Purpose: This study was to investigate the work experience of newly recruited male nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: With a phenomenological approach, this qualitative study was adopted semistructured interviews by phone or video calls. A total of 9 male nurses newly recruited for the COVID-19 wards in Chinese hospitals were interviewed for this study. And Colaizzi's method was applied for evaluation in the data analysis. Results: Based on our findings, three themes were extracted. First, the newly recruited male nurses showed negative emotions at the beginning of COVID-19 epidemic, which was caused by changes in working conditions and content, but also prompted the nurses to change the way of coping with the crisis. Second, they gradually mastered the working skills and psychological training to cope with COVID-19 and developed a positive attitude toward life and a high sense of professional responsibility. Finally, we learned about their needs to respond to public health emergencies such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Conclusion COVID-19 is a disaster for all of humanity. The newly recruited male nurses are an important force in emergency rescue. Although they suffered from short-term negative emotions, they quickly adapted to the crisis. In order to better prepare for future emergencies, the disaster response capacity of newly recruited male nurses needs to be further improved. In addition, newly recruited male nurses have a strong demand for timely and personalized career development guidance.

Purpose: This study was to investigate the work experience of newly recruited male nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: With a phenomenological approach, this qualitative study was adopted semistructured interviews by phone or video calls. A total of 9 male nurses newly recruited for the COVID-19 wards in Chinese hospitals were interviewed for this study. And Colaizzi's method was applied for evaluation in the data analysis. Results: Based on our findings, three themes were extracted. First, the newly recruited male nurses showed negative emotions at the beginning of COVID-19 epidemic, which was caused by changes in working conditions and content, but also prompted the nurses to change the way of coping with the crisis. Second, they gradually mastered the working skills and psychological training to cope with COVID-19 and developed a positive attitude toward life and a high sense of professional responsibility. Finally, we learned about their needs to respond to public health emergencies such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Conclusion COVID-19 is a disaster for all of humanity. The newly recruited male nurses are an important force in emergency rescue. Although they suffered from short-term negative emotions, they quickly adapted to the crisis. In order to better prepare for future emergencies, the disaster response capacity of newly recruited male nurses needs to be further improved. In addition, newly recruited male nurses have a strong demand for timely and personalized career development guidance.

There has been a conscious effort to address osteoporosis in the aging population. As bisphosphonate and intermittent parathyroid hormone (PTH) therapy become more widely prescribed to treat osteoporosis, it is important to understand their effects on other physiologic processes, particularly the impact on spinal fusion. Despite early animal model studies and more recent clinical studies, the impact of these medications on spinal fusion is not fully understood. Previous animal studies suggest that bisphosphonate therapy resulted in inhibition of fusion mass with impeded maturity and an unknown effect on biomechanical strength. Prior animal studies demonstrate an improved fusion rate and fusion mass microstructure with the use of intermittent PTH. The purpose of this study was to determine if bisphosphonates and intermittent PTH treatment have impact on human spinal fusion. A systematic review of the literature published between 1980 and 2015 was conducted using major electronic databases. Studies reporting outcomes of human subjects undergoing 1, 2, or 3-level spinal fusion while receiving bisphosphonates and/or intermittent PTH treatment were included. The results of relevant human studies were analyzed for consensus on the effects of these medications in regards to spinal fusion. There were nine human studies evaluating the impact of these medications on spinal fusion. Improved fusion rates were noted in patients receiving bisphosphonates compared to control groups, and greater fusion rates in patients receiving PTH compared to control groups. Prior studies involving animal models found an improved fusion rate and fusion mass microstructure with the use of intermittent PTH. No significant complications were demonstrated in any study included in the analysis. Bisphosphonate use in humans may not be a deterrent to spinal fusion. Intermittent parathyroid use has shown early promise to increase fusion mass in both animal and human studies but further studies are needed to support routine use.
Aging ; Animals ; Consensus ; Diphosphonates ; Humans* ; Lumbar Vertebrae ; Models, Animal ; Osteoporosis ; Parathyroid Hormone ; Spinal Fusion*

BACKGROUNDMolecular analysis of neovascularization related genes by time course in response to ischemia has not been described in the context of aging. We aimed to provide a progressively deeper understanding of how aging compromises neovascularization.

