Gut microbiota changes associated with frailty in older adults:A systematic review of observational studies

BACKGROUND Frailty is a complex aging-related syndrome characterized by a cumulative loss of physiological reserve and increased vulnerability to adverse clinical outcomes,including falls,disability,incapacity and death.While an increasing number of studies suggest that the gut microbiota may play a key role in the pathophy-siology of frailty,direct evaluation of the association between gut microbiome alterations and frailty in older adults remains limited.AIM Seven electronic databases(China National Knowledge Infrastructure,VIP,SinoMed,Wanfang,PubMed,Web of Science and EMBASE)were searched for articles published before October 31,2023 to identify observational studies that compared the microbiomes of older adults with and without frailty.The diversity and composition of the gut microbiota were the main outcomes used to analyze the associations of changes in the gut microbiota with frailty in older adults.The quality of the included studies was assessed via the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.RESULTS Eleven observational studies with 912 older adults were included in this review.Consistent results revealed a significant difference in the gut microbiota composition between frail and non-frail older adults,with a significant decrease inαdiversity and a significant increase inβdiversity in frail older adults.The pooled results revealed that at the phylum level,four microbiota(Actinobacteria,Proteo-bacteria,Verrucomicrobia and Synergistetes)were significantly enriched,and two microbiota(Firmicutes and Fusobacteria)were significantly depleted in frail older adults.At the family level,the results consistently revealed that the abundances of 6 families,most of which belong to the Actinobacteria or Proteo-bacteria phylum,were greater in frail than in non-frail older adults.At the genus or species level,consistent results from more than two studies revealed that the abundances of the genera Prevotella,Faecalibacterium,and Roseburia were significantly lower in frail older adults;individual studies revealed that the abundances of some genera or species(e.g.,Megamonas,Blautia,and Megasphaera)were significantly lower,whereas those of other genera or species(e.g.,Bifidobacterium,Oscillospira,Ruminococcus and Pyramidobacter)were significantly greater in frail older adults.CONCLUSION This systematic review suggests that changes in the gut microbiota are associated with frailty in older adults,which is commonly reflected by a reduction in beneficial species and an increase in pathogenic species.However,further studies are needed to confirm these findings.

Review of Studies of Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety

Anxiety is considered to be one of the key psychological variables as well as one of the important emotional factors that affect language learning. Taken into account that classroom is the main place in which Chinese college students learn English,it is of great significance to study students' language anxiety in the classroom environment. Based on the previous researches, this paper reviews the relevant studies in this area conducted at home and abroad.

Longitudinal Studies on Illness Perceptions in Cancer Patients: A Scoping Review

Objective:To conduct a scoping review of longitudinal studies related to disease perception in cancer patients and to provide a reference for the improvement of disease perception in cancer patients.Methods:Using the scoping method,PubMed,Web of Science,The Cochrane Library,Medline,CNKI,Wanfang Database,VIP Chinese Scientific and Technical Journals Database,and China Biomedical Literature Database were searched up to July 2023 for analysis and discussion of the included literature.Results:A total of 19 articles were included,distributed across 9 countries including China,the Netherlands,and the United Kingdom,with 8 articles published in China.The study subjects included patients with breast cancer,colorectal cancer,laryngeal cancer,lung cancer,esophageal cancer,and bladder cancer.The content covered dynamic changes in disease perception,the impact of disease perception,and the influencing factors of disease perception.Conclusion:The number of longitudinal studies on disease perception in cancer patients is gradually increasing and becoming more diverse.However,issues such as a small total number of studies,single research methods,and short observation periods persist.In the future,it is necessary to conduct in-depth longitudinal research on disease perception in cancer patients,expand the scope of research fields,and provide more comprehensive theories to guide clinical treatment and nursing practices,ultimately improving the treatment outcomes and quality of life for cancer patients.

