SEEDi1.0-3.0 strategies for major noncommunicable diseases in China

Prevention of cardiovascular disease for healthy aging and longevity: A new scoring system and related "mechanisms-hallmarks-biomarkers"

Healthy "environment-sleep-emotion-exercise-diet" intervention [E(e)SEEDi] lifestyle can improve the quality of life, prolong aging and promote longevity due to improvement of human immunity and prevention of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Here, the author reviewed the associations between these core elements with CVD and cardiovascular aging, and developed a new scoring system based on the healthy E(e)SEEDi lifestyle for prediction and evaluation of life expectancy. These core factors are assigned 20 points each (120 points in total), and a higher score predicts healthier aging and longevity. The E(e)SEEDi represents "a tree of life" bearing the fruits of longevity as well as "a rocket of anti-ageing" carrying people around the world on a journey of longevity. In conclusion, the E(e)SEEDi can delay aging and increase the life expectancy due to the role of a series of cellular and molecular "mechanisms-hallmarks-biomarkers". It's believed that the novel scoring system has a huge potential and beautiful prospects.

Clinical effects of acupuncture treatment for prevention of insomnia-induced stroke: A large-scale cohort study

Background

Recent research has established an association between insomnia and an elevated risk of stroke. Given the severe global impact of stroke on public health, exploring nonpharmacological interventions, such as acupuncture, that can mitigate stroke risk among individuals with insomnia is crucial.

Methods

In this retrospective cohort study, we used data from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Database (NHIRD) to examine the relationship between acupuncture and the risk of stroke among individuals who received a diagnosis of insomnia between 2000 and 2017. The study participants were divided into two cohorts: the acupuncture group that received acupuncture and a matched control group that did not. The primary outcome was the occurrence of stroke.

Results

Of the 217,356 patients included in the study, 3668 individuals in the acupuncture group and 4913 in the control group experienced stroke. The incidence rate of stroke was lower in the acupuncture group (4.51 per 1000 person-years) than in the control group (6.86 per 1000 person-years). After adjustment for various potential confounders, patients who received acupuncture exhibited a notably reduced risk of stroke, with an adjusted hazard ratio of 0.66 (95 % confidence interval [CI]: 0.63, 0.69). Furthermore, a dose-response relationship was evident, in that individuals who received 6-11 acupuncture sessions experienced a 24 % reduction in stroke risk, whereas those who received 12-17 sessions, 18-29 sessions, and ≥30 sessions exhibited reductions of 31 %, 34 %, and 42 %, respectively.

Conclusion

Acupuncture treatment was significantly associated with a reduced risk of stroke among patients with insomnia.

Accumulating Sedentary Time and Physical Activity From Childhood to Adolescence and Cardiac Function in Adolescence

BACKGROUND

Increased physical activity (PA) may mitigate the negative cardiovascular health effects of sedentary behavior in adolescents. However, the relationship of PA and sedentary time from childhood with cardiac function in adolescence remains underexplored. Therefore, we investigated the associations of cumulative sedentary time and PA from childhood to adolescence with cardiac function in adolescence.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Participants were 153 adolescents (69 girls) who were aged 6 to 8 years at baseline, 8 to 10 years at 2-year follow-up, and 15 to 17 years at 8-year follow-up. Cumulative sedentary time and PA exposure between baseline and 2-year follow-up and between baseline and 8-year follow-up were measured using a combined accelerometer and heart rate monitor. Cardiac function was assessed using impedance cardiography at 8-year follow-up. The data were analyzed using linear regression analyses adjusted for age and sex. Cumulative moderate to vigorous PA (standardized regression coefficient [β]=-0.323 [95% CI, -0.527 to -0.119]) and vigorous PA (β=-0.295 [95% CI, -0.508 to -0.083]) from baseline to 8-year follow-up were inversely associated with cardiac work at 8-year follow-up. Conversely, cumulative sedentary time had a positive association (β=0.245 [95% CI, 0.092-0.398]). Cumulative vigorous PA from baseline to 8-year follow-up was inversely associated with cardiac work index at 8-year follow-up (β=-0.218 [95% CI, -0.436 to 0.000]).

CONCLUSIONS

Higher levels of sedentary time and lower levels of PA during childhood were associated with higher cardiac work in adolescence, highlighting the importance of increasing PA and reducing sedentary time from childhood.

