The effectiveness of five-element music therapy for post-stroke depression: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Introduction: Five-element music therapy is widely utilized as a complementary approach in stroke rehabilitation, particularly for addressing post-stroke depression (PSD). This study systematically evaluates the clinical impact of five-element music therapy on individuals experiencing PSD. Methods: A comprehensive search of nine electronic databases, encompassing published and unpublished gray literature up to February 15, 2022, was conducted. Two investigators independently reviewed and extracted data, evaluating bias risk according to predefined criteria. Meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5.4 software. Results: Inclusive of 20 studies involving 1561 individuals with PSD, the meta-analysis revealed a significant difference in favor of five-element music therapy for relieving depression (standardized mean difference [SMD] = -1.07, 95% confidence interval [CI]: -1.34 to -0.81, P < 0.00001), improving daily living abilities (SMD = 2.49, 95% CI 1.00 to 3.98, P < 0.00001), and elevating serum 5-hydroxytryptamine(5-HT) levels (SMD = 0.87, 95% CI 0.56 to 1.17, P < 0.00001). Conclusion: Five-element music therapy demonstrated efficacy in improving depressive symptoms, daily living skills, and serum 5-HT levels in individuals experiencing PSD.The review was registered on International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (registration number CRD 42022332282).

Predictive model for the risk of hemorrhagic transformation after rt-PA intravenous thrombolysis in patients with acute ischemic stroke: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To systematically review the risk prediction model of Hemorrhages Transformation (HT) after intravenous thrombolysis in patients with Acute Ischemic Stroke (AIS). METHODS: Web of Science, The Cochrane Library, PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, CNKI, CBM, WanFang, and VIP were searched from inception to February 25, 2023 for literature related to the risk prediction model for HT after thrombolysis in AIS. RESULTS: A total of 17 included studies contained 26 prediction models, and the AUC of all models at the time of modeling ranged from 0.662 to 0.9854, 16 models had AUC>0.8, indicating that the models had good predictive performance. However, most of the included studies were at risk of bias. the results of the Meta-analysis showed that atrial fibrillation (OR=2.72, 95% CI:1.98-3.73), NIHSS score (OR=1.09, 95% CI:1.07-1.11), glucose (OR=1.12, 95% CI:1.06-1.18), moderate to severe leukoaraiosis (OR=3.47, 95% CI:1.61-7.52), hyperdense middle cerebral artery sign (OR=2.35, 95% CI:1.10-4.98), large cerebral infarction (OR=7.57, 95% CI:2.09-27.43), and early signs of infarction (OR=4.80, 95% CI:1.74-13.25) were effective predictors of HT after intravenous thrombolysis in patients with AIS. CONCLUSIONS: The performance of the models for HT after thrombolysis in patients with AIS in the Chinese population is good, but there is some risk of bias. Future post-intravenous HT conversion prediction models for AIS patients in the Chinese population should focus on predictors such as atrial fibrillation, NIHSS score, glucose, moderate to severe leukoaraiosis, hyperdense middle cerebral artery sign, massive cerebral infarction, and early signs of infarction.

Cold stimuli, hot topic: An updated review on the biological activity of menthol in relation to inflammation.

Background: Rising incidence of inflammation-related diseases is an increasing concern nowadays. However, while menthol is a wildly-used and efficacious complementary medicine, its pharmacological mechanism still remains uncertain. Superimposed upon that, the aim of this review is to summarize the contemporary evidence of menthol's anti-inflammatory activity. Methods: Using the pharmacopeias and electronic databases, including Web of Science, PubMed, and CNKI, this study analyzed the relevant research articles and review articles from 2002 to 2022 and concluded those results and conjectures to finish this article. Results: The decrease in pro-inflammatory cytokines and related inflammatory markers, as well as associated pathway activation, was found to play the greatest role in the protective effects of menthol against inflammatory damage or association with protection against chronic inflammation. Conclusion: This review mainly concludes the progress in menthol's anti-inflammatory activity. Further studies are needed to establish relationships between the mechanisms of action and to clarify the clinical relevance of any anti-inflammatory effects.

Insulin receptor substrate-1 and dishevelled 2 are negatively regulated by microRNA-144 and inhibit nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell malignancy.

Insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1) is reported to play a critical role in the development, progression, invasion and metastasis of several types of tumors and is abnormally expressed in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Although IRS-1 is predicted to be targeted by microRNA (miR)-144, the biological roles and potential mechanisms of miR-144 in NPC remain unclear. In the present study, the expression levels of miR-144 and IRS-1 in several NPC cell lines were first examined, and found that they were negatively correlated. Following the introduction of the miR-144 mimic, IRS-1 was downregulated at the protein level without affecting the mRNA level. The Cell Counting Kit-8 assay showed that the miR-144 mimic and siRNA targeting IRS-1 mRNA significantly decreased cell proliferation by arresting the cell cycle at the G1/G0 phase. The malignant behaviours of NPC cell lines, including migration, invasion and tumour formation in soft agar, were then analyzed after regulating miR-144 levels; as expected, the results showed that both the miR-144 mimic and siIRS-1 decreased these malignant behaviours. Furthermore, the downregulation of IRS-1 by miR-144 decreased the expression level of dishevelled 2 (Dvl2) protein without affecting its mRNA level, and Dvl2 overexpression abolished the inhibitory effect of the miR-144 mimic in NPC, indicating that miR-144 potentially regulates NPC by indirectly regulating Dvl2. Taken together, the present study results suggest that miR-144 acts as a tumour suppressor in NPC cell lines by regulating IRS-1 and Dvl2, which indicates that it is a potential therapeutic target for NPC treatment.

Influences of a hierarchical nursing model on rescue outcomes and nursing quality of patients with acute cerebral infarction.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the influence of a hierarchical nursing model on rescue outcomes and nursing quality of patients with acute cerebral infarction (ACI). METHODS: A total of 120 patients with ACI admitted to our hospital from January 2020 and December 2020 were selected as the study subjects and were divided into a study group and a control group, with 60 patients in each group. The study group was treated with a hierarchical nursing model, while the control group was treated with a conventional nursing model. The rescue effects, living abilities, neurological function deficits before and after nursing, nursing quality, families' and physicians' satisfaction with rescue and nursing, and incidence rates of adverse reactions were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: The time from intravenous injection to thrombolysis (i.e., door-to-needle time, DNT), time from pre-examination to triage for thrombectomy, and retention time in the emergency room of the study group were lower than those of the control group, while the success rate of rescue in the study group was higher than that in the control group (P < 0.05). After nursing intervention, the scores of the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) and incidence rate of adverse reactions in the study group were lower than those in the control group, while the scores of Barthel scale and nursing quality and families' and physicians' satisfaction with nursing in the study group were higher than those in the control group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Hierarchical nursing can remarkably shorten the rescue time, improve the success rate of rescue, neurological function and quality of life of patients with ACI, improve nursing quality of nursing staff, and reduce the incidence rate of adverse reactions.

XEN gel implant with or without phacoemulsification for glaucoma: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: XEN gel implant is an alternative method of treating glaucoma by connecting the anterior chamber and the subconjunctival space. The efficacy of the XEN gel implant and whether to combine with phacoemulsification is what most concerned. This review aims to test the efficacy and safety of the XEN gel implant compared with trabeculectomy and to test the efficacy between XEN combined with phacoemulsification and XEN alone. METHODS: The PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, and ClinicalTrials.gov were searched through July 8, 2020. Studies comparing XEN and trabeculectomy or comparing XEN + phacoemulsification and XEN alone were included. The standard mean differences (SMD) were calculated to analyze the lowered intraocular pressure (IOP) and the number of anti-glaucoma medications. All data were measured from baseline to endpoint. The I2 statistic quantified heterogeneity ranged from 0% to 100%, and a random effects model was used in this meta-analysis. Review Manager 5.3 performed all analyses. The t-test calculated all P values, and P values were regarded as statistically significant at P<0.05. The methodological index for non-randomized studies was used to find and test bias in the literature. RESULTS: Twelve studies with 1,602 eyes were included. Five studies compared the XEN gel implant with trabeculectomy. Eight compared XEN + phacoemulsification with XEN alone. There was no significant correlation between XEN and trabeculectomy groups in lowering IOP (SMD 0.30, 95% CI, 0.00 to 0.60, I2=60%) and reduced the number of IOP lowering drugs (SMD 0.01, 95% CI, -0.16 to 0.17, I2=0%). There was a significant difference between XEN + phacoemulsification and XEN alone in lowering IOP (1,034 eyes, SMD 0.22, 95% CI, 0.05 to 0.40, I2=38%) and reducing the number of medications (729 eyes, SMD 0.20, 95% CI, -0.06 to 0.46, I2=62%). CONCLUSIONS: XEN gel implant, although not effective as trabeculectomy, is a safe operation for open-angle and some other types of glaucoma. Meanwhile, XEN alone is more effective than XEN combined with phacoemulsification within 1 week after operations. After three months, the two groups are similar in lowering IOP. More extensive, better-designed, strictly blinded, multicenter randomized clinical trials are needed to confirm our findings.

