Anxiety and depression are common among patients with cancer, and are often treated with psychological interventions including mindfulness-based therapy.The aim of the study was to perform a meta-analysis of the effectiveness of mindfulness-based interventions for improving anxiety and depression in patients with cancer.Medline, the Cochrane Library, EMBASE, and Google Scholar were searched. The randomized controlled trials designed for patients diagnosed with cancer were included. Mindfulness-based interventions were provided.The outcomes assessed were the changes in anxiety and depression scores from before to after the intervention. The treatment response was determined by calculating the standardized mean difference (SMD) for individual studies and for pooled study results. Subgroup analyses by cancer type, type of therapy, and length of follow-up were performed.Seven studies, involving 469 participants who received mindfulness-based interventions and 419 participants in a control group, were included in the meta-analysis. Mindfulness-based stress reduction and art therapy were the most common interventions (5/7 studies). All studies reported anxiety and depression scores. The pooled SMD of the change in anxiety significantly favored mindfulness-based therapy over control treatment (-0.75, 95% confidence interval -1.28, -0.22, P = 0.005). Likewise, the pooled SMD of the change in depression also significantly favored mindfulness-based therapy over control (-0.90, 95% confidence interval -1.53, -0.26, P = 0.006). During the length of follow-ups less than 12 weeks, mindfulness-based therapy significantly improved anxiety for follow-up ≤12 weeks after the start of therapy, but not >12 weeks after the start of therapy.There was a lack of consistency between the studies in the type of mindfulness-based/control intervention implemented. Patients had different forms of cancer. Subgroup analyses included a relatively small number of studies and did not account for factors such as the severity of anxiety and/or depression, the time since diagnosis, and cancer stage.Mindfulness-based interventions effectively relieved anxiety and depression among patients with cancer. However, additional research is still warranted to determine how long the beneficial effects of mindfulness-based therapy persist.

Background: Total hip arthroplasty (THA) is a common and effective surgical method for advanced hip arthritis. Rehabilitation exercises are important to improve joint function after THA and are usually conducted in a home-based program. Poor patient adherence limits improvements in pain and function, affecting quality of life. The increasing use of THA in the aging Chinese population underscores the need to develop strategies that maximize functional outcomes. The purpose of this pilot study is to develop and assess the feasibility of a self-efficacy-enhancing intervention (SEEI) to improve exercise adherence in patients undergoing THA.Methods: This single-blinded, parallel, randomized control trial will recruit 150 patients after THA and randomly assign them to an intervention or control group using computer-generated block randomization. The control group will receive usual care using evidence-based guidelines. The intervention group will receive the 6-month SEEI comprising personalized exercise guidance and self-efficacy education delivered using one face-to-face education session and four telephone consultations, supplemented by written materials. Participants are encouraged to build confidence in their own abilities, set rehabilitation goals, and self-monitor their physical exercise.Results: Assessments will be conducted at baseline and 1, 3, and 6 months postsurgery. The outcome indicators are exercise adherence, physical function, anxiety and depression, self-efficacy of rehabilitation, joint function, and quality of life.Conclusions: This study will test a theory-based intervention program to improve self-efficacy in rehabilitation, which may significantly impact out-of-hospital rehabilitation. The results will provide evidence to inform the postoperative recovery of patients undergoing THA or similar procedures.Trial registration: Chinese Clinical Trials Registry,ChiCTR2000029422, registered on 31 January 2020

Background/Aim: Delayed wound healing is a common skin complication of diabetes, which is associated with keratinocyte injury and dysfunction. Levels of methylglyoxal (MGO), an α-dicarbonyl compound, are elevated in diabetic skin tissue and plasma, while levels of hydrogen sulfide (H₂S), a critical gaseous signaling molecule, are reduced. Interestingly, the gas has shown dermal protection in our previous study. To date, there is no evidence demonstrating whether MGO affects keratinocyte viability and function or H₂S donation abolishes these effects and improves MGO-related impairment of wound healing. The current study was conducted to examine the effects of MGO on the injury and function in human skin keratinocytes and then to evaluate the protective action of a novel H₂S-releasing molecule. Methods: An N-mercapto-based H₂S donor (NSHD)-1 was synthesized and its ability to release H₂S was observed in cell medium and cells, respectively. HaCaT cells, a cell line of human skin keratinocyte, were exposed to MGO to establish an in vitro diabetic wound healing model. NSHD-1 was added to the cells before MGO exposure and the improvement of cell function was observed in respect of cellular viability, apoptosis, oxidative stress, mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) and behavioral function. Results: Treatment with MGO decreased cell viability, induced cellular apoptosis, increased intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) content and depressed MMP in HaCaT cells. The treatment also damaged cell behavioral function, characterized by decreased cellular adhesion and migration. The synthesized H₂S-releasing molecule, NSHD-1, was able to increase H₂S levels in both cell medium and cells. Importantly, pretreatment with NSHD-1 inhibited MGO-induced decreases in cell viability and MMP, increases in apoptosis and ROS accumulation in HaCaT cells. The pretreatment was also able to improve adhesion and migration function. Conclusion: These results demonstrate that the novel synthesized H₂S donor is able to protect human skin keratinocytes against MGO-induced injury and behavior dysfunction. We believe that more reasonable H₂S-releasing molecules will bring relief to patients suffering from delayed wound healing in diabetes mellitus in the future.