Biological research for nursing最新文献

Background: The timely initiation of lactogenesis II is crucial for postpartum women, with delays having significant clinical implications. This study aimed to evaluate the determinants of delayed lactogenesis II (DOL II) in high-risk pregnant women to guide clinical interventions and postnatal care protocols. Methods: We conducted a study involving high-risk pregnant women who gave birth and were admitted to our hospital''s obstetric intensive care unit for postpartum surveillance and treatment from February 1, 2023, to April 30, 2024. We utilized Pearson correlation analysis and logistic regression to determine factors linked to DOL II. Results: Our study included 206 high-risk pregnant women, with 85 (41.26%) experiencing DOL II. Pearson correlation analysis indicated strong associations between DOL II and maternal age (r = 0.452), gestational hypertension (r = 0.514), gestational diabetes (r = 0.487), and delayed colostrum secretion (r = 0.506), all statistically significant (p < 0.05). Logistic regression analysis identified age 35 years or older (OR = 2.115, 95%CI: 1.785-2.466), gestational hypertension (OR = 2.404, 95%CI: 2.125-3.107), gestational diabetes (OR = 2.556, 95%CI: 2.008-2.879), and colostrum secretion later than one hour postpartum (OR = 3.126, 95%CI: 2.682-3.605) as independent risk factors for DOL II, all with p < 0.05. Conclusions: The incidence of DOL II is significantly elevated in high-risk pregnant women, especially those aged 35 or older, those with gestational diabetes and hypertension, and those who delay the initiation of breastfeeding. It is imperative that clinical practices prioritize enhanced prenatal care and health education, robust lactation support, and improved lactation awareness among postpartum women to reduce the prevalence of DOL II.

Preterm birth (PTB; <37 weeks completed gestation) is a devastating problem affecting over 13 million live births worldwide. In the U.S., African Americans experience significantly higher rates of PTB compared to non-Hispanic Whites. PTB disparities have been linked to social determinants of health (e.g., socioeconomic status, discrimination). However, the biological underpinnings related to these associations are unclear. DNA methylation (DNAm) is subject to environmental influences, and DNAm modifications are known to affect gene expression. Using a multi-omic approach, we examined differences in combined DNA methylation (DNAm) and messenger RNA (mRNA) transcriptomic data from 20 pregnant African American women (12 PTB; 8 term birth) early in pregnancy (8-18 weeks gestation). We found that the HLA-DQB2 gene was both differentially methylated (cg12296550; p = .02) and differentially expressed (p = .014; log2FC = 2.5) between women with PTB and term birth. Gene expression analysis showed HLA-DQB2 and HLA-DRB4 (p = .028; log2FC = -3.6) were the two most highly expressed genes. HLA-DQB2 expressed higher in PTB and HLA-DRB4 expressed higher in term birth. However, no genes remained significant (p < .05) after Bonferroni correction. HLA-DRB4 and AKR1C1 were identified as a potential biomarkers in dimensionality reduction models and are also important to immune function and allogenic breakdown. Altered gene expression may lead to inflammatory imbalances or allogenic intolerance resulting in PTB. This study provides proof-of-concept evidence for the feasibility and importance of future multi-omics studies with larger populations to further explore the genes and pathways identified here.

Background: Being overweight is a major global health epidemic of the 20th and 21st centuries, which can affect the movement system function of older adult women. This study evaluated the effects of a breathing exercise based on motor development patterns on functional fitness and quality of life in overweight older adult women. Methods: A randomized controlled trial was conducted with 40 community-dwelling women aged 65-75. Participants were randomly assigned to an intervention group, which completed a 6-week breathing exercise program (three supervised and three home-based sessions per week), or a control group, which maintained usual routines. Outcome measures included cardiovascular fitness, upper and lower body flexibility, muscle strength, dynamic balance, and quality of life, assessed at baseline and post-intervention. Results: The intervention group showed significant improvements in cardiovascular fitness (p < .001, ES = 0.652), upper body flexibility (p < .001, ES = 0.652), lower body flexibility (p < .001, ES = 0.538), upper body strength (p < .001, ES = 0.538), lower body strength (p < .001, ES = 0.538), and dynamic balance (p < .001, ES = 0.475) compared to the control group. Quality of life also significantly improved in the intervention group (p < .001, ES = 0.475). Conclusion: Breathing exercises based on motor development patterns significantly enhance functional fitness and quality of life in overweight older adult women. Incorporating these exercises into regular physical activity routines may promote health and independence in older adults. Further research should explore long-term benefits and optimal exercise parameters for older adults.

