The relationship between diabetes‑related distress and self‑management in empty‑nest elderly patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus:The mediating effect of self‑efficacy

Objective:The aim of this study is to investigate the mediating effect of self‑efficacy between diabetes‑related distress and self‑management in empty‑nest elderly patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM).Methods:A total of 347 empty‑nest elderly patients with T2DM from Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine and Affiliated Hospital of Yangzhou University were investigated by a self‑designed General Information Questionnaire,the Self‑efficacy for diabetes,the Diabetes Distress Scale,and the summary of diabetes self‑care activities.Diabetes‑related distress and diabetes self‑management were tested for correlation analysis with self‑efficacy.Meditational analyses were conducted to test the hypothesized mediating effects of diabetes self‑efficacy as an intervention variable between diabetes distress and self‑management.Results:About 68.59%of patients suffered from diabetes‑related distress.The results of bivariate correlations revealed that self‑efficacy was negatively correlated with diabetes‑related distress(r=–0.627,P<0.01)and positively correlated with self‑management(r=0.356,P<0.01).The relationship effects of diabetes distress on self‑management were fully mediated by self‑efficacy.Conclusions:Diabetes‑related distress prevails in empty‑nest elderly patients with T2DM.Self‑efficacy plays a mediate role between diabetes‑related distress and self‑management.Psychological intervention is contributed to reducing diabetes‑related distress.

Safety and efficacy of Kaffes intraductal self-expanding metal stents in the management of post-liver transplant anastomotic strictures

BACKGROUND Endoscopic management is the first-line therapy for post-liver-transplant anas-tomotic strictures.Although the optimal duration of treatment with plastic stents has been reported to be 8-12 months,data on safety and duration for metal stents in this setting is scarce.Due to limited access to endoscopic retrograde cholan-giopancreatography(ERCP)during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic in our centre,there was a change in practice towards increased usage and length-of-stay of the Kaffes biliary intraductal self-expanding stent in patients with suitable anatomy.This was mainly due to the theoretical benefit of Kaffes stents allowing for longer indwelling periods compared to the traditional plastic stents.METHODS Adult liver transplant recipients aged 18 years and above who underwent ERCP were retrospectively identified during a 10-year period through a database query.Unplanned admissions post-Kaffes stent insertion were identified manually through electronic and scanned medical records.The main outcome was the incidence of complications when stents were left indwelling for 3 months vs 6 months.Stent efficacy was calculated via rates of stricture recurrence between patients that had stenting courses for≤120 d or>120 d.RESULTS During the study period,a total of 66 ERCPs with Kaffes insertion were performed in 54 patients throughout their stenting course.In 33 ERCPs,the stent was removed or exchanged on a 3-month interval.No pancreatitis,perfor-ations or deaths occurred.Minor post-ERCP complications were similar between the 3-month(abdominal pain and intraductal migration)and 6-month(abdominal pain,septic shower and embedded stent)groups-6.1%vs 9.1%respectively,P=0.40.All strictures resolved at the end of the stenting course,but the stenting course was variable from 3 to 22 months.The recurrence rate for stenting courses lasting for up to 120 d was 71.4%and 21.4%for stenting courses of 121 d or over(P=0.03).There were 28 patients that were treated with a single ERCP with Kaffes,21 with removal after 120 d and 7 within 120 d.There was a significant improvement in stricture recurrence when the Kaffes was removed after 120 d when a single ERCP was used for the entire stenting course(71.0%vs 10.0%,P=0.01).CONCLUSION Utilising a single Kaffes intraductal fully-covered metal stent for at least 4 months is safe and efficacious for the management of post-transplant anastomotic strictures.

Research Progress on Self-Efficacy Level of Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Its Influencing Factors

Self-efficacy plays an important role in the management of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients, and it runs through the whole process of diabetes treatment, which is conducive to controlling and delaying the occurrence and development of complications, as well as improving the quality of life of patients. This paper mainly describes the concept of self-efficacy, the current situation of self-efficacy of diabetic patients at home and abroad, the functional aspects and their influencing factors, so as to take relevant measures on how to improve self-efficacy. It aims to provide a theoretical basis for the development of self-efficacy interventions for patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

The Impact of Simulation Education on Self-Efficacy in Pre-Registration Nursing Students

