Marital Self-Disclosure Intervention for the Fear of Cancer Recurrence in Chinese Patients With Gastric Cancer: Protocol for a Quasiexperimental Study.

BACKGROUND: Patients with gastric cancer experience different degrees of fear of cancer recurrence. The fear of cancer recurrence can cause and worsen many physical and psychological problems. We considered the "intimacy and relationship processes in couples' psychosocial adaptation" model. OBJECTIVE: The study aims to examine the effectiveness of a marital self-disclosure intervention for improving the level of fear of cancer recurrence and the dyadic coping ability among gastric cancer survivors and their spouses. METHODS: This is a quasiexperimental study with a nonequivalent (pretest-posttest) control group design. The study will be conducted at 2 tertiary hospitals in Taizhou City, Jiangsu Province, China. A total of 42 patients with gastric cancer undergoing chemotherapy and their spouses will be recruited from each hospital. Participants from Jingjiang People's Hospital will be assigned to an experimental group, while participants from Taizhou People's Hospital will be assigned to a control group. The participants in the experimental group will be involved in 4 phases of the marital self-disclosure (different topics, face-to-face) intervention. Patients will be evaluated at baseline after a diagnosis of gastric cancer and reassessed 2 to 4 months after baseline. The primary outcome is the score of the Fear of Progression Questionnaire-Short Form (FoP-Q-SF) for patients. The secondary outcomes are the scores of the FoP-Q-SF for partners and the Dyadic Coping Inventory. RESULTS: Research activities began in October 2022. Participant enrollment and data collection began in February 2023 and are expected to be completed in 12 months. The primary results of this study are anticipated to be announced in June 2024. CONCLUSIONS: This study aims to assess a marital self-disclosure intervention for improving the fear of cancer recurrence in Chinese patients with gastric cancer and their spouses. The study is likely to yield desirable positive outcomes as marital self-disclosure is formulated based on evidence and inputs obtained through stakeholder interviews and expert consultation. The study process will be carried out by nurses who have received psychological training, and the quality of the intervention will be strictly controlled. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05606549; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05606549. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): DERR1-10.2196/55102.

Characterization of microbial communities and functions in shale gas wastewaters and sludge: Implications for pretreatment.

As hydraulic fracturing (HF) practices keep expanding in China, a comparative understanding of biological characteristics of flowback and produced waters (FPW) and sludge in impoundments for FPW reserve will help propose appropriate treatment strategies. Therefore, in this study, the microbial communities and functions in impoundments that collected wastewaters from dozens of wells were characterized. The results showed that microbial richness and diversity were significantly increased in sludge compared with those in FPW. The vast majority of microorganisms found in FPW and sludge are organic degraders, providing the possibility of using these indigenous microorganisms to biodegrade organic compounds. Our laboratory findings first show that wastewater pretreatment using these microorganisms was effective, and organic compounds in FPW from different shale formations were removed by 35-68% within 72 h in a wide temperature range (8 - 30 â„ƒ). Meanwhile, highly toxic compounds such as phthalate esters (PAEs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and petroleum hydrocarbons were effectively eliminated in reactors. The main microorganisms, key functional genes, and putative pathways for alkanes, PAHs, and PAEs degradation were also identified.

Systematic analysis of MADS-box gene family in the U's triangle species and targeted mutagenesis of BnaAG homologs to explore its role in floral organ identity in Brassica napus.

MADS-box transcription factors play an important role in regulating floral organ development and participate in environmental responses. To date, the MADS-box gene family has been widely identified in Brassica rapa (B. rapa), Brassica oleracea (B. oleracea), and Brassica napus (B. napus); however, there are no analogous reports in Brassica nigra (B. nigra), Brassica juncea (B. juncea), and Brassica carinata (B. carinata). In this study, a whole-genome survey of the MADS-box gene family was performed for the first time in the triangle of U species, and a total of 1430 MADS-box genes were identified. Based on the phylogenetic relationship and classification of MADS-box genes in Arabidopsis thaliana (A. thaliana), 1430 MADS-box genes were categorized as M-type subfamily (627 genes), further divided into Mα, Mß, Mγ, and Mδ subclades, and MIKC-type subfamily (803 genes), further classified into 35 subclades. Gene structure and conserved protein motifs of MIKC-type MADS-box exhibit diversity and specificity among different subclades. Comparative analysis of gene duplication events and syngenic gene pairs among different species indicated that polyploidy is beneficial for MIKC-type gene expansion. Analysis of transcriptome data within diverse tissues and stresses in B. napus showed tissue-specific expression of MIKC-type genes and a broad response to various abiotic stresses, particularly dehydration stress. In addition, four representative floral organ mutants (wtl, feml, aglf-2, and aglf-1) in the T0 generation were generated by editing four AGAMOUS (BnaAG) homoeologs in B. napus that enriched the floral organ variant phenotype. In brief, this study provides useful information for investigating the function of MADS-box genes and contributes to revealing the regulatory mechanisms of floral organ development in the genetic improvement of new varieties.

