IMMUNEPOTENT CRP enhances cyclophosphamide-induced cytotoxicity through a caspase independent but ROS dependent mechanism in triple negative-breast cancer cells

Background: Breast cancer (BC) is one of the leading causes of cancer death worldwide. Cyclophosphamide (CYP) remains a mainstay in cancer therapy mainly in the triple negative breast cancer subtype (TNBC) in spite of harmful adverse effects and cell death-resistances. To face this, combination of chemotherapies and immunotherapies has been proposed. IMMUNEPOTENT CRP (ICRP) is an immunotherapy that has cytotoxic effects in several cancer cells without affecting peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and CD3+ cells, beside improving clinical parameters of chemotherapy-treated patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the mechanism of cytotoxicity induced by ICRP in combination with CYP (ICRP+CYP) in TNBC cells and their effect in healthy cells. Methods: For this purpose, human and murine breast adenocarcinoma, MDA-MB-231 and 4T1 cells, beside PBMC were treated for 24 hours with ICRP, CYP or ICRP+CYP in different combination ratios for the assessment of cell death. Flow cytometry was used to determine biochemical characteristics of cell death. Results: ANN/PI assays showed that ICRP+CYP induce cell cycle arrest in TNBC cells and potentiated cell death characterized by loss of mitochondrial membrane potential, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and caspases activation. In addition, ICRP+CYP-cell death is ROS-dependent and caspases-independent in MDA-MB-231 and 4T1 cells. On the other hand, ICRP did not affect CYP-cytotoxicity in PBMC. Conclusions: For all the above, we can propose that the combination of ICRP with CYP is an effective combination therapy, promoting their use even in tumoral cells with defects on proteins implicated in the apoptotic pathway

Publicidad sanitaria en la prensa nacional española = Health advertising in the Spanish press

Resumen: Introducción. La publicidad, entendida como proceso de comunicación, será un factor importante en la prensa escrita. Tanto es así que la prensa escrita ocupa el segundo lugar en inversión publicitaria. Objetivos. Explorar la publicidad sobre salud de los dos periódicos nacionales más importantes de España y comparar la temática elegida en cada periódico. Material y método. Se trata de un estudio descriptivo longitudinal de los dos principales periódicos nacionales, El País y El Mundo. La muestra se recogió, publicidad sobre conductas de salud, durante una semana para cada periódico, desde lunes hasta domingo. Resultados. Prevalencia equitativa del número de publicidad a lo largo de la semana, con gran aumento en domingo. Se observa un número importante de publicidad direccionada hacia ambos géneros. Discusión. Uso por parte de las empresas de publicidad estereotipos en aquellos anuncios donde aparece una figura de género, así como distintas técnicas para atraer a toda costa la atención de la persona con las consecuencias económicas que conlleva. Conclusiones. La figura femenina no es tan usada como estereotipo en la publicidad en prensa nacional, dirigida a un mayor público. Abundante publicidad en la edición del domingo, apoyada por “ganchos” como obsequios para llamar la atención del comprador. Palabras clave: prensa nacional, salud pública, publicidad Abstract: Introduction. Advertising, understood as a process of communication, will be an important factor in the press. So much so that the press is second in advertising investment. Objectives. Explore health publicity on the two major national newspapers in Spain and compare the themes chosen for each newspaper. Material and methods. This is a longitudinal descriptive study of the two major national newspapers, El Pais and El Mundo. The sample was collected, publicity about health behaviors, for one week for each paper, from Monday to Sunday. Results. Prevalence equal number of advertising throughout the week, with large increase on Sunday. There is a significant number of advertising directed toward both genders. Discussion. Use by advertisers stereotypes in those ads where a figure appears gender and different techniques to attract attention at all costs from the person with the consequences that entails. Conclusions. The female figure is not used as a stereotype in the national press advertising, aimed at a wider audience. Heavily advertised in the Sunday edition, supported by "hooks" as gifts to attract the attention of the buyer. Keywords: national press, public health, advertisin

Effects of a simulation-based workshop on nursing students' competence in arterial puncture

Objective: To evaluate whether a short simulation-based workshop in radial artery puncture would improve nursing students’ competence to a level in which they could practise the procedure on a live patient without compromising his safety. Methods: Quasi-experimental one-group pretest-posttest study with 111 third-year nursing students. A 1.5-hour simulation-based workshop was implemented. This included a video-lecture, live demonstrations, selfdirected simulated practice in dyads and individual intermittent feedback. Participants’ skills, knowledge and self-efficacy in arterial puncture were measured before and after attending the workshop. Results: After the intervention, a total of 61.1% of the participants showed the level of competence required to safely practice radial artery puncture on a live patient under supervision. Conclusion: Effective simulation-based training in arterial puncture for nursing students does not necessarily need to be resource-intensive. Well-planned, evidence-based training sessions using low-tech simulators could help educators to achieve good educational outcomes and promote patient safety

