This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of digital and face-to-face interventions in reducing fear of cancer recurrence (FCR) among individuals with cancer.
This study was conducted in ...accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines for evaluating the efficacy of psychological interventions for FCR published between July 2018 and December 2021. We searched for research papers using PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane and assessed their quality using the Revised Cochrane risk-of-bias tool for randomized trials.
Of the 2113 identified studies, we analyzed 17 samples (N = 1482) from 14 studies, of which 13 were RCTs. The overall sample showed a moderate effect size (Hedges' g = 0.607; 0.356 to 0.858; p < 0.001; I
= 81.29%) in FCR reduction. The overall effect size was 0.621 (95% CI, 0.276 to 0.966; p < 0.001; I
= 81.78%) for face-to-face interventions and 0.517 (95% CI, 0.093 to 0.941; p = 0.017; I
= 83.19%) for digital interventions. The difference between the two effect sizes was not statistically significant.
Our meta-analysis suggests that digital interventions are moderately effective in reducing FCR, similar to face-to-face interventions. However, given the high degree of heterogeneity, this conclusion should be interpreted with caution. Further studies are required to identify the most effective digital interventions and the populations that may benefit from them.
Background: Results on the association between posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) and posttraumatic growth (PTG) are inconsistent, and there may be unknown factors mediating or moderating this ...relationship. Identifying these factors could help in developing an intervention strategy for promoting PTG. However, few studies have examined relationships among PTSS, resilience, and PTG concurrently, and no study has investigated the effect of childhood trauma on these relationships in adulthood.
Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the moderated mediating effect of childhood trauma on resilience and its associations with PTSS and PTG in adult victims of traumatic accidents or crimes. We hypothesized that resilience would mediate relationships between PTSS and PTG and that its mediating effects would differ depending on childhood trauma.
Methods: We included adult victims of accidents or crimes referred to a university hospital or specialized support centre (n = 143). PTSS, resilience, childhood trauma, and PTG were measured with the following questionnaires: PTSD Checklist for DSM-5, Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, Adverse Childhood Experiences Questionnaire, and the Short Form of the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory, respectively.
Results: The effect of PTSS on PTG was found to be fully mediated by resilience, and this mediating effect was moderated according to childhood trauma: the more childhood traumatic experiences, the greater the mediating effect of resilience was between PTSS and PTG. The effect of resilience on PTG was highest in the high childhood trauma group.
Conclusion: Therapists treating individuals with psychological trauma should attempt to identify a history of childhood trauma and to evaluate resilience. Therapeutic approaches tailored according thereto may improve PTG among individuals with PTSS symptoms, especially those with high levels of childhood trauma.
To explore how symptom perception affects functioning in patients with advanced cancer.
We conducted a cross-sectional observational study of 459 advanced cancer patients at the national cancer ...center. Functioning was assessed using the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule (WHODAS) II, and symptoms were evaluated using the Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale-Short Form. Confirmatory factor analysis was conducted to develop a structural model based on different symptom perceptions, such as somatic sensation and experienced symptoms.
The structural model of disability revealed a significant direct pathway involving somatic sensation (β = 16.11, p < 0.001). Experienced symptoms significantly affected somatic sensations (β = 0.717, p < 0.001) but were not directly associated with disability. Unidimensional models exhibited a poor fit. In contrast, a complex model with first-order (somatic sensation) and second-order (experienced symptoms) factors provided an excellent fit, with comparative fit indexes (CFIs) and Tucker Lewis indexes (TLI) of more than 0.950 threshold.
Our findings suggest that relationships to functioning may vary between somatic sensations versus experienced symptoms. The structure of symptoms is best conceptualized by direct somatic sensation and indirect experienced symptoms. A better understanding of symptom perception and the relationship between symptoms and function would facilitate the development of effective rehabilitation programs.
