Agreement between quality of life assessed using family proxy and child self-reports among children with hematologic malignancy.

Evidence-based literature recognizes that the different degrees of agreement between a child self-report and a proxy-report depend on the characteristics of the domains, the child's age and illness, the proxy's own perspective on QoL, and family attendance during the child's hospitalization. This study aims to determine the degree of agreement between proxy-reports and child self-reports on quality of life (QoL) for children with hematologic malignancy ranging in age from 5 to 18 years who are undergoing treatment. We retrieved clinical QoL data from a study titled "Dynamic change in QoL for Vietnamese children with hematologic malignancy" from April 2021 to December 2022. To evaluate the magnitude of agreement between self-reports and proxy-reports, intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) for 259 pairs of measurements were quantified. Using independent t tests, the mean differences between self-reports and proxy-reports were tested. Moderate agreement was consistent through all age groups for five subscales, including physical, psychosocial, pain, nausea, and procedural anxiety (ICCs ranged from 0.53 to 0.74). The weakest agreement appeared in two groups, subjects aged 5-7 years and 13-18 years on six domains (school, treatment anxiety, worry, cognitive problems, perceived physical appearance, and communication) (-0.01 to 0.49). Child self-rating was consistently higher than that of proxies for the physical, emotional, and nausea domains among children aged 5-7 years and for procedural anxiety, treatment anxiety, and cognitive problems among children aged 8-12 years.    Conclusion: The agreement level of self-reports and proxy-reports was differently distributed by child age and the PedsQL domains. The proxy children agreement on QoL among children with hematologic malignancy was divergent according to the different age groups, which could potentially be explained by proxy-child bonding at different stages of childhood development. Our recommendation for future studies is to explore children's age as a potential factor influencing proxy agreement on QoL among children with cancer. What is Known: • Children and their proxies may think differently about quality of life (QoL). • Comparing two sources of data (i.e., child and proxy) on aspects of QoL can help identify the discrepancies between children's perceptions of their QoL and their parents' perceptions. This can be useful in terms of identifying potential areas for improvement or concern and may also be helpful in making decisions about treatment and care. What is New: • Our study results demonstrated that proxies who comprised children aged 5-7 years or 13-18 years reported differently among domains that cannot be expressed verbally or with body language, including cognitive problems, perceived physical appearance, and communication. • Children generally perceived their QoL to be better than their proxies. Therefore, a more comprehensive understanding of children's QoL may require the consideration of multiple sources of data from various perspectives.

Histamine-degrading halophilic bacteria from traditional fish sauce: Characterization of Virgibacillus campisalis TT8.5 for histamine reduction.

Traditionally produced fish sauce can contain significant amounts of histamine. In some instances, the histamine concentration may be well above the limit recommended by the Codex Alimentarius Commission. The aim of this study was to discover new bacterial strains capable of growing under the stressful environmental conditions of fish sauce fermentation and metabolizing histamine. In this study, 28 bacterial strains were isolated from Vietnamese fish sauce products based on their ability to grow at high salt concentrations (23% NaCl) and tested for their ability to degrade histamine. Strain TT8.5 showed the highest histamine-degradation (45.1 ± 0.2% of initially 5 mM histamine within 7 days) and was identified as Virgibacillus campisalis TT8.5. Its histamine-degrading activity was shown to be localized intracellularly and the enzyme is a putative histamine dehydrogenase. The strain exhibited optimal growth and histamine-degrading activity at 37°C, pH 7%, and 5% NaCl in halophilic archaea (HA) histamine broth. It also showed pronounced histamine-degrading activity in HA histamine broth when cultivated at temperatures of up to 40 °C as well as in the presence of up to 23% NaCl. After treatment with immobilized cells, 17.6-26.9% of the initial histamine in various fish sauce products were reduced within 24 h of incubation, while no significant changes in other parameters of fish sauce quality were observed after this treatment. Our results indicate that V. campisalis TT8.5 is of potential interest to be applied in histamine degradation of traditional fish sauce.

