Original Article Research Articles

Erratum to: A hybrid feature selection approach for urinary tract infection detection and prediction in IoT-fog environment

The online version of the original article can be found at https://doi.org/10.31893/multiscience.2024080

A INFLUÊNCIA DO AMBIENTE FAMILIAR NA MANIFESTAÇÃO DO TRANSTORNO DE PERSONALIDADE NARCISISTA

The manifestation of Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) is often influenced by various factors, with the family environment being an important component. Family dynamics play a crucial role in the development of this disorder, impacting the formation of the individual's self-image and patterns of interpersonal relationships. In this context, understanding the influence of the family environment on the expression of NPD is fundamental to effectively address this complex psychological condition. Objectives: To investigate and understand the specific influence of the family environment on the manifestation of narcissistic personality disorder, exploring interaction patterns, parental styles, and family dynamics that may contribute to the development of this disorder. Methodology: Articles found were read, and inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied. Within the inclusion criteria, original articles addressing the investigated topic and allowing full access to the study's content were considered, published between 2016 and 2023, in Portuguese and English. The research was conducted through online access to the databases of the National Library of Medicine (PubMed MEDLINE), Scientific Electronic Library Online (SCIELO), Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature (LILACS) in February 2024. Results and Discussions: The complexity of treating narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) is highlighted. Psychopharmacological treatments have shown limited efficacy, being more useful in comorbidities with other conditions. Several psychotherapeutic approaches were explored, with Dialectical Behavioral Therapy and Schema-Focused Therapy standing out, as well as psychoanalytic approaches such as Transfer-Centered Psychotherapy and Mentalization-Based Therapy. However, regardless of the approach, narcissistic patients are challenging to treat due to difficulty in accepting the diagnosis and lack of empathy. Motivation for change often arises from external crises, making therapeutic commitment fragile. Therapists' countertransference is also a challenge, with difficult-to-manage negative feelings that, when understood, can provide valuable information about the patient's internal world. In summary, the results highlight the need for therapeutic strategies adapted to the complexity of NPD, considering the specific characteristics of narcissistic patients and the inherent challenges in the therapeutic process. Conclusion: In conclusion, addressing Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) demands a deep understanding of therapeutic nuances. The results underscore the complexity in the effectiveness of psychopharmacological treatments and the importance of specific psychotherapeutic approaches. Difficulty in accepting the diagnosis, lack of empathy, and challenges in countertransference emphasize the need for adapted therapeutic strategies. Amidst these challenges, the pursuit of realistic treatment goals and the creation of therapeutic contracts are crucial. These findings underline the importance of continuing research and refining therapeutic approaches to effectively manage NPD.

A realist synthesis of multicentre comparative audit implementation: exploring what works and in which healthcare contexts

BackgroundMulticentre comparative clinical audits have the potential to improve patient care, allow benchmarking and inform resource allocation. However, implementing effective and sustainable large-scale audit can be difficult within busy and...

Causes and management of urinary system problems in children on long-term home invasive mechanical ventilation.

Many ventilator-dependent children have comorbid conditions including urinary tract disorders. We aimed to present a focused review of the literature describing the causes and management of urinary system problems in children with long-term home mechanical ventilation. We performed a literature search in PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, and Web of Science with keywords "children," "home mechanical ventilation," "urinary system," "urinary tract," "neurogenic bladder," "clean intermittent catheterization," "urinary tract infection," "urolithiasis," and "acute kidney injury." We included original articles, reviews, guidelines, and case reports published in English. Ventilator-dependent children may have neurogenic bladder/bowel dysfunction which renders them prone to urinary tract infection, high bladder pressure, vesicoureteral reflux, hydronephrosis, and renal dysfunction. These children require bladder catheterization, medications affecting parasympathetic/sympathetic nervous systems, or surgical procedures to prevent urinary infections, and to maintain continence and renal functions. However, bladder catheterization or surgical procedures like augmentation cystoplasty may also be complicated with urinary infections, urolithiasis, or urethral strictures. Urolithiasis frequency is also increased due to immobilization-related hypercalciuria, hypocitraturia caused by antiepileptic drugs, urinary stasis, and urinary infections. On the other hand, mechanical ventilation can impair renal function by reduction of cardiac output, redistribution of intrarenal blood flow and stimulation of sympathetic and hormonal pathways. Children requiring long-term invasive home mechanical ventilation may have other comorbid conditions, including urinary system diseases, which become manifest as these patients are being kept alive due to the advances in ventilation strategies. These children must be carefully observed for urological complications and managed accordingly to prevent kidney injury.

