Time Points T1 Research Articles

Improvement in the psychological health of nurses working during the COVID-19 pandemic.

BackgroundNurses are a critical component of any healthcare system. The novel coronavirus pandemic has resulted in an increased workload for nurses and heightened stress.AimsTo assess the psychological health over time of nurses working during the COVID‐19 pandemic and to examine the factors associated with stress, anxiety, and psychological wellbeing.MethodsNurses enrolled in the study between 2 July and 26 August 2020 andcompleted questionnaires about stress, anxiety, and psychological wellbeing at baseline and at a second time point T2 12 weeks later. A paired sample t‐test was used to examine whether changes in stress, anxiety, and psychological wellbeing were significantly different between baseline and T2. Linear regression models examined factors associated with psychological health outcomes.ResultsOf the 600 nurses initially enrolled, 484 (80.7%) completed psychological health measures at T2. Stress, anxiety, and poor psychological wellbeing scores were high at baseline. Unexpectedly, stress and psychological wellbeing significantly improved between baseline and T2, while anxiety levels increased. Younger nurses had higher baseline stress and anxiety scores.ConclusionsThis study demonstrates the potential beneficial effect of effective public health management of the COVID‐19 pandemic on nurses' stress and psychological wellbeing and highlights the importance of longitudinal research to understand psychological health in nurses.

Retrograde autologous priming method reduces plasma free hemoglobin level in aortic surgery.

Background:Although conventional cardiopulmonary bypass (cCPB) is still the most widely used method in open heart surgery, methods such as retrograde autologous priming (RAP) are increasingly popular in terms of limiting hemodilution. Our hypothesis is that the use of the RAP method in aortic surgery may result in a limitation of hemodilution and a decrease in fHb levels. For this purpose, plasma free hemoglobin (fHb) levels were investigated in adult open aortic arch repair with axillary artery cannulation patients using cCPB and rRAP methods.Materials and Methods:In this study, a total of 36 patients undergoing aortic surgery using rRAP and standard cCPB were investigated. Measurements were performed at five time points: After induction of anesthesia, 5th minute of CPB, 10th minute of antegrade cerebral perfusion, 30th minute after declamping of aorta, and at sternum closure. Besides hemodynamic variables, arterial blood gas analysis and postoperative variables, patients were assessed for fHb levels.Results:The rRAP group had a significantly lower increase in fHb levels in T3, T4, and T5 time points, when compared to the cCPB group (p = 0.002, 0.047, 0.009, respectively). There was no significant difference between the rRAP and cCPB groups in other intraoperative, and postoperative variables. Also, it was observed that rRAP did not make a difference in terms of blood and blood product transfusion.Conclusion:In this study, in patients undergoing aortic surgery, a reduction in the increase of fHb was observed with the rRAP method which is a simple procedure that does not require high cost or advanced technology.

20 Hz Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation Inhibits Observation-Execution-Related Motor Cortex Excitability.

The present study aimed to investigate the effect of transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) on the primary motor cortex (M1) during action observation, and subsequent action execution, on motor cortex excitability. The participants received tACS at 10 Hz or 20 Hz, or a sham stimulation over the left M1 for 10 min while they observed a video displaying a repeated button-tapping task using the right hand, and then performed an identical task with their right hand. Motor-evoked potential (MEP) amplitudes were measured before (T0) and after the action observation paired with tACS or a sham stimulation (T1), and after the performance of the action (T2). The results showed that MEPs were significantly reduced at time point T1 (p = 0.042, Cohen’s d = 0.611) and T2 (p = 0.0003, Cohen’s d = 0.852) in the 20 Hz tACS condition, in contrast with the sham stimulation. There was a significantly smaller MEP amplitude at time point T2 in the 20 Hz tACS condition, as compared to the 10 Hz tACS condition (p = 0.01, Cohen’s d = 0.622), but the MEP amplitude did not significantly change at time point T1 between the 20 Hz and 10 Hz tACS conditions (p = 0.136, Cohen’s d = 0.536). There were no significant differences at time point T1 and T2 between the 10 Hz tACS condition and the sham stimulation. We conclude that 20 Hz tACS during action observation inhibited motor cortex excitability and subsequently inhibited execution-related motor cortex excitability. The effects of tACS on task-related motor cortex excitability are frequency-dependent.

