Nursing students' clinical practice education experience during the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Nursing education, including some elements of clinical practice, has largely been conducted online during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Numerous studies have examined the experiences of nursing students in academia during the pandemic. However, research on nursing students' clinical practice experiences is limited. This study aimed to analyze nursing students' clinical practice experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: This study used a qualitative research design and performed thematic analysis. Participants comprised 13 nursing university students with clinical practice experience at a hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic. Interviews were conducted either online or face-to-face. Data were collected during June‒July 2021. RESULTS: Four themes and eight subthemes were generated through thematic analysis. Theme 1 was "Nursing students' anxiety and strict adherence to quarantine practices," with the subthemes of "Fear of infection" and "Protecting themselves." Theme 2 was "Nursing students' belief that their organization is protecting them," with the subthemes of "Strict quarantine rules at hospitals and universities" and "The nursing students regretted the limited scope of practice but felt safe." Theme 3 was "Learning through valuable practice," with the subthemes of "Recognizing the importance of practice" and "Realizing the benefits of practice." Theme 4 was "A sense of duty as a prospective nurse," with the subthemes of "Accepting a sense of duty as a nurse" and "Establishing the expanded role of a nurse." CONCLUSIONS: The nursing students recognized the importance of nursing practice during the pandemic and worked harder. A better understanding of the experiences of nursing university students who completed their clinical practice during the COVID-19 pandemic can help nursing professors and managers more effectively train students during times of high stress.

Long-read transcriptome sequencing provides insight into lignan biosynthesis during fruit development in Schisandra chinensis.

BACKGROUND: Schisandra chinensis, an ancient member of the most basal angiosperm lineage which is known as the ANITA, is a fruit-bearing vine with the pharmacological effects of a multidrug system, such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, cardioprotective, neuroprotective, anti-osteoporosis effects. Its major bioactive compound is represented by lignans such as schisandrin. Molecular characterization of lignan biosynthesis in S. chinensis is of great importance for improving the production of this class of active compound. However, the biosynthetic mechanism of schisandrin remains largely unknown. RESULTS: To understand the potential key catalytic steps and their regulation of schisandrin biosynthesis, we generated genome-wide transcriptome data from three different tissues of S. chinensis cultivar Cheongsoon, including leaf, root, and fruit, via long- and short-read sequencing technologies. A total of 132,856 assembled transcripts were generated with an average length of 1.9 kb and high assembly completeness. Overall, our data presented effective, accurate gene annotation in the prediction of functional pathways. In particular, the annotation revealed the abundance of transcripts related to phenylpropanoid biosynthesis. Remarkably, transcriptome profiling during fruit development of S. chinensis cultivar Cheongsoon revealed that the phenylpropanoid biosynthetic pathway, specific to coniferyl alcohol biosynthesis, showed a tendency to be upregulated at the postfruit development stage. Further the analysis also revealed that the pathway forms a transcriptional network with fruit ripening-related genes, especially the ABA signaling-related pathway. Finally, candidate unigenes homologous to isoeugenol synthase 1 (IGS1) and dirigent-like protein (DIR), which are subsequently activated by phenylpropanoid biosynthesis and thus catalyze key upstream steps in schisandrin biosynthesis, were identified. Their expression was increased at the postfruit development stage, suggesting that they may be involved in the regulation of schisandrin biosynthesis in S. chinensis. CONCLUSIONS: Our results provide new insights into the production and accumulation of schisandrin in S. chinensis berries and will be utilized as a valuable transcriptomic resource for improving the schisandrin content.

Induction of Glucoraphasatin Biosynthesis Genes by MYB29 in Radish (Raphanus sativus L.) Roots.

Glucoraphasatin (GRH) is a specific aliphatic glucosinolate (GSL) that is only abundant in radish (Raphanus sativus L.). The gene expression regulating GRH biosynthesis in radish is still poorly understood. We employed a total of 59 radish accessions to analyze GSL profiles and showed that GRH was specific and predominant among the aliphatic GSLs in radish roots. We selected five accessions roots with high, moderate and low GSL biosynthesis, respectively, to conduct a comparative transcriptome analysis and the qRT-PCR of the biosynthesis genes for aliphatic GSLs. In this study, among all the accessions tested, roots with the accession RA157-74 had a high GRH content and showed a significant expression of the aliphatic GSL biosynthesis genes. We defined the genes involved in the GRH biosynthesis process and found that they were regulated by a transcription factor (RSG00789) at the MYB29 locus in radish roots. We found 13 aliphatic GSL biosynthesis genes regulated by the RSG00789 gene in the GRH biosynthesis pathway.

