Neighborhood Governance and Happiness during the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Empirical Analysis of Wuhan's Lockdown.

The outbreak of COVID-19 posed a challenge to global governance, residents' happiness, and economic systems around the world. Since the crux of previous research centers on the reactions of both local and national governments, studies on how governance arrangement at the neighborhood level influences people's happiness during the crisis response remain insufficient. This paper aims to explore the relationship between neighborhood governance and residents' happiness based on first-hand data collected during Wuhan's first lockdown. This study highlights the significance of neighborhood governance in crisis response, which includes providing diverse public services, ensuring access to life's necessities, and offering prompt medical treatment. All of these factors are essential for maintaining overall satisfaction with governance and contributing to the happiness of individuals within the community. However, active governance actions do not always lead to favorable results. For example, increased group participation may lead to social conflicts among those involved, ultimately diminishing one's happiness. Furthermore, the COVID-19 pandemic has acted as a risk 'amplifier', exposing and exacerbating pre-existing hukou-based social inequalities in the governance process. The impact of the pandemic on citizen happiness is the cumulative effect of both the immediate social crisis brought on by the pandemic and long-standing structural inequalities. To improve people's happiness and establish inclusive policies, this paper advocates for a 'people-centered' urban governance that enhances public satisfaction and addresses the needs and priorities of migrant populations.

Moxibustion Regulates Gastrointestinal Motility via HCN1 in Functional Dyspepsia Rats.

BACKGROUND Moxibustion therapy has been found to ameliorate clinical symptoms of functional dyspepsia (FD). We aimed to examine the regulatory effect of moxibustion on the gastrointestinal (GI) motility in FD and explore the underlying mechanism based on the hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated cation channel 1 (HCN1). MATERIAL AND METHODS Moxibustion therapy was used in FD rats induced by using classic tail-pinch and irregular feeding. Weight gain and food intake were recorded weekly, followed by detecting gastric residual rate (GRR) and small intestine propulsion rate (IPR). Next, western blotting was performed to determine the expression levels of HCN1 in the gastric antrum. qRT-PCR was used to detect HCN1 in the small intestine and hypothalamic satiety center. Double immunolabeling was used for HCN1 and ICCs in gastric antrum and small intestine. RESULTS The obtained results suggested that moxibustion treatment could increase weight gain and food intake in FD rats. The GRR and IPR were compared among the groups, which showed that moxibustion treatment could decrease GRR and increase IPR. Moxibustion increased the expression of HCN1 in the gastric antrum, small intestine, and hypothalamic satiety center. Histologically, the co-expressions of HCN1 and ICCs tended to increase in gastric antrum and small intestine. Meanwhile, HCN channel inhibitor ZD7288 prevented the above-mentioned therapeutic effects of moxibustion. CONCLUSIONS The results of the present study suggest that moxibustion can effectively improve the GI motility of FD rats, which may be related to the upregulation of HCN1 expression in gastric antrum, small intestine, and satiety center.

Metabolically healthy obesity is associated with longitudinal changes in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol in Chinese adults.

PURPOSE: Whether metabolically healthy obesity (MHO) is associated with longitudinal changes in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) remains unclear. METHODS: MHO was defined as participants with overweight and obesity (BMI ≥ 24.0 kg/m2, n = 2921), free of history of metabolic diseases, and without abnormalities of blood pressure, fasting blood glucose, hemoglobin A1c, lipid profile, carotid artery and liver ultrasonographic findings at baseline. Metabolically healthy normal weight (MHN) was defined as participants with normal weight (BMI < 24.0 kg/m2, n = 9578) and without above-mentioned abnormalities. HDL-C, fasting blood glucose, hemoglobin A1c, and blood pressure were assessed annually. Glucose abnormality was considered if either FBG ≥ 5.6 mmol/L or HbA1c ≥ 5.7%; while, high blood pressure (HBP) was considered if either systolic blood pressure ≥ 130 mmHg or diastolic blood pressure ≥ 80 mmHg during 5 years of follow-up. RESULTS: Compared with the MHN group, the adjusted mean difference in HDL-C change rate was - 0.005 mmol/L per year [95% confidence interval (CI) - 0.007, - 0.003] for MHO after adjustment for a series of potential confounders. Furthermore, transiting to abnormality of blood glucose, but not high blood pressure, was associated with lower cumulative average of HDL-C in MHN group, compared with those remained in metabolically healthy status. CONCLUSIONS: MHO and transiting from metabolically healthy to abnormality of blood glucose were associated with HDL-C in Chinese adults. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III, cohort study.

