"I Took the Photograph Just to Show You a Little Bit of Perspective": Photo-Elicitation Interviewing With Family Caregivers in the Dementia Context

Photo-Elicitation-Interviews (PEI) sind ein bekannter Ansatz in der qualitativen Forschung. In der vorhandenen Literatur fehlt es jedoch an ausreichenden Informationen über die Perspektiven der Teilnehmer*innen, die Fotos verwenden, um ihre Erfahrungen zu erläutern, und darüber, wie die von ihnen aufgenommenen Fotos das Verständnis des untersuchten Phänomens verbessern können, dies insbesondere im Kontext von Demenzerkrankungen. In diesem Artikel berichte ich über die Erfahrungen von Teilnehmer*innen, die in einer qualitativen Studie über die familiären Pflegeerfahrungen mit einem an Demenz erkrankten Angehörigen teilgenommen haben. Insgesamt handelte es sich um fünf pflegende Angehörige, die an dem PEI-Prozess teilnahmen und 28 Fotos zur Verfügung stellten, um ihre Erfahrungen präsentieren. Mittels thematischer Analyse wurde ein übergreifendes Thema, Erleichterung eines tieferen gemeinsamen Verständnisses, identifiziert, das drei Hauptthemen über die Erfahrungen der Teilnehmer*innen unterlag: PEI förderten 1. eine eingehendere Reflexion und neue Perspektiven, 2. ermöglichten sie einen reichhaltigeren Dialog und 3. konnten durch sie komplexe und ansonsten verborgene Erfahrungen aufgedeckt werden. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass PEI eine wirksame Methode sind, um die komplexen und vielschichtigen Erfahrungen bei der Pflege von demenzkranken Angehörigen besser zu verstehen. Die durchdachte Verwendung von Fotografien der Teilnehmer*innen in Interviews kann zu einem umfassenderen Verständnis führen und den pflegenden Angehörigen die Möglichkeit geben, zur Bedeutungsgebung beizutragen, die für die relationalen Aspekte der Pflege im Demenzkontext relevant ist.Photo-elicitation interviewing (PEI) is a well-known approach in qualitative inquiry. Yet existing literature lacks sufficient information on participants' perspectives on using photographs to explicate their experiences and ways in which their captured photographs can enhance understanding of the phenomenon under study, especially in the dementia context. In this article, I report on participants' experiences of partaking in the auto-driven approach of PEI in a qualitative descriptive study on family caregiving experiences to a relative living with dementia. Five family caregivers participated in the PEI process and provided 28 photographs that represented their experiences. Using thematic analysis, an overarching theme, facilitated deeper shared understandings was identified, underpinning three main themes about the participants' experiences of PEI, i.e., it 1. promoted more in-depth reflection and new perspectives; 2. enabled richer dialogue; and 3. revealed complex and otherwise hidden experiences. Findings show that PEI is an effective method for researchers to further understand the complex and multifaceted experiences involved in caring for a relative, living with dementia. Thoughtful implementation of using participant-taken photographs in interviews can provide a richer level of understanding and the means through which family caregivers can contribute to meaning-making relevant to the relational aspects of caregiving in the dementia context

The cytotoxic mechanisms of disulfiram and copper(ii) in cancer cells

The anticancer activity of disulfiram (DS) is copper(II) (Cu)-depen-dent. This study investigated the anticancer mechanisms of DS/Cuusingin vitrocytotoxicity and metabolic kinetic analysis. Our studyindicates that DS/Cu targets cancer cells by the combination oftwo types of actions: (1) instant killing executed by DS/Cu reactiongenerated reactive oxygen species; (2) delayed cytotoxicity intro-duced by the end product, DDC-Cu. Nanoencapsulation of DSmight shed light on repositioning of DS into cancer treatment

Application of Ionic Liquids in High Performance Reversed-Phase Chromatography

Ionic liquids, considered “green” chemicals, are widely used in many areas of analytical chemistry due to their unique properties. Recently, ionic liquids have been used as a kind of novel additive in separation and combined with silica to synthesize new stationary phase as separation media. This review will focus on the properties and mechanisms of ionic liquids and their potential applications as mobile phase modifier and surface-bonded stationary phase in reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC). Ionic liquids demonstrate advantages and potential in chromatographic field

Evading innate immunity in nonviral mRNA delivery : don't shoot the messenger

In de field of non-viral gene therapy, in vitro transcribed (IVT) mRNA has emerged as a promising tool for the delivery of genetic information. Over the past few years it has become widely known the introduction of IVT mRNA into mammalian cells elicits an innate immune response which has favored mRNA use towards immunotherapeutic vaccination strategies. However, for non-immunotherapy related applications this intrinsic immune-stimulatory activity directly interferes with the aimed therapeutic outcome, as it can seriously compromise the expression of the desired protein. This review presents an overview of the immune-related obstacles that limit mRNA advance for non-immunotherapy related applications

Vitamin C Enhances the Generation of Mouse and Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

SummarySomatic cells can be reprogrammed into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) by defined factors. However, the low efficiency and slow kinetics of the reprogramming process have hampered progress with this technology. Here we report that a natural compound, vitamin C (Vc), enhances iPSC generation from both mouse and human somatic cells. Vc acts at least in part by alleviating cell senescence, a recently identified roadblock for reprogramming. In addition, Vc accelerates gene expression changes and promotes the transition of pre-iPSC colonies to a fully reprogrammed state. Our results therefore highlight a straightforward method for improving the speed and efficiency of iPSC generation and provide additional insights into the mechanistic basis of the reprogramming process

Investigation of the key chemical structures involved in the anticancer activity of disulfiram in A549 non-small cell lung cancer cell line

© 2018 The Author(s). Background: Disulfiram (DS), an antialcoholism medicine, demonstrated strong anticancer activity in the laboratory but did not show promising results in clinical trials. The anticancer activity of DS is copper dependent. The reaction of DS and copper generates reactive oxygen species (ROS). After oral administration in the clinic, DS is enriched and quickly metabolised in the liver. The associated change of chemical structure may make the metabolites of DS lose its copper-chelating ability and disable their anticancer activity. The anticancer chemical structure of DS is still largely unknown. Elucidation of the relationship between the key chemical structure of DS and its anticancer activity will enable us to modify DS and speed its translation into cancer therapeutics. Methods: The cytotoxicity, extracellular ROS activity, apoptotic effect of DS, DDC and their analogues on cancer cells and cancer stem cells were examined in vitro by MTT assay, western blot, extracellular ROS assay and sphere-reforming assay. Results: Intact thiol groups are essential for the in vitro cytotoxicity of DS. S-methylated diethyldithiocarbamate (S-Me-DDC), one of the major metabolites of DS in liver, completely lost its in vitro anticancer activity. In vitro cytotoxicity of DS was also abolished when its thiuram structure was destroyed. In contrast, modification of the ethyl groups in DS had no significant influence on its anticancer activity. Conclusions: The thiol groups and thiuram structure are indispensable for the anticancer activity of DS. The liver enrichment and metabolism may be the major obstruction for application of DS in cancer treatment. A delivery system to protect the thiol groups and development of novel soluble copper-DDC compound may pave the path for translation of DS into cancer therapeutics.This work was supported by grant from British Lung Foundation (RG14–8) and Innovate UK (104022).Published versio