Effects of Ginger on Disgust, Sexual Arousal, and Sexual Engagement: A Placebo-Controlled Experiment

Sexual problems are common complaints across countries and cultures, and behavioral immune system theory suggests disgust plays an essential role in sexual functioning. The current study investigated 1) if disgust induced by sexual body fluids would reduce sexual arousal, reduce the likelihood of sexual engagement, and enhance disgust toward subsequent erotic stimuli, and 2) if the administration of ginger would affect these reactions. We administered either ginger or placebo pills to a sample of 247 participants (Mage = 21.59, SD = 2.52; 122 women) and asked them to complete either behavioral approach tasks with sexual body fluids or with neutral fluids. Next, participants viewed and responded to questions concerning erotic stimuli (nude and seminude pictures of opposite-sex models). As expected, the sexual body fluids tasks induced disgust. The elevated disgust induced by sexual body fluids tasks resulted in lower sexual arousal in women, whereas ginger consumption counteracted this inhibiting effect of disgust on sexual arousal. Disgust elicited by sexual body fluids also increased disgust toward the subsequent erotic stimuli. Ginger increased sexual arousal toward the erotic stimuli in both men and women who had completed the neutral fluids tasks. Findings provide further evidence of the role of disgust in sexual problems, and, importantly, that ginger may improve the sexual function of individuals via its sexual arousal-enhancing effect.

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) and slow breathing interventions alleviate premature ejaculation (PE) symptoms

Background

Physical exercise may alleviate premature ejaculation symptoms, a prevalent male sexual dysfunction linked to a series of negative outcomes for men and their partners.

Objective

We investigated the effectiveness of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and slow breathing interventions on premature ejaculation symptoms and their relation to autonomic activity and attention regulation.

Method

Chinese adult men (N = 76, M = 21.89, SD = 3.32) with premature ejaculation completed one of the two-week interventions in their homes or as participants in a normal breathing control group; they reported their age, height, weight, physical activity level, premature ejaculation symptoms, and attention regulation. In the HIIT group, 26 participants engaged in a 7-minute HIIT each day. In the slow breathing group, 25 participants performed 7-minute slow breathing exercises per day while the 25 participants in the normal breathing group similarly performed normal breathing exercises. All participants measured their heart rate once before and five times (with one-minute intervals) after the intervention. When participants had penile-vaginal sex with their partners, they measured their heart rate once after ejaculation.

Results

Time × Intervention interaction was significant with lower levels of premature ejaculation symptoms on Days 12, 13, and 14 in the HIIT group (M ± SD = 16.19 ± 3.45, 15.96 ± 3.43, and 15.15 ± 3.62) compared to the normal breathing group (M ± SD = 17.68 ± 3.06, 17.68 ± 3.15, and 17.44 ± 3.25). Higher levels of attention regulation were associated with fewer premature ejaculation symptoms. We also found that a larger increase in heart rate from resting to after sex was associated with fewer premature ejaculation symptoms.

Conclusion

Compared to the control group, the efficacy of two weeks of HIIT exercise in mitigating PE symptoms suggests its potential as a novel treatment for PE.

A 2-week high-intensity interval training intervention improves ejaculation control among men with premature ejaculation

BACKGROUND

Premature ejaculation (PE), which leads to substantial distress in men and their partners, is a common male sexual dysfunction worldwide. However, there is still a lack of effective treatments without side effects.

OBJECTIVES

We investigated the effect of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) on PE symptoms.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We recruited 92 Chinese men aged 18-36 to complete the experiment. There were 22 (13 in the control group; 9 in the HIIT group) men diagnosed with PE and 70 (41 in the control group; 29 in the HIIT group) men with normal ejaculatory function. In the HIIT group, participants completed HIIT exercises every morning for 14 days. Participants also completed surveys inquiring about demographic information, erectile function, PE symptoms, body image (including sexual body image), physical activity, and sexual desire. The heart rate was measured before and after each HIIT. In the control group, participants were instructed not to do HIIT, but other procedures were the same as in the HIIT group.