The Effects of 7000 Meter Race on Hematological and Biochemical Parameters in Racing Greyhounds

This study was carried out to investigate the effects of 7000 meter race on hematological and biochemical profiles in racing greyhounds. Thirty-two male racing greyhounds were enrolled in this study. Blood samples were collected from the greyhounds at rest 24 hours prior to the race (T0), within 2 hours of the completion of the race (T1) and 24 hours after the race (T2). None of the hematological parameters differed significantly among T0, T1 and T2 time points. The serum activity of aspartate aminotransferase increased significantly after race compared to values before race. However, the serum activity of aspartate aminotransferase dropped 24 hours after race to a value comparatively similar to that before race. The serum activity of creatine kinase increased also sharply after race compared to values before race. The serum activity of creatine kinase dramatically dropped 24 hours after race to a value of comparable to values at T0. In a similar pattern, the serum activity of alkaline phosphatase increased significantly after race compared to values before race. The serum activity of alkaline phosphatase decreased 24 hours after race. The serum concentration of lactate increased sharply after race compared to values before race and dropped 24 hours after race to a mean value comparatively similar to that before race. Other biochemical variables that included total protein, albumin, globulin, blood urea nitrogen, calcium, phosphorus and magnesium did not differ significantly among T0, T1 and T2 values. It can be concluded that racing 7 km distance in greyhound dogs did not significantly change the hematological parameters but significantly increases the serum activity of musculoskeletal enzymes and concentration of lactate. The full recovery occurred 24 hours after the race, as the musculoskeletal enzymes and lactate level returned to the normal limits.

Dorsal Root Ganglion Morphometric Changes Under Oxaliplatin Treatment

PurposeMagnetic resonance neurography (MRN) can detect dorsal root ganglia (DRG) hypertrophy in patients with oxaliplatin-induced peripheral neuropathy (OXIPN) but is difficult to apply in clinical daily practice. Aims of this study were (i) to assess whether DRG volume is reliably measurable by routine computed tomography (CT) scans, (ii) to measure longitudinal changes in DRG during and after oxaliplatin administration and (iii) to assess correlation between DRG morphometry and individual oxaliplatin dose.MethodsFor comparison of MRN and CT measurements, CT scans of 18 patients from a previous MRN study were analyzed. For longitudinal assessment of DRG size under treatment, 96 patients treated with oxaliplatin between January and December 2014 were enrolled retrospectively. DRG volumetry was performed by analyzing routine CT scans, starting with the last scan before oxaliplatin exposure (t0) and up to four consecutive timepoints after initiation of oxaliplatin therapy (t1–t4) with the following median and ranges in months: 3.1 (0.4–4.9), 6.2 (5.3–7.8), 10.4 (8.2–11.9), and 18.4 (12.8–49.8).ResultsDRG volume measured in CT showed a moderately strong correlation with MRN (r = 0.51, p < 0.001) and a strong correlation between two consecutive CTs (r = 0.77, p < 0.001). DRG volume increased after oxaliplatin administration with a maximum at timepoint t2. Higher cumulative oxaliplatin exposure was associated with significantly higher absolute DRG volumes (p = 0.005). Treatment discontinuation was associated with a nonsignificant trend towards lower relative DRG volume changes (p = 0.08).ConclusionCT is a reliable method for continuous DRG morphometry; however, since no standardized assessment of OXIPN was performed in this retrospective study, correlations between DRG size, cumulative oxaliplatin dose and clinical symptoms in future prospective studies are needed to establish DRG size as a potential OXIPN biomarker.

A Comparison Between Selective Lobar Bronchial Blockade and Main Bronchial Blockade in Pediatric Thoracoscopic Surgery: A Retrospective Cohort Study

The primary objective of this study was to assess the effect of selective lobar blockade on the risk of hypoxemia during one-lung ventilation in pediatric patients undergoing thoracoscopic surgery. This was a retrospective matched case-control cohort study. The study was performed in a teaching hospital. A total of 60 pediatric patients who underwent thoracoscopic surgery in the authors' hospital from March 2020 to March 2021 were analyzed. The authors examined their electronic medical records and found 30 patients in whom selective lobar blockade was used. These patients then were matched to 30 other patients in whom routine main bronchial blockade was performed in the authors' center based on age, weight, sex, side of surgery, and type of surgery. The inclusion criteria were four-fold: (1) pediatric patients with scheduled thoracoscopic resection of the middle and lower lobe lesions; (2) no obvious anesthesia or surgical contraindications; (3) American Society of Anesthesiologists class I to II; and (4) age younger than one year old. The exclusion criteria were as follows: (1) pediatric patients whose trachea was intubated with a size less than 3.0 mm; (2) a difficult airway; (3) changes in ventilation patterns during surgery; and (4) severe pneumonia and respiratory and circulatory system dysfunction. The following patient data were collected: (1) general clinical information; (2) mean arterial blood pressure, heart rate, central venous pressure, airway peak pressure (Ppeak), oxygenation index (PaO2/FIO2 ratio), and alveolar-arterial oxygen differential pressure (AaDO2) at different time points; that is, before one-lung ventilation (OLV) (T1), ten minutes after OLV (T2), and ten minutes after the end of OLV (T3); (3) degree of lung collapse ten minutes after OLV; (4) operative duration; and (5) the prevalence of hypoxemia, the number of adjustments required for intraoperative displacement of the bronchial blocker, and pulmonary atelectasis. A total of 135 patients were selected, and 60 pediatric patients (30 in group S and 30 in group R) were included in this study. There were no significant differences in age, sex, weight, general preoperative data, degree of lung collapse, or operative duration (p > 0.05). The perioperative hemodynamics between the two groups were not statistically significant (p > 0.05). The oxygenation index, AaDO2, and Ppeak were not significantly different between the two groups at the T1 time point (p > 0.05). However, the oxygenation index was higher, and AaDO2 and Ppeak were lower in group S than in group R at the T2 and T3 time points (p < 0.05). The incidence of atelectasis, the prevalence of hypoxemia, and the number of adjustments required for intraoperative displacement of the bronchial blocker in group S were lower than those in group R (p < 0.05). Selective lobar bronchial blockade, using a bronchial blocker in pediatric thoracoscopic surgery, may represent an alternative to excluding the main bronchial blockade for patients undergoing middle and lower lobe procedures, which may improve intraoperative oxygenation and reduce postoperative atelectasis.