Metformin alleviates lead-induced mitochondrial fragmentation via AMPK/Nrf2 activation in SH-SY5Y cells.

As a widely acknowledged environmental pollutant, lead (Pb) exhibits neurological toxicity primarily due to the vulnerability of neural system. It is suggested that Pb could perturb mitochondrial function, triggering the following disturbance of cellular homeostasis. Here, we focused on the role of mitochondrial dynamics in Pb-induced cell damage. Pb exposure enhanced mitochondrial fragmentation and elevated p-Drp1 (s616) level in a reactive oxygen species (ROS) dependent manner, leading to cell death and energy shortage. By applying metformin, an AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activator, these impairments could be alleviated via activation of AMPK, validated by experiments of pharmacological inhibition of AMPK. Further investigation confirmed that nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), a transcription factor managing antioxidative function, and its downstream antioxidant detoxifying enzyme were activated by metformin, resulting in the inhibition of the Pb-caused oxidative stress. Moreover, Nrf2 mediated the protection of metformin against mitochondrial fragmentation induced by Pb exposure, while knockdown of Nrf2 abrogated the protective effect. Finally, the treatment of Mdivi-1, a mitochondrial fission inhibitor, reversed Pb-triggered cell death, revealing that excessive mitochondrial fission is detrimental. To conclude, metformin could ameliorate Pb-induced mitochondrial fragmentation via antioxidative effects originated from AMPK/Nrf2 pathway activation, promoting energy supply and cell survival.

The experience of patients with cancer on narrative practice: A systematic review and meta-synthesis.

BACKGROUND: In recent years, narrative practice has been applied in clinical settings to address the relational and psychological concerns that occur in tandem with physical illness. It is an emerging strategy to treat patients as individuals with their own stories, rather than purely based on symptoms. OBJECTIVE: To synthesize the experience of patients with cancer using narrative practice. METHODS: Following a systematic search strategy, a literature search was conducted to identify qualitative studies on the experience of patients with cancer using narrative practice. Nine databases were searched up to April 2018, which included six English databases and three Chinese databases. A meta-synthesis was conducted to synthesize the findings of the included studies. MAIN RESULTS: Seven studies out of 2894 studies were included in this review. Patients with cancer had different preferences on narrative practices. In terms of the impacts of narrative practice on patients with cancer, six themes were identified, which included '(a) reducing the gap between patients and clinicians; (b) healing effect; (c) social connection; (d) facilitating self-reflection, self-recognition and self-realization; (e) risk of negative impacts; and (f) Patients' preference on different approaches of narrative practice'. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with cancer experienced positive effects regarding narrative practice. Although some patients may experience negative effects, narrative practice is a humanized way to provide care for patients with cancer in the clinical settings.

CypD deficiency confers neuroprotection against mitochondrial abnormality caused by lead in SH-SY5Y cell.

Mitochondrial permeability transition (MPT), which is mainly regulated by cyclophilin D (CypD) encoded by ppif gene, is an early event that occurs during mitochondrial stimuli exposure. Lead (Pb) induces MPT and subsequently causes mitochondrial abnormality, followed by events, including oxidative stress and cell death. Here, we generated a ppif-/- SH-SY5Y cell line to determine the role of CypD in Pb-induced mitochondrial abnormality. CypD deficiency significantly blocked mitochondrial permeability transition pore (MPTP) opening and inhibited mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) collapse, as well as mitochondrial structure damage and fragmentation caused by Pb. Mitochondria fragmentation and MMP collapse, accompanying with Pb-induced downregulation of Glut1 and Glut3 and inactivation of AMPK signaling pathway, could impair the energy supply in wildtype cells. Meanwhile, ppif knockout can alleviate these impairments and maintain the energy supply. In addition, reactive oxygen species accumulation and cell death caused by Pb can also be attenuated by ppif knockout, thereby promoting cell survival. Our study tends to identify CypD as an important contributor to Pb-induced mitochondrial abnormality and provides a potential strategy to inhibit Pb neurotoxicity.

Lack of patient education is risk factor of disease flare in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus in China.

BACKGROUND: To explore the inadequacies of health service and its impact on clinical outcomes of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in China. METHODS: A total of 210 SLE patients were randomly recruited between January 2017 and January 2018. Each patient received self-report questionnaires to assess medication adherence [Compliance Questionnaire for Rheumatology (CQR)], beliefs about medicines [Beliefs about Medicines Questionