bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Risk factors and nomogram-based prediction of the risk of limb weakness in herpes zoster
Authors: Li Shao-jun , Feng Dan 
Published: March 2023

BackgroundLimb weakness is a less common complication of herpes zoster (HZ). There has been comparatively little study of limb weakness. The aim of this study is to develop a risk nomogram for limb weakness in HZ patients.MethodsLimb weakness was diagnosed using the Medical Research Council (MRC) muscle power scale. The entire cohort was assigned to a training set (from January 1, 2018 to December 30, 2019, n = 169) and a validation set (from October 1, 2020 to December 30, 2021, n = 145). The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression analysis method and multivariable logistic regression analysis were used to identify the risk factors of limb weakness. A nomogram was established based on the training set. The discriminative ability and calibration of the nomogram to predict limb weakness were tested using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, calibration plots, and decision curve analysis (DCA). A validation set was used to further assess the model by external validation.ResultsThree hundred and fourteen patients with HZ of the extremities were included in the study. Three significant risk factors: age (OR = 1.058, 95% CI: 1.021–1.100, P = 0.003), VAS (OR = 2.013, 95% CI: 1.101–3.790, P = 0.024), involving C6 or C7 nerve roots (OR = 3.218, 95% CI: 1.180–9.450, P = 0.027) were selected by the LASSO regression analysis and the multivariable logistic regression analysis. The nomogram to predict limb weakness was constructed based on the three predictors. The area under the ROC was 0.751 (95% CI: 0.673–0.829) in the training set and 0.705 (95% CI: 0.619–0.791) in the validation set. The DCA indicated that using the nomogram to predict the risk of limb weakness would be more accurate when the risk threshold probability was 10–68% in the training set and 15–57% in the validation set.ConclusionAge, VAS, and involving C6 or C7 nerve roots are potential risk factors for limb weakness in patients with HZ. Based on these three indicators, our model predicted the probability of limb weakness in patients with HZ with good accuracy.
Case report: Diagnostic clues for anti-3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase myopathy in pediatric patients
Authors: Watanuki Keisuke , Koga Hiroshi 
Published: March 2023

IntroductionAnti-3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase (HMGCR) myopathy is a recently recognized pathology, but appears less common in children and the characteristics of pediatric cases remain unclear.Case reportWe report a pediatric case of anti-HMGCR myopathy accompanied by skin rash. Motor function and serum creatine kinase level normalized after combinational treatment including early intravenous immunoglobulin, methotrexate, and corticosteroid.Literature reviewWe searched PubMed and identified reports with detailed clinical information of 33 pediatric patients &lt;18 years old with anti-HMGCR myopathy. Among these 33 patients and our own case, skin rash and maximum serum creatine kinase level &gt;5,000 IU/L were observed in 44% (15 patients) and 94% (32 patients), respectively. Skin rash was present in 15 of the 22 patients (68%) ≥7 years old and none of the 12 patients (0%) &lt;7 years old. Among the 15 patients with skin rash, 12 (80%) presented with erythematous rash.ConclusionErythematous skin rash may offer a clue to the diagnosis of anti-HMGCR myopathy in children with muscle weakness and serum creatine kinase level &gt;5,000 IU/L in the absence of other myositis-specific antibodies, particularly in patients ≥7 years old. Our results suggest the importance of early anti-HMGCR testing in pediatric patients with these manifestations.
Effect and mechanism of longkui yinxiao soup in treating psoriasis in mice
Authors: Zhu Congcong , Chen Ya , Tai Zongguang , Pan Huijun , Shen Min , Chen Zhongjian , Zhu Quangang 
Published: March 2023

Objective: Longkui Yinxiao Soup is a traditional Chinese medicine formula used to treat psoriasis for decades. Although Longkui Yinxiao Soup showed promising efficacy in clinical practice, the regulatory mechanisms of Longkui Yinxiao Soup remain elusive. This study aimed to explore the underlying mechanisms of Longkui Yinxiao Soup in a psoriasis-like mouse model.Methods: Longkui Yinxiao Soup was quality controlled by determining the contents of imperatorin and rhoifolin using high-performance liquid chromatography. The imiquimod-induced psoriasis-like mouse model was used to study the therapeutic effect and mechanism of Longkui Yinxiao Soup. The histopathological skin changes were observed by hematoxylin and eosin staining; the infiltration of proliferating proteins, proliferating cell nuclear antigen and Ki67, in skin tissues were observed by immunohistochemical analysis; and the inflammatory factors such as interleukin (IL)-6, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, IL-23, and IL-17 in serum were detected using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RNA sequencing and bioinformatic analysis were used to predict the mechanism of LYS against psoriasis. mRNA expressions of p38, extracellular regulated protein kinases (ERK), mitogen-activated protein kinase 3 (MEK3), mitogen-activated protein kinase 6 (MEK6), RAP1 GTPase activating protein (Rap1gap), and Rap1 were determined using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The expression levels of proteins related to Rap1–mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathways were measured by Western blotting.Results: A quality-control method for Longkui Yinxiao Soup was successfully established using imperatorin and rhoifolin as content determination indexes. Longkui Yinxiao Soup significantly ameliorated the psoriatic symptoms in mice. The serum levels of inflammatory cytokines such as IL-6, TNF-α, IL-23, and IL-17 were decreased, and the expression levels of antigen identified by monoclonal antibody Ki67 (Ki67) and PCNA in skin tissues were downregulated. Moreover, the inhibition of Rap1–MAPK signaling pathways by Longkui Yinxiao Soup was detected.Conclusion: This study confirmed the antipsoriatic activity of Longkui Yinxiao Soup in psoriasis-like mice. This might be due to the inhibition of inflammatory factor secretion, keratinocyte proliferation, and the Rap1–MAPK signal pathway.
Neural correlates of the attention training technique as used in metacognitive therapy – A randomized sham-controlled fMRI study in healthy volunteers
Authors: Jahn Niklas , Sinke Christopher , Kayali Özlem , Krug Svenja , Leichter Erik , Peschel Stephanie , Müller Torben , Burak Alev , Krüger Tillmann H. C. , Kahl Kai G. , Heitland Ivo 
Published: March 2023

IntroductionThe Attention Training Technique (ATT) developed as part of metacognitive therapy is a psychotherapeutic treatment method used to enhance top-down attentional flexibility and control. This study investigated potential neurocognitive changes due to ATT and its underlying neural mechanisms using pre-to-post functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).Materials and methodsFifty-four healthy participants were subjected to a randomized, sham-controlled attention training and evaluated using a neurocognitive test battery that partly took place in an fMRI environment. Participants received two doses ATT or sham ATT daily for 1 week. On day eight, all subjects completed the neurocognitive test battery again.ResultsAfter the training, the ATT group showed a significant improvement in reaction times regarding attentional disengagement compared to the sham ATT group. fMRI data showed decreased levels of activation in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) when comparing the ATT group to the sham ATT group during attentional disengagement post intervention. No ATT &gt; sham ATT effects were found regarding selective auditory attention, working memory performance and inhibitory control.DiscussionThese findings putatively indicate that ATT facilitates faster attention allocation and increased attentional flexibility in healthy subjects. The fMRI results suggest this ATT-dependent improvement is accompanied by reduced ACC activity, indicating a more flexible attentional state.
Dual mediating effects of social support and fertility stress on mindfulness and fertility quality of life in infertile men: A case-control study
Authors: Abulizi Maierhaba , Xu Hua , Abuduguli Alapate , Zhao Wanzhu , He Lijuan , Zhang Chen 
Published: March 2023

