Tumor suppressor miR-361-3p inhibits prostate cancer progression through Gli1 and AKT/mTOR signaling pathway.

BACKGROUND: The primary challenge in prostate cancer (PCa) is tumor metastasis, which seriously affects the survival time of patients. Growing evidence suggests that microRNAs play a crucial regulatory role in various malignancies and that the tumor suppressor miR-361-3p is responsible for regulating migration, proliferation, and invasion in different cancer types. However, the underlying regulatory mechanism of miR-361-3p in PCa remains unknown. METHODS: The expression of miR-361-3p in PCa cells was analyzed using quantitative real time-polymerase chain reaction. The clinical utility of miR-361-3p in PCa was evaluated using in vitro assays. The mechanism of action of miR-361-3p was investigated using western blotting, luciferase reporter assays, immunofluorescence, and rescue studies. RESULTS: The function, invasiveness, migration, and proliferation of PCa cells, as well as epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), were aided by the downregulation of miR-361-3p, whereas its overexpression exerted the opposite effect. Repression of glioma-associated oncogene homolog 1 (Gli1) expression by miR-361-3p led to activation of the protein kinase B/mammalian target of rapamycin (AKT/mTOR) signaling pathway, triggering EMT and promoting PCa metastasis. CONCLUSIONS: Downregulation of miR-361-3p along the Gli1 axis promoted tumor malignancy. Collectively, the results of this study imply that miR-361-3p has the potential to be both a biomarker and therapeutic target in PCa.

Associations between frontal lobe activity and depressive symptoms in patients with major depressive disorder receiving rTMS treatment: a near-infrared spectroscopy study.

Introduction: The effects of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) on the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) have been proved to have antidepressant effects. However, the absence of biomarkers to assess treatment response remains a challenge. This research aims to explore the relationship between frontal lobe activity, measured using near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), and changes in symptoms among MDD patients following rTMS treatment. Methods: A total of 26 MDD patients underwent 20 sessions of 10 Hz rTMS targeting the left DLPFC. NIRS was used to measure frontal lobe activity during a verbal fluency test at baseline, after 10 rTMS sessions, and after 20 rTMS sessions. Responders were defined as individuals with more than a 50% reduction in symptoms based on the 21-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale after 20 rTMS sessions. Results: Among the 14 responders, an increase in frontal lobe activity was significantly correlated with improvements in depressive symptoms following 10 (p = 0.0001) and 20 rTMS sessions (p = 0.007). Additionally, frontal lobe activity after 10 rTMS sessions was significantly associated with symptom improvement after 20 sessions (p = 0.001). These associations were not observed among non-responders. Conclusion: The findings from this study indicate distinct patterns of frontal lobe activity between responders and non-responders to rTMS treatment, suggesting that NIRS has the potential to serve as a biomarker for monitoring treatment response in MDD patients undergoing rTMS.

NIRS-aided differential diagnosis among patients with major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia.

BACKGROUND: To establish a clinically applicable neuroimaging-guided diagnostic support system that uses near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) for differential diagnosis at the individual level among major depressive disorder (MDD), bipolar disorder (BPD), and schizophrenia (SZ). METHODS: A total of 192 participants were recruited, including 40 patients with MDD, 38 patients with BPD, 65 patients with SZ, and 49 healthy individuals. We analyzed the spatiotemporal characteristics of hemodynamic responses in the frontotemporal cortex during a verbal fluency test (VFT) measured by NIRS to assess the accuracy of single-subject classification for differential diagnosis among the three psychiatric disorders. The optimal threshold of the frontal centroid value (54 seconds) was utilized on the basis of the findings of the Japanese study. RESULTS: The application of the optimal threshold of the frontal centroid value (54 seconds) allowed for the accurate differentiation of patients with unipolar MDD (72.5%) from BPD (78.9%) or SZ (84.6%). CONCLUSION: These results suggest that the NIRS-aided differential diagnosis of major psychiatric disorders can be a promising biomarker in Taiwan. Future multi-site studies are needed to validate our findings.

Point-of-Care Testing for Infectious Diseases Based on Class 2 CRISPR/Cas Technology.