Artificial Bee Colony Algorithm-Based Ultrasound Image Features in the Analysis of the Influence of Different Anesthesia Methods on Lung Air Volume in Orthopedic Surgery Patients

This study aimed to provide a quantitative evaluation of the lung gas content in orthopedic surgery patients under different anesthesia using ultrasound images based on the artificial bee colony algorithm. The ultrasound image features based on an artificial bee colony algorithm were applied to analyze segmentation images to investigate the influence of different anesthesia methods on the lung air content of patients undergoing orthopedic surgery and the clinical features of such patients. They were also adopted for the anesthesia in orthopedic surgery to assist clinicians in the diagnosis of diseases. 160 orthopedic surgery patients who were hospitalized were treated with different anesthesia methods. The first group (traditional general anesthesia group) received general anesthesia and traditional ultrasound; the second group (ABC general anesthesia group) was used for ultrasound image analysis based on the artificial bee colony algorithm; the third group (traditional sclerosis group) was anesthetized with combined sclerosis block; ultrasound images of patients from the fourth group (ABC sclerosis group) were analyzed based on the artificial bee colony algorithm. Analysis was conducted at three time points. The LUS score of the traditional sclerosis group and ABC sclerosis group was hugely higher than the score of the traditional general anesthesia group and ABC general anesthesia group at T2 time, with statistical significance ( P &lt; 0.005 ). At time point T3, the score of the traditional sclerosis group rose greatly compared with the general anesthesia group, and that of the ABC group was generally higher than that of the traditional ultrasound group ( P &lt; 0.005 ). When the threshold value was 4, the fitness value of ABC algorithm was 2680.4461, and the fitness value of the control group was 1736.815. The difference between the two groups was 943.6311 ( P &lt; 0.05 ). The operation time of ABC algorithm was 1.83, while that of the control group was 1.05, and the difference between the two groups was 0.78 ( P &lt; 0.05 ). In conclusion, the feature analysis of ultrasonic images based on the artificial bee colony algorithm could effectively improve the accuracy of ultrasonic images and the accuracy of focus recognition. It can promote medical efficiency and accurately identify the lung air content of patients in future clinical case measurement and auxiliary treatment of fracture, which has great application potential in improving surgical anesthesia effect.

Effect of different inspired fractions of oxygen on F-shunt and arterial partial pressure of oxygen in isoflurane-anaesthetized and mechanically ventilated Shetland ponies

ObjectiveTo determine the effect of fraction of inspired oxygen (FiO2) on intrapulmonary shunt fraction as measured by F-shunt in ponies during isoflurane anaesthesia. Study designProspective, randomized clinical study. AnimalsA group of 23 adult Shetland ponies undergoing a total of 32 anaesthetic procedures. MethodsPonies were premedicated intravenously (IV) with detomidine (0.01 mg kg–1) and either morphine (0.1 mg kg–1) or butorphanol (0.02 mg kg–1). Anaesthesia was induced with ketamine (2.2 mg kg–1) and midazolam (0.07 mg kg–1) administered IV. Ponies were randomly allocated to maintenance of anaesthesia with isoflurane in oxygen (group TH; FiO2 = 0.95) or a mixture of oxygen and medical air (group TL; FiO2 = 0.65); all ponies were given a constant rate of infusion of detomidine. Animals were mechanically ventilated to maintain PaCO2 between 40 and 50 mmHg. Arterial blood gas analysis was performed every 30 minutes. The F-shunt equation was calculated for each time point T0, T30, T60 and T90. Data were analysed using linear mixed model analysis and presented as mean ± standard deviation (p < 0.05). ResultsPaO2 was greater in group TH than in group TL (TH: 406 ± 90, 438 ± 83, 441 ± 69 and 464 ± 53 mmHg versus TL: 202 ± 90, 186 ± 84, 172 ± 85 and 191 ± 98 mmHg at T0, T30, T60 and T90, respectively; p < 0.0001). In TH, F-shunt was < TL. Significant differences were found at T60 (TH: 13.2% ± 4.3 versus TL: 19.4% ± 8.3; p = 0.016) and T90 (TH: 11.7% ± 3.5 versus TL: 18.6% ± 9.5; p = 0.036). Conclusions and clinical relevanceOur findings do not support a beneficial effect of using a reduced FiO2 to improve oxygenation in anaesthetized and mechanically ventilated Shetland ponies.