[Effect of center-based or home-based resistance training on muscle strength and VO2 peak in patients with Heart Failure: A systematic review and meta-analysis]. / Efecto del entrenamiento de resistencia en centros o domiciliario en la fuerza muscular y pico de VO2 en pacientes con insuficiencia cardíaca: revisión sistemática y metaanálisis.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the components of resistance training (RT) exercises and evaluate the effects of RT on improving muscle strength and oxygen consumption (VO2) peak based on either center-based rehabilitation or home-based rehabilitation in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). METHODS: According to the PRISMA guidelines, articles were searched through five databases, including Embase, MEDLINE, CINAHL, PEDro and Cochrane. RevMan 5.3 software was used to perform the meta-analysis. RESULTS: Nine randomized controlled trial studies met the study criteria, including a total of 299 respondents. In the center-based respondents (n = 81 for intervention group vs. n = 81 for control group), RT resulted in significant effects on both muscle strength of lower extremity (SDM = 1.46, 95% CI = 0.41-2.50, n = 151) and upper extremity (SDM = 0.46, 95% CI = 0.05-0.87, n = 97) and VO2 peak (MD = 1.45 ml/kg/min, 95% CI = 0.01-2.89, n = 114). In the home-based respondents (n = 71 for intervention group vs. n = 66 for control group), RT resulted in significant effects on muscle strength of both lower extremity (SDM = 0.58, 95% CI: 0.20-0.97, n = 113) and upper extremity (SDM = 0.84, 95% CI: 0.24-1.44, n = 47) and VO2 peak (MD = 5.43 ml/kg/min, 95% CI: 0.23-10.62, n = 89). CONCLUSION: The RT exercise could increase muscle strength and VO2 peak at either center-based or home-based rehabilitation and should be considered as a part of the care of patients with HFrEF.

Efecto del entrenamiento de resistencia en centros o domiciliario en la fuerza muscular y pico de VO2 en pacientes con insuficiencia cardíaca: revisión sistemática y metaanálisis / Effect of center-based or home-based resistance training on muscle strength and VO2 peak in patients with Heart Failure: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Objetivo:Analizar los componentes de los ejercicios de entrenamiento de resistencia (ER) y evaluar los efectos de los mismos en la mejora de la fuerza muscular y el pico de consumo de oxígeno (VO2), sobre la base de la rehabilitación realizada en centros o domiciliaria en pacientes con reducción de la fracción de eyección por insuficiencia cardiaca (HFrEF).Métodos:Conforme a las directrices del Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA), se realizó una búsqueda de artículos a través de cinco bases de datos, incluyendo Embase, MEDLINE, CINAHL, PEDro y Cochrane. Para realizar el metaanálisis se utilizó el software RevMan 5.3.Resultados:Los nueve estudios de ensayos controlados aleatorizados cumplieron los criterios del estudio, incluyendo un total de 299 respondedores. En los respondedores de los centros (n = 81 para el grupo de intervención vs. n = 81 para el grupo control), el ER produjo efectos significativos tanto en la fuerza muscular de las piernas (diferencia media estandarizada [DEM] = 1,46, IC del 95%,0,41-2,50, n = 151) como de los brazos (DEM = 0,46, IC del 95%,0,05-0,87, n = 97) y el pico de VO2 (DM = 1,45 mL/kg/min, IC del 95%, 0,01-2,89, n = 114). En los respondedores domiciliarios (n = 71 para el grupo de intervención vs. n = 66 para el grupo control), el ER produjo efectos significativos tanto en la fuerza muscular de las piernas (DEM = 0,58, IC del 95%, 0,20-0,97, n = 113) como de los brazos (DEM = 0,84, IC del 95%, 0,24-1,44, n = 47) y pico de VO2 (DM = 5,43 mL/kg/min, IC del 95%, 0,23-10,62, n = 89).Conclusión:Los ejercicios de ER podrían incrementar la fuerza muscular y el pico de VO2 tanto en la rehabilitación en centros como domiciliario, y deberían considerarse parte de los cuidados de los pacientes de HFrEF.

Objective:To analyze the components of resistance training (RT) exercises and evaluate the effects of RT on improving muscle strength and oxygen consumption (VO2) peak based on either center-based rehabilitation or home-based rehabilitation in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF).Methods:According to the PRISMA guidelines, articles were searched through five databases, including Embase, MEDLINE, CINAHL, PEDro and Cochrane. RevMan 5.3 software was used to perform the meta-analysis.Results:Nine randomized controlled trial studies met the study criteria, including a total of 299 respondents. In the center-based respondents (n = 81 for intervention group vs. n = 81 for control group), RT resulted in significant effects on both muscle strength of lower extremity (SDM = 1.46, 95% CI = 0.41–2.50, n = 151) and upper extremity (SDM = 0.46, 95% CI = 0.05–0.87, n = 97) and VO2 peak (MD = 1.45 ml/kg/min, 95% CI = 0.01–2.89, n = 114). In the home-based respondents (n = 71 for intervention group vs. n = 66 for control group), RT resulted in significant effects on muscle strength of both lower extremity (SDM = 0.58, 95% CI: 0.20–0.97, n = 113) and upper extremity (SDM = 0.84, 95% CI: 0.24–1.44, n = 47) and VO2 peak (MD = 5.43 ml/kg/min, 95% CI: 0.23–10.62, n = 89).Conclusion:The RT exercise could increase muscle strength and VO2 peak at either center-based or home-based rehabilitation and should be considered as a part of the care of patients with HFrEF.

