bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Scientometric analysis of kidney disease and gut microbiota from 2001 to 2020 based on Web of Science
Authors: Zhang Ran , Li Yan-Yan , Nie Zhong-Biao , Zhang Xue-Qin , Ma Yan-Miao , Wang Yong-Hui
Published: December 2022

This study aims to demonstrate current research priorities and predict future trends in the link between kidney disease and gut microbiota by means of scientometric analysis. We collected nearly 20 years (2001–2020) of publications related to kidney disease and gut microbiota in the Web of Science database. CiteSpace was used to evaluate the knowledge mapping. There are 965 manuscripts about kidney disease and gut microbiota in total, and faster growth after 2016. The country, institution, and author who posted the most are the USA, Univ Calif Irvine, and DENISE MAFRA, respectively. The frequencies are 109, 16, and 17. The most important of them are FRANCE (0.23), Fed Univ Parana UFPR (0.13), and VAZIRI ND (1.14), owing to their highest centrality. In addition, the cited documents that have contributed the most to the co-citations are Wong J (2014); the most key cited reference is Rossi M (2016); the most commonly used keywords are chronic kidney disease, gut microbiota and indoxyl sulfate. Through scientometric analysis of the past 20 years, we obtained the knowledge map of this information, which has important guiding significance for accurately and quickly locating trends in this field.
An effect comparison of alendronate and teriparatide in patients with glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Liang Na , Zhang Shuang , Wang Shuang , Ma Juan
Published: December 2022

Background:

Glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis is the most common secondary cause of osteoporosis and the resulting fractures cause significant morbidity. Oral bisphosphonates are currently regarded as first line options on the grounds of their low cost. However, teriparatide has been shown to be superior in its effects on bone mineral density and vertebral fracture risk in glucocorticoid-treated individuals with osteoporosis. We conducted a protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the effectiveness of alendronate and teriparatide in patients with glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis.

Methods:

The study protocol has been registered on international prospective register of systematic review (PROSPERO registration number: CRD42022371561). The procedure of this protocol will be conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Item for Systematic Review and Meta-analysis Protocols guidance. PubMed, EMBASE, MEDLINE, the Cochrane Library, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, Wanfang Database, ClinicalTrials.gov trials registry, and Chinese Clinical Trial Registry will be searched from January 1980 to November 2022. Two authors will assess methodological quality of included studies separately by the Cochrane collaboration’s risk of bias tool. We will apply RevMan 5.4 software for statistical analysis.

Results:

This study will provide a high-quality comprehensive evaluation of the efficacy and safety of alendronate and teriparatide for treating patients with glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis.

Conclusion:

The conclusion of our systematic review will provide evidence to judge whether teriparatide is an effective intervention for patients with glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis.
Effects of educational music training on music performance anxiety and stress response among first-year undergraduate music education students
Authors: Nwokenna Edith N. , Sewagegn Abatihun Alehegn , Falade Temitope Ayodeji
Published: December 2022

Background:

The effectiveness of educational music training in lowering stress and performance anxiety among first-year undergraduate music education students is an understudied area. The goal of this study was to determine if educational music training affects first-year undergraduate music education students’ stress and anxiety associated with musical performance.

Methods:

A randomized controlled trial design was used in this study. A waiting list group of 35 students and an educational music training intervention group of 35 first-year undergraduate music education students were randomized for the study to commence. The Kenny music performance anxiety (MPA) scale and perceived stress scale (PSS) were used as outcome measures.

Results:

The findings show that, among first-year undergraduate music education students, educational music training decreased their stress level associated with music performance [F(1, 68) = 390.751; P = .001, ηp
2 = 0.270]. It was also found that after the educational music training, the students reported decreased anxiety level associated with music performance [F(1, 68) = 1375.495; P = .001, ηp
2 = 0.344]. Significant interaction effects of educational music training and time on students’ stress [F(2, 68) = 127.301; P = .001] and anxiety levels [F(2, 68) = 260.535; P = .001] were also found.

Conclusion:

Educational music intervention can be successful as a means of reducing anxiety and stress in undergraduate music education students during the first year of study.
Evaluation of the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on mucormycosis studies with bibliometric analysis
Authors: Arslan Gulen Tugba , Turunc Tuba , Sahin Ahmet Riza , Oruc Ebru , Kurutkan Mehmet Nurullah
Published: December 2022

Background:

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-associated mucormycosis (CAM) is a relatively new concept in the literature that emerged during the pandemic. Bibliometric analysis is a type of analysis that uses mathematical and statistical methods to study the formal properties of knowledge areas. This study aimed to reveal the main themes, conceptual structures, and trends of bibliometric studies on mucormycosis in 2 different periods, pre-and during the pandemic.

Methods:

This study consisted of 2 periods: pre-COVID-19 and COVID-19. Articles were collected from the Web of Science (WOS) Core Collection database. We provided AND and OR connectors for the keyword query and selected studies based on relevant keywords. Collected data were classified based on their publication date and examined using the R programming language (Version 4.0.3) package Bibliometrix and SciMAT Software.

