Benefit in physical function and quality of life to nonsurgical treatment of varicose veins: Pilot study

BACKGROUND Studies on varicose veins have focused its effects on physical function;however,whether nonsurgical treatments alter muscle oxygenation or physical function remains unclear.Moreover,the differences in such functions between individuals with varicose veins and healthy individuals remain unclear.AIM To investigate changes in physical function and the quality of life(QOL)following nonsurgical treatment of patients with varicose veins and determine the changes in their muscle oxygenation during activity.METHODS We enrolled 37 participants(those with varicose veins,n=17;healthy individuals,n=20).We performed the following measurements pre-and post-nonsurgical treatment in the varicose vein patients and healthy individuals:Calf muscle oxygenation during the two-minute step test,open eyes one-leg stance,30 s sit-to-stand test,visual analog scale(VAS)for pain,Pittsburgh sleep quality index,physical activity assessment,and QOL assessment.RESULTS Varicose veins patients and healthy individuals differ in most variables(physical function,sleep quality,and QOL).Varicose veins patients showed significant differences between pre-and post-nonsurgical treatment—results in the 30 sit-to-stand test[14.41(2.45)to 16.35(4.11),P=0.018],two-minute step test[162.29(25.98)to 170.65(23.80),P=0.037],VAS for pain[5.35(1.90)to 3.88(1.73),P=0.004],and QOL[39.34(19.98)to 26.69(17.02),P=0.005];however,no significant difference was observed for muscle oxygenation.CONCLUSION Nonsurgical treatment improved lower extremity function and QOL in varicose veins patients,bringing their condition close to that of healthy individuals.Future studies should include patients with severe varicose veins requiring surgery to confirm our findings.

Effects of intensive psychological intervention on treatment compliance,psychological status,and quality of life of patients with epilepsy

BACKGROUND Epilepsy is a nervous system disease characterized by recurrent attacks,a long disease course,and an unfavorable prognosis.It is associated with an enduring therapeutic process,and finding a cure has been difficult.Patients with epilepsy are predisposed to adverse moods,such as resistance,anxiety,nervousness,and anxiety,which compromise treatment compliance and overall efficacy.AIM To explored the influence of intensive psychological intervention on treatment compliance,psychological status,and quality of life(QOL)of patients with epilepsy.METHODS The clinical data of 105 patients with epilepsy admitted between December 2019 and July 2023 were retrospectively analyzed,including those of 50 patients who underwent routine intervention(control group)and 55 who underwent intensive psychological intervention(research group).Treatment compliance,psychological status based on the Self-Rating Anxiety Scale(SAS)and Depression Scale Self-Rating Depression Scale(SDS)scores,hope level assessed using the Herth Hope Scale(HHS),psychological resilience evaluated using the Psychological Resilience Scale,and QOL determined using the QOL in Epilepsy-31 Inventory(QOLIE-31)were comparatively analyzed.RESULTS Treatment compliance in the research group was 85.5%,which is significantly better than the 68.0%of the control group.No notable intergroup differences in preinterventional SAS and SDS scores were identified(P>0.05);however,after the intervention,the SAS and SDS scores decreased significantly in the two groups,especially in the research group(P<0.05).The two groups also exhibited no significant differences in preinterventional HHS,Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale(CD-RISC),and QOLIE-31 scores(P>0.05).After 6 months of intervention,the research group showed evidently higher HHS,CD-RISC,tenacity,optimism,strength,and QOLIE-31 scores(P<0.05).CONCLUSION Intensive psychological intervention enhances treatment compliance,psychological status,and QOL of patients with epilepsy.