The early detection of infectious diseases and microorganisms is critical for effective disease treatment, control, and prevention. Currently, nucleic acid testing and antigen-antibody serum reaction are the two methods most commonly used for the detection of infectious diseases. The former is highly accurate, specific, and sensitive, but it is time-consuming, expensive, and has special technician and instrument requirements. The latter is rapid and economical, but it may not be accurate and sensitive enough. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a quick and on-site diagnostic test for point-of-care testing (POCT) to enable the clinical detection of infectious diseases that is accurate, sensitive, convenient, cheap, and portable. Here, CRISPR/Cas-based detection methods are detailed and discussed in depth. The powerful capacity of these methods will facilitate the development of diagnostic tools for POCT, though they still have some limitations. This review explores and highlights POCT based on the class 2 CRISPR/Cas assay, such as Cas12 and Cas13 proteins, for the detection of infectious diseases. We also provide an outlook on perspectives, multi-application scenarios, clinical applications, and limitations for POCT based on class 2 CRISPR/Cas technology.

Aberrant Histone Modification of TNFAIP3, TLR4, TNIP2, miR-146a, and miR-155 in Major Depressive Disorder.

Activated toll-like receptor (TLR) signaling has been well investigated in major depressive disorder (MDD). We previously reported that TNFAIP3, TLR4, TNIP2, miR-146a, and miR-155 play important roles in regulating the toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) signaling pathway and may serve as novel targets in the pathogenesis of MDD. Recently, aberrant histone modification has been implicated in several psychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia and mood disorder; the most thoroughly studied modification is histone 3 lysine 4 tri-methylation (H3K4me3). In this work, we aimed to explore H3K4me3 differences in the promotors of genes encoding the abovementioned factors in patients with MDD, and whether they were altered after antidepressant treatment. A total of 30 MDD patients and 28 healthy controls were recruited. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were collected. The levels of H3K4me3 in the promoters of TNFAIP3, TLR4, TNIP2, miR-146a, and miR-155 were measured through chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) followed by DNA methylation assay. Analysis of covariance was used to evaluate between-group differences after adjusting for age, sex, BMI, and smoking. In comparison with healthy controls, patients with MDD showed significantly lower H3K4me3 levels in the promoters of TNFAIP3, TLR4, TNIP2, miR-146a, and miR-155 in PBMCs. These levels were not significantly altered after completion of a 4-week antidepressant treatment. To explore the association between depression severity and H3K4me3 levels, a multiple linear regression model was generated. The results revealed that levels of H3K4me3 in the TNIP2 promoters a negative correlation with the 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAND-17) score, whereas that of TLR4 had a positive correlation with this score. The present results suggest that decreased H3K4me3 levels in the promoters of the genes encoding TNFAIP3, TLR4, miR-146a, miR-155, and TNIP2 are involved in psychopathology of major depressive disorder.

Trauma-related guilt as a mediator between post-traumatic stress disorder and suicidal ideation.

Background: As a mental health issue, suicide is a growing global concern, with patients who have post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) being at particularly high risk. This study aimed to investigate whether the link between PTSD and suicidal ideation is mediated by trauma-related guilt. Methods: Data were obtained from Wave 1, Time 1 (November 2016), and Time 2 (March 2017) of the National Survey for Stress and Health (NSSH) in Japan. The NSSH is an online longitudinal survey conducted on Japan's national population aged 18 years and older. The cumulative response rate of the survey was 66.7% at Time 2. A total of 1,005 patients with PTSD were included for analyses. The severity of PTSD symptoms was assessed with PTSD DSM-5 Checklist, and the trauma-related guilt were assessed using the two subscales (hindsight-bias/responsibility and global guilt scale) of the trauma-related guilt inventory (TRGI). Suicidal ideation was evaluated using the suicidal ideation attributes scale (SIDAS). Pearson's correlation was used to investigate the associations among PTSD symptoms, TRGI scores, and SIDAS scores. Causal mediation analysis was applied to evaluate the causal relationship between PTSD, trauma-related guilt, and suicidal ideation. Results: Pearson's correlation did not show patients' age, gender, and household income significantly associated with SIDAS scores. On the other hand, severities of PTSD symptoms (r = 0.361, p < 0.001) and trauma-related guilt (r = 0.235, p < 0.001) were positively associated with SIDAS scores. After adjusting for age, gender, and household income, the mediation analysis revealed that trauma-related guilt significantly mediates the effects of PTSD symptoms on suicidal ideation. Conclusion: Our results implied that trauma-related guilt may represent a critical link between PTSD and suicidal ideation, which may be a noteworthy target for therapeutic intervention.

