Sexual Satisfaction and Associated Factors Among Older Cancer Survivors.

As little is known about sexual satisfaction among older (≥ 65 years) cancer survivors, this study examined sexual satisfaction defined as physical pleasure and emotional satisfaction in sexual relationships, including associated factors. This secondary analysis of the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project round 3 data set included 173 partnered older cancer survivors. The data included ratings of physical pleasure, emotional satisfaction, importance of sexual activity, mental and physical health, and scores of sexual function (the presence of problems; if any, the extent of related bother) and social support and strain from partners.

Development of covalent chemogenetic K channel activators.

K potassium channels regulate excitability by affecting cellular resting membrane potential in the brain, cardiovascular system, immune cells, and sensory organs. Despite their important roles in anesthesia, arrhythmia, pain, hypertension, sleep, and migraine, the ability to control K function remains limited. Here, we describe a chemogenetic strategy termed CATKLAMP (covalent activation of TREK family K channels to clamp membrane potential) that leverages the discovery of a K modulator pocket site that reacts with electrophile-bearing derivatives of a TREK subfamily small-molecule activator, ML335, to activate the channel irreversibly.

Measures of Patient and Surrogate Preparedness for End-of-Life Decision-Making.

Context: Reliable and valid measures are critical in accurately assessing outcomes of advance care planning interventions (ACP) for end-of-life (EOL) decision-making.

Objectives: To develop measures of preparedness for EOL decision-making for patients with end-stage renal disease and their surrogates (an exemplar population).

Methods: In this 3-phase study, Phases 1 and 2 included a cross-discipline concept analysis of the preparedness construct, item generation for patient and surrogate scales (82 items), evaluation of content validity and readability, cognitive interviewing, and item reduction.

State of the science of sexual health among older cancer survivors: an integrative review.

Purpose: Sexual health is important for quality of life among older (≥65 years) cancer survivors. Yet, little is known about the extent to which their sexual health has been studied.

Methods: In this integrative review, PubMed, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and Web of Science were searched for data-based articles of sexual health among older cancer survivors.

Development of covalent chemogenetic K channel activators.

K potassium channels regulate excitability by affecting cellular resting membrane potential in the brain, cardiovascular system, immune cells, and sensory organs. Despite their important roles in anesthesia, arrhythmia, pain, hypertension, sleep, and migraine, the ability to control K function remains limited. Here, we describe a chemogenetic strategy termed CATKLAMP (Covalent Activation of TREK family K channels to cLAmp Membrane Potential) that leverages the discovery of a site in the K modulator pocket that reacts with electrophile-bearing derivatives of a TREK subfamily small molecule activator, ML335, to activate the channel irreversibly.

A Qualitative Study of the Pain Experience of Black Individuals With Cancer Taking Long-Acting Opioids.

Background: Little is known about the experience of Black individuals with cancer taking long-acting opioids for cancer pain.

Objective: This study aimed to describe the day-to-day experience of living with pain and the experiences of taking opioids for pain management among Black individuals with cancer prescribed with long-acting opioids.

Methods: This qualitative descriptive study was part of a larger investigation focused on opioid adherence.

Obesity and patient-reported sexual health outcomes in gynecologic cancer survivors: A systematic review.

As obesity prevalence among gynecologic cancer (GC) survivors is expected to increase, the role of obesity in sexual health needs to be understood. This systematic review examined the impact of obesity on patient-reported sexual health outcomes (SHOs) in this population. PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, CINAHL, and PsycINFO were searched for original studies published between 2015 and 2020 following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses guideline.

What type of plastic do sea turtles in Korean waters mainly ingest? Quantity, shape, color, size, polymer composition, and original usage.

Globally, sea turtles are at high risk of ingesting plastic. However, research on plastic ingestion by sea turtles in East Asia is scant, and no quantitative or qualitative investigation has been conducted in Korean waters. This study examined the plastic ingestion of sea turtles stranded, floating, or incidentally captured in Korean waters between 2012 and 2018.