This literature review primarily aims to explore and synthesise the previous studies in simulation education research conducted over the past five years related to the effects of simulation training on the self-efficacy of undergraduate pre-registration nursing students. The second aim of this study is to explore additional outcome variables that were examined in the previous studies. Five electronic databases were searched systematically. These databases were MEDLINE, CINAHL Plus, Scopus, Embase and PsycINFO. The PICO model was employed to identify the search terms, with a thesaurus being used to provide synonyms. Reference lists of relevant articles were examined and hand searches of journals were also undertaken. The quality of each study was assessed using the Simulation Research Rubric (SRR). A total of 11 studies were included. All studies explored the impact of simulation education on undergraduate pre-registration nursing. Six studies explored nursing students’ competence and performance and two papers examined their critical thinking. Problem solving, learning motivation, communication skills and knowledge acquisition were examined once. The majority of studies indicated that simulation training has a positive impact on pre-registration nursing students’ self-efficacy and other outcome variables. Furthermore, the study results indicate that simulation training is more dependable than traditional training, and students were extremely satisfied with the simulation training. However, most of the studies included in this review had several gaps, including study design, sample size and dissimilarities between the scales used. Further research with large samples, reliable and valid instruments, and outcomes measures (such as critical thinking and transferability of skills) is required to provide better insight into the effectiveness of simulation in undergraduate nursing education. .

基于Self-Attention-BiLSTM网络的西瓜种苗叶片氮磷钾含量高光谱检测方法

元素含量无损检测技术可以为植物生长发育的环境精准调控提供关键实时数据。以西瓜苗为例,提出了一种基于图谱特征融合的氮磷钾含量深度学习检测方法。首先,使用高光谱仪拍摄西瓜苗叶片的高光谱图像,使用连续流动化学分析仪测定叶片的3种元素含量。然后,采用基线偏移校正(BOC)叠加高斯平滑滤波(GF)的光谱预处理方法和随机森林算法(RF)建立预测模型,基于竞争性自适应重加权采样(CARS)和连续投影算法(SPA)2种算法初步筛选出特征波长,再综合考虑波长数和建模精度设计了一种最优波长评价方法,将波长数进一步减少到3~4个。最后,提取使用U-Net网络分割的彩色图像颜色和纹理特征,和光谱反射率特征一起作为输入,基于自注意力机制-双向长短时记忆(Self-Attention-BiLSTM)网络构建了3种元素含量的预测模型。实验结果表明,氮磷钾含量预测的R2分别为0.961、0.954、0.958,RMSE分别为0.294%、0.262%、0.196%,实现了很好的建模效果。使用该模型对另2个品种西瓜进行测试,R2超过0.899、RMSE小于0.498%,表明该模型具有很好的泛化性。该高光谱建模方法使用少量波长光谱即实现了高精度检测,在精度和效率上达成了很好的平衡,为后续便携式高光谱检测装备开发奠定了理论基础。

Efficacy and predictive factors of transarterial chemoembolization combined with lenvatinib plus programmed cell death protein-1 inhibition for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma

BACKGROUND The efficacy and safety of transarterial chemoembolization(TACE)combined with lenvatinib plus programmed cell death protein-1(PD-1)for unresectable hepato-cellular carcinoma(HCC)have rarely been evaluated and it is unknown which factors are related to efficacy.AIM To evaluate the efficacy and independent predictive factors of TACE combined with lenvatinib plus PD-1 inhibitors for unresectable HCC.METHODS This study retrospectively enrolled patients with unresectable HCC who received TACE/lenvatinib/PD-1 treatment between March 2019 and April 2022.Overall survival(OS)and progression-free survival(PFS)were determined.The objective response rate(ORR)and disease control rate(DCR)were evaluated in accordance with the modified Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors.Additionally,the prognostic factors affecting the clinical outcome were assessed.RESULTS One hundred and two patients were enrolled with a median follow-up duration of 12.63 months.The median OS was 26.43 months(95%CI:17.00-35.87),and the median PFS was 10.07 months(95%CI:8.50-11.65).The ORR and DCR were 61.76%and 81.37%,respectively.The patients with Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer Classification(BCLC)B stage,early neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio(NLR)response(decrease),or early alpha-fetoprotein(AFP)response(decrease>20%)had superior OS and PFS than their counterparts.CONCLUSION This study showed that TACE/lenvatinib/PD-1 treatment was well tolerated with encouraging efficacy in patients with unresectable HCC.The patients with BCLC B-stage disease with early NLR response(decrease)and early AFP response(decrease>20%)may achieve better clinical outcomes with this triple therapy.

