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Abstract Background This study investigated the mediating effects of coping strategies and psychological status on the relationship between illness perception and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). Methods This cross-sectional study enrolled 178 patients with AF who were admitted to a tertiary hospital in Beijing City in mainland from March 2020 and June 2022. Assessments were made for HRQoL using the Short Form Health Survey depressive symptoms using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, anxiety using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), illness perception using the Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire (BIPQ), AF symptoms using the Atrial Fibrillation Severity Scale (AFSS), and coping strategies using the Brief-COPE Scale. Results Significant correlations were observed between illness perception, emotional variables, coping strategies, and HRQoL scores. The regression analysis found that BIPQ, GAD, Maladaptive coping and Problem-focused coping are significant predictors of PCS (F = 20.906, R2 = 0.326, p

Abstract Background Atrial fibrillation (AF) often leads to an impaired Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) in many patients. Moreover, psychological factors such as depression, anxiety, and illness perception have been found to significantly correlate with HRQoL. This study aims to evaluate the long-term effectiveness of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) in enhancing HRQoL and mitigating psychological distress among AF patients. Methods Employing a prospective, open design with pseudo-randomization, this study encompassed pre-tests, post-treatment evaluations, and a 6-month follow-up. A total of 102 consecutive patients diagnosed with paroxysmal AF were initially enrolled. Out of these, 90 were assigned to two groups; one to receive a 10-week CBT treatment specifically focusing on anxiety, and the other to receive standard care. Outcome measures were evaluated using tools such as the Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-12), General Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), University of Toronto Atrial Fibrillation Severity Scale (AFSS), and Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire (BIPQ). These assessments were conducted at pre-treatment, post-treatment, and at the 6-month follow-up mark. We explored the effectiveness of CBT using Generalized Estimating Equations (GEE). Results Our analysis revealed a notable improvement in the CBT group relative to the control group. All metrics displayed consistent improvement across a 6-month duration. At the 6-month checkpoint, the CBT group exhibited a more favorable SF-12 Mental Component Score (MCS) (50.261 ± 0.758 vs. 45.208 ± 0.887, p

BackgroundBurnout is common among nurses and can lead to negative outcomes of medical care. This study aimed to explore the effectiveness of Balint groups to reduce burnout in head nurses in a Chinese hospital.MethodsThis was a randomized controlled trial with a pre- and post-test. A total of 80 head nurses were randomly assigned to either a Balint group (n = 40) or a control group (n = 40). Participants participated in Balint group for a period of 3 months. Participants in both groups completed the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Services Survey and the General Self-Efficacy Scale at the beginning and end of the study. Balint group members also completed the Group Climate Questionnaire-Short Form.ResultsIn the Balint group, 33 participants attended all Balint groups, while the 40 participants in the control group had no intervention. Analysis of variance with repeated measures demonstrated a statistically significant difference on the Maslach Burnout Inventory subscale of sense of personal achievement (F = 9.598, p = 0.003) between the Balint and control groups. However, there were no significant differences between the groups on the subscales of emotional exhaustion (F = 0.110, p = 0.740) and depersonalization (F = 0.75, p = 0.387), and the General Self-Efficacy Scale (F = 0.709, p = 0.403).ConclusionsBalint groups helped reduce burnout among head nurses in terms of personal achievement.

BackgroundAF Patients with depression resulted in a markedly reduced quality of life. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) on the health-related quality of life (HRQoL).MethodsIt was A longitudinal randomized controlled trial with a pre and 12-weeks post-test. Ninety persons were randomly assigned to either a CBT group (CBT) (n = 45) or a treatment as usual (TAU) group (n = 45). The outcome were changes in the HRQoL [12-item Short Form Health Survey, SF12, divided into two domains: the physical component summary (PCS) and the mental component summary (MCS)], changes in psychological distress [Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D) and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9)], and Illness Perception [Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire (BIPQ)].ResultsThere were statistically significant differences in score reduction for PHQ-9 (t = 3.186, P = 0.002), HAMD (t = 2.611, P = 0.011), BIPQ (t = 7.660, P < 0.001), and MCS (t = 4.301, P < 0.001) between CBT group and TAU group.ConclusionsCBT improved HRQoL, Illness Perception and reduced Depressive symptoms in atrial fibrillation.