Selective Production of p-Xylene from Dimethylfuran and Ethylene Over Tungstated Zirconia Catalysts.

p-Xylene (PX) is an important large-volume commodity chemical in the petrochemical industry. Therefore, research on producing PX from bio-mass-derived resources is a considerable interest in relation to future alternative technologies. Recently, a new potential route for the direct and selective production of bio-based PX was reported, referred to as the Diels-Alder cycloaddition of biomassderived 2,5-dimethylfuran (DMF) and ethylene followed by the dehydration of an intermediate. Here, we prepared tungstated zirconia (WOx-ZrO2) materials at different calcination temperatures and times as solid acid catalysts for PX production. From structural analyses and measurements of the surface acidity, the WOx-ZrO2 was found to be composed of mesopores with high surface acidity within the optimum calcination temperature and time range. This WOx-ZrO2 catalyst exhibited high catalytic activity upon the cycloaddition of DMF with ethylene as compared to commercial beta zeolite and previously reported silica-alumina catalysts.

Comparative transcriptome analysis reveals whole-genome duplications and gene selection patterns in cultivated and wild Chrysanthemum species.

KEY MESSAGE: Comparative transcriptome analysis of wild and cultivated chrysanthemums provides valuable genomic resources and helps uncover common and divergent patterns of genome and gene evolution in these species. Plants are unique in that they employ polyploidy (or whole-genome duplication, WGD) as a key process for speciation and evolution. The Chrysanthemum genus is closely associated with hybridization and polyploidization, with Chrysanthemum species exhibiting diverse ploidy levels. The commercially important species, C. morifolium is an allohexaploid plant that is thought to have originated via the hybridization of several Chrysanthemum species, but the genomic and molecular evolutionary mechanisms remain poorly understood. In the present study, we sequenced and compared the transcriptomes of C. morifolium and the wild Korean diploid species, C. boreale. De novo transcriptome assembly revealed 11,318 genes in C. morifolium and 10,961 genes in C. boreale, whose functions were annotated by homology searches. An analysis of synonymous substitution rates (Ks) of paralogous and orthologous genes suggested that the two Chrysanthemum species commonly experienced the Asteraceae paleopolyploidization and recent genome duplication or triplication before the divergence of these species. Intriguingly, C. boreale probably underwent rapid diploidization, with a reduction in chromosome number, whereas C. morifolium maintained the original chromosome number. Analysis of the ratios of non-synonymous to synonymous nucleotide substitutions (Ka/Ks) between orthologous gene pairs indicated that 107 genes experienced positive selection, which may have been crucial for the adaptation, domestication, and speciation of Chrysanthemum.

Elucidating the triplicated ancestral genome structure of radish based on chromosome-level comparison with the Brassica genomes.

KEYMESSAGE: This study presents a chromosome-scale draft genome sequence of radish that is assembled into nine chromosomal pseudomolecules. A comprehensive comparative genome analysis with the Brassica genomes provides genomic evidences on the evolution of the mesohexaploid radish genome. Radish (Raphanus sativus L.) is an agronomically important root vegetable crop and its origin and phylogenetic position in the tribe Brassiceae is controversial. Here we present a comprehensive analysis of the radish genome based on the chromosome sequences of R. sativus cv. WK10039. The radish genome was sequenced and assembled into 426.2 Mb spanning >98 % of the gene space, of which 344.0 Mb were integrated into nine chromosome pseudomolecules. Approximately 36 % of the genome was repetitive sequences and 46,514 protein-coding genes were predicted and annotated. Comparative mapping of the tPCK-like ancestral genome revealed that the radish genome has intermediate characteristics between the Brassica A/C and B genomes in the triplicated segments, suggesting an internal origin from the genus Brassica. The evolutionary characteristics shared between radish and other Brassica species provided genomic evidences that the current form of nine chromosomes in radish was rearranged from the chromosomes of hexaploid progenitor. Overall, this study provides a chromosome-scale draft genome sequence of radish as well as novel insight into evolution of the mesohexaploid genomes in the tribe Brassiceae.

Licoricidin, an Active Compound in the Hexane/Ethanol Extract of Glycyrrhiza uralensis, Inhibits Lung Metastasis of 4T1 Murine Mammary Carcinoma Cells.

