Effect of telehealth interventions on anxiety and depression in cancer patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

INTRODUCTION: Cancer patients not only experience a variety of problems associated with the treatment of their disease but also a range of psychological problems such as anxiety and depression, which may lead to reduced adherence to treatment and a lower quality of life for cancer patients. Telehealth interventions are widely used for cancer patients, and their effectiveness in improving anxiety and depression in cancer patients is variable and still contradictory. METHODS: Embase, Pubmed, Web of Science, PsycINFO, CINAHL Complete, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were searched from inception to 19 April 2022. Data synthesis was conducted using STATA 15.0, and scores for anxiety and depression were calculated using standardized mean differences and 95% confidence intervals. RESULTS: A total of 13125 cancer patients from 68 randomized controlled trials were included in the systematic evaluation. The meta-analysis showed that the telehealth intervention had a significant effect on anxiety (standardized mean differences = -0.40, 95% confidence intervals: -0.6 to 0.2, p < 0.001) and depression (standardized mean differences = -0.48, 95% confidence intervals: -0.67 to 0.28, p < 0.001) in patients with cancer. DISCUSSION: Telehealth interventions significantly improved anxiety and depression levels in cancer patients compared to traditional care interventions. Breast cancer patients most often received telehealth interventions; electronic device-based and application-based telehealth interventions were more effective than online interventions; short-term interventions were more effective than medium-term and long-term interventions, and different outcome measurement tools led to different intervention outcomes. More high-quality research is needed to explore the effects of telehealth interventions.

Application of a photoelectric magnifier to nasal injury in preterm infants receiving non-invasive ventilation: A prospective observational study.

PURPOSE: This study was to explore a photoelectric magnifier assessing nasal injury in preterm infants receiving non-invasive ventilation (NIV) treatment, and to describe the occurrence status and risk factors of nasal injuries. DESIGN: A prospective observational study. SUBJECTS: and setting: Preterm infants admitted from the Second Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University between October 2018 and October 2019. METHODS: A continuously convenient sample of 127 preterm infants was included. When the infants were receiving NIV treatment, nursing staff checked nasal skin and mucosa daily with a photoelectric magnifier to confirm whether nasal injuries occurred. Meanwhile, a self-designed questionnaire was used to collect data. The Chi-square test, t-test, univariate and multiple logistic regression model were applied. RESULTS: A total of 127 preterm infants received 175 times NIV therapy, showing that the incidence of nasal injuries (infants number) was 27.6% (35/127) and the incidence of nasal injuries (ventilation cases) was 21.1% (37/175). Of the 37 cases of nasal injuries, 27 cases were I stage, while Ⅱ stage, Ⅲ stage and mucosa injuries appeared 2 cases, 2 cases and 6 cases. In the multivariate logistic analysis, nasal mask interface and NIV treatment more than seven days were independent risk factors affecting the occurrence of nasal injuries. CONCLUSIONS: The premature infants who received nasal NIV treatment were susceptible to nasal injuries, and clinical nurse capable of identifying risk factors and inintervening should be strengthened to prevent the occurrence and progression.

Nitrate and nitrite pathways and dynamic changes in bacterial communities during beet sugar processing.

BACKGROUND: Bacterial community successions were surveyed during the processing stages of sugar production using high-throughput sequencing methods. Furthermore, the correlation between bacterial community and nitrate/nitrite content in beet sugar processing were investigated. RESULTS: In an analysis of the V3-V4 region of the 16S rDNA gene, 254 122 effective sequences were obtained from samples, which included sugar beet, cossettes, diffusion juice, second-phase diffusion juice, light juice and thick juice. The results showed that dominant genera included Pantoea, Pseudomonas, Leuconostoc and Burkholderia. Moreover, significant changes in bacterial communities were observed in samples. Regarding the relevant nitrogen metabolic potential, this study revealed communities with the ability for nitrate and nitrite metabolism. Furthermore, a shaking experiment involving diffusion juice and second-phase diffusion juice was performed, and results showed that the nitrate level declined 73% and 98% in 36 h, respectively. These results suggested that the bacterial communities contribute to nitrate and nitrite transformation. CONCLUSION: This study illustrated that the bacterial communities and their specific effects on the formation of nitrate and nitrite during beet sugar processing. The results presented the basic concept involving the nitrate- and nitrite-forming pathways directly related to the mechanism of bacterial community growth. This study could facilitate an understanding of the correlation between nitrite content and microorganisms to guide beet sugar manufacturers regarding the control of nitrite and nitrate content. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.