Critical care nurses＇ attitude towards life-sustaining treatments in South East Iran

BACKGROUND:Life-sustaining treatments(LSTs)may prolong life but greatly decrease the quality of death.One factor influencing decision-making about withholding and withdrawing these treatments is the attitude of nurses.This study aimed to evaluate the attitude of critical care nurses towards life-sustaining treatments in South East Iran.METHODS:In this cross-sectional study,"Ethnicity and Attitudes towards Advance Care Directives Questionnaire"was used to investigate the attitude of 104 critical care nurses towards lifesustaining treatments in three hospitals affiliated to Kerman University of Medical Sciences.RESULTS:The findings of this study indicated that although a majority of critical care nurses(77%)did not have personal desire for use of LSTs including CPR and mechanical ventilation,they had moderately negative to neutral attitude towards general use of LSTs(2.95 of 5).CONCLUSIONS:These findings suggest that nurses'attitude towards LSTs can be changed by inclusion of specific courses about death,palliative care and life-sustaining treatments in undergraduate and postgraduate nursing curricula.Educating Muslim nurses about religious aspects of LSTs may also improve their attitudes.

Multidisciplinary diagnosis and treatment nutritional support intervention for gastrointestinal tumor radiotherapy:Impact on nutrition and quality of life

BACKGROUND Gastrointestinal tumors are a major cause of cancer-related deaths and have become a major public health problem.This study aims to provide a scientific basis for improving clinical treatment effects,quality of life,and prognosis of patients with gastrointestinal tumors.AIM To explore the clinical effect of the multidisciplinary diagnosis and treatment(MDT)nutrition intervention model on patients with gastrointestinal tumors.METHODS This was a case control study which included patients with gastrointestinal tumors who received radiotherapy at the Department of Oncology between January 2021 and January 2023.Using a random number table,120 patients were randomly divided into MDT and control groups with 60 patients in each group.To analyze the effect of MDT on the nutritional status and quality of life of the patients,the nutritional status and quality of life scores of the patients were measured before and after the treatment.RESULTS Albumin(ALB),transferrin(TRF),hemoglobin(Hb),and total protein(TP)levels significantly decreased after the treatment.The control group had significantly lower ALB,TRF,Hb,and TP levels than the MDT group,and the differences in these levels between the two groups were statistically significant(P<0.05).After the treatment,the MDT group had significantly more wellnourished patients than the control group(P<0.05).The quality of life total score,somatic functioning,role functioning,and emotional functioning were higher in the MDT group than in the control group.By contrast,pain,fatigue,nausea,and vomiting scores were lower in the MDT group than in the control group(P<0.05).CONCLUSION MDT nutritional intervention model effectively improves the nutritional status and quality of life of the patients.The study provides a rigorous theoretical basis for improving the prognosis of cancer patients.In the future,we intend to provide additional treatment methods for improving the quality of life of patients with cancer.

The Influence of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine Treatment on the Quality of Life and Laboratory Indicators of Patients with Novel Coronavirus Pneumonia

Objective: To investigate the influence of integrated Chinese and Western medicine treatment on the quality of life and laboratory indicators of patients with novel coronavirus pneumonia (COVID-19). Methods: A prospective, self-controlled study was conducted to analyze the changes in corresponding laboratory indicators and quality of life in 75 confirmed COVID-19 patients treated with integrated Chinese and Western medicine in our hospital during the early stage, middle stage, recovery period, and two weeks after discharge. The effectiveness and safety of the treatment regimen were evaluated in conjunction with the time for 2019-nCoV nucleic acid conversion, disease progression, and adverse reactions. Results: The PLT levels in the initial stage were significantly lower than those in the recovery period in 75 patients. The CRP levels in the initial stage were significantly lower than those after discharge for 2 weeks. The TBIL, IBTL, and DHIL levels in the initial stage were significantly lower than those in the middle stage. The K+ levels in the initial stage were significantly lower than those in the recovery period and after discharge for 2 weeks. The LYMGH levels in the initial stage were significantly lower than those in the recovery period and after discharge for 2 weeks. The TP and ALB levels in the initial stage were higher than those in the middle stage and the recovery period. The LDH levels, scores of daily activity limitation, scores of respiratory distress symptoms, scores of psychological emotions, CT imaging scores, and positive rate of nucleic acid were significantly lower than those in the recovery period and after discharge for 2 weeks. The AG, CK, CK-MB, and α-HBDH levels in the initial stage were significantly higher than those in the recovery period. However, the AMY level in the initial stage was significantly lower than that in the recovery period and after discharge for 2 weeks (p Conclusion: Integrated Chinese and Western medicine treatment has a significant impact on laboratory indicators such as PLT, LYMGH, CRP, TBIL, IBTL, DHIL, TP, ALB, K+, AG, LDH, CK, CK-MB, α-HBDH, AMY, CT imaging, and 2019-nCoV nucleic acid in COVID-19 patients. It has good clinical efficacy and safety, and can improve the quality of life of patients.

