The effects of psychological interventions on suicide for cancer patients: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.

Numerous psychological interventions are available for suicidal and death ideation (SDI) and suicidal behavior among cancer patients. To identify the optimal psychological interventions for reducing SDI and suicidal behavior in cancer patients. However, it remains unclear which psychological intervention is the most effective. We performed a pairwise and network meta-analysis by searching seven databases from the date of inception until 8 April 2022. An important focus of this network meta-analysis was the comparison of the effects of various psychological interventions on the reduction of SDI and suicidal behavior among cancer patients. For determining efficacy, we used standardized mean differences (SMDs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Besides, a pairwise meta-analysis, inconsistency test, network meta-analysis, the surface under the cumulative rankings curve (SUCRA), comparison-adjusted funnel plot, subgroup analysis, and sensitivity analysis were also carried out. A total of 8 studies involving 1,350 patients were searched in this study. It showed that empathy therapy (SUCRA = 95.3%) has the best effect among the six interventions. Comprehensive psychological intervention (SUCRA = 77.6%) was ranked in the top two positions, followed by meaning-centered therapy (SUCRA = 40.7%). Comparison-adjusted funnel plots revealed no significant publication bias. In addition, our conclusions have not changed significantly after the sensitivity analysis. In this network meta-analysis, empathy therapy was identified as the optimal choice for reducing SDI and suicidal behaviors in cancer patients. Further multi-center and high-quality RCT studies should be conducted to make our conclusion more rigorous.

Weaving rapport: doctors' strategies towards patients' noncompliance.

BACKGROUND: A successful therapeutic rapport between doctors and patients is built on effective doctor-patient communication. Noncompliance of patients which challenges their communication has been described in the research, yet the rapport strategies are not well discussed. METHODS: This qualitative study investigates the rapport strategies when doctors face noncompliance in consultations and its pragmatic effects achieved through the doctors' speeches. The 10-hour recordings come from the doctor-patient communication in the hospital setting. Thereafter, we analyze their conversation following the Spencer Oatey's rapport management model. RESULTS: Compliments and joking in the illocutionary domain, storytelling in the discourse domain, the doctors' participation in the participation domain and the choice of appropriate titles in the stylistic domain are identified and analyzed as the rapport-building strategies. CONCLUSION: The present study has offered insights into physicians' rapport-building strategies in the face of rapport-threatening behavior from patients. These strategies will help the doctors to deal with rapport-challenging behavior and boost overall patient wellness.

Effectiveness of a resilience-targeted intervention based on "I have, I am, I can" strategy on nursing home older adults' suicidal ideation: A randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Despite the potential for benefit, resilience remains an emergent area in late-life mental health care, and evidence of resilience intervention for suicide among nursing home residents is especially limited. This study aims to evaluate the effects of a resilience-targeted program based on the "I have, I am, and I can" strategy on suicidal ideation and related problems. METHODS: From the 562 nursing home residents who were contacted, 68 with suicidal ideation were recruited and then randomly assigned to a resilience intervention group (eight-week resilience training; n = 34) or a wait-list control group (eight-week health education; n = 34). Self-reported suicidal ideation, and depression and anxiety symptoms as outcomes, and resilience as potential mediators were assessed at baseline, postintervention, and one-month follow-up. RESULTS: Resilience training participants reported significant improvement in suicidal ideation (group × time interaction x2=12.564, p = 0.002) and depression symptoms (x2=9.441, p = 0.009) compared to wait-list control group participants. Changes in resilience mediated the intervention's effects on changes in suicidal ideation and depression symptoms. Limitations The observed effects must be considered preliminary due to the small sample size. CONCLUSIONS: The findings support the benefits of resilience training based on the "I have, I am, and I can" strategy in reducing suicidal ideation and suicide-related symptoms in nursing home older adults, and provide insight into possible mechanisms.

Exploring life and help-seeking experiences regarding suicidal ideations among nursing home residents.

Globally, older adults, especially nursing home residents, are at a higher risk of suicide. This study examined the life of nursing home residents with suicidal ideations and their help-seeking experiences. A qualitative analysis of 19 semi-structured interviews was conducted. Results indicate that suicidal ideations among nursing home residents correlates with their negative life experiences, both personally and institutionally. In terms of their life experiences, themes included the desire for death, emotional loneliness, a state of discomfort arising from incapacity, feeling like a burden on children, and dealing with the low-quality service. Older adults' negative attitudes toward seeking assistance as well as limited resort resources and ineffective help-seeking hinder them from finding more support or treatment. This study adds to a growing body of research on late-life suicide in institutional settings, and relevant findings can serve as references in improving nursing home residents' life quality and developing suicide-prevention strategies.

Detecting the combined toxicity of 18 binary and 24 ternary pesticide combinations to carboxylesterase based on fluorescence probe technology.