Efficacy and safety of minimally invasive laparoscopic surgery under general anesthesia for ovarian cancer

BACKGROUND Ovarian cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors in female reproductive system in the world,and the choice of its treatment is very important for the survival rate and prognosis of patients.Traditional open surgery is the main treatment for ovarian cancer,but it has the disadvantages of big trauma and slow recovery.With the continuous development of minimally invasive technology,minimally invasive laparoscopic surgery under general anesthesia has been gradually applied to the treatment of ovarian cancer because of its advantages of less trauma and quick recovery.However,the efficacy and safety of minimally invasive laparoscopic surgery under general anesthesia in the treatment of ovarian cancer are still controversial.AIM To explore the efficacy and safety of general anesthesia minimally invasive surgery in the treatment of ovarian cancer.METHODS The clinical data of 90 patients with early ovarian cancer in our hospital were analyzed retrospectively.According to the different surgical treatment methods,patients were divided into study group and control group(45 cases in each group).The study group received minimally invasive laparoscopic surgery under general anesthesia for ovarian cancer,while the control group received traditional open surgery for ovarian cancer.The European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire(EORTC QLQ-C30),clinical efficacy and safety of the two groups were compared.RESULTS The intraoperative blood loss,length of hospital stay,postoperative gas evacuation time,and postoperative EORTC QLQ-C30 score of the study group were significantly better than those of the control group(P<0.05).The incidence of postoperative complications in the study group was significantly lower than in the control group(P<0.05).The two groups had no significant differences in the preoperative adrenocorticotropic hormone(ACTH),androstenedione(AD),cortisol(Cor),cluster of differentiation 3 positive(CD3+),and cluster of differentiation 4 positive(CD4+)indexes(P>0.05).In contrast,postoperatively,the study group's ACTH,AD,and Cor indexes were lower,and the CD3+and CD4+indexes were higher than those in the control group(P<0.05).CONCLUSION Minimally invasive laparoscopic surgery under general anesthesia in patients with early ovarian cancer can significantly improve the efficacy and safety,improve the short-term prognosis and quality of life of patients,and is worth popularizing.

Computerized tomography-guided therapeutic percutaneous puncture catheter drainage-combined with somatostatin for severe acute pancreatitis: An analysis of efficacy and safety

BACKGROUND Severe acute pancreatitis(SAP),a condition with rapid onset,critical condition and unsatisfactory prognosis,poses a certain threat to human health,warranting optimization of relevant treatment plans to improve treatment efficacy.AIM To evaluate the efficacy and safety of computerized tomography-guided the-rapeutic percutaneous puncture catheter drainage(CT-TPPCD)combined with somatostatin(SS)in the treatment of SAP.METHODS Forty-two SAP patients admitted to The Second Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University from June 2020 to June 2023 were selected.On the basis of routine treatment,20 patients received SS therapy(control group)and 22 patients were given CT-TPPCD plus SS intervention(research group).The efficacy,safety(pancreatic fistula,intra-abdominal hemorrhage,sepsis,and organ dysfunction syndrome),abdominal bloating and pain relief time,bowel recovery time,hospital stay,inflammatory indicators(C-reactive protein,interleukin-6,and pro-calcitonin),and Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation(APACHE)II score of both groups were evaluated for comparison.RESULTS Compared with the control group,the research group had a markedly higher total effective rate,faster abdominal bloating and pain relief and bowel recovery,INTRODUCTION Pancreatitis,an inflammatory disease occurring in the pancreatic tissue,is classified as either acute or chronic and is associated with high morbidity and mortality,imposing a socioeconomic burden[1,2].The pathogenesis of this disease involves early protease activation,activation of nuclear factor kappa-B-related inflammatory reactions,and infiltration of immune cells[3].Severe acute pancreatitis(SAP)is a serious condition involving systemic injury and subsequent possible organ failure,accounting for 20%of all acute pancreatitis cases[4].SAP is also characterized by rapid onset,critical illness and unsatisfactory prognosis and is correlated with serious adverse events such as systemic inflammatory response syn-drome and acute lung injury,threatening the health of patients[5,6].Therefore,timely and effective therapeutic inter-ventions are of great significance for improving patient prognosis and ensuring therapeutic effects.Somatostatin(SS),a peptide hormone that can be secreted by endocrine cells and the central nervous system,is in-volved in the regulatory mechanism of glucagon and insulin synthesis in the pancreas[7].It has complex and pleiotropic effects on the gastrointestinal tract,which can inhibit the release of gastrointestinal hormones and negatively modulate the exocrine function of the stomach,pancreas and bile,while exerting a certain influence on the absorption of the di-gestive system[8,9].SS has shown certain clinical effectiveness when applied to SAP patients and can regulate the severity of SAP and immune inflammatory responses,and this regulation is related to its influence on leukocyte apoptosis and adhesion[10,11].Computerized tomography-guided therapeutic percutaneous puncture catheter drainage(CT-TPPCD)is a surgical procedure to collect lesion fluid and pus samples from necrotic lesions and perform puncture and drainage by means of CT image examination and precise positioning[12].In the research of Liu et al[13],CT-TPPCD applied to pa-tients undergoing pancreatic surgery contributes to not only good curative effects but also a low surgical risk.Baudin et al[14]also reported that CT-TPPCD has a clinical success rate of 64.6%in patients with acute infectious necrotizing pan-creatitis,with nonfatal surgery-related complications found in only two cases,suggesting that this procedure is clinically effective and safe in the treatment of the disease.In light of the limited studies on the efficacy and safety of SS plus CT-TPPCD in SAP treatment,this study performed a relevant analysis to improve clinical outcomes in SAP patients.