A review of challenges and opportunities in micropillar compression studies in Mg alloys

This review paper provides an overview of the micropillar compression technique as applied to magnesium(Mg) and its alloys. It explores the influence of various factors, such as pillar size, shape, temperature, and strain rate on the mechanical properties of Mg.Additionally, the impact of alloying elements, aging, and precipitates in Mg alloys has been extensively examined, revealing their significant influence on mechanical performance. The study highlights the strength and strain hardening improvements in Mg with decreasing pillar size in micropillar compression. Furthermore, the role of precipitates as strengthening agents, affecting deformation mechanisms and overall mechanical response, is explored. These valuable insights are crucial for designing Mg-based materials with enhanced mechanical properties for advanced engineering applications.

A Review of Evaluation Studies on Tourism Suitability

In order to fully understand the development trends and achievements of tourism suitability evaluation at home and abroad, this paper reviews the relevant literature of tourism suitability evaluation from five aspects-tourism climate, tourism environment, tourism resources, tourism destination and evaluation indicator, and gives discussions.

A Systematic Review of the Last-Decade Rural Studies from a Geographical Perspective: A Comparison of Related Studies

Although the world has reached a highly urbanized stage, there is still a large rural population and a large rural area, and various rural problems to be solved. Many developing and underdeveloped countries have garnered little attention in rural studies and have even more complicated rural development problems.To clarify the intellectual contribution of rural studies and to integrate research into practice, in this study,we conducted a bibliometric analysis of the last 10 years of rural studies from a geographical perspective by comparing and integrating other related studies. CiteSpace was used to analyze the leading journals, keyword frequency and evolution, research hotspots, and research trends of 3530 articles. Our findings include four sections presented as main contents in details. In the end, we propose at least 10 elements to the rural geography framework based on the viewpoints of predecessors and future requirements.

A Review of Studies about Mongolian Patent Medicine Huhegaridi-9 (Qinggan Jiuwei Pills)

It has been applied for many diseases such as plague fever, cold cough, sore throat and so on. In order to better study Huhegaridi-9, this paper started from the production process of Mongolian Patent Medicine Huhegaridi-9. It analyzed and discussed the clinical application, chemical components and pharmacological research of Huhegaridi-9. It is expected to provide a reference for relevant researchers and workers.

Literature Review of Overseas Studies on Multimodal Metaphor

The present study is the literature review of overseas studies on multimodal metaphor. The study aims to give a whole picture of the main trends of overseas studies on multimodal metaphor.

Effect of Teacher Feedback, Peer Review and the Combination on EFL Writing Study Proposal

Since the result of effect comparison is important for teacher's decision making,roles teacher feedback and peer review play respectively and collaboratively in tertiary-level EFL writing context should be addressed via quantitative study as this paper proposed.Quantitative data should be collected from students'first drafts,second drafts and written comments from teachers and peers.Gains for overall scores between the first and second drafts and correlation between suggestions and gains should be examined.

Current status of basic and clinical research studies in the field of gastroenterology in China

his article involves the major scientific advances in the field of gastroenterology in China, in which some investingations into the mechanism of diseases, new clues and new approaches to treatment are included.

Epidemiological Studies on Cystic Echinococcosis in China─A Review

In the four decades from 1951 to 1990, the six provinces or autonomous regions (Xinjiang, Gansu, Qinghai, Ningxia, Xizang and Nei Monggol) reported a total of 26 065surgical cases of hydatid disease, most of which were reported in the recent decade. About one third of the patients was children and adolescents under 15 years old. So far, cystic hydatid infections of local origin have been confirmed in 22 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities in the whole nation. Findings of X-ray examination and real-time B-mode ultrasonography in agricultural and pastoral areas of Xinjiang, Gansu, Qinghai,Ningxia and Xizang showed that the morbidity rate of hydatidosis in human population varied between 0.5% and 4.5%. The main animal intermediate host in all these regions is sheep, the morbidity of which varied between 3.3% and 90%. The infection rate of adult Echinococcus granulosus in dogs varied between 7% and 71%. The high-risk period for humans contracting hydatid disease is the pre-school age. Direct contact of children with dogs and ingestion of water, vegetables and foods contaminated by worm eggs are the chief mode of transmission for human hydatidosis. The common practices of home slaughter and of feeding dogs on offal containing hydatid cysts facilitate the life cycIe of the parasite.On the basis of hydatid control efforts for several years, the Ministry of Public Health promulgated officially the '1992-1995 National Programme for Hydatid Disease Control'in April, 1992, and pilot studies in which the control of hydatidosis is composed of extensive health education, sanitation of slaughtering and management and deworming of dogs are being established.Cystic echinococcosis has wide distribution in China and is a major public health problem in hyperendemic areas, poses a great threat against people's health and influences the development of livestock husbandry. This problem has received great attention from the medical and veterinary departments. In the rencent decade great efforts have been made in the epidemiology, parasitology and clinical treatment of echinococcosis, resulting in a better understanding of the disease and procedures effective in bringing about control of the disease