Results:

A total of 1261 articles were investigated, and performance and information structure analyses were conducted. Based on Bradford’s law, the Journal of Fungi was the top-ranked journal in both periods. Cureus and mycoses were placed 2nd and 3rd in the second period. India is the largest contributor. In performance analysis, conceptual structures such as Rhizopus oryzae, epidemiology, diagnosis, management, treatment, and outcomes were at the forefront of mucormycosis publications during the COVID-19 period.

Conclusions:

Research trends have shifted to the clinical treatment and management of COVID-19. Therefore, pathogenesis, diagnosis, follow-up, and treatment strategies for CAM should be developed in the future.
Neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio as a risk factor for osteoporotic vertebrae fractures and femoral neck fractures
Authors: Zhu Hao , Li Zheng , Zhou Yizhai , Zheng Rugeng , Diao Cong , Li Kepeng , Feng Qi , Wang Donglai
Published: December 2022

Fracture is associated with osteopenia after osteoporosis. Neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is common in inflammatory diseases. NLR can be used as an effective clinical tool to assess postmenopausal osteoporosis. The aim of this study is to further explore the relationship between elevated NLR and the severity of osteoporotic vertebrae fractures and femoral neck fracture based on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). A total of 80 patients with osteoporotic vertebrae fractures, osteoporotic femoral neck fracture in Baoding Second Central Hospital from 2017 to 2020 were selected as the research objects. This study included a series of pretreatment factors, mainly including white blood cell count, red blood cell count, hemoglobin, and the general condition of the patients. Statistical methods included Pearson chi-square test, Spearman correlation test, logistic regression analysis and receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve. According to Pearson chi-square test, Spearman correlation test, univariate/multivariate logistic regression analysis, the severity of osteoporotic vertebrae fractures, osteoporotic femoral neck fracture was significantly correlated with NLR (P < .001). NLR (odds ratio [OR] = 13.229, 95% CI: 4.167–41.998, P < .001) was a significant independent risk factor for osteoporotic vertebrae fractures, osteoporotic femoral neck fracture. receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve was used to detect the specificity and sensitivity. The level of NLR has an important influence on the severity of osteoporotic vertebrae fractures and femoral neck fracture. The higher the level of NLR, the more serious the osteoporotic vertebrae fractures and femoral neck fracture.
Thoracic ultrasound alone or in combination with tracheal amylase as a tool predictor of ventilator-associated pneumonia in neurocritical patients
Authors: Mercado-Longoria Roberto , Galindo-Galindo Juan O. , Ataxca-Gonzalez Mario A. , Colunga-Pedraza Perla R. , Peña-Lozano Samantha P. , Llaca-Díaz Jorge M. , Rendón-Ramírez Erick J.
Published: December 2022

In this study, we aim to evaluate whether thoracic ultrasound (TUS) and tracheal amylase (TA) alone or in combination can predict the development of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) in neurocritical patients. Consecutive adult patients with neurocritical disease with normal chest radiographs who required intensive care unit admission and mechanical ventilation between March 2015 and July 2018 were included. TUS and Amylase levels were measured during the first 24 hours and repeated 48 hours after orotracheal intubation. Forty-three patients with a median age of 34 years (17–82) were included. TUS had a sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 96.3% as a predictor of VAP within the first 48 hours when nonpattern A was observed. TA levels > 200 UI/L in the first 48 hours had a sensitivity of 87.5%, and specificity of 63% as a predictor of VAP. Moreover, no benefit of TUS plus TA compared to TUS alone as a predictor of VAP was found. The identification of abnormal TUS patterns in the first 48 hours of orotracheal intubation is a significant predictor of VAP in neurocritical patients.
Occurrence and clinical outcome of lateral wall fractures in proximal femoral fractures whose fracture line runs from femoral basal neck to subtrochanteric area
Authors: Suzuki Norio , Kijima Hiroaki , Tazawa Hiroshi , Tani Takayuki , Miyakoshi Naohisa
Published: December 2022

Treatment methods for proximal femoral fractures, when the fractures run from the femoral basal neck to the subtrochanteric area, have not yet been fully reported. Thus, we aimed to clarify osteosynthesis methods based on the fracture frequency and clinical results. We classified the proximal femoral fractures using the Area classification method based on the location (area) of the fracture line. The proximal femur has 4 areas with 3 boundaries; the center of the femoral neck, the boundary between femoral neck and trochanter, and the plane connecting the lower ends of the greater trochanter and the lesser trochanter. Fractures occurring only in Area-1 (proximal from the center of the femoral neck) were classified as Type 1; those in both Areas 1 and 2 (base of the femoral neck) were classified as Type 1-2. Therefore, fractures running from femoral basal neck to the subtrochanteric area were classified as Type 2-3-4. We targeted 60 Type 2-3-4 cases (average age 81 years, 10 men, 50 women) out of 1042 proximal femoral fracture cases who visited 8 hospitals in 2 years. We investigated the presence or absence of lateral trochanteric wall fractures, the selection of internal fixator, and the proportion of poor results. The lateral trochanteric wall fracture was observed in 48% of subjects. Long nails were selected to treat 46% cases, and nails with 2 or 3 proximal lag screws were used in 58% cases. Long nails and those with 2 or 3 lag screws were also used in 59% and 69% of lateral trochanteric wall fractures. Poor results such as cutout or excessive telescoping of lag screw occurred in 11.7% of cases and 17.2% of lateral trochanteric wall fractures. Even in cases where long nails and multiple lag screws were used for femoral trochanteric fractures whose fracture line ran from the femoral basal neck to subtrochanteric area were used, the failure rate was high in the presence of a lateral wall fracture. Therefore, it is necessary to consider careful post-operative treatment for proximal femoral fractures with lateral wall fracture, whose fracture line runs from femoral basal neck to subtrochanteric area.
Case report: Moyamoya disease, the culprit in an adult female presenting with left sided numbness
Authors: Almutairi Ohood Kh. , Abdulmoez Yasser
Published: December 2022

