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BMC Psychiatry Dec 2022Breast cancer represents a traumatic experience with a psychological burden. The prevalence of psychological distress (which include depression and anxiety) among breast...
INTRODUCTION
Breast cancer represents a traumatic experience with a psychological burden. The prevalence of psychological distress (which include depression and anxiety) among breast cancer patients is estimated to be 15 to 54%, but studies have shown that applying some psychological treatments has contributed to decreasing depression and anxiety. So, it is crucial to diagnose and treat patients with the appropriate means. After reviewing the literature, no studies discussed depression and anxiety among Syrian breast cancer patients.
METHODS
A cross-sectional study in Al-Bairouni hospital in Damascus, Syria carried out using face-to-face interviews based on a structured questionnaire. All breast cancer patients were included, except who refused to participate, and responses with missing data were excluded. The questionnaire consisted of 2 sections: the first included Socio-demographic characteristics, and the other evaluated patients' depression using PHQ-2 and GAD-2 scales. Data were gathered using the Kobo toolbox app and then entered into an Excel sheet.
RESULTS
Five hundred patients were interviewed. 35.6% of the patients had a GAD-2 score greater than or equal to 3.00, while 35% had a PHQ-2 score greater than or equal to 3.00. There is a significant negative relationship between the age of the patient and the GAD-2 score and PHQ-2 score, which means the older the patient is, the lower the GAD-2 and PHQ-2 scores are. A multivariable regression model showed that younger (age ≤ 45 years) and being widowed were associated with being positive for further evaluation for generalized anxiety disorder. Similarly, patients younger than 45 are significantly associated with the need for further evaluation for major depressive disorder (MDD). Social status had a stronger association with the need for further assessment for MDD, with divorced women showing the strongest association, followed by widowed and married women compared to single women.
CONCLUSION
This study showed high anxiety and depression among breast cancer patients. The patient's age and social status were significant factors in determining the need for further psychological assessment. In General, Younger patients showed higher levels of depression and anxiety, the size of the tumor did not show significant association with psychological distress.
Topics: Female; Humans; Middle Aged; Anxiety; Anxiety Disorders; Breast Neoplasms; Cross-Sectional Studies; Depression; Depressive Disorder, Major; Surveys and Questionnaires; Syria
PubMed: 36528568
DOI: 10.1186/s12888-022-04469-y -
Genome Biology and Evolution Aug 2021Although the rabbit genome has already been annotated, it is mobilome remains largely unknown. Here, multiple pipelines were used to de novo mine and annotate the...
Although the rabbit genome has already been annotated, it is mobilome remains largely unknown. Here, multiple pipelines were used to de novo mine and annotate the mobilome in rabbit. Four families and 19 subfamilies of LINE1s, two families and nine subfamilies of SINEs, and 12 ERV families were defined in rabbit based on sequence identity, structural organization, and phylogenetic tree. The analysis of insertion age and polymerase chain reaction suggests that a number of families are very young and may remain active, such as L1B, L1D, OcuSINEA, and OcuERV1. RepeatMasker annotation revealed a distinct transposable element landscape within the genome, with approximately two million copies of SINEs, representing the greatest proportion of the genome (19.61%), followed by LINEs (15.44%), and LTRs (4.11%), respectively, considerably different from most other mammal mobilomes except hedgehog and tree shrew, in which LINEs have the highest proportion. Furthermore, a very high rate of insertion polymorphisms (>85%) for the youngest subfamily (OcuSINEA1) was identified by polymerase chain reaction. The majority of retrotransposon insertions overlapped with protein-coding regions (>80%) and lncRNA (90%) genes. Genomic distribution bias was observed for retrotransposons, with those immediately upstream (-1 kb) and downstream (1 kb) of genes significantly depleted. Local GC content in 50-kb widows had significantly negative correlations with LINE (rs=-0.996) and LTR (rs=-0.829) insertions. The current study revealed a distinct mobilome landscape in rabbit, which will assist in the elucidation of the evolution of the genome of lagomorphs, and even other mammals.
