Health-seeking behavior has a direct impact on individual’s health. A proper understanding of patients’ demographics and health factors is essential in constructing high-quality health care services toward Chinese or Western medicine. The objective of this study was to understand the tendency among Taiwanese to opt for either Chinese or Western medicine when both services are available.

This study was based on the analysis of secondary data. A total of 13,151 individuals with an age of 30 years or more were selected from the Taiwan Biobank Research Database in Taiwan. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors associated with health-seeking behaviors toward Chinese or Western medicine.

Among all the participants, 50.8% showed a greater tendency to seek Western medicine treatment, while 10.4% showed a preference for Chinese medicine treatment. Main drivers for a Chinese medicine health-seeking behavior were women, hypotension, low income, normal HbA1c, normal total cholesterol, and yang deficiency. The preference for Western medicine treatment was associated mainly with men, an older age, a married status, lower income, a lower education, an abnormal cholesterol level, and the absence of stasis.

Healthcare providers should understand the factors associated with health-seeking behavior and refer patients to their desired treatment.

Healthcare providers should understand the factors associated with health-seeking behavior and refer patients to their desired treatment.The objective of this study was to investigate the day-to-day experiences of positive and negative emotions among partners of veterans assigned service dogs for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). As part of a larger clinical trial, a total of N = 87 partners of post-9/11 veterans with PTSD were recruited from a nonprofit service dog provider and participated in an ecological momentary assessment (EMA) protocol. The sample included partners of veterans who received a PTSD service dog after baseline (n = 48, treatment group) and partners of veterans on the waitlist for a service dog (n = 39, control group). Data were collected twice daily for two weeks at baseline and again at follow-up three months later, for approximately 56 assessments per participant (28 at baseline, 28 at follow up). Participants completed an average of 84% of questionnaires at baseline (n = 23.6) and 86% (n = 24.1) at follow-up. A total of 3780 EMA questionnaires were collected among partners for this analysis. Data were analyzed using a generalized linear mixed model. Three months following baseline, partners of veterans with service dogs reported statistically significant higher levels of positive emotions than the control partners (p = .01, d = 0.39) with small-to-medium effect sizes for each individual positive emotion. No statistically significant differences were reported for negative emotions (p = .77, d = 0.21). This study quantitatively identifies higher levels of positive emotion in partners who are cohabitating with a PTSD service dog compared to those partners who remained on the waitlist. Given the influence that positive emotions have on well-being and coping, findings suggest that the influence of service dogs may go beyond veterans to influence their cohabitating partners.

and purpose Among chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients, manipulative and body-based methods (MBM) have demonstrated efficacy in improving symptoms such as fatigue. This review aims to summarize the efficacy and safety of MBM among CKD patients.

A systematic review was performed in PubMed, Embase, Scopus, CINAHL, CENTRAL and PsycInfo. Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) which evaluated the use of MBM among adult CKD patients were included. The grading of recommendations, assessment, development, and evaluation (GRADE) approach was used to determine the risk of bias and certainty of evidence. The efficacy of each MBM was determined by reduction in symptom severity scores. All adverse reactions were documented.

Of 8529 articles screened, 55 RCTs were included. Acupressure (n=23), massage therapy (n=17), reflexology (n=6) and acupuncture (n=5) were the most studied MBMs. Acupressure and reflexology were shown to reduce sleep disturbance and fatigue by 6.2-50.0% and 9.1-37.7% respectively. For uremic pruritus, acupressure and acupuncture reduced symptoms by 34.5-77.7% and 56.5-60.2% respectively. Common adverse reactions associated with acupressure included intradialytic hypotension (20.4%) and dizziness (11.1%) while that of acupuncture included elbow soreness (7.5%) and bleeding (7.5%). No adverse effects were reported for massage therapy, moxibustion, reflexology and yoga therapy.

Acupressure, reflexology and massage therapies were the most well-studied MBMs which have demonstrated efficacy in alleviating sleep disturbance, fatigue and uremic pruritus symptoms in CKD patients.

Acupressure, reflexology and massage therapies were the most well-studied MBMs which have demonstrated efficacy in alleviating sleep disturbance, fatigue and uremic pruritus symptoms in CKD patients.

The emergence of SARS-CoV-2 Variants of Concern (VOC) and Variants Being Monitored (VBM) have presented additional clinical and public health concerns regarding potential virus transmissibility, disease severity, and immune evasion. It is imperative that diagnostic assays can detect all such variants, and since commercial oligo sequences are commonly not available, empirical testing may be necessary to confirm this. To confirm the sensitivity of the SARS-CoV-2 assays used at the Wadsworth Center for the detection of VOC and VBM, relevant specimens were selected from the specimen archive and tested in the various platforms.

Patient respiratory specimens submitted from clinal laboratories across the state were selected; three samples per variant were chosen to account for inter assay and variant reproducibility. The four molecular diagnostic platforms for SARS-CoV-2 currently in use at our facility were examined.

A total of 64 specimens were tested, representing 2 VOC, 8 VBM and 4 other variants circulating in New York State. For certain samples, original Ct values provided by sample submitters were much higher, or lower, than those obtained from this study. The investigation of submitter testing platforms, with consideration of the assay’s viral targets, confirmed the differences in Ct were not variant specific.

