Search

Background: Moral distress seriously affects professional nurses, and a number of instruments have been developed to measure the level of moral distress. The moral distress thermometer (MDT) is one of the commonly used instruments that can rapidly measure real-time moral distress; however, it remains unclear whether it is still useful in the Chinese cultural context. Aim: This study aimed to adapt and validate the MDT among Chinese registered nurses. Research design: An online, cross-sectional, survey study of adapting and validating Chinese version of MDT. Participants and research context: A total of 182 registered nurses effectively finished this survey. The correlation between MDT score and the score of the moral distress scale-revised version (MDS-R) was used for evaluating convergent validity, and MDT scores of registered nurses who working in different departments and who made different actions to the final question of the MDS-R were compared by using one-way ANOVA to evaluate construct validity. Ethical considerations: The Ethics Committee of Chongqing Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital approved this study. Results: The Chinese version of MDT was described as relevant to measure moral distress, with a reported item-level content validity index (I-CVI) and scale-level CVI (S-CVI) of 1. The mean MDT score and mean MDS-R score were 2.54 and 38.66, respectively, and the correlation between these two scores was significantly moderate (r = 0.41). Nurses working different departments reported different levels of moral distress, and those working in intensive care unit reported the highest level of moral distress than those working in other departments (p = 0.04). The MDT scores between nurses who presented different actions to their position were also significantly different, and those who had ever left and those who had considered leaving but did not leave reported significantly higher moral distress. Conclusion: The MDT is a reliable, valid, and easy-to-use instrument to rapidly measure the real-time moral distress of registered nurses in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: To qualitatively explore potential experience among frontline nurses who had been fighting against the COVID‐19 infection since the outbreak. Background: Disasters are often sudden and uncertain. Since the COVID‐19 outbreak in Wuhan city, local frontline nurses had been responsible for treatment of COVID‐19 for several months. Qualitative study was required to assess complex multi‐component psychological experiences among frontline nurses. Methods: Twenty local frontline nurses were recruited from a designated hospital of COVID‐19 treatment. We conducted semi‐structured interview using phenomenological method. Descriptive phenomenological method was applied for thematic analysis. Results: Twenty female frontline nurses (aged 24 to 43 years old) were interviewed. Two broader themes, negative and positive, were identified. Negative experience included refusal and helpless (refusal to work at frontline, shortage of confidence in working and helpless), fear and anxiety, excessive miss, and other health issues. Positive experience included improved interpersonal relationship, sublimation of personal faith and strength, changes in understanding meaning of life and new possibility. Conclusion: Both positive and negative psychological response were observed, which can provide evidence based clues for making essential strategies and policy. Implications for Nursing Management: Understand subjective experience of frontline nurses can establish evidence for development of effective psychological intervention. Nursing administrator should consider the nurses' psychological experience comprehensively to promote psychological growth and lower post‐traumatic psychological burden. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diabetes elevates endothelin-1 (ET-1) in the vitreous and enhances constriction of retinal venules to this peptide. However, mechanisms contributing to ET-1-induced constriction of retinal venules are incompletely understood. We examined roles of sodium-hydrogen exchanger 1 (NHE1), protein kinase C (PKC), mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), and extracellular calcium (Ca2+) in retinal venular constriction to ET-1 and the impact of diabetes on these signaling molecules. Retinal venules were isolated from control pigs and pigs with streptozocin-induced diabetes for in vitro studies. ET-1-induced vasoconstriction was abolished in the absence of extracellular Ca2+ and sensitive to c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) inhibitor SP600125 but unaffected by extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) inhibitor PD98059, p38 kinase inhibitor SB203580, or broad-spectrum PKC inhibitor Gö 6983. Diabetes (after 2 weeks) enhanced venular constriction to ET-1, which was insensitive to PD98059 and Gö 6983 but was prevented by NHE1 inhibitor cariporide, SB203580, and SP600125. In conclusion, extracellular Ca2+ entry and activation of JNK, independent of ERK and PKC, mediate constriction of retinal venules to ET-1. Diabetes activates p38 MAPK and NHE1, which cause enhanced venular constriction to ET-1. Treatments targeting these vascular molecules may lessen retinal complications in early diabetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sex affects the risk, treatment responses and outcome of many types of cancers. The mechanism of gender disparity in development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains obscure. Sex-determining region on Y chromosome (SRY) was overexpressed in approximate 84% male patient HCC. Moreover, we are the first to generate