A rapid test method for the determination of pesticide toxicity was established by using carboxylesterase (CES) and fluorescence probe ACE-NH based on the principle of enzyme inhibition, and this method was applied to detect the combined toxicity of 18 binary and 24 ternary pesticide combinations commonly used for fruits and vegetables to CES. The results show that chlorpyrifos + carbendazim, carbofuran + carbendazim, imidacloprid + carbendazim, imidacloprid + dimethomorph, dimethoate + dimethomorph, prochloraz + carbendazim and imidacloprid + acetamiprid + carbendazim had synergistic effects under three concentration gradients, it indicated that most binary combinations containing carbendazim or imidacloprid had synergistic effects. Based on structure-activity relationship between pesticides and CES, pesticides with phosphate ester bonds had great toxicity to CES, or though they have no toxicity to CES alone, they showed a strong synergistic effect when mixed with other pesticides. Pesticides with amide or ester bond had medium toxicity and little synergistic effect. Pesticides with urea, carbamate or nitrite nitrogen group had little or no toxicity, while there was a strong synergistic effect after mixing with other pesticides. The test method and results in this study can provide scientific basis for risk assessment of cumulative exposure to mixed pesticide residues.

Editing of the starch branching enzyme gene SBE2 generates high-amylose storage roots in cassava.

KEY MESSAGE: The production of high-amylose cassava through CRISPR/Cas9-mediated mutagenesis of the starch branching enzyme gene SBE2 was firstly achieved. High-amylose cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) is desirable for starch industrial applications and production of healthier processed food for human consumption. In this study, we report the production of high-amylose cassava through CRISPR/Cas9-mediated mutagenesis of the starch branching enzyme 2 (SBE2). Mutations in two targeted exons of SBE2 were identified in all regenerated plants; these mutations, which included nucleotide insertions, and short or long deletions in the SBE2 gene, were classified into eight mutant lines. Three mutants, M6, M7 and M8, with long fragment deletions in the second exon of SBE2 showed no accumulation of SBE2 protein. After harvest from the field, significantly higher amylose (up to 56% in apparent amylose content) and resistant starch (up to 35%) was observed in these mutants compared with the wild type, leading to darker blue coloration of starch granules after quick iodine staining and altered starch viscosity with a higher pasting temperature and peak time. Further 1H-NMR analysis revealed a significant reduction in the degree of starch branching, together with fewer short chains (degree of polymerization [DP] 15-25) and more long chains (DP>25 and especially DP>40) of amylopectin, which indicates that cassava SBE2 catalyzes short chain formation during amylopectin biosynthesis. Transition from A- to B-type crystallinity was also detected in the starches. Our study showed that CRISPR/Cas9-mediated mutagenesis of starch biosynthetic genes in cassava is an effective approach for generating novel varieties with valuable starch properties for food and industrial applications.

Effect of Pruning Young Branches on Fruit and Seed Set in Cassava.

Flowering in cassava is closely linked with branching. Early-flowering genotypes branch low and abundantly. Although farmers prefer late flowering genotypes because of their erect plant architecture, their usefulness as progenitors in breeding is limited by their low seed production. In general, the first inflorescence aborts in cassava. Preventing this abortion would result in early production of seeds and make cassava breeding more efficient. The objective of this study was to assess if pruning young branches prevents the abortion of first inflorescences and promotes early fruit and seed set. Four genotypes with early, late, very late, and no flowering habits were grown under an extended photoperiod (EP) or normal dark night conditions (DN). Additional treatments included pruning young branches at the first or second flowering event and spraying (or not) benzyladenine (BA) after pruning. One genotype failed to flower and was not considered further. For the remaining genotypes, EP proved crucial to induce an earlier flowering, which is a pre-requisite for pruning. Total production of seeds in EP plots was 2,971 versus 150 in DN plots. For plants grown under EP, the average number of seeds per plant without pruning was 3.88, whereas those pruned produced 17.60 seeds per plant. Pruning at the first branching event led to higher number of seeds per plant (26.25) than pruning at the second flowering event (8.95). In general, applying BA was beneficial (38.52 and 13.98 seeds/plant with or without spraying it, respectively). The best combination of treatments was different for each genotype. Pruning young branches and applying BA in the first flowering event not only prevented the abortion of inflorescences but also induced the feminization of male flowers into hermaphrodite or female-only flowers. The procedures suggested from this study (combining EP, pruning young branches, and spraying BA), allowed the production of a high number of seeds from erect cassava genotypes in a short period. The implementation of these procedures will improve the breeding efficiency in cassava.

Research progress on advanced renal cell carcinoma.

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is a malignant tumor and the third most common urinary disease. It was estimated that RCC affected over 350,000 individuals in 2013, and there are nearly 140,000 deaths annually due to this disease. The initial masses in RCC patients are mostly confined to a single organ. However, due to the metastatic spread of cancer cells through the circulatory system, more than 30% of RCC patients relapse after surgery. The appearance of distant metastases often means that patients enter the advanced stage of cancer with low quality of life and a short expected survival time. This review aims to describe the extant research on advanced RCC, including its pathophysiology, heterogeneity, diagnosis, treatment, and prospects. We try to highlight the most suitable means of treating advanced RCC patients, focusing on comprehensive personalized treatments.