"It just made me feel better": qualitative examination of the implementation of a novel virtual psychosocial support program for adolescents with cancer.

PURPOSE: Adolescents with cancer routinely report feelings of isolation and exclusion, including from medical decision-making. To address this problem and support adolescents, we designed and implemented the novel, virtual, weekly Teens4Teens peer support group and patient education program. We examined the views of participating adolescents, program guest speakers, and program moderators as they pertained to the need for the program, its feasibility, acceptability, and perceived impact. METHODS: We recruited all available adolescents, moderators, and guest speakers who participated in Teens4Teens to take part in audio-recorded, semi-structured interviews. Interviews were transcribed, coded, and analyzed using thematic analysis. RESULTS: We conducted 21 interviews across participant groups. We identified four broad themes: pathways into the Teen4Teens program, Teens4Teens implementation capacity, perspectives of the positive impact of Teens4Teens, and suggestions to improve Teens4Teens. These themes described a perceived need for adolescent-centered psychosocial programming in pediatric cancer care, provided lessons on how best to build and apply such a program, and highlighted the value of the program for both adolescents' and clinicians' acceptability, feasibility, and perceived utility. CONCLUSION: Adolescents, guest speakers, and moderators valued Teens4Teens and made suggestions to improve capacity to routinely implement the program. Adolescent-tailored psychosocial programming, such as Teens4Teens, is positioned to be integrated into clinical care with relative ease and may serve to improve the cancer care experience of adolescents and their families. This study has potential to provide researchers and clinicians with valuable information about the content, design, and delivery of virtual peer support programming for adolescents with cancer.

Structural, Optical and Photocatalytic Activity of Multi-heterojunction Bi2O3/Bi2O2CO3/(BiO)4CO3(OH)2 Nanoflakes Synthesized via Submerged DC Electrical Discharge in Urea Solution.

In this research, a novel ternary multi-heterojunction Bi2O3/Bi2O2CO3/(BiO)4CO3(OH)2 photocatalyst is fabricated via submerged DC electrical arc discharge in urea solution. FT-IR, XRD, EDS and PL results confirm the formation of Bi2O3/Bi2O2CO3/(BiO)4CO3(OH)2 multi-heterojunction. Formation of nanoflake morphology is revealed by FE-SEM and TEM images. The optical properties and intense absorption edge of Bi2O3/Bi2O2CO3/(BiO)4CO3(OH)2 reveal the proper visible light absorbing ability. The photocatalytic performance of the sample is investigated via the degradation of methylene orange (MeO) and rhodamine B (RB) under visible light irradiation. The photocatalytic activity of Bi2O3/Bi2O2CO3/(BiO)4CO3(OH)2 is compared with the synthesized sample in water, Bi2O3/Bi/Bi(OH)3, which exhibits much higher photocatalytic activity. Also, the stable photodegradation efficiency of Bi2O3/Bi2O2CO3/(BiO)4CO3(OH)2 after four cycles reveals the long-term stability and reusability of the synthesized photocatalyst. The PL intensity of Bi2O3/Bi2O2CO3/(BiO)4CO3(OH)2 shows an improved separation rate of electron-hole pairs and so enhanced photocatalytic performance. The improved photocatalytic activity can be ascribed to the formation of multi-heterojunctions, flake morphology and intrinsic internal electric field (IEF). Multi-heterojunction nanoflakes enhance the absorbance of visible light and facilitate the separation and transport of photogenerated electron holes through large IEF. Our work offers an effective method for the production of innovative bismuth-based photocatalyst with excellent prospects for the degradation of environmental pollutants and light harvesting for renewable energy generation under visible light.

Zinc and ascorbic acid coordinately promote lipid peroxidation in brain membranes.

Zn2+ is present at high concentrations in mammalian brain, and is released in chelatable form after excitation of certain glutamatergic neurons. Recent observations suggest that it may play an important role in excitotoxic-induced neural injury. Ascorbic acid has been widely studied as a stimulator or an inhibitor of lipid-peroxide formation, depending on concentration, and lipid peroxidation has been postulated to be involved in both acute and chronic neurogenerative diseases. We find that ascorbic acid and Zn2+, at concentrations that are achieved in the brain after prolonged synaptic depolarization, coordinately promote lipid-peroxide formation and cause dysfunction of membrane-bound proteins. This effect is unique to Zn2+, and other divalent cations do not share a similar synergism with ascorbate. We propose that the Zn2+-ascorbate interaction may be an overlooked mechanism of lipid-peroxide formation in brain injury.