Staged surgical treatment of open Lisfranc fracture dislocations using an adjustable bilateral external fixator: A retrospective review of 21 patients.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to assess the early operative results of a staged progressive reduction technique using a bilateral external fixator in the treatment of patients with open Lisfranc fracture dislocations. METHODS: In this retrospective study, 21 patients (5 women and 16 men; mean age=44.4 years; age range=24 to 69 years) with open Lisfranc fracture dislocations were included. All the patients were treated in a staged manner from 2012 to 2015. The mean follow-up was 15.4 months (range=12 to 24 months). A two-stage surgical protocol was performed for each patient. At the first stage, a bilateral spanning external fixator was applied across the injured Lisfranc joint, and the length of the disrupted columns was restored by distraction process. Vacuum-assisted closure was used if required. At the second stage, the external fixator was removed, and open reduction and internal fixation were carried out. The time interval between the first and second stages and postoperative complications were documented. To assess the functional status of the patients, the visual analog scale (VAS) and the American Orthopaedic Foot - Ankle Society (AOFAS) midfoot scale were measured at the final follow-up. Radiographic parameters indicating the alignment of the midfoot after the second operation were examined. RESULTS: Deep infection in one patient and superficial infection in 2 patients were observed. Venous thrombosis was detected in 3 patients. The mean interval between the first and second stages was 18.6 days (range=8 to 48 days). The first metatarso-cuneiform step-off (p=0.002) and the second metatarso-cuneiform step-off (p=0.000) significantly improved at the final follow-up. The mean VAS score was 2.4 (range=0-5), and the mean AOFAS score was 76.3 (range=63 to 97). Primary arthrodesis was performed in seven patients, and six of the remaining 14 patients developed post-traumatic arthritis. CONCLUSION: With a low risk of complications, the staged progressive reduction protocol using an adjustable bilateral external fixator can be an effective treatment to achieve and maintain anatomic reduction for patients with open Lisfranc fracture dislocations in a short-time follow-up. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV, Therapeutic study.

miR-125a is upregulated in cancer stem-like cells derived from TW01 and is responsible for maintaining stemness by inhibiting p53.

microRNA (miR)-125a and miR-125b were demonstrated to translationally and transcriptionally inhibit the mRNA level of p53 following the induction of chemo-reagents in our previous report. As a small subpopulation of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), cancer stem-like cells (CSCs) function critically in multi-malignant behaviors, including tumorigenesis and metastasis; however, the expression pattern and regulatory role of miR-125a, miR-125b and p53 in CSCs derived from NPC remain unclear. In order to investigate the potential regulatory role of miR-125 on p53, firstly CSCs was isolated from TW01 by culturing in serum-free medium. The stemness of isolated CSCs was examined via self-renewal capacity and side population assays. Following this, the miR-125a, miR-125b and p53 mRNA levels were evaluated via reverse-transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Following the transfections of wild-type p53 or p53 without DNA binding activity (p53-mutR248Q) into TW01 or CSCs, Chromatin Immunoprecipitation (ChIP), and cell cycle analyses using flow cytometry or Cell Counting Kit-8 assays were performed. Notably, it was determined that miR-125a was significantly upregulated in CSCs derived from TW01, but not miR-125b, and the mRNA and protein levels of p53 were downregulated. The transfection of p53 significantly decreased the cell viability and stopped cell cycle at the G0/G1 phases in TW01 and CSCs. The ChIP assay confirmed that the ectopic expression of wild-type p53 transcriptionally regulates its downstream gene, p21, but not B-cell lymphoma 2 nor Sco2. Taken together, the results of the present study indicated that p53 regulates CSCs via its DNA binding activity and potentially, in CSCs, miR-125a regulates the expression of p53, maintaining stemness.

Vault RNAs partially induces drug resistance of human tumor cells MCF-7 by binding to the RNA/DNA-binding protein PSF and inducing oncogene GAGE6.

