Translation and validation of the Chinese version of the menstrual distress questionnaire.

BACKGROUND: The Menstrual Distress Questionnaire (MDQ) is a commonly used questionnaire that assesses various symptoms and distress associated with the menstrual cycle in women. However, the questionnaire has not been completely translated into Chinese with rigorous reliability and validity testing. METHODS: This study translated the Menstrual Distress Questionnaire Form Cycle (MDQC) from English into Chinese: MDQCC in two stages. First, it was translated forward and backward using Jones' model; second, to test the validity and reliability, 210 Chinese-speaking women were recruited through online announcements and posters posted between June 2019 and May 2020. Expert validity, construct validity, convergent validity, and factorial validity were determined using content validity index (CVI), intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), composite reliability (CR), and exploratory factor analysis, respectively. For concurrent criterion validity, MDQCC score was compared with three existing pain scales. Reliability was evaluated using internal consistency across items and two-week test-retest reliability over time. RESULTS: The CVI for content validity was .92. Item-CVI for expert validities among the 46 items ranged from .50 - 1; scale-CVI for the eight subscales, from .87 - 1; ICC, from .650 - .897; and CRs, from .303 - .881. Pearson correlation coefficients between MDQCC and short-form McGill pain questionnaire, present pain intensity, and visual analog scale scores were .640, .519, and .575, respectively. Cronbach's α for internal consistency was satisfactory (.932). ICC for test-retest reliability was .852 for the entire MDQCC. CONCLUSION: MDQCC was valid and reliable for Mandarin Chinese-speaking women. It can be used to evaluate female psychiatric symptoms related to the menstrual cycle in future work.

The Menstrual Distress Questionnaire has been used to evaluate menstrual distress, including dysmenorrhoea and premenstrual syndrome. This questionnaire has been translated into Persian, Korean, Japanese, and Cantonese, rendering it to be used more and more widely all over the world. The study translated all 46 items of the Menstrual Distress Questionnaire from English to Mandarin Chinese using a two-stage strategy. The Chinese version of this questionnaire developed by the present study was found to be a valid and reliable tool in Chinese Mandarin-speaking female populations. It could be used to evaluate women's physical and psychiatric symptoms related to the menstrual cycle in future works.

An Investigation of the Use of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Complementary and Alternative Medicine in Stroke Patients.

This study aimed to investigate the use of traditional Chinese medicine and complementary and alternative medicine in stroke patients in Taiwan. Chinese herbal medicine, massage, acupuncture, natural products, and exercise were widely used among stroke patients. Integrating safe and effective traditional Chinese medicine and complementary and alternative medicine into conventional therapies is suggested.

[The Adaptation to an Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator in a Survivor of Sudden Death Due to Fatal Arrhythmia].

The purpose of this article was to explore the adaptation to an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) of a survivor of sudden death due to fatal arrhythmia. Owing to medical urgency, the case patient, a woman, did not have sufficient time to get prepared mentally. Therefore, the case had difficulty coping and ultimately rejected the ICD device. During the period of hospital care (November 10th to 19th, 2015), in-depth interview and clinical observation were used to obtain information from the case. The interview was transcribed and analyzed by repeated reading. The analysis found the following major post-ICD-implantation-associated health problems: confusion about the necessity of ICD, changes in body image due to ICD device implantation, and maladaptation in post-ICD daily life. In addition to providing ICD-related information and to strengthening her support system, we explored with the case the meanings of the ICD device in order to resolve her confusion. In addition, we recognized her perception regarding the ICD device without judgement and discussed the impact on her body of having the ICD. Concurrently, we encouraged the case to re-examine her self-value and life goals. In addition, we reconstructed the picture of the appearance of wound and made her realized the merit of the ICD. In terms of broader application, we hope that patients may learn to understand the worth and meanings of the ICD device and to restore positive attitudes with regard to body image. Furthermore, these interventions help encourage patients to re-examine their self-worth and goals and to internalize the ICD device, thereby minimizing the psychological impact of implantation. Ultimately, this case adapted well to the ICD device. Finally, we hope to share this experience as a reference for improving quality of care. These results may specifically help sudden death survivors to adapt to ICD implantation.