a liver-specific transgenic (TG) murine model with overexpression of the male specific gene SRY. Subject to a single intraperitoneal injection N-nitrosodiethylamine (DEN) at day 14, TG and wildtype (WT) mice of both genders were sacrificed at different time points (6-13.5 months). Overexpression of SRY in male TG and ectopic expression of SRY in female TG livers promoted DEN-induced hepatocarcinogenesis compared to age- and sex-matched WT. This accelerated tumorigenesis in TG of both genders was a consequence of increased injury and inflammation, fibrosis, and compensatory enhancement in hepatocytes proliferation secondary to activation of downstream targets Sox9 and platelet-derived growth factor receptor α (PDGFRα)/phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt and c-myc/CyclinD1. In conclusion, activation of SRY and its downstream Sox9 and PDGFRα pathways are commonly involved in male hepatocarcinogenesis, which provides novel insights into gender disparity and sex-specific therapeutic strategies of HCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim. To demonstrate the regulatory role of miRNA in colorectal carcinoma (CRC) and reveal the transcript markers that may be associated with CRC clinical outcomes. Method. Herein, we analyzed both mRNA and miRNA gene expression profiles of 255 CRC tumor samples from The Cancer Genome Atlas project to reveal the regulatory association between miRNA and mRNA. Also, the potential role of gene coexpression network in CRC has been explored. Results. The negative correlation between miR-200c and DCN (Decorin) was calculated in CRC, indicating that DCN could be a potential target of miR-200c. Clinical features indicated that colon polyp history and overall survival were significantly related to the expression level of miR-200c. Three coexpression networks have been constructed, and genes involved in the networks are related to cell cycle, NOTCH, and mTOR signaling pathways. Conclusion. Our result provides a new insight into cancer related mRNA coexpression network in CRC research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drug use among older adults is a growing concern, particularly for the burgeoning Hispanic population. Older adults seeking drug treatment will double over the next decade to almost 6 million. Cultural factors influence drug use, and more specifically, Hispanic cultural values influence heroin use. This study explored Mexican-American injection drug users' adherence to traditional Hispanic cultural values and their impact on cessation. Ethnographic interviews endorsed contextualized influences of values on heroin use. Cultural values functioned dichotomously, influencing both initiation and cessation. Understanding the impact of cultural values on substance abuse is critical given the changing demographics in American society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article describes social capital in a cohort of 227 Mexican American men who are long-term injection heroin users. Social capital scores for current and former users were similar, suggesting equal absolute values of capital, but associated with illicit activities in current users and with cessation efforts in former users. Stable drug-using relationships provided high negative capital, whereas conventional relationships provided positive capital. Thus, social capital functions dichotomously in positive and negative contextualized roles. This study provides an alternative understanding of the dynamic interactions between individuals, environment, and drug abuse and can inform prevention and treatment interventions for an important demographic group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Two new phenylethanoid glycosides magnoloside D (1) and E (2), together with nine known compounds, were isolated from the polar part of methanol extract of the stem bark of Magnolia officinalis. The structures of the new compounds were established on the basis of spectral analysis. Anti-spasmodic activity of four major constituents (3, 4, 9 and 11) was tested in isolated colon of rat, compounds 3, 4, and 9 showed inhibition against acetylcholine, with the effect similar to that of magnolol and honokiol. At the same time, antioxidant activity of the isolated compounds was investigated using a DPPH and an ORAC assay. All of the compounds, except compound 8 showed potent antioxidant capacity in the ORAC assay, while compounds 1–5 and 11 exhibited potent antioxidant activity in the DPPH assay. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Three new flavonoid glycosides (1–3) and nineteen known compounds (4–22) were isolated from the aqueous ethanolic extract of the seed of Oroxylum indicum. The structures of 1–3 were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic analysis. Antioxidant activities of all the isolated compounds were evaluated using a DPPH and an ORAC assay. Compounds 3, 5–7, 9 and 12 exhibited potent antioxidant activity in the DPPH assay, while compounds 3–15 showed potent antioxidant capacity in the ORAC assay, and seven antioxidant flavonoids (4–6, 8, 9, 11, 12) were detected as the main ingredients in the methanolic extract of seed of O. indicum using an HPLC analysis. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Three new water-soluble alkaloids (1–3) together with twelve known compounds (4–15) have been isolated from the water extract of leaves of Suregada glomerulata. Their structures were determined by spectroscopic analysis and chemical method. Compounds 1–3 were evaluated for their in vitro inhibitory activity against α-glucosidase and HIV-1 replication. However, no significant activities were found. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]