It was demonstrated that the diagnostic methods investigated in this study detected all the variants tested. mTOR inhibitor Because of the continual evolution of the virus, it is vital to monitor new variants as they emerge for the ability of molecular diagnostic methods to detect them with acceptable sensitivity.

It was demonstrated that the diagnostic methods investigated in this study detected all the variants tested. Because of the continual evolution of the virus, it is vital to monitor new variants as they emerge for the ability of molecular diagnostic methods to detect them with acceptable sensitivity.

Booster doses for COVID-19 vaccinations are currently recommended and approved in many countries. However, we need more evidence on the immune response of individuals to booster doses of inactivated vaccines and the neutralizing effect against the variants of concerns of SARS-CoV-2.

To compare the fold reduction in antibody titers against the variants of concerns of SARS-CoV-2 between the primary doses and booster dose vaccine cohorts of inactivated BBIBP-CorV vaccine.

In this observational study Plaque Reduction Neutralization Test (PRNT) assay was done on pooled serum samples of the recipients of primary two doses of inactivated BBIBP-CorV and on the pooled serum samples of recipients of a booster dose of inactive BBIBP-CorV. The neutralizing antibody titers against the wild (Wuhan) strain and the variants of concern (alpha, beta and delta) were compared.

The serum sample pool from the booster cohort had high neutralizing antibody titers against the SARS-CoV-2 variants compared to the pooled serum samples of the recipients of primary two doses of inactivated BBIBP-CorV and the difference was statistically significant. The observed fold reduction in antibody titers from the serum pool of recipients of two doses of BBIBP-CorV vaccine were 3.7-fold, 14.6-fold and 10.4-fold compared to 1.8 -fold, 6.5-fold and 3.8-fold reduction against the alpha, beta and delta lineages respectively in the serum pool of recipient of a booster dose (three doses of BBIBP-CorV).

Booster doses of inactive BBIBP-CORV offered better protection against the variants of concern of SARS-CoV-2.

Booster doses of inactive BBIBP-CORV offered better protection against the variants of concern of SARS-CoV-2.Biopharmaceutical manufacturing provides products yielding value in human health. Nevertheless, many desire to reduce its environmental footprint with science-based approaches to environmental burden reduction, and a rational design of solutions. Pharmaceutical suppliers, academia, and service providers are cooperating to, for example, define and educate those concerned regarding the paths to more circular economies throughout the product life cycle. They accomplish this by establishing new sustainability programs, certifications, personnel positions, initiatives, and in-service training. They are also promoting sustainability through publications, foundation donations, and consortia support. Experienced architectural and process design sponsors now orchestrate materials, processes, and suite designs to support economical reductions in many categories of environmental stress – as well as to meet relevant client, societal, and regulatory expectations.

To investigate the mid-term outcomes of exercise therapy in patients with femoroacetabular impingement syndrome (FAIS).

Follow-up study.

Clinical setting.

Twenty-six patients with FAIS who completed a 12-week semi-standardized, progressive exercise therapy program.

At a mid-term follow-up of 4.6 years, therapy outcome was assessed using (i) the Global Treatment Outcome questionnaire for hip pain, (ii) the Hip Outcome Score (HOS) for hip pain and function in activities of daily living (ADL) and Sport and (iii) the Hip Sports Activity Scale (HSAS) for sport activity level. Mid-term outcomes were compared to pre-symptomatic, pre-therapy, as well as to short-term follow ups (18 weeks).

In patients who completed the exercise program and did not undergo hip surgery (N=19), mid-term HOS ADL and HOS Sport (P=0.002) were higher than pre-therapy, and comparable to the 18-week follow-up. Mid-term HSAS was lower than the pre-symptomatic status (P=0.022), but comparable to the 18-week follow-up.

At a mid-term follow-up of 4.6 years, FAIS patients with no subsequent hip surgery maintained the good exercise therapy outcomes and the level of sport activity achieved at short term.

At a mid-term follow-up of 4.6 years, FAIS patients with no subsequent hip surgery maintained the good exercise therapy outcomes and the level of sport activity achieved at short term.Bone cells of various lineages become senescent in bone microenvironment. Senotherapies that clear the senescent bone cells improve bone microarchitecture of aged bones. However, the mechanisms underlie for the formation and maintenance of senescent bone cells are largely unknown. Here, we focus on the relationship between endoplasmic reticulum stress (ER stress)-activated unfolded protein response (UPR) signaling and cellular senescence of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs). The PKR-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase (PERK)-eukaryotic initiation factor 2 α(eIF2α) signaling branch was specifically activated and tightly regulated in senescent BMSCs induced by hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). However, blocking PERK-eIF2α signaling with AMG’44 could not reverse the cellular senescence phenotype of senescent BMSCs. Treated the senescent cells with salubrinal, an inhibitor for dephosphorylation of eIF2α, decreased SA-β-Gal positive cells and the expression of markers for cellular senescence. Moreover, salubrinal enhanced the apoptosis of senescent BMSCs and upregulated expression of Chop and BIM.