Clinical Studies Evaluating Effects of Probiotics on Parameters of Intestinal Barrier Function

The intestinal barrier is important in preventing translocation of bacteria, toxins and antigens from the lumen of the gut into the body. Enhanced permeability, or gut leakiness, has been associated with different diseases. Probiotics can, strain-specifically, improve the epithelial barrier function. However, so far most researches have used cell lines or animal models due to the difficulty of measuring the effects of products on the epithelial barrier function in vivo in humans. Here a systematic literature search was performed to find articles addressing the effects of probiotics on the barrier function in human trials. The Pubmed database was searched (January 2013) to identify human in vivo studies with probiotic products in which parameters for epithelial barrier function were measured. In total 29 studies were identified, but patients, bacterial characteristics and methods to measure intestinal barrier function caused large heterogeneity among these studies. About half of the studies showed positive results of probiotics on the epithelial barrier function, indicating a clear potential of probiotics in this field. In a case series of 14 patients using Ecologica825, a probiotic food supplement with known effect on epithelial barrier function, different markers of intestinal integrity improved significantly. Further studies in this field should consider strain(s), dose and duration of the probiotic supplementation as well as the markers used to measure epithelial barrier function. Besides the lactulose/mannitol test, zonulin and α1-antitrypsin might be valuable markers to measure epithelial barrier function in future experiments.

Attitude of Health Care Providers towards Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health Services in Developing Countries: A Systematic Review

The aim of the review was to synthesise the best available evidence regarding attitude of health care providers towards adolescent sexual and reproductive health services in developing countries. The review was conducted following qualitative research method. An online search of Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), British Nursing Index (BNI), EMBASE and MEDLINE databases was conducted to identify relevant studies for the review. There were nine studies that met the inclusion criteria and these were critically assessed by two independent reviewers using the standardised Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) critical appraisal forms. Data were extracted using the standardised JBI data extraction forms. A narrative synthesis was done on the findings. Key findings from the review indicate that unprofessional attitude of health care professionals and lack of youth friendly reproductive health services, inhibit adolescents from gaining access to sexual and reproductive health services in developing countries. It is recommended that youth friendly reproductive health services be provided to increase uptake of re-productive health services by adolescents.

Coffee consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus in Asians:A meta-epidemiological study of population-based cohort studies

BACKGROUND Previous systematic reviews have consistently reported that coffee consumption has a preventive effect on the occurrence of type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM).However,further evaluations between coffee consumption and the risk of T2DM in Asian populations are needed.AIM To conduct a meta-epidemiological study on systematic reviews evaluating the association between coffee consumption and the risk of T2DM in Asian people.METHODS The selection criterion was defined as a population-based prospective cohort study evaluating the association between coffee consumption and the risk of T2DM in Asian populations,reporting the adjusted relative risk(RR)and its 95%confidence interval(CI)for potential confounders.A fixed-effect model metaanalysis was applied to calculate the summary RR and its 95%CI in less than 50%of the I2 value indicating the level of heterogeneity.A two-stage fixed-effects doseresponse meta-analysis(DRMA)was performed to calculate the risk per unit dose(a cup per day).RESULTS A total of seven studies were selected in this meta-epidemiological study.The risk of T2DM in Asian populations was significantly reduced in the highest to the lowest dose group(summary RR=0.73,95%CI:0.66-0.82;I2 value=0.0%).The DRMA showed that drinking one cup of coffee per day reduced the risk of T2DM in Asian populations by 8%(RR=0.92,95%CI:0.90-0.95).CONCLUSION These findings support the conclusion that coffee consumption has a protective effect on the occurrence of T2DM in Asian men and women.