Barriers to Pain Management: Incongruence in Black Cancer Caregiving Dyads.

Context: To effectively manage cancer pain, there is a need to understand how caregiving dyads appraise symptoms. Dyadic appraisal of symptoms influences whether the dyad perceives the patient's pain is managed well and whether they are on the same page with their appraisal. Beliefs can act as barriers to the dyadic appraisal.

Financial Hardship and Quality of Life Among Patients With Advanced Cancer Receiving Outpatient Palliative Care: A Pilot Study.

Background: Patients with advanced cancer are increasingly experiencing financial hardship (FH) and associated negative health outcomes.

Objective: The aims of this study were to describe FH and explore its relationship to quality of life (QOL) in patients with advanced cancer receiving outpatient palliative care (PC).

Methods: Validated questionnaires assessed FH, QOL dimensions, symptom burden, and sociodemographic and clinical characteristics.

Congruence of pain perceptions between Black cancer patients and their family caregivers.

Purpose: This cross-sectional study evaluated congruence in pain assessment among Black cancer patients taking opioids for pain and their family caregivers and the effects of patient-reported depressive symptoms and cognitive complaints on the congruence.

Methods: Patient-reported pain scores (current, average, and worst pain severity and pain interference) and caregiver proxy scores were independently assessed (Brief Pain Inventory). Patient-reported depressive symptoms (Patient Health Questionnaire-8) and cognitive complaints (Cognitive Difficulties Scale) were also assessed.

Production of K2.1 (TREK-1) for structural studies.

K (KCNK) potassium channels form 'background' or 'leak' currents that are important for controlling cell excitability in the brain, cardiovascular system, and somatosensory neurons. K2.1 (TREK-1) is one of the founding members of this family and one of the first well-characterized polymodal ion channels capable of responding to a variety of physical and chemical gating cues.

Application of antihelix antibodies in protein structure determination.

Antibodies are indispensable tools in protein engineering and structural biology. Antibodies suitable for structural studies should recognize the 3-dimensional (3D) conformations of target proteins. Generating such antibodies and characterizing their complexes with antigens take a significant amount of time and effort.

The polyherbal composition Gyeongshingangjeehwan 18 attenuates glucose intolerance and pancreatic steatosis in C57BL/6J mice on a high-fat diet.

Unlabelled: Ethnopharmacologic relevance: Gyeongshingangjeehwan 18 (GGEx18) is a polyherbal composition derived from Ephedra sinica Stapf (Ephedraceae), Laminaria japonica Aresch (Laminariaceae), and Rheum palmatum L. (Polygonaceae) that is used as an antiobesity drug in Korean clinics. Its constituents are traditionally known to combat obesity, dyslipidemia, and insulin resistance.

The polyherbal drug GGEx18 from Laminaria japonica, Rheum palmatum, and Ephedra sinica inhibits hepatic steatosis and fibroinflammtion in high-fat diet-induced obese mice.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: The herbal composition Gyeongshingangjeehwan 18 (GGEx18), composed of Rheum palmatum L. (Polygonaceae), Laminaria japonica Aresch (Laminariaceae), and Ephedra sinica Stapf (Ephedraceae), is used as an antiobesity drug in Korean clinics. The constituents of GGEx18 have traditionally been reported to inhibit obesity and related metabolic diseases such as insulin resistance and dyslipidemia.

[The Relationships among Chemotherapy-Induced Nausea and Vomiting (CINV), Non-Pharmacological Coping Methods, and Nutritional Status in Patients with Gynecologic Cancer].

Purpose: Chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) can cause severe malnutrition. However, relationships between CINV levels, non-pharmacological coping methods, and nutritional status of female cancer patients have rarely been investigated. Therefore, this study aimed to analyze their relationships in gynecologic cancer patients.

