Arts therapies for mental disorders in COVID-19 patients: a comprehensive review

Background and objectiveThe COVID-19 global pandemic has necessitated the urgency for innovative mental health interventions. We performed a comprehensive review of the available literature on the utility and efficacy of arts therapies in treating mental health problems, with special emphasis on their deployment during the COVID-19 pandemic, aiming to provide some evidence for the application of this therapy.MethodsThe potential studies were systematically sourced from five authoritative databases: PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and the CNKI database. The evaluation of these studies was conducted based on stringent criteria, including validity, suitability, therapeutic potential, and consistency. Each piece of included literature was meticulously scored in accordance with these criteria, thus ensuring the inclusion of only the most robust studies in this review. The data from these Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) were carefully extracted using the PICO(S) framework, ensuring a comprehensive and systemic approach to data collection. In order to emphasize the variability in the effects of differing arts therapies on COVID-19-induced psychiatric disturbances, the sourced literature was systematically categorized and scrutinized based on distinct modalities.ResultsOut of the 7,250 sourced articles, 16 satisfied the inclusion conditions. The therapies were predominantly meditation (n = 7), supplemented by individual studies on color therapy (n = 3), music therapy (n = 2), and single studies on horticultural therapy, dance therapy, mindfulness and music therapy, and yoga and music therapy (n = 4 collectively). These various forms of arts therapies had a positive short to medium-term impact on the mental health of COVID-19 patients. Besides improving patients' physical and mental health, these therapies can also be employed to mitigate mental health issues among healthcare professionals.ConclusionThe COVID-19 pandemic has profound and long-lasting implications for public mental health. Diverse forms of arts therapies are potentially effective in addressing related psychiatric symptoms. The integration of artificial intelligence might further enhance the efficacy and scalability of arts therapies in future implementations

Preparation and Characterization of Polyurethane/Nanocopper Composites and Their Application in Intrauterine Devices

A novel intrauterine devices material, polyurethane/nano-copper (PU/NC) nanocomposite, was prepared. The structure, morphology, copper ion (Cu2+) release rate, and water absorption of PU/NC nanocomposites were investigated. The results indicated that the nanocoppers were uniformly dispersed in the matrix. The release rates of Cu2+ of PU/NC nanocomposites remained stable during the experimentation time. These results indicated that the PU/NC nanocomposites have a great potential to replace current commercial intrauterine devices materials

Preparation and Characterization of Polyurethane/Nanocopper Composites and Their Application in Intrauterine Devices

A novel intrauterine devices material, polyurethane/nano-copper (PU/NC) nanocomposite, was prepared. The structure, morphology, copper ion (Cu 2+ ) release rate, and water absorption of PU/NC nanocomposites were investigated. The results indicated that the nanocoppers were uniformly dispersed in the matrix. The release rates of Cu 2+ of PU/NC nanocomposites remained stable during the experimentation time. These results indicated that the PU/NC nanocomposites have a great potential to replace current commercial intrauterine devices materials

Rapid label-free identification of mixed bacterial infections by surface plasmon resonance

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Early detection of mixed aerobic-anaerobic infection has been a challenge in clinical practice due to the phenotypic changes in complex environments. Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) biosensor is widely used to detect DNA-DNA interaction and offers a sensitive and label-free approach in DNA research.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>In this study, we developed a single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) amplification technique and modified the traditional SPR detection system for rapid and simultaneous detection of mixed infections of four pathogenic microorganisms (<it>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</it>, <it>Staphylococcus aureus</it>, <it>Clostridium tetani </it>and <it>Clostridium perfringens</it>).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We constructed the circulation detection well to increase the sensitivity and the tandem probe arrays to reduce the non-specific hybridization. The use of 16S rDNA universal primers ensured the amplification of four target nucleic acid sequences simultaneously, and further electrophoresis and sequencing confirmed the high efficiency of this amplification method. No significant signals were detected during the single-base mismatch or non-specific probe hybridization (<it>P </it>< 0.05). The calibration curves of amplification products of four bacteria had good linearity from 0.1 nM to 100 nM, with all R²values of >0.99. The lowest detection limits were 0.03 nM for <it>P. aeruginosa</it>, 0.02 nM for <it>S. aureus</it>, 0.01 nM for <it>C. tetani </it>and 0.02 nM for <it>C. perfringens</it>. The SPR biosensor had the same detection rate as the traditional culture method (<it>P </it>< 0.05). In addition, the quantification of PCR products can be completed within 15 min, and excellent regeneration greatly reduces the cost for detection.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Our method can rapidly and accurately identify the mixed aerobic-anaerobic infection, providing a reliable alternative to bacterial culture for rapid bacteria detection.</p

Altered Gut Microbiota in Chinese Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders

The link between gut microbes and autism spectrum disorders (ASD) has been already observed in some studies, but some bacterial families/species were found to be inconsistently up or down regulated. This issue has been rarely explored in the Chinese population. In this study, we assessed whether or not gut microbiota dysbiosis was associated with children with ASD in China. We enrolled 45 children with ASD (6–9 years of age; 39 boys and 6 girls) and 45 sex- and age-matched neurotypical children. Dietary and other socio-demographic information was obtained via questionnaires. We characterized the composition of the fecal microbiota using bacterial 16S ribosomal RNA (16S rRNA) gene sequencing. The ASD group showed less diversity and richness of gut microbiota than the neurotypical group, as estimated by the abundance-based coverage estimator index and the phylogenetic diversity index. The analysis of beta diversity showed an altered microbial community structure in the ASD group. After adjustment for confounders and multiple testing corrections, no significant group difference was found in the relative abundance of microbiota on the level of the phylum. At the family level, children with ASD had a lower relative abundance of Acidaminococcaceae than the healthy controls. Moreover, a decrease in the relative abundance of genera Lachnoclostridium, Tyzzerella subgroup 4, Flavonifractor, and unidentified Lachnospiraceae was observed in ASD group. This study provides further evidence of intestinal microbial dysbiosis in ASD and sheds light on the characteristics of the gut microbiome of autistic children in China