Effectiveness of using hydrocolloid dressing combined with 3M Cavilon No-Sting Barrier Film to prevent facial pressure injury on medical staff in a COVID-19 designated hospital in China: a self-controlled study.

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 is rapidly transmitted and has aroused enormous concern globally. This study aimed to investigate the effect of hydrocolloid dressing combined with 3M Cavilon No-Sting Barrier Film on the prevention of facial pressure injury in medical staff tasked with preventing and controlling COVID-19. METHODS: This was a self-controlled study. Medical staff who treated patients with COVID-19 infection in isolation wards from 6 January to 2 February, 2020, were selected to participate. Phase I was defined as the first 2 weeks of medical personnel entering the isolation ward, with phase II being the following 2 weeks. In phase I, medical workers only used hydrocolloid dressing on their faces, and in phase II, they used both hydrocolloid dressing and 3M Cavilon No-Sting Barrier Film. RESULTS: A total of 116 medical workers were selected as research subjects. The average facial local temperature in phase I was higher than that in phase II from the baseline (day 1) to the end of the study (day 14); however, there was no statistically significant difference (P>0.05). The incidence of facial pressure injury in phase II was lower than that in phase I (P<0.05); the facial skin comfort level among medical staff in phase II was higher than that in phase I (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Hydrocolloid dressing combined with 3M Cavilon No-Sting Barrier Film for facial skin care can effectively reduce the incidence of facial pressure injury and can improve skin comfort level while ensuring isolation and a protective effect.

Integrating CRISPR-Enabled Trackable Genome Engineering and Transcriptomic Analysis of Global Regulators for Antibiotic Resistance Selection and Identification in Escherichia coli.

It is important to expedite our understanding of antibiotic resistance to address the increasing numbers of fatalities and environmental pollution due to the emergence of antibiotic resistance and multidrug-resistant strains. Here, we combined the CRISPR-enabled trackable genome engineering (CREATE) technology and transcriptomic analysis to investigate antibiotic tolerance in Escherichia coli We developed rationally designed site saturation mutagenesis libraries targeting 23 global regulators to identify fitness-conferring mutations in response to diverse antibiotic stresses. We identified seven novel mutations that confer resistance to the ribosome-targeting antibiotics doxycycline, thiamphenicol, and gentamicin in E. coli To the best of our knowledge, these mutations that we identified have not been reported previously during treatment with the indicated antibiotics. Transcriptome sequencing-based transcriptome analysis was further employed to evaluate the genome-wide changes in gene expression in E. coli for SoxR G121P and cAMP receptor protein (CRP) V140W reconstructions, and improved fitness in response to doxycycline and gentamicin was seen. In the case of doxycycline, we speculated that SoxR G121P significantly increased the expression of genes involved in carbohydrate metabolism and energy metabolism to promote cell growth for improved adaptation. In the CRP V140W mutant with improved gentamicin tolerance, the expression of several amino acid biosynthesis genes and fatty acid degradation genes was significantly changed, and these changes probably altered the cellular energy state to improve adaptation. These findings have important significance for understanding such nonspecific mechanisms of antibiotic resistance and developing new antibacterial drugs.IMPORTANCE The growing threat of antimicrobial resistance poses a serious threat to public health care and motivates efforts to understand the means by which resistance acquisition occurs and how this can be combatted. To address these challenges, we expedited the identification of novel mutations that enable complex phenotypic changes that result in improved tolerance to antibiotics by integrating CREATE and transcriptomic analysis of global regulators. The results give us a better understanding of the mechanisms of resistance to tetracycline antibiotics and aminoglycoside antibiotics and also indicate that the method may be used for quickly identifying resistance-related mutations.