Rationale:

Moyamoya disease is a rare progressive cerebrovascular disease that is characterized by stenosis of the vascular branches of the internal carotid artery and the development of abnormal, fragile collateral vessels. Patients with Moyamoya disease mainly present with signs and symptoms of cerebral ischemia or cerebral hemorrhage with a typically progressive course.

Patient concerns:

Here, we present a case of an adult female presenting with left sided upper and lower limb numbness.

Diagnoses:

Diagnosis is through cerebral angiographic images demonstrating the characteristic look of collateral vessels classically present in Moyamoya disease. In this case, initial angiographic imaging along with high-resolution vessel wall brain magnetic imaging were used to diagnose the patient with this disease.

Interventions:

The patient was advised for surgical intervention; however, they were reluctant.

Outcomes:

The patient was treated conservatively and advised for follow-up.

Lessons:

This case highlights the importance of considering Moyamoya disease in the differential diagnosis of patients presenting with sudden neurological symptoms. High-resolution vessel wall MRI is a useful tool to diagnose this disease.
Acupuncture for Crohn’s disease: protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials
Authors: Cao Jiazhen , Yu Qianhui , Sun Mengmeng , He Min , Liu Renming , Liu Wu , Wang Fuchun , Li Tie
Published: December 2022

Background:

Crohn’s disease (CD) is a chronic recurrent gastrointestinal disorder with a high incidence of inflammation due to intestinal inflammation. Acupuncture is commonly used as an alternative therapy for patients with CD. The aim of this study was to design a systematic review and meta-analysis protocol, to provide guidance for the establishment of systematic evaluation and meta-analysis on the efficacy and safety of acupuncture on CD.

Methods:

We will search PubMed, the Cochrane Library, Embase, Web of Science, and 4 Chinese databases: China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang database, VIP database, and Chinese Biomedical Database to obtain randomized controlled trials of CD treated with acupuncture from inception to November 5, 2022. Primary outcome include CD symptoms severity and clinical efficacy, secondary outcome indicators include laboratory indicators or inflammatory markers, severity of endoscopic lesions, quality of life, and safety outcomes. We will analyze the data using RevMan V.5.4 software. Two reviewers will assess the risk of bias and study quality by the Cochrane Collaboration Risk of Bias Tool and GRADE methods, respectively.

Results:

This systematic review and meta-analysis protocol will analyze the efficacy, symptom improvement, quality of life, and safety of acupuncture therapy for CD.

Conclusion:

This protocol outlines the planned scope and methodology of a forthcoming systematic review and meta-analysis to provide guidelines for a rigorous assessment of the efficacy and safety of acupuncture for the treatment of CD.
Preoperative predictive factors affecting sentinel lymph node positivity in breast cancer and comparison of their effectiveness with existing nomograms
Authors: Ceylan Cengiz , Pehlevan Ozel Hikmet , Agackiran Ibrahim , Altun Ozdemir Buket , Atas Hakan , Menekse Ebru
Published: December 2022

This study aimed to establish a strong regression model by revealing the preoperative predictive factors for sentinel lymph node (SLN) positivity in patients with early stage breast cancer (ESBC). In total, 445 patients who underwent SLN dissection for ESBC were included. All data that may be potential predictors of SLN positivity were retrospectively analyzed. Tumor size >2 cm, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) + status, lymphovascular invasion (LVI), palpable tumor, microcalcifications, multifocality or multicentricity, and axillary ultrasonographic findings were defined as independent predictors of SLN involvement. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC) values were 0.797, 0.808, and 0.870 for the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) nomogram, MD Anderson Cancer Center (MDACC) nomogram, and our regression model, respectively (P < .001). The recent model for predicting SLN status in ESBC was found to be stronger than existing nomograms. Parameters not included in current nomograms, such as palpable tumors, microcalcifications, and axillary ultrasonographic findings, are likely to make this model more meaningful.
Minor hepatectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma in a patient with portal hypertension: A case report and review of the literature
Authors: Tseng Ting-Chun , Yin Wen-Yao
Published: December 2022

Introduction:

Curative modalities for early hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) include liver resection (LR) and transplantation. For patients with portal hypertension (PH), liver transplantation (LT) is the preferred treatment but is oftentimes limited by organ shortage and can lead candidates to drop off due to disease progression, while hepatectomy has a higher risk of complications. This would pose a dilemma as to whether wait for donor organs or prioritize hepatectomy.