Background: The long-term success rate of kidney transplantation is disappointing, with repeat transplantation necessary for more than half of recipients. When a repeat kidney transplantation is needed, patients are often elderly and suffer from underlying advanced kidney disease, comorbidities, and adverse effects of immunosuppressants, leading to physical function limitations. Limited physical function is known to hinder access to an initial kidney transplantation, but there is no information about its impact on repeat transplantations. Objective: This study aimed to determine the effect of physical function on access to wait-listing for repeat transplantation. Methods: Data from the national registry was utilized to analyze 28,884 kidney transplant recipients. Physical function was assessed with Karnofsky scores, and patients were categorized into three strata: total assistance, some assistance, and no assistance. Logistic regression and multivariate Cox proportional hazard models were used to assess the impact of physical function on waiting list access and duration until wait-listing, respectively. Results: Patients with greater physical independence were more likely to be wait-listed for repeat kidney transplantation. Highly sensitized patients, those with diabetes, Black patients, and elderly individuals had a lower likelihood of access to wait-listing after kidney failure. Interestingly, those with limited physical function, provided they remained in the work-up process, experienced a relatively shorter duration to wait-listing after graft failure.Conclusions: These findings highlight the need to promote and support physical function throughout the kidney transplant journey to improve access to repeat transplantation and subsequent patient outcomes.

Purpose: Two-sample Mendelian randomization methods were used to explore the causal effects of cognitive reserve proxies, such as educational attainment, occupational attainment, and physical activity (PA), on biological (leukocyte telomere length), phenotypic (sarcopenia-related features), and functional (frailty index and cognitive performance) aging levels.

Results: Educational attainment had a potential protective effect on the telomere length (β = 0.10, 95% CI: 0.08-0.11), sarcopenia-related features (β = 0.04-0.24, 95% CI: 0.02-0.27), frailty risk (β = -0.31, 95% CI: -0.33 to -0.28), cognitive performance (β = 0.77, 95% CI: 0.75-0.80). Occupational attainment was causally related with sarcopenia-related features (β = 0.07-0.10, 95% CI: 0.05-0.14), and cognitive performance (β = 0.30, 95% CI: 0.24-0.36). Device-measured PA was potentially associated with one sarcopenia-related feature (β = 0.14, 95% CI: 0.03-0.25).

Conclusions: Our findings support the potential causality of educational attainment on biological, phenotypic, and functional aging outcomes, of occupational attainment on phenotypic and functional aging-related outcomes, and of PA on phenotypic aging-related outcomes.

Background: The use of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) as a perceived safer alternative to traditional cigarettes has grown rapidly. However, the cardiovascular risks associated with e-cigarettes compared to regular cigarettes remain unclear.

Objective: To systematically review and compare the cardiovascular outcomes of e-cigarette use versus traditional cigarette use, focusing on the risks of myocardial infarction, arrhythmias, and sudden death.

Methods: A systematic review was conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Peer-reviewed studies published in English were included if they reported cardiovascular outcomes related to e-cigarette or traditional cigarette use. A total of 20 studies were included, covering observational and interventional studies focusing on heart rate variability, myocardial infarction, arrhythmias, and sudden cardiac events. The quality of the evidence was assessed using the GRADE criteria, and data were extracted and analyzed based on the PICOS (Population, Interventions, Comparisons, Outcomes, and Study designs) framework.

Results: The systematic review found that both e-cigarettes and traditional cigarettes pose significant cardiovascular risks, with traditional cigarettes linked to a higher incidence of myocardial infarction, arrhythmias, and sudden cardiac death. E-cigarette users also face increased risks of arrhythmias and myocardial infarction compared to non-smokers, primarily due to the constituents of aerosolized e-liquid, including nicotine and flavorings, which contribute to adverse cardiac effects. Regular e-cigarette use, particularly in combination with traditional cigarette use, was associated with a heightened risk of myocardial infarction. Studies also reported heart function abnormalities, such as systolic and diastolic dysfunction, and reduced ejection fractions. Additionally, changes in heart rate variability, heart rate, and blood pressure were observed, indicating both acute and chronic effects of e-cigarettes on cardiovascular autonomic regulation.

Conclusions: While e-cigarettes may present a lower cardiovascular risk compared to traditional cigarettes, they are not without harm. Both products are linked to increased risks of myocardial infarction and arrhythmias, though traditional cigarettes pose a higher overall threat. Given the limitations in the current evidence base, particularly concerning the long-term effects of e-cigarette use, further research is needed to clarify these cardiovascular risks and inform public health guidelines.