This paper studies learning-based decentralized power control methods for cell-free massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems where a central processor (CP) controls access points (APs) ...through fronthaul coordination. To determine the transmission policy of distributed APs, it is essential to develop a network-wide collaborative optimization mechanism. To address this challenge, we design a cooperative learning (CL) framework which manages computation and coordination strategies of the CP and APs using dedicated deep neural network (DNN) modules. To build a versatile learning structure, the proposed CL is carefully designed such that its forward pass calculations are independent of the number of APs. To this end, we adopt a parameter reuse concept which installs an identical DNN module at all APs. Consequently, the proposed CL trained at a particular configuration can be readily applied to arbitrary AP populations. Numerical results validate the advantages of the proposed CL over conventional non-cooperative approaches.
Background
A high proportion of pediatric patients with brain tumors (BTs) are known to experience a decline in neurocognitive function after treatment. We prospectively examined neuropsychological ...functioning of patients with BTs of varying tumor types at different time points before, during, and after proton beam therapy.
Materials and methods
A total of 98 patients with posterior fossa tumors (PFTs; n = 33), germ cell tumors (GCTs; n = 52), and other supratentorial tumors (STTs; n = 13) underwent baseline neuropsychological assessments and 57 patients underwent follow‐up assessments.
Results
All groups displayed significantly lower performance intelligence quotient (PIQ) and processing speed (PS) scores than the normative means at baseline. The PFT group exhibited significantly lower scores for full‐scale IQ, PIQ, PS, attention, and executive function. The GCT group displayed full‐scale IQ scores within the normal range, but a significantly high proportion had memory deficits. In the STT group, all functions except for the PIQ and PS were intact. Longitudinal evaluations demonstrated stable global IQ scores over time in all groups. In the PFT group, verbal comprehension, attention, and PS improved over time. However, in the GCT group, verbal IQ scores declined significantly and psychological problems worsened over time, which were correlated with poorer neurocognitive function at 3–5 years after treatment. In the STT group, no significant changes were observed.
Conclusion
Because patients with BTs exhibit various types of neurocognitive deficit before radiotherapy, early cognitive treatment tailored to the tumor type maybe beneficial. Interventions for psychological problems and memory function may be necessary, especially for patients with GCT.
A number of landmark-based navigation algorithms have been studied using feature extraction over the visual information. In this paper, we apply the distance information of the surrounding ...environment in a landmark navigation model. We mount a depth sensor on a mobile robot, in order to obtain omnidirectional distance information. The surrounding environment is represented as a circular form of landmark vectors, which forms a snapshot. The depth snapshots at the current position and the target position are compared to determine the homing direction, inspired by the snapshot model. Here, we suggest a holistic view of panoramic depth information for homing navigation where each sample point is taken as a landmark. The results are shown in a vector map of homing vectors. The performance of the suggested method is evaluated based on the angular errors and the homing success rate. Omnidirectional depth information about the surrounding environment can be a promising source of landmark homing navigation. We demonstrate the results that a holistic approach with omnidirectional depth information shows effective homing navigation.
Objective
This study aimed to identify communication preferences for receiving a cancer diagnosis in South Korean patients and explore differences depending on cancer stage—with or without ...recurrence/metastasis.
Methods
A total of 312 patients from five cancer centers in South Korea completed the Korean version of the Measure of Patients' Preferences questionnaire, Mini‐Mental Adjustment to Cancer scale, Insomnia Severity Index, and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale.
Results
Among patients without recurrence/metastasis, four factors were indicated: “additional information,” “medical information,” “emotional support,” and “supportive environment.” Among patients with recurrence/metastasis, five factors were indicated: “medical information and explanation,” “emotional support,” “supportive environment,” “additional information,” and “informing family.” In the group without recurrence/metastasis, a positive attitude was a significant predictor of the preference for all four factors and a lower anxiety level was a predictor of the preference for additional information. Patients who reported a high level of anxious preoccupation preferred supportive environments. In the group with recurrence/metastasis, patients who showed a high level of cognitive avoidance preferred to receive medical and additional information and emotional support.
