OG COSs met all the 12 criteria in the COS-STAD minimum standards (range: 3.0-11.0, median: 5.0). The compliance rates for all three standards of stakeholders involved and all four standards of the consensus process were lower than 60%. Conclusions: Methodological and reporting standards of OG COSs should be improved.