BackgroundInfertility is one of the three major public health problems in the world, bringing immense physical and psychological damage to men and affecting the quality of men’s fertility life. Thus, the purpose of this study was to analyze the status of social support, fertility stress, mindfulness, and fertility quality of life in infertile men, and to explore the dual mediating effects of social support and fertility stress on mindfulness and fertility quality.MethodsA case–control group study was conducted, with 246 men in the case group and 149 in the control group. The Social Support Scale, Fertility Stress Scale, Mindfulness Scale, and Fertility Quality of Life Scale were used to establish a structural equation model using Mplus 8.3 to explore social support and fertility stress. Pathway relationships were drawn between mindfulness and fertility quality of life in infertile men.ResultsThere were significant differences between infertile and healthy men in each dimension of the core module of fertility quality of life, in the total score of the treatment module, in the total score of social support, in subjective and objective support, and in the total score of fertility stress, social pressure, sexual pressure, marital relationship, and childless pressure (p &lt; 0.05 in each case). Further, the fertility quality of life in infertile men was positively correlated with mindfulness and social support, and negatively correlated with fertility stress (p &lt; 0.05); mindfulness could directly affect the core and treatment modules of fertility life quality, and indirectly affect the core of fertility life quality through social support (mediation effect accounted for 19.0%), while the treatment module (mediation effect accounted for 13.7%), and the core module indirectly affected fertility life quality through fertility stress (mediation effect accounted for 16.8%).ConclusionThe fertility quality of life of infertile men is not optimistic. Mindfulness-related interventions and programs can improve their fertility quality of life.
A feasibility study of psychological first aid as a supportive intervention among police officers exposed to traumatic events
Authors: Geoffrion Steve , Leduc Marie-Pierre , Bourgouin Elody , Bellemare François , Arenzon Valérie , Genest Christine 
Published: March 2023

IntroductionPolice officers are often exposed to traumatic events, which can induce psychological distress and increase the risk of developing post-traumatic stress injuries. To date, little is known about support and prevention of traumatic events in police organizations. Psychological first aid (PFA) has been promoted as a promising solution to prevent psychological distress following exposure to a traumatic event. However, PFA has not yet been adapted to policing reality, let alone to the frequent exposure to traumatic events faced by this population. This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of PFA as an early intervention for the prevention of post-traumatic stress injuries among police officers in Quebec, Canada. Specifically, the objectives were to evaluate: (1) the demand. (2) the practicality, and (3) the acceptability of PFA in a police organization.MethodsA feasibility study was conducted to evaluate the implementation of PFA among Quebec’s provincial police force. To do so, 36 police officers participated in semi-structured interviews between October 26th, 2021, and July 23rd, 2022. Participants were comprised of responders (n = 26), beneficiaries (n = 4) and managers (n = 6). Interviews were transcribed, coded, and evaluated according to a thematic analysis.ResultsEleven themes emerged from participants’ responses. Results suggested that PFA met individual and organizational needs. References were also made regarding the impacts of this intervention. Moreover, participants provided feedback for improving the implementation and sustainability of a PFA program. All three groups of participants shared similar thematic content.DiscussionFindings revealed that implementation of a PFA program in a law enforcement agency was feasible and could be accomplished without major issues. Importantly, PFA had beneficial consequences within the organization. Specifically, PFA destigmatized mental health issues and renewed a sense of hope among police personnel. These findings are in line with previous research.
The efficacy of mindfulness-based therapy for anxiety, social skills, and aggressive behaviors in children and young people with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A systematic review
Authors: Loftus Tundi , Mathersul Danielle C. , Ooi Michelle , Yau Shu H. 
Published: March 2023