[Symptom Experiences of Breast Cancer Patients].

Breast cancer is a major disease threating women. From diagnosis and treatment through regular follow-ups, patients with breast cancer may experience physical and mental discomfort and pain caused by disease and treatment-related symptoms. These symptoms may further affect disease progression, emotional state, health function status, quality of life, and survival. Symptom experience is as a dynamic process that expresses a patient's feeling regarding the totality of his or her experience. Symptom experience involves the patient's perception of the frequency, intensity, distress, and meaning that accompany the production and expression of symptoms. Cancer patients often experience multiple symptoms distress. Although these symptoms may occur in isolation, multiple symptoms are typically experienced simultaneously. Therefore, obtaining information from patients about the occurrence and distress of their symptom experience is essential to assess their symptom experiences. The present article presents an overview of symptom experiences, explores breast cancer symptom clusters, and analyzes related factors of influence for patients with breast cancer. The authors hope that the findings will help nurses better understand the symptom experiences of breast cancer patients and further apply this understanding in clinical practice in order to assess symptom experiences correctly and to provide more appropriate interventions to improve quality of care.

A psychometric assessment of the St. George's respiratory questionnaire in patients with COPD using Rasch model analysis.

BACKGROUND: The St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) was a widely used tool to assess disease impact on patients with obstructive airways disease. Although traditional methods have generally supported construct validity and internal consistency reliability of SGRQ, such methods cannot facilitate the evaluation of whether items are equivalent to different individuals. The purpose of this study is to rigorously examine the psychometric properties of the SGRQ in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) using Rasch model analysis. METHODS: A methodological research was conducted on SGRQ in a sample of 240 male patients with COPD recruited from the outpatient services in Central Taiwan. The psychometric properties of the SGRQ were examined using Rasch model analysis with a mixed rating scale and partial credit mode by Winsteps software. The level of matching between the item's difficulty and person's ability was analyzed by item-person targeting as well as ceiling and floor effects. Item-person maps were also examined for checking the location of the item's difficulty and person's measures along the same scale. Finally, the differential item functioning (DIF) was examined to measure group equivalence associated with age and disease's severity. RESULTS: Each of the three domains (Symptom, Activity, Impact) of the SGRQ was found to be unidimensionality. The person separation index ranged from 1.21 (Symptom domain) to 2.50 (Activity domain). There was a good targeting for the SGRQ domains, except the Impact domain (1.36). The percentage of ceiling and floor effects were below 10%, except the ceiling effect in the Impact domain (26.25%). From item-person maps, gaps of location of item corresponded to patient's ability were identified. The results have also showed that many items in SGRQ revealed age or severity related DIF. CONCLUSIONS: Except the Symptom domain of SGRQ, the others have a reliabile internal consistency and a good hierarchical structure. The results of Rasch model analysis can highlight aspects for scale improvement, such as gap, duplicate items or scale responses. There was some age or severity related DIF indicating somewhat unstable across different characteristics of group. IRB No.: DMR94-IRB-179.

[The Usage of Auricular Acupressure in Clinical Nursing and Evidence-Based Research].

Auricular acupressure is a non-invasive physiotherapy that was developed based on the traditional Chinese meridian theory. Because it is non-invasive, simple to implement, and easy to learn, and because it presents minimal side effects and may be executed independently, this therapy may be used as an alternative or auxiliary approach to symptom management as well as to self-care. The increasing support for auricular acupressure from evidence-based research in Taiwan and elsewhere offers the opportunity to include auricular acupressure as a treatment option in evidence-based nursing interventions. Because nursing education in Taiwan is guided by Western medical concepts and principles, most nurses are not familiar with auricular acupressure, which is derived from traditional Chinese medicine. Therefore, this article not only systemically introduces the definition and theoretical basis of auricular acupressure but also includes the principles and application-related knowledge. Furthermore, this article analyzes the common problems encountered in auricular acupressure research in order to improve the familiarity of nurses with this therapy, to provide references for clinical application, and to provide a basis for designing new evidence-based nursing research efforts.