Licorice extracts containing glycyrrhizin exhibit anti-carcinogenic properties. Because glycyrrhizin induces severe hypokalemia and hypertension, we prepared a hexane/ethanol extract of Glycyrrhiza uralensis (HEGU) that lacks glycyrrhizin, and showed that HEGU induces apoptosis and G1 cell cycle arrest and inhibits migration of DU145 human prostate cancer cells. Our previous in vitro studies identified two active components in HEGU: isoangustone A, which induces apoptosis and G1 cycle arrest, and licoricidin, which inhibits metastasis. This study examined whether HEGU and licoricidin inhibit metastasis using the 4T1 mammary cancer model. Both HEGU and licoricidin treatment reduced pulmonary metastasis and the expression of CD45, CD31, HIF-1α, iNOS, COX-2, and VEGF-A in tumor tissues. Additionally, a decrease in protein expression of VEGF-R2, VEGF-C, VEGF-R3, and LYVE-1 was noted in tumor tissues of licoricidin-treated mice. Furthermore, the blood concentrations of MMP-9, ICAM-1, VCAM-1, and VEGF-A were decreased in HEGU-treated mice. In vitro 4T1 cell culture results showed that both HEGU and licoricidin inhibited cell migration, MMP-9 secretion, and VCAM expression. The present study demonstrates that the licoricidin in HEGU inhibits lung metastasis of 4T1 mammary carcinoma cells, which may be mediated via inhibition of cancer cell migration, tumor angiogenesis, and lymphangiogenesis.

Major repeat components covering one-third of the ginseng (Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer) genome and evidence for allotetraploidy.

Ginseng (Panax ginseng) is a famous medicinal herb, but the composition and structure of its genome are largely unknown. Here we characterized the major repeat components and inspected their distribution in the ginseng genome. By analyzing three repeat-rich bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) sequences from ginseng, we identified complex insertion patterns of 34 long terminal repeat retrotransposons (LTR-RTs) and 11 LTR-RT derivatives accounting for more than 80% of the BAC sequences. The LTR-RTs were classified into three Ty3/gypsy (PgDel, PgTat and PgAthila) and two Ty1/Copia (PgTork and PgOryco) families. Mapping of 30-Gbp Illumina whole-genome shotgun reads to the BAC sequences revealed that these five LTR-RT families occupy at least 34% of the ginseng genome. The Ty3/Gypsy families were predominant, comprising 74 and 33% of the BAC sequences and the genome, respectively. In particular, the PgDel family accounted for 29% of the genome and presumably played major roles in enlargement of the size of the ginseng genome. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) revealed that the PgDel1 elements are distributed throughout the chromosomes along dispersed heterochromatic regions except for ribosomal DNA blocks. The intensity of the PgDel2 FISH signals was biased toward 24 out of 48 chromosomes. Unique gene probes showed two pairs of signals with different locations, one pair in subtelomeric regions on PgDel2-rich chromosomes and the other in interstitial regions on PgDel2-poor chromosomes, demonstrating allotetraploidy in ginseng. Our findings promote understanding of the evolution of the ginseng genome and of that of related species in the Araliaceae.

Post-RFA Pulmonary Vein Stenosis Mimicking Lymphangitic Carcinomatosis in a Patient With History of Liposarcoma.

ABSTRACT: A 58-year-old man with resected liposarcoma exhibited persistent irregular interlobular septal thickening of lung on CT concerning lymphangitic metastasis. FDG PET/CT was positive in these foci. There was a narrowing of the pulmonary veins, which had not been seen on the imaging conducted prior to radiofrequency ablation therapy for atrial fibrillation. Lung perfusion scanning demonstrated more extensive hypoperfusion. This case highlights the diagnostic pitfalls of interstitial thickening of the lung in cancer patients. Meticulous history review and nuclear imaging helped distinguish the postablation pulmonary venous stenosis from metastatic spread to the lung interstitium.

Mapping quantitative trait loci for tissue culture response in VCS3M-DH population of Brassica rapa.

KEY MESSAGE: Quantitative trait loci (QTL) controlling callus induction and plant regeneration were identified in the VCS3M-DH population of Brassica rapa. Quantitative trait loci (QTL) controlling callus induction and plant regeneration were identified in the VCS3M-DH population of Brassica rapa. The VCS3M-DH population showed wide and continuous variation in callus induction and shoot regeneration. Significant coefficient correlations were detected between these two parameters. Broad-sense heritability (h (2)) for the two traits was around 0.7, indicating genetic regulation of regeneration ability in this population. In the composite interval mapping analysis, two QTLs for callus induction ability, qCi2 and qCi7, were mapped on chromosome A02 and A07, explaining 28.6 % of phenotypic variation. For plant regeneration, four QTLs, qPr6-1 qPr6-2, qPr7, and qPr9 were identified on chromosome A06, A07, and A09, which in total explained 50.1 % of phenotypic variation. Furthermore, 15 putative candidate genes were found on the interval of the six QTLs, which were related to various plant hormones, MADS-box genes, and serine/threonine related genes. These results provide important information to identify genes related to tissue culture ability in B. rapa.