Evaluation of the Strategy and Efficacy of Treatment of Chronic Viral Hepatitis C with the Sofosbuvir/Daclatasvir Combination in a Resource-Limited Country

Introduction: The treatment of viral hepatitis C (HCV), a major public health problem, has evolved considerably since the introduction of direct-acting anti-virals (DAAs). The aim of this study was to evaluate the strategy for initiating treatment with Sofosbuvir/Daclatasvir, and also to assess its efficacy. Patients and Methods: Included were patients aged at least 15 years, with detectable hepatitis C viremia and treated with a pan-genotypic Sofosbuvir/Daclatasvir regimen at the Centre “Hospitalier Universitaire la Référence Nationale de N’Djamena” between October 2019 and October 2023. The APRI score was used to assess fibrosis. Cure was defined by an undetectable viral load 12 weeks after the end of treatment. Results: A total of 835 patients were included (sex ratio 1.55, mean age 50.5 ± 13.73, extremes 20 and 84 years). The 60 - 69 age group was the most represented. The mean APRI score was 0.42 ± 0.29, with extremes of 0.019 and 1.84. The mean viral load was 2,316,193.086 IU/mL. All subjects had good renal function. Cytolysis was absent in 70% of cases. Without genotyping, a pan-genotypic regimen was used in all patients: Sofosbuvir (400 mg)/Daclatasvir (60 mg). The cure rate was 99.4%, with good tolerability. However, four cases of failure were recorded out of the 668 patients who underwent follow-up HCV-PCR testing after 12 weeks of treatment. Conclusion: The Sofosbuvir/Daclatasvir regimen is highly effective, with an excellent safety profile. However, the still high cost of these molecules limits their accessibility to a large proportion of patients.

Efficacy and Safety of Combined Bedaquiline and Delamanid Use among Patients with Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis in Beijing,China

Objectives The combined use of bedaquiline and delamanid(BDQ-DLM)is limited by an increased risk of prolonging the QTc interval.We retrospectively evaluated patients who received DLM/BDQcontaining regimens at a TB-specialized hospital.We aimed to present clinical efficacy and safety data for Chinese patients.Methods This case-control study included patients with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis(MDR-TB)treated with BDQ alone or BDQ plus DLM.Results A total of 96 patients were included in this analysis:64 in the BDQ group and 32 in the BDQ+DLM group.Among the 96 patients with positive sputum culture at the initiation of BDQ alone or BDQ combined with DLM,46 patients(71.9%)in the BDQ group and 29(90.6%)in the BDQ-DLM group achieved sputum culture conversion during treatment.The rate of sputum culture conversion did not differ between the two groups.The time to sputum culture conversion was significantly shorter in the BDQ-DLM group than in the BDQ group.The most frequent adverse event was QTc interval prolongation;however,the frequency of adverse events did not differ between the groups.Conclusion In conclusion,our results demonstrate that the combined use of BDQ and DLM is efficacious and tolerable in Chinese patients infected with MDR-TB.Patients in the BDQ-DLM group achieved sputum culture conversion sooner than those in the BDQ group.

