Spiritual needs of women with breast cancer: A structural equation model.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to develop a structural equation model (SEM) to explore the factors influencing the spiritual needs of breast cancer patients. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in the breast surgery department of a tertiary hospital in China from September 2020 to December 2020; convenience sampling and questionnaires were used to facilitate sampling and data collection. A total of 220 female breast cancer patients were included in the study. The data were analysed using multiple linear regression and structural equation modelling. RESULTS: Compared with patients with other diseases, patients with breast cancer have greater spiritual needs (76.16 ± 13.19). Multivariate analysis revealed that religious beliefs, education level, social support, and resilience are important factors affecting the mental health of women with cancer (p < 0.05). The structural equation model fit well (RMSEA = 0.056, χ2p = 0.002). Social support directly affected spiritual needs (ß = 0.607, p < 0.001) and indirectly affected spiritual needs through resilience (ß = 0.353, p < 0.001). Resilience directly affected spiritual needs (ß = 0.386, p < 0.05). Education level indirectly affected spiritual needs through social support (ß = 0.307, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: This study provides a theoretical basis for intervention measures to improve the spiritual needs of female breast cancer patients. Paying more attention to social support and resilience may help solve the problem of meeting the high spiritual needs of breast cancer patients. Further research is needed to develop interventions.

The Aurora kinase inhibitor AT9283 inhibits Burkitt lymphoma growth by regulating Warburg effect.

Objective: To investigate the effect of the kinase inhibitor AT9283 on Burkitt lymphoma (BL) cells and elucidate the underlying mechanisms. Methods: The effect of AT9283 on the proliferation of BL cell lines was tested using the MTT assay. Apoptosis and cell cycle were measured by flow cytometry. The proteins associated with the cell cycle, apoptosis, and the Warburg effect were detected using Western blotting. Alterations in glycolytic metabolism in terms of glucose intake and lactate concentrations were determined by glucose and lactate assays. Results: The current study utilized the GEPIA, the Human Protein Atlas (HAP) database and immunohistochemistry to conduct analyses, which revealed a high expression of Aurora kinases and Warburg effect-related proteins in malignant B-cell lymphoma tissues. AT9283 significantly inhibited the cell proliferation of BL cells and induced G2/M arrest. Additionally, AT9283 induced apoptosis in BL cells and reversed the Warburg effect by increasing glucose uptake and reducing lactate production. Moreover, the protein expression of hexokinase 2, pyruvate kinase M2, and lactate dehydrogenase A was significantly suppressed by AT9283, possibly through the inhibition of c-Myc and HIF-1α protein expression. Conclusion: The reversal of the Warburg effect in BL cells and the subsequent inhibition of cell proliferation and induction of apoptosis were observed by targeting Aurora A and Aurora B with AT9283. This finding may present new therapeutic options and targets for BL.

HDAC inhibitor chidamide overcomes drug resistance in chronic myeloid leukemia with the T315i mutation through the Akt-autophagy pathway.

Currently, therapy for Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML) patients with the T315I mutation is a major challenge in clinical practice due to its high degree of resistance to first- and second-generation Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors (TKIs). Chidamide, a Histone Deacetylase Inhibitor (HDACi) drug, is currently used to treat peripheral T-cell lymphoma. In this study, we investigated the anti-leukemia effects of chidamide on the CML cell lines Ba/F3 P210 and Ba/F3 T315I and primary tumor cells from CML patients with the T315I mutation. The underlying mechanism was investigated, and we found that chidamide could inhibit Ba/F3 T315I cells at G0/G1 phase. Signaling pathway analysis showed that chidamide induced H3 acetylation, downregulated pAKT expression and upregulated pSTAT5 expression in Ba/F3 T315I cells. Additionally, we found that the antitumor effect of chidamide could be exerted by regulating the crosstalk between apoptosis and autophagy. When chidamide was used in combination with imatinib or nilotinib, the antitumor effects were enhanced compared with chidamide alone in Ba/F3 T315I and Ba/F3 P210 cells. Therefore, we conclude that chidamide may overcome T315I mutation-related drug resistance in CML patients and works efficiently if used in combination with TKIs.

BP­1­102 exerts antitumor effects on T­cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia cells by suppressing the JAK2/STAT3/c­Myc signaling pathway.