Introduction: Albumin plays a vital role in improving osmotic pressure and hemodynamics. A lower serum albumin level may cause pulmonary congestion and edema and contribute to myocardial dysfunction, diuresis resistance, and fluid retention in acute heart failure. Hypothesis: We hypothesized that AHF patients with normal serum albumin have shorter hospital stays. Methods: Using Electronic Medical Records, patients admitted from May 2020 through May 2021 aged >18, ICD-10, and positive Framingham Heart Failure Diagnostic Criteria were included. We excluded patients without albumin records and eGFRs less than 30 mL/min/1.73 m². Prolonged hospitalization was defined as >8 days of hospitalization. Results: During index emergency department visits, patients were symptomatic (New York Heart Association), aged median of 70 years (Interquartile range (IQR) 18), 59% (n = 103) were male, predominantly White (73%, n = 128), and had a high Charleston Comorbidity index score [5, IQR (4-7)]. Nearly one-fourth (23%, n = 41) of the patients had <3.5 g/dL albumin levels. The median length of hospital stay was eight days (IQR of 11). Comparing differences between lengths of hospital stays (<8 vs. >8 days), there was different serum albumin (3.9 + 0.48 vs. 3.6 + 0.53, p < .001) and left ventricular ejection fraction (45% (range 26-63) versus 30% (range 24-48), p = .004). An increased serum albumin decreased prolonged hospitalization (odds ratio (OR), 0.28; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.14-0.55, p = <0.001). Patients in the lower albumin group had higher NT-proBNP (median: 8521 (range 2025-9134) versus 5147 (range 2966-14,795) pg/ml, p = .007) and delay in administering intravenous diuretics (391 (167-964) minutes versus 271 (range 157-533) minutes, p = .02). Conclusion: Hypoalbuminemia is strongly associated with prolonged hospitalization. Timely and effective diuretic therapy may reduce hospital stay durations, particularly with albumin supplementation.

Deranged lipid homeostasis has been implicated in neurodegenerative diseases. Cholesterol reducing compounds such as statins have received special attention for the possibility that they may be able to ameliorate or prevent cognitive loss associated with neurodegeneration. However, there is much dissension concerning the actual effect of statins on cognitive function. The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of pitavastatin on hippocampal synaptogenesis because the hippocampus is crucial for memory formation. We also evaluated the effects of pitavastatin on local hippocampal estrogen synthesized in the hippocampus itself and its effect on Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF). Using a hippocampal cell line, H19-7, we found that hippocampal neurons exposed to pitavastatin demonstrate a significant reduction in the synaptic marker postsynaptic density protein 95 (psd-95). The pitavastatin treated neurons also exhibited decreased production of local estrogen and their expression of BDNF mRNA was decreased. These results suggest that statins reduce the ability of hippocampal neurons to form synapses by restricting the production of local estrogen. Because neural connections in the hippocampus are crucial for memory formation, our findings implicate statins as medications that may compromise cognitive function.

Background: Oxidative stress has been implicated in the pathogenesis of hearing loss (HL). Dietary intake is a modifiable factor that could influence the oxidant and antioxidant capacity. We hypothesized that a higher composite dietary antioxidant index (CDAI) is associated with a reduced odds for HL.

Methods: Adult participants from the 2001-2012 & 2015-2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Study were included in this cross-sectional study. The CDAI was calculated from vitamins A, C, E, selenium, zinc, and caretenoid through 24-h dietary recall. Outcomes were HL, speech frequency HL (SFHL), and high frequency HL (HFHL). The associations between CDAI and HL, SFHL, and HFHL were evaluated by weighted multivariable logistic regression.

Results: CDAI was associated with lower odds of HL (OR = 0.98, 95%CI 0.95-1.00, p = .043) and SFHL (OR = 0.97, 95%CI 0.95-1.00, p = .041), but not HFHL (OR = 0.98, 95%CI 0.96-1.00, p = .118) after adjustment for confounders. The multivariable-adjusted model showed a significant trend toward decreased risk of HL, SFHL, and HFHL with increasing CDAI quartile (all p for trend < 0.05). Restricted cubic spline analysis suggested that the associations between CDAI and HL, SFHL, and HFHL were L-shaped, with inflection points of CDAI at -0.61, 2.33, and 4.32, respectively. Subgroup analysis showed that participants with exposure to loud noise benefited from a higher CDAI for SFHL (p for interaction = 0.039).

Conclusion: Higher CDAI is associated with reduced odds of HL and SFHL in the U.S. adult population and serves as a promising intervention target to be further explored in prospective longitudinal studies in the future.

Objective: Oxytocin induction is a commonly used intervention during childbirth worldwide. This study aimed to compare the pain and stress levels of newborns born to mothers who administered synthetic oxytocin at birth with those who did not.

Methods: This quasi-experimental study included 164 participants and their newborns who were delivered vaginally in a public hospital. The data were collected using an Information Form, a Neonatal Follow-Up Form, and the Assessment of Neonatal Pain and Stress Scale (ALPS-Neo).

Results: In the study, there were no differences between the two groups in terms of the participants' and newborns' demographic characteristics (p > .05). During and after drying, before, during, and after the first injection, and before, during, and after blood glucose measurement, the mean ALPS-Neo scores were higher in the oxytocin induction group, with the difference being statistically significant (p < .001).

Conclusion: Although the data presented here are observational, the findings indicate that infants born to participants who underwent oxytocin induction exhibit more intense pain and stress responses. The pain-stress scores of newborns born to participants who underwent oxytocin induction were higher than those of newborns whose mothers did not receive oxytocin induction.