bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Electroacupuncture Combined With Diet Treatment Has a Therapeutic Effect on Perimenopausal Patients With Abdominal Obesity by Improving the Community Structure of Intestinal Flora
Authors: Sheng Jili , Yang Geyao , Jin Xiaoqing , Si Caijuan , Huang Yuan’an , Luo Zhouxiao , Liu Tao , Zhu Jianfang 
Published: December 2021

Background: This study explored the influences of electroacupuncture combined with dietary intervention on the intestinal flora in perimenopausal patients with abdominal obesity by using the 16s rRNA sequencing technology.Methods: Perimenopausal patients with abdominal obesity were divided into the Electroacupuncture group and the Control group. Patients in the Control group received healthy lifestyle education, while those in the Electroacupuncture group received electroacupuncture combined with dietary intervention. Before and after treatment, the weight, height, waist circumference, hip circumference, waist-height ratio (WHtR), waist to hip ratio (WHR), and body mass index (BMI) of the patients were recorded; the levels of serum triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), fasting insulin (FINS), and fasting blood glucose (FGB) were evaluated; and the abundance, diversity, and species differences of intestinal flora were analyzed using 16s rRNA sequencing technology.Results: The body weight, waist circumference, hip circumference, BMI, WHR, and WHtR of patients in the Electroacupuncture group after treatment were lower than those before treatment. Compared with the Control group, patients in the Electroacupuncture group after treatment displayed lower waist circumference, WHtR, WHR, TG, and LDL levels as well as species abundance, higher species diversity, and lager species difference in the intestinal flora. Besides, the proportions of Klebsiella and Kosakonia in the intestinal flora of patients in the Electroacupuncture group after treatment were larger than those before treatment.Conclusion: Electroacupuncture combined with diet treatment generated a therapeutic effect on abdominal obesity in perimenopausal patients by improving the community structure of intestinal flora.
Association Between Online Self-Directed Learning Ability and Negative Emotions Among College Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Study in Anhui Province, East China
Authors: Chang Wei-wei , Zhang Liu , Wen Li-ying , Su Hong , Jin Yue-long 
Published: December 2021

Background: This study investigated the correlation between depression, anxiety, and stress among college students engaged in online learning during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and self-directed learning (SDL) ability, which could provide a scientific basis for mental health education of the college students.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 5,558 students from two universities in Anhui province, East China. The Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21) and the Self-directed Learning Ability Scale were used to conduct an online questionnaire survey.Results: A total of 35.15, 36.32, and 17.24% of college students reported symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress, respectively. Males and nonmedical students were at higher risks to suffer from depression, anxiety, and stress. In adjusted model, compared with Q1 of self-management ability, the odds ratio (OR) of the Q2, Q3, and Q4 were as follows: 0.635 (0.531–0.759), 0.504 (0.415–0.611), and 0.312 (0.248–0.392) for depression; 0.639 (0.535–0.764), 0.653 (0.540–0.789), and 0.421 (0.338–0.525) for anxiety; and 0.649 (0.523–0.805), 0.579 (0.457–0.733), and 0.482 (0.364–0.637) for stress. For information capability, decrease in risk was even more pronounced: Q2 (0.654, 0.540–0.794), Q3 (0.560, 0.454–0.690), and Q4 (0.233, 0.181–0.301) for depression; Q2 (0.781, 0.646–0.945), Q3 (0.616, 0.501–0.757), and Q4 (0.276, 0.216–0.353) for anxiety; and Q2 (0.444, 0.357–0.553), Q3 (0.454, 0.357–0.578), and Q4 (0.272, 0.202–0.368) for stress. Compared with the Q2 group of cooperation learning ability, cooperation learning ability quartiles were positively associated with depression (Q1: 1.382, 95% CI: 1.138–1.678), anxiety (Q4: 1.260, 95% CI: 1.008–1.576), and stress (Q1: 2.002, 95% CI: 1.583–2.532; Q3: 1.600, 95% CI: 1.252–2.044; Q4: 1.674, 95% CI: 1.243–2.255).Conclusion: The prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress among college students was high for those studying online at home during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially among nonmedical students and males. SDL ability was negatively associated with negative emotions of the college students during this period of online learning.
Spatial Neglect Midline Diagnostics From Virtual Reality and Eye Tracking in a Free-Viewing Environment
Authors: Hougaard Bastian I. , Knoche Hendrik , Jensen Jim , Evald Lars 
Published: December 2021