Stability of cytochrome P450 proteins in cultured precision-cut rat liver slices.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the stability of individual, xenobiotic-metabolising, cytochrome P450 proteins in precision-cut rat liver slices cultured for up to 72 h using the multiwell plate system. This was achieved using established diagnostic probes (O-dealkylation of methoxy-, ethoxy- and pentoxy-resorufin, testosterone 2alpha-hydroxylase, debrisoquine 4-hydroxylase, aniline p-hydroxylase and lauric acid hydroxylase) and immunologically using Western blotting. All cytochrome P450 activities declined in culture, the most rapid loss occurring at about 8-12 h of culture; in all cases no detectable activity was present in the 72-h cultured slices. Isoform-specific differences in the stability of various cytochrome P450 proteins were observed, with CYP2E1 being the most stable. When cytochrome P450 expression was determined immunologically, a different picture emerged. High levels of apoprotein were retained in the slices even when activity was very low. In the case of CYP2B, apoprotein levels even increased following the culture of hepatic slices. It is concluded, that for tissue slices to become an acceptable in vitro alternative system for long-term incubations, the culturing conditions must be improved to ensure that cytochrome P450 activities are better maintained.

Stability of Phase II Conjugation Systems in Cultured Precision-cut Rat Hepatic Slices.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the stability of Phase II conjugation enzymes in precision-cut rat liver slices that have been cultured, using the multiwell plate system, for various periods of time up to 72 hours. The enzyme activities monitored were epoxide hydrolase, glutathione S-transferase and the associated glutathione reductase, sulfotransferase and glucuronyl transferase. The activity of all enzymes studied declined with time when expressed per slice, but the rate of loss differed among the various enzymes. However, in most cases substantial Phase II activity was still present in the liver slices following a 24-hour incubation, and in some cases significant activity was even retained in slices cultured for 72 hours. These studies indicate that precision-cut liver slices maintain Phase II activity for long periods of time, thus allowing metabolic studies involving prolonged incubations to be performed.

The evaluation of lateral pterygoid muscle pathologic changes and insertion patterns in temporomandibular joints with or without disc displacement using magnetic resonance imaging.

Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disc displacement is a common disorder in patients with internal derangement. Certain anatomic features of TMJ may make the patient prone to this condition, namely lateral pterygoid muscle (LPM) insertion variations. The aim of this study was to investigate LPM attachments and their relationships with disc displacement and subsequent pathologic changes. A total of 26 patients with clinical temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) and a control group of 14 unaffected individuals were studied. Magnetic resonance images (MRIs) were taken to evaluate LPM insertion patterns, superior LPM head pathologic changes, and relative disc to condyle position. Data registration and analysis were done using SPSS v. 16.0. The most common variation (type I) was shown to be the superior head with two bundles, one attached to the disc and another to the condyle. No significant relationship between LPM insertion type and disc displacement or pathologic changes of the muscle was found. However, a link between disc displacement and muscle pathologic changes was established (P=0.001).

Comparison of naproxen with placebo for the management of noncyclical breast pain: a randomized, double-blind, controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Breast pain is a common symptom in patients attending breast clinics. Although most patients experience mastalgia of mild to moderate severity, approximately 15% of patients suffer from severe pain that causes significant distress and some disturbance in their daily life that lead them to seek treatment. Despite a considerable number of drugs suggested for decreasing the severity of mastalgia, there is no standard treatment for the complaint. In this study, we investigated the effect of naproxen on reducing the complaint of breast pain compared with placebo. METHODS: Eighty-one women suffering from noncyclic breast pain were recruited to a randomized, double-blind, clinical trial between January 2002 and September 2004. All patients were suffering from this complaint for at least 3 months before the study. Patients were randomly assigned to two groups. Patients in the case group received naproxen 250 mg BD. Patients in the placebo group took placebo in a similar manner. The intensity of mastalgia was assessed before and twice after intervention by using a Visual Analogue Scale. RESULTS: Forty-two of 81 patients were recruited randomly as cases and the remaining 39 were assigned placebo. Of these 24 and 22 patients fulfilled the study protocol respectively. The mean age of patients was 35 (SD = 7.5; range, 19-55) years. The mean pain severity at the beginning of the study was 5.8 and 6.1 in naproxen and placebo groups, respectively. The severity of pain was decreased significantly at the end of the study in both groups (3.9 in patients and 3.7 in controls (P = 0.005 and 0.0001)). Although the decrease in pain severity in each individual group was statistically significant, it was not significant compared with one another (P = 0.64). CONCLUSIONS: Breast pain is a complex symptom that can be relieved significantly with reassurance. According to the result of this study, naproxen has no superiority over placebo in reducing noncyclic breast pain.