Challenges and Recent Advancements in COVID-19 Vaccines.

Vaccination is the most effective method for the prevention of COVID-19 caused by SARS-CoV-2, which is still a global epidemic. However, the evolution of SARS-CoV-2 is so rapid that various variants, including the Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, and Omicron variants, have emerged, lowering the protection rate of vaccines and even resulting in breakthrough infections. Additionally, some rare but severe adverse reactions induced by COVID-19 vaccines may raise safety concerns and hinder vaccine promotion; however, clinical studies have shown that the benefits of vaccination outweigh the risks caused by adverse reactions. Current vaccines approved with emergency use authorization (EUA) were originally adaptive for adults only, and infants, children, and adolescents are not included. New-generation vaccines are needed to overcome the challenges of limited adaptive age population, breakthrough infection (mainly due to virus variant emergencies), and critical adverse reactions. Fortunately, some advances in COVID-19 vaccines have been obtained regarding enlarged adaptive populations for clinical applications, such as the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine and the Moderna vaccine. In this article, we provide a review on the challenges and recent advancements in COVID-19 vaccines. The development of next-generation COVID-19 vaccines should lay emphasis on the expansion of adaptive age populations in all individuals, the induction of immune responses to viral variants, the avoidance or alleviation of rare but potentially critical adverse reactions, and the discovery of subunit vaccines with adjuvants encapsulated in nanoparticles.

The Clinical Observation of Inflammation Theory for Depression: The Initiative of the Formosa Long COVID Multicenter Study (FOCuS).

There is growing evidence that the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is associated with increased risks of psychiatric sequelae. Depression, anxiety, cognitive impairments, sleep disturbance, and fatigue during and after the acute phase of COVID-19 are prevalent, long-lasting, and exerting negative consequences on well-being and imposing a huge burden on healthcare systems and society. This current review presented timely updates of clinical research findings, particularly focusing on the pathogenetic mechanisms underlying the neuropsychiatric sequelae, and identified potential key targets for developing effective treatment strategies for long COVID. In addition, we introduced the Formosa Long COVID Multicenter Study (FOCuS), which aims to apply the inflammation theory to the pathogenesis and the psychosocial and nutrition treatments of post-COVID depression and anxiety.

Exploration of Correlations between COVID-19 Vaccination Choice and Public Mental Health Using Google Trend Search.

Since the global COVID-19 pandemic has great impact on human health and life style, the vaccination is the most effective method for disease control and prevention. However, not all people are willing to be vaccinated because some critical factors affect vaccination aspiration and vaccine choice of the public population. Among these factors, public mental health belongs to a political issue. In this study, Google Trend Search was used to explore the correlation between COVID-19 vaccination choice and public mental health during the period from August/2020 to December/2021. The results suggested that the main public concerns of COVID-19-related mental illnesses are positively correlated with the new cases amount but are negatively correlated with total cases and vaccinated cases amount. Moreover, the results support that the public population took more interest in the Pfizer/BNT COVID vaccine and Moderna COVID vaccine than the AstraZeneca COVID vaccine. Our study shows that investigations of the public mental health should be set up and conducted widely. A complete vaccination program combined with a policy for the improvement of public mental health are very effective for the control and prevention of COVID-19.

Challenges, Recent Advances and Perspectives in the Treatment of Human Cytomegalovirus Infections.