Patient concerns:

The patient was a 56-year-old male, a case of liver cirrhosis due to hepatitis C with sustained virological response following direct-acting antiviral agents. He was a liver transplant candidate, presented to the gastroenterology outpatient department for a recently-diagnosed liver tumor during a regular follow-up session. Pre-operative survey revealed PH manifested by thrombocytopenia, splenomegaly, huge splenorenal shunt and varices. The patient’s Child-Pugh score was 7.

Interventions and diagnosis:

Considering the patient’s overall condition, tumor size and location, and a shortage of grafts, he underwent segment 5 and 6 partial hepatectomy. The pathological diagnosis was moderately differentiated HCC.

Outcomes:

His postoperative course was complicated by refractory intraabdominal infection (IAI) and recovered under aggressive antibiotics treatment. He remained recurrence-free for over a year.

Conclusion:

For patients with early resectable HCC, the approach of having a minor hepatectomy followed by salvage transplantation should serve as a compromising strategy. Tumor resection retards the progression of the disease. Comprehensive healthcare can expectantly improve clinical outcomes.
A case report of anterior mediastinal signet ring cell carcinoma
Authors: Liu Simin , Zhao Anbang , Mao Ming
Published: December 2022

Rationale:

Anterior mediastinal signet ring cell carcinoma (SRCC) is a rare tumor that has only been reported in two cases of thymic cancer. Positive immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining for caudal-type homeobox (CDX) 2, cytokeratin (CK) 20 and special AT-rich binding protein (SATB) 2 usually indicate gastrointestinal tumors but begin to appear in thymic cancers with enteric differentiation. Here, we describe a case of the anterior mediastinal SRCC with enteric differentiation who was correctly treated with surgery and chemo-radiation and was alive after four months.

Patient concerns:

A 48-year-old female presented without chest and lung symptoms had an anterior mediastinal mass during a routine physical examination. Laboratory examinations showed an elevated level of serum carbohydrate antigen (CA)-125 at 73.63 U/mL. Chest computed tomography (CT) showed an irregular soft tissue density shadow with heterogeneous enhancement in the anterior mediastinum. The tumor had invaded the pericardium, the left septal nerve and the innominate and was completely removed after anterior mediastinal surgery. Postoperative pathological examinations revealed signet ring cell features and positive staining for CDX2, CK20, SATB2 and Ki-67 (Li: 70%). The samples were negative for cluster of differentiation (CD)-5, CK7, thyroid transcription factor (TTF) 1, NapsinA, CerbB-2, P53 and PD-L1 by IHC examinations. The suspected diagnosis was an anterior mediastinal SRCC that had originated in the digestive system.

Diagnosis:

The patient was diagnosed with anterior mediastinal SRCC.

Interventions:

The patient was treated with surgery and combined chemo-radiotherapy.

Outcomes:

The patient had no recurrence or metastasis after five months.

Lessons:

We describe a rare case of the anterior mediastinal SRCC of unknown origin. Our case, for the first time shows that surgery combined with chemo-radiotherapy is an effective treatment regimen for anterior mediastinal SRCC.
Acute myocardial infarction in the elderly with anomalous origin of the left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery (ALCAPA): A case report and literature review
Authors: Niu Mengyao , Zhang Jing , Ge Yanmin , Hu Xiaohui , Liu Zhihao , Wu Junduo
Published: December 2022

Introduction:

Anomalous left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery (ALCAPA) is a rare congenital coronary artery malformation, with a fatality rate of 90% at 1 year of age; only 10% to 15% of patients are diagnosed in adulthood. However, elderly survivors are particularly rare. Here, we report a case of elderly ALCAPA presented with acute myocardial infarction.

Case presentation:

A 64-years-old female, complained of acute precordial pain in our hospital for 2 days. She was diagnosed with an acute non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction. Aortic angiography revealed emptiness of the left coronary sinus, and coronary angiography showed that the tortuous right coronary artery supplied blood to the left coronary artery through collateral circulation, and the contrast medium spilled from the opening of the left coronary artery. It was suspected that the left coronary artery was opened in the pulmonary artery. This finding was subsequently confirmed by coronary artery CT. The patient refused surgery to restore double coronary circulation and was administered standardized drug treatment. There was no chest pain during the 6-month follow-up.

Conclusion:

ALCAPA should be considered in patients with Myocardial Infarction with Non-obstructive Coronary Arteries, and surgical intervention is the first choice for such patients; However, chronic myocardial damage persists regardless of surgical treatment, prophylactic implantation of an ICD may be an important means of preventing sudden cardiac death and such patients should be followed up for a lifetime.
A Qualitative Study of the Factors Influencing Patients’ Experience of Soft Tissue Sarcoma in the United Kingdom
Authors: Martins Ana , Bennister Lindsey , Fern Lorna A. , Gerrand Craig , Onasanya Maria , Storey Lesley , Wells Mary , Whelan Jeremy S. , Windsor Rachael , Woodford Julie , Taylor Rachel M.
Published: December 2022

Background

Treatment of soft tissue sarcoma frequently involves extensive surgery, loss of mobility, and complex rehabilitation programs. Poorer patient-reported outcomes are reported in comparison to those from patients with other cancer types. Understanding patient experience is therefore important to support patients and improve care.

Objective

The aim of this study was an in-depth exploration of patients’ experience of being diagnosed with soft tissue sarcoma.