Life cycle assessment for waste acid treatment in zinc smelting

Lift cycle assessment(LCA)methodology was applied to evaluating and comparing two waste acid disposal processes in zinc smelting.The results indicate that environmental impacts of gas−liquid vulcanization technologies are human toxicity,abiotic depletion potential,and global warming risk,which are mainly caused in neutralizing−evaporating−crystallization unit and electrodialysis unit.As for traditional lime neutralization method,vulcanization unit is the main factor.In this regard,the total environmental impact of traditional lime neutralization method is much higher than that of gas−liquid vulcanization technologies.Furthermore,the sensitive analysis shows that electricity and sodium sulfide(60%)are sensitive factors in two waste acid disposal technologies.In addition,the total cost of disposing a functional unit waste acid in traditional lime neutralization process is nearly 27 times that of the gas−liquid vulcanization waste acid disposal technologies.

Physicians’ Use of Patients’ Daily Reports of Quality of Life to Evaluate Treatment Response in Phase I Cancer Trials

For cancer patients on Phase I trials, one of the most important physician decisions is whether or not patients are deriving benefit from therapy. With an increasing number of cytostatic treatment agents, the criteria to determine patient response to Phase I treatment has become harder to define. Physicians are increasingly looking to patient-reported outcomes (PROs) such as quality of life (QOL) to help evaluate treatment response. Electronic daily diary (EDD) devices can be used by patients to report their QOL over extended periods of time, thereby providing a more accurate picture of how patients are affected by treatment on a daily basis. However, questions remain about how to integrate this patient-reported information into decisions about Phase I treatment. This study investigated how physicians use patients’ daily QOL reports to evaluate patient response to Phase I treatment. Data were collected over a 4-month period from Phase I patients (N = 30) and physicians (N = 3) in an NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center. Patients completed daily QOL reports using EDD devices and physicians were provided with a summary of patients’ QOL before each visit. After the visit, doctors recorded their treatment decision and also rated the importance of four biomedical factors (Toxicity, Imaging, Labs, and Performance Status) and QOL in their treatment decision for that visit. Although physicians rated QOL as being very important in evaluating treatment response, in practice, when predictors of their decisions were analyzed, results showed they relied exclusively on biomedical data (Toxicity, Imaging) to make Phase I treatment decisions. Questions remain about the utility and effective integration of QOL and biomedical data in clinical decision-making processes in Phase I clinical trials.

A Review of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE): Symptoms, Risk Factors, Treatment, and Health Related Quality of Life Issues

In this paper, we present a thorough review of one of the most life-threatening autoimmune diseases, Systemic lupus erythematosus (lupus). Symptoms, risk factors, including genetic and epidemiological factors are discussed. Treatment, life expectancies, and Health Related Quality of Life of patients with SLE will be discussed as well. Special attention will be given to Lupus Nephritis.

Glycaemic control, treatment satisfaction and quality of life in type 2 diabetes patients in Greece: The PANORAMA study Greek results