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is ubiquitous worldwide and elicits global health problems. The diseases associated with HCMV are a serious threat to humans, especially for the sick, infant, elderly and immunocompromised/immunodeficient individuals. Although traditional antiviral drugs (e.g., ganciclovir, valganciclovir, cidofovir, foscarnet) can be used to treat or prevent acute HCMV infections, their efficacy is limited because of toxicity, resistance issues, side effects and other problems. Fortunately, novel drugs (e.g., letermovir and maribavir) with less toxicity and drug/cross-resistance have been approved and put on the market in recent years. The nucleic acid-based gene-targeting approaches including the external guide sequences (EGSs)-RNase, the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPRs)/CRISPRs-associated protein 9 (Cas9) system and transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs) have been investigated to remove both lytic and latent CMV in vitro and/or in vivo. Cell therapy including the adoptive T cell therapy (ACT) and immunotherapy have been tried against drug-resistant and recurrent HCMV in patients receiving hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) or solid organ transplant (SOT), and they have also been used to treat glioblastoma (GBM) associated with HCMV infections. These newly developed antiviral strategies are expected to yield fruitful results and make a significant contribution to the treatment of HCMV infections. Despite this progress, the nucleic acid-based gene-targeting approaches are still under study for basic research, and cell therapy is adopted in a small study population size or only successful in case reports. Additionally, no current drugs have been approved to be indicated for latent infections. Therefore, the next strategy is to develop antiviral strategies to elevate efficacy against acute and/or latent infections and overcome challenges such as toxicity, resistance issues, and side effects. In this review, we would explore the challenges, recent advances and perspectives in the treatment of HCMV infections. Furthermore, the suitable therapeutic strategies as well as the possibility for compassionate use would be evaluated.

Malignant transformation of biliary adenofibroma combined with benign lymphadenopathy mimicking advanced liver carcinoma: A case report.

BACKGROUND: Biliary adenofibromas (BAFs) are rare primary hepatic neoplasms, some of which can potentially undergo malignant transformation. Here, we describe a rare case of malignant transformation of BAF. CASE SUMMARY: A 51-year-old female was referred to our hospital with epigastric pain. Computed tomography showed a solitary liver mass combined with the enlargement of multiple mediastinal and cervical lymph nodes, clinically mimicking a liver carcinoma with extensive lymph node metastasis. However, core needle biopsy suggested BAF with malignant transformation. Finally, the patient underwent curative resection of the neoplasm and was recurrence-free for 12 mo. CONCLUSION: Our case serves as an example of a rare manifestation of BAF. Our report and the previously published experience, reinforce that curative resection should be considered the primary treatment for BAFs with malignant transformation, leading to a favorable prognosis.

A machine-learning model to predict suicide risk in Japan based on national survey data.

Objective: Several prognostic models of suicide risk have been published; however, few have been implemented in Japan using longitudinal cohort data. The aim of this study was to identify suicide risk factors for suicidal ideation in the Japanese population and to develop a machine-learning model to predict suicide risk in Japan. Materials and Methods: Data was obtained from Wave1 Time 1 (November 2016) and Time 2 (March 2017) of the National Survey for Stress and Health in Japan, were incorporated into a suicide risk prediction machine-learning model, trained using 65 items related to trauma and stress. The study included 3,090 and 2,163 survey respondents >18 years old at Time 1 and Time 2, respectively. The mean (standard deviation, SD) age was 44.9 (10.9) years at Time 1 and 46.0 (10.7) years at Time 2. We analyzed the participants with increased suicide risk at Time 2 survey. Model performance, including the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), sensitivity, and specificity, were also analyzed. Results: The model showed a good performance (AUC = 0.830, 95% confidence interval = 0.795-0.866). Overall, the model achieved an accuracy of 78.8%, sensitivity of 75.4%, specificity of 80.4%, positive predictive value of 63.4%, and negative predictive value of 87.9%. The most important risk factor for suicide risk was the participants' Suicidal Ideation Attributes Scale score, followed by the Sheehan Disability Scale score, Patient Health Questionnaire-9 scores, Cross-Cutting Symptom Measure (CCSM-suicidal ideation domain, Dissociation Experience Scale score, history of self-harm, Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 score, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder check list-5 score, CCSM-dissociation domain, and Impact of Event Scale-Revised scores at Time 1. Conclusions: This prognostic study suggests the ability to identify patients at a high risk of suicide using an online survey method. In addition to confirming several well-known risk factors of suicide, new risk measures related to trauma and trauma-related experiences were also identified, which may help guide future clinical assessments and early intervention approaches.