Drug resistance and relapse of T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) remain significant concerns for physicians; hence, the development and screening of effective targeted drugs remain important. Considering that STAT3 is emerging as a potential therapeutic target for T-ALL, T-ALL cell lines (MOLT-4 and CUTLL1) were treated with BP-1-102, a small-molecule inhibitor that blocks STAT3 phosphorylation. Cell Counting Kit-8 assay and colony formation assay results showed that BP-1-102 inhibited T-ALL cell proliferation and colony formation. Flow cytometry and morphological results demonstrated that BP-1-102 dramatically induced apoptosis and caused cell cycle arrest at the G0/G1 phase in T-ALL cell lines. Western blotting results indicated that BP-1-102 suppressed the JAK2/STAT3/c-Myc pathway activity in T-ALL cell lines. In conclusion, BP-1-102 suppressed the JAK2/STAT3/c-Myc signaling pathway in T-ALL cells and exerted various antitumor effects, representing a promising targeted antitumor inhibitor.

Spiritual needs and their associated psychosocial factors among women with breast cancer: A cross-sectional study.

AIMS: Guided by the biopsychosocial-spiritual model, this study aimed to evaluate the spiritual needs of Chinese women with breast cancer and explored factors associated with those spiritual needs. DESIGN: This study has a cross-sectional design. METHODS: This cross-sectional study involved 228 breast cancer patients in China, between May 2019 and July 2019. Data were collected using the general information form, the Spiritual Needs Scale, the Perceived Social Support Scale and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Data were analysed by Spearman correlation analysis, univariate analysis and multiple linear regression, and a structural equation model (SEM) was constructed by maximum likelihood estimation. RESULTS: There was a slightly higher average score for spiritual needs. Of the five dimensions of spiritual needs, those with the highest and lowest levels were 'meaning and purpose' and 'relationship with transcendence' respectively. Religion, time since confirmed diagnosis and education level were related to spiritual needs. The proposed model linking spiritual needs perceived social support, anxiety, and depression revealed a satisfactory fit to the data. Specifically, a higher level of social support predicted lower levels of anxiety and depression, which in turn predicted stronger spiritual needs. CONCLUSIONS: The spiritual needs of breast cancer patients were associated with individual characteristics and psychosocial elements. Patients' spiritual needs should therefore be effectively evaluated, especially the needs of those who are not religious. Furthermore, comprehensive, needs-tailored interventions that incorporate spiritual, biological, psychological and social support should be formulated. IMPACT: Nurses should become more aware of the spiritual needs of breast cancer patients, incorporate a spiritual focus into their care and develop comprehensive needs tailored to their characteristics as well as interventions based on biopsychosocial factors.

The Research Progress in Physiological and Pathological Functions of TRAF4.

Tumour necrosis factor receptor-associated factor 4 (TRAF4) is a member of the TRAF protein family, a cytoplasmic bridging molecule closely associated with various immune functions. The physiological processes of TRAF4 are mainly involved in embryonic development, cell polarity, cell proliferation, apoptosis, regulation of reactive oxygen species production. TRAF4 is overexpressed in a variety of tumors and regulates the formation and development of a variety of tumors. In this review, we summarize the physiological and pathological regulatory functions of TRAF4 and focus on understanding the biological processes involved in this gene, to provide a reference for further studies on the role of this gene in tumorigenesis and development.

Identification and validation of CALCRL-associated prognostic genes in acute myeloid leukemia.

In the past few decades, several advances have been made in the field of acute myeloid leukemia (AML), especially in the development of novel drugs. However, the overall survival rate remains particularly disappointing due to a high rate of chemotherapy resistance and relapse. The calcitonin receptor-like receptor (CALCRL) is a novel promising therapeutic target of AML and has been indicated to be strongly correlated with chemotherapy resistance and relapse driven by leukemic stem cells. Nevertheless, the CALCRL downstream genes associated with the drug resistance and relapse of AML remain to be elucidated. Within this study, we used multiple gene expression datasets from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database and cBioPortal to explore the candidate CALCRL-associated genes that could potentially mediate the chemoresistance and relapse of AML. Then, we investigated the prognostic value, coexpression relationship with CALCRL, and expression characteristics of these genes using independent data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Eventually, three genes were screened out as CALCRL-associated prognostic genes. The expression of AGTPBP1 and LYST was negatively correlated with CALCRL, high expression of which was associated with favorable prognosis in AML. In contrast, the expression of ETS2 was positively correlated with CALCRL, high expression of which was associated with poor prognosis in AML. The results indicated that the three prognostic genes are potential CALCRL downstream genes that mediate drug resistance and relapse in AML. This study helps to further explore the role and molecular pathways of CALCRL in mediating drug resistance and relapse of AML.