Methods

Semistructured interviews and focus groups were conducted with 68 patients with soft tissue sarcoma (59% female; aged 23-82 years). These were analyzed using adapted framework analysis.

Results

Two overarching themes explained the factors influencing patients’ experiences: individual and social factors to manage the impact of soft tissue sarcoma; and context and processes of care. Access to professionals with sarcoma expertise and services in specialist hospitals had an impact on patients’ well-being. Lack of access to specialist services and coordinated care were associated with worse experiences. These were influenced by age and support from family/friends/other patients and were crucial in patients’ adaptation to living with and beyond a sarcoma diagnosis.

Conclusion

We describe factors that both negatively and positively influenced the experience of patients with soft tissue sarcoma. Access to specialist soft tissue sarcoma and rehabilitation services and support tailored to patients’ age and disease trajectory are needed to improve these experiences.

Implication for Practice

Nurses are important for helping patients manage the long-term effects and directing them to supportive care services. Rehabilitation services need to be available and easily accessible.
The Experiences and Unmet Supportive Care Needs of Partners of Men Diagnosed With Prostate Cancer
Authors: Roberts Cara , Toohey Kellie , Paterson Catherine
Published: December 2022

Background

Partners of men diagnosed with prostate cancer face their own emotional struggles as they navigate additional caregiver responsibilities while concurrently adjusting to the diagnosis and coping with greater illness uncertainty for their loved one.

Objective

This qualitative systematic review examined the unmet supportive care needs of partners affected by prostate cancer.

Interventions/Methods

A meta-aggregation was conducted. Four electronic databases were searched using key words. The methodology followed the Joanna Briggs Institute for qualitative evidence synthesis. The review process followed a registered priori review protocol and was reported using the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis) guidelines. Data extraction and quality assessment were conducted in parallel.

Results

Twenty-one publications were included. A total of 239 findings and 32 categories were synthesized into 7 domains of unmet needs as experienced by partners. The domains of needs expressed by the participants included interpersonal/intimacy, physical/daily living, healthcare service, family-related, psychological/emotional needs, and spiritual and social needs.

Conclusions

There are gaps in clinical service support, despite routine clinical consultation with healthcare professionals. Partners may diminish their social networks to protect their husband at the cost to their own self-preservation and well-being.

Implications for Practice

Cancer organizations, policy makers, healthcare care professionals, and researchers are slowly making progress to acknowledge the unique support needs of partners affected by cancer. Healthcare professionals should encourage partners to be included in models of prehabilitation to access timely support to address informational, intimacy, spiritual, and daily living needs support.
Effects of a Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Program on Stress, Depression, and Psychological Well-being in Patients With Cancer
Authors: Yildirim Dilek , Çiriş Yildiz Cennet , Ozdemir Ferda Akyuz , Harman Özdoğan Merve , Can Gulbeyaz
Published: December 2022

Background

A mindfulness-based stress reduction program combined with music therapy is one of the interventions designed to help patients cope with stress and depression.

Objective

The aim of this study was to examine the effects of an online mindfulness-based stress reduction program combined with music therapy on stress, depression, and psychological well-being in adult patients with cancer.

Methods

This study was a single-blinded, prospective, randomized-controlled experimental design. One hundred twenty cancer patients were recruited (60 each in the intervention and control groups). Patients in the intervention group received a 10-day mindfulness-based stress reduction program combined with music therapy. Stress was measured with the State Trait Anxiety Inventory-State, psychological well-being was measured with the Psychological Well-being Scale, and depression was measured with the Beck Depression Inventory at baseline and the end of the study.

Results

The intervention group showed significantly lower stress and depression scores than the control group in the total scores at 10 days (P < .05). The intervention group had significantly higher scores in the psychological well-being (P < .001) than the control group at 10 days. Intragroup comparison of the stress and depression scores showed that posttest score of the intervention group was significantly lower than its pretest score (P < .05).

Conclusion

Mindfulness-based stress reduction program combined with music therapy reduced the levels of stress and depressive symptoms and improved psychological well-being in cancer patients.

Implications for Practice

A nurse-led mindfulness-based stress reduction program combined with music therapy is an innovative and effective psychological intervention that may be integrated with regular patient care for adults receiving treatment of cancer.
Development and Formative Evaluation of the Family-Based Dignity Therapy Protocol for Palliative Cancer Patients and Their Families
Authors: Chen Zhiqian , Guo Qiaohong , Geng Haimei , Xi Lanxin , Lin Junyi , Chochinov Harvey Max
Published: December 2022

Background

Palliative cancer patients and family members in China may experience difficulties in expressing their feelings, concerns, and needs to each other because of the death-taboo culture and the strong desire to protect each other from being exposed to emotional distress.

Objectives

The aims of this study were to develop a nurse-led psychotherapeutic intervention aiming to facilitate meaningful conversations between palliative cancer patients and their family members, named family-based dignity therapy (FBDT), and preliminarily explore the anticipated benefits and challenges of the implementation of FBDT.

Methods

A convergent parallel mixed-methods design was used. The FBDT was designed based on the dignity therapy protocol and additionally inspired by the Chinese tradition of “4 important things in life.” Ten palliative cancer patients, 10 family members, and 13 oncology and hospice nurses were surveyed to evaluate the FBDT protocol both quantitatively and qualitatively.