Bruch's-Mimetic Nanofibrous Membranes Functionalized with the Integrin-Binding Peptides as a Promising Approach for Human Retinal Pigment Epithelium Cell Transplantation.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to develop an ultrathin nanofibrous membrane able to, firstly, mimic the natural fibrous architecture of human Bruch's membrane (BM) and, secondly, promote survival of retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells after surface functionalization of fibrous membranes. METHODS: Integrin-binding peptides (IBPs) that specifically interact with appropriate adhesion receptors on RPEs were immobilized on Bruch's-mimetic membranes to promote coverage of RPEs. Surface morphologies, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy spectra, contact angle analysis, Alamar Blue assay, live/dead assay, immunofluorescence staining, and scanning electron microscopy were used to evaluate the outcome. RESULTS: Results showed that coated membranes maintained the original morphology of nanofibers. After coating with IBPs, the water contact angle of the membrane surfaces varied from 92.38 ± 0.67 degrees to 20.16 ± 0.81 degrees. RPE cells seeded on IBP-coated membranes showed the highest viability at all time points (Day 1, p < 0.05; Day 3, p < 0.01; Days 7 and 14, p < 0.001). The proliferation rate of RPE cells on uncoated poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) membranes was significantly lower than that of IBP-coated membranes (p < 0.001). SEM images showed a well-organized hexa/polygonal monolayer of RPE cells on IBP-coated membranes. RPE cells proliferated rapidly, contacted, and became confluent. RPE cells formed a tight adhesion with nanofibers under high-magnification SEM. Our findings confirmed that the IBP-coated PCL membrane improved the attachment, proliferation, and viability of RPE cells. In addition, in this study, we used serum-free culture for RPE cells and short IBPs without immunogenicity to prevent graft rejection and immunogenicity during transplantation. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicated that the biomimic BM-IBP-RPE nanofibrous graft might be a new, practicable approach to increase the success rate of RPE cell transplantation.

Associations Between PTSD Symptom Custers and Longitudinal Changes in Suicidal Ideation: Comparison Between 4-Factor and 7-Factor Models of DSM-5 PTSD Symptoms.

Objective: The association between posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and suicidal ideation (SI) is well-known. However, a few studies have investigated the associations between PTSD symptom clusters based on the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders (DSM-5) and changes in suicide risk longitudinally. Methods: We adopted a longitudinal study design using data from the National Survey for Stress and Health of 3,090 of the Japanese population. The first and second surveys were conducted on November 2016 and March 2017, respectively. The suicidal ideation attributes scale was applied to assess the severity of suicidal ideation at baseline and the follow-up period. A multivariate linear regression model was conducted to examine the associations between the 4- or 7-factor model of PTSD symptom clusters at baseline and longitudinal changes in SI. Results: Overall, 3,090 subjects were analyzed (mean age, 44.9 ± 10.9 years; 48.8% female) at Baseline, and 2,163 completed the second survey. In the 4-factor model, we found that the severity of negative alternations in cognition and mood were significantly associated with increased SI after 4 months. In the 7-factor model, we found that the severity of anhedonia and externalizing behavior at baseline was significantly associated with increased SI during the follow-up period. Conclusions: We found that the seven-factor model of DSM-5 PTSD symptoms may provide greater specificity in predicting longitudinal SI change in the general population. Closely monitoring specific PTSD core symptoms may be more effective in mitigating key clinical and functional outcomes.