Marine natural products and human immunity: novel biomedical resources for anti-infection of SARS-CoV-2 and related cardiovascular disease

Marine natural products (MNPs) and marine organisms include sea urchin, sea squirts or ascidians, sea cucumbers, sea snake, sponge, soft coral, marine algae, and microalgae. As vital biomedical resources for the discovery of marine drugs, bioactive molecules, and agents, these MNPs have bioactive potentials of antioxidant, anti-infection, anti-inflammatory, anticoagulant, anti-diabetic effects, cancer treatment, and improvement of human immunity. This article reviews the role of MNPs on anti-infection of coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2 and its major variants (such as Delta and Omicron) as well as tuberculosis, H. Pylori, and HIV infection, and as promising biomedical resources for infection related cardiovascular disease (irCVD), diabetes, and cancer. The anti-inflammatory mechanisms of current MNPs against SARS-CoV-2 infection are also discussed. Since the use of other chemical agents for COVID-19 treatment are associated with some adverse effects in cardiovascular system, MNPs have more therapeutic advantages. Herein, it's time to protect this ecosystem for better sustainable development in the new era of ocean economy. As huge, novel and promising biomedical resources for anti-infection of SARS-CoV-2 and irCVD, the novel potential mechanisms of MNPs may be through multiple targets and pathways regulating human immunity and inhibiting inflammation. In conclusion, MNPs are worthy of translational research for further clinical application.

Emergency Protective Measures and Strategies of COVID-19: From Lifestyle to Traditional Chinese Medicine

This article reviews various aspects of COVID-19, including its current status, its side-effects, emergency protective measures and strategies from lifestyle to traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for fighting against the SARS-CoV-2, and its major variants (Delta and Omicron), with the ongoing global COVID-19 pandemic, which include "Carassius auratus lifestyle" for high effective isolation, social and high-tech medical strategies, traditional Chinese herbs "Bark-Flower-Fruit-Grass-Leaf-Nucleolus(seed)-Root (BFFGLNR)", and the combination of Chinese and western medicine. As a choice, little is known whether the Chinese acupuncture is an effective method for confirming and suspecting COVID-19 patients, which include imported and asymptomatic cases. Definitely, acupuncture has been proven effective treatment for the recovery of COVID-19 cases. However, further animal experiments and clinical trials are required to confirm its effects and disclose underlying mechanisms. In conclusion, these emergency protective measures and strategies for COVID-19 will help to effectively combat the SARS-CoV-2 and its variants during the pandemic and post-COVID-19 era.

Scientific papers: Which type would you prefer?

It's very important to enhance the quality of scientific papers produced by postgraduates and scholars from academic institutions. To encourage their academic and professional development, these young scientists should be encouraged to compose nonresearch articles, in addition to original research articles, including short essays, perspectives and reviews.

SIK1-LNC represses the proliferative, migrative, and invasive abilities of lung cancer cells

Background

Discussions regarding the correlations between long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and cancers have dominated research in recent years. SIK1-LNC, a type of lncRNA and adjacent to salt-inducible kinases 1 (SIK1), has been found aberrantly expressed in lung cancer. However, its functional role in lung cancer remains largely unknown.

Purpose

In this study, we aimed to explore the association between SIK1-LNC expression and SIK1 in lung cancer cells and further identify the impact of SIK1-LNC on the proliferation, migration invasion of lung cancer cells.

Patients and methods

Of the 30 patients with non-small-cell lung carcinoma from Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, RT-qPCR was performed to detect SIK1 and SIK1-LNC expressions in patients’ samples. Overexpression and knockdown experiments were conducted to analyze the SIK1 and SIK1-LNC expressions in lung cancer cell lines. CCK-8, Brdu, scratch wound-healing, and Transwell assays were respectively employed to evaluate the proliferative, migrative, and invasive abilities of lung cancer cells.

Results

Both SIK1-LNC and SIK1 expression levels were evidently downregulated in 30 lung cancer tissues. SIK1-LNC expression was bound up with clinicopathologic features, including lymph node metastasis and distant metastasis. SIK1 expression showed a positive tendency with SIK1-LNC expression in lung cancer cells. SIK1-LNC exerted a significant repression on cell proliferatiive, miogrative and invasive abilities of lung cancer cells.

Conclusion

Our findings suggested that SIK1-LNC may act as a novel biomarker and therapeutic target for lung cancer.