Assessment tools of nursing work environment in magnet hospitals: A review

In the 1990s,the American Nurses Association established a certification program called the Magnet Recognition Program through the American Nurses Credentialing Centre(ANCC)to complement the quality care provided to patients by hospitals.After the program was recognised,hospitals were identified as magnet hospitals[1].Some studies show that magnet hospitals provide a healthier working environment for nurses,accompanied by higher nurse satisfaction and better patient prognosis than non-magnet hospitals[2e5].The nursing work environment is the sum of various elements that directly or indirectly affect the patient care system[6].Improving the nursing work environment is a focal point and challenge for nursing administrators.Therefore,administrators in magnet hospitals usually apply a variety of assessment tools for effective evaluation of the nursing work environment to maintain and improve the health of the environment.

Systematic review with meta-analysis of the epidemiological evidence relating smoking to type 2 diabetes

BACKGROUND Evidence relating tobacco smoking to type 2 diabetes has accumulated rapidly in the last few years,rendering earlier reviews considerably incomplete.AIM To review and meta-analyse evidence from prospective studies of the relationship between smoking and the onset of type 2 diabetes.METHODS Prospective studies were selected if the population was free of type 2 diabetes at baseline and evidence was available relating smoking to onset of the disease.Papers were identified from previous reviews,searches on Medline and Embase and reference lists.Data were extracted on a range of study characteristics and relative risks(RRs)were extracted comparing current,ever or former smokers with never smokers,and current smokers with non-current smokers,as well as by amount currently smoked and duration of quitting.Fixed-and random-effects estimates summarized RRs for each index of smoking overall and by various subdivisions of the data:Sex;continent;publication year;method of diagnosis;nature of the baseline population(inclusion/exclusion of pre-diabetes);number of adjustment factors;cohort size;number of type 2 diabetes cases;age;length of follow-up;definition of smoking;and whether or not various factors were adjusted for.Tests of heterogeneity and publication bias were also conducted.RESULTS The literature searches identified 157 relevant publications providing results from 145 studies.Fifty-three studies were conducted in Asia and 53 in Europe,with 32 in North America,and seven elsewhere.Twenty-four were in males,10 in females and the rest in both sexes.Fifteen diagnosed type 2 diabetes from selfreport by the individuals,79 on medical records,and 51 on both.Studies varied widely in size of the cohort,number of cases,length of follow-up,and age.Overall,random-effects estimates of the RR were 1.33[95%confidence interval(CI):1.28-1.38]for current vs never smoking,1.28(95%CI:1.24-1.32)for current vs non-smoking,1.13(95%CI:1.11-1.16)for former vs never smoking,and 1.25(95%CI:1.21-1.28)for ever vs never smoking based on,respectively,99,156,100 and 100 individual risk estimates.Risk estimates were generally elevated in each subdivision of the data by the various factors considered(exceptions being where numbers of estimates in the subsets were very low),though there was significant(P<0.05)evidence of variation by level for some factors.Dose-response analysis showed a clear trend of increasing risk with increasing amount smoked by current smokers and of decreasing risk with increasing time quit.There was limited evidence of publication bias.CONCLUSION The analyses confirmed earlier reports of a modest dose-related association of current smoking and a weaker dose-related association of former smoking with type 2 diabetes risk.