Bias of AI-generated content: an examination of news produced by large language models

Large language models (LLMs) have the potential to transform our lives and work through the content they generate, known as AI-Generated Content (AIGC). To harness this transformation, we need to understand the limitations of LLMs. Here, we investigate the bias of AIGC produced by seven representative LLMs, including ChatGPT and LLaMA. We collect news articles from The New York Times and Reuters, both known for their dedication to provide unbiased news. We then apply each examined LLM to generate news content with headlines of these news articles as prompts, and evaluate the gender and racial biases of the AIGC produced by the LLM by comparing the AIGC and the original news articles. We further analyze the gender bias of each LLM under biased prompts by adding gender-biased messages to prompts constructed from these news headlines. Our study reveals that the AIGC produced by each examined LLM demonstrates substantial gender and racial biases. Moreover, the AIGC generated by each LLM exhibits notable discrimination against females and individuals of the Black race. Among the LLMs, the AIGC generated by ChatGPT demonstrates the lowest level of bias, and ChatGPT is the sole model capable of declining content generation when provided with biased prompts.

(249) Association of Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (rs2301365 & Rs737008) in PRM1 Gene and Male Infertility: A Meta-Analysis

Abstract Introduction In the sperm nucleus, protamine is a major DNA-binding protein that replaces histone. It is a basic arginine-rich protein responsible for DNA compaction. Protamin I (PRM1) is one of the important genes that produces protamine. Mutations and polymorphisms in PRM1 may increase the odds of male infertility. Objective The present meta-analysis investigated the association of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (rs2301365 & rs737008) in the PRM1 gene and male infertility. Methods The original research articles, published till July 2023 in the English language, on the association of rs2301365 and rs737008 in the PRM1 gene and male infertility, were retrieved from Science Direct, PubMed, NCBI and Google Scholar. Results A total of 129 studies were retrieved by searching in the different databases, after the removal of duplicates, meta-analysis, and abstracts, 14 were finally selected. In 11 case-control studies, the association of the rs2301365 (-190C >A) polymorphism was presented as the meta-analysis of different models, Allelic model (C vs. A), Dominant model (CC + CA vs. AA), Recessive model (CC vs. CA + AA), Additive model (CC vs. AA), Heterozygous model (AC vs. AA). Allelic, additive, dominant and heterozygous models reported that the -190C>A (rs2301365) increased the odds of male infertility. The ethnic subgroup analysis showed the same pattern of association for the Caucasian infertile men. However, none of these overall and subgroup analyses based on ethnicity showed an association between rs2301365 (-190C >A) and infertility in Asian men. For rs737008 (139C > A) in the meta-analysis of 14 studies, none of these overall and subgroup analyses based on ethnicity showed an association with male infertility. Trial sequential analysis (TSA) for the allelic model of rs2301365 (-190C >A) showed the required sample size was 2252 at 90% power and 5% type-I error, whereas the cumulative z-curve crossed the trial sequential monitoring boundaries of harm. However, the sample size was greater than required therefore further studies will not likely change results. For rs737008 (139C > A), TSA recommended more studies to be conducted. Conclusions The PRM1 rs2301365 (-190C >A) was associated with male infertility in overall analysis and Caucasian men. Further studies on this SNP may not change results. However, rs737008 (139C > A) was not associated with male infertility. However, further studies are recommended. Disclosure No.

