[Deficiency of cathepsin K improves ischemic angiogenesis in high-fat diet fed mice].

The present study aims to investigate the effect of cathepsin K (CatK) on ischemic angiogenesis in high-fat diet fed mice. The mice were subjected to unilateral hindlimb ischemic surgery, and the ischemic blood flow was measured with a laser Doppler blood flow imager. Immunohistochemical staining was used to observe the quantity of new capillaries in the ischemic lower extremity, and Western blot was used to detect the expression of insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1), p-Akt, Akt and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Firstly, the effect of high-fat diet on ischemic angiogenesis was observed in wild-type mice, which were randomly divided into control group and high-fat diet group and were fed with normal diet or 60% high-fat diet respectively for 16 weeks. The results showed the body weight and the plasma CatK concentration of the high-fat diet group was significantly increased compared with the control group (P < 0.05), and the blood flow recovery of the high-fat diet group was significantly lower than control group (P < 0.05). Then, wild-type and CatK knock out (CatK-/-) mice were both fed with high-fat diet to further observe the effect and mechanism of CatK on ischemic angiogenesis under high-fat diet. The results showed that the blood flow recovery in the CatK-/- group was significantly greater than the wild-type group, and the number of CD31 positive cells was significantly increased (P < 0.05). At the same time, the protein expression levels of IRS-1, p-Akt and VEGF in the ischemic skeletal muscle were significantly increased in the CatK-/- group compared with the wild-type group (P < 0.05). These results suggest that the deficiency of CatK improves ischemic angiogenesis in high-fat diet fed mice through IRS-1-Akt-VEGF signaling pathway.

Comprehensive needs, social support, and disease perception in lung cancer patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors: a cross-sectional study.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to investigate the comprehensive needs of lung cancer patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors and to explore the relationships between comprehensive needs and social support and disease perception, moreover, to analyse associated factors of comprehensive needs. METHODS: The study was conducted in a teaching hospital in Jiaxing Province, China. A total of 141 patients with lung cancer completed a battery of self-report questionnaires, including the Comprehensive Needs Assessment Tool in Cancer for Patients (CNAT), Social Supportive Rating Scale (SSRS), Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire (BIPQ), and demographic and clinical characteristics questionnaire. RESULTS: The level of comprehensive needs was highest in the domain "medical demand" (42.17 ± 26.57), and the item with the highest level of comprehensive needs was "I need information about the financial support for my medical expenses" (2.00 ± 1.07). Statistically significant correlations were identified between the comprehensive needs score, social support, and disease perception. The multiple regression analysis showed that immunotherapy course, whether irAEs occur, social support, and disease perception were factors influencing patients' comprehensive needs. CONCLUSIONS: The most prevalent needs in lung cancer patients were found in the "medical needs" domain. Additionally, immunotherapy course, whether irAEs occur, disease perception, and social support were associated with comprehensive needs among lung cancer patients. It is essential to combine the associated factors to accurately evaluate patient needs. We should pay more attention to proposing the comprehensive measures for these patients and providing more individualized supportive care during the lengthy treatment period.

Investigation and analysis of the comprehensive unmet needs of cancer patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors: a cross-sectional study.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to describe the level of comprehensive needs among cancer patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors, to explore the relationship between comprehensive needs and demographic factors, and to examine the relationship between comprehensive needs and treatment variables. METHOD: A cross-sectional descriptive study design was adopted. From September 2021 to July 2022, 194 cancer patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors were recruited using a convenience sampling method in tertiary teaching hospitals in Zhejiang Province, China. The Comprehensive Needs Assessment Tool for Cancer Patients (CNAT) and questionnaires to assess demographic and clinical characteristics were used to collect data. RESULTS: The average comprehensive needs score for cancer patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors was 39.2 ± 17.2. Patients reported high levels of medical care needs, knowledge information needs, hospital facilities needs and nursing needs but low levels of religious spiritual support needs, psychoemotional needs, actual support needs, and physical symptom needs. Multiple stepwise linear regression showed that age, primary caregivers, cancer type, number of immunotherapy courses and the occurrence of immune-related adverse events (irAEs) were the main factors affecting the comprehensive needs of cancer patients treated with ICIs (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Age, primary caregivers, cancer type, number of immunotherapy treatment courses and the occurrence of irAEs are important factors affecting the comprehensive unmet needs of cancer patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors. Nurses should perform targeted interventions according to the different situations of patients to improve the quality of care.

Hope, death anxiety and simplified coping style scores of nursing students during the outbreak of COVID-19: A cross-sectional study.

ABSTRACT: Nursing students are the main force of future nursing development, and their hope and death anxiety are important aspects of their coping styles and clinical practice.The present study examined the relationships between hope, death anxiety and simplified coping style scores of nursing students during the outbreak of COVID-19.Between February and April 2020, a cross-sectional descriptive study was performed using a Sojump online survey, and 870 nursing students completed the herth hope (HH), death anxiety scale (DAS) and simplified coping style questionnaire. The data were analyzed using t-tests, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), and multiple linear regression in SPSS 23.0 (IBM Corp, Armonk, NY).The average HH, DAS and active and passive coping scores of the 870 nursing students were 3.07 ±â€Š0.32, 3.01 ±â€Š0.37, 2.84 ±â€Š0.48, and 2.25 ±â€Š0.50, respectively. Participants with contact experience with individuals with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 were more likely to adopt passive coping styles than students without contact experience (t = 5.019, P = .025). Being older and having higher inner positive readiness and expectancy, a lower inner sense of temporality and future, and lower time awareness were predictors of passive coping styles (P < .05). Living in cities (vs towns) and having a higher inner positive readiness and expectancy, a higher inner sense of temporality and future and lower cognition of death were predictors of active coping styles (P < .05).The findings of this study suggest that hope and death anxiety are important aspects of the coping styles of nursing students. Nursing educators should emphasize the role of hope, further deepen the death education mode, and perform scientific and reasonable death education programmes to reduce the death anxiety level of nursing students to promote their coping styles in crisis.

Mediating effects of general self-efficacy on the relationship between the source of meaning in life and prosocial behaviours in vocational college nursing students: A cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVES: To examine the mediating effect of general self-efficacy on the relationship between the source of meaning in life (SML) and prosocial behaviours in vocational college nursing students. METHODS: Between March and June 2019, a cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted, and 799 nursing students from three vocational colleges completed the Source of Meaning in Life Scale, General Self-Efficacy Scale and Prosocial Behaviours Scale. Data were analyzed using structural equation modelling and statistical analysis by SPSS (version 23.0, IBM). RESULTS: The average SML, general self-efficacy and prosocial behaviours scores of the 799 nursing students were 6.43±0.83, 2.48±0.59 and 3.69±0.62, respectively. Correlation analysis showed that SML, general self-efficacy and prosocial behaviours were positively correlated (P<0.01). General self-efficacy partially mediated the relationship between SML and prosocial behaviours (P<0.01); this mediating effect contributed 22.97% of the total effect and explained 17.6% of the variance in the dependent variable. CONCLUSIONS: Educators should focus on cultivating nursing students' cognition and experience of meaning in life and their efficacy in life, study and work, which can improve students' "people-oriented" service and prosocial behaviour and the quality of nursing services.