Integrating Self-determination Theory and Upper Limb Factors to Predict Physical Activity in Patients With Breast Cancer During Chemotherapy.

BACKGROUND: Some empirical investigations try to describe the factors that affect the physical activity of breast cancer survivors, but these investigations rarely focus on the basic psychological needs or motivation regulation of breast cancer survivors in physical activity. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to construct structural equation modeling of the self-determination theory and upper limb factors to predict the physical activity of breast cancer patients during chemotherapy. METHODS: A total of 236 breast cancer survivors completed measures of basic psychological needs, behavioral regulation in exercise, symptoms and dysfunction of upper limb factors, and physical activity. Path analyses structured the direct and indirect effects (via motivational orientations) of basic psychological needs and upper limb factors on physical activity. RESULTS: A total of 216 (91.5%) participants met the standard physical activity metabolic equivalent recommended. The final model has a good degree of fit (χ2 = 809.363, df = 391, χ2/df ≤ 2.07 [1-3]; root-mean-square error of approximation, 0.067 [<0.008]). The competence (0.309) of basic psychological needs and amotivation (-0.38) of motivation regulations have the greatest effect on physical activity. CONCLUSIONS: Competence is the most important basic psychological need of breast cancer patients during chemotherapy, and amotivation is the most important motivation regulation. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Nurses need to pay more attention to the basic psychological needs and the motivation regulation in breast cancer patients during chemotherapy. Randomized controlled trials of breast cancer survivor interventions based on the self-determination theory are needed.

Carbon Nanomaterials: Application and Prospects of Urban and Industrial Wastewater Pollution Treatment Based on Abrasion and Corrosion Resistance.

Environmental pollution as a result of urban and industrial wastewater has become an increasingly prominent issue. Rivers, lakes, and oceans that have become eutrophicated or polluted by suspended solids and hazardous substances in wastewater have endangered the environment. A root cause of this is the discharge of untreated urban and industrial wastewater into the ecosystem. As a solution to the pollution, wastewater treatment facilities have seen increasingly rapid development. Sewage pumps are designed to transport urban and industrial wastewater containing solid particles or hazardous substances to water treatment centers for purification and treatment. Sewage pumps are of great importance in the entire wastewater treatment system. Sewage in the environment where sewage pumps work usually contains sands, suspended particles, and plenty of saline ions. Flow passage components and sealing elements of the pump become vulnerable to abrasion and chemical corrosion, which further challenges operational stability of the pump. Research has remained focused on how to improve reliability of sewage pumps under severe conditions. Because of advances in materials science, the application of an increasing number of new materials has been witnessed, such as carbon-based composite materials and carbon nanomaterials, thanks to their fine self-lubrication performance, heat resistance, thermal and electrical conductivity, chemical stability, heat and seismic resistance, as well as plasticity. These properties contribute to enormous potential that new carbon-based composite materials and carbon nanomaterials have to offer in terms of corrosion resistance. This paper outlines application scenarios, research progress, and the prospect of new materials in sewage pumps.

Research trends and hotspots in caregiver studies: A bibliometric and scientometric analysis of nursing journals.

AIMS: To explore the intellectual landscape of care-giving studies and identify research trends and hotspots in this field. DESIGN: A bibliometric and scientometric analysis of care-giving literature was undertaken from January - February 2020. METHODS: CiteSpace was used to analyse research published between 1900 - 2019. A references-based co-citation analysis was used to identify the intellectual landscape of care-giving research. A keywords-based co-occurrence analysis with citation bursts was used to explore research hotspots and frontiers. Lastly, a co-authorship network analysis was used to identify co-operation among authors, countries, and institutions. RESULTS: There has been an increasing trend in the number of publications on care-giving research with light fluctuations. Relevant literature mainly focused on the fields of oncology and psychiatry. The keywords-based analysis indicated that the main research targets had previously been informal caregivers of patients with stroke, Alzheimer's disease, and schizophrenia. In recent years, focus has shifted onto informal caregivers of patients with cancer, heart failure, and those at end-of-life. CONCLUSION: This bibliometric and scientometric analysis helps us understand the current state of caregiver research and its recent developments. IMPACT: Caregivers' mental health and care experience have become research hotspots. WHERE AND ON WHOM WILL THE RESEARCH HAVE AN IMPACT?: This research allows the development of future research on care-giving. Future researchers should explore effective interventions for the health of patient-caregiver dyads.