AIM: To provide an update on glycaemic control inEuropean patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM). We present the Greek population data of the study. METHODS: An observational multicenter, cross-sectional study evaluating glycaemic control and a range of other clinical and biological measures as well as quality of life(Qo L) and treatment satisfaction in 375 patients with T2 DM enrolled by 25 primary care sites from Greece. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients was 63.5 years and the male/female ratio 48.9%/51.1%. 79.7% of the patients exerted none or light physical activity, 82.4% were overweight or obese and 32.9% did not meet Hb A1 c target of less than 7.0%(53 mmol/mol). Patients reported high satisfaction to continue with treatment, high satisfaction with administered treatment and increased willingness to recommend treatment to others(mean Diabetes Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire score 29.1 ± 5.6). However, 80% of the patients reported that their Qo L would be better without diabetes. Finally, the most challenging parameter reported was the lack of freedom to eat and drink. CONCLUSION: This analysis of the Greek Panorama study results showed that a considerable percentage of T2 DM patients in Greece do not achieve glycaemic target levels, despite the favourably reported patient satisfaction from administered therapy. Additionally, the majority of primary care T2 DM patients in Greece depict the negative effect of the disease in their Qo L.

Impact of extended nursing model after multi-disciplinary treatment on young patient with post-stroke

BACKGROUND Stroke has become one of the most serious life-threatening diseases due to its high morbidity,disability,recurrence and mortality rates.AIM To explore the intervention effect of multi-disciplinary treatment(MDT)extended nursing model on negative emotions and quality of life of young patients with post-stroke.METHODS A total of 60 young stroke patients who were hospitalized in the neurology department of our hospital from January 2020 to December 2021 were selected and randomly divided into a control group and an experimental group,with 30 patients in each group.The control group used the conventional care model and the experimental group used the MDT extended nursing model.After the inhospital and 3-mo post-discharge interventions,the differences in negative emotions and quality of life scores between the two groups were evaluated and analyzed at the time of admission,at the time of discharge and after discharge,respectively.RESULTS There are no statistically significant differences in the negative emotions scores between the two groups at admission,while there are statistically significant differences in the negative emotions scores within each group at admission and discharge,at discharge and post-discharge,and at discharge and post-discharge.In addition,the negative emotions scores were all statistically significant at discharge and after discharge when compared between the two groups.There was no statistically significant difference in quality of life scores at the time of admission between the two groups,and the difference between quality of life scores at the time of admission and discharge,at the time of discharge and post-discharge,and at the time of admission and post-discharge for each group of patients was statistically significant.CONCLUSION The MDT extended nursing mode can improve the negative emotion of patients and improve their quality of life.Therefore,it can be applied in future clinical practice and is worthy of promotion.

Correlation of Treatment Compliance,Treatment Attitude and Belief,and Quality of Life in Community Hypertensive Patients

Objective:To explore the relationship between treatment compliance,treatment attitude and belief,and quality of life in patients with hypertension in the community,and to provide evidence for improving their quality of life.Methods:A convenient sampling method was used to survey 250 patients with hypertension who met the inclusion criteria using the General Questionnaire,Treatment compliance,Treatment Attitudes and Beliefs,and Quality of Life Scale.Results:The total score of treatment compliance of hypertension patients in the community was(91.678±11.431),treatment attitude and belief score(70.407±9.008),quality of life score(113.599±13.511),Pearson correlation analysis showed that the treatment compliance of hypertension patients was positively correlated with quality of life(r=0.433,P<0.01),and treatment attitude and belief were positively correlated with quality of life(r=0.463,P<0.01).Conclusion:The quality of life of patients with hypertension in the community is related to treatment compliance and treatment attitudes and beliefs.

Influence of Tooth Loss and Unmet Treatment Needs on the Social Aspects of Quality of Life and Self-esteem in Adolescents

