Background: Breast cancer is currently the most prevalent malignancy among women. Psychological resilience is an important factor that diminishes the stress-related emotional and psychosocial disturbances triggered when receiving the diagnosis. Furthermore, resilience appears to be associated with cortisol, the hormonal end-product of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis; however, further studies are needed due to the mixed results reported. Thus, we aim to examine the predictive role of social support and cortisol in resilience among breast cancer patients.
Methods: A total of 132 women with primary breast cancer completed the Medical Outcomes Study-Social Support Survey (MOS-SSS) and the Resilience Scale (RS-14) and provided four salivary samples for the estimation of participants' total daily cortisol production, for which the formula of the area under the curve with respect to the ground (AUCg) was applied. Moderation analyses were performed to study the influence of social support and AUCg on psychological resilience levels.
Results: The regression analyses showed a direct significant effect for the emotional support subscale of MOS-SSS on resilience and the interaction between emotional support and AUCg was also found to be statistically significant. Specifically, the conditional effect of emotional support on resilience was found to be significant at middle (M = 3.08; p < .05) and low levels (M = .59; p < .001) of AUCg.
Conclusions: Our results suggest that newly diagnosed breast cancer women with middle and low diurnal cortisol profiles may benefit more from emotional support based-interventions while women with high diurnal cortisol may need more individualized therapies.
Objective: The purpose of this literature review article is to provide a synthesis of recent research focused on the use of 3 techniques to evaluate MS-related fatigue: electroencephalography [EEG], transcranial direct-current stimulation (tDSC), and transcranial- magnetic stimulation (TMS). Method: We performed a literature search in the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL, EBSCOhost), MEDLINE (OVID), APA PsycInfo (OVID), Scopus (Elsevier), and Web of Science (Clarivate) databases, limited to 2015 and after. Results: Our review revealed that fatigue in MS patients can be quantified and predicted using electrophysiological techniques. Such techniques, which yield objective data, are historically assessed in relation to subjective data, or perceived fatigue. We identified studies using EEG, TMS, and/or tDCS to study fatigue in people with MS. In total, 220 records were identified with 19 studies meeting inclusion criteria. Quality appraisal revealed that the level of evidence was generally graded "good". Conclusions: Despite the heterogenous nature of reviewed the studies and selected the varied self-report fatigue measures, our literature synthesis suggests promise for the use of EEG, TMS, and/or tDCS approaches in more accurately assessing fatigue in people with MS. Further research is needed in this arena.
Background: Breast milk is essential for premature infants. It contains a variety of functional and protective nutrients that help to create a suitable microenvironment for intestinal development and maturation. This prospective and observational study was planned to examine the effects of feeding premature infants with fresh or frozen breastmilk on their gut microbiota.
Materials and methods: The study was carried out with a total of 40 infants, with a gestational age of 28-326 weeks, fed fresh (n = 20) or frozen (n = 20) breastmilk. Stool samples were stored at -80°C until analysis. Infants were included in groups based on the feed type, which accounted for more than 70% of their 10-day feeding. The Mann-Whitney U, Chi-square, and t-tests were used to evaluate the demographic data. Stool samples were analyzed by sequencing the V3--V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene from the extracted DNA for microbiota analysis.
Results: Streptococcus and Enterobacteriales, the majority of which are considered human pathogens, in infants receiving frozen breastmilk (Streptococcus 69%, Enterobacteriales 79%) was higher than that in infants receiving fresh breastmilk (Streptococcus 16%, Enterobacteriales 49%). Further, the Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium species were more abundant in infants who received fresh breastmilk (Lactobacillus 17%, Bifidobacterium 12%) than in infants who received frozen breastmilk (Lactobacillus 3%, Bifidobacterium 1%).
Conclusion: Thus, compared to frozen breast milk, fresh breastmilk has an effect on the diversity of preterm infants' gut microbiota.