Social support for female sexual dysfunction in fibromyalgia

The aim of this study is to describe and understand experiences related to social support for women with fibromyalgia who suffer from sexual dysfunction. An interpretive qualitative research methodology based on Gadamer’s philosophical hermeneutics was used. Data collection included a focus group and in-depth interviews with 13 women who averaged 44.8 years of age and 14.3 years since being diagnosed with fibromyalgia. Data were analyzed using Fleming’s method and two themes were identified: “searching for understanding in socio-family support” and “lack of formal support regarding fibromyalgia patient’s sexuality.” The partner constitutes the main support for women with fibromyalgia. Although they can find understanding and social support in patient associations, they lack formal support from health care professionals. Women demand trusted and expert professionals, like sexologists and nurses, to carry out a multidisciplinary approach to tackle sexual dysfunction associated with fibromyalgia

Design and psychometric evaluation of the 'Clinical Communication Self-Efficacy Toolkit'

Nursing students experience difficulties when communicating in clinical practice. Their self-efficacy in clinical communication should be explored as part of their competence assessment before they are exposed to real human interactions in the clinical setting. The aim of this study was to design and psychometrically evaluate a toolkit to comprehensively assess nursing students’ self-efficacy in clinical communication. The study followed an observational cross-sectional design. A sample of 365 nursing students participated in the study. The ‘Clinical Communication Self-Efficacy Toolkit’ (CC-SET) was comprised of three tools: the ‘Patient-Centered Communication Self-efficacy Scale’ (PCC-SES), the ‘Patient clinical Information Exchange and interprofessional communication Self-Efficacy Scale’ (PIE-SES), and the ‘Intrapersonal communication and Self-Reflection Self-Efficacy Scale’ (ISR-SES). The tools’ reliability, validity (content, criterion, and construct) and usability were rigorously tested. The Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of the three tools comprising the CC-SET was very high and demonstrated their excellent reliability (PCC-SES = 0.93; PIE-SES = 0.87; ISR-SES = 0.86). The three tools evidenced to have excellent content validity (scales’ content validity index > 0.95) and very good criterion validity. Construct validity analysis demonstrated that the PCC-SES, PIE-SES, and ISR-SES have a clear and theoretically-congruent structure. The CC-SET is a comprehensive toolkit that allows the assessment of nursing students’ self-efficacy in interpersonal, interprofessional, and intrapersonal communication

Sexuality throughout all the stages of pregnancy: experiences of expectant mothers

Objective: To explore and understand the sexual experiences of expectant mothers during their pregnancy. Methods: The study was carried out in two healthcare centers in the Almería Health District, in southern Spain. The participants included pregnant women who received prenatal care and/or maternity education. The inclusion criteria were being pregnant, maintaining sexual activity and agreeing to participate in the study. The exclusion criteria were having limitations on sexual activity by medical prescription. The sample consisted of 15 expectant women selected using a convenience sample, of which 5 took part in a focus group (FG) and 10 in in-depth interviews (IDI). Data was collected between the months of June and December 2016. Participants were contacted by the main researcher and an appointment was made to carry out the FGs or the IDIs. Results: Three main categories emerged: False beliefs and a holistic approach to sexuality during pregnancy, which is related to the concept of sexuality, false beliefs, and limited sexual counseling during pregnancy. Limitations: From fear at the beginning to physical diffi culty at the end, referring to the fluctuations in sexual desire as well as the physical changes that limit sexual activity. Adapting to changes: safe practices and satisfaction with one’s body image, which encompasses concerns about the risks and the relationship between body image and self-esteem. Conclusion: A lack of sexual counseling during pregnancy leads to the creation of false beliefs, which, together with physical changes, concerns about the risk, and fl uctuations in sexual desire and interest, bring about a decrease in sexual activity. But sexuality remains an important aspect of pregnancy, toward which the participants must adopt a broader approach, not limited to intercourse, and adopt sexual practices that are adapted to the physical and emotional changes that happen during this time

Promoting dignified end-of-life care in the emergency department: a qualitative study

