Clinical outcomes in patients diagnosed with extra-nodal Hodgkin lymphoma: a 20-year retrospective analysis of the National Cancer Institute’s Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database

Background:Hodgkin lymphoma refers to a malignancy of the lymphatic tissue.Extra-nodal Hodgkin lymphoma(ENHL)is a rare variant consisting of Hodgkin lymphoma occurring outside the lymphatic system.Studies investigating the epidemiology associated with ENHL are rare.Methods:618 ENHL cases were analyzed using the National Cancer Institute’s Surveillance,Epidemiology,and End Results(SEER)database(2000–2020).Demographics including sex,race/ethnicity,rural-urban continuum,age group(categorized as adolescent and young adult(AYA)if between years of 15 and 39,and adult if over the age of 40),and living status(alive/deceased)were examined,with survival status as the main outcome.Results:This study included 335 males(54.2%)and 283 females(45.8%).Of this total,47.9%were in the AYA group.In terms of ethnicity the distribution was 12.5%non-Hispanic Black,67.5%non-Hispanic White,5.2%non-Hispanic Asian/Pacific Islander,and 14.9%Hispanic.Bivariate analyses evidenced significant differences in survival by age group with 91.6%in AYA vs.72.4%in adults(P<0.001)alive by the end of the study period.Multivariable analyses identified age as a key predictor of survival,as the AYA patients had a lower odds ratio for death(odds ratio=0.25,P<0.001).In addition,survival outcomes were also impacted by race,with non-Hispanic Blacks showing higher survival probabilities.Regarding treatment,27.0%of patients underwent surgery,with 10.2%receiving post-surgery radiation,reducing odds of mortality(odds ratio=0.32,P=0.046).Conclusion:The background research as such,tends to affirm that these two factors–age and race are quite crucial in the prognosis as well as management of ENHL.Compared to adults,AYA patients had significantly lower odds of death,while non-Hispanic Black individuals exhibited reduced survival probabilities.It should be noted that 27.0%of patients underwent surgery with 10.2%receiving post-operative radiation which led to decrease in mortality rates.Thus,these results reiterate the necessity for tailor-made treatment methods according to demographic characteristics to boost patient outcomes effectively.For better ENHL care,future studies could shed light on these disparities and improve treatment regimens as needed.

An assessment of population structure and regeneration status of Magnolia punduana Hk. f. & Th.(Magnoliaceae) in fragmented forests of northeast India

The population structure and regeneration status of Magnolia punduana Hk. f. & Th., an endemic tree species of northeast India were investigated in fragmented forests in the Jarain Hills and in adjoining areas of Meghalaya state. The population structure was discontinuous in all the fragments with the absence of individuals in higher diameter classes. The number of individuals increased with the size of the fragment patches(p < 0.004). The density of mature trees(≥5 cm dbh) was high(24–30 individuals ha-1) in the largest fragment(>105 ha). The number of seedlings and saplings were also higher in the larger fragments. Human-related disturbances had a negative impact on the species population(p<0.002). Variation in the population density in different forest patches has been attributed to fragment size, site characteristics and ongoing human disturbances. The restricted distribution of the species coupled withexploitation and habitat destruction underlines the need for its conservation.

A New Species of Megarhyphus,an Interesting Discovery from the Lower Jurassic of England(Diptera,Anisopodidae)

The oldest representative of the genus Megarhyphus Kovalev （Diptera： Anisopodidae） is described from the Lower Jurassic （Sinemurian） of England. A summary of our knowledge of Jurassic Anisopodidae is given.

Taraxacum offlcinale protects against cholecystokinin-induced acute pancreatitis in rats

AIM: Taraxacum officinale (TO) has been frequently used as a remedy for inflammatory diseases. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of TO on cholecystokinin (CCK)-octapeptide-induced acute pancreatitis in rats.METHODS: TO at 10 mg/kg was orally administered, followed by 75 μg/kg CCK octapeptide injected subcutaneously three times after 1, 3 and 5 h. This whole procedure was repeated for 5 d. We determined the pancreatic weight/body weight ratio, the levels of pancreatic HSP60 and HSP72, and the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Repeated CCK octapeptide treatment resulted in typical laboratory and morphological changes of experimentally-induced pancreatitis.RESULTS: TO significantly decreased the pancreatic weight/body weight ratio in CCK octapeptide-induced acute pancreatitis. TO also increased the pancreatic levels of HSP60 and HSP72. Additionally, the secretion of IL-6 and TNF-α decreased in the animals treated with TO.CONCLUSION: TO may have a protective effect against CCK octapeptide-induced acute pancreatitis.