BACKGROUND: Vault is the largest nonicosahedral cytosolic nucleoprotein particle, which is widely involved in induction of chemoresistance and lead to failure in long-term chemotherapy. Vault contains three different major vault proteins (MVPs) and four vault RNAs paralogues (vtRNAs, vtRNA1-1, vtRNA1-2, vtRNA1-3 and vtRNA2-1). Disruption of the MVPs do not induce hypersensitivity while expression of vtRNAs contributes to cells' drug resistance, indicates that vtRNAs, but not MVPs play an important role in causing drug resistance. Polypyrimidine tract binding protein associated splicing factor (PSF) contributes to cell sensitivity to chemotherapy by its transcriptional activity, promotes us to figure out its potential association with vtRNAs. METHODS: We investigate the interaction between PSF and vtRNAs by electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSA) and RNA-immunoprecipitation (IP), and showed the binding between PSF and vtRNAs. Chromatin Immunoprecipitation (ChIP) was performed to detect the effects of vtRNAs on the interaction of PSF with GAGE6 promoter. The role of vtRNAs on chemoresistance in MCF-7 was detected by CCK-8 and EdU staining. The independent role of vtRNAs with MVP is detected by MVP or vtRNAs knockdown. RESULTS: The complex with vtRNA1-1 releases PSF, allowing transcription of GAGE6 to proceed. Then we showed that induction of GAGE6 caused drug resistance by promoting cell proliferation and colony formation in soft agar. Ectopic expression of shRNA targets to vtRNA1-1 further confirmed the role of vtRNA1-1 in regulating PSF transcriptional activity independent with the expression of MVP. By vtRNA1-1 or MVP knockdown, it is revealed that vtRNA1-1 caused chemoresistance independent of MVP. Furthermore, knockdown of GAGE6 does not cause drug resistance, indicates the GAGE6 is directly involved in cell proliferation, but not the drug resistance. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that vtRNAs regulates cell proliferation, drug resistance, and possibly other physiological processes of humans, by complex formation with PSF.

The psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the Conditions of Work Effectiveness Questionnaire-II.

AIMS: The present study was conducted to evaluate the psychometric properties of a newly adapted Chinese version of an instrument designed to measure structural empowerment among staff nurses. BACKGROUND: Structural empowerment has been shown to be important to nurses in Western cultures, but its importance in China is unknown. METHODS: A convenience sample of 650 staff nurses was selected from six hospitals in Harbin, China. After linguistic adaptation using the forward-backward translation method, the 19-item Conditions of Work Effectiveness Questionnaire-II (CWEQ-II-CV) was answered by participants. Content validity, Cronbach's alpha, item-to-total correlation and exploratory factor analysis were used to assess the reliability and validity of the translated instrument. RESULTS: In the factor analysis, a six-factor solution was found to be reasonable with the sub-dimensions of structural empowerment that included support (three items), resources (three items), information (three items), opportunity (three items), formal power (three items) and informal power (four items). Cronbach's alpha coefficient for the total instrument was 0.92 and ranged from 0.68 to 0.86 in the six subscales. The item-to-total correlation coefficients ranged from 0.48 to 0.80. The findings also gave support for content validity. CONCLUSIONS: Evidence was found to support the reliability and validity of the CWEQ-II-CV scale that measures the quality of the work environment for nurses from a structural empowerment perspective. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT: The translated version of CWEQ-II-CV can provide an effective evaluation tool for structural empowerment in the Chinese nursing workplace.

The psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the Problem Areas in Psychological Empowerment Scale (PES): scale development.

AIMS: This study was conducted to adapt the Problem Areas in Psychological Empowerment Scale for use among staff nurses and to evaluate the psychometric properties. BACKGROUND: Considering the importance of psychological aspects in the administration of nursing, there is a need for validated measurements in this area. Such tools make it possible to understand staff nurses as well as they serve as reliable measures when evaluating medical, psychological and educational interventions. DESIGN: Instrument development. METHODS: A convenience sample of 750 staff nurses was systematically selected from six hospitals in Harbin, China. Following the linguistic adaptation using the forward-backward translation method, the 12-item Psychological Empowerment Scale was answered by the selected staff nurses. Statistics covered exploratory factor analysis, content validity, Cronbach's alpha and item-to-total correlation. RESULTS: In the factor analysis, a four-factor solution was found to be reasonable with the subdimensions psychological empowerment-related meaning problems (three items), competence problems (three items), self-determination (three items) and impact problems (three items). Cronbach's alpha coefficient for the total score was 0.85 and varied between 0.82-0.89 in the four subscales. The item-to-total correlation coefficient was 0.40, and items were excluded with item-to-total correlation coefficient of lower than 0.40. The findings also gave support for the content validity. CONCLUSIONS: The Chinese version of the Problem Areas in Psychological Empowerment Scale seems to be reliable and valid outcome for measuring empowerment-related psychological response in staff nurses. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: The Psychological Empowerment Scale can be used to evaluate staff nurses' empowerment-related psychological response in clinical.