Comparative analysis of mitochondrial genomes of Schisandra repanda and Kadsura japonica.

The family Schisandraceae is a basal angiosperm plant group distributed in East and Southeast Asia and includes many medicinal plant species such as Schisandra chinensis. In this study, mitochondrial genomes (mitogenomes) of two species, Schisandra repanda and Kadsura japonica, in the family were characterized through de novo assembly using sequencing data obtained with Oxford Nanopore and Illumina sequencing technologies. The mitogenomes of S. repanda were assembled into one circular contig (571,107 bp) and four linear contigs (10,898-607,430 bp), with a total of 60 genes: 38 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 19 tRNA genes, and 3 rRNA genes. The mitogenomes of K. japonica were assembled into five circular contigs (211,474-973,503 bp) and three linear contigs (8,010-72,712 bp), with a total of 66 genes: 44 PCGs, 19 tRNA genes, and 3 rRNA genes. The mitogenomes of the two species had complex structural features with high repeat numbers and chloroplast-derived sequences, as observed in other plant mitogenomes. Phylogenetic analysis based on PCGs revealed the taxonomical relationships of S. repanda and K. japonica with other species from Schisandraceae. Finally, molecular markers were developed to distinguish between S. repanda, K. japonica, and S. chinensis on the basis of InDel polymorphisms present in the mitogenomes. The mitogenomes of S. repanda and K. japonica will be valuable resources for molecular and taxonomic studies of plant species that belong to the family Schisandraceae.

Prognostic impact of 18F-FDG PET/CT in pathologic stage II invasive ductal carcinoma of the breast: re-illuminating the value of PET/CT in intermediate-risk breast cancer.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study is to investigate the impact of 18F-FDG PET/CT on prognosis of stage II invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) of the breast primarily treated with surgery. METHODS: The clinical records of 297 consecutive IDC with preoperative PET/CT and pathologically staged II in surgery from 2013 to 2017 were retrospectively reviewed. The maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax), peak standardized uptake value (SUVpeak), tumor-to-liver ratio (TLR), and metabolic tumor volume (MTV) were measured. Association of clinicopathologic factors (age, T stage, N stage, AJCC pathologic stage of IIA or IIB, pathologic prognostic stage, grade, hormonal receptor status, HER2 status, Ki-67, and adjuvant therapy) and PET parameters with DFS was assessed using the Cox proportional hazards model. RESULTS: There were 35 recurrences and 10 deaths at a median follow-up of 49 months (range 0.8 ~ 87.3). All PET parameters were significantly associated with DFS in univariate analysis but in multivariate analysis, SUVpeak was the only factor significantly associated with DFS (hazard ratio 2.58, 95% confidence interval 1.29-5.15, P = 0.007). In cohorts with higher values of SUVpeak or TLR, patients who received adjuvant chemotherapy had significantly superior DFS. CONCLUSION: Metabolic parameters derived from preoperative PET/CT was significantly associated with recurrence in stage II IDC primarily treated with surgery. PET/CT can be a powerful prognostic tool in conjunction with novel staging systems and current biomarkers for patients undergoing contemporary therapy. Our results urge to reconsider the currently underestimated value of PET/CT confined to diagnostic aspect and to newly recognize its prognostic impact in these intermediate-risk breast cancer.

Metabolite Changes in Soybean (Glycine max) Leaves during the Entire Growth Period.

Although soybean (Glycine max) leaves generate building blocks to produce seeds, a comprehensive understanding of the metabolic changes in soybean leaves during the entire growth stages is limited. Here, we investigated the metabolite changes in soybean leaves from five cultivars among four vegetative (V) and eight reproductive (R) stages using metabolite profiling coupled with chemometrics. Principal component analysis (PCA) of all samples showed a clear separation by growth stage. The total amount of monosaccharides and organic acids for energy production were highly detected in the V stage samples, accumulating in concentrations 2.5 and 1.7 times higher than in the R stage samples, respectively. The results of partial least-squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) revealed a clear separation from R1 to R5 by the first PLS, suggesting significant alterations in the metabolic networks up to R5. After flowering, the stage of seed formation, R5, was associated with lower levels of most amino acids and an accumulation of phytosterols. The negative correlation observed between amino acids and phytosterol levels suggests a sophisticated coordination between carbon and nitrogen metabolism in plant, ensuring and supporting optimal growth (r = -0.50085, P = 0.0001). In addition, R-stage samples had decreased monosaccharide levels, indicating redistribution to seeds and senescence-related metabolite changes. Thus, metabolite profiling coupled with chemometrics could be a useful tool for investigating alterations in metabolic networks during various plant growth and development stages. Furthermore, we observed variations in flavonoid contents among the different cultivars. The results could be a basis of further studies on the source-sink interactions in the plant system.

