Effect of acupressure in nausea and vomiting treatment during pregnancy: A meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Many women experience nausea and vomiting in early pregnancy. Regardless of the disease severity, it affects the work and life of pregnant women. However, drug treatment may potentially impact the foetus; thus, alternative safe and effective measures are essential. We aimed to evaluate the effect of acupressure, a non-drug treatment for nausea and vomiting, during pregnancy. METHODS: PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane, Web of Science, CNKI, CBM, VIP, and Wanfang databases were searched using 'pregnancy', 'nausea', 'vomiting', and 'acupressure' as keywords. The search period was from database inception to 30 November 2022. Two researchers independently screened articles, extracted data, and used RevMan 5.4 software for statistical analysis. RESULTS: We included 33 trials and 3 390 patients in this meta-analysis. Acupressure was effective for women with nausea and vomiting during pregnancy (odds ratio (OR)= 4.81, 95% confidence interval (CI) [3.47, 6.68]; p<0.0001); it significantly reduced the nausea score of the Rhodes index (mean square deviation (MD): -3.21, 95% CI [-4.85, -1.57], Z = 3.83, p = 0.0001), modified Pregnancy Unique Quantification of Emesis and Nausea score (MD: -2.18, 95% CI [-3.21, -1.15], Z = 4.15, p<0.0001), and hospital stay (OR=-3.27, 95% CI [-6.18, -0.36]; p = 0.03) and improved quality of life (MD: -14.06,95% CI [- 17.31, -10.18], Z = 8.48, p<0.00001). However, no significant difference was observed in nursing satisfaction and anxiety scores (OR=4.13, 95% CI [0.89, 19.15]; p = 0.07) (MD: -13.26,95% CI [-32.04,5.53], Z = 1.38, p = 0.17). CONCLUSIONS: This meta-analysis provides evidence of a non-drug intervention for women with nausea and vomiting during pregnancy; acupressure effectively reduces nausea and vomiting during pregnancy.

Cytokines and refractory mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia in children: a systematic review.

INTRODUCTION: The relationship between cytokines and refractory mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia (RMPP) in children was conflicting. The aim of the current study was to perform a systematic review to determine the relationship between cytokines and RMPP in children. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION: We searched PubMed, and the search was done on 21 November 2022. This search was limited to human studies, with language restriction of English. Studies were included if they reported the relationship between cytokines and RMPP. EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS: A total of 22 relevant full articles were included in the review. TNF-α levels in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and IL-18 levels in the blood samples were likely to be associated with RMPP. IL-2 and IL-4 lost significance regardless in the BALF or blood samples. Additionally, there was no significant difference in IFN-γ levels between RMPP patients and non-refractory mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia (NRMPP) patients in the BALF. Patients receiving different treatments had different levels of cytokines. CONCLUSIONS: This analysis offers evidence linking abnormalities of cytokines with RMPP in children, which may be essential for identifying individuals with RMPP. Large prospective studies are needed for further clarification of roles of cytokines in RMPP.

A pathway model of chronic pain and frailty in older Chinese cancer patients: The mediating effect of sleep.

This study aimed to explore the association between chronic pain, sleep quality, and frailty, and whether sleep quality will mediate the relationship between chronic pain and frailty. A cross-sectional study was conducted between June 2020 and July 2021 among 308 patients in Nantong city. The relationship between chronic pain and frailty was tested using linear regression. The bootstrap method was used to examine mediating effect of sleep quality. Chronic pain was significantly correlated with frailty (r=0.271, P<.001). Sleep quality played a partially mediating role between chronic pain and frailty (ß=0.160, R2=32%, P<.001). Interventions to scientifically manage chronic pain and improve sleep quality may be effective in reducing the incidence of frailty in elderly cancer patients.

PSME4 Activates mTOR Signaling and Promotes the Malignant Progression of Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: As hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) having the second-highest mortality rate globally, the early diagnosis and prognosis of HCC have always been the focus of various studies. Although PSME4 has been reported to be closely related to several malignancies, its role in HCC remains unclear. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The TCGA-LIHC database and HCC tissues were used to explore the expression of PSME4 in HCC. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was used to forecast the biological behavior of HCC cells that PSME4 might be involved in regulation. In addition, CCK-8, colony formation and flow cytometry assays were used to explore the effect of PSME4 on HCC cells. Furthermore, the underlying PSME4-related signaling pathways in HCC were further confirmed using GSEA. RESULTS: We found that the expression of PSME4 in HCC tissues was significantly higher than that in adjacent normal tissues, and patients with high PSME4 expression have a poor prognosis. CCK-8, colony formation and flow cytometry assays shown that knockdown of PSME4 inhibits HCC cell proliferation of HCC cells, promotes cell apoptosis and moves the cell cycle away from the S phase. Mechanistically, PSME4 may promote the development of HCC through mTOR signaling pathway. CONCLUSION: The high expression of PSME4 in HCC promotes the proliferation of HCC cells via the mTOR signalling pathway. Therefore, PSME4 is an emerging tumour marker for the early diagnosis and prognosis of HCC.

Posttraumatic growth in Chinese nurses and general public during the COVID-19 outbreak.

COVID-19 as a pandemic disease, till 18 May 2020, has infected more than 84,494 people in China and 4721,051 abroad. While countries around the world concentrate on controlling the pandemic to minimize damage to this country, the positive psychology brought to nurses and general public (GP) by COVID-19 should not be ignored. This study aims to assess post-traumatic growth (PTG) of Chinese nurses and GP during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study employed PTG in Chinese nurses and GP with Posttraumatic growth inventory questionnaire (PTGI) via a mobile app-based questionnaire, anxiety and ways to copy with stress in nurses were also employed. A total of 455 nurses and 424 GP were included in the statistical analysis. Results indicated that score of total PTGI and three dimensions, new possibilities, personal strength and spiritual change, were different between nurses and GP. Furthermore, score of total PTGI and all domains were significantly different between 178 front-line nurses (FLNs) and 277 non-front-line nurses (nFLNs). Importantly, sex, marriage status, professional titles, fertility, anxiety and ways to copy with stress were associated with PTG in nurses. Moreover, marriage status and ways to copy with stress were the predictors of PTG in nurses. Interestingly, this study found that WeChat network psychological counseling and phone app of application self-relaxation were good and effective coping strategies for nurses to relieve stress. Thus, the development of valid intervention programs for nurses to diminish job burnout and increase care quality was also important.