Characteristics of Helicobacter pylori antibiotic resistance: data from four different populations.

Aims: To describe the characteristics of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) antibiotic resistance in clinical isolates from four populations. Methods: In total, 1463 H. pylori strains were examined for antibiotic resistance. Among these strains, 804 were isolated from treatment-naïve adults, 133 from previously treated adults, 100 from treatment-naïve children and 426 from a population who participated in a health survey (age ≥ 40 years). The minimum inhibitory concentration was determined by the E-test method. Results: In the treatment-naïve adult group, the resistance rates for metronidazole, clarithromycin, levofloxacin, amoxicillin, rifampicin and tetracycline were 78.4, 19.0, 23.3, 1.2, 1.7 and 2.3%, respectively. Compared with this group, the previously treated adult group had significantly higher resistance rates for metronidazole (99.2%), clarithromycin (58.3%) and levofloxacin (52.3%). In addition, the treatment-naïve children had a lower metronidazole resistance rate (46.0%) than the treatment-naïve adults. The resistance rate for clarithromycin was low in treatment-naïve patients with ages ranging from 10 to 24 years. For the strains isolated from the general population group, the resistance rates for metronidazole, clarithromycin, levofloxacin, amoxicillin, rifampicin and tetracycline were 78.6, 10.1, 25.1, 0.5, 2.1 and 0.9%, respectively. Compared with the treatment-naïve adult group, the general population group showed significant differences in clarithromycin resistance. Conclusion: The resistance rates for metronidazole, clarithromycin and levofloxacin were high, especially in previously treated adults. Compared to those in treatment-naïve younger patients, the resistance rates for clarithromycin were significantly lower in treatment-naïve patients with ages ranging from 10 to 24 years and in the general population.

Epoxide-derived mixed-mode chromatographic stationary phases for separation of active substances in fixed-dose combination drugs.

A method for the preparation of novel mixed-mode reversed-phase/strong cation exchange stationary phase for the separation of fixed-dose combination drugs has been developed. An epoxysilane bonded silica prepared by vapor phase deposition was used as a starting material to produce diol, octadecyl, sulfonate, and mixed octadecyl/sulfonate groups bonded silica phases. The chemical structure and surface coverage of the functional groups on these synthesized phases were confirmed by fourier-transform infrared and solid-state 13 C NMR spectroscopy and elemental analysis. Alkylbenzene homologs, basic drugs, nucleobases and alkylaniline homologs were used as probes to demonstrate the reversed-phase, ion exchange, hydrophilic interaction and mixed-mode retention behaviors of these stationary phases. The octadecyl/sulfonate bonded silica exhibits pronounced mixed-mode retention behavior and superior retentivity and selectivity for alkylaniline homologs. The mixed-mode retention is affected by either ionic or solvent strength in the mobile phase, permiting optimization of a separation by fine tuning these parameters. The mixed-mode stationary phase was applied to separate two fixed-dose combination drugs: compound reserpine tablets and compound methoxyphenamine capsules. The results show that simultaneous separation of multiple substances in the compound dosage can be achieved on the mixed-mode phase, which makes multi-cycles of analysis for multiple components obsolete.

The effect of virulence genotypes of Helicobacter pylori on eradication therapy in children.