The roles of endoplasmic reticulum stress and mitochondrial apoptotic signaling pathway in quercetin-mediated cell death of human prostate cancer PC-3 cells.

Prostate cancer has its highest incidence and is becoming a major concern. Many studies have shown that traditional Chinese medicine exhibited antitumor responses. Quercetin, a natural polyphenolic compound, has been shown to induce apoptosis in many human cancer cell lines. Although numerous evidences show multiple possible signaling pathways of quercetin in apoptosis, there is no report to address the role of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in quercetin-induced apoptosis in PC-3 cells. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of quercetin on the induction of the apoptotic pathway in human prostate cancer PC-3 cells. Cells were treated with quercetin for 24 and 48 h and at various doses (50-200 µM), and cell morphology and viability decreased significantly in dose-dependent manners. Flow cytometric assay indicated that quercetin at 150 µM caused G0/G1 phase arrest (31.4-49.7%) and sub-G1 phase cells (19.77%) for 36 h treatment and this effect is a time-dependent manner. Western blotting analysis indicated that quercetin induces the G0/G1 phase arrest via decreasing the levels of CDK2, cyclins E, and D proteins. Quercetin also stimulated the protein expression of ATF, GRP78, and GADD153 which is a hall marker of ER stress. Furthermore, PC-3 cells after incubation with quercetin for 48 h showed an apoptotic cell death and DNA damage which are confirmed by DAPI and Comet assays, leading to decrease the antiapoptotic Bcl-2 protein and level of ΔΨm , and increase the proapoptotic Bax protein and the activations of caspase-3, -8, and -9. Moreover, quercetin promoted the trafficking of AIF protein released from mitochondria to nuclei. These data suggest that quercetin may induce apoptosis by direct activation of caspase cascade through mitochondrial pathway and ER stress in PC-3 cells.

Psychological factors associated with exercise self-efficacy in the recipients of an implantable cardioverter defibrillator.

BACKGROUND: Insufficient exercise affects the health of patients who have implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICD). The purpose of this study was to investigate the correlations between exercise self-efficacy (ESE) and its associated psychological factors in ICD recipients. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included individuals who had undergone ICD implantation at the cardiology department of a medical centre in Taiwan. A face-to-face survey was conducted. The survey questionnaire included questions regarding the participants' demographics, perceived health (PH), ICD shock-related anxiety (ICD-SRA), self-care self-efficacy (SSE), perceived exercise benefit (PE-benefit), perceived exercise barrier (PE-barrier), and ESE. Data were analysed using SPSS 20.0 Software. Stepwise multiple regression analyses were also performed to evaluate the predictive effects of the aforementioned factors on ESE. RESULTS: A total of 52 ICD recipients were enrolled. ESE was negatively correlated with ICD-SRA (r = -0.511; p < 0.01) and PE-barrier (r = -0.563; p < 0.01), but positively correlated with SSE (r = 0.339; p < 0.05) and PE-benefit (r = 0.464; p < 0.01). The stepwise multiple regression analysis revealed that PE-barrier, PE-benefit, and ICD-SRA effectively predicted ESE in the participants. CONCLUSIONS: ESE may be improved by overcoming PE-barrier, ICD-SRA and enhancing PE-benefit. Consequently, improving ESE may enhance the health benefits of exercise.

Caregiving and positioning effects on preterm infant states over 24 hours in a neonatal unit in Taiwan.