Self-Healable and Stretchable PAAc/XG/Bi_(2)Se_(0.3)Te_(2.7) Hybrid Hydrogel Thermoelectric Materials

Thermoelectric power generators have attracted increasing interest in recent years owing to their great potential in wearable electronics power supply.It is noted that thermoelectric power generators are easy to damage in the dynamic service process,resulting in the formation of microcracks and performance degradation.Herein,we prepare a new hybrid hydrogel thermoelectric material PAAc/XG/Bi_(2)Se_(0.3)Te_(2.7)by an in situ polymerization method,which shows a high stretchable and self-healable performance,as well as a good thermoelectric performance.For the sample with Bi_(2)Se_(0.3)Te_(2.7)content of 1.5 wt%(i.e.,PAAc/XG/Bi2Se0.3Te27(1.5 wt%)),which has a room temperature Seebeck coefficient of-0.45 mV K^(-1),and exhibits an open-circuit voltage of-17.91 mV and output power of 38.1 nW at a temperature difference of 40 K.After being completely cut off,the hybrid thermoelectric hydrogel automatically recovers its electrical characteristics within a response time of 2.0 s,and the healed hydrogel remains more than 99%of its initial power output.Such stretchable and self-healable hybrid hydrogel thermoelectric materials show promising potential for application in dynamic service conditions,such as wearable electronics.

Ganoderma lucidum:a comprehensive review of phytochemistry,efficacy,safety and clinical study

Ganoderma lucidum,one of the most well-known edible fungi,is believed to be very beneficial for longevity and vitality.A long usage history suggests that G.lucidum has various clinical therapeutic effects.And experimental studies have confirmed that G.lucidum has multiple pharmacological effects,including antitumor,anti-microbial,anti-HIV protease,and antidiabetic activity and so on.With the deepening of research,more than 300 compounds have been isolated from G.lucidum.There is an increasing population of G.lucidum-based products,and its international development is expanding.Currently,G.lucidum has drawn much attention to its chemical composition,therapeutic effect,clinical value,and safety.This paper provides a comprehensive review of these aspects to enhance the global promotion of G.lucidum.

Efficacy of ginseng-based Renshenguben oral solution for cancer-related fatigue among patients with advanced-stage hepatocellular carcinoma:A prospective multicenter cohort study

Background:Cancer-related fatigue(CRF)is a common and debilitating symptom experienced by patients with advanced-stage cancer,especially those undergoing antitumor therapy.This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Renshenguben(RSGB)oral solution,a ginseng-based traditional Chinese medicine,in alleviating CRF in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)receiving antitumor treatment.Methods:In this prospective,open-label,controlled,multicenter study,patients with advanced HCC at BCLC stage C and a brief fatigue inventory(BFI)score of≥4 were enrolled.Participants were assigned to the RSGB group(RSGB,10 mL twice daily)or the control group(with supportive care).Primary and secondary endpoints were the change in multidimensional fatigue inventory(MFI)score,and BFI and functional assessment of cancer therapy-hepatobiliary(FACT-Hep)scores at weeks 4 and 8 after enrollment.Adverse events(AEs)and toxicities were assessed.Results:A total of 409 participants were enrolled,with 206 assigned to the RSGB group.At week 4,there was a trend towards improvement,but the differences were not statistically significant.At week 8,the RSGB group exhibited a significantly lower MFI score(P<0.05)compared to the control group,indicating improved fatigue levels.Additionally,the RSGB group showed significantly greater decrease in BFI and FACT-Hep scores at week 8(P<0.05).Subgroup analyses among patients receiving various antitumor treatments showed similar results.Multivariate linear regression analyses revealed that the RSGB group experienced a significantly substantial decrease in MFI,BFI,and FACT-Hep scores at week 8.No serious drug-related AEs or toxicities were observed.Conclusions:RSGB oral solution effectively reduced CRF in patients with advanced HCC undergoing antitumor therapy over an eight-week period,with no discernible toxicities.These findings support the potential of RSGB oral solution as an adjunctive treatment for managing CRF in this patient population.