Comparison of Cricothyroid Membrane Puncture Anesthesia and Topical Anesthesia for Awake Fiberoptic Intubation: A Double-Blinded Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Awake fiberoptic intubation (AFOI) is commonly used for patients with a difficult airway. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of cricothyroid membrane puncture anesthesia and topical anesthesia during AFOI. Methods: A total of 70 patients (the American Society of Anesthesiologists score I-III) with anticipated difficult airways scheduled for nonemergency surgery with AFOI were randomly slated to receive cricothyroid membrane puncture anesthesia (n = 35) or topical anesthesia (n = 35). Each group received dexmedetomidine at a dose of 1.0 µg/kg and sufentanil at a dose of 0.2 µg/kg over 10 min for conscious sedation before intubation. The endoscopy intubation, post-intubation condition, and endoscopy tolerance as scored by the anesthetists were observed. The satisfaction of the operator regarding the procedure and the satisfaction of the patient 24 h after the surgery were also recorded. We recorded the success rate of the first intubation, intubation time, and hemodynamic changes during the procedure and also the adverse events. Results: Better intubation scores, operator satisfaction, and satisfaction of the patient were observed in the cricothyroid membrane puncture anesthesia group than in the topical anesthesia group (p < 0.05). The intubation time in the cricothyroid membrane puncture anesthesia group was less than that in the topical anesthesia group (p < 0.05). There were no significant differences in the patient tolerance scores, the success rate of the first intubation, hemodynamic changes, and adverse events between both the groups. Conclusion: Compared with topical anesthesia, cricothyroid membrane puncture anesthesia provided better intubation conditions and less intubation time with greater satisfaction of the patient and operator during endoscopic intubation. Clinical Trial Registration: URL: http://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.aspx?proj=42636, Identifier: ChiCTR 1900025820.

The Immunotherapy for Colorectal Cancer, Lung Cancer and Pancreatic Cancer.

Immunotherapy is a novel anti-cancer method which employs a different mechanism to conventional treatment. It has become a significant strategy because it provides a better or an alternative option for cancer patients. Recently, immunotherapy has been increasingly approved for the treatment of cancer; however, it has various limitations; for instance, it is only suitable for specific patients, the response rate is still low in most cases, etc. Colorectal cancer, lung cancer and pancreatic cancer are known as three major death-causing cancers in most countries. In this review, we discuss immunotherapeutic treatment for these three cancers, and consider the option, prospects and limitations of immunotherapy. The development of immunotherapy should focus on the discovery of biomarkers to screen suitable patients, new targets on tumors, neoadjuvant immunotherapy and the combination of immunotherapy with conventional therapeutic methods. We can expect that immunotherapy potentially will develop as one of the best therapies for patients with advanced cancer or poor responses to traditional methods.

Deep Neural Network to Differentiate Brain Activity Between Patients With First-Episode Schizophrenia and Healthy Individuals: A Multi-Channel Near Infrared Spectroscopy Study.

Backgrounds: Reduced brain cortical activity over the frontotemporal regions measured by near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) has been reported in patients with first-episode schizophrenia (FES). This study aimed to differentiate between patients with FES and healthy controls (HCs) on basis of the frontotemporal activity measured by NIRS with a support vector machine (SVM) and deep neural network (DNN) classifier. In addition, we compared the accuracy of performance of SVM and DNN. Methods: In total, 33 FES patients and 34 HCs were recruited. Their brain cortical activities were measured using NIRS while performing letter and category versions of verbal fluency tests (VFTs). The integral and centroid values of brain cortical activity in the bilateral frontotemporal regions during the VFTs were selected as features in SVM and DNN classifier. Results: Compared to HCs, FES patients displayed reduced brain cortical activity over the bilateral frontotemporal regions during both types of VFTs. Regarding the classifier performance, SVM reached an accuracy of 68.6%, sensitivity of 70.1%, and specificity of 64.6%, while DNN reached an accuracy of 79.7%, sensitivity of 88.8%, and specificity of 74.9% in the classification of FES patients and HCs. Conclusions: Compared to findings of previous structural neuroimaging studies, we found that using DNN to measure the NIRS signals during the VFTs to differentiate between FES patients and HCs could achieve a higher accuracy, indicating that NIRS can be used as a potential marker to classify FES patients from HCs. Future additional independent datasets are needed to confirm the validity of our model.

A Review of the Global Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Public Mental Health, with a Comparison Between the USA, Australia, and Poland with Taiwan and Thailand.

Coronavirus may have a negative impact not only on physical, but also on mental wellbeing. Despite the different approaches of countries to stop the spread of the virus and different infection rates, the dynamically developing pandemic has already affected the entire world. The consequences of the coronavirus for our mental health can be divided into those related to strategies for the prevention of infection, like isolation, quarantine, limitation of social contacts, and remote work, and those related to the direct impact of infection on our nervous system. This review aims to highlight the global effects of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on public mental health following social restrictions, to identify how infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) may have direct neurophysiological effects and to compare the impact on public mental health between the USA, Australia, and Poland with Taiwan and Thailand.