In this prospective, descriptive study, we used a repeated-measures design to explore the 24-hour effects of caregiving and positioning on preterm infants' states and the factors associated with state changes. Thirty preterm infants (gestational age 27.6-36.1 weeks) were observed for 3 days in the neonatal intensive care unit to record six states: quiet sleep (QS), active sleep, transition, active awake, quiet awake, and fussy or crying. The occurrences of QS increased when infants received no caregiving, social interaction, non-nutritive sucking (NNS), and were laterally positioned. However, QS significantly decreased and fussy or crying state increased when infants received routine and intrusive caregiving. These results suggest that caregiving, NNS, and positioning should be appropriately provided to facilitate infants' sleep, and reduce fussiness or crying.

The Chinese Inventory of Psychosocial Balance Short-Form Questionnaire for the Older Adults: Validity and Reliability Study.

BACKGROUND: Drawing from Erikson's theory, Domino and Affonso constructed the Inventory of Psychosocial Balance (IPB), a scale with satisfactory reliability and validity. However, the lack of a credible Chinese version of the scale may hinder research on ego development in Taiwan. The aim of the present study was to construct a short form Chinese IPB. In addition, factor analysis was employed to shorten the original 120-item scale to make it suitable for application in the older adults in the future. METHODS: The study involved three steps: The first step was to establish the 120-items of the Chinese Inventory of Psychosocial Balance (C-IPB), and we conducted translation, back-translation, expert validity, and reliability of pilot study for this step. Following the first step was to construct the short-form C-IPB (CIPB-SF) in the second step, and the CIPB-SF was developed via item analysis and factor analysis. Finally, we assessed the reliability and validity of the CIPB-SF via structural equation model in the third step. RESULTS: Three hundred eight older adults without cognitive disorder completed the IPB. The 40-item CIPB-SF was completed through item analysis and factor analysis. The internal consistency test of CIPB-SF and the eight stages were good (Cronbach's α = 0.81-0.89). The CIPB-SF had acceptable validity, except in the intimacy and identity stages, in which validity was only fair. Compared with the IPB, the CIPB-SF had good reliability and acceptable validity. However, because of its conciseness, the 40-item CIPB-SF was more suited for application among the Chinese elderly population because its application avoids physical overload. CONCLUSION: The CIPB-SF served as a concise scale for assessing ego development in our study. This scale can also serve as a useful tool for convenient screening in the future.

Extremity Exercise Program in Breast Cancer Survivors Suffering from Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy: A Feasibility Pilot Study.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the feasibility of implementation of an extremity exercise program and to examine its preliminary effects in breast cancer survivors suffering from chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN). SAMPLE & SETTING: Thirteen breast cancer survivors from one hospital in northern Taiwan. Methods and Variables: A single group with repeated measures, and a quasi-experimental design. The intervention program was a four week, home-based extremity exercise program that was comprised of 10 skilled hand exercises and Buerger-Allen exercises. The Total Neuropathy Scale (clinical version), Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy/Gynecologic Oncology Group, Neurotoxicity (13-Item Version), Identification Pain Questionnaire, and pain Visual Analogue Scale were used to measure CIPN before exercise (T1), during (T2~T4), and after exercise (T5). Qualitative data were also collected at each time point. Data were analyzed by using descriptive statistics, generalized estimating equations, and directed content analysis. RESULTS: None of the participants reported adverse events during the study period. The extremity exercise program significantly improved patient-reported CIPN after intervention at T4 or T5 but was insignificant on clinician-assessed CIPN. The qualitative data of participant experience indicated that this program is feasible and easy to follow. CONCLUSION: The extremity exercise program is feasible but needs to increase the sample size and prolong the intervention period for confirmation.

Predicting Ego Integrity Using Prior Ego Development Stages for Older Adults in the Community.