Adolescence represents specific period of life and development,when young person is going through physical,emotional and mental changes,risking poor general and oral health outcome that might affect quality of life.Negative effects of poor oral health are various:difficulties with speaking and eating,pain and malfunction.This might cause emotional and mental problems,leading to avoidance of speaking,smiling and socializing with friends.Cross-sectional study included 234 participants(15-16 years old).The research instruments used in the study were questionnaire and clinical examination.Questionnaire referred to socio-demographic characteristics of participants,their oral and general health related habits,self-evaluation of confidence and successfulness and effect of oral impacts on daily performances.Clinical examination was used to determine dental status in terms of tooth loss,need for prosthodontic rehabilitation and presence of dental malocclusion.Results:24.6%(58)of adolescents had at least one tooth missing.Significant difference between the genders was obtained,as 32.5%girls had at least one tooth extracted compared to 8.1%of boys.Normative need for prosthodontic rehabilitation was present in 22.0%of subjects.Dental problems negatively affected their sleep and emotions(14.4%and 10.2%few times in period of one month).Data analyses pointed one correlation between extracted teeth and psychosocial aspect of participants'life(difficulties and embarrassment when smiling,talking and spending time with friends,emotional problems).Unmet normative need for prosthodonic or orthodontic treatment affected participants'ability to sleep and relax.Percentage of adolescents with extracted teeth was high,as well as normative treatment need for prosthodontic rehabilitation.Poor dental status affected quality of life of adolescents,especially emotional and mental well-being.Dental service should provide sufficient information to adolescents about prevention of tooth loss and consequences of teeth extraction,not only within masticatory function but also concerning oral health related quality of life.

Comparing the effectiveness of pattern differentiation treatment and fixed formula treatment for perimenopausal syndrome with Chinese herbal medicine:A study protocol

Objective:To further understand and compare the effectiveness of pattern differentiation treatment and fixed prescription treatment in perimenopausal syndrome.Methods:The study will be conducted in the Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions Workers'Medical Clinics,Hong Kong Baptist University Chinese Medicine Clinic cum Training and Research Centre(Hong Kong,China).One hundred Chinese women,aged 45-55 years,will be recruited.The participants will be randomized into 2 groups.The intervention group will be administered medication,based on pattern differentiation,by qualified traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)practitioners.After each evaluation,TCM practitioners will evaluate and revise the prescription,based on the participants'patterns.The control group will be given the standard formula,i.e.,the Erxian decoction,which contains 6 herbs.The treatment period and the follow-up period will be 8 weeks each.The primary assessment outcome measure will be the Kupperman Index,and the secondary outcome measure will be the Menopause-specific Quality of Life Questionnaire score.Conclusion:Pattern-differentiated treatment is the basic principle of TCM to understand and treat diseases.The study will show the pattern-differentiated treatment is effectiveness than the fixed prescription.

Analysis of the Effect of Different Treatment Schemes on Helicobacter Pylori Infection on Improving the Quality of Life of Patients

Objective:To analyze the effect of different treatment schemes on the quality of life of patients with Helicobacter pylori infection.Methods:From June 2019 to November 2020,96 patients with Helicobacter pylori infection were selected and randomly assigned Combined treatment with omeprazole,amoxicillin and clarithromycin was named group A;Group B was treated with omeprazole,amoxicillin,clarithromycin and colloidal bismuth pectin;Group C was given omeprazole,amoxicillin,clarithromycin and metronidazole.Results:The symptom score and gastroscope score of group B or C were lower than those of group A(P<0.05);The incidence of adverse reactions and HP eradication rate in group C were lower than those in group B,and those in group B were lower than those in group A(P<0.05);The quality of life score of group C was higher than that of group B,and that of group B was higher than that of group A,P<0.05.Conclusions:The sequential therapy of omeprazole,amoxicillin,clarithromycin and metronidazole in patients with Helicobacter pylori infection can improve the HP eradication rate,improve the quality of life of patients,which is safe and efficient.

End-of-life vehicles processing,towards a thermal treatment of auto shredder residue

All over the world,the management of End-of-life Vehicles(ELV) and Automobile Shredder Residue(ASR) is an increasing issue for the car industry.The setting up of several environmental directives,among others the notion of extended producer responsibility,encourage car manufacturers to find alternatives solutions to waste disposal.For 2017,China aims for the recyclability and energy recovery of 95% of total weight of used cars,and in order to reach this rate,the development of some ASR thermal processes could be envisaged.With this research,an overview of ELV management was given and the different solutions about ASR thermal treatment were presented.It is showed that in spite of its big heterogeneity,the high heating value of ASR makes pyrolysis and gasification very interesting,compared to incineration or disposal of in landfills.