RESULTS

Results indicated that the HIIT intervention alleviated PE symptoms in men with PE. In addition, in the HIIT group, men with PE who had a higher heart-rate increase during the HIIT intervention reported the greatest overall decrements in PE symptoms. In men with normal ejaculatory function, HIIT did not decrease PE symptoms. In addition, increments in the heart rate during the intervention were associated with more pronounced PE symptoms post-intervention in this group. Analyses of secondary outcome measures suggested that the HIIT intervention improved general and sexual body image satisfaction of men with PE compared to before the intervention.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION

In summary, HIIT intervention may reduce PE symptoms in men with PE. The heart-rate increase during the intervention may be a key factor influencing the effect of the HIIT intervention on PE symptoms.

A DNA Replication Stress-Based Prognostic Model for Lung Adenocarcinoma

Tumor cells endure continuous DNA replication stress, which opens the way to cancer development. Despite previous research, the prognostic implications of DNA replication stress on lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) have yet to be investigated. Here, we aimed to investigate the potential of DNA replication stress-related genes (DNARSs) in predicting the prognosis of individuals with LUAD. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) originated from the TCGA-LUAD dataset, and we constructed a 10-gene LUAD prognostic model based on DNARSs-related DEGs (DRSDs) using Cox regression analysis. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve demonstrated excellent predictive capability for the LUAD prognostic model, while the Kaplan-Meier survival curve indicated a poorer prognosis in a high-risk (HR) group. Combined with clinical data, the Riskscore was found to be an independent predictor of LUAD prognosis. By incorporating Riskscore and clinical data, we developed a nomogram that demonstrated a capacity to predict overall survival and exhibited clinical utility, which was validated through the calibration curve, ROC curve, and decision curve analysis curve tests, confirming its effectiveness in prognostic evaluation. Immune analysis revealed that individuals belonging to the low-risk (LR) group exhibited a greater abundance of immune cell infiltration and higher levels of immune function. We calculated the immunopheno score and TIDE scores and tested them on the IMvigor210 and GSE78220 cohorts and found that individuals categorized in the LR group exhibited a higher likelihood of deriving therapeutic benefits from immunotherapy intervention. Additionally, we predicted that patients classified in the HR group would demonstrate enhanced sensitivity to Docetaxel using anti-tumor drugs. To summarize, we successfully developed and validated a prognostic model for LUAD by incorporating DNA replication stress as a key factor.

[Structural changes of the frontal cortex in depressed mice are associated with decreased expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the changes in gray matter volume in depressive-like mice and explore the possible mechanism.

METHODS

Twenty-four 6-week-old C57 mice were randomized equally into control group and model group, and the mice in the model group were subjected to chronic unpredictable mild stimulation (CUMS) for 35 days. Magnetic resonance imaging was performed to examine structural changes of the grey matter volume in depressive-like mice. The expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the grey matter of the mice was detected using Western blotting and immunofluorescence staining.

RESULTS

Compared with the control mice, the mice with CUMS showed significantly decreased central walking distance in the open field test (P < 0.05) and increased immobile time in forced swimming test (P < 0.05). Magnetic resonance imaging showed that the volume of the frontal cortex was significantly decreased in CUMS mice (P < 0.001, when the mass level was greater than or equal to 10 756, the FDRc was corrected with P=0.05). Western blotting showed that the expression of mature BDNF in the frontal cortex was significantly decreased in CUMS mice (P < 0.05), and its expression began to decrease after the exposure to CUMS as shown by immunofluorescence staining. The volume of different clusters obtained by voxel-based morphometry (VBM) analysis was correlated with the expression level of mature BDNF detected by Western blotting (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

The decrease of frontal cortex volume after CUMS is related with the reduction of mature BDNF expression in the frontal cortex.

Bidirectional relationship between sexual arousal and (sex-related) disgust

Sexual stimuli provoke both sexual arousal and disgust, and the coaction between these emotions determines sexually behavioral outcomes. The current research includes two experiments to explore the bidirectional relationship between sexual arousal toward erotic stimuli and disgust induced by sexual body fluids. Study 1 presented 234 participants (117 women) with sexual body (vs. neutral) fluids followed by erotic stimuli, and Study 2 presented 235 participants (117 women) with erotic (vs. neutral) videos followed by sexual body fluids (and a non-sex-related stimulus). Study 1 showed that exposure to sexual body fluids reduced sexual arousal and the likelihood of sexual engagement toward erotic stimuli in participants with high sexual disgust sensitivity but increased sexual arousal and the likelihood of sexual engagement in participants with low sexual disgust sensitivity, while Study 2 suggested that men exposed to erotic (vs. neutral) stimuli reported lower disgust, stronger sexual arousal state, and higher willingness to interact with the sexual body fluids. There was no relationship between subjective feelings of sexual arousal and disgust in these experiments, while the balance of sexual arousal and disgust toward sexual body fluids and erotic stimuli had a positive association. Also, exposure to erotic stimuli had no effect on reactions to generally disgusting stimulus, but feelings of sexual arousal toward erotic stimuli were positively associated with disgust induced by generally disgusting fluid. These findings suggest that Behavior Immune System regulates disgust to establish a balance between benefit and cost related to sex as well as provide insight into the process underlying sexual dysfunctions.