BACKGROUND: Erikson's ego development theory is the most accepted theory that involves eight stages of psychosocial development over an individual`s all lifespan. The result of development in prior stages will influence the later stages. The elderly were mainly characterized by the central developmental tasks: achieving ego integrity vs. despair. The harvest in the last stage will be related to the attitude of facing death in the elderly. METHODS: A cross-sectional study of elderly age from 65 to 90 years old (n = 292) was carried out and investigated via the Inventory of Psychosocial Balance. Pearson correlation and path analysis were performed in order to analyze the direct and indirect effect among the first seven stages with the eighth stage. RESULTS: We found that all the eight stages were significantly related to each other, and comparing to the previous seven stages, "the generativity stage" (r = 0.77) was the most relevant stage with "ego integrity". In all indirect and direct effects, the seventh stage had the greatest impact on the "ego integrity stage"; the direct effect was 0.89. CONCLUSIONS: Compared to the whole lifespan, adulthood possessed a higher influence on the elderly stage. We found that all the eight stages were significantly related to each other, and comparing the first seven stages, the "generativity stage" (r = 0.77) was the most relevant stage to "ego integrity". CONCLUSIONS: Compared to the whole lifespan, adulthood possessed a higher influence on the elderly stage.

Curcumin-induced DNA damage and inhibited DNA repair genes expressions in mouse-rat hybrid retina ganglion cells (N18).

Curcumin is reported to be a potent inhibitor of the initiation and promotion of many cancer cells. We investigated to examine whether or not curcumin induce DNA damage in mouse-rat hybrid retina ganglion cell line N18 cells. The Comet assay showed that incubation of N18 cells with 10, 25 and 30 microM of curcumin led to a longer DNA migration smear (Comet tail). The DNA gel electrophoresis showed that 20 microM of curcumin for 24 and 48 h treatment induced DNA damage and fragments in N18 cells. The real time PCR analysis showed that 20 microM of curcumin for 48 h treatment decreased ATM, ATR, BRCA1, 14-3-3sigma, DNA-PK and MGMT mRNA, and ATM and MGMT mRNA expression were inhibited in a time-dependent manner. Our results indicate that curcumin caused DNA damage and inhibited DNA repair genes which may be the factors for curcumin-inhibited cell growth.

Capsaicin-induced apoptosis in human hepatoma HepG2 cells.

Capsaicin, a pungent ingredient of red pepper, has been reported to possess antitumor activities. In this study, the effects of capsaicin on human HepG2 cells were investigated. Capsaicin reduced viability by PI incorporation in HepG2 cells in a dose and time dependent manner. Capsaicin promoted intracellular Ca2+ production and reactive oxygen species (ROS). The alpha psi(m) significantly decreased after capsaicin treatment for 24 h. Co-treatment of HepG2 cells with capsaicin and BAPTA (an intracellular Ca2+ chelator) significantly reduced intracellular Ca2+ levels, prevented alpha psi(m) disruption and inhibited apoptosis induction. The protein levels of Bcl-2 decreased and Bax increased in the mitochondrial fraction while the Bax protein decreased, and p53 and cytochrome c protein levels increased in the cytosolic fraction in HepG2 cells after capsaicin treatment for 24 h by Western blot. Immunostaining and confocal microscopic analysis also showed that capsaicin promoted cytoplasmic GADD153 expression and GRP78 nuclear translocation. The caspase-3 activity significantly increased after capsaicin treatment for 24 h. Our results indicated that the capsaicin-induced apoptosis in HepG2 cells may result from the elevation of intracellular Ca2+ production, ROS, disruption of alpha psi(m), regulation of Bcl-2 family protein expression and caspase-3 activity.

Population study evaluating fracture risk among patients with chronic osteomyelitis.