Background: Preservation of a dying person’s dignity in the emergency department (ED) is fundamental for the patient, his/her relatives and healthcare professionals. The aim of this study was to explore and interpret physicians’ and nurses’ experiences regarding conservation of dignity in end-of-life care in dying patients in the ED. Methods: A qualitative study based on the hermeneutic phenomenological approach, was carried out in the emergency department of two general hospitals. A total of 16 nurses and 10 physicians participated in the study. Data collection included 12 individual in-depth interviews and 2 focus groups. Results: The findings revealed that two themes represent the practices and proposals for the conservation of dignity in the emergency department: dignified care in hostile surroundings and the design of a system focused on the person’s dignity. Conclusion: Dignifying treatment, redesigning environmental conditions, and reorienting the healthcare system can contribute to maintaining dignity in end-of-life care in the ED

Psychometric evaluation and cultural adaptation of the Spanish version of the “Scale for End-of Life Caregiving Appraisal”

Objective: To translate, culturally adapt and psychometrically evaluate the Spanish version of the ‘Scale for End-of Life Caregiving Appraisal’ (SEOLCAS). Methods: Observational cross-sectional study. Convenience sample of 201 informal end-of-life caregivers recruited in a southern Spanish hospital. The reliability of the questionnaire was assessed through its internal consistency (Cronbach’s α) and temporal stability (Pearson’s correlation coefficient (r) between test-retest). The content validity index of the items (I-CVI) and the scale (S-CVI/Ave) was calculated. Its criterion validity was explored through performing a linear regression analysis to evaluate the SEOLCAS’ predictive validity. Exploratory factor analysis was used to examine its construct validity. Results: The SEOLCAS’s reliability was very high (Cronbach’s α=0.92). Its content validity was excellent (all items’ content validity index=0.8–1; scale’s validity index=0.88). Evidence of the SEOLCAS’ criterion validity showed that the participants’ scores on the SEOLCAS explained approximately 79.3% of the between-subject variation of their results on the Zarit Burden Interview. Exploratory factor analysis provided evidence of the SEOLCAS’ construct validity. This analysis revealed that two factors (‘internal contingencies’ and ‘external contingencies’) explained 53.77% of the total variance found and reflected the stoic Hispanic attitude towards adversity. Significance of the results: The Spanish version of the ‘Scale for End-of Life Caregiving Appraisal’ has shown to be an easily-applicable, valid, reliable and culturally-appropriate tool to measure the impact of end-of-life care provision on Hispanic informal caregivers. This tool offers healthcare professionals the opportunity to easily explore Hispanic informal end-of-life caregivers’ experiences and discover the type of support they may need (instrumental or emotional) even when there are communicational and organisational constraints

Experiences of mothers of extremely preterm infants after hospital discharge

The purpose of this study was to describe and understand the experiences of mothers of extremely preterm infants during the first twelve months at home following discharge from a neonatal intensive care unit. A qualitative, interpretative approach using Gadamer's philosophical hermeneutics was carried out. One focus group and fifteen in-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted twelve months after hospital discharge. Responses were recorded, transcribed and analyzed using computer-assisted qualitative data analysis. The study´s participants were twenty women. The following themes emerged from the data analysis: 1) 'The journey home: the discharge process', which included the sub-themes 'escaping the hospital environment: between desire and fear' and 'preparing parents for hospital discharge: practice and formal support'; and 2) 'The difficulty of living with an extremely preterm infant', including the sub-themes 'the challenge of an unexpected form of childcare', 'overprotection of and bond with a child with special needs' and 'disturbance in the social/familiar setting: when a mother becomes a nurse'. The process of hospital discharge and the first months at home are difficult. The birth and care of an extremely preterm infant affect the mothers' quality of life as well as their family and social life. Practice and early discharge programmes can make the discharge process easier. The knowledge and understanding of the experience of mothers of extremely preterm infants in the first months at home after hospital discharge could help healthcare professionals to develop educational strategies and counselling interventions in accordance with the mothers' needs. [Abstract copyright: Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Chitosan-Gold Nanoparticle Composites for Biomedical Application

The aim of this work is to synthesize chitosan-gold nanoparticles films by direct chemical reduction of HAuCl4 in a chitosan solution and to investigate the influence of gold nanoparticles concentration on the structure of films, conductivity and healing effect on mice skin after surgery. Results obtained have shown that new chitosan-gold nanoparticle-collagen bionananocomposites demonstrated better healing effect on the mice skin after surgery than control performed on commercial TheraFormTM material. When you are citing the document, use the following link http://essuir.sumdu.edu.ua/handle/123456789/3540