Structural and functional integrity of precision-cut liver slices in xenobiotic metabolism: a comparison of the dynamic organ and multiwell plate culture procedures.

1. Objectives were two-fold: (1) to compare the viability of precision-cut liver slices in two culture systems, namely the dynamic organ and the multiwell plate; and (2) to evaluate whether increasing the number of slices per incubation results in a proportional increase in the extent of metabolism. 2. With both culturing systems, the major products of 7-ethoxycoumarin metabolism were the sulphate and glucuronide conjugates of 7-hydroxycoumarin with very low levels of the free compound. When the multiwell plate procedure was used, metabolism increased linearly for at least 10 h, whereas it tended to plateau after 6 h in the dynamic organ culture system. At preincubations > 10 h, significantly more metabolism of 7-ethoxycoumarin was seen in the slices cultured using the multiwell system compared with the dynamic organ system. 3. Morphological evaluation employing light and electron microscopy revealed that liver slices incubated using the multiwell system were structurally better preserved compared with those incubated using the dynamic organ system. 4. Using the multiwell system, increasing the number of slices per incubation from one to two resulted in only a modest increase in the metabolism of 7-ethoxycoumarin. The rate of metabolism of this substrate was much higher with one liver slice when expressed per mg homogenate protein. 5. It is concluded that (1) the multiwell plate culture system for culturing slices is superior to the dynamic organ system in studying the metabolism of xenobiotics following long-term incubations, (2) increasing the number of slices per incubation does not result in a corresponding increase in the rate of metabolism, and (3) in both culture systems optimal viability appears to be within 24 h of incubation.

Contribution of CYP1A2 in the hepatic metabolism of melatonin: studies with isolated microsomal preparations and liver slices.

The objective of the present studies was to define the enzyme systems catalysing the 6-hydroxylation of melatonin, by monitoring the levels of 6-sulphatoxymelatonin in rat hepatic postmitochondrial preparations and in precision-cut liver slices. Melatonin 6-hydroxylase activity was localized in microsomes and was supported by NADPH, but not NADH. Treatment of rats with beta-naphthoflavone more than tripled 6-sulphatoxymelatonin formation from melatonin, but gave rise only to a moderate increase (25%) in the sulphate conjugation of 6-hydroxymelatonin. Treatment of rats with phenobarbitone, acetone, dexamethasone and clofibrate did not increase 6-sulphatoxymelatonin generation when either melatonin or 6-hydroxymelatonin served as substrates. Of a number of cytochrome P450 inhibitors investigated, only furafylline inhibited markedly the conversion of melatonin to 6-sulphatoxymelatonin without any concomitant effect on the sulphoconjugation of 6-hydroxymelatonin. When liver slices were incubated with melatonin, treatment of rats with beta-naphthoflavone, and to a lesser extent phenobarbitone, elevated the levels of 6-sulphatoxymelatonin in the culture medium. No such increase was seen when slices from beta-naphthoflavone-treated rats were incubated with 6-hydroxymelatonin, whereas a modest increase was seen with slices from phenobarbitone-treated rats. Treatment of rats with acetone, dexamethasone or clofibrate failed to modulate the levels of 6-sulphatoxymelatonin generated from either melatonin or 6-hydroxymelatonin. Molecular modelling analysis revealed that melatonin had a high area/depth(2) ratio, displayed characteristics of CYP1A2 substrates and could be readily accommodated into the human CYP1A2 active site in a position favouring 6-hydroxylation. Collectively, all the above data provide strong experimental evidence that CYP1A2 is an important catalyst of the 6-hydroxylation of melatonin.