Background/Aim: It is important to eradicate Helicobacter pylori at an early stage in patients during childhood to potentially prevent the development of H. pylori-related diseases. Studies have demonstrated that the virulence genotype of H. pylori influences the efficacy of eradication therapy. The efficacy of triple therapy has decreased significantly, which has seriously affected the clinical outcome of children with H. pylori infection. In this study we aimed to investigate the influence of virulence genotypes of H. pylori on triple eradication therapy in children. Patients and Methods: H. pylori strains were isolated from the gastric antrum mucosa in children with upper gastrointestinal symptoms. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was conducted to determine the H. pylori cagA, vacA, and iceA genotypes. All patients with H. pylori infection were administered 14-day triple therapy. After drug withdrawal for at least 4 weeks, the 13C-urea breath test (13C-UBT) was used to observe the therapeutic effect of H. pylori eradication. The eradication rates were evaluated by intention-to-treat (ITT) and per-protocol (PP) analyses. Results: A total of 107 patients were enrolled in this study. Nine patients were lost to follow-up, and 98 patients were administered eradication therapy. Based on ITT and PP analyses, the H. pylori eradication rate was 64.5% (69/107) and 70.4% (69/98), respectively. Among the successful eradication groups, the cagA-positive, vacA s1a, vacA s1c, vacA m1, vacA m2, iceA 1, and iceA 2 genes were identified in 72.8%, 68.1%, 76.9%, 60.0%, 74.6%, 71.8%, and 75.0% of strains, respectively. Of the unsuccessful eradication groups, the cagA-positive, vacA s1a, vacA s1c, vacA m1, vacA m2, iceA 1, and iceA 2 genes were identified in 27.2%, 31.9%, 23.1%, 40.0%, 25.4%, 28.2%, and 25.0% of strains, respectively. No statistically significant differences were noted in the detection rate of the H. pylori genotypes between the H. pylori successful and unsuccessful eradication groups (P > 0.05). Conclusions: The cagA, vacA, and iceA genotypes of H. pylori are not associated with the efficacy of omeprazole-based triple therapy on the eradication of H. pylori infection in children.

Model-based reconstruction of synthetic promoter library in Corynebacterium glutamicum.

OBJECTIVE: To develop an efficient synthetic promoter library for fine-tuned expression of target genes in Corynebacterium glutamicum. RESULTS: A synthetic promoter library for C. glutamicum was developed based on conserved sequences of the - 10 and - 35 regions. The synthetic promoter library covered a wide range of strengths, ranging from 1 to 193% of the tac promoter. 68 promoters were selected and sequenced for correlation analysis between promoter sequence and strength with a statistical model. A new promoter library was further reconstructed with improved promoter strength and coverage based on the results of correlation analysis. Tandem promoter P70 was finally constructed with increased strength by 121% over the tac promoter. The promoter library developed in this study showed a great potential for applications in metabolic engineering and synthetic biology for the optimization of metabolic networks. CONCLUSIONS: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reconstruction of synthetic promoter library based on statistical analysis of C. glutamicum.

Enhancement of 5-aminolevulinic acid production by metabolic engineering of the glycine biosynthesis pathway in Corynebacterium glutamicum.

OBJECTIVE: To construct a strain of Corynebacterium glutamicum capable of efficiently producing 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) via the C4 pathway by modification of serine and glycine pathway using glucose as sole carbon source. RESULTS: The recombinant C. glutamicum strain AP2 harboring a codon-optimized hemA gene from Rhodobacter sphaeroides was used as host strain for 5-ALA production. A plasmid harboring the serine operon, which contained serB, serC and the site-specific mutant serA Δ197 , was constructed and introduced into C. glutamicumAP2, leading to an increase of 70% in 5-ALA production. Further overexpression of the glyA gene increased production of 5-ALA by 150% over the control. 5-ALA production was thus significantly enhanced by engineering the glycine biosynthetic pathway. C.glutamicum AG3 produced 3.4 ± 0.2 g 5-ALA/l in shake-flask cultures in CGIIIM medium with the addition of 7.5 g glycine/l. CONCLUSION: This is the first report of remodeling the serine and glycine biosynthetic pathway to improve the production of 5-ALA in C. glutamicum.