Objective To observe the effect of polydatin on the proliferation of renal cell line MPC5 induced by TGF-β1 in mice, and to explore its possible mechanism. Methods MPC5 cells were divided into four groups: groups A, B, C, and D. The cells in the groups A, B and C were pretreated with polydatin 100 μmol/L for 24 h. After pretreatment, cells in the group A were cultured with polydatin for 2 h, and two hours later, 10 ng/mL TGF-β1 were added in cells for 24 h. In the group B, 30 μmol/L of the inhibitor of miR-21 was added, and six hours later, 100 μmol/L polydatin were added, for 2 h, followed by addition of TGF-β1 for culturing 24 h. In the group C, 10 ng/mL TGF-β1 were added for culturing 24 h. However, the group D was regarded as the blank control group, and it was added the ordinary culture medium. At the end of the training, the cell proliferation [optical density (OD value J was determined by MTT, the cell oxidative stress indicators superoxide dismutase (SOD) and malondialdehyde (MDA) content was detected by spectrophotometer, the reactive oxygen species (ROS) content was detected by 2', 7 '-dichloro dihydrogen fluorescein diacetate ester load method, and the miR-21 and Nod-like receptor pyrin containing 3 (NLRP3), caspase-1, interleukin 1β (IL-1β) protein were determined by Western blotting. Results The OD values in the groups A, B, C and D were 14. 73 ± l. 60, 12. 70 ± l. 13, 19. 31 ± l. 79 and 12. 62 ± l. 26, respectively. Compared with group D, the OD value increased in the group C (P < 0. 05); compared with group C, the OD value decreased in the group A (P < 0. 05); compared with group B, the OD value of the group A increased (P <0. 05). At 24 h after culture, compared with group D, the relative expression levels of MDA, ROS, miR-21, NLRP3, caspase-1 and IL-1β in the group C all increased, while the relative expression level of SOD decreased (all P < 0. 05). Compared with the group C, the relative expression levels of MDA, ROS, miR-21, NLRP3, caspase-1 and IL-1β in the group A all decreased, while the relative expression level of SOD increased (all P < 0. 05). Compared with the group B, the relative expression levels of MDA, ROS, miR-21, NLRP3, caspase-1 and IL-1 β in the group A increased, while the relative expression of SOD decreased (all P < 0. 05). Conclusions Polydatin can inhibit the proliferation of MPC5 cells induced by TGF-β1. The possible mechanism is that polydatin regulates miR-21-related signaling pathways, further increases SOD content, reduces intracellular MDA and ROS content, and inhibits the expression of NLRP3, caspase-1 and IL-1β proteins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To observe the effect of polydatin on the proliferation of renal cell line MPC5 induced by TGF-β1 in mice, and to explore its possible mechanism. Methods MPC5 cells were divided into four groups: groups A, B, C, and D. The cells in the groups A, B and C were pretreated with polydatin 100 μmol/L for 24 h. After pretreatment, cells in the group A were cultured with polydatin for 2 h, and two hours later, 10 ng/mL TGF-β1 were added in cells for 24 h. In the group B, 30 μmol/L of the inhibitor of miR-21 was added, and six hours later, 100 μmol/L polydatin were added, for 2 h, followed by addition of TGF-β1 for culturing 24 h. In the group C, 10 ng/mL TGF-β1 were added for culturing 24 h. However, the group D was regarded as the blank control group, and it was added the ordinary culture medium. At the end of the training, the cell proliferation [optical density (OD value J was determined by MTT, the cell oxidative stress indicators superoxide dismutase (SOD) and malondialdehyde (MDA) content was detected by spectrophotometer, the reactive oxygen species (ROS) content was detected by 2', 7 '-dichloro dihydrogen fluorescein diacetate ester load method, and the miR-21 and Nod-like receptor pyrin containing 3 (NLRP3), caspase-1, interleukin 1β (IL-1β) protein were determined by Western blotting. Results The OD values in the groups A, B, C and D were 14. 73 ± l. 60, 12. 70 ± l. 13, 19. 31 ± l. 79 and 12. 62 ± l. 26, respectively. Compared with group D, the OD value increased in the group C (P < 0. 05); compared with group C, the OD value decreased in the group A (P < 0. 05); compared with group B, the OD value of the group A increased (P <0. 05). At 24 h after culture, compared with group D, the relative expression levels of MDA, ROS, miR-21, NLRP3, caspase-1 and IL-1β in the group C all increased, while the relative expression level of SOD decreased (all P < 0. 05). Compared with the group C, the relative expression levels of MDA, ROS, miR-21, NLRP3, caspase-1 and IL-1β in the group A all decreased, while the relative expression level of SOD increased (all P < 0. 05). Compared with the group B, the relative expression levels of MDA, ROS, miR-21, NLRP3, caspase-1 and IL-1 β in the group A increased, while the relative expression of SOD decreased (all P < 0. 