Effects of Distraction on Reducing Pain During Invasive Procedures in Children with Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Distraction is a known behavioral intervention that is widely used for pain management in the pediatric population. However, there is a shortage of reviews reporting the efficacy of distraction for procedural pain reduction in pediatric oncology settings. AIM: To determine the current evidence on the effects of distraction on procedural pain in children with cancer. DESIGN: This systematic review and meta-analysis was undertaken according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines SETTINGS: Six different databases from 1990 to June 2019. METHOD: A literature search was conducted to identify the effects of distraction on procedural pain reduction in children with cancer. A meta-analysis was undertaken along with applying a mixed effect model to quantify the standardized mean difference in the 95% confidence interval (CI) as the overall effects. RESULTS: Ten randomized controlled trials were included. Distraction during an invasive procedure had a large effect on pain intensity (-0.92, 95% CI -1.48 to -0.36, p = .001) and on needle insertion as well (-1.12, 95% CI -1.52 to -0.72, p = .000), but only a moderate effect on lumbar puncture procedures (-0.57, 95% CI -1.02 to -0.12, p = .012). Uncertain effects on pain relief showed up in a virtual reality (VR) distraction (-0.93, 95% CI -2.63 to 0.76, p = .28) and during active distraction (-0.72, 95% CI -1.48 to 0.03, p = .06). CONCLUSIONS: Distraction is an efficacious intervention to reduce procedural pain during needle insertion or lumbar puncture procedures in children with cancer. However, the efficacy of active distraction and VR remain uncertain. Future research should focus on specific comparisons of different forms of distractions with larger sample sizes.

Effect of center-based or home-based resistance training on muscle strength and VO2 peak in patients with HFrEF: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the components of resistance training (RT) exercises and evaluate the effects of RT on improving muscle strength and oxygen consumption (VO2) peak based on either center-based rehabilitation or home-based rehabilitation in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). METHODS: According to the PRISMA guidelines, articles were searched through five databases, including Embase, MEDLINE, CINAHL, PEDro and Cochrane. RevMan 5.3 software was used to perform the meta-analysis. RESULTS: Nine randomized controlled trial studies met the study criteria, including a total of 299 respondents. In the center-based respondents (n=81 for intervention group vs. n=81 for control group), RT resulted in significant effects on both muscle strength of lower extremity (SDM=1.46, 95% CI=0.41-2.50, n=151) and upper extremity (SDM=0.46, 95% CI=0.05-0.87, n=97) and VO2 peak (MD=1.45ml/kg/min, 95% CI=0.01-2.89, n=114). In the home-based respondents (n=71 for intervention group vs. n=66 for control group), RT resulted in significant effects on muscle strength of both lower extremity (SDM=0.58, 95% CI: 0.20-0.97, n=113) and upper extremity (SDM=0.84, 95% CI: 0.24-1.44, n=47) and VO2 peak (MD=5.43ml/kg/min, 95% CI: 0.23-10.62, n=89). CONCLUSION: The RT exercise could increase muscle strength and VO2 peak at either center-based or home-based rehabilitation and should be considered as a part of the care of patients with HFrEF.

Carbapenemase Genes and Multidrug Resistance of Acinetobacter Baumannii: A Cross Sectional Study of Patients with Pneumonia in Southern Vietnam.

BACKGROUND: Acinetobacter baumannii (Ab) is an opportunistic bacterial pathogen found in hospital-acquired infections including nosocomial pneumonia, especially multidrug-resistant Ab. This study aims to survey the drug resistance profiles of Ab isolated from patients in Thong Nhat Dong Nai General Hospital and assess the relationship between genotypes and antibiotic resistance; Methods: Ninety-seven Ab strains isolated from 340 lower respiratory tract specimens among pneumonia patients were used to screen the most common local carbapenemase genes. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing results and demographic data were collected and minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of colistin were also determined; Results: Over 80% and 90% of Ab strains were determined as carbapenem-resistant and multidrug-resistant (MDR), respectively. Most of the strains carried carbapenemase genes, including blaOXA-51, blaOXA-23-like, blaOXA-58-like, and blaNDM-1, with proportions of 97 (100%), 76 (78.4%), 10 (10.3%), 6 (6.2%), respectively. Amongst these genes, blaOXA-23-like was the only gene which significantly influenced the resistance (p < 0.0001); and Conclusions: The severity of Ab antibiotic resistance is urgent and specifically related to carbapenemase encoding genes. Therefore, screening of MDR Ab and carbapenemase for better treatment options is necessary.