METHODSYoung (3-month) and old (18-month) C57Bl mice were subjected to left hindlimb ischemia. Necrosis score was evaluated in calf muscles. Calf muscles, peripheral blood, bone marrow were harvested at different time points. The expressions of matrix metalloproteiniase-9 (MMP9), endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), stromal derived growth factor-1 (SDF1), hypoxia inducible factor-1α (HIF1α), VEGF receptor-1 (Flt1), VEGF receptor-2 (Flk1), angiopoietin-1 (Ang1), CD133, CD26 were detected by RT-PCR or Western blotting. White blood cells were counted in the peripheral blood. Gene expression data were compared by two-way analysis of variance.

RESULTSMMP9, HIF-1α and SDF-1 were more upregulated during acute ischemia in old vs. young mice, reflecting increased ischemia in aging mice. However VEGF and eNOS exhibited lower expression in old vs. young mice, despite greater ischemia intensity. Ang1 and Flk1 showed similar expression in old vs. young mice. MMP9 peaked earlier in peripheral blood in young vs. old mice. Concurrent decreasing CD26 and increasing CD133 expression in aging bone marrow suggest aging impairs progenitor cell mobilization,

CONCLUSIONSOur results indicate that a complex array of defects occur with aging that interfere with optimal neovascularization. These include potential impaired mobilization of progenitor cells to ischemic tissue, decreased levels of eNOS and VEGF and delayed responses to ischemia.

Aging ; physiology ; Animals ; Blotting, Western ; Chemokine CXCL12 ; metabolism ; Female ; Hindlimb ; metabolism ; pathology ; physiopathology ; Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit ; metabolism ; Ischemia ; metabolism ; physiopathology ; Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 ; metabolism ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Muscle, Skeletal ; metabolism ; pathology ; Necrosis ; metabolism ; pathology ; physiopathology ; Neovascularization, Pathologic ; metabolism ; pathology ; physiopathology ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A ; genetics ; metabolism ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-1 ; genetics ; metabolism

Pandemic influenza has posed an increasing threat to public health worldwide in the last decade. In the 20th century, three human pandemic influenza outbreaks occurred in 1918, 1957 and 1968, causing significant mortality. A number of hypotheses have been proposed for the emergence and development of pandemic viruses, including direct introduction into humans from an avian origin and reassortment between avian and previously circulating human viruses, either directly in humans or via an intermediate mammalian host. However, the evolutionary history of the pandemic viruses has been controversial, largely due to the lack of background genetic information and rigorous phylogenetic analyses. The pandemic that emerged in early April 2009 in North America provides a unique opportunity to investigate its emergence and development both in human and animal aspects. Recent genetic analyses of data accumulated through long-term influenza surveillance provided insights into the emergence of this novel pandemic virus. In this review, we summarise the recent literature that describes the evolutionary pathway of the pandemic viruses. We also discuss the implications of these findings on the early detection and control of future pandemics.
Animals ; Birds ; virology ; Communicable Diseases, Emerging ; epidemiology ; history ; virology ; Evolution, Molecular ; History, 20th Century ; History, 21st Century ; Humans ; Influenza A Virus, H1N1 Subtype ; genetics ; Influenza A Virus, H3N2 Subtype ; genetics ; Influenza in Birds ; epidemiology ; history ; virology ; Influenza, Human ; epidemiology ; history ; virology ; Pandemics ; history

Perianeurysmal cysts are a rare and poorly understood finding in patients both with treated and untreated aneurysms. While the prior literature suggests that a minority of perianeurysmal cysts develop 1-4 years following endovascular aneurysm treatment, this updated review demonstrates that nearly half of perianeurysmal cysts were diagnosed following aneurysm coiling, with the other half diagnosed concurrently with an associated aneurysm prior to treatment. 64% of perianeurysmal cysts were surgically decompressed, with a 39% rate of recurrence requiring re-operation. We report a case of a 71-year-old woman who presented with vertigo and nausea and was found to have a 3.4 cm perianeurysmal cyst 20 years after initial endovascular coiling of a ruptured giant ophthalmic aneurysm. The cyst was treated with endoscopic fenestration followed by open fenestration upon recurrence. The case represents the longest latency from initial aneurysm treatment to cyst diagnosis reported in the literature and indicates that the diagnosis of perianeurysmal cyst should remain on the differential even decades after treatment. Based on a case discussion and updated literature review, this report highlights proposed etiologies of development and management strategies for a challenging lesion.