Results

The FBDT interview guide was endorsed by most palliative cancer patients and family members (>75.0%), as well as oncology and hospice nurses (>90.0%). Potential perceived benefits and challenges of FBDT were proposed by participants. The FBDT protocol was modified according to feedback from participants to make it more suitable to use in clinical practice in China.

Conclusion

The FBDT was perceived to be a potentially promising intervention to facilitate meaningful end-of-life conversations among palliative cancer patients and family members in China.

Implications for Practice

The FBDT might provide a means for nurses to promote potentially enhanced end-of-life communications for palliative cancer patients and their families. Further studies are needed to examine the feasibility, acceptability, and efficacy of FBDT to confirm this in China.
Advances and challenges in sexually transmitted infections prevention among men who have sex with men in Asia
Authors: Ma Wei , Chen Zhixian , Niu Shuyue
Published: December 2022

Purpose of review

This review summarizes recently published research on sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) among men who have sex with men (MSM) in Asia, covering four main areas: prevalence and consequences of STIs/STDs, factors associated with STI risk, strategies and measures of STI prevention, challenges in the prevention of SITs.

Recent findings

Studies show that STIs among Asian MSM are still prevalent, with the prevalence of STIs varying slightly from country to country. In addition to the number of sexual partners, frequency of condom use, high-risk sexual behaviors, the influence of Confucianism, law, and COVID-19 are also related to STI risk. Social stigma, weak health systems, lack of funding and policy support are the current challenges for STIs prevention.

In the future, new media technologies are encouraged to be used to enhance education and reduce stigma and discrimination against MSM and STIs. Expanding STI screening, strengthening STI knowledge propaganda and education among MSM population, and providing necessary counseling and medical services are main strategies in STI prevention. It is also important to strengthen STI awareness and policy support at the national level.
Serious harms of the COVID-19 vaccines: a systematic review
Authors: Gøtzsche Peter C. , Demasi Maryanne
Published: December 2022

BACKGROUND

Serious and severe harms of the COVID-19 vaccines have been downplayed or deliberately excluded by the study sponsors in high impact medical journals.

METHODS

Systematic review of papers with data on serious adverse events (SAEs) associated with a COVID-19 vaccine.

RESULTS

We included 18 systematic reviews, 14 randomised trials, and 34 other studies with a control group. Most studies were of poor quality. A systematic review of regulatory data on the two pivotal trials of the mRNA vaccines found significantly more SAEs of special interest with the vaccines compared to placebo, and the excess risk was considerably larger than the benefit, the risk of hospitalisation. The adenovirus vector vaccines increased the risk of venous thrombosis and thrombocytopenia, and the mRNA-based vaccines increased the risk of myocarditis, with a mortality of about 1-2 per 200 cases. We found evidence of serious neurological harms, including Bell’s palsy, Guillain-Barré syndrome, myasthenic disorder and stroke, which are likely due to an autoimmune reaction. Severe harms, i.e. those that prevent daily activities, were underreported in the randomised trials. These harms were very common in studies of booster doses after a full vaccination and in a study of vaccination of previously infected people.

CONCLUSIONS

Further randomised trials are needed. Authorities have recommended populationwide COVID-19 vaccination and booster doses. They do not consider that the balance between benefits and harms becomes negative in low-risk groups such as children and people who have already recovered from COVID-19 infection.
The microbial community dynamics of cocaine sensitization in two behaviorally divergent strains of collaborative cross mice
Authors: Binh Tran Thi Dong , Hernandez Christian Monroy , Nguyen Hoan , Wright Susan ,   Center for Systems Neurogenetics of Addiction, Tarantino Lisa M. , Chesler Elissa J. , Weinstock George M. , Zhou Yanjiao , Bubier Jason A.
Published: December 2022

The gut-brain axis is increasingly recognized as an important pathway involved in cocaine use disorder. Microbial products of the murine gut have been shown to affect striatal gene expression, and depletion of the microbiome by antibiotic treatment alters cocaine-induced behavioral sensitization in C57BL/6J male mice. Some reports suggest that cocaine-induced behavioral sensitization is correlated with drug self-administration behavior in mice. Here we profile the composition of the naïve microbiome and its response to cocaine sensitization in two Collaborative Cross (CC) strains. These strains display extremely divergent behavioral responses to cocaine sensitization. A high-responding strain, CC004/TauUncJ (CC04), has a gut microbiome that contains a greater amount ofLactobacillusthan the cocaine-nonresponsive strain CC041/TauUncJ (CC41). The gut microbiome of CC41 is characterized by an abundance ofEisenbergella, RobinsonellaandRuminococcus. In response to cocaine, CC04 has an increasedBarnsiellapopulation, while the gut microbiome of CC41 displays no significant changes. PICRUSt functional analysis of the functional potential of the gut microbiome in CC04 shows a significant number of potential gut-brain modules altered after exposure to cocaine, specifically those encoding for tryptophan synthesis, glutamine metabolism, and menaquinone synthesis (vitamin K2). Depletion of the microbiome by antibiotic treatment revealed an altered cocaine-sensitization response following antibiotics in female CC04 mice. Depleting the microbiome by antibiotic treatment in males revealed increased infusions for CC04 during a cocaine intravenous self-administration dose-response curve. Together these data suggest that genetic differences in cocaine-related behaviors may involve the microbiome.