[Predicting postoperative recurrence of stage Ⅰ-Ⅲ renal clear cell carcinoma based on preoperative CT radiomics feature nomogram]

OBJECTIVE

To explore the preoperative radiomics features (RFs) and construct a nomogram for predicting postoperative recurrence of stage Ⅰ-Ⅲ clear cell renal carcinoma (ccRCC).

METHODS

The clinicopathological data and preoperative enhanced CT images collected from 256 patients with ccRCC were used as the training dataset (175 patients) and test dataset (81 patients). The enhanced CT images of the tumor were segmented using ITK-SNAP software, and the RFs were extracted using the PyRadiomics computing platform. In the training dataset, the RFs were screened based on Lasso-CV algorithm, and the Rad_score was calculated. The Clinic factors were screened by univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis of the clinical and pathological factors and CT characteristics. The Rad_score, Clinic、Rad_score + Clinic nomograms were constructed and verified using the test dataset. The performance, discrimination power and calibration of the nomograms were compared, and their clinical value was evaluated using decision curve analysis.

RESULTS

Six RFs were retained to calculate the Rad_score. The Clinic factors included Rad_score, KPS score, platelet, calcification and TNM clinical stage. In terms of discrimination, the Rad_score + Clinic nomogram showed better performance (AUC=0.84 for training set; AUC=0.85 for test set) than the Rad_score nomogram (AUC=0.78 for training set, P=0.029; AUC=0.77 for Test set, P=0.025) and Clinic nomogram (AUC=0.77 for training set, P=0.014; AUC=0.77 for test set, P=0.011). In terms of calibration, the P value for goodness of fit test of the Rad_score+Clinic nomogram was 0.065 for the training set and 0.628 for the test set. Decision curve analysis showed a greater clinical value of the Rad_score+Clinic nomogram with Rad_score than the Clinic nomogram without Rad_score.

CONCLUSION

The nomogram based on preoperative CT RFs has a high value for predicting postoperative recurrence of stage Ⅰ-Ⅲ ccRCC to facilitate individualized treatment of RCC.

The Influence of Internalized Homophobia on Health-Related Quality of Life and Life Satisfaction Among Gay and Bisexual Men in China

The aim of this study was to examine the influences of internalized homophobia on Chinese gay and bisexual men's quality of life and life satisfaction. Four hundred and eighty-three participants completed the Internalized Homophobia Scale, Chinese SF-12 Health Survey Version 2, and Satisfaction With Life Scale via the Internet. Scores for quality of life in several domains and life satisfaction were significantly lower than the heterosexuals' norm scores. The present study revealed that internalized homophobia significantly negatively correlated with the mental component summary score and life satisfaction. The mental component summary score mediated the relationship between internalized homophobia and life satisfaction. Sexual orientation moderated the relationship between internalized homophobia and mental component score. Gay and bisexual men in China experience poorer quality of life and less satisfaction with life compared to heterosexuals, and internalized homophobia contributes to both.

Stressors Based on Sexual Orientation and Mental Health Among Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Individuals in China: Minority Stress and Perceived Pressure to Get Married

Chinese Confucian filial piety posits that getting married and having children to maintain family bloodlines is a fundamental duty of children to their parents. Chinese lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) individuals experience added stresses because of the pressure to get married from parents, social environments, and themselves. However, no research thus far has examined the influence of this added stressor, called "pressure to get married," on the mental health of LGB individuals in China. This study examined the influence of sexual orientation-based stresses (i.e., LGB minority stress and perceived pressure to get married) on mental health among 543 Chinese single LGB individuals (259 gay men, 161 lesbians, 68 bisexual men, and 55 bisexual women). We developed a new measure of stress based on perceived pressure to get married and found three factors based on pressure sources: social pressure, parental pressure, and internalized pressure. Both minority stress and perceived pressure to get married were associated with worse mental health. Minority stress and perceived external pressure (i.e., perceived social and parental pressure) were found to be components of a second-order latent variable, called sexual orientation-based stress, which was associated with worse mental health. Sexual orientation-based stress is associated with mental health through coping/emotion and cognitive, but not social, processes. The results indicate that the pressure to get married experienced by Chinese LGB individuals need to be examined further. The findings indicated that the perceived pressure to get married was another significant stressor based on sexual orientation and minority stress, and was associated with mental health among Chinese LGB individuals.