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), an aggressive malignancy, is characterized by high morbidity and low survival rates with limited therapeutic options outside of regional surgery, conventional cytotoxic chemotherapy, and irradiation. Increasing studies have supported the synergistic role of the tumor microenvironment (TME) in cancer advancement. The immune system, in particular, plays a key role in surveillance against the initiation, development, and progression of HNSCC. The understanding of how neoplastic cells evolve and evade the immune system whether through self-immunogenicity manipulation, or expression of immunosuppressive mediators, provides the foundation for the development of advanced therapies. Furthermore, the crosstalk between cancer cells and the host immune system have a detrimental effect on the TME promoting angiogenesis, proliferation, and metastasis. This review provides a recent insight into the role of the key inflammatory cells infiltrating the TME, with a focus on reviewing immunological principles related to HNSCC, as cancer immunosurveillance and immune escape, including a brief overview of current immunotherapeutic strategies and ongoing clinical trials.
Head and Neck Neoplasms/therapy* ; Humans ; Immune Evasion ; Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck ; Tumor Microenvironment

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) are characterized by abnormal central processing with altered brain activation in response to visceral nociceptive signals. The effect of electroacupuncture (EA) on IBS patients is unclear. The study is set to study the effect of EA on brain activation during noxious rectal distension in IBS patients using a randomized sham-controlled model. METHODS: Thirty IBS-diarrhea patients were randomized to true electroacupuncture or sham acupuncture. Functional MRI was performed to evaluate cerebral activation at the following time points: (1) baseline when there was rectal distension only, (2) rectal distension during application of EA, (3) rectal distension after cessation of EA and (4) EA alone with no rectal distension. Group comparison was made under each condition using SPM5 program. RESULTS: Rectal distension induced significant activation of the anterior cingulated cortex, prefrontal cortex, thalamus, temporal regions and cerebellum at baseline. During and immediately after EA, increased cerebral activation from baseline was observed in the anterior cingulated cortex, bilateral prefrontal cortex, thalamus, temporal regions and right insula in both groups. However, true electroacupuncture led to significantly higher activation at right insula, as well as pulvinar and medial nucleus of the thalamus when compared to sham acupuncture. CONCLUSIONS: We postulate that acupuncture might have the potential effect of pain modulation in IBS by 2 actions: (1) modulation of serotonin pathway at insula and (2) modulation of mood and affection in higher cortical center via ascending pathway at the pulvinar and medial nucleus of the thalamus.
Acupuncture ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Brain ; Cerebellum ; Electroacupuncture ; Humans ; Irritable Bowel Syndrome ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy ; Magnetics ; Magnets ; Neural Pathways ; Pain Perception ; Prefrontal Cortex ; Pulvinar ; Salicylamides ; Serotonin ; Thalamus

Programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) is an immune checkpoint modulator and a major target of immunotherapy as anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibodies have demonstrated remarkable efficacy in cancer treatment. Accumulating evidence suggests an important role of PD-1 in the central nervous system (CNS). PD-1 has been implicated in CNS disorders such as brain tumors, Alzheimer’s disease, ischemic stroke, spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis, cognitive function, and pain. PD-1 signaling suppresses the CNS immune response via resident microglia and infiltrating peripheral immune cells. Notably, PD-1 is also widely expressed in neurons and suppresses neuronal activity via downstream Src homology 2 domain-containing protein tyrosine phosphatase 1 and modulation of ion channel function. An improved understanding of PD-1 signaling in the cross-talk between glial cells, neurons, and peripheral immune cells in the CNS will shed light on immunomodulation, neuromodulation, and novel strategies for treating brain diseases.

During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, practices of gastrointestinal procedures within the digestive tract require special precautions due to the risk of contraction of severe acute respiratoy syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. Many procedures in the gastrointestinal motility laboratory may be considered moderate to high-risk for viral transmission. Healthcare staff working in gastrointestinal motility laboratories are frequently exposed to splashes, air droplets, mucus, or saliva during the procedures. Moreover, some are aerosol-generating and thus have a high risk of viral transmission. There are multiple guidelines on the practices of gastrointestinal endoscopy during this pandemic. However, such guidelines are still lacking and urgently needed for the practice of gastrointestinal motility laboratories. Hence, the Asian Neurogastroenterology and Motility Association had organized a group of gastrointestinal motility experts and infectious disease specialists to produce a position statement paper based-on current available evidence and consensus opinion with aims to provide a clear guidance on the practices of gastrointestinal motility laboratories during the COVID-19 pandemic. This guideline covers a wide range of topics on gastrointestinal motility activities from scheduling a motility test, the precautions at different steps of the procedure to disinfection for the safety and well-being of the patients and the healthcare workers. These practices may vary in different countries depending on the stages of the pandemic, local or institutional policy, and the availability of healthcare resources. This guideline is useful when the transmission rate of SARS-CoV-2 is high. It may change rapidly depending on the situation of the epidemic and when new evidence becomes available.