BACKGROUND: Studies investigating the fracture risk in patients with chronic osteomyelitis (COM) limited to case reports. This study evaluated the association between COM and subsequent fracture risk using population-based data. METHODS: A subset claims data of the Taiwan National Health Insurance was used to identify 7,147 patients with COM newly diagnosed in 1999-2005 without fracture history and 28,588 general population controls, frequency matched by sex, age and diagnosis date. The incident fractures was measured by the end of 2013. RESULTS: The incidence density of fracture was 1.94-fold greater in the COM cohort than in controls (21.5 vs. 11.1 per 1000 person-years), with the adjusted hazard ratio (HR) of 1.81 (95% CI: 1.67-1.95) for COM patients compared to controls after controlling for sex, age, and comorbidities of diabetes, osteoporosis, depression and end-stage renal disease in Cox proportional hazards regression. The fracture risk increased with age and women were at greater risk than men. The fracture incidence increased substantially in those with osteoporosis, 40.2 per 1000 person-years in COM patients. Site specific analysis showed a higher portion of incident fractures for lower limbs, 52.7% in COM cohort and 46.3% in controls. CONCLUSION: Findings in this 15-year follow-up observation support our hypothesis that patients with COM are at an elevated risk of subsequent fracture. COM patients and the elderly deserve adequate consultation and awareness for fracture prevention.

[The sleep problems among children with asthma].

Asthma is one of the most common chronic illnesses in children. Children with asthma often suffer from night coughing, wheezing and breathlessness that disturb their sleep. Nocturnal asthma is often associated with such problems as difficulty falling asleep, restless sleep, difficulty maintaining sleep, daytime sleepiness, and daytime tiredness. These sleep problems not only occur in children but also in their parents, and furthermore affect their daytime activity. People with asthma should be aware that nocturnal asthma is associated with more severe symptoms and increased mortality. Several underlying mechanisms that may shed light on how and why nighttime seems to exacerbate asthma symptoms include the inflammation process, airway resistance, and bronchial hyper-responsiveness (all circadian factors) as well as gastro-esophageal reflux (a non-circadian factor). Nurses should understand the mechanisms of nocturnal asthma and conduct sleep assessments comprehensively in order to design and implement appropriate strategies to improve the sleep quality of children with asthma.

[The adaptation process and behavioral responses of a patient with peripheral arterial occlusive disease who has undergone amputation].

The purpose of this study was to explore the adaptation and behavioral responses of an 85 year-old woman who suffered from gangrene related to peripheral arterial occlusive disease and finally underwent lower limb amputation. The field method was adopted. Records of the patient's behaviors were collected by observation and interviews. The data were recorded by nursing process recording and analyzed using the Behavior Classification Model. The findings showed the patient's behavioral responses to be categorized by three phases. The first phase was the impact phase: patient objected to amputation strongly because it would destroy her body image. She experienced moods of anxiety and denial moods etc. The second phase was the regressive phase: after the amputation, the patient experienced a sense of loss and discomfort while having to cooperate with medical treatment and rehabilitation. Silence, withdrawal, and despair were some of her reactions. The third phase was the acceptance/ reconstruction phase: the patient accepted the fact of her amputation with time and started her rehabilitation. During the process of providing nursing care, we helped the patient to vent her emotional responses, helped her to develop awareness of her ability to face the loss of her limb, and aggressively planned individualized rehabilitation for her. Finally, these interventions enabled the patient to overcome the impact of her amputation. The findings of this study should provide references for further clinical nursing care.

Effect of a warm footbath before bedtime on body temperature and sleep in older adults with good and poor sleep: an experimental crossover trial.