Relationship Status and Marital Intention Among Chinese Gay Men and Lesbians: The Influences of Minority Stress and Culture-Specific Stress

Marriage and offspring play an essential role in mainland China, and most sexual minorities face enormous pressure to get married because of traditional culture. In Chinese Confucian culture society, gay men and lesbians experience culture-specific stress due to the conflict between same-sex attraction and conventional notions of filial piety and the morality perception of getting married. This study explored how minority stress and traditional culture-specific stress (i.e., perceived filial piety of getting married and the morality perception of mixed-orientation marriage) are related to relationship status and affect the intention to marry among gay men and lesbians in China. Participants (326 gay men and 168 lesbians) completed an online questionnaire that assessed minority stress (i.e., internalized homophobia, self-concealment), perceived filial piety of getting married, the morality perception of mixed-orientation marriage, relationship status, and marital intention. Results indicated that participants with high minority stress, who perceived getting married as filial piety, and who did not perceive mixed-orientation marriage as immoral were more likely to be in an opposite-sex relationship or have a greater intention to marry than were their counterparts. Culture-specific stress had a stronger impact on marital intention for gay participants than for lesbians. Minority stress facilitated the influences of culture-specific stress on marital intention. The findings indicated that both minority stress and culture-specific stress shape the marital intention among Chinese gay men and lesbians, and minority stress has more extensive influences on marital intention than culture-specific stress.

Butch-Femme Identity and Visuospatial Performance Among Lesbian and Bisexual Women in China

Lesbian and bisexual women who self-identify as "butch" show a masculine profile with regard to gender roles, gender nonconformity, and systemizing cognitive style, whereas lesbian and bisexual women who self-identify as "femme" show a corresponding feminine profile and those who self-identify as "androgynes" show an intermediate profile. This study examined the association between butch or femme lesbian or bisexual identity and visuospatial ability among 323 lesbian and bisexual women, compared to heterosexual women (n = 207) and men (n = 125), from multiple cities in China. Visuospatial ability was assessed using a Shepard and Metzler-type mental rotation task and Judgment of Line Angle and Position (JLAP) test on the Internet. Heterosexual men outperformed heterosexual women on both mental rotation and JLAP tasks. Lesbian and bisexual women outperformed heterosexual women on mental rotation, but not on JLAP. There were significant differences in mental rotation performance among women, with butch- and androgyne-identified lesbian/bisexual women outperforming femme-identified and heterosexual women. There were also significant differences in JLAP performance among women, with butch- and androgyne-identified lesbian/bisexual women and heterosexual women outperforming femme-identified lesbian/bisexual women. The butch-femme differences in visuospatial ability indicated an association between cognitive ability and butch-femme identity and suggest that neurobiological underpinnings may contribute to butch-femme identity although alternative explanations exist.

Clinicopathological and multisection CT features of primary pulmonary mucoepidermoid carcinoma

AIM

To delineate the multisection computed tomography (MSCT) features and the clinical characteristics of primary pulmonary mucoepidermoid carcinoma (PMEC). Prognostic factors were also analysed.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A retrospective study was undertaken to investigate the medical records and MSCT performance of histopathologically confirmed PMECs from 2007 to 2015.

RESULTS

A total of 83.3% of patients with high-grade PMECs were aged >40 years, whereas there were 1.5-times more women than men with low-grade PMECs. Cough (n=29) and haemoptysis (n=12) were the most common symptoms. Upon MSCT, 30 cases showed a round or lobulate mass, and few demonstrated bronchial-wall thickening or cavities. Distal obstruction (n=14) and "air crescent sign" (n=5) could be detected. Tumours showed mild (n=19), moderate (n=5), and marked enhancement (n=5). Moreover, 18 cases showed foci of low density in lesions. Mean survival for patients with low-grade PMECs was 59.2 months, whereas that for high-grade PMECs was 20.4 months; 3-year survival rates were 55% and 14%, respectively. Tumour staging was a significant independent predictor of survival according to the Cox proportional hazards model.