Imaging of exercise-induced spinal remodeling in elite rowers

ObjectivesAs in-vivo knowledge of training-induced remodeling of intervertebral discs (IVD) is scarce, this study assessed how lumbar IVDs change as a function of long-term training in elite athletes and age-matched controls using compositional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). DesignProspective case-control study. MethodsProspectively, lumbar spines of 17 elite rowers (ERs) of the German national rowing team (mean age: 23.9 ± 3.3 years) were imaged on a clinical 3.0 T MRI scanner. ERs were imaged twice during the annual training cycle, i.e., at training intensive preseason preparations (t0) and 6 months later during post-competition recovery (t1). Controls (n = 22, mean age: 26.3 ± 1.9 years) were imaged once at corresponding time points (t0: n = 11; t1: n = 11). Segment-wise, the glycosaminoglycan (GAG) content of lumbar IVDs (n = 195) was determined using glycosaminoglycan chemical exchange saturation transfer (gagCEST). Linear mixed models were set up to assess the influence of cohort and other variables on GAG content. ResultsDuring preseason, IVD GAG values of ERs were significantly higher than those of controls (ERs(t0): 2.58 ± 0.27% (mean ± standard deviations); controls(t0): 1.43 ± 0.36%; p ≤ 0.001), while during post-competition recovery, such differences were not present anymore (ERs(t1): 2.11 ± 0.18%; controls(t1): 1.89 ± 0.24%; p = 0.362). ConclusionsProfessional elite-level rowing is transiently associated with significantly higher gagCEST values, which indicate increased lumbar IVD-GAG content and strong remodeling effects in response to training. Beyond professional rowing, core-strengthening full-body exercise may help to enhance the resilience of the lumbar spine as a potential therapeutic target in treating back pain.

Effect of thoracic paravertebral block on intraoperative hypotension and postoperative pain in patients undergoing breast cancer surgery under general anesthesia: a retrospective study.

To retrospectively compare the effects of general anesthesia (GA) and thoracic paravertebral block (TPVB) combined with general anesthesia on the incidence of hypotension and postoperative pain in breast cancer (BC) surgery. We retrospectively collected the medical records of patients who underwent BC surgery under general anesthesia from January 2018 to December 2020, and divided them into 2 groups according to the patient's anesthesia management method: GA group (Group G) and TPVB combined with GA group (Group T). During the operation, the use of boosting drugs and ephedrine, amount of fluid infusion, amount of bleeding, and operation time of the 2 participant groups were recorded, as well as the pain score in the resting state. During anesthesia, the bispectral index (BIS) value of Group G was significantly lower than that of Group T, the use of sufentanil and the use rate of ephedrine were significantly higher than that of Group T, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). At the T4 time point, the blood pressure [systolic blood pressure/diastolic blood pressure (SBP/DBP)] of Group G was higher than that of Group T; at time point T3, the blood pressure (SBP/DBP) of Group G was lower than that of Group T. At the T4 time point, the heart rate of G group was higher than that of Group T, and the heart rate of G group was lower than that of Group T at the time points T2 and T3. The difference between the 2 groups was statistically significant. The change trend of the visual analogue scale (VAS) scores of the 2 participant groups was basically the same when they were resting peacefully, and there were statistical differences in the VAS scores at 1, 2, 4, and 8 h after surgery (P<0.05). When TPVB is combined with GA, there is a lower incidence of hypotension, more stable circulatory state, and better postoperative analgesic effect.

The temporal shift of peri-implant microbiota during the biofilm formation and maturation in a canine model