Effect of Gangjihwan on hepatic steatosis and inflammation in high fat diet-fed mice.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Gangjihwan (DF), a polyherbal drug composed of Ephedra intermedia Schrenk et C. A. Mayer (Ephedraceae), Lithospermum erythrorhizon Siebold et Zuccarini (Borraginaceae), and Rheum palmatum L.

The lemon balm extract ALS-L1023 inhibits obesity and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in female ovariectomized mice.

Increasing evidence indicates that angiogenesis inhibitors regulate obesity. This study aimed to determine whether the lemon balm extract ALS-L1023 inhibits diet-induced obesity and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in female ovariectomized (OVX) mice. OVX mice received a low fat diet (LFD), a high fat diet (HFD) or HFD supplemented with ALS-L1023 (ALS-L1023) for 15 weeks.

Structural insights into the elevator-like mechanism of the sodium/citrate symporter CitS.

The sodium-dependent citrate transporter of Klebsiella pneumoniae (KpCitS) belongs to the 2-hydroxycarboxylate transporter (2-HCT) family and allows the cell to use citrate as sole carbon and energy source in anaerobic conditions. Here we present crystal structures of KpCitS in citrate-bound outward-facing, citrate-bound asymmetric, and citrate-free inward-facing state. The structures reveal that the KpCitS dimerization domain remains stationary throughout the transport cycle due to a hydrogen bond network as well as extensive hydrophobic interactions.

The Angiogenesis Inhibitor ALS-L1023 from Lemon-Balm Leaves Attenuates High-Fat Diet-Induced Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease through Regulating the Visceral Adipose-Tissue Function.

Similar to neoplastic tissues, growth and development of adipose tissue are thought to be angiogenesis-dependent. Since visceral adipose tissue (VAT) is associated with development and progression of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), we hypothesized that angiogenesis inhibition would attenuate obesity-induced NAFLD. We fed C57BL/6J mice a low-fat diet (LFD, chow 10% kcal fat), a high-fat diet (HFD, 45% kcal fat) or HFD supplemented with the lemon-balm extract ALS-L1023 (HFD-ALS) for 15 weeks.

Determination of S-methyl-L-methionine (SMM) from Brassicaceae Family Vegetables and Characterization of the Intestinal Transport of SMM by Caco-2 Cells.

The objectives of the current study were to determine S-methyl-L-methionine (SMM) from various Brassicaceae family vegetables by using validated analytical method and to characterize the intestinal transport mechanism of SMM by the Caco-2 cells. The SMM is well known to provide therapeutic activity in peptic ulcers. The amount of SMM from various Brassicaceae family vegetables ranged from 89.

The effects of herbal composition Gambigyeongsinhwan (4) on hepatic steatosis and inflammation in Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima fatty rats and HepG2 cells.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Hepatic steatosis has risen rapidly in parallel with a dramatic increase in obesity. The aim of this study was to determine whether the herbal composition Gambigyeongsinhwan (4) (GGH(4)), composed of Curcuma longa L. (Zingiberaceae), Alnus japonica (Thunb.

Connecting two proteins using a fusion alpha helix stabilized by a chemical cross linker.

Building a sophisticated protein nano-assembly requires a method for linking protein components in a predictable and stable structure. Most of the cross linkers available have flexible spacers. Because of this, the linked hybrids have significant structural flexibility and the relative structure between their two components is largely unpredictable.

The current epidemiological status of infectious coryza and efficacy of PoulShot Coryza in specific pathogen-free chickens.

Infectious coryza (IC) is an infectious disease caused by Avibacterium (Av.) paragallinarum. IC is known to cause economic losses in the poultry industry via decreased egg production in layers.

Comparison of electrospray ionization and atmospheric chemical ionization coupled with the liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry for the analysis of cholesteryl esters.

The approach of two different ionization techniques including electrospray ionization (ESI) and atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) coupled with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) was tested for the analysis of cholesteryl esters (CEs). The retention time (RT), signal intensity, protonated ion, and product ion of CEs were compared between ESI and APCI. RT of CEs from both ionizations decreased with increasing double bonds, while it increased with longer carbon chain length.