Biological research for nursing最新文献

Background and Purpose: Cognitive, affective, and physical symptoms and alterations in their function are seen across chronic illnesses. Data suggest that environmental, psychological, and physiological factors contribute to symptom experience, potentially through loss of telomeres (telomere attrition), structures at the ends of chromosomes. Telomere length is affected by many factors including environmental (e.g., exercise, diet, smoking) and physiological (e.g., response to stress), as well as from oxidative damage and inflammation that occurs in many disease processes. Moreover, telomere attrition is associated with chronic disease (cancer, cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer's disease) and predicts higher morbidity and mortality rates. However, findings are inconsistent among telomere roles and relationships with health outcomes. This article aims to synthesize the current state-of-the-science of telomeres and their relationship with cognitive, affective, and physical function and symptoms. Method: A comprehensive literature search was performed in two databases: CINAHL and PUBMED. A total of 33 articles published between 2000 and 2022 were included in the final analysis. Results: Telomere attrition is associated with various changes in cognitive, affective, and physical function and symptoms. However, findings are inconsistent. Interventional studies (e.g., meditation and exercise) may affect telomere attrition, potentially impacting health outcomes. Conclusion: Nursing research and practice are at the forefront of furthering the understanding of telomeres and their relationships with cognitive, affective, and physical function and symptoms. Future interventions targeting modifiable risk factors may be developed to improve health outcomes across populations.

Background: Telomeres are structures at the end of chromosomes that shorten with each cell division. The purpose of this pilot project is to report changes in telomere length (T/S ratio), indicators of oxidative stress (serum protein carbonyl, vitamin C, GSH:GSSG, and total antioxidant capacity) from Intensive Care Unit (ICU) admission to ICU discharge, and to explore their association with ICU-related morbidities among critically ill mechanically ventilated adults.

Methods: Blood was collected from mechanically ventilated patients (n = 25) at enrollment and within 48 hours of ICU discharge. Telomere length from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) was determined using RTqPCR. ELISAs were used to measure indicators of oxidative stress. Descriptive analysis, paired t-tests, and Pearson's correlations were performed.

Results: Mean age was 62.0 ± 12.3 years, 28.6% were male, and 76.2% were White with disease severity using APACHE III (74.6 ± 24.6) and SOFA (7.6 ± 3.2). Mean T/S ratios shortened (ICU: 0.712, post-ICU: 0.683, p < 0.001, n = 19) and serum protein carbonyl increased (ICU: 7437 nmol/mg ± 3328, post-ICU: 10,254 nmol/mg ± 3962, p < 0.005) as did the oxidative stress index (protein carbonyl/GSH:GSSG, ICU: 1049.972 ± 420.923, post-ICU: 1348.971 ± 417.175, p = 0.0104). T/S ratio was positively associated with APACHE III scores (ICU: r = 0.474, post-ICU: r = 0.628, p < 0.05).

Conclusions: Pilot findings suggest that critical illness significantly correlates with telomere attrition, perhaps due to increased oxidative stress. Future larger and longitudinal studies investigating mechanisms of telomere attrition and associations with clinical outcomes are needed to identify potential modifiable factors for subsequent intervention to improve outcomes for critically ill patients.

Objective: Approximately 24-68% of breast cancer survivors report co-occurring psychoneurological symptoms of pain, fatigue, sleep disturbance, depression, and anxiety during and after cancer treatment. This study aimed to assess the feasibility and acceptability of acupuncture for the treatment of multiple psychoneurological symptoms among breast cancer survivors and explore metabolomic changes before and after acupuncture.

Methods: We conducted a single-arm, prospective pilot study of breast cancer survivors with at least two moderate to severe psychoneurological symptoms (>3 on a 0-10 scale). Acupuncture was administered twice weekly for 5 weeks, for 30 minutes per session. Along with Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) questionnaires, a fasting serum comprehensive hydrophilic metabolites panel was analyzed at baseline and after acupuncture.