ObjectivesAlthough the mature peri-implant biofilm composition is well studied, there is very little information on the succession of in vivo dental implant colonization. The aim of this study was to characterize the temporal changes and diversity of peri-implant supra-mucosal and sub-mucosal microbiota during the process of the plaque maturation. Materials and methodsDental implants (n = 25) were placed in the mandible of 3 beagle dogs. Illumina MiSeq sequencing of the hypervariable V3-V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene amplicons was used to characterize the supra/sub-mucosal microbiota in the peri-implant niches at 1day (T1), 7days (T2), 14days (T3), 21days (T4) and 28days (T5) after Phase Ⅱ surgery of the healing abutment placement. QIIME, Mothur, LEfSe and R-package were used for downstream analysis. ResultsA total of 1184 operational taxonomic units (OTUs), assigned into 22 phyla, 264 genera and 339 species were identified. In supra-mucosal niches, the alpha parameters of shannon, sobs and chao1 displayed significant differences between T1 and other time-points. However, in sub-mucosal niches, only sobs, chao1, and ace indexes displayed significant differences between T1 and T3, and T1 and T5. Beta-diversity showed statistically significant difference between T1 and T2, T3, T4, T5 within both sub-mucosal and supra-mucosal plaque. The phyla Bacteroidetes, Proteobacteria and Firmicutes were the most dominant phyla of both sub-mucosal and supra-mucosal niches at all time-points and Firmicutes increased during the maturation of peri-implant plaque. At the genus level, Neisseria decreased significantly after T1 suggesting the establishment of an anaerobic microenvironment. A decrease of Porphyromonas during the formation of sub-mucosal microbial community was also detected. Co-occurrence network analysis exhibited a more complicated co-occurrence relationship of bacterial species in the sub-mucosal niches. Fusobacterium nucleatum, Filifactor villosus, and some other species may play a crucial role in biofilm maturation. ConclusionsThe present results suggested that the development of peri-implant biofilm followed a similar pattern to dental plaque formation. Sub-mucosal biofilm may go through a more complicated procedure of maturation than supra-mucosal biofilm.

The Prevalence of Knee Symptoms, Radiographic, and Symptomatic Osteoarthritis at Four Time Points: The Johnston County Osteoarthritis Project, 1999-2018.

ObjectiveTo describe point prevalence of knee symptoms, radiographic knee osteoarthritis (rKOA), severe rKOA, and symptomatic rKOA at four time points in the longitudinal, population‐based Johnston County Osteoarthritis Project (JoCo OA).MethodsData were from 2573 JoCo OA participants with up to 18 years of follow‐up (1999‐2018) and standardized fixed‐flexion knee radiographs read by a single, reliable expert musculoskeletal radiologist. The four outcomes were 1) self‐reported knee symptoms, defined by “On most days, do you have pain, aching, or stiffness in your right/left knee?”; 2) rKOA, defined as a Kellgren‐Lawrence grade (KLG) of 2 to 4); 3) severe rKOA, defined as a KLG of 3 or 4; and 4) symptomatic rKOA, defined as both symptoms and rKOA in the same joint. Weighted prevalence estimates and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were generated overall and by age group, sex, race, and body mass index (BMI).ResultsMost recently (2017‐2018, T4), the overall prevalence (percentage) of knee symptoms, rKOA, severe rKOA, and symptomatic rKOA was 41% (95% CI: 35‐47%), 61% (95% CI: 56‐67%), 35% (95% CI: 30‐40%), and 30% (95% CI: 24‐35%), respectively. From time point T1 to T4, prevalence increased for rKOA, severe rKOA, and symptomatic rKOA but not for knee symptoms. The prevalence of both severe rKOA (17‐39%) and symptomatic rKOA (23‐30%) was consistently higher among women. The prevalence of all outcomes was higher among those with higher BMI and among Black participants at all time points, particularly rKOA (35‐69%) and severe rKOA (22‐46%).ConclusionThese updated estimates demonstrate a large and increasing burden of knee OA, particularly among women and Black individuals.

Art psychotherapy and public health

ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to explore the role of art psychotherapy as a biopsychosocial approach to bodymind medicine in ameliorating the effects of psychophysical stress among people with non-metastatic cutaneous malignant melanoma (CMM), post-surgical resection. Study designMixed methods. MethodsThis study followed a mixed-methods research design, utilising qualitative data gained from a 6-month weekly group art therapy intervention, including both the images made and explored during the 3-h sessions and the accompanying narratives. The narratives were the subject of thematic analysis. The quantitative data arose from ELISA assays for secretory immunoglobulin A (S-IgA) and secretory interferon-γ (S-IFN- γ), DTH (PPD) tests were delivered at timepoints t0, t1, t5, t13, t24 and t52, and questionnaires were delivered at t0, t24 and t52: MAC, HAD, COPE & EORTC-QLQ-C-30. ResultsThe findings of this study included themes of ‘otherness’ and ‘isolation’, which also preceded diagnosis, and an upward trend in S-IgA, which continued over time. ConclusionsThis study found that art psychotherapy promotes enhanced immunological function, coping skills and interpersonal relations. Positive psychoneuroimmunological change can result from group art psychotherapy, facilitating integration of psychological content in a supportive and interactive environment, which improves quality of life, thereby reducing the public health burden.

Persisting and reoccurring cyanosis after Fontan operation is associated with increased late mortality.