The Association between Activity of Daily Living and the Combination of Alzheimer’s Disease and Cataract in Elderly Requiring Nursing Care

Some clinical and epidemiological studies have suggested that Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) and cataract, may share common pathogenetic mechanisms, subsequently a positive association between the prevalence of AD and cataract, although other studies found no significant relationship between dementia and visual impairment including cataract in the elderly. Little is known about the association between Activity of Daily Living (ADL) and the combination of AD and cataract. To examine the association between ADL and the combination of AD and cataract, we performed a national survey in nursing care institutions in Japan, examining the decreased ADL in elderly with and without AD and cataract for 453 elderly aged 85.0 ± 8.13 years. The proportion, 43.5% of AD in subjects without cataract was significantly higher than that, 23.5% with cataract. Almost all ADL in AD with cataract was significantly lower than that without cataract, although all ADL in cataract patients receiving surgery in AD was significantly (all p < 0.002) higher than that in cataract patients without surgery in AD, as was confirmed by the multiple regression analysis incorporating into the relevant factors as independent variables. These results showed that ADL scores including cognitive functions decreased by cataract were increased by the surgery in the patients with AD. A significantly negative association between AD and cataract seen in our data, which was inconsistent with the previous result, might lead to the necessities of the clinical diagnosis for slight severity of cataract for patients with AD.

Nardostachys jatamansi extract protects against cytokine-induced β-cell damage and streptozotocin-induced diabetes

AIM: To investigate the anti-diabetogenic mechanism of Nardostachys jatamansi extract (NJE). METHODS: Mice were injected with streptozotocin viaa tail vein to induce diabetes. Rat insulinoma RINm5F cells and isolated rat islets were treated with interleukin1β and interferon-γ to induce cytotoxicity. RESULTS: Treatment of mice with streptozotocin resulted in hyperglycemia and hypoinsulinemia, which was conf irmed by immunohistochemical staining of the islets. The diabetogenic effects of streptozotocin were completely abolished when mice were pretreated with NJE. Inhibition of streptozotocin-induced hyperglycemia by NJE was mediated by suppression of nuclear factor (NF)-κB activation. In addition, NJE protected against cytokine-mediated cytotoxicity. Incubation of RINm5F cells and islets with NJE resulted in a signif icant reduction in cytokine-induced NF-κB activation and downstream events, inducible nitric oxide synthase expression and nitric oxide production. The protective effect of NJE was further demonstrated by the normal insulin secretion of cytokine-treated islets in response to glucose. CONCLUSION: NJE provided resistance to pancreatic β-cell damage from cytokine or streptozotocin treatment. The β-cell protective effect of NJE is mediated by suppressing NF-κB activation.

Kale Juice Improves Coronary Artery Disease Risk Factors in Hypercholesterolemic Men

Objective To evaluate the effect of 3-month kale （Brassica oleracea acephala） juice supplementation on coronary artery disease risk factors among hypercholesterolemic men. Methods Thirty-two men with hypercholesterolemia （〉 200 mg/dL） were recruited after annual health examinations among the faculty and staff at university. The subjects consumed 150 mL of kale juice per day for a 12-week intervention period. Dietary and anthropometric assessments were performed and blood samples were collected to evaluate biochemical profiles before and after supplementation. Results Serum concentrations of HDL-cholesterol, and HDL- to LDL-cholesterol ratio were significantly increased by 27% （P〈0.0001） and 52% （P〈0.0001）, respectively. The LDL-cholesterol concentration and the atherogenic index were significantly reduced by 10% （P=0.0007） and 24.2% （P〈0.0001）, respectively without affecting body mass index, waist and hip circumferences, or nutrient intakes after three months of supplementation. While there was no difference in the concentration of malondialdehyde, significant increase in glutathione peroxidase activity （P=0.0005） were accompanied by a significant increase in the serum selenium level （P=0.0132）. It was also found that the responses of these risk factors to kale juice administration were dependent on smoking status. Conclusion Regular meals supplementation with kale juice can favorably influence serum lipid profiles and antioxidant systems, and hence contribute to reduce the risks of coronary artery disease in male subjects with hyperlipidemia.

Probability mass first flush evaluation for combined sewer discharges

The Korea government has put in a lot of effort to construct sanitation facilities for controlling non-point source pollution. The first flush phenomenon is a prime example of such pollution. However, to date, several serious problems have arisen in the operation and treatment effectiveness of these facilities due to unsuitable design flow volumes and pollution loads. It is difficult to assess the optimal flow volume and pollution mass when considering both monetary and temporal limitations. The objective of this article was to characterize the discharge of storm runoff pollution from urban catchments in Korea and to estimate the probability of mass first flush （MFFn） using the storm water management model and probability density functions. As a result of the review of gauged storms for the representative using probability density function with rainfall volumes during the last two years, all the gauged storms were found to be valid representative precipitation. Both the observed MFFn and probability MFFn in BE-1 denoted similarly large magnitudes of first flush with roughly 40% of the total pollution mass contained in the first 20% of the runoff. In the case of BE-2, however, there were significant difference between the observed MFFn and probability MFFn.