IntroductionThe purpose of this systematic review was to examine the efficacy of mindfulness-based interventions for improving anxiety, social skills, and aggressive behaviors in children and young people (CYP) with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD); summarize the results across clinic, home, and school contexts; and evaluate the quality of these interventions for clinical practice.MethodsA search of the PsycINFO, Medline (Ovid), Web of Science, and Scopus databases was conducted in June 2021, and no date restrictions were applied. Inclusion criteria were quantitative or qualitative research implementing a mindfulness-based intervention for CYP aged 6–25 years with a diagnosis of ASD, Pervasive Development Disorder, or Asperger’s Syndrome.ResultsWe identified 23 articles for inclusion including within subject pre- and post-testing, multiple baselines, and randomized control trials, among other research designs. Of these, a quality analysis conducted using an ASD research-specific risk of bias tool found over half (14) were of weak methodological quality, whereas only four and five were found to be of strong and adequate quality, respectively.DiscussionWhile the results of this systematic review suggest promising evidence for the use of mindfulness-based interventions to improve anxiety, social skills, and aggressive behaviors in CYP with ASD, results should be interpreted with caution due to the limitations resulting from the overall weak quality of the studies.The review protocol was pre-registered on PROSPERO (CRD42021259125) and can be viewed at https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=259125
Validation of sociocultural attitudes towards appearance questionnaire and its associations with body-related outcomes and eating disorders among Chinese adolescents
Authors: Huang Houyi , Liu Zhongting , Xiong Haoran , Herold Fabian , Kuang Jin , Chen Erle , Taylor Alyx , Yeung Albert , Sun Jing , Hossain Md M. , Kramer Arthur , Guo Tianyou , Zou Liye 
Published: March 2023

IntroductionThe Sociocultural Attitudes Towards Appearance Questionnaire-4 Revised (SATAQ-4R) has been widely used in Western countries to link body appearance that is related to eating disorders and body dissatisfaction being commonly reported by adolescents. However, a comprehensive psychometric validation of the SATAQ-4R in Chinese adolescent samples is still lacking. To this end, the aim of the current study was to validate the gender-appropriate SATAQ-4R in a sample of Chinese adolescents, following by an investigation of its associations with body-related outcomes and eating disorder symptoms.MethodsTwo gender-specific studies were conducted to examine the psychometric properties of the SATAQ-4R-Female and SATAQ-4R-Male respectively among adolescent girls (Study1, N=344, with 73 participants at retest) and boys (Study2, N=335, with 64 participants at retest). Confirmatory factor analysis was employed to examine the factor structure and their test-retest reliability, the internal consistency and convergent validity were subsequently examined.ResultsFor the SATAQ-4R-Females, the seven-factor model has a reasonable fit, with Chi-square =1112.769 (p &lt; 0.001), CFI = 0.91, RMSEA = 0.071, SRMR = 0.067. For the SATAR-4R-Males, an acceptable seven-factor model with Chi-square = 982.92 (p&lt;0.001), CFI = 0.91, RMSEA = 0.08, SRMR= 0.06 was observed. With respect to test-retest reliability, the internal consistency for 7 subscales was rated as good (Cronbach’s alpha =0.74 to 0.95) among female adolescents, likewise the internal consistency of the seven subscales was also rated as good (Cronbach’s alpha =0.70 to 0.96) among male participants. Good convergent validity was observed, reflected by associations of the subscales of the gender-specific SATAQ-4R with muscularity-related attitude, body image-acceptance, body appearance, perceived stress level, symptoms of eating disorder and self-esteem.DiscussionFor women and men, the original 7-factor structure was validated among Chinese adolescents, internal reliability coefficients for the seven subscale scores were good and test-retest reliability was acceptable. Our results also confirmed the convergent validity of the two different gender-appropriate scales.
Emotional distress and burnout at a fever clinic in China: Comparison between different periods of COVID-19
Authors: Geng Wenqi , Cao Jinya , Hong Xia , Jiang Jing , Hu Jiaojiao , Duan Yanping , Wei Jing 
Published: March 2023