The Fontan operation aims at reducing cyanosis and cardiac volume overload in patients with complex univentricular heart malformations. However, persisting or reoccurring cyanosis is frequently observed. We sought to systematically determine the prevalence and clinical consequences of persisting and secondary cyanosis after Fontan operation. A total of 331 Fontan patients, operated between 1984 and 2016 with a median postoperative follow-up of 7.9 (interquartile range 2.6-15.8) years, were studied retrospectively. Cyanosis was defined as transcutaneous oxygen saturation ≤93% at rest measured by pulse oximetry. Prevalence of cyanosis was analysed at 3 different time points (t1 = post-Fontan operation, t2 = post-Fontan cardiac catheterization, t3 = last follow-up) and the association of cyanosis with mortality was examined. Prevalence of cyanosis was 50% at t1 and 39% at t3. Fenestration was patent in 71% and 33% of all cyanotic patients at t1 and t3, respectively. In patients with clinical indication for catheterization (t2; n = 178/331), prevalence of cyanosis was 72%. At t2, patent fenestration (33%), veno-venous collaterals (24%) or both (32%) were present. Thirty-six (11%) patients died during follow-up. In a time-varying multivariable Cox regression analysis, cyanosis was the strongest predictor for late mortality (P < 0.001, hazard ratio 12.2, 95% confidence interval 3.7-40.5). Prevalence of cyanosis was considerable during long-term follow-up after Fontan operation and-as a surrogate parameter for unfavourable Fontan haemodynamics-is associated with increased late mortality. Accordingly, particular attention should be directed towards the persistence or reoccurrence of cyanosis during follow-up since it may indicate haemodynamic attrition and development of Fontan failure.

Work ability and cognitive impairments in young adult cancer patients: associated factors and changes over time—results from the AYA-Leipzig study

PurposeAlthough young adults represent a significant portion of the working population, little is known about the work ability and cognitive impairments in adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer patients (including the long-term course) following cancer treatment.MethodsAs part of the AYA-Leipzig study, we surveyed AYA cancer survivors (aged 18–39 years at diagnosis; time since diagnosis ≤ 4 years, including all cancer diagnoses) at two time points (t2 = 12 months after t1). Work ability (Work Ability Index, WAI-r) and cognitive impairments (Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire, COPSOQ) were compared at both time points. We analysed predictors for work ability at, on average, 2 years post cancer diagnosis (t2) by using multivariate regression analyses.ResultsA total of 502 patients (74.7% women) participated in both measurements. Mean work ability increased significantly from t1 (6.0; SD = 2.3) to t2 (6.8; SD = 2.2) (t = −9.3; p < 0.001). As many as 380 (76%) AYA cancer survivors reported reduced work ability at t1; 1 year later, this still applied to 287 (57%) of them. Decreased work ability (t2) was associated with more cognitive impairment, higher effort coping with the disease, comorbidities, sick leave > 6 months (since diagnosis), and having children (adj R2 = .48). Cognitive impairments occurred in approximately every fifth patient at both surveys.ConclusionsAchieving maximum work ability is a major challenge for AYAs. Our results show the need for multimodal cancer survivorship and rehabilitation programmes with a special focus on improving cognitive and psychosocial functioning.Implications for Cancer SurvivorsAYAs with cancer should receive targeted occupational counselling early in the course of the disease.

Study on the effect of antibiotics application in perioperative period on carotid artery and serum interleukin-6 in periodontitis rats with hyperlipidemia or diabetes