External validation of the Moroccan Arabic version of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer colorectal(CR29)module:Monocentric study

BACKGROUND Quality of life(QoL)outcomes are a focal endpoint of cancer treatment strategies.AIM To externally validate the Moroccan Arabic version of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer(EORTC)QoL Questionnaire(QLQ)for colorectal cancer(CRC)patients(CR29).METHODS Both Moroccan Arabic modules of QLQ-CR29 and QLQ-C30 were administered to Moroccan CRC.Psychometric properties were retested by measuring Cronbach’s alpha coefficient for reliability and Intraclass correlation coefficient(ICC)to examine test-retest reproducibility.The multitrait-scaling analysis was performed to demonstrate the validity of the instrument and known-groups comparison was used to test the score’s ability to discriminate between different groups of patients.RESULTS In total,221 patients were included in our study and 34 patients completed the questionnaire twice.The Urinary Frequency scale and Stool Frequency scale had good internal consistency with alpha Cronbach coefficients of 0.79 and 0.83 respectively,while the same coefficients were moderately lower for the Blood and Mucus in Stool scale(0.61)and the Body Image scale(0.67).The ICCs ranged from 0.88 to 1 indicating good to excellent reproducibility.In multitrait scaling analyses,the criterion for item convergent and divergent validity was satisfactory.The known-group comparison showed statistically significant differences between patients according to age,gender,stoma status,tumor location,and radiotherapy.CONCLUSION The Moroccan Arabic version of the EORTC QLQ-CR29 is a valid and reliable tool that can be used safely for research and clinical purposes in Moroccan CRC patients.

The quality of life follow-up of 6 months for the patients with intratracheal tumor accepted microwave treatment under fibrobronchoscope

Objective To research treatment effect of microwave heat coagulation assisted laser and local chemotherapy under fibrobron-choscope for the acute respiratory d istress from intratracheal tumor or metastasis neoplasia,and assess qu ality of life after treatment.Method In the emergency,applied microwave histological coagulation treatmen t under fibrobronchoscope to 2patie nts of acute respiratory distress,e ven asphyxia from intratracheal tumor o r metastasis tumor.Removed the mass,and assisted laser and local chemotherapy necessarily to relieve res-piratory distress.Observed quality of life.Results The intratracheal mass of 2patients were eliminated completely,distre ss and asphyxia were relieved and there were no severe sid e effects.The patients lived over 6months,completed self-care,and joined the light physical strength labo r.The muscle power also reachⅣlevel fromⅠlevel.Conclusion The treatment of microwave histolog ical coagulation assisted laser and local chemotherapy is one good method to re lieve the respiratory distress or asphyxia from late intratracheal tumo r or transmission tumor,and promote quality of life obviously.

采前氯化钙和水杨酸处理对蟠枣采后贮藏品质的影响

为探究采前处理对蟠枣果实采后贮藏品质的影响,以新疆主栽鲜食品种蟠枣为研究对象,分别于果实花期、幼果期、膨大期、着色期采用清水(CK)、10 g/L氯化钙(CaCl_(2))、100 mmol/L水杨酸(SA)和10 g/L CaCl_(2)+100 mmol/L SA进行采前喷施处理,采收后置于常温货架贮藏,每天统计果实的转红率、转红指数、腐烂率和失重率,测定果实的可溶性固形物含量、硬度和色泽等指标。结果表明:采前喷施CaCl_(2)、SA和CaCl_(2)+SA均可一定程度上抑制蟠枣的转红和腐烂,使其保持较低的失重率,使果实维持较高的可溶性固形物含量和硬度,保持较好的色泽,其中,10 g/L CaCl_(2)+100 mmol/L SA采前处理效果最佳,常温货架8 d时,果实的转红率和腐烂率分别较对照低23.34个百分点和36.66个百分点,失重率仅为1.68%,果实可溶性固形物含量维持在21.47%,硬度为9.45 kg/cm^(2),保持较好的商品性。综上,采前喷施10 g/L CaCl_(2)+100 mmol/L SA能有效保持蟠枣采后贮藏品质。