Topics: Animals; Evolution, Molecular; Genome; Humans; Mammals; Phylogeny; Rabbits; Retroelements; Short Interspersed Nucleotide Elements; Terminal Repeat Sequences
PubMed: 34270728
DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evab168 -
Tidsskrift For Den Norske Laegeforening... Mar 2021
Topics: Humans; Multiple Sclerosis; Norway
PubMed: 33754679
DOI: 10.4045/tidsskr.20.0993 -
Frontiers in Genetics 2022The aesthetic facial traits are closely related to life quality and strongly influenced by genetic factors, but the genetic predispositions in the Chinese population...
The aesthetic facial traits are closely related to life quality and strongly influenced by genetic factors, but the genetic predispositions in the Chinese population remain poorly understood. A genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and subsequent validations were performed in 26,806 Chinese on five facial traits: widow's peak, unibrow, double eyelid, earlobe attachment, and freckles. Functional annotation was performed based on the expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) variants, genome-wide polygenic scores (GPSs) were developed to represent the combined polygenic effects, and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) heritability was presented to evaluate the contributions of the variants. In total, 21 genetic associations were identified, of which ten were novel: (rs4959669, = 1.29 × 10) and (rs13423753, = 2.99 × 10) for widow's peak, a previously unreported trait; (rs36015125, = 1.96 × 10) for unibrow; (rs7549180, = 2.41 × 10), (rs79852633, = 4.78 × 10, (rs6499632, = 9.15 × 10), and (rs147581439, = 3.07 × 10) for double eyelid; (rs74030209, = 9.77 × 10) and (rs10211400, = 6.25 × 10) for earlobe attachment; and (rs35415928, = 1.08 × 10) for freckles. Functionally, seven identified SNPs tag the missense variants and six may function as eQTLs. The combined polygenic effect of the associations was represented by GPSs and contributions of the variants were evaluated using SNP heritability. These identifications may facilitate a better understanding of the genetic basis of features in the Chinese population and hopefully inspire further genetic research on facial development.
PubMed: 36035146
DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.967684 -
International Journal of Environmental... Sep 2022The rapidly ageing population, the growing rate of divorce, and the longer life expectancy of women compared with men have resulted in a large proportion of older...
The rapidly ageing population, the growing rate of divorce, and the longer life expectancy of women compared with men have resulted in a large proportion of older Chinese women being alone. The sexual health and intimacy needs of this group of women are ignored due to traditional Chinese cultural values that undermine older adults' needs for sex and intimacy, and the subordinate position of women in society. The present study used a quantitative survey method to investigate bio-psycho-social factors associated with divorced and widowed older Chinese women's sexual health and intimacy needs in two cities in Shanghai and Wuhan. The conceptual framework of this study was guided by cognitive stress theory, attachment theory, gender theory, socioemotional selectivity theory, objectification theory, and activity theory. We adopted a model involving demographic, biological, psychological, and social factors to unearth the mechanism influencing divorced and widowed older Chinese women's sexual health and intimacy needs. Data were collected between October 2020 and March 2021 via face-to-face surveys. A convenience sample of 278 (N = 278) divorced and widowed older Chinese women was recruited (166 in Shanghai and 112 in Wuhan). Sexual health and intimacy needs were associated with current relationship status, financial status, physical health, attachment style, neuroticism, mental health, social support, prior marital conflict, and gender norm attitude. Sexual behaviour was associated with age, number of children, financial status, physical health, attachment style, neuroticism, prior marital conflict, gender norm attitude, sexual knowledge, sexual attitude, and intimacy attitude as predictors. Most participants in this study seemed to have found new intimate partners with whom to continue participating in sexual activities after their divorce or widowhood. The present study is one of the first examples of empirical research to examine the sexual health and intimacy needs of older Chinese women who are divorced or widowed. The findings generated by this study will inform the design and implementation of appropriate social programs for this demographic, and provide invaluable insight for social workers, educators, sex therapists, healthcare professionals, community workers, and policymakers working with this population.
Topics: Aged; Child; China; Divorce; Female; Humans; Male; Marital Status; Marriage; Sexual Behavior; Social Factors; Widowhood
PubMed: 36231665
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph191912360 -
Research on Aging Mar 2023We analyzed whether marital status and experiences of marital loss or gain were associated with self-perceptions of aging (SPA), a major psychosocial mechanism of...
OBJECTIVES
We analyzed whether marital status and experiences of marital loss or gain were associated with self-perceptions of aging (SPA), a major psychosocial mechanism of healthy aging.
