Metabolic dysfunction has been demonstrated to contribute to diabetic pain, pointing towards a potential correlation between glucose metabolism and pain. To investigate the relationship between altered glucose metabolism and neuropathic pain, we compared samples from healthy subjects with those from intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD) patients, utilizing data from two public datasets. This led to the identification of 412 differentially expressed genes (DEG), of which 234 were upregulated and 178 were downregulated.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFContrast-enhanced mammography (CEM) uses intermittent dual-energy (low- and high-energy) exposures to produce low-energy mammograms and recombine enhanced images after the administration of iodized contrast medium, which provides more detailed information to detect breast cancers by using the features of morphology and abnormal uptake. In this article, we reviewed the literature to clarify the clinical applications of CEM, including (1) the fundamentals of CEM: the technique, radiation exposure, and image interpretation; (2) its clinical uses for cancer diagnosis, including problem-solving, palpable mass, suspicious microcalcification, architecture distortion, screening, and CEM-guided biopsy; and (3) the concerns of surgical oncology in pre-operative and neoadjuvant chemotherapy assessments. CEM undoubtedly plays an important role in clinical practice.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of mortality worldwide, though it may be prevented by increasing physical activity (PA). When behaviour change techniques (BCTs) are bundled together, they increase PA, though which individual BCTs increase PA (and the behavioural mechanism of action (MoA) responsible for said increase) have not been studied. The aim of this study is to conduct a randomised factorial experiment to determine which of four BCTs significantly engage the proposed MoA-self-efficacy for PA-in adults at risk for CVD.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence and predictors of frailty and the association between frailty and neurocognitive impairments among Chinese survivors of childhood cancer.
Methods: A total of 185 survivors of childhood cancer were recruited from a long-term follow-up clinic in Hong Kong (response rate: 94.4%; 48.
Alcohol use attenuates successful smoking cessation. We examined the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of a brief alcohol intervention in smokers. In this two-arm, assessor-blinded randomized controlled trial, we randomized 100 daily smokers (82.
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