Purpose: Virtual reality (VR) and eye tracking may provide detailed insights into spatial cognition. We hypothesized that virtual reality and eye tracking may be used to assess sub-types of spatial neglect in stroke patients not readily available from conventional assessments.Method: Eighteen stroke patients with spatial neglect and 16 age and gender matched healthy subjects wearing VR headsets were asked to look around freely in a symmetric 3D museum scene with three pictures. Asymmetry of performance was analyzed to reveal group-level differences and possible neglect sub-types on an individual level.Results: Four out of six VR and eye tracking measures revealed significant differences between patients and controls in this free-viewing task. Gaze-asymmetry between-pictures (including fixation time and count) and head orientation were most sensitive to spatial neglect behavior on a group level analysis. Gaze-asymmetry and head orientation each identified 10 out of 18 (56%), compared to 12 out of 18 (67%) for the best conventional test. Two neglect patients without deviant performance on conventional measures were captured by the VR and eyetracking measures. On the individual level, five stroke patients revealed deviant gaze-asymmetry within-pictures and six patients revealed deviant eye orientation in either direction that were not captured by the group-level analysis.Conclusion: This study is a first step in using VR in combination with eye tracking measures as individual differential neglect subtype diagnostics. This may pave the way for more sensitive and elaborate sub-type diagnostics of spatial neglect that may respond differently to various treatment approaches.
Potential Biomarkers for Predicting Depression in Diabetes Mellitus
Authors: Song Xiuli , Zheng Qiang , Zhang Rui , Wang Miye , Deng Wei , Wang Qiang , Guo Wanjun , Li Tao , Ma Xiaohong 
Published: December 2021

Objective: To identify the potential biomarkers for predicting depression in diabetes mellitus using support vector machine to analyze routine biochemical tests and vital signs between two groups: subjects with both diabetes mellitus and depression, and subjects with diabetes mellitus alone.Methods: Electronic medical records upon admission and biochemical tests and vital signs of 135 patients with both diabetes mellitus and depression and 187 patients with diabetes mellitus alone were identified for this retrospective study. After matching on factors of age and sex, the two groups (n = 72 for each group) were classified by the recursive feature elimination-based support vector machine, of which, the training data, validation data, and testing data were split for ranking the parameters, determine the optimal parameters, and assess classification performance. The biomarkers were identified by 10-fold cross validation.Results: The experimental results identified 8 predictive biomarkers with classification accuracy of 78%. The 8 biomarkers are magnesium, cholesterol, AST/ALT, percentage of monocytes, bilirubin indirect, triglyceride, lactic dehydrogenase, and diastolic blood pressure. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was also adopted with area under the curve being 0.72.Conclusions: Some biochemical parameters may be potential biomarkers to predict depression among the subjects with diabetes mellitus.
The Influences of COVID-19 on Patients With Chronic Kidney Disease: A Multicenter Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Jiang Zheng , Liu Jiang , Geng Lei , Zhong Zhengxia , Tan Jiaxing , Wen Dongmei , Zhou Ling , Tang Yi , Qin Wei 
Published: December 2021

