Infection with Echinococcus spp. causes fibrosis in various vital organs, including the liver and lungs. Hepatic fibrosis is a pathological feature of Echinococcus infection that destroys normal liver tissue, leading to jaundice, cholecystitis, portal hypertension, etc. Severe Echinococcus multilocularis infections lead to liver failure and hepatic encephalopathy. The formation of peripheral fiberboards around the metacestode is a major reason as to why antiparasitic drugs fail to be effectively transported to the lesion site. Studies on the mechanism of hepatic fibrosis caused by Echinococcus are important for treatment in patients. Recent studies have focused on miRNA and TGF-β. More recent findings have focused on the generation of collagen fibers around the metacestode. In this review paper we focus on the mechanism by which the Echinococcus parasite induces fibrosis in liver and some other organs in intermediate hosts—animals as well as human beings.

Background: To analyze the features of CT, MRI and PET/CT and their diagnostic value for spinal osteoblastomas (OBs).Methods: The radiological and clinical data of 21 patients with histopathologically-confirmed spinal OBs were analyzed retrospectively.Results: Sixteen of the 21 cases were benign and 5 were aggressive OBs. Tumors were located in the lumbar (n = 11), cervical (n = 4), thoracic (n = 5), and sacral (n = 1) spinal regions. Nineteen cases were centered in the posterior elements of the spine, 13 of which extended into the vertebral body. Punctate or nodular calcifications were found in all cases on CT with a complete sclerotic rim (n = 12) or incomplete sclerotic rim (n = 8). The flare phenomenon (indicative of surrounding tissue inflammation) was found in 17/21 cases on CT, thin in 11 cases and thick in 6 cases, and in 19/19 cases on MRI, thin in 1 case and thick in 18 cases. On 18 F-FDG PET/CT, all cases (8/8) were metabolically active with the SUVmax of 12.3-16.0; the flare sign was observed in 8 cases, including 7 cases of hypometabolism and 1 case of coexistence of hypermetabolism and hypometabolism. Based on CT, 3, 12, and 6 cases were classified as Enneking stage 1, 2 and 3, respectively. Of 19 cases with MRI, 1 and 18 cases were classified as Enneking stage 2 and 3, respectively. Conclusions:Spinal OB has multiple unique characteristic radiological features. Although a larger sample size is needed, combining CT, MRI and PET may be beneficial to optimize preoperative diagnosis and care of patients with OBs.

BackgroundCoronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has significantly impacted healthcare, especially the nursing field. This study aims to explore the current status and hot topics of nursing-related research on COVID-19 using bibliometric analysis.MethodsBetween 2019 and 2022, publications regarding nursing and COVID-19 were retrieved from the Web of Science core collection. We conducted an advanced search using the following search query string: TS = (“Novel coronavirus 2019” or “Coronavirus disease 2019” or “COVID 19” or “2019-nCOV” or “SARS-CoV-2” or “coronavirus-2”) and TS = (“nursing” or “nurse” or “nursing-care” or “midwife”). Bibliometric parameters were extracted, and Microsoft Excel 2010 and VOSviewer were utilized to identify the largest contributors, including prolific authors, institutions, countries, and journals. VOSviewer and CiteSpace were used to analyze the knowledge network, collaborative maps, hotspots, and trends in this field.ResultsA total of 5,267 papers were published between 2020 and 2022. The findings are as follows: the USA, China, and the UK are the top three prolific countries; the University of Toronto, the Harvard Medical School, the Johns Hopkins University, and the Huazhong University of Science & Technology are the top four most productive institutions; Gravenstein, Stefan, and White, Elizabeth M. from Brown University (USA) are the most prolific authors; The International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is the most productive journal; “COVID-19,” “SARS-CoV-2,” “nurse,” “mental health,” “nursing home,” “nursing education,” “telemedicine,” “vaccine-related issues” are the central topics in the past 2 years.ConclusionNursing-related research on COVID-19 has gained considerable attention worldwide. In 2020, the major hot topics included “SARS-CoV-2,” “knowledge,” “information teaching,” “mental health,” “psychological problems,” and “nursing home.” In 2021 and 2022, researchers were also interested in topics such as “nursing students,” “telemedicine,” and “vaccine-related issues,” which require further investigation.