BACKGROUND: The decrease in core body temperature before sleep onset and during sleep is associated with dilation of peripheral blood vessels, which permits heat dissipation from the body core to the periphery. A lower core temperature coupled with a higher distal (hands and feet) temperature before sleep are associated with shorter sleep latency and better sleep quality. A warm footbath is thought to facilitate heat dissipation to improve sleep outcomes. OBJECTIVES: This study examined the effect of a warm footbath (40°C water temperature, 20-min duration) on body temperature and sleep in older adults (≥55 years) with good and poor sleep. DESIGN: Two groups and an experimental crossover design was used. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Forty-three adults responded to our flyer and 25 participants aged 59.8±3.7 years (poor sleeper with a Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index score≥5=17; good sleepers with a Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index score<5=8) completed this study. METHODS: All participants had body temperatures (core, abdomen, and foot) and polysomnography recorded for 3 consecutive nights. The first night was for adaptation and sleep apnea screening. Participants were then randomly assigned to either the structured foot bathing first (second night) and non-bathing second (third night) condition or the non-bathing first (second night) and foot bathing second (third night) condition. RESULTS: A footbath before sleep significantly increased and retained foot temperatures in both good and poor sleepers. The pattern of core temperatures during foot bathing was gradually elevated (poor sleepers vs. good sleepers=+0.40±0.58°C vs. +0.66±0.17°C). There were no significant changes in polysomnographic sleep and perceived sleep quality between non-bathing and bathing nights for both groups. CONCLUSION: A footbath of 40°C water temperature and 20-min duration before sleep onset increases foot temperatures and distal-proximal skin temperature gradients to facilitate vessel dilatation and elevates core temperature to provide heat load to the body. This footbath does not alter sleep in older adults with good and poor sleep.

The stimulation effect of auricular magnetic press pellets on older female adults with sleep disturbance undergoing polysomnographic evaluation.

Study Objectives. To examine the stimulation effect of auricular magnetic press pellet therapy on older female adults with sleep disturbance as determined by polysomnography (PSG). Design. Randomized, single-blind, experimental-controlled, parallel-group. Setting. Community. Participants. Twenty-seven older female adults with sleep disturbance according to the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) >5 for at least 3 months were recruited. Participants were screened by both the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), as well as polysomnography prior to randomization. Interventions. All eligible participants were randomly allocated into the experimental or control group. Both groups were taped with magnetic press pellet on auricular points for 3 weeks. The experimental group was treated by applying pressure on the magnetic press pellets 3 times per day while no stimulation was applied on the control group. Measurements and Results. Both groups were measured by PSG and PSQI at the beginning of the study and 3 weeks after the study. Both groups showed improvements on PSQI scores compared to the baseline. One-way analysis of covariance adjusted for baseline scores showed that significant improvements of PSG-derived sleep parameters, such as sleep efficiency, were found in the experimental group. However, no significant differences between groups were observed in the proportion of sleep stages with the exception of Stage 2. Conclusions. Auricular therapy using magnetic pellets and stimulation by pressing was more effective in improving the sleep quality compared to auricular therapy without any stimulation.

Gallic acid inhibits the migration and invasion of A375.S2 human melanoma cells through the inhibition of matrix metalloproteinase-2 and Ras.

Melanoma is one of the most common cancers worldwide and its incidence has been increasing over the past few decades. Gallic acid (GA) can inhibit the growth of human cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. However, there is no available information to address the effects of GA on migration and invasion of human skin cancer cells. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), zinc-dependent proteolytic enzymes, play an important role in the invasion, metastasis, and angiogenesis of cancer cells. Therefore, MMPs are one of the targets for agents to suppress and that could inhibit the migration and invasion of cancer cells. GA affected the viable A375.S2 cells by propidium iodide exclusion and flow cytometric analysis. Cell migration and invasion were investigated by Boyden chamber assay and we also determined the levels of protein and mRNA expression cell migration and invasion by gelatin zymography, western blotting, and real-time PCR assays. In this study, we examined the influence of GA on the protein levels and gene expression of MMP-2 and MMP-9 and in-vitro migration and invasiveness of human melanoma cells. GA decreases the MMPs and associated signal pathway protein and MMPs mRNA levels in A375.S2 human melanoma cells. Our findings suggest that GA has antimetastatic potential by decreasing invasiveness of cancer cells. Moreover, this action of GA was involved in the Ras, p-ERK signaling pathways resulting in inhibition of MMP-2 in A375.S2 human melanoma cells. These data, therefore, provide evidence for the role of GA as a potential cancer chemotherapeutic agent, which can markedly inhibit the invasive capacity of melanoma cells.