Assessment of albendazole efficacy against Ascaris lumbricoides at three sites of Andhra Pradesh,Odisha,and Kerala in India

Objective:To assess efficacy of albendazole against Ascaris(A.)lumbricoides among school-children at three sites of Rajahmundry,Sundergarh and Wayanad.Methods:Sites were selected based on soil-transmitted helminths prevalence,different sociocultural-geographical characteristics and operational feasibility.9-12 Years old children from 14 schools were included.The study was conducted in two rounds:baseline&follow up survey.All eligible children found positive for A.lumbricoides at baseline were administered supervised single tablet albendazole 400 mg under the National Deworming Day Initiative.During post-treatment follow-up survey,eligible children who provided second stool sample were included in the final analysis.Stool samples were examined using WHO recommended Kato-Katz technique.Efficacy was estimated based on cure rate(CR)and Fecal Egg Count Reduction Rate(FECRR)among children found positive in baseline and follow-up surveys.Results:328 Out of 625(52.5%)were found positive for A.lumbricoides in the baseline survey and 85 out of 178 samples(47.8%)during post-treatment follow-up survey.Overall,the estimated CR was 52.2%.FECRR(95%CI)for albendazole was 72.6%(79.2%-66.0%).The FECRR was highest in East Godaveri[89.7%(96.8%-82.6%)],followed by Sundergarh[86.4%(95.3%-77.5%)]and Wayanad[69%(81.7%-56.4%)].Conclusions:Our study confirmed overall reduction in FEC although with varying albendazole efficacy for A.lumbricoides infection at three different locations in India.However,these finding may be assessed in context of ongoing MDA under Filaria control program and further studies by in vivo as well as in vitro methods are required to reach to a conclusion on possible resistance if any.

Chronic social defeat stress‑induced depression reduces BCG efficacy by promoting regulatory T‑cell levels in mice

Despite the initial successes of the Bacillus Calmette-Guerin(BCG)vaccine in children,its efficacy against tuberculosis is highly variable.There is a lack of understanding about how mental conditions influence BCG vaccination.Here,we used the chronic social defeat stress(CSDS)model to explore the effects of depression on BCG vaccination efficacy.We observed higher lung and spleen bacterial loads and a lower organ index in depressed compared to BCG mice.Meanwhile,a relatively lower T cell protective efficacy was observed in both compared to control and BCG mice via a mycobacterium growth inhibition assay(MGIA).Cytokine expression of IL-12p40,IL-1β,IL-17,TNF-αand IFN-γwas reduced,whereas the expression of IL-10 and IL-5 was increased in the spleen of both compared to BCG mice.Moreover,the proportions of CD4^(+)IFN-γ^(+),CD8^(+)IFN-γ^(+)T lymphocytes and CD4^(+)effector/central memory T cells were reduced in the splenocytes of the depressed BCG mice.Depression promotes CD4^(+)regulatory T cells(Treg)and myeloid-derived suppressor cell(MDSC)generation in depressed mice,contributing to the reduced pro-inflammatory immune response upon BCG vaccination.This study provides insight into the decreased protective immunity by BCG vaccination attributable to depression in mice.

Efficacy of radiofrequency ablation combined with sorafenib for treating liver cancer complicated with portal hypertension and prognostic factors