Conclusions
Cancer patients' preferences for communication when receiving bad news differ whether recurrence/metastasis or not in South Korea. Especially, patients with recurrence/metastasis preferred a clear explanation of medical information, and physicians informing patients' families about their diagnosis and prognosis. Thus, physicians should take patients' medical and psychological characteristics into consideration when delivering the news regarding their condition.
The prevalence of metabolic syndrome has markedly increased worldwide. However, studies in the United States show that it has remained stable or slightly declined in recent years. Whether this ...applies to other countries is presently unclear.
We examined the trends in the prevalence of metabolic syndrome and its components in Korea.
The prevalence of metabolic syndrome and its components was estimated in adults aged >30 years from the Korean National Health Insurance Service data from 2009 to 2013. The revised National Cholesterol Education Program criteria were used to define metabolic syndrome.
Approximately 10 million individuals were analyzed annually. The age-adjusted prevalence of metabolic syndrome increased from 28.84% to 30.52%, and the increasing trend was more prominent in men. Prevalence of hypertriglyceridemia, low HDL-cholesterol, and impaired fasting plasma glucose significantly increased. However, the prevalence of hypertension decreased in both genders. The prevalence of abdominal obesity decreased in women over 50 years-of-age but significantly increased in young women and men (<50 years).
The prevalence of metabolic syndrome is still increasing in Korea. Trends in each component of metabolic syndrome are disparate according to the gender, or age groups. Notably, abdominal obesity among young adults increased significantly; thus, interventional strategies should be implemented particularly for this age group.
We developed a pH-activatable cell-penetrating peptide dimer LH2 with histidine residues, which can penetrate cells, specifically in weak acidic conditions, even at few tens of nanomolar ...concentrations. LH2 effectively delivered paclitaxel into triple-negative breast cancer cells, MDA-MB-231, via formation of non-covalent complexes (PTX-LH2(M)) or covalent conjugates (PTX-LH2(C)). Moreover, LH2 showed prolonged circulation in the body and enhanced accumulation in tumors. Both PTX-LH2(M) and PTX-LH2(C) showed strong antitumor effects in a triple-negative breast cancer grafted mouse model at an extremely low dosage.
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•Cell penetrating peptide (LH2) penetrates cells under acidic conditions at tens of nM•LH2 shows the enhanced α-helical conformation and well-defined amphipathic structures under acidic conditions.•LH2 forms rod-like nanostructures with PTX rigidly under acidic conditions at tens of nM.•PTX-LH2 complex shows strong antitumor effects in triple-negative breast cancer cells grafted mouse model.
Glioblastoma recruits various nontransformed cells from distant tissues. Although bone marrow‐derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been observed migrating to glioblastoma, the underlying ...mechanism driving MSC migration toward glioblastoma remains unclear. Tumor vascularity is critical in the context of recurrent glioblastoma and is closely linked to the expression of stromal cell‐derived factor‐1 (SDF‐1). We demonstrated that cadherin‐6 mediated MSC migration both toward SDF‐1 and toward glioblastoma cells. Cadherin‐6 knockdown resulted in the downregulation of MSCs capacity to migrate in response to SDF‐1. Furthermore, MSCs with cadherin‐6 knockdown exhibited impaired migration in response to conditioned media derived from glioblastoma cell lines (U87 and U373) expressing SDF‐1, thus simulating the glioblastoma microenvironment. Moreover, MSCs enhanced the vasculogenic capacity of U87 cells without increasing the proliferation, cancer stem cell characteristics, or migration of U87. These results suggest that the current strategy of utilizing MSCs as carriers for antiglioblastoma drugs requires careful examination. Furthermore, cadherin‐6 may represent a novel potential target for controlling the recruitment of MSCs toward glioblastoma.
Cadherin‐6 directs bone marrow‐derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) to glioblastoma cells in response to SDF‐1. Knockdown of Cadherin‐6 hampers MSC migration toward the glioblastoma microenvironment. MSCs boost the vasculogenic capacity of glioblastoma cells, like U87, prompting careful consideration in therapy. Cadherin‐6 stands out as a promising target for regulating MSC recruitment to glioblastoma.
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