CONCLUSION

High-grade PMECs occurred more frequently in patients aged >40 years and were more predominant in men. Young females were predisposed to having low-grade PMECs. MSCT revealed an oval or lobulate mass with mild enhancement, as manifested by calcification and visible mucus lakes, which may be suggestive of PMECs. Furthermore, a central nodule or mass may suggest low-grade PMECs; high-grade PMECs tend to be peripheral and associated with lymph-node metastasis. Pathological grade, lymph node metastasis, and TNM stage correlate with the survival of patients with PMEC.

Sterol regulatory element-binding proteins are regulators of the sodium/iodide symporter in mammary epithelial cells

The sodium/iodide symporter (NIS), which is essential for iodide concentration in the thyroid, is reported to be transcriptionally regulated by sterol regulatory element-binding proteins (SREBP) in rat FRTL-5 thyrocytes. The SREBP are strongly activated after parturition and throughout lactation in the mammary gland of cattle and are important for mammary epithelial cell synthesis of milk lipids. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that the NIS gene is regulated also by SREBP in mammary epithelial cells, in which NIS is functionally expressed during lactation. Regulation of NIS expression and iodide uptake was investigated by means of inhibition, silencing, and overexpression of SREBP and by reporter gene and DNA-binding assays. As a mammary epithelial cell model, the human MCF-7 cell line, a breast adenocarcinoma cell line, which shows inducible expression of NIS by all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA), and unlike bovine mammary epithelial cells, is widely used to investigate the regulation of mammary gland NIS and NIS-specific iodide uptake, was used. Inhibition of SREBP maturation by treatment with 25-hydroxycholesterol (5 µM) for 48h reduced ATRA (1 µM)-induced mRNA concentration of NIS and iodide uptake in MCF-7 cells by approximately 20%. Knockdown of SREBP-1c and SREBP-2 by RNA interference decreased the mRNA and protein concentration of NIS by 30 to 50% 48h after initiating knockdown, whereas overexpression of nuclear SREBP (nSREBP)-1c and nSREBP-2 increased the expression of NIS in MCF-7 cells by 45 to 60%, respectively, 48h after initiating overexpression. Reporter gene experiments with varying length of NIS promoter reporter constructs revealed that the NIS 5'-flanking region is activated by nSREBP-1c and nSREBP-2 approximately 1.5- and 4.5-fold, respectively, and activation involves a SREBP-binding motif (SRE) at -38 relative to the transcription start site of the NIS gene. Gel shift assays using oligonucleotides spanning either the wild-type or the mutated SRE at -38 of the NIS 5'-flanking region showed that in vitro-translated nSREBP-1c and nSREBP-2 bind only the wild-type but not the mutated SRE at -38 of NIS. Collectively, the present results from cell culture experiments with human mammary epithelial MCF-7 cells and from genetic studies show for the first time that the NIS gene and iodide uptake are regulated by SREBP in cultured human mammary epithelial cells. Future studies are necessary to clarify if the regulation of NIS expression and iodide uptake by SREBP also applies to the lactating bovine mammary epithelium.

Freedericksz instability for the twisted nematic device: A three-dimensional analysis

Of interest here is the fully three-dimensional analysis of the Freedericksz transition for the twisted nematic device (TND), which is widely used in liquid-crystal display monitors. Using a coupled electromechanical variational formulation, the problem is treated as a bifurcation instability triggered by an externally applied electric field. More specifically, we study a finite thickness liquid-crystal layer, anchored between two infinite parallel plates relatively rotated with respect to each other by a given twist angle and subjected to a uniform electric field perpendicular to these bounding plates. The novelty of the proposed analysis lies in the fully three-dimensional formulation of the TND problem that considers all possible bounded perturbations about the principal solution. By scanning a wide range of the liquid crystal's material parameter space, we establish whether the Freedericksz transition is global, i.e., has an eigenmode depending solely on the layer thickness coordinate, or local (also termed the periodic Freedericksz transition), i.e., has an eigenmode with finite wavelengths in one or both directions parallel to the plate. It is found that global modes are typical for low values, while local modes appear at large values of the twist angle. Moreover, for certain TND's, the increase in twist angle can lower the critical electric field, findings that could be useful in guiding liquid-crystal selection for applications.