05). Conclusions Polydatin can inhibit the proliferation of MPC5 cells induced by TGF-β1. The possible mechanism is that polydatin regulates miR-21-related signaling pathways, further increases SOD content, reduces intracellular MDA and ROS content, and inhibits the expression of NLRP3, caspase-1 and IL-1β proteins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background:Depression among older adults is under-recognized either in the community or in general hospitals in Chinese culture. This study aimed to develop a culturally appropriate screening instrument for late-life depression in the non-psychiatric settings and to test its reliability and validity for a diagnosis of depression.Methods:Using a Delphi method, we developed a geriatric depression inventory (GDI), consisting of 12 core symptoms of depressive disorder in old age. We investigated its reliability and validity on 89 patients with late-life depression and 249 non-depression controls. Both self-report (GDI-SR) and physician-interview (GDI-RI) versions were assessed.Results:Cronbach's α coefficient was 0.843 for GDI-SR and 0.880 for GDI-RI. Both GDI-SR and GDI-RI showed good concurrent validity with the 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15) (GDI-SR: r = 0.750, p < 0.001; GDI-RI: r = 0.733, p < 0.001). The area under the curve of the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) was 0.938 for GDI-SR and 0.961 for GDI-RI, suggesting good to excellent discrimination of depression versus non-depression. Using a cut-off of three items endorsed, sensitivity and specificity were 92.1% and 81.9% for GDI-SR, and 93.3% and 87.1% for GDI-RI.Conclusions:The GDI, either based on self-report or rater interview, is a reliable and valid instrument for the detection of depression among older adults in non-psychiatric medical settings in Chinese culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND Ryanodine receptors (RyRs) are a distinct class of intracellular calcium (Ca2+) release channel. The recent discovery of diamide insecticides has prompted studies on insect RyRs. However, information about the structure and function of insect RyRs is still limited. In this study, we isolated and characterized a full-length RyR cDNA (named NlRyR) from the brown planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens (Stål) (Homoptera: Delphacidae), a serious rice pest throughout Asia. RESULTS The composite NlRyR gene contains an open reading frame of 15 423 bp encoding a protein of 5140 amino acid residues, which shares high sequence identity (78-81%) with other insect homologues, except for two regions (IDR1: 4379-4732; IDR2: 1307-1529) with markedly low identity (44-48 and 38-41%, respectively). All hallmarks of the RyR proteins are conserved in the NlRyR protein, including the RyR domain as well as mannosyltransferase, IP3R and RyR (pfam02815) (MIR) and RyR and IP3R homology (pfam01365) (RIH) domains. Expression analysis of NlRyR revealed significant differences in mRNA expression levels among N. lugens developmental stages. Furthermore, three alternative splicing sites were identified in NlRyR, one of which forms the mutually exclusive exons A/B and is conserved in various insect species. Diagnostic PCR assays showed that the splice variant containing exon A was predominantly detected in all developmental stages. CONCLUSION NlRyR may play an important role in the control of developmental processes of N. lugens. Alternative splicing may generate the functional diversity of NlRyR. The results provided the basis for further structural and functional characterization of NlRyR. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To explore the potential biomarkers and mechanisms in obstetric antiphospholipid syndrome (OAPS) patients by placental proteomics., Methods: Among 212 follow-up pregnancy patients based on the Chinese Rheumatism Data Center database (CRDC), we continuously recruited 30 pregnancy patients at the late stage of pregnancy for proteomics study. Fresh placental tissues were collected and 4D label-free technologies were used to analyse the placental proteome in patients. Bioinformatic analysis was applied to identify differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) and crucial pathways. Placental tissues were also stained with haematoxylin and eosin (H & E) for histological analysis., Results: We collected 7 OAPS patients (33.85±1.57 years), 4 SAPS patients (34.25 ± 3.86 years), 8 SLE patients (30.38±2.56 years), and 11 healthy controls (31.45±3.01 years). All patients in the SAPS and OAPS group had adverse pregnancy history. A total of 7040 proteins containing at least one unique peptide were identified. There were 214 DEPs between the healthy group and the OAPS group, of which 82 proteins were upregulated and 132 proteins were downregulated in the OAPS group based on fold change ≥1.5 and p-values ≤0.05. We found that the complement and coagulation pathway played a significant role in OAPS patients. Several key proteins (C1Q, C4b, SERPINA1, plasminogen) highly expressed in placental tissues, that may serve as biomarkers for OAPS patients., Conclusions: The complement and coagulation pathway and related DEPs (SERPINA1 and plasminogen) were of crucial importance in OAPS patients.