BACKGROUND Patients with liver cancer complicated by portal hypertension present complex challenges in treatment.AIM To evaluate the efficacy of radiofrequency ablation in combination with sorafenib for improving liver function and its impact on the prognosis of patients with this condition.METHODS Data from 100 patients with liver cancer complicated with portal hypertension from May 2014 to March 2019 were analyzed and divided into a study group(n=50)and a control group(n=50)according to the treatment regimen.The research group received radiofrequency ablation(RFA)in combination with sorafenib,and the control group only received RFA.The short-term efficacy of both the research and control groups was observed.Liver function and portal hypertension were compared before and after treatment.Alpha-fetoprotein(AFP),glypican-3(GPC-3),and AFP-L3 levels were compared between the two groups prior to and after treatment.The occurrence of adverse reactions in both groups was observed.The 3-year survival rate was compared between the two groups.Basic data were compared between the survival and non-surviving groups.To identify the independent risk factors for poor prognosis in patients with liver cancer complicated by portal hypertension,multivariate logistic regression analysis was employed.RESULTS When comparing the two groups,the research group's total effective rate(82.00%)was significantly greater than that of the control group(56.00%;P<0.05).Following treatment,alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase levels increased,and portal vein pressure decreased in both groups.The degree of improvement for every index was substantially greater in the research group than in the control group(P<0.05).Following treatment,the AFP,GPC-3,and AFP-L3 levels in both groups decreased,with the research group having significantly lower levels than the control group(P<0.05).The incidence of diarrhea,rash,nausea and vomiting,and fatigue in the research group was significantly greater than that in the control group(P<0.05).The 1-,2-,and 3-year survival rates of the research group(94.00%,84.00%,and 72.00%,respectively)were significantly greater than those of the control group(80.00%,64.00%,and 40.00%,respectively;P<0.05).Significant differences were observed between the survival group and the non-surviving group in terms of Child-Pugh grade,history of hepatitis,number of tumors,tumor size,use of sorafenib,stage of liver cancer,histological differentiation,history of splenectomy and other basic data(P<0.05).Logistic regression analysis demonstrated that high Child-Pugh grade,tumor size(6–10 cm),history of hepatitis,no use of sorafenib,liver cancer stage IIIC,and previous splenectomy were independent risk factors for poor prognosis in patients with liver cancer complicated with portal hypertension(P<0.05).CONCLUSION Patients suffering from liver cancer complicated by portal hypertension benefit from the combination of RFA and sorafenib therapy because it effectively restores liver function and increases survival rates.The prognosis of patients suffering from liver cancer complicated by portal hypertension is strongly associated with factors such as high Child-Pugh grade,tumor size(6-10 cm),history of hepatitis,lack of sorafenib use,liver cancer at stage IIIC,and prior splenectomy.

Effect of Health Education Program on Self-Efficacy and Functional Capacity of Patients with Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery in Khartoum State-Sudan, 2015-2019

Coronary heart disease is among the most prevalent and costly of all global health problems. Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) has been increasingly used since the 1960s. Coronary heart disease is a leading cause of death worldwide, including Sudan. Self-efficacy and functional capacity is a critical factor for quality of life in patients who has undergone CABG as well as for their caregivers from their families. Aim of the Study: To explore the effects of an educational program on self-efficacy and functional capacity of patients after CABG. 1) There will be no significant difference between the intervention group and control group concerning knowledge regarding Self-efficacy and functional capacity post CABG surgery. 2) The application of our educational program for the patients will enhance the patients with CABG surgery and improve knowledge about Self-efficacy and functional capacity post CABG surgery. 3) There are some socio demographic factors that affect the response to the educational program. Methods: This was a quasi-experimental, interventional and hospital-based study, including pre-test, a post-test and follow-up test, with a control group, conducted during the period from September 2014 to June 2019. Patients were recruited consecutively to the cases and control group using convenience sampling. The sample consisted of 76 patients;41 as cases and 35 as control group. The sample included those who had undergone CABG in Khartoum State. Relevant data were collected using a checklist to monitor the effect of a health education program on self-efficacy and functional capacity of the patients. Result: The results showed marked improvement in patients’ self-efficacy and functional capacity between pretest and posttest for the study group;p-value = (0.001) in the health status of cases in comparison to the control group. The indices were observed to be higher for patients who received a nursing educational program throughout the study period;p-value = (0.002).

RepBoTNet-CESA:An Alzheimer’s Disease Computer Aided Diagnosis Method Using Structural Reparameterization BoTNet and Cubic Embedding Self Attention