Objective: To investigate the dementia knowledge and care approach used by caregivers in residential aged care facilities (RACFs) in China. Method: A cross-sectional survey of 785 caregivers from a random sample of 34 RACFs in China. Caregivers’ knowledge and care approach were assessed using the Chinese version of the Dementia Knowledge Assessment Tool 2 and Advanced Dementia Care Questionnaire. Results: The majority of caregivers showed limited knowledge of dementia and tended not to adopt a person-centered approach to care. Educational level, dementia care training, and years of work experience were positively associated with dementia knowledge. Educational level and years of work experience were also associated with a person-centered approach to care. Conclusions: This study provides insight into the care available to people with dementia in RACFs in China. The results suggest dementia care education programs as well as person-centered care training are urgently needed for caregivers in China.

Background: in recent years, the capacity building of midwives has attracted the attention of all countries in the world, especially in countries with a lack of midwifery human resources. Improving the capacity of midwives is an important strategy to ensure the health of mothers and infants. Professional associations in many countries have issued standards for midwife competency, which are basically similar to the core competency module proposed by ICM, but some countries have made localization adjustments according to their own characteristics. In August 2019 a further update was made to correct an error in competency of the English version, the French and Spanish versions by ICM. In order to further standardize the evaluation tools of midwives' core competence, it is urgent to evaluate them. Methods/Design: We will conduct a systematic review and utility critique of instruments used to measure effectiveness of core competence assessment tools for midwives at different levels. The databases Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online (MEDLINE), Cumulative Index to midwife competency and Web of Knowledge will be searched from inception until end November 2020. Search strategies will include the key words; midwife, core competency, questionnaires, instruments, delphi technique, index system, reliability, validity. We will contact experts in the field of measuring core competency and scrutinise all secondary references. A reviewer will apply an inclusion criteria scale to all titles and abstracts. A second reviewer will apply the inclusion criteria scale to a random 10% selection. Two reviewers will independently evaluate the methodological rigour of the testing of the instruments using the Consensus-based Standards for the selection of core competency checklist. We will present a narrative synthesis on the utility of all instruments and make recommendations for instrument selection in practice. Discussion: This systematic review of the utility of instruments to measure the core competence assessment tools for midwives at different levels. It will aid managers, educator and policy makers to select an instrument fit for purpose. Importantly, appropriate instrument selection will provide a mechanism for effective training of midwives' core competency ability in different levels.

Background: In recent years, the capacity building of midwives has attracted the attention of all countries in the world, especially in countries with a lack of midwifery human resources. Improving the capacity of midwives is an important strategy to ensure the health of mothers and infants.Professional associations in many countries have issued standards for midwife competency, which are basically similar to the core competency module proposed by ICM, but some countries have made localization adjustments according to their own characteristics. In August 2019 a further update was made to correct an error in competency of the English version,the French and Spanish versions by ICM.In order to further standardize the evaluation tools of midwives' core competence, it is urgent to evaluate them.Methods/Design: We will conduct a systematic review and utility critique of instruments used to measure effectiveness of core competence assessment tools for midwives at different levels. The databases Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online(MEDLINE), Cumulative Index to midwife competency and Web of Knowledge will be searched from inception until end November 2020. Search strategies will include the key words; midwife, core competency ,questionnaires, instruments, delphi technique, index system, reliability, validity. We will contact experts in the field of measuring core competency and scrutinise all secondary references. A reviewer will apply an inclusion criteria scale to all titles and abstracts. A second reviewer will apply the inclusion criteria scale to a random 10% selection. Two reviewers will independently evaluate the methodological rigour of the testing of the instruments using the Consensus-based Standards for the selection of core competency checklist. We will present a narrative synthesis on the utility of all instruments and make recommendations for instrument selection in practice.Discussion: This systematic review of the utility of instruments to measure the core competence assessment tools for midwives at different levels. It will aid managers ,educator and policy makers to select an instrument fit for purpose. Importantly, appropriate instrument selection will provide a mechanism for effective training of midwives' core competency ability in different levels.