Results: Eight participants (mean age 52.5 ± 10.9 years; 62.5% Black) were enrolled. Feasibility was supported, with 67% recruitment, 87.5% retention, and 98% acceptability. Post intervention, PROMIS T-scores were reduced for all psychoneurological symptoms. Significant differences in serum metabolites before and after acupuncture were F-1,6/2,6-DP, glutathione disulfide, phosphorylcholine, 6-methylnicotinamide, glutathione, and putrescine (variable importance of projection values larger than 1.5 and p values <0.05). Pathway analysis indicated that glutathione metabolism (p = 0.002, q = 0.071), and arginine and proline metabolisms (p = 0.009, q = 0.166) were potentially involved in mechanisms of acupuncture.

Conclusions: Acupuncture to reduce multiple psychoneurological symptoms among breast cancer survivors was feasible and acceptable. Study findings also shed light on the metabolic pathways involved in the acupuncture response and will be tested in future studies.

Despite increased sophistication in DNA methylation (DNAm) measurement and methods, conducting studies in specific populations such as the hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HCT) population, presents unique challenges and study design considerations. In this article, we explain the motivation for investigating DNAm in the HCT population, highlighting important study design features and key findings in a longitudinal prospective pilot study of DNAm in 32 patients undergoing autologous HCT in Central Virginia, USA. We also discuss limitations and challenges to generating robust results. We observed that HCT does not prevent high-quality DNA from being extracted from whole blood for DNAm research and that longitudinal prospective studies that span pre- and 2-months post-HCT are feasible. Critically, we did not observe significant impacts of cancer diagnosis, time since transplant, age, or chromosomal sex on overall DNAm data dimensionality. These observations demonstrate that while extreme care is required to ensure generalizable, accurate, and interpretable results, researchers should not avoid HCT-DNAm research simply for fear that the transplant procedure or presence of a cancer diagnosis will prevent meaningful conclusions from being drawn. DNAm is an attractive biomarker that is understudied in patients undergoing HCT and needs to expand to improve precise prediction of HCT outcomes.

Current nursing research has characterized symptom clusters and trajectories in individuals with breast cancer. The existing literature describes the relationship between symptoms and biological variables and the potential moderating effects of individual and social factors. The genomic profiling of breast cancer has also been an area of much recent research. Emerging evidence indicates that incorporating cancer genomics into symptom science research can aid in the prognostication of symptoms and elucidate targets for symptom management interventions. The aim of this paper is to outline a model to integrate cancer genomics into symptom science research, illustrated using breast cancer and psychoneurological (PN) symptoms as an example. We present a review of the current literature surrounding breast cancer genomics (specifically cancer genomic instability) and the biological underpinnings of the PN symptom cluster. Advances in both of these areas indicate that inflammation may serve as the bridge between cancer genomics and the PN symptom cluster. We also outline how the integration of cancer genomics into symptom science research synergizes with current research of individual and social factors in relation to symptoms. This model aims to provide a framework to guide future biopsychosocial symptom science research that can elucidate new predictive methods and new targets for intervention.

Background: Survivors of acute respiratory failure (ARF) experience long-term cognitive impairment and circadian rhythm disturbance after hospital discharge. Although prior studies in aging and neurodegenerative diseases indicate actigraphy-estimated rest-activity circadian rhythm disturbances are risk factors for cognitive impairment, it is unclear if this applies to ARF survivors. This study explored the relationships of actigraphy-estimated rest-activity circadian rhythms with cognitive functioning in ARF survivors at 3 months after discharge. Methods: 13 ARF survivors (mean age 51 years and 69% males) completed actigraphy and sleep diaries for 9 days, followed by at-home neuropsychological assessment. Principal component factor analysis created global cognition and circadian rhythm variables, and these first components were used to examine the global relationships between circadian rhythm and cognitive measure scores. Results: Global circadian function was associated with global cognition function in ARF survivors (r = .70, p = .024) after adjusting for age, education, and premorbid cognition. Also, greater fragmented rest-activity circadian rhythm (estimated by intradaily variability, r = .85, p = .002), and weaker circadian strength (estimated by amplitude, r = .66, p = .039; relative strength, r = .70, p = .024; 24-h lag serial autocorrelation, r = .67, p = .035), were associated with global cognition and individual cognitive tests. Conclusions: These results suggest circadian rhythm disturbance is associated with poorer global cognition in ARF survivors. Future prospective research with larger samples is needed to confirm these results and increase understanding of the relationship between disrupted circadian rhythms and cognitive impairment among ARF survivors.