Various deep learning models have been proposed for the accurate assisted diagnosis of early-stage Alzheimer’s disease(AD).Most studies predominantly employ Convolutional Neural Networks(CNNs),which focus solely on local features,thus encountering difficulties in handling global features.In contrast to natural images,Structural Magnetic Resonance Imaging(sMRI)images exhibit a higher number of channel dimensions.However,during the Position Embedding stage ofMulti Head Self Attention(MHSA),the coded information related to the channel dimension is disregarded.To tackle these issues,we propose theRepBoTNet-CESA network,an advanced AD-aided diagnostic model that is capable of learning local and global features simultaneously.It combines the advantages of CNN networks in capturing local information and Transformer networks in integrating global information,reducing computational costs while achieving excellent classification performance.Moreover,it uses the Cubic Embedding Self Attention(CESA)proposed in this paper to incorporate the channel code information,enhancing the classification performance within the Transformer structure.Finally,the RepBoTNet-CESA performs well in various AD-aided diagnosis tasks,with an accuracy of 96.58%,precision of 97.26%,and recall of 96.23%in the AD/NC task;an accuracy of 92.75%,precision of 92.84%,and recall of 93.18%in the EMCI/NC task;and an accuracy of 80.97%,precision of 83.86%,and recall of 80.91%in the AD/EMCI/LMCI/NC task.This demonstrates that RepBoTNet-CESA delivers outstanding outcomes in various AD-aided diagnostic tasks.Furthermore,our study has shown that MHSA exhibits superior performance compared to conventional attention mechanisms in enhancing ResNet performance.Besides,the Deeper RepBoTNet-CESA network fails to make further progress in AD-aided diagnostic tasks.

Comparison of efficacy and safety of nab-paclitaxel and oxaliplatin+S-1 and standard S-1 and oxaliplatin chemotherapy regimens for treatment of gastric cancer

BACKGROUND Gastric cancer(GC)is a relatively frequent clinical phenomenon,referring to ma-lignant tumors emerging in the gastric mucosal epithelial cells.It has a high mor-bidity and mortality rate,posing a significant threat to the health of patients.Hence,how to diagnose and treat GC has become a heated topic in this research field.AIM To discuss the effectiveness and safety of nab-paclitaxel in combination with oxaliplatin and S-1(P-SOX)for the treatment of GC,and to analyze the factors that may influence its outcomes.METHODS A total of 219 eligible patients with advanced GC,who were treated at Qinghai University Affiliated Hospital Gastrointestinal Oncology between January 2018 and March 2020,were included in the study.Among them,149 patients received SOX regimen and 70 patients received S-1 regimen.All patients underwent both preoperative and postoperative chemotherapy consisting of 2-4 cycles each,totaling 6-8 cycles,along with parallel D2 radical surgical treatment.The patients were followed up for a period of three years or until reaching the event endpoint.RESULTS The short-term and long-term efficacy of the P-SOX group was significantly higher than that of the SOX group,and the safety was manageable.Cox multivariate analysis revealed that progression-free survival was associated with perioperative chemotherapy efficacy,tumor diameter≤2cm,high differentiation,and early cTNM(T stands for invasion depth;N stands for node metastasis;M stands for distant invasion)stage.CONCLUSION In comparison to the SOX regimen,the P-SOX regimen demonstrates improved short-term and long-term efficacy with tolerable adverse reactions.It is anticipated that the P-SOX regimen will emerge as a first-line chemotherapy option for GC.Patients with GC who receive effective perioperative chemotherapy(Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors 1.1,Tumor Regression Grade),have a tumor diameter≤2cm,exhibit high degree of differentiation,and are at an early cTNM stage show better prognosis.

Efficacy and Safety of Micropulse Trans-Scleral Cyclophotocoagulation in Cambodian Patients with Glaucoma

Objective: To evaluate the treatment outcomes of micropulse cyclophotocoagulation in Cambodian glaucoma patients. Materials and Methods: 14 patients were enrolled in this retrospective study that was conducted with the consent over a 14-month period. The medical records were analyzed for variables such as intra-ocular pressure, the number of anti-glaucoma drugs used, visual acuity, pain level, and complications during and after treatment. The main outcome was whether or not there was success or failure, with success being defined as a pressure level between 6 and 21 mmHg and a 30% decrease in IOP by week 24 (with/without drugs). Results: In our study, the mean age of patients was 52.36 ± 9.98 years old (42 to 75 years old). The mean intra-ocular pressure before treatment was 41.00 ± 12.26 mmHg, which decreased to 21.60 ± 8.11 mmHg (41.56% reduction) and 16.94 ± 5.46 mmHg (56.04% reduction) in the 12th and 24th weeks (p p Conclusion: Micro-pulse trans-scleral cyclophotocoagulation is a safe and effective method for lowering pressure in any stage of disease without the use of invasive surgeries.