Objective: To investigate the effect of antibiotics application in perioperative period on carotid artery and serum interluekin-6 (IL-6) in chronic periodontitis (CP) rats with hyperlipidemia (HL) or diabetes mellitus (DM). Methods: The models of CP rats with HL or DM were established in different batches. The rats were divided into groups as follows: A and A' were normal control groups, n=7 in each group; B(HL) and B'(DM) were groups of HL and DM, n=7 in each; C(HL+CP) and C'(DM+CP) were groups of CP with HL and CP with DM, n=21 in each. After the establishment of the models, groups C and C' were divided into C1 and C1' non-intervention group, C2 and C2' simple tooth extraction group and C3 and C3' antibiotic-assisted tooth extraction, with 7 rats in each of the groups. Two time interventions were performed to extract experimental teeth (bilateral maxillary first and second molars) in groups C2, C2', C3 and C3'. Serum samples were collected at 5 time points before and after tooth extraction (T1: before the first tooth extraction; T2: one week after the first tooth extraction; T3, T4, T5: the first, third and fifth week after the second tooth extraction), respectively. The absolute content of IL-6 in serum was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Ratio of the absolute content in the experimental groups and control groups were calculated as the relative content of IL-6. At the end of the experiments, all rats were euthanasia and the bifurcation vascular tissues of carotid artery were collected for the observation of the carotid artery pathology and plaque formation and the measurement of the thickness of carotid intimal-medial layer (IMT). Results: Carotid artery pathology observation showed the IMT in group C was significantly thickened and the group C2 was the most thickened one (compared with group A, P＜0.01). Elastic fibers in groups C1 and C2 were disordered or even broken and disappeared, presenting typical atherosclerotic plaques, which were diffuse calcium salt deposits in the intimal-medial layers and protrude into the lumen. Elastic fibers in group C3 were ranged in ordered relatively without obvious fracture and the number of plaques was significantly reduced. The vascular walls in rats of groups B' and C' were incomplete, the IMTs had no obvious changes, elastic fibers were ranged disorderly and broken and the smooth muscle cells had vacuolar changes. In group C2', the vascular wall was significantly thinned and calcified plaques appeared in the artery, which showed multiple calcification lesions penetrating through the intimal-medial layer or even the whole layer. The vascular wall of group C3' was integrity and the elastic fibers arranged relatively clutter-free, the number of plaques was reduced. Results of detections of IL-6 showed the relative contents of IL-6 in groups B, B', C1, and C1' increased with time. At T3 time point, the relative contents of IL-6 in groups C2 and C3 reached the peak, C2 was 10.4 times of group A and C3 was 9.5 times of group A, and then decreased to different low levels. At T5 point, comparisons of the relative contents of IL-6 showed C3 < C2 < C1 (3.2 times, 5.4 times, 9.6 times of group A, respectively). The relative contents of IL-6 in groups C2' and C3' reached the peak at T2 point (4.9 times and 4.5 times of group A, respectively), and then decline with time. At T5 point, comparisons of the relative contents of IL-6 showed C3'< C2'< C1' (1.2 times, 1.4 times and 3.1 times of group A, respectively). Conclusions: Blood vessels were observed more obvious thickened in the tooth extraction without antibiotic of HL+CP rats with calcifications increase. Blood vessels of DM+CP rats became thin and fragile and even the integrity was damaged. Perioperative use of antibiotics might reduce the carotid artery lesions and decrease serum levels of inflammatory cytokines.

Hemodynamic Response to Three Types of Urban Spaces before and after Lockdown during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

(1) Background: Prolonged lockdowns with stay-at-home orders have been introduced in many countries since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. They have caused a drastic change in the everyday lives of people living in urbanized areas, and are considered to contribute to a modified perception of the public space. As research related to the impact of COVID-19 restrictions on mental health and well-being emerges, the associated longitudinal changes of brain hemodynamics in healthy adults remain largely unknown. (2) Methods: this study examined the hemodynamic activation patterns of the prefrontal and occipital cortices of 12 participants (5 male, Mage = 47.80, SDage = 17.79, range 25 to 74, and 7 female, Mage = 39.00, SDage = 18.18, range 21 to 65) passively viewing videos from three urban sites in Singapore (Urban Park, Neighborhood Landscape and City Center) at two different time points—T1, before the COVID-19 pandemic and T2, soon after the lockdown was over. (3) Results: We observed a significant and marginally significant decrease in average oxyhemoglobin (Oxy-Hb) over time for each of the visual conditions. For both green spaces (Urban Park and Neighborhood Landscape), the decrease was in the visual cortex, while for the City Center with no green elements, the marginal decrease was observed in the visual cortex and the frontal eye fields. (4) Conclusions: The results suggest that the COVID-19-related lockdown experienced by urban inhabitants may have contributed to decreased brain hemodynamics, which are further related to a heightened risk of mental health disorders, such as depression or a decline in cognitive functions. Moreover, the busy City Center scenes induced a hemodynamic pattern associated with stress and anxiety, while urban green spaces did not cause such an effect. Urban green scenes can be an important factor to offset the negative neuropsychological impact of busy urban environments post-pandemic.

Effects of different drugs on the curative effect, stress responses, and the circulatory system of patients with hypertensive trigeminal neuralgia.

This research aimed to analyze the effects of stellate nerve block with different drugs on the curative effect, stress responses, and the circulatory system of patients with hypertensive trigeminal neuralgia (TN). A retrospective analysis of 82 patients with hypertensive TN admitted to our hospital from January 2019 to January 2021 was conducted, and the patients were divided into a control group and an observation group according to different drugs. The pain visual analogue scale (VAS) scores were determined between the 2 groups before treatment and at 1, 2, 3, 7, and 30 d after treatment. The mean arterial pressure (MAP) and heart rate (HR) were measured in the 2 groups of patients before treatment and immediately after treatment (T0), half an hour after treatment (T1), 1 h after treatment (T2), and 6 h after treatment (T3). The left ventricular wall thickness (LVWT), left ventricular end systolic volume (LVESV), left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), and fraction shortening (FS) were detected in the 2 groups before treatment and at T0-T2. Patient satisfaction was also scored, and the incidence of adverse reactions was assessed. The VAS scores of the 2 groups of patients decreased significantly after treatment at 1, 2, 3, 7, and 30 d. The MAP and HR indicators of the 2 groups decreased gradually at T0-T2, and gradually recovered to levels before treatment at the T3 time point. The MAP and HR indicators of the observation group were significantly lower than those of the control group at T0-T2. After treatment, the levels of LVWT, LVESV, LVEF, and FS in the observation group at the T0-T2 time points were significantly lower than those of the control group. Additionally, after treatment, the satisfaction of the observation group was significantly higher than that of the control group. The total incidence of adverse reactions in the observation group was significantly lower than that in the control group. For patients with hypertensive TN, a single ropivacaine stellate nerve block can significantly relieve pain, and has little effect on heart function.