(022) Penile Implant Reservoir Placement: The Current Utilized Various Techniques and the Associated Outcome: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Abstract Introduction Many innovations in the field of inflatable penile prosthesis (IPP) has been emerged. Since the introduction of the IPP, reservoir positioning in the space of Retzius (SOR) was considered the classical approach that had been utilized for many years. However, in certain group of patients, reservoir insertion in such space might be difficult or even risky. As a result, many alternatives for the reservoir placement outside the SOR has emerged with the intent of safe and reliable reservoir placement. Objective To conduct a systematic review for the studies evaluating the outcomes of different techniques used for IPP reservoir placement to look for possible superiority of any approach over others. Methods A systemic review was performed utilizing (PRISMA) statement. The PubMed and Google scholar were used to look for articles published up to January 2023. Original articles reporting different techniques for IPP reservoir placement and evaluating the associated outcomes were included. Data regarding study design, sample size, approach of reservoir placement, surgical technique, device type and reported outcomes (infection rate, bladder/bowel/vascular injury, reservoir herniation, mechanical failure, auto-inflation, reservoir palpability and patients’ satisfaction) were collected. Pooled proportion was calculated and included in the meta-analysis. The Newcastle-Ottawa scale was used for assessing the quality of the studies. Results A total of 23 articles meeting the inclusion criteria, all were retrospective reviews. 11 compared more than one technique for reservoir placement whereas 12 described a single technique. In total, techniques for 6 main different reservoir locations has been reported, including SOR (7 studies), submuscular/subrectus (6 studies), Lateral retroperitoneal (1 study), subcutaneous (1 study), sub external oblique (1 study) and intraperitoneal (1 study). Another 7 modifications have been described for the SOR technique (traditional SOR, accessing SOR using blunt scissor in post-prostatectomy patients, accessing SOR using blunt scissor in virgin cases, dilating SOR using catheter balloon, accessing SOR under direct vision, accessing SOR through external oblique fascia incision, and the addition of The Tubing Hitch&Lasso, Intussusception Anchor technique (THALIA)). Another 6 modifications for the submuscular/subrectus approach have been described (posterior to transversalis fascia (PTF), anterior to transversalis fascia (ATF), high submuscular, subrectus using counter incision, subrectus with the addition of THALIA, low submuscular with trans-fascial-fixation (TFF)). None of the studies have proven the superiority of one technique over others, with most of the techniques has comparable intra-operative and post-operative outcomes (table 1). The addition of anchoring step (THALIA or TFF) resulted in neglected risk of reservoir herniation, however, related studies has small sample size with no comparison groups. Meta-analysis for the studies of SOR (n=7) and submuscular/subrectus (n=6) groups showed a statistically significant difference only in the herniation rates (figure 1). 10 studies were of strong quality (8 stars) while the remaining 13 studies were of poor quality. Conclusions Modest evidence suggests a comparable favorable outcome of various approaches used for IPP reservoir placement. The lack of enough prospective trials, short term follow up, and diversity in the techniques prescribed prevent the ability to build strong evidence. For the purpose of supporting the superiority of any technique, further prospective studies on a larger number of patients with long-term follow up are needed to reach a solid verdict. Disclosure No.

