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Aim: This study aims to explore the psychological reactions of medical students during the pandemic. Design: A qualitative study. Methods: A purposive sampling technique was employed, and a qualitative approach was adopted. Semi-structured questionnaires were utilized, and online interviews were conducted. Forty medical students were selected as participants for the interviews. The interview data were analyzed using Colaizzi's seven-step analysis method. Results: The study identified five themes related to the psychological reactions of medical students during the pandemic. Firstly, COVID-19's influence on medical careers was characterized by increased interest and determination in pursuing medical professions, heightened admiration for frontline workers, reinforced commitment to a medical career due to the pandemic, and recognition of the significance of medical education. Secondly, challenges and concerns in medical career pursuit were identified, including negative sentiments towards medical careers during COVID-19 and hesitations and concerns about entering the medical field amidst the pandemic. Thirdly, the impact on mental well-being encompassed diverse anxieties expressed by participants regarding control, transmission, treatment, and intentional spreading of the virus. Participants experienced an emotional progression from calmness to fear and anxiety, with heightened anxiety when relatives or acquaintances contracted COVID-19. Academic delays also contributed to anxiety among medical students. Fourthly, changes in behaviors and mindset were observed, including altered behaviors and mindset in response to the pandemic, as well as increased attention to personal hygiene and disease prevention measures. Lastly, expectations of medical students from government, public, and parents were explored. Conclusion: Understanding the psychological reactions of medical students during public health emergencies is crucial for their well-being and professional development. The findings have implications for medical education and the development of strategies to enhance the psychological well-being of medical students during similar crises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) commonly complicates kidney stone disease (KSD). Our objective is to investigate the variations in the urinary microbiota between individuals with KSD alone and those with KSD plus T2DM. This exploration could have implications for disease diagnosis and treatment strategies., Methods: During lithotripsy, a ureterscope was employed, and 1 mL of urine was collected from the renal pelvis after bladder disinfection. Sequencing targeting the V3-V4 hypervariable region was performed using the 16S rRNA and Illumina Novaseq platform., Results: The Shannon index showed a significant decrease in the KSD plus T2DM group compared to the KSD-only group (false discovery rate = 0.041). Principal Coordinate Analysis (PCoA) demonstrated a distinct bacterial community in the KSD plus T2DM group compared to the KSD-only group (false discovery rate = 0.027). The abundance of Sphingomonas , Corynebacterium , and Lactobacillus was significantly higher in the KSD plus T2DM group than in the KSD-only group (false discovery rate < 0.05). Furthermore, Enhydrobacter , Chryseobacterium , and Allobaculum were positively correlated with fasting blood glucose and HbA1c values ( P < 0.05)., Conclusions: The urinary microbiota in the renal pelvis exhibits differences between patients with KSD plus T2DM and those with KSD alone. Further studies employing animal models are necessary to validate these distinctions, potentially paving the way for therapeutic developments based on the urinary microbiota., Competing Interests: The authors declare there are no competing interests., (©2024 Li et al.)

Objective: To observe the clinical efficacy of Chinese herbal medicine combined with Liuzijue exercise on the physiological symptoms and quality of life (QoL) in postoperative patients with early-stage lung cancer., Methods: One hundred and eighty-three lung cancer patients who underwent video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) were categorize into either a traditional Chinese medicine treatment group (CM) or a control group (non-traditional Chinese medicine treatment, NC), among whom 73 underwent Chinese herbal medicine and Liuzijue therapy, while 110 underwent no comprehensive treatment with traditional Chinese medicine. The propensity score matching (PSM) method with a 1:2 ratio was used to balance the baseline characteristics and evaluate the efficacy of CM in improving postoperative symptoms and QoL., Results: Cough, dyspnea, chest pain, and fatigue were the most common clinical symptoms after VATS. Except for chest pain, they were all correlated with the scope of operation ( P  < .05). After PSM, 165 patients were identified in the matched cohort, and the covariates of gender, age, operative site, and scope of operation were balanced between the 2 groups ( P  > .05). In the domain of global health status, the improvement in QoL in CM was greater than that in NC (6.06 ± 15.83 vs -1.06 ± 14.68, P  = .005). In terms of symptoms, improvements in cough (1.69 ± 3.15 vs 0.38 ± 2.63, P  = .006), dyspnea during climbing stairs (-10.30 ± 16.82 vs -1.82 ± 17.97, P  = .004), and pain (-0.76 ± 1.32 vs -0.08 ± 1.31, P  = .002) in CM were better than in NC., Conclusion: Comprehensive treatment with traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) can provide therapeutic benefits in physiological rehabilitation after VATS for cancer., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.