P026 Microbial Diversity is affected by Cognitive Behavioral and Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction and accompanied by an Inflammatory Response in Patients with Crohn’s Disease

Abstract Background Crohn’s disease (CD) is associated with psychological stress and alteration of gut microbiota as compared to healthy individuals. Previous work has reported imbalances in CD patients across four major bacterial phyla including Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria. We aimed to determine the effect on gut microbiota of a 3-month period of Cognitive Behavioral and Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (COBMINDEX), a psychological intervention shown to improve the wellbeing and inflammatory state of CD patients. Methods Microbial analysis of stool samples, circulating inflammatory markers and a wide range of psychological parameters related to stress, well-being and daily activities were measured and compared among 25 CD patients before (T1) and after (T2) COBMINDEX, and 25 matched CD wait-list controls at the corresponding time-points T1 and T2. Stool DNA extracts were subjected to 16S amplicon sequencing (Illumina) and analysed for taxonomical abundance, alpha and beta diversity using the QIIME2 pipeline and correlated with inflammatory and clinical parameters. Results Microbial alpha diversity among all CD patients at T1 significantly correlated to the 3 key cytokines: IL-10 (p=0.04, correlation=0.48), INFg (p=0.02, correlation=0.53), and INFa (p=0.02, correlation=0.51). At T2, while beta diversity was significantly increased in the COBMINDEX group (p=0.03), it was significantly decreased (p=0.0001) among the wait-list controls (Figure 1). Furthermore, compared with the wait-list controls, changes in inflammatory and clinical markers such as INFg, TNFa, IL-6, calprotectin and CRP, occurring following COBMINDEX, were accompanied by changes in the 4 main phyla including Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria (Figure 2). Lastly, changes in a variety of unique taxa, not previously implicated in CD, were also associated with changes in inflammatory and clinical markers such as INFg, TNFa, IL-6, calprotectin and CRP in the COBMINDEX but not in wait-list controls (Figure 2). Conclusion Our results show that microbial diversity is connected to the inflammatory profile of CD patients, and is significantly altered by COBMINDEX. Moreover, changes in the 4 main phyla that are known to be different among CD patients are linked to changes in various inflammatory markers, demonstrating the microbial-inflammatory relationship among CD patients. Lastly, we found that changes in the abundancies of 7 taxa, hitherto untied to CD in the literature, correlate with inflammatory markers, hinting at new microbial targets in CD.

Theoretical Development of Plant Root Diameter Estimation Based on GprMax Data and Neural Network Modelling

The in situ non-destructive quantitative observation of plant roots is difficult. Traditional detection methods are not only time-consuming and labor-intensive, but also destroy the root environment. Ground penetrating radar (GPR), as a non-destructive detection method, has great potential in the estimation of root parameters. In this paper, we use GprMax software to perform forward modeling of plant roots under different soil dielectric constants, and analyze the situation of plant roots with different dielectric constants and different root diameters under 1.5 GHz frequency antenna detection. Firstly, root systems with increasing diameter under different values of root and soil dielectric constant were scanned. Secondly, from the scanning results, two time points T1 and T2 of radar wave entering and penetrating the root system were defined, and the correlation between root diameter D and time interval ΔT between T1 and T2 was analyzed. Finally, the least square regression model and back propagation (BP) neural network model for root diameter parameter estimation were established, and the estimation effects of the two models were compared and evaluated. The research results show that the root diameter (12–48 mm) is highly correlated with the time interval. Given the dielectric constants of the root and soil, the prediction results of the two models are accurate, but the prediction result of the neural network model is more stable, and the residual between the predicted value and the actual value is mainly concentrated in the [−1.5 mm, 1.5 mm] range, as well as the average of prediction error percentage being 3.62%. When the dielectric constants of the root and soil are unknown, the accuracy of the prediction results of the two models is decreased, but the stability of the neural network model is still superior to the least squares model, and the residual error is mainly concentrated in the range of [−5.3 mm, 5.0 mm], the average of prediction error percentage is 10.19%. This study uses GprMax to simulate root system detection and reveals the theoretical potential of GPR technology for non-destructive estimation of root diameter parameters. It is also pointed out that in the field exploration process, if the dielectric constants of the root and soil in the experimental site are sampled and measured first, the prediction accuracy of the model for root diameter would be effectively improved. This research is based on simulation experiments, so further simulation followed by laboratory and field testing is warranted using non-uniform roots and soil.