FUNDING

U01DA043809 to JAB, GMW P50DA039841 to EJC
Physical and mental health disability associated with long-COVID: Baseline results from a US nationwide cohort
Authors: Lau Bryan , Wentz Eryka , Ni Zhanmo , Yenokyan Karine , Coggiano Candelaria , Mehta Shruti H. , Duggal Priya
Published: December 2022

Importance

Persistent symptoms after SARS-COV-2 infection, or long-COVID, may occur in anywhere from 10-55% of those who have had COVID-19, but the extent of impact on daily functioning and disability remains unquantified.

Objective

To characterize physical and mental disability associated with long-COVID

Design

Cross-sectional analysis of baseline data from a cohort study

Setting

Online US nationwide survey

Participants

Adults 18 years of age and older who live in the US who either report a history of COVID-19 illness (n=8,874) or report never having had COVID-19 (n=633)

Main Outcome and Measures

Self-reported mobility disability (difficulty walking a quarter of a mile and/or up 10 stairs, instrumental activities of daily living [IADL] disability (difficulty doing light or heavy housework), and mental fatigue as measured by the Wood Mental Fatigue Inventory (WMFI).

Results

Of 7,926 participants with long-COVID, the median age was 45 years, 84% were female, 89% self-reported white race, and 7.4% self-reported Hispanic/Latino ethnicity. Sixty-five percent of long-COVID participants were classified as having at least one disability, compared to 6% of those with resolved-COVID (n=948) and 14% of those with no-COVID (n=633). Of long-COVID participants, about 1% and 5% were classified as critically physically disabled or mentally fatigued, respectively. Age, prior comorbidity, increased BMI, female gender, hospitalization for COVID-19, non-white race, and multi-race were all associated with significantly higher disability burden. Dizziness at the time of infection (33% non-hospitalized, 39% hospitalized) was associated with all five disability components in both hospitalized and non-hospitalized groups. Heavy limbs, dyspnea, and tremors were associated with four of the five components of disability in the non-hospitalized group, and heavy limbs was associated with four of the five components in the hospitalized group. Vaccination was protective against development of disability.

Conclusion and Relevance

We observed a high burden of physical and mental disability associated with long-COVID which has serious implications for individual and societal health that may be partially mitigated by vaccination. Longitudinal characterization and evaluation of COVID-19 patients is necessary to identify patterns of recovery and treatment options.
Hypo-responsiveness of human alveolar macrophages to IFN-γ is not due to attenuated STAT1 signaling
Authors: Thiel Bonnie A , Lundberg Kathleen C , Schlatzer Daniela , Jarvela Jessica , Li Qing , Shaw Rachel , Beckloff Sara E , Chance Mark R , Boom W Henry , Silver Richard F , Bebek Gurkan
Published: December 2022

Alveolar macrophages (AM) perform a primary defense mechanism in the lung through phagocytosis of inhaled particles and microorganisms. AM are known to be relatively immunosuppressive consistent with the aim to limit alveolar inflammation and maintain effective gas exchange in the face of these constant challenges. How AM respond to T cell derived cytokine signals, which are critical to the defense against inhaled pathogens, is less well understood. For example, successful containment ofMycobacterium tuberculosis(Mtb) in lung macrophages is highly dependent on IFN-γ secreted by Th-1 lymphocytes, however, the proteomic IFN-γ response profile in AM remains mostly unknown. In this study, we measured IFN-γ induced protein abundance changes in human AM and autologous blood monocytes (MN). AM cells were activated by IFN-γ stimulation resulting in STAT1 phosphorylation and production of MIG/CXCL9 chemokine. However, the global proteomic response to IFN-γ in AM was dramatically limited in comparison to that of MN (9 AM vs 89 MN differentially abundant proteins). AM hypo-responsiveness was not explained by reduced JAK-STAT1 signaling nor increased SOCS1 expression. These findings suggest that AM have a tightly regulated response to IFN-γ which may prevent excessive pulmonary inflammation but may also provide a niche for the initial survival and growth of Mtb and other intracellular pathogens in the lung.
Cerebral organoids expressing mutant actin genes reveal cellular mechanism underlying microcephaly
Authors: Niehaus Indra , Wilsch-Bräuninger Michaela , Mora-Bermúdez Felipe , Bobic-Rasonja Mihaela , Radosevic Velena , Milkovic-Perisa Marija , Wimberger Pauline , Severino Mariasavina , Haase Alexandra , Martin Ulrich , Kuenzel Karolina , Guan Kaomei , Neumann Katrin , Walker Noreen , Schröck Evelin , Jovanov-Milosevic Natasa , Huttner Wieland B. , Donato Nataliya Di , Heide Michael
Published: December 2022