[Prevalence of Helicobacter pylori cagA, vacA, and iceA genotypes in children with gastroduodenal diseases].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prevalence of cagA, vacA, and iceA genotypes in the isolated strains of Helicobacter pylori (H.pylori) from children with gastroduodenal diseases in Jiangxi, China, as well as the association between cagA, vacA, and iceA genotypes and the type of gastroduodenal diseases. METHODS: The samples of gastric antral mucosa were collected from 316 children with gastroduodenal diseases in Jiangxi, and a total of 107 strains of H.pylori were isolated. The genomic DNA of these strains was extracted, and PCR was used to determine the ureA, cagA, vacA, and iceA genotypes. RESULTS: Of all the 107 isolated strains of H.pylori, the detection rates of ureA and cagA genes were 100% (107/107) and 94.4% (101/107) respectively. The overall detection rate of vacA gene was 100% (107/107), and the detection rates of vacAs1a, vacAs1c, vacAm1, and vacAm2 genes were 74.8% (80/107), 25.2% (27/107), 29.9% (32/107), and 69.2% (74/107) respectively, with both vacAm1 and vacAm2 genes detected in 0.9% (1/107) of all H.pylori strains. In the chimera of vacA gene, the detection rates of vacAs1a/m1, vacAs1a/m2, vacAs1c/m1, and vacAs1c/m2 genes were 26.2% (28/107), 51.4% (55/107), 3.7% (4/107), and 17.8% (19/107) respectively (P<0.001). The detection rates of iceA1 and iceA2 genes were 79.4% (85/107) and 9.3% (10/107), respectively (P<0.001), and both iceA1 and iceA2 genes were detected in 7.5% (8/107) of all strains. The detection rates of the genotypes of H.pylori showed no significant differences between the peptic ulcer, chronic gastritis, and duodenal bulbar inflammation groups (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The dominant genotypes of H.pylori are cagA, vacAs1a/m2, and iceA1, and there are mixed infections with H.pylori strains of different genotypes in children with gastroduodenal disease from Jiangxi, China. The genotypes of H.pylori are not associated with the type of gastroduodenal disease.

Value of endoscopic methylene blue and Lugol's iodine double staining and detection of GST-Pi and telomerase in the early diagnosis of esophageal carcinoma.

AIM: To explore the expressions of GST-Pi and telomerase activity in esophageal carcinoma and premalignant lesions and to investigate the value of endoscopic methylene blue (MB) and Lugol's iodine double staining. METHODS: Seventy-two patients with esophagopathy were sprayed endoscopically with MB and Lugol's iodine in proper order and the areas stained blue and brown, and the area between the blue and brown stains were obtained. Depending on the pattern of mucosal staining, biopsy specimen was obtained. GST-Pi and telomerase activity in specimens were examined by immunohistochemistry and PCR-based silver staining telomeric repeat amplification protocol, respectively. RESULTS: After MB and Lugol's iodine staining, the area between both the colors was obtained in 64 of the 72 patients and the areas were stained blue and brown in all of the 72 patients. Association test of two simultaneous ordinal categorical data showed a correlation between the esophageal mucosal staining and the esophageal histology (P<0.005). The expression of GST-Pi and telomerase activity in esophageal carcinoma and premalignant lesions increased. The expression of GST-Pi and telomerase activity in dysplasia and carcinoma was significantly higher than that in normal epithelium (P<0.005). The expression in hyperplasia was slightly higher than that in normal epithelium. With the lesions progressing from low- to moderate- to high-grade dysplasia, the positive rate increased (P<0.025). Expression of GST-Pi was correlated with that of telomerase activity in dysplasia and carcinoma (phis = 0.4831, P<0.005; phis = 0.3031, P<0.025, respectively); but there was no correlation between them in normal epithelium and hyperplasia. CONCLUSION: The expression of GST-Pi and telomerase may be an early event in the carcinogenesis of esophagus. They may play an induced and synergistic role with each other in the carcinogenesis of esophagus. Endoscopic MB and Lugol's iodine double staining and detection of GST-Pi and telomerase activity may contribute to the early diagnosis of esophageal carcinoma.