Influence of brain-derived neurotrophic factor and catechol O-methyl transferase polymorphisms on effects of meditation on plasma catecholamines and stress.

Meditation may show differential effects on stress and plasma catecholamines based on genetic polymorphisms in brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and catechol O-methyl transferase (COMT). Eighty adults (40 men, 40 women; mean age 26 years) who practiced meditation regularly and 57 healthy control adults (35 men, 22 women; mean age 26 years) participated. Plasma catecholamines (norepinephrine (NE), epinephrine (E), and dopamine (DA)) concentrations were measured, and a modified form of the Stress Response Inventory was administered. The results were analyzed using two-way analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) with control and meditation subjects, gene polymorphism as factors, and meditation duration as the covariate. Two-way ANCOVA showed a significant interaction between control and meditation subjects, and BDNF Val66Met polymorphism on DA/NE+DA/E (p = 0.042) and NE/E+NE/DA (p = 0.046) ratios. A significant interaction was found for control and meditation subjects with COMT Val158Met polymorphism and plasma NE concentrations (p = 0.009). Post hoc ANCOVA in the meditation group, adjusted for meditation duration, showed significantly higher plasma NE concentrations for COMT Met carriers than COMT Val/Val subjects (p = 0.025). Significant differences of stress levels were found between the control and meditation subjects in BDNF Val/Met (p < 0.001) and BDNF Met/Met (p = 0.003), whereas stress levels in the BDNF Val/Val genotype did not differ between the control and meditation groups. This is the first evidence that meditation produces different effects on plasma catecholamines according to BDNF or COMT polymorphisms.

Influence of smartphone addiction and poor sleep quality on attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder symptoms in university students: a cross-sectional study.

Objective: This study examined the relationship between attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder ((ADHD)) symptoms, smartphone addiction, and poor sleep quality in university students, and identified factors affecting ADHD symptoms. Participants: Data were collected from 197 students from March to June 2017. Methods: We adopted a descriptive cross-sectional study design. Results: ADHD symptoms were positively correlated with smartphone addiction (r = .424, p < .01) and poor sleep quality (r = .313, p < .01). The regression analysis showed that academic achievement (ß =.128, p = .038), smartphone addiction (ß =.327, p < .001), sleep disturbance (ß = .197, p = .003), and daytime dysfunction (ß = .269, p < .001) were identified as factors significantly influencing ADHD symptoms, accounting for 31.1% of their variance. Conclusions: Interventions for university students with ADHD symptoms should involve the evaluation of these four factors as a multifaceted approach to reducing ADHD symptoms.

Clinical Presentations and Multimodal Imaging Diagnosis in Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension.

Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) is a rare but life-threatening pulmonary vascular disease caused by the presence of a prolonged thrombus in the pulmonary artery. CTEPH is a distinct disease entity classified as group 4 pulmonary hypertension according to the World Symposium on Pulmonary Hypertension. It is the only potentially curable cause of pulmonary hypertension. However, timely diagnosis and treatment are often hampered by nonspecific symptoms and signs and a lack of physician awareness regarding the condition. Thus, it is important to be familiar with the clinical features of CTEPH and the associated diagnostic processes. Herein, we cover the diagnostic approach for CTEPH using multimodal imaging tools in a clinical setting.

Sequence-level comparative analysis of the Brassica napus genome around two stearoyl-ACP desaturase loci.

We conducted a sequence-level comparative analyses, at the scale of complete bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) clones, between the genome of the most economically important Brassica species, Brassica napus (oilseed rape), and those of Brassica rapa, the genome of which is currently being sequenced, and Arabidopsis thaliana. We constructed a new B. napus BAC library and identified and sequenced clones that contain homoeologous regions of the genome including stearoyl-ACP desaturase-encoding genes. We sequenced the orthologous region of the genome of B. rapa and conducted comparative analyses between the Brassica sequences and those of the orthologous region of the genome of A. thaliana. The proportion of genes conserved (approximately 56%) is lower than has been reported previously between A. thaliana and Brassica (approximately 66%). The gene models for sets of conserved genes were used to determine the extent of nucleotide conservation of coding regions. This was found to be 84.2 +/- 3.9% and 85.8 +/- 3.7% between the B. napus A and C genomes, respectively, and that of A. thaliana, which is consistent with previous results for other Brassica species, and 97.5 +/- 3.1% between the B. napus A genome and B. rapa, and 93.1 +/- 4.9% between the B. napus C genome and B. rapa. The divergence of the B. napus genes from the A genome and the B. rapa genes was greater than anticipated and indicates that the A genome ancestor of the B. napus cultivar studied was relatively distantly related to the cultivar of B. rapa selected for genome sequencing.

Longitudinal patterns of social functioning and conversion to psychosis in subjects at ultra-high risk.

OBJECTIVE: Impaired social functioning is one of the defining features of patients with schizophrenia and subjects at ultra-high risk (UHR) for psychosis. This prospective study aimed to investigate the course of social dysfunction in UHR subjects and to examine its relationship with later conversion to psychosis. The effect of pharmacotherapy on the course of social dysfunction was also examined. METHOD: A total of 57 UHR subjects and 58 healthy controls participated in this study. The Social Functioning Scale (SFS) was used to assess social functioning of UHR subjects at baseline and at the 1 year follow up. The changes in social functioning of UHR subjects have been examined to compare the social functioning of those who later converted to psychosis ('converters') with those who did not ('non-converters'). The effect of pharmacotherapy on longitudinal change in social functioning was also evaluated. RESULTS: Subjects at UHR for psychosis showed more impaired social functioning at baseline than did healthy controls. Moreover, the course of social dysfunction of the converter and non-converter groups differed during the 1 year follow up period. The converters showed decreases in SFS average (F (1,32) = 7.85, p = 0.009) and interpersonal behaviour (F (1,32) = 10.43, p = 0.003) scores over time, whereas the non-converters showed increased scores. Additionally, we found that pharmacological treatment was associated with increased prosocial activities score (F (1,32) = 4.66, p = 0.038). CONCLUSIONS: We found that the social functioning of converters was impaired before the onset of the psychosis and further declined during the at-risk phase. A series of social functioning indices in the longitudinal course may be helpful in predicting conversion to psychosis in subjects at UHR. Appropriate pharmacotherapy can offer clinical benefits by improving social functioning in UHR individuals.

Analysis of the Experiences of Adults with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome.

Complex regional pain syndrome is a rare, intractable disease causing chronic pain. For improved subjective and personal experience, an individualized treatment approach based on a thorough understanding of the patient's perceptions is required for pain management. In this study, we examined the experiences and challenges of 11 Korean patients diagnosed with complex regional pain syndrome. The patients described their experiences during in-depth, face-to-face interviews, and data were subjected to a thematic analysis. We identified the following three main themes: "my own non-stereotyped pain," "complex emotions caused by pain," and "a careful life endured alone." Enduring pain alone was difficult, and the lack of support from family members, caregivers, or society amplified the patients' hardships. As these patients often felt alone when coping with internal difficulties, including pain, they frequently coped through self-management of the condition. The importance of offering realistic support to complex regional pain syndrome patients is underscored via a multifaceted approach and may aid in the development of educational programs for medical personnel, families, and caregivers of these patients.

Mental Health Status of Adults with Cardiovascular or Metabolic Diseases by Gender.

This study aimed to compare mental health in people with cardiovascular or metabolic diseases and the general adult population in each gender. Cardiovascular and metabolic diseases affect mental health, and the prognosis and incidence rates of these diseases differ by age. To date, studies comparing mental health in adults with cardiovascular or metabolic diseases by gender and with the general population have been insufficient. This work is a cross-sectional study. Data from 9828 men and 13,389 women aged 19 years or older from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey V and VI (2010-2013) were used. Men and women with cardiovascular diseases showed high risks of stress, depression, and suicidal ideation. Men with metabolic diseases had worse mental health in relation to depression and suicidal ideation, and women with metabolic diseases in relation to stress and depression, indicating a need for intervention and management of mental health by gender for these individuals. There is a need to develop a clear perception and understanding, both among practitioners and the general population, of mental health issues associated with having cardiovascular or metabolic diseases. Active, specific health improvement and training programmes considering gender differences are necessary.