Medicine
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Observational Study
Anxiety level in severe asthmatics undergoing bronchial thermoplasty procedure: An observational study.
Bronchial thermoplasty (BT) is one of the novel approved modalities in treating severe asthmatics to overcome their exacerbating symptoms such as increased anxiety. The purpose of this study was to evaluate anxiety level among severe asthmatics while undergoing BT procedure. This was an observational study where subjects self-evaluated their overall anxiety level using the burns anxiety inventory (BAI) questionnaire at baseline and prior to each of three BT treatments (broncho thermoplasty procedure 1, broncho thermoplasty procedure 2, and broncho thermoplasty procedure 3). ⋯ This study shows the effectiveness of BT in decreasing severe asthmatic anxiety levels from baseline to last BT treatment and this benefit was mostly noted in those who were not on any anxiety medications. A limitation of this study is that all subjects were recruited from a single center. Therefore, to further validate the study findings, a multi-center study needs to be conducted with a larger sample size.
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The existence of conspiracy beliefs has been previously linked to multiple individual traits and factors, such as anxiety, lack of information, education, and social factors. This study aims to explore the factors and variables influencing the individual's susceptibility to conspiratorial thinking, as well as the impact of COVID-19 conspiracy belief on the adoption of public health and social measures. This study explores the factors influencing the susceptibility to conspiratorial thinking and the impact of conspiracy theories on the adoption of public health and social measures. ⋯ Meanwhile, conspiracy beliefs had no relation to the individual's perceived self-reported stress. Higher conspiracy scores were related to lower adoption of preventive measures and increased hesitancy towards COVID-19 vaccination. Lack of knowledge and misinformation actions play a vital role in the generation of conspiracy theories surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Polycystic kidney disease (PKD) is a genetic disorder in which the renal tubules become structurally abnormal, resulting in the development and growth of multiple cysts within the kidneys. Numerous studies on PKD have been published in the literature. However, no such articles used medical subject headings (MeSH terms) to predict the number of article citations. This study aimed to predict the number of article citations using 100 top-cited PKD articles (T100PKDs) and dissect the characteristics of influential authors and affiliated counties since 2010. ⋯ A breakthrough was made by developing a method using MeSH terms to predict the number of article citations based on 100PKDs. MeSH terms are evident in predicting article citations that can be applied to future research, not limited to PKD, as we did in this study.
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Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) carries a higher risk of adverse events than standard endoscopy. Internet media platforms such as YouTube has emerged as a medical information source. Therefore, study aimed to identify whether YouTube videos provide appropriate information on ERCP to the general population. ⋯ Only 50% of videos informed viewers that patients would be irradiated and only six videos described at least one adverse event related to ERCP. ERCP videos on YouTube provide inadequate information regarding ERCP. Considering the unique characteristics of this procedure, professionals and academic societies need to be vigilant and proactive in producing and promoting high-quality videos.
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This study investigates the molecular markers and biological pathways of pulmonary lymphangioleiomyomatosis. We analyzed 2 gene expression profiles in the gene expression omnibus Gene Expression Omnibus database for normal lung tissue and lymphangioleiomyomatosis and identified differential expressed genes in pulmonary lymphangioleiomyomatosis. Ninety-one differentially expressed genes were identified, including 36 upregulated genes and 55 downregulated genes. ⋯ We have identified 10 hub genes in the protein-protein interaction network. Hub genes play an important role in the proliferation and inflammatory response involved in tumor cell proliferation. This study deepens the understanding of lymphangioleiomyomatosis disease and provides a biological basis for further clinical diagnosis and treatment.