Background: The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has attracted global attention. During the lockdown period of COVID-19, follow-up of many patients with chronic disease had been interrupted, which brought severe challenges to better management of their disease. This study aimed at exploring the change of illness, daily life, and psychological responses during the COVID-19 pandemic among chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients.Methods: A total of 612 patients were enrolled in this study; 282 patients were categorized into the CKD stage 1–2 group and 330 patients were categorized into the CKD stage 3–5 group. Among two groups, 168 (27.5%) and 177 (28.9%) patients were female with a median age of 42 and 45, respectively. The study was conducted by collecting the questionnaires in five nephrology centers. The questionnaire consisted of assessment of anxiety by using the Self-Rating Anxiety Scale and the influences of COVID-19, which included basic demographic data, the influences of COVID-19 on illness and daily life, as well as the patients' psychological responses during the epidemic.Results: A total of 612 patients were included and divided into two groups according to eGFR. Ninety-six patients (34%) in the CKD stage 1–2 group and 141 patients (42.7%) in the CKD stage 3–5 group had reduced their follow-up frequency (p = 0.031). More patients with CKD stages 1–2 consulted online (25.9%), p = 0.005. Besides, patients in the CKD stage 3–5 group tended to be more anxious about follow-up (p = 0.002), fearful of being infected with COVID-19 (p = 0.009), and more likely to feel symptoms getting worse (p = 0.006). The standard scores of SAS were 48.58 ± 7.082 and 51.19 ± 5.944 in the CKD stage 1–2 group and the CKD stage 3–5 group, respectively (p &lt; 0.001). There were significant differences in the severity of anxiety (p = 0.004).Conclusion: COVID-19 had a greater impact on patients with CKD stages 3–5 than those with stages 1–2 in terms of illness, daily life, and psychological disorder. Patients with CKD stages 3–5 were more anxious during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Narrative Exposure Therapy in Patients With Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Borderline Personality Disorder in a Naturalistic Residential Setting: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Steuwe Carolin , Berg Michaela , Beblo Thomas , Driessen Martin 
Published: December 2021

Background: Comorbid Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) increases the already high symptom burden of patients with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). As the gold standard for BPD treatment, Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), does not focus on PTSD, other treatment approaches are needed. Narrative Exposure Therapy (NET) was designed to address multiple traumatic events and may be especially useful in this patient group. The aim of the present study was to determine the efficacy of NET compared to DBT based treatment (DBT-bt) in a randomized controlled trial.Methods: Female patients (n = 60) with BPD and comorbid PTSD were randomized to either a 10-week residential NET or DBT-bt. The primary outcome was change in PTSD severity as assessed by the Clinician Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS). Mixed linear models as well as reliable change, remission, and response rates were used to compare improvement across treatment groups.Results: Mixed linear model showed that patients in both treatments improved significantly over time across all outcome measures. This improvement was not more pronounced in NET (no significant time × type of treatment effect). However, NET resulted in a higher remission rate as compared to DBT-bt. PTSD remission was accompanied by BPD remission in all cases.Conclusions: This study shows the value of trauma-focused therapy in patients with BPD and PTSD for recovery in both disorders. To shorten the duration of both illnesses as much as possible, future studies should focus on the factors predicting treatment success and enabling patients to benefit from trauma-focused treatment as soon as possible.Trial registration:ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier: NCT02517723.
Early Childhood Caries in 4- to 5-Year-Old Children in Erzurum, Turkey
Authors: Şengül Fatih , Urvasızoğlu Gelengül , Derelioǧlu Sera , Seddik Tarek , Çelikel Periş , Baş Aybike 
Published: December 2021