A Systematic Review of the Literature on the Relationships between Chronic Diseases and Food Insecurity

Background: The association between food insecurity (FI) and obesity is now so well documented that scholars have dubbed it the “‘new’ food insecurity” and cited it as a leading cause of increased chronic disease (CD) risk. Here, the chain of causality is assumed to be FI → obesity → CD. However, this model overlooks the possible direct associations between FI and CD independent of obesity. Aim: This study assessed the literature on relationships between FI and CD. Methods: We conducted a systematic literature review of electronic databases. Selection criteria were designed to elicit studies that assessed FI and CD using a measure of CD other than obesity. Results: Fifty-one articles met the inclusion criteria. Forty-five studies (87%) reported a statistically significant association between FI and CD, but only 15 adjusted for obesity. The association was less consistent for asthma and dyslipidemia than for diabetes, hypertension, and other dietrelated CDs, and most were conducted in the USA or Canada. Conclusion: There is a body of literature documenting relationships between FI and CD, but it is heavily biased toward Western nations, ecological study designs, and type 2 diabetes as the CD of focus. A small subset of the literature controls for BMI, demonstrating that a portion of the FI-CD relationship cannot be fully explained by obesity. Possible direct pathways linking FI and CD include systematic effects of poverty that accompanies FI, micronutrient deficiencies, and environmental exposure to toxins;however, exploration of these alternative pathways is limited by study designs that fail to include obesity as a control variable.

Retrieval,reporting and methodological characteristics for systematic reviews/meta-analyses of animal models:a meta-epidemiological study

The study aimed to analyze the reporting and methodological quality of systematic reviews(SRs)/meta-analyses(MAs)of animal models to provide references for later studies and avoid the waste of medical resources.EMBASE and MEDLINE databases were searched from inception to November 2017,with no language restriction.Two reviewers selected inclusion dependently and extracted the basic characteristics.Review Manager 5.3,stata 12.0,and SPSS 21 software were used to conduct analyses.A total of 46 SRs/MAs were included.The results showed that the English databases with high retrieval frequency are PubMed/MEDLINE,EMBASE,and Web of Science.67.31%(31/46)of the articles reported the search strategy in the full text or the appendix.65.22%(30/46)reported the literature screening flow diagram,and only 19.57%(9/46)reported the number of works of literature retrieved in each database.60.87%(28/46)illustrated supplement retrieval.Through 2 subgroup analyses,it was found that there were no significant differences in the quality of reports of PRISMA items.But referring to the methodological quality or reporting of PRESS items,SCI was better than that of non-SCI,while there seemed a source of funding to have no significant impact on the methodological quality or the items of PRESS.The results of PRESS,AMSTAR 2,and PRISMA were correlated,and the correlation between PRISMA and AMSTAR 2 was strong.These results demonstrated that search strategies of animal model SRs/MAs are still not enough comprehensive,report specification and methodological quality still need to be ameliorated.To show users the scientificity and rigor of the study,future research should focus on these various guidelines like PRESS,PRISMA,and AMSTAR 2 checklists that have been issued,it can help to increase the value of research and improve the utilization of medical resources.

A Review of Grief Counselling Practices for Family Members of Oncology Patients in Hospice Care

In cancer patients, especially terminal patients, the family members of the patients will develop more serious sadness and find it difficult to face death rationally, which affects the quality of life and activities. Because of this, in the clinical treatment of oncology patients, strengthening hospice care for family members, doing a good job of death education, assisting them to face and participate in the clinical treatment of oncology in a positive way, and avoiding excessive grief can simultaneously improve the quality of life of patients and their families.

A Critical Review of “A Comparative study of the effects of input-based and production-based instruction on vocabulary acquisition by young EFL learners”

A critical review of an article titled"A Comparative study of the effects of input-based and production-based instruction on vocabulary acquisition by young EFL learners"will be conducted. On the one hand, the reviewed study has reached its significance in the achievement of the comparative effects of input-based and production-based tasks on vocabulary acquisition. On the other hand, some problems can be found in the study, from research method to its discussion. The present paper is devoted to analyzing main aspects of the article one by one and providing corresponding suggestions.