加味解痉祛风汤联合西药对支气管哮喘患者疗效及呼出气一氧化氮的影响

目的:观察加味解痉祛风汤联合沙美特罗/丙酸氟替卡松干粉吸入剂治疗支气管哮喘慢性持续期患者的临床疗效,以及对患者呼出气一氧化氮(FENO)水平的影响。方法:60例支气管哮喘患者随机分为治疗组(30例)与对照组(30例),治疗组加味解痉祛风汤联合沙美特罗/丙酸氟替卡松干粉吸入剂治疗,疗程4周;对照组单独使用沙美特罗/丙酸氟替卡松干粉吸入剂治疗,疗程4周。对60例支气管哮喘患者治疗后哮喘控制测试(ACT)评分,第1秒用力呼气容积(FEV1),FENO水平进行相关性分析;比较两组治疗前后ACT评分、FEV1、FENO水平。结果:FENO水平与ACT评分之间存在负相关(P<0.01);两组治疗前后ACT评分,FEV1均明显升高(P<0.05),治疗组的升高优于对照组(P<0.05);两组治疗前后FENO水平均有下降(P<0.05),与对照组比较,治疗组的下降更为明显(P<0.05)。结论:FENO水平可以用于评估支气管哮喘的控制程度;加味解痉祛风汤联合沙美特罗/丙酸氟替卡松干粉吸入剂治疗支气管哮喘慢性持续期,具有良好的的临床疗效,能够降低FENO水平,控制气道炎症,值得临床推广和研究。     

新福菌素对人白血病细胞株K562的凋亡诱导作用

 目的 研究新福菌素对人白血病细胞株K562的体外抑瘤效应及其作用机制。方法应用MTT比色法观察新福菌素对细胞的生长抑制作用;显微镜观察细胞的生长变化和结构改变;DNA凝胶电泳和流式细胞术等分析细胞凋亡和Bel-2蛋白表达情况。结果 新福菌素对人白血病细胞株K562有较强的体外增殖抑制作用。新福菌素能诱导K562细胞凋亡,同时伴随有Bel-2蛋白表达下调。结论 新福菌素对白血病细胞株K562有较强的抗瘤效应,其可能与Bel-2蛋白下调引起的细胞凋亡有关。     

Economic evaluation of return-to-work interventions for mental disorder-related sickness absence: two years follow-up of a randomized clinical trial

ObjectiveThe objective was to (i) assess the long-term cost-effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), a workplace dialog intervention (WDI), and ACT+WDI compared to treatment as usual (TAU) for common mental disorders and (ii) investigate any differences in cost-effectiveness between diagnostic groups.MethodsAn economic evaluation from the healthcare and limited welfare perspectives was conducted alongside a randomized clinical trial with a two-year follow-up period. Persons with common mental disorders receiving sickness benefits were invited to the trial. We used registry data for cost analysis alongside participant data collected during the trial and the reduction in sickness absence days as treatment effect. A total of 264 participants with a diagnosis of depression, anxiety, or stress-induced exhaustion disorder participated in a two-year follow-up of a four-arm trial: ACT (N=74), WDI (N=60), ACT+WDI (N=70), and TAU (N=60).ResultsFor all patients in general, there were no statistically significant differences between interventions in terms of costs or effect. The subgroup analyses suggested that from a healthcare perspective, ACT was a cost-effective option for depression or anxiety disorders and ACT+WDI for stress-induced exhaustion disorder. With a two-year time horizon, the probability of WDI to be cost-saving in terms of sickness benefits costs was 80% compared with TAU.ConclusionsACT had a high probability of cost-effectiveness from a healthcare perspective for employees on sick leave due to depression or anxiety disorders. For participants with stress-induced exhaustion disorder, adding WDI to ACT seems to reduce healthcare costs, while WDI as a stand-alone intervention seems to reduce welfare costs.     

Using values in cognitive and behavioral therapy: A bridge back to philosophy

Ancient therapeutic practices have influenced the development of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) theories such as Albert Ellis's rational emotive behavior therapy and Aaron Beck's cognitive therapy. By drawing inspiration from Socratic questioning, the importance of philosophy in evidence-based practices in human mental health can be acknowledged. Stoicism has also informed CBT, notably its emphasis on establishing psychological distance from emotions. Cognition and emotion are two aspects of mental processes, and irrational demands are processed through rational deliberation. Using mental imaging techniques and acceptance strategies (to accept oneself and the world as imperfect), avoiding catastrophic interpretations and acknowledging emotions are also included among such practices.

