Navigating interdisciplinary research:Historical progression and contemporary challenges

Interdisciplinary research plays a crucial role in addressing complex problems by integrating knowledge from multiple disciplines.This integration fosters innovative solutions and enhances understanding across various fields.This study explores the historical and sociological development of interdisciplinary research and maps its evolution through three distinct phases:pre-disciplinary,disciplinary,and post-disciplinary.It identifies key internal dynamics,such as disciplinary diversification,reorganization,and innovation,as primary drivers of this evolution.Additionally,this study highlights how external factors,particularly the urgency of World War II and the subsequent political and economic changes,have accelerated its advancement.The rise of interdisciplinary research has significantly reshaped traditional educational paradigms,promoting its integration across different educational levels.However,the inherent contradictions within interdisciplinary research present cognitive,emotional,and institutional challenges for researchers.Meanwhile,finding a balance between the breadth and depth of knowledge remains a critical challenge in interdisciplinary education.

A Clinical Study on the Effect of Group Nostalgia Therapy on Quality of Life and Cognitive Function in Elderly Patients with Depression

Background:Elderly people with depression require special care and attention.However,nostalgia is a complex emotional situation for a person who recalls the missing past.To improve mental health,quality of life,and attitudes toward aging in institutional care,group nostalgia therapy can be a nursing intermediary for the elderly.This study aimed to analyze the effect of group nostalgia therapy on quality of life cognitive function in elderly patients with depression.Methods:A total of 89 participants were enrolled in this study,which was further categorized into a control(n=40)and a nostalgia therapy group(n=49).A standard questionnaire was used to compare the QoL,MMSE and GDS scores between the control and the nostalgia therapy groups.Results:Neither the nostalgia group nor the control group showed any statistical difference based on the patient characteristics,and both groups had a homogeneous distribution with p<0.05.However,in the intervention with nostalgia therapy,the therapy group showed improvements in almost all four domains of quality of life:physical health,psychological,environmental and social well-being.Moreover,the standard regression residual plot observed that both the post-test scores of MMSE and GDS showed favorable scores with respect to WHO-QoL.Conclusion:The study observed that group nostalgia therapy helps improve the quality of life and cognitive function in elderly patients with depression.The study also concludes that reducing depressive symptoms through nostalgia therapy could improve all four domains of the WHOQoL BREF.

Decreased Average Albumin-to-Globulin Ratio During Radiotherapy Worsens the Prognosis of Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma:Implications for Nutritional Management

Objective Malnutrition and cachexia are common in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma(ESCC)patients undergoing radiotherapy.This study evaluated how malnutrition-and cachexia-related indicators,including the albumin-to-globulin ratio(AGR),and their changes during radiotherapy predict the treatment outcomes.Methods We reviewed a total of 172 ESCC patients receiving radiotherapy(as a primary cohort)and performed a Cox regression analysis on potential prognostic factors,including the AGR,as well as the TNM stage and concomitant chemotherapy.A subsequent receiver operating characteristics(ROC)curve and Kaplan Meier survival analysis was performed for ESCC patients stratified by the average AGR cut-off point.Results In addition to the well-documented factors(i.e.TNM stage and concomitant chemotherapy),the average AGR was a significant prognostic factor for ESCC patients receiving radiotherapy.By plotting the ROC curve of the average AGR with regard to the ESCC prognosis,we obtained cut-off points for the overall patients(cut-off point:1.5,AUC:0.636),for patients with stageⅡ/Ⅲdisease(cut-off point:1.5,AUC:0.611),and for patients with stageⅣdisease(cut-off point:1.84,AUC:0.900).The ESCC patients with higher average AGR had a significantly more favorable OS compared with those with a lower average AGR.Notably,ESCC patients who had an increasingΔAGR during radiotherapy had a considerably more favorable OS compared with those with a decreasingΔAGR.All of these findings were reproducible in the validation cohort.Conclusion A lower average AGR is indicative of a poorer prognosis for ESCC patients following radiotherapy.Improving the nutritional status and preventing or ameliorating cachexia might contribute to improving the prognosis of ESCC patients.