Triphenylphosphonium-functionalized nanocomposites as carriers of a platinum diimine complex for photodynamic therapy.

The photodamage induced by PDT usually occurs at the site where the photosensitizers accumulate in the tumor cells, thus the modulation of intrinsic apoptosis by mitochondria-targeting PDT drugs might be a promising way to enhance the therapeutic efficacy of PDT drugs against tumor cells. Novel triphenylphosphonium-functionalized nanocomposites employed as carriers of a photoactive platinum diimine complex have been fabricated and characterized. Upon irradiation, the IC50 value of photosensitizer-loaded triphenylphosphonium-functionalized nanocomposites was found to be 17.4 or 14.4 times lower than that of the photosensitizer studied alone against HCT116 cells or A549 cells, respectively. The results suggested that the triphenylphosphonium- functionalized nanocomposites as drug delivery vehicles could significantly enhance the photodynamic efficacy of the photosensitizer.

Enhanced photocytotoxicity induced by a platinum diimine complex employing amine-functionalized magnetite-silica nanocomposites as delivery vehicles.

Core-shell magnetite-silica nanocomposites modified with 3-aminopropyltriethoxy silane (APTES) were prepared by silanization reaction, and characterized by X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy and dynamic light scattering. Then the nanocomposites were employed as carriers of a photoactive platinum diimine complex. Photoinduced cytotoxicity by the photosensitizer-loaded nanocomposites in different human carcinoma cells has been studied by cell viability assay. The cellular uptake of the photosensitizer-loaded nanocomposites has also been studied by ICP-MS. The results suggest that the cytotoxicity induced by the platinum diimine complex in red light can be greatly enhanced when the photosensitizer is loaded with the magnetic nanocomposites, and the surface charge of the nanocomposites may also have effect on the photocytotoxicity of the photosensitizer.

[Prevalence of nutritional risk among in-patients with liver diseases in Beijing, China].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prevalence of nutritional risk and malnutrition among in-patients with liver diseases in Beijing, China, and to evaluate the relationship between nutritional risk and prognosis. METHODS: A total of 331 in-patients with liver diseases under care at the Artificial Liver Center of Beijing Youan Hospital were consecutively enrolled for study between April 2012 and December 2012. Nutritional status was determined by calculating each patient's ratio of real weight to clinically ideal weight, the triceps skin fold (TSF), and the mid-upper arm muscle circumference (MAMC). Nutritional risk was estimated using the Nutritional Risk Screening questionnaire 2002 (NRS-2002). In addition, each patient's Child-Pugh stage, body mass index (BMI), power of gripping, serum albumin and pre-albumin levels, lymphocyte count, hospital length of stay, complications, alcoholism history, and outcome after discharge were recorded for analysis. RESULTS: One-hundred-and-thirteen of the patients (34.1%) were defined as at nutritional risk upon hospital admission. The ratio of nutritional risk was lowest in patients with chronic hepatitis (17.0%) and highest in patients with acute on chronic liver failure (56.5%). The ratios of malnutrition evaluated by TSF and MAMC were 36.9% and 38.7%, respectively. Among the patients with liver cirrhosis or hepatocellular carcinoma, the ratio of Child-Pugh stage C was higher for individuals defined as at nutritional risk than for those without. When TSF-based ratio of malnutrition was higher for individuals with a history of alcoholism than for those without. BMI, power of gripping, serum albumin level, serum pre-albumin level, and lymphocyte count were all lower for individuals defined as at nutritional risk than for those without. Hospital stay, ratio of complication onset, and ratio of death were all higher for individuals defined as at nutritional risk than for those without. CONCLUSION: TSF and MAMC can be used to evaluate the nutritional status of in-patients with liver diseases. Patients with nutritional risk (as determined by the NRS-2002) have poorer prognosis and may benefit from nutritional intervention.

Biomimetic studies on the mechanism of stereoselective lanthionine formation.

Selenocysteine derivatives are useful precursors for the synthesis of peptide conjugates and selenopeptides. Several diastereomers of Fmoc-3-methyl-Se-phenylselenocysteine (FmocMeSec(Ph)) were prepared and used in solid phase peptide synthesis (SPPS). Once incorporated into peptides, the phenylselenide functionality provides a useful handle for the site and stereospecific introduction of E- or Z-dehydrobutyrine residues into peptide chains via oxidative elimination. The oxidation conditions are mild, can be performed on a solid support, and tolerate functionalities commonly found in peptides, including variously protected cysteine residues. Dehydropeptides containing unprotected cysteine residues undergo intramolecular stereoselective conjugate addition to afford cyclic lanthionines and methyllanthionines, which have the same stereochemistry as found in lantibiotics, a family of ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptide antibiotics. The observed stereoselectivity is shown to originate from a kinetic rather than a thermodynamic preference.