Introduction: Early childhood caries is tooth decay seen in children under 72 months old. It is associated with multiple predisposing factors and has a negative impact on quality of life. In this study, our aim was to assess the oral health conditions and prevalence of early childhood caries (ECC) in children in the city of Erzurum, Turkey.Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional epidemiological study was conducted in Atatürk University, Faculty of Dentistry, Pediatric Dentistry Department/Erzurum-Turkey, in the 2015–2016 academic year. A total of 1,156 children (588 girls and 568 boys), with mean age of 4.9 ± 0.3 years (min 4, max 5) were included in the study. Restorative index (RI), deft, significant caries index (SiC), SiC10, treatment needs, number of lost primary teeth per 100 children, care index, and prevalence of carious primary teeth were evaluated. Data were analyzed by Chi-square test and Mann–Whitney U test (p &lt; 0.05).Results: A total of 73.3% prevalence of ECC was observed in preschool children with a mean deft score of 3.9±4 and an increase in ECC with age. RI was 2.2%, SiC was 8.5, SiC10 was 12.3, caries treatment needs was 93.5%, care index was 2.1%, and number of lost primary teeth per 100 children was 0.9 tooth.Conclusion: High level of ECC indicates the necessity of starting an oral health education program for mothers and dental screening of children, and the demand for improving oral and dental services.
Contribution of Total Screen/Online-Course Time to Asthenopia in Children During COVID-19 Pandemic via Influencing Psychological Stress
Authors: Li Lin , Zhang Jing , Chen Moxin , Li Xue , Chu Qiao , Jiang Run , Liu Zhihao , Zhang Lili , Shi Jun , Wang Yi , Zhu Weizhong , Chen Jian , Xun Pengcheng , Zhou Jibo 
Published: December 2021

Objectives: During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) self-quarantine period, the transition to online-course has profoundly changed the learning modes of millions of school-aged children and put them at an increased risk of asthenopia. Therefore, we aimed to determine associations of the total screen/online-course time with asthenopia prevalence among that children during the COVID-19 pandemic, and whether the associations were mediated by psychological stress.Methods: Asthenopia was defined according to a validated computer vision syndrome questionnaire (CVS-Q). We used CVS-Q to collect the frequency and intensity of 16 asthenopia-related eye symptoms of 25,781 children. Demographic features, eye care habits, visual disorders, lifestyle, psychological and environmental factors, were also collected.Results: The overall asthenopia prevalence was 12.1%, varying from 5.4 to 18.2% across grade/gender-classified subgroups. A 100-h increment of total screen/online-course time were associated with an increased risk of asthenopia by 9% [odds ratio (OR) = 1.09] and 11% (OR = 1.11), respectively. Mediation analysis showed that the proportions of total effects mediated by psychological stress were 23.5 and 38.1%, respectively. Age, female gender, having myopia or astigmatism, bad habits when watching screens were also risk factors. Conversely, keeping 34–65 cm between eyes and screen, increased rest time between classes, and increased eye exercise were all associated with a decreased risk.Conclusion: Our study indicated that the influence of long total screen or online-course time on psychological stress increases asthenopia risk. The findings of this study have provided a new avenue for intervening screen-related asthenopia in addition to incorporating a reasonable schedule of online courses into educational policy.
Timely Communication Through Telehealth: Added Value for a Caregiver During COVID-19
Authors: Hajjar Lauren , Kragen Ben 
Published: December 2021

Objective: This caregiver case study applies the lens of relational coordination theory (RC) to examine the value of telehealth as a medium of care coordination for a pediatric patient with hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (hEDS) during the COVID-19 pandemic.Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has placed an unprecedented burden on the delivery of healthcare around the globe and has increased the reliance on telehealth services. Delivering telehealth requires a high level of communication and coordination within and across providers as well as between providers, patients and their families. However, it is less clear how telehealth impacts the coordination of care. In this paper, we provide insight into the quality of care coordination between providers and an informal caregiver following policy changes to the provider payment structure in Massachusetts.Methods: This paper employs a single-case, autoethnographic study design where one of the authors uses their experiential insights, as mother of the patient, to inform a wider cultural and political understanding of the shift to remote caregiving for a pediatric patient with hEDS. Data was collected using reflective journaling, interactive interviews, and participant observation and analyzed using content analysis.Results: Findings revealed four interrelating roles of the caregiver including, logistics support, boundary spanner, home health aide, and cultural translator. The adoption of telehealth was associated with improved timeliness and frequency of communication between the caregiver and providers. Findings about the impact of telehealth adoption on accuracy of communication were mixed. Mutual respect between the caregiver and providers remained unchanged during the study period.Conclusions: This paper highlights areas where payer policy may be modified to incentivize timely communication and improve coordination of care through telehealth services. Additional insight from the perspective of an informal caregiver of a patient with a rare chronic disease provides an understudied vantage to the care coordination process. We contribute to relational coordination theory by observing the ways that caregivers function as boundary spanners, and how this process was facilitated by the adoption of telehealth. Insights from this research will inform the development of telehealth workflows to engage caregivers in a way that adds value and strengthens relational coordination in the management of chronic disease.
Relationship Between Myopia and Other Risk Factors With Anxiety and Depression Among Chinese University Freshmen During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Zhang Hongmei , Gao Huijuan , Zhu Yun , Zhu Ying , Dang Weiyu , Wei Ruihua , Yan Hua 
Published: December 2021