Bibliometric mapping analysis of Pickering emulsion applied in 3D food printing

SummaryThree‐dimensional food printing (3DFP) can produce foods with tailored nutritional content, complex shapes and textures. This technology requires food formulations (food inks) with specific rheological properties. Pickering emulsions (PE) have gained attention due to their long‐term stability and desirable printable properties, making them an excellent candidate for 3DFP. The purpose of this study is to use bibliometric analysis to identify the most important scientific research on PE used in 3DFP. This includes identifying key authors, countries and universities or institutions where the research was conducted, as well as the primary journals that provide information on this topic. Our study provides insight into the relevance of food ink properties for next‐generation 3DFP and the main raw materials used for the development of PE. Out of the 28 original research articles analysed, only 10 countries have studied the application of PE for 3DFP. China and the United Kingdom have been the primary leaders in researching this topic. The Food Hydrocolloids Journal has been the main source of scientific information. The studies cited Pickering stabiliser particles, including soy protein isolate, microcrystalline cellulose and acetylated microcrystalline cellulose, as well as oil phases based on sunflower, canola, olive and soybean oils. High internal phase Pickering emulsions (HIPPEs) have shown great thermal and conductive stability, making them a promising choice for 3DFP post‐processing. Further studies should assess the bioavailability and bioaccessibility of the bioactive compounds that are encapsulated. It is also important to explore their potential use in real food systems and to integrate innovative packaging solutions.

Protein-based microneedles for biomedical applications: A systematic review.

Microneedles are minimally-invasive devices with the unique capability of bypassing physiological barriers. Hence, they are widely used for different applications from drug/vaccine delivery to diagnosis and cosmetic fields. Recently, natural biopolymers (particularly carbohydrates and proteins) have garnered attention as safe and biocompatible materials with tailorable features for microneedle construction. Several review articles have dealt with carbohydrate-based microneedles. This review aims to highlight the less-noticed role of proteins through a systematic search strategy based on the PRISMA guideline from international databases of PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus, and Google Scholar. Original English articles with the keyword "microneedle(s)" in their titles along with at least one of the keywords "biopolymers, silk, gelatin, collagen, zein, keratin, fish-scale, mussel, and suckerin" were collected and those in which the proteins undertook a structural role were screened. Then, we focused on the structures and applications of protein-based microneedles. Also, the unique features of some protein biopolymers that make them ideal for microneedle construction (e.g., excellent mechanical strength, self-adhesion, and self-assembly), as well as the challenges associated with them were reviewed. Altogether, the proteins identified so far seem not only promising for the fabrication of "better" microneedles in the future but also inspiring for designing biomimetic structural biopolymers with ideal characteristics.

Mapping the knowledge structure of research on insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome: a global perspective

BackgroundInsulin resistance is a major pathogenic factor that plays a crucial role in the development of metabolic syndrome and has been proposed as one of its underlying causes. Most diagnostic criteria for metabolic syndrome do not directly include insulin resistance. Furthermore, research on insulin resistance continues to provide information on the development and treatment of metabolic syndromes and related health conditions. Therefore, this bibliometric analysis aimed to investigate the current research status and identify possible future research hotspots in the area of metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance by analyzing Scopus-based studies.MethodsTo collect published data on metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance, this study used the Scopus database as its data source without a particular starting date but including records up to December 31, 2022. The gathered documents were then exported to VOSviewer v.1.6.18 to analyze and visualize country collaborations and identify research areas of high interest.ResultsThe study presents an overview of 1932 records between 1988 and 2022, focusing on metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance. Of these records, 77.33% were original journal articles, while 13.30% were review articles. Additionally, 9.35% of the documents fall under other types of publication, including letters, notes, and editorials. The United States came out on top with 463 items, accounting for 23.96% of the contributions in this field, followed by Japan in second place with 119 items (6.16%). China (n = 113, 5.85%) and the United Kingdom (n = 113, 5.85%) ranked third. Most publications on metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance focus on key terms related to the pathogenesis of insulin resistance syndrome, the use of waist circumference as a crucial clinical indicator to evaluate the risk of metabolic syndrome, and the association between metabolic syndrome and oxidative stress and a pro-inflammatory state.ConclusionsThis study presents the first bibliometric analysis of publications focusing on metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance. The findings of this study offer a comprehensive global perspective on the research carried out on metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance and can be an invaluable source for future research.

Corrigendum to: Investigation of the Apoptosis Inducing and β-catenin Silencing by Tetradentate Schiff Base Zinc(II) Complex on the T-47D Breast Cancer Cells.