Methods

We will explore the use of values across CBT, acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), and radically open dialectical behavioral therapy (RO DBT) to clarify their use of values.

Results

In this framework, values are conceptualized as life-orienting principles and are now widely used across CBTs, such as acceptance and commitment therapy and radically open dialectical behavioral therapy. In recent years, the development of CBT has involved a renewed relationship with philosophy through the use of values, interest in dialectics and development of self-questioning practices reminiscent of classical Socratic principles. This movement from applied clinical psychology toward philosophical skills has also encouraged the recent emergence of philosophical health considerations. The opposition between psychological and philosophical health can be questioned, and the fundamental issue of philosophical skills implemented in psychiatric treatment (and not solely as practices of enhancement for the sane) needs to be considered.     

Associations of disordered eating with the intestinal microbiota and short-chain fatty acids among young adults with type 1 diabetes

Background and aimsDisordered eating (DE) in type 1 diabetes (T1D) includes insulin restriction for weight loss with serious complications. Gut microbiota-derived short chain fatty acids (SCFA) may benefit host metabolism but are reduced in T1D. We evaluated the hypothesis that DE and insulin restriction were associated with reduced SCFA-producing gut microbes, SCFA, and intestinal microbial diversity in adults with T1D.Methods and resultsWe collected stool samples at four timepoints in a hypothesis-generating gut microbiome pilot study ancillary to a weight management pilot in young adults with T1D. 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequencing measured the normalized abundance of SCFA-producing intestinal microbes. Gas-chromatography mass-spectrometry measured SCFA (total, acetate, butyrate, and propionate). The Diabetes Eating Problem Survey—Revised (DEPS-R) assessed DE and insulin restriction. Covariate-adjusted and Bonferroni-corrected generalized estimating equations modeled the associations. COVID-19 interrupted data collection, so models were repeated restricted to pre-COVID-19 data.Data were available for 45 participants at 109 visits, which included 42 participants at 65 visits pre-COVID-19. Participants reported restricting insulin “At least sometimes” at 53.3% of visits. Pre-COVID-19, each 5-point DEPS-R increase was associated with a ?0.34 (95% CI -0.56, ?0.13, p = 0.07) lower normalized abundance of genus Anaerostipes; and the normalized abundance of Lachnospira genus was ?0.94 (95% CI -1.5, ?0.42), p = 0.02 lower when insulin restriction was reported “At least sometimes” compared to “Rarely or Never”.ConclusionDE and insulin restriction were associated with a reduced abundance of SCFA-producing gut microbes pre-COVID-19. Additional studies are needed to confirm these associations to inform microbiota-based therapies in T1D.     

Impact of a mobile-app assisted self-management educational intervention on the scores of asthma control test (ACT) questionnaire among young asthmatic patients

BackgroundMobile phone apps have reached almost all sectors of everyday modern human life, including health promotion and patient education intervention. Regarding asthma self-management programs, apps are considered to be a potential learning medium for patients with asthma, especially young patients, due to their effectiveness in improving patients’ knowledge and, consequently, the level of asthma control.ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the AsmaDroid® mobile app, as compared with conventional educational methods, as a self-management educational intervention tool for improving asthma control among young patients.MethodsTo determine the app's effectiveness, the study involved 140 participants from various backgrounds and applied a quasi-experimental method using a two-group pretest and posttest with a control group design. Specifically, the treatment groups received the AsmaDroid® app as a learning medium, while the control groups used conventional methods (e.g., books, posters, videos, and social media). Before and after a 4-week intervention period, all the participants of both groups were asked to complete the Asthma Control Test (ACT) questionnaire.ResultsThe results of this study revealed a significant difference of +1.4 (p < 0.0001) in the pretest and posttest scores of the ACT questionnaire from the intervention group, while no difference was found in the control group.ConclusionsTherefore, this study concluded that mobile app-assisted self-management educational intervention significantly improved the scores of the ACT questionnaire among young asthmatic patients.