BackgroundFrontline healthcare workers (FHWs) experienced psychological stress and heavy workload during COVID-19 pandemic. This study examined the psychological symptoms and occupational burnout of FHWs in a fever clinic during different periods of the pandemic.MethodsA cross-sectional survey of FHWs in the fever clinic of a tertiary hospital was carried out during both the outbreak period and regular period of COVID-19. Psychological measurement instruments including Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item, the 9-Question Patient Health Questionnaire, the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Service Survey, and the General Self-Efficacy Scale were used to evaluate anxiety, depression, burnout, and self-efficacy, respectively. The correlation between clinical variables was explored.ResultsA total of 162 participants were involved in this study, including 118 FHWs during the outbreak period (Group 1) and 44 FHWs during the regular period (Group 2). Anxiety symptoms were more prevalent in Group 2 (x2 = 27.477) while depressive symptoms were significantly more prevalent in Group 1 (x2 = 69.538). Burnout rate was higher in Group 2 (x2 = 29.526). Self-efficacy was higher in Group 1 (t = 3.194). Burnout was positively correlated with anxiety symptoms (r2 = 0.424) and negatively correlated with self-efficacy (r2 = −0.312).ConclusionAnxiety, depressive symptoms and burnout were prevalent in FHWs during different periods of the COVID-19 pandemic. There is a tendency to be less depressed, but more anxious and burned out over time, although the severity of the pandemic is decreasing. Self-efficacy may be an important factor in protecting FHWs from occupational burnout. Support and intervention plans for FHWs should be made at the institutional level.
Prevalence and correlates of elder neglect in the community-dwelling Chinese population: New evidence from the CLHLS study
Authors: Fu Yi-cheng , Pei Min-yue , Liao Jiao-jiao , Li Nan , Zhang Fu-chun , Liu Hui-lin 
Published: March 2023

BackgroundThis study aimed to explore the prevalence of elder neglect (EN) and its associated factors among community-based Chinese older adults.MethodsWe used data from the 2018 phase of a nationwide cross-sectional study, the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS), which recruited 15,854 older adults to complete the study interviews that incorporated six dimensions of EN, namely, life neglect, social isolation, medical neglect, poor living situation, family neglect, and social neglect. Multivariate logistic regression was used to explore factors associated with EN.ResultsWe included demographic factors, chronic diseases, cognitive function, and daily activity function in our comprehensive analysis and showed that they had different effects on the six EN dimensions. Different demographic factors such as gender, age, marriage, education, occupation, residence, and household income were included in the comprehensive analysis, and the results showed that these factors had different effects on the six dimensions of EN. Next, we found that older adults with chronic diseases are prone to life neglect, medical neglect, and residential environment neglect. Older adults with better cognitive abilities were less likely to be neglected, and a decline in daily activity capacity has been linked to EN in older adults.ConclusionFuture studies are needed to identify the health effects of these associated factors, develop prevention strategies for EN, and improve the quality of life of older adults living in communities.
Between Care and Coercion: Asylum Seekers’ Experiences With COVID-19 Containment and Mitigation Measures in German Reception Centres
Authors: Rast Eilin , Perplies Clara , Biddle Louise , Bozorgmehr Kayvan 
Published: March 2023

Objectives: COVID-19 containment and mitigation measures have been criticised for amplifying pre-existing individual and structural vulnerabilities among asylum seekers. We qualitatively explored their experiences with and attitudes towards pandemic measures to inform people-centred responses in future health emergencies.Methods: We interviewed eleven asylum seekers in a German reception centre (July-December 2020). The semi-structured interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analysed thematically with an inductive-deductive approach.Results: Quarantine was experienced as burdensome by participants. Shortcomings in social support, everyday necessities, information, hygiene, and daily activities exacerbated the strains of quarantine. Interviewees held different opinions about the usefulness and appropriateness of the various containment and mitigation measures. These opinions differed by individual risk perception and the measures’ comprehensibility and compatibility with personal needs. Power asymmetries related to the asylum system furthermore impacted on preventive behaviour.Conclusion: Quarantine can amplify mental health burdens and power asymmetries and can therefore constitute a considerable stressor for asylum seekers. Provision of diversity-sensitive information, daily necessities, and accessible psychosocial support is required to counteract adverse psychosocial impacts of pandemic measures and safeguard wellbeing in this population.