Gender-Based Differences in the Relationships Among Social Support, Positive Psychological Capital, and Sleep Quality in Patients Implanted With Pacemakers: A Moderated Mediation Model.

BACKGROUND: Sleep disorders are common and seriously affect the prognosis of patients implanted with pacemakers. AIMS: In this study, it was investigated whether social support directly impacts sleep quality and whether positive psychological capital mediates and gender moderates the relationship between social support and sleep quality among this group. METHODS: A total of 178 patients implanted with pacemakers were recruited to participate in the study from 2 tertiary hospitals in Shandong, China. Patients were assessed using the Perceived Social Support Scale, Positive PsyCap Questionnaire, and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Multiple linear regression and the PROCESS macro were used to test the mediating and moderated mediating effects. RESULTS: Patients' mean PSQI score was (8.48 ± 4.50), and 71.30% of the patients had sleep problems (PSQI > 5). Social support scores were negatively correlated with PSQI scores (r = -0.19, P = .010) and positively correlated with positive psychological capital scores (r = 0.45, P < .001). In addition, positive psychological capital scores were negatively related to PSQI scores (r = -0.39, P < .001). The confidence interval (CI) from the bootstrap output indicated that positive psychological capital played a mediating role between social support and sleep quality (95% CI, -0.098 to -0.033), and gender moderated the association between social support and sleep via positive psychological capital (95% CI, -0.087 to -0.006). CONCLUSION: The sleep problems of this population cannot be ignored. Gender-based differences should be considered when guiding such patients toward using internal and external resources to cope with sleep problems.

The role of gender and self-esteem as moderators of the relationship between stigma and psychological distress among infertile couples.

To determine if perceived stigma is positively associated with psychological distress, and examine if self-esteem has a moderating effect on the relationship between stigma and psychological distress among infertile Chinese couples. 369 infertile couples completed questionnaires including socio-demographic and clinical characteristics, stigma, self-esteem, and psychological distress. Stigma had a significant, positive association with psychological distress (r = 0.461, P < 0.01). Self-esteem moderated the association between stigma and psychological distress differently for men compared to women. Stigma had a positive, moderate association with psychological distress in men with high self-esteem compared to men with low self-esteem (t = 3.232, P < 0.01). However, there was no significant difference in the relationship between stigma and psychological distress between women with high and low self-esteem, tests of the simple slopes showed that non-significant difference of slopes between the two groups (t = -0.017, P = 0.987). The results indicate that self-esteem buffers the net effect of stigma on psychological distress in men but not women. Future research should focus on interventions that use self-esteem as a way to decrease the negative association of stigma with psychological distress, especially among men who are infertile and have low self-esteem.

Construction and Evaluation of Folic Acid-Modified 3-Bromopyruvate Cubosomes.

BACKGROUND Direct 3-bromopyruvate chemotherapy often causes side effects. We thus aimed to construct and evaluate folic acid-modified 3-bromopyruvate liquid crystalline nanoparticles (3BP-LCNP-FA) and assess their targeted antitumor effects in tumor-bearing nude mice. MATERIAL AND METHODS A liquid crystalline nanoparticle formulation was screened, and the structure was characterized using polarizing light- and transmission electron microscopy. The folate target was then synthesized and characterized using differential scanning calorimetry and proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. In vitro, human CNE-2Z and MDA-MB-231 tumor cells were used to evaluate 3BP-LCNP-FA effects on tumor cell morphology and proliferation. Different drug formulations were administered to tumor-bearing nude mice to observe the treatment effects. Hepatic and renal toxicities were assessed using hematoxylin and eosin-stained liver, kidney, and lung sections along with serological analysis of liver and kidney injury markers (e.g., aspartate aminotransferase, alanine transaminase, blood urea nitrogen, and creatinine). Tumor tissue was observed for changes using proliferating cell nuclear antigen immunohistochemistry and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling assay. RESULTS We successfully prepared 3BP-LCNP-FA of spherical shape with uniform size using the aforementioned techniques; drug loading did not alter crystal morphology. These cubosomes exhibited more potent antitumor activity than 3-bromopyruvate alone or non-folic acid-conjugated 3-bromopyruvate liquid crystalline nanoparticles in vitro and in vivo without obvious toxic side effects. CONCLUSIONS It is possible to successfully construct 3BP-LCNP-FA as a drug delivery vehicle that is more efficacious than 3-bromopyruvate and has no obvious toxic effects. Thus, folic acid-modified cubosomes can be used as effective carriers for targeted drug administration.

Individual and additive-effect relationships of menopausal symptoms and subjective cognitive decline among nurses during menopausal transition: a cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to examine the individual and additive-effect relationships between menopausal symptoms and subjective cognitive decline among nurses during menopausal transition. METHODS: Between February and September 2019, a convenience sampling strategy was used, involving 1,335 Chinese nurses undergoing menopausal transition. A general information survey that included the Subjective Cognitive Decline Scale and the Menopause Rating Scale was completed. Based on a cut-off point of the subjective cognitive decline score of 7.5, the overall sample was divided into mild and severe groups. Propensity score matching was performed to balance covariates of mild and severe subjective cognitive decline. The individual and cumulative effects of menopausal symptoms and subjective cognitive decline were analyzed using binary logistic regression and the Cochran-Armitage trend test, respectively. RESULTS: After propensity score matching, none of the parameters showed significant differences between the groups. Logistic regression analysis revealed that four menopausal symptoms were closely associated with severe subjective cognitive decline. The Cochran-Armitage trend test indicated odds ratios linking the presence of these symptoms with increased severe subjective cognitive impairment. In addition, nurses simultaneously experiencing two or more core menopausal symptoms were over six times more likely to have severe subjective cognitive decline than nurses experiencing none or one core menopausal symptom during menopausal transition. CONCLUSIONS: Individual and additive numbers of menopausal symptoms significantly influenced subjective cognitive decline in nurses during their menopausal transition. These findings suggest that interventions aimed at enhancing the cognitive performance of nurses experiencing menopause should consider menopausal symptoms.

Menopausal symptoms in different substages of perimenopause and their relationships with social support and resilience.

OBJECTIVE: This study is designed to measure the prevalence and severity of menopausal symptoms at different substages of perimenopause, as well as the relationships of these symptoms with social support and resilience in perimenopausal women. METHODS: A convenience sample of 732 perimenopausal women was recruited from 3 communities of Jinan City, Shandong Province, China, between March 2015 and March 2017. The participants completed the Menopause Rating Scale, the 10-item Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, the Perceived Social Support Scale, and a questionnaire regarding sociodemographic information. RESULTS: Of all perimenopausal women surveyed, 76.4% reported menopausal symptoms. The prevalence and severity of menopausal symptoms differed significantly by different substages of perimenopause (all P < 0.001); the severity of menopausal symptoms was the least during the early menopausal transition substage and the most during the early postmenopausal substage. Multivariable-adjusted linear regression showed that family support (ß = -0.169 to -0.240, P < 0.001) and resilience (ß = -0.140 to -0.202, P < 0.001) were negatively associated with the total and subscale scores of the Menopause Rating Scale, and higher family support and resilience had fewer menopausal symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: The present findings suggest that menopausal symptoms vary across different substages of perimenopause. Furthermore, higher family support and resilience were significantly associated with fewer menopausal symptoms, which might be helpful for medical staff to identify these symptoms and seek appropriate preventive intervention.