Objective: This study aimed to determine the effect of palmar grasp reflex stimulation during a neonatal bath on the physiological parameters and crying time of the newborn.

Design, setting, and participants: This study was designed as a parallel randomized clinical trial. Parents fully understood the study procedure at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in Turkey (N = 82). Both written and verbal consent was obtained from the parents. Newborns who were ineligible for tub bathing were excluded from the study. The babies in the control group were given baths according to the tub bathing standards. Babies in the experimental group were given palmar grasp reflex stimulation during the baths. The variables examined included body temperature, respiratory rate, pulse, oxygen saturation levels, and crying time. In all analyses, p < 0.05 was accepted as statistically significant.

Results: The heart rate of the experimental group was 5.2 beats per minute slower than the control group (χ2 = 12.272; p < 0.001). The respiratory rate of the experimental group was 1.3 lower per minute compared to the control group (χ2 = 43.219; p < 0.001). In addition, the oxygen saturation level (%) of the experimental group was 0.4 higher than the control group (χ2 = 5.793; p < 0.016). Crying time was higher in the control group during bathing (p < 0.001).

Conclusion: The results showed that the palmar grasp reflex in newborn bathing helps to maintain the stability of physiological parameters and shortens the crying time of babies. Palmar grasp reflex stimulation is recommended in interventions that may cause stress.

Introduction: Studies investigating the association between C-reactive protein (CRP) and depression among older adults have yielded inconsistent results. We suspect that this may be due to varying associations between CRP and particular depression symptom criteria, and we addressed this challenge using network analysis.

Methods: We used cross-sectional data from prepandemic National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey questionnaires (2017-2020) and included a sample of 1698 adults aged 65 years or older. Depression symptoms were assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9. Unregularized Mixed Graphical Models were estimated using the R package mgm before and after adjusting for relevant sociodemographic, clinical, and lifestyle covariates.

Results: In the model with no covariates, the only symptom criterion associated with CRP was "appetite problems." This association remained robust after controlling for all covariates. Although not associated with CRP, other criteria such as "fatigue" and "concentration difficulty" showed associations with important covariates for older adults such as white blood cell count or hemoglobin, respectively.

Discussion: The CRP-related variability in the depression symptom network that we have demonstrated may help explain the reported inconsistencies. The present study stands as exploratory, and future research should focus on applying longitudinal designs and including several other inflammatory proteins and covariates that were not measured in the current network model.

Objective: To systematically summarize the reported prediction models for hypoglycemia in patients with diabetes, compare their performance, and evaluate their applicability in clinical practice.

Methods: We selected studies according to the PRISMA, appraised studies according to the Prediction model Risk of Bias Assessment Tool (PROBAST), and extracted and synthesized the data according to the CHARMS. The databases of PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and Cochrane Library were searched from inception to 31 October 2021 using a systematic review approach to capture all eligible studies developing and/or validating a prognostic prediction model for hypoglycemia in patients with diabetes. The risk bias and clinical applicability were assessed using the PROBAST. The meta-analysis of the performance of the prediction models were also conducted. The protocol of this study was recorded in PROSPERO (CRD42022309852).

Results: Sixteen studies with 22 models met the eligible criteria. The predictors with the high frequency of occurrence among all models were age, HbA1c, history of hypoglycemia, and insulin use. A meta-analysis of C-statistic was performed for 21 prediction models, and the summary C-statistic and its 95% confidence interval and prediction interval were 0.7699 (0.7299-0.8098), 0.7699 (0.5862-0.9536), respectively. Heterogeneity exists between different hypoglycemia prediction models (τ² was 0.00734≠0).

Conclusions: The existing predictive models are not recommended for widespread clinical use. A high-quality hypoglycemia screening tool should be developed in future studies.