Actins are structural cytoskeletal proteins playing crucial roles in multiple cellular processes. Mutations in the ACTB and ACTG1 genes, encoding the ubiquitous beta- and gamma- cytoskeletal actin isoforms, respectively, cause a broad spectrum of neurodevelopmental disorders, with microcephaly as the most frequent one. Here we used patient-derived cerebral organoids to gain insight into the pathogenesis underlying this cortical malformation. Cerebral organoids from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) of patients with the Baraitser-Winter- CerebroFrontoFacial syndrome (BWCFF-S), expressing either an ACTB or an ACTG1 missense mutation, are reduced in size, showing a thinner ventricular zone (VZ). This decrease in VZ progenitors is in turn associated with a striking change in the orientation of their cleavage plane from predominantly vertical (control) to predominantly horizontal (BWCFF-S), which is incompatible with increasing VZ progenitor abundance. Various cytoskeletal and morphological irregularities of BWCFF-S VZ progenitors, notably in the apical region of these cells, seemingly contribute to their predominantly horizontal cleavage plane orientation. Our results provide insight into the cell biological basis of the microcephaly associated with BWCFF-S caused by actin mutations.
Higher social tolerance is associated with more complex facial behavior in macaques
Authors: Rincon Alan V. , Waller Bridget M. , Duboscq Julie , Mielke Alexander , Pérez Claire , Clark Peter R. , Micheletta Jérôme
Published: December 2022

The social complexity hypothesis for communicative complexity posits that animal societies with more complex social systems require more complex communication systems. We tested the social complexity hypothesis on three macaque species that vary in their degree of social tolerance and complexity. We coded facial behavior in >3000 social interactions across three social contexts (aggressive, submissive, affiliative) in 389 animals, using the Facial Action Coding System for macaques (MaqFACS). We quantified communicative complexity using three measures of uncertainty: entropy, specificity, and prediction error. We found that the relative entropy of facial behavior was higher for the more tolerant crested macaques as compared to the less tolerant Barbary and rhesus macaques across all social contexts, indicating that crested macaques more frequently use a higher diversity of facial behavior. The context specificity of facial behavior was higher in rhesus as compared to Barbary and crested macaques, demonstrating that Barbary and crested macaques used facial behavior more flexibly across different social contexts. Finally, a random forest classifier predicted social context from facial behavior with highest accuracy for rhesus and lowest for crested, indicating there is higher uncertainty and complexity in the facial behavior of crested macaques. Overall, our results support the social complexity hypothesis.
Sleep restores an optimal computational regime in cortical networks
Authors: Xu Yifan , Schneider Aidan , Wessel Ralf , Hengen Keith B.
Published: December 2022

Sleep is vitally important for brain function, yet its core restorative process remains an open question. Sleep is assumed to subserve homeostatic processes in the brain because sleep restores functional capacity, and stable function requires compensatory tuning of circuits in the face of experience. However, the set-point around which sleep tunes circuit computation is unknown; for more than four decades, the homeostatic aspect of sleep has been approximated by a heuristic model whose strongest correlate is Slow-wave Activity (SWA). While SWA can indicate sleep pressure, it fails to explainwhyanimals need sleep. In contrast, criticality is a computational regime that optimizes information processing capacity, and is a homeostatically regulated set-point in isocortical circuits. Consistent with the effects of waking, criticality is degraded by experience-dependent plasticity. Whether criticality is the computational set-point of sleep is unknown. To address this question, we evaluated the effects of sleep and wake on emergent dynamics in ensembles of cortical neurons recorded continuously for 10-14 d in freely behaving rats. We show that normal waking experience progressively disrupts criticality, and that sleep functions to restore critical dynamics. Criticality is perturbed in a context-dependent manner depending on behavior and environmental variables, and waking experience is causal in driving these effects. The degree of deviation from criticality is robustly predictive of future sleep/wake behavior, more accurate than SWA, behavioral history, and other neural measures. Our results demonstrate that perturbation and recovery of criticality is a network homeostatic mechanism consistent with the core, restorative function of sleep.
The structure of a human translation initiation complex reveals two independent roles for the helicase eIF4A
Authors: Querido Jailson Brito , Sokabe Masaaki , Díaz-López Irene , Gordiyenko Yuliya , Fraser Christopher S. , Ramakrishnan V.
Published: December 2022

Initiation of mRNA translation is a key regulatory step in gene expression in all eukaryotes. Canonical initiation of translation in eukaryotes involves recruitment of the 43S preinitiation complex to the 5′ end of mRNA by the cap-binding complex eIF4F to form the 48S initiation complex (48S), followed by scanning along the mRNA until the start codon is selected.1–8 We have previously shown that eIF4F binds near the mRNA channel exit site of the 43S, leaving an open question about how mRNA secondary structure is removed as it enters the mRNA binding channel on the other side of the 40S subunit.4Here we describe a human 48S positioned at the start codon that shows that in addition to the eIF4A that is part of eIF4F, there is a second eIF4A helicase bound to the mRNA entry site. The entry channel bound eIF4A is positioned through interactions with eIF3 and the 40S subunit to enable its ATP-dependent helicase activity to directly unwind secondary structure located downstream of the scanning 48S complex. The structure also reveals universally conserved interactions between eIF4F and the 48S, likely explaining how this complex can promote mRNA recruitment in all eukaryotes. mRNA translation has emerged as an important tool for developing innovative therapies, yet several fundamental aspects of its regulation remain unknown. This work sheds light on the critical regulatory roles of eIF4A and eIF4F during the recruitment and scanning of the 5′ UTR of mRNA.