METHOD
We used data from 7028 participants of the Health and Retirement Study. Participants reported their marital status and their positive and negative SPA on two occasions 4 years apart. We ran general linear models to analyze differences in SPA between men and women who remained married, became divorced or widowed, or remarried following divorce or widowhood.
RESULTS
Participants who experienced marital loss had lower positive SPA than participants who remained marred. Participants who experienced marital gain had lower negative SPA than participants who remained married. None of the associations differed between men and women.
DISCUSSION
Results suggest that it may not be marital status itself, but rather the transition into or out of marriage, that impacts how people appraise their own aging.
Topics: Male; Female; Humans; Marriage; Marital Status; Divorce; Retirement; Widowhood
PubMed: 35815741
DOI: 10.1177/01640275221113219 -
International Journal of Older People... Jan 2023The aim of this study was to assess the presence of anxiety, fear and psychological distress in the population of people over 65 years of age and to study possible...
BACKGROUND
The aim of this study was to assess the presence of anxiety, fear and psychological distress in the population of people over 65 years of age and to study possible differences with a sample of subjects aged between 60 and 65 years.
METHODS
A descriptive and psychometric cross-sectional study. The total sample used consisted of 1112 subjects from university training programmes for the old people from all over Spain. Anxiety and fear of COVID-19 were measured using the AMICO scale and psychological distress using the GHQ-12 instrument.
RESULTS
Significant differences were found in the AMICO (p = 0.006) and GHQ-12 (p = 0.03) measures between age subgroups, with lower values in older age groups. Contrast statistics showed significant differences on both measures (AMICO and GHQ) in women, single or widowed subjects, and those who had not been infected by the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
LIMITATIONS
It would be desirable to increase the sample size, especially in the lower age group (<65). The establishment of the age limit between the two groups could be located at 60 years of age. The use of new technologies to get information should be considered.
CONCLUSIONS
Overall, moderate levels of fear and anxiety of COVID-19 were present. Women tended to have higher levels of both general psychological distress and fear and anxiety of COVID-19. Especially in those over 65, higher levels of distress and fear/anxiety of COVID-19 were associated with being widowed or single, and not having been infected before with SARS-CoV-2.
Topics: Humans; Female; Aged; COVID-19; Cross-Sectional Studies; SARS-CoV-2; Depression; Anxiety
PubMed: 35851755
DOI: 10.1111/opn.12495 -
International Journal of Environmental... Oct 2022Frailty syndrome (FS) is a condition characterized by a decline in reserves, observed with aging. The most important consequences of the frailty syndrome include...
Frailty syndrome (FS) is a condition characterized by a decline in reserves, observed with aging. The most important consequences of the frailty syndrome include disability, hospitalization, fractures, institutionalization, and early mortality. The aim of this study was to identify the most important risk factors for FS in a group of older hospitalized patients in Poland. A total of one hundred and forty-one (78 women, 63 men) elderly patients from the Departments of Internal Medicine of the Medical University of Lodz (Poland) were recruited for this study. Frailty Instrument of the Survey of Health, Aging and Retirement in Europe (SHARE-FI), handgrip strength (HGS), depressive symptoms using the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), and functional ability (FA) using the Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) were assessed. According to SHARE-FI score, participants were divided into control group, frail, and pre-frail patients. Out of all 141 tested patients, FS was confirmed in 55 patients, and pre-frailty was observed in 52 patients. The occurrence of FS in the group of studied patients was related to age ( < 0.001), widowhood ( < 0.001), comorbidities ( < 0.001), heart diseases ( = 0.04), more medications taken ( < 0.001), lower FA ( < 0.001), weaker HGS, and depression ( < 0.001). The strongest positive correlations were between Share-FI score and the number of diseases (rS = 0.31), GDS (rS = 0.32), while negative correlations with IADL (rS = -0.47) and HGS (rS = -0.35). The study shows that FS is associated with age, comorbidities, number of medications taken, and widowhood. The present study has also demonstrated that FA, depression, and especially HGS are essential determinants of FS of elderly hospitalized people.