Up to 1 in 3 youth in the United States have a childhood-onset chronic health condition (CHC), which can lead to neurodevelopmental disruptions in cognitive functioning and brain structure. However, the nature and extent of structural neurobiomarkers that may be consistent across a broad spectrum of CHCs are unknown. Thus, the purpose of this study was to identify potential differences in brain structure in youth with and without chronic physical health conditions (e.g., diabetes, hemophilia). Here, 49 T1 structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) images were obtained from youth with (n = 26) and without (n = 23) CHCs. Images were preprocessed using voxel-based morphometry (VBM) to generate whole-brain voxel-wise gray matter volume maps and whole-brain extracted estimates of cortical surface area and cortical thickness. Multi-scanner harmonization was implemented on surface-based estimates and linear models were used to estimate significant main effects of the group. We detected widespread decreases in brain structure in youth with CHCs as compared to controls in regions of the prefrontal, cingulate, and visual association areas. The insula exhibited the opposite effect, with cases having increased surface area as compared to controls. To our knowledge, these findings identify a novel structural biomarker of childhood-onset CHCs, with consistent alterations identified in gray matter of regions in the prefrontal cortex and insula involved in emotion regulation and executive function. These findings, while exploratory, may reflect an impact of chronic health stress in the adolescent brain, and suggest that more comprehensive assessment of stress and neurodevelopment in youth with CHCs may be appropriate.
Objective: This study aimed to investigate the effects of aerobic interval training and resistance training on anti-inflammatory adipokines, high sensitivity C-reactive protein, and clinical outcomes in sedentary men with metabolic syndrome.
Methods: A total of 33 sedentary men with metabolic syndrome (age: 46.2 ± 4.6 years; body mass index: 35.4 ± 1.9 kg.m2) were randomly assigned to one of 3 groups: aerobic interval training (n = 12), resistance training (n = 10), or control (n = 11). Participants in the exercise groups completed a 12-week training program, 3 sessions per week, while those in the control group maintained their sedentary lifestyle. The levels of high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), omentin-1, adiponectin, lipid profiles, blood pressure, glucose metabolism, body composition, and peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak) were measured at baseline and after the intervention.
Results: Both aerobic interval training and resistance training significantly improved the levels of omentin-1 and adiponectin, as well as reduced inflammation, as indicated by a decrease in hs-CRP levels. Exercise training also led to significant improvements in lipid profiles, blood pressure, glucose metabolism, and body composition. Specifically, the aerobic interval training group had significantly greater increases in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and VO2peak, as well as greater reductions in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, and total cholesterol compared to the resistance training group.
Conclusion: Exercise training, particularly aerobic interval training and resistance training, can be an effective non-pharmacological intervention for managing inflammation and improving cardiovascular health in metabolic syndrome patients.
Objective: To retrospectively analyze the effects of different treatments on cognitive functioning, anxiety, and depression in patients with primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL).
Methods: A comprehensive literature search was conducted in multiple databases including the Cochrane Library, CINAHL, PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, Sino Med, Wei Pu, Wan Fang, CNKI, and Google Scholar. The search included studies published through June 20, 2023, focusing on cognitive function, anxiety, and depression in adult patients newly diagnosed with PCNSL. Various measurement tools and scales were used to assess the primary outcomes. Descriptive systematic reviews were conducted to integrate the literature and summarize the effects of different treatment modalities on cognitive functioning, anxiety, and depression in PCNSL patients. This review was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42022370250).
Results: A total of 43 studies were included. Induction chemotherapy was associated with improved cognitive function and reduced anxiety and depression in the majority of patients. Whole-brain radiotherapy (WBRT) was found to lead to cognitive impairment, particularly in executive, attention, memory, and motor function. Low-dose WBRT, autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT), and blood-brain barrier disruption (BBBD) treatments did not result in significant cognitive impairment. Anxiety and depression were observed to decrease over the long term.
Conclusions: Overall, the cognitive functioning, anxiety, and depression of patients with PCNSL can be improved with appropriate treatments. However, patients treated with WBRT are at a higher risk of cognitive decline compared to those receiving other treatment modalities. Therefore, special attention should be given to patients undergoing WBRT, and a comprehensive analysis should be conducted to reduce neurotoxicity and address early cognitive problems in these patients.