Purpose: To investigate the association of myopia and other risk factors with anxiety and depression among Chinese university freshmen during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at the Tianjin Medical University from October 2020 to December 2020. Ophthalmic examination of the eyes was performed by an experienced ophthalmologist. Detailed information on depression, anxiety, and other risk factors was collected via the Self-rating Anxiety Scale and Self-rating Depression Scale.Results: The overall prevalence of anxiety and depression in our study was 10.34 and 25.13%, respectively. The prevalence of myopia and high myopia as 92.02 and 26.7%, respectively. There were significant associations between anxiety and spectacle power [odds ratios (OR) = 0.89; 95% CI: 0.81–0.98, P = 0.019], sphere equivalent (OR = 0.89; 95% CI: 0.81– 0.98, P = 0.025), sleep time (OR = 0.53; 95% CI: 0.35–0.79, P = 0.002), and body mass index (OR = 0.93; 95% CI: 0.86–0.99, P = 0.047). In the multivariable linear regression models, spectacle power (β = −0.43; 95% CI: −0.68 to −0.19, P = 0.001) and sphere equivalent (β = −0.36; 95% CI: −0.60 to −0.11, P = 0.005) were negatively associated with anxiety scores, whereas axial length (β = 0.54; 95% CI: 0.02–1.07, P = 0.044) was positively correlated with anxiety scores. Every 1 h decrease in sleep time was associated with a 0.12-point increase in depression score.Conclusion: Myopia was associated with anxiety and anxiety scores. The greater the degree of myopia, the higher the anxiety score. However, myopia was not found to be associated with depression. The results highlight the importance of providing psychological support to students with myopia during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Synthesis, Identification, Computer-Aided Docking Studies, and ADMET Prediction of Novel Benzimidazo-1,2,3-triazole Based Molecules as Potential Antimicrobial Agents
Authors: Rashdan Huda R. M. , Abdelmonsef Aboubakr H. , Abou-Krisha Mortaga M. , Yousef Tarek A. 
Published: December 2021

2-azido-1H-benzo[d]imidazole derivatives 1a,b were reacted with a β-ketoester such as acetylacetone in the presence of sodium ethoxide to obtain the desired molecules 2a,b. The latter acted as a key molecule for the synthesis of new carbazone derivatives 4a,b that were submitted to react with 2-oxo-N-phenyl-2-(phenylamino)acetohydrazonoyl chloride to obtain the target thiadiazole derivatives 6a,b. The structures of the newly synthesized compounds were inferred from correct spectral and microanalytical data. Moreover, the newly prepared compounds were subjected to molecular docking studies with DNA gyrase B and exhibited binding energy that extended from −9.8 to −6.4 kcal/mol, which confirmed their excellent potency. The compounds 6a,b were found to be with the minimum binding energy (−9.7 and −9.8 kcal/mol) as compared to the standard drug ciprofloxacin (−7.4 kcal/mol) against the target enzyme DNA gyrase B. In addition, the newly synthesized compounds were also examined and screened for their in vitro antimicrobial activity against pathogenic microorganisms Staphylococcus aureus, E. coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Aspergillus niger, and Candida albicans. Among the newly synthesized molecules, significant antimicrobial activity against all the tested microorganisms was obtained for the compounds 6a,b. The in silico and in vitro findings showed that compounds 6a,b were the most active against bacterial strains, and could serve as potential antimicrobial agents.