Topics: Activities of Daily Living; Aged; Female; Frail Elderly; Frailty; Geriatric Assessment; Hand Strength; Humans; Male
PubMed: 36232069
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph191912769 -
Frontiers in Immunology 2024Poisoning by widow-spider (genus ) bites occurs worldwide. The illness, termed latrodectism, can cause severe and persistent pain and can lead to muscle rigidity,...
Poisoning by widow-spider (genus ) bites occurs worldwide. The illness, termed latrodectism, can cause severe and persistent pain and can lead to muscle rigidity, respiratory complications, and cardiac problems. It is a global health challenge especially in developing countries. Equine serum-derived polyclonal anti-sera are commercially available as a medication for patients with latrodectism, but the use of sera imposes potential inherent risks related to its animal origin. The treatment may cause allergic reactions in humans (serum sickness), including anaphylactic shock. Furthermore, equine-derived antivenom is observed to have batch-to-batch variability and poor specificity, as it is always an undefined mix of antibodies. Because latrodectism can be extremely painful but is rarely fatal, the use of antivenom is controversial and only a small fraction of patients is treated. In this work, recombinant human antibodies were selected against alpha-latrotoxin of the European black widow () by phage display from a naïve antibody gene library. Alpha-Latrotoxin (α-LTX) binding scFv were recloned and produced as fully human IgG. A novel alamarBlue assay for venom neutralization was developed and used to select neutralizing IgGs. The human antibodies showed neutralization efficacy both as single antibodies and antibody combinations. This was also confirmed by electrophysiological measurements of neuronal activity in cell culture. The best neutralizing antibodies showed nanomolar affinities. Antibody MRU44-4-A1 showed outstanding neutralization efficacy and affinity to α-LTX. Interestingly, only two of the neutralizing antibodies showed cross-neutralization of the venom of the Southern black widow (). This was unexpected, because in the current literature the alpha-latrotoxins are described as highly conserved. The here-engineered antibodies are candidates for future development as potential therapeutics and diagnostic tools, as they for the first time would provide unlimited supply of a chemically completely defined drug of constant quality and efficacy, which is also made without the use of animals.
Topics: Humans; Animals; Black Widow Spider; Antibodies, Neutralizing; Spider Venoms; Antivenins; Single-Chain Antibodies; Spider Bites; Immunoglobulin G
PubMed: 38933276
DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1407398 -
Frontiers in Surgery 2022Anxiety and depression are common mental disorders in glioma patients. This study aimed to evaluate the risk factors, prognostic role, and longitudinal changes in...
OBJECTIVE
Anxiety and depression are common mental disorders in glioma patients. This study aimed to evaluate the risk factors, prognostic role, and longitudinal changes in anxiety and depression in postoperative glioma patients.
METHODS
Anxiety and depression were assessed by Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale at baseline, month (M) 6, M12, M24 and M36 in 270 glioma patients after surgical resection. Furthermore, comprehensive clinic characteristics and treatment-related information were collected.
RESULTS
Gender (female vs. male) (= 0.014, odds ratio (OR) = 1.974), marital status (single/divorced/widowed vs. married) (= 0.019, OR = 2.172), Karnofsky performance status (KPS) score (≤70 vs. > 70) (= 0.002, OR = 2.556), World Health Organization (WHO) classification (high-grade glioma (HGG) vs. low-grade glioma (LGG)) (= 0.005, OR = 2.155), and postoperative complications (yes vs. not) (= 0.001, OR = 2.525) were independently related to anxiety occurrence. Marital status (single/divorced/widowed vs. married) (= 0.034, OR = 2.026), KPS score (≤70 vs. > 70) (< 0.001, OR = 3.880), WHO classification (HGG vs. LGG) (= 0.032, OR = 1.810), and postoperative complications (yes vs. not) (= 0.001, OR = 2.602) were independently related to depression occurrence. Besides, anxiety (= 0.038) and depression (= 0.013) were linked with shorter overall survival (OS), and depression was an independent risk factor for worse OS (= 0.040, hazard ratio = 1.596). More importantly, anxiety and depression remained at a high prevalence during a 3-year follow-up.
CONCLUSION
Gender, marital status, KPS score, WHO classification, and postoperative complications are risk factors for anxiety and depression; moreover, anxiety and depression are at high prevalence continuously and correlated with worse survival in postoperative glioma patients.
PubMed: 36726957
DOI: 10.3389/fsurg.2022.1069709