A typographical error appeared in the author affiliation titled "Investigation of the Apoptosis Inducing and β-catenin Silencing by Tetradentate Schiff Base Zinc(II) Complex on the T-47D Breast Cancer Cells", published in Anti-Cancer Agents in Medicinal Chemistry, 2023, 23(15) [1]. Details of the error and a correction are provided here. Original: Author Affiliation: 2Department of Breast Medicine, Cancer Hospital Chinese Academy of Medical Science, Liaoning Provincial Cancer Hospital, Shenyang, Liaoning, 110042, China Corrected: Author Affiliation: 2Department of Breast Medicine, Cancer Hospital of China Medical University, Liaoning Cancer Hospital, Shenyang, China We regret the error and apologize to readers. The original article can be found online at https://www.eurekaselect.com/article/131718.

Top-50 cited articles on cysticercosis and neurocysticercosis.

Identifying the most highly cited papers in a given field can help researchers and professionals understand the milestones and research areas that are generating the most impact. This study aimed to identify and describe the 50 most frequently cited manuscripts on cysticercosis and neurocysticercosis. We identified the 50 most cited papers (articles and reviews) on cysticercosis and neurocysticercosis from the MEDLINE database and indexed in Web of Science-Core Collection, analyzing their bibliographic and content characteristics. The most cited documents comprised 29 (58%) original articles and 21 (42%) reviews, the bulk of which were narrative reviews (n = 17), with a negligible presence of other types of reviews with high-level scientific evidence. Six journals published 42% of the articles. In addition to the USA, Mexico and Peru were prominent countries of origin among leading researchers. The main research topics were the central nervous system and epilepsy on the one hand, and diagnostic and therapeutic approaches on the other. Our findings shed light on the dissemination of knowledge about cysticercosis and neurocysticercosis in recent decades, identifying the most highly cited contributions that have driven research in the field.

Reply to “Comment on Comparison of direct and indirect measures of transport efficiency in single particle inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry” by H. Goenaga-Infante

This paper provides a rebuttal to the comments on our original research article entitled “Comparison of Direct and Indirect Measures of Transport Efficiency in Single Particle ICP-MS” recently published by Goenaga-Infante in Spectrochimica Acta Part B: Atomic Spectroscopy.The intent of our study is not to condemn the dynamic mass flow (DMF) method but rather to explore the use parameters under which it can and cannot be applied. As explained in the original paper, the goal of this study is to evaluate the ranges of use conditions under which measures of transport efficiency (TE) yield accurate and reproducible results for spICP-MS measurements of particle number concentration (PNC) and particle size (diameter, PS) of various gold nanoparticle (AuNP) suspensions. The evaluation was performed through a systematic comparison of three methods for the measurement of TE: the particle frequency (TEF), particle size (TES), and DMF methods using three types of spray chambers operated at cooled and ambient temperature conditions and employing different ICP-MS platforms. While we appreciate thorough critical and constructive comments on our paper, we strongly disagree that the conclusions and highlights are not supported by the content and findings about the features and benefits of the DMF method.The discussion of three additional independent studies in this field by other spICP-MS expert groups that have been published after the submission of our manuscript is included in this paper. While the DMF approach has been used in two interlaboratory comparisons for TE determination in spICP-MS measurements of PNC, only one laboratory, namely the laboratory led by Goenaga-Infante, provided results using the DMF method in both projects. A method cannot be considered validated if successful results have only been demonstrated within one laboratory.The paper by Goenaga-Infante claims that the main use of DMF, the assignment of a SI traceable PNC value to new commercial nanomaterials (NMs), has not been highlighted explicitly in our original paper. The advantages and disadvantages of the DMF, TES, and TEF methods to measure TE were presented throughout the manuscript and are clearly summarized in the conclusion. The assignment of PNC that is metrologically traceable to the SI implies that all known or suspected uncertainty components including bias are taken into account. Our research shows that under some use conditions, the biases inherent to the DMF method are not yet fully understood and cannot be accounted for. While Cuello-Nuñez et al. Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry, 2020, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1039/c9ja00415g state that cooled conditions (2 °C) were used in their work, they do not define the level of bias that can be expected if different spray chamber temperatures are used, and they do not provide recommendations on the optimal use conditions that define the field of applicability of the DMF method. Furthermore, besides the use of a Scott-type spray chamber cooled to 2 °C, neither the composition material of the spray chamber nor the volume of the Scott-type spray chamber were specified. It is important to note that in our original research, fifteen of the nineteen experiments were conducted using a cooled spray chamber. Also, the four different ICP-MS platforms were used in the standard configuration and with additional spray chamber options encountered in common ICP-MS usage. The value of our work is that it extends the study of Cuello-Nuñez et al. to a wide variety of use conditions routinely encountered in spICP-MS analysis.

Machine learning review of hand surgery literature

Background: Latent Dirichlet Allocation is an artificial intelligence model which processes text into topics, and has had broad application in medicine, political science, and engineering. As the orthopedic hand literature continues to grow, such technology may have value in efficiently conducting identifying trends and conducting systematic reviews. The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the use of Latent Dirichlet Allocation and machine learning to review literature and summarize the past 21 yr of hand surgery research. Methods: All original research articles published in the Journal of Hand Surgery (American), Journal of Hand Surgery (European), Hand, Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (JBJS), Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research (CORR), Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (JAAOS) and Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (PRS) from 2000-2021 were analyzed using Latent Dirichlet Allocation, generating 50 topics which were then ranked by popularity and trended over the previous 21 yr. Results: Research article abstracts totaling 11,501 from 2000-2020 were extracted and analyzed to create 50 topics. Conclusion: This is the first study of its kind to utilize machine learning models for reviewing the hand surgery literature. Machine learning possesses the ability to rapidly process a large body of test and assess the current state of research and trends or research topics, which can aid clinicians and researchers in time-intensive tasks to provide clues that will promote areas of further study.

The effect of the four pharmacological pillars of heart failure on haemoglobin level.

Anaemia, a condition characterized by low levels of haemoglobin, is frequently observed in patients with heart failure (HF). Guideline-directed medical therapy improves HF outcomes by using medications like beta blockers, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, and angiotensin receptor blockers, along with mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists and sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors. In this study, we aimed to review the pathophysiology of anaemia in patients with HF and present the current evidence regarding the relationship between the main recommended medications for these patients and haemoglobin levels. The authors conducted a comprehensive search in the medical literature for relevant original clinical articles in which the four pharmacological pillars of HF were given to the patients; we, then, assessed whether the association of use of these medications and haemoglobin level or development of anaemia was provided. These common medications have been shown in the literature that may exacerbate or ameliorate anaemia. Besides, it has been shown that even in the case that they result in the development of anaemia, their use is associated with positive effects that outweigh this potential harm. The literature also suggests that among patients receiving medications with negative effects on the level of haemoglobin, there was no difference in the rate of mortality between anaemic and non-anaemic patients when both were on treatment for anaemia; this point highlights the importance of the detection and treatment of anaemia in these patients. Further research is needed to explore these relationships and identify additional strategies to mitigate the risk of anaemia in this population.

Role of polymorphism in vitamin D receptor gene on diabetic foot ulcer: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Context: Once vitamin D is converted to its active form, the molecule binds to its receptor (VDR) and performs its function as a transcription factor in modulating immune response, inflammation cascade, and insulin signaling. Among diabetic individuals, these activities are thought to be correlated with foot ulceration. Gene polymorphisms could change the function of VDR, thereby affecting the development of foot ulceration among individuals with diabetes. Aims: To construct evidence on the role of VDR gene variants or single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on diabetic foot ulcers. Methods: Records reporting the distribution of genotypes and/or alleles among diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) patients and published until 10 March 2023 were retrieved from 12 major databases using predetermined keywords. The original research articles included in the study were assessed for reporting quality using the Newcastle Ottawa Scale. The quality of genotypic and allelic data was appraised by Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (HWE). A quantitative analysis-based fixed-effects model was performed to estimate the proportion of genotype and allele frequencies among DFU patients. Results: Three studies were included in the systematic review reporting the FokI (rs2228570), TaqI (rs731236), BsmI (rs1544410), and ApaI (rs7975232) SNPs. Based on pooled estimates, among DFU patients CC, CT, and TT genotypes of VDR FokI SNPs had a prevalence of 45%, 43%, and 12%, respectively, without significant heterogeneity found in the reported data (p-Het<0.001; I2>0%). ApaI and FokI were associated with DFU, while no association in all genotypic and allelic models was found between TaqI or BsmI and DFU. CC genotype of BsmI and T allele of FokI was associated with oxidative stress (one of the underlying factors in DFU). Conclusions: Certain genotypes and alleles of FokI and ApaI SNPs could act as the risk factor for foot ulceration among diabetic individuals. More high-quality studies are still needed to draw solid conclusions on the role of VDR SNPs among DFU patients.

Adult congenital heart diseases: systematic review/meta-analysis.

Congenital heart disease (CHD) is a gross structural abnormality of the heart that has functional significance. The impact of CHD on the patients' quality of life (QOL) is a topic of considerable interest and importance to both researchers and clinician. However, there is a lack of systematic reviews investigating and identifying the QOL of congenital heart disease patients. To assess the QOL of adult patients with congenital heart disease by reviewing the previous studies conducted on this subject. The PubMed and Google Scholar databases were explored for studies published between 2020 and 2022. The keywords used for the searching process included "QOL, Adults, CHD, Outcomes, Impact, Effects, Life of CHD Patients." The inclusion criteria were original English articles and full-text articles conducted on adult patients with congenital heart disease and reported quality of life. A total of 5455 articles were obtained, but only seven articles were eligible for the inclusion criteria. The included studies involved a total of 8549 participants; 104 were healthy, and 8445 were adult patients with congenital heart disease. The investigated items of the studies included quality of life, health-related QOL, including physical and psychological dimensions, sense of coherence, mental health, physical functioning, physiological wellbeing, psychological resilience, anxiety, depression, illness perception, and health status. Patients with congenital heart disease experience low QOL across all dimensions. The risk factors for poor QOL included age, depression, anxiety, and female gender.

The Interrelation Between Hirsutism and Androgen Hormone Levels as Well as Serum TNFΑ Concentrations

ABSTRACT Hair growth is subject to numerous factors that influence the development of hair follicles, including conditions such as alopecia areata and hirsutism. Hirsutism, a medical term denoting the excessive growth of terminal (coarse) hair in areas of a woman's body sensitive to androgens, occurs in approximately 7% of reproductive-age women. The majority of hirsutism cases are attributed to androgen excess. Elevated androgen hormone levels can trigger inflammatory responses through an increase in serum TNFα. Data collection involved sourcing articles relevant to the association between hirsutism, androgen hormone levels, and serum TNFα. Inclusion criteria comprised original articles, case-control studies, and review papers focusing on hirsutism, androgen hormones, and serum TNFα. Hirsutism is correlated with both androgen hormone levels and serum TNFα. Hirsutism arises from the interplay between androgen levels and the sensitivity of hair follicles to androgens. Several conditions triggered by high concentrations of androgen hormones can lead to the occurrence of hirsutism. Androgen hormones induce inflammatory effects, as evidenced by the presence of TNFα. Keywords: Hirsutism, Androgen, TNFα

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Effectiveness of mHealth interventions to promote physical activity and reduce sedentary behaviours on work-related productivity and performance: a systematic review protocol

IntroductionTechnologies such as health and fitness applications (apps) and wearable activity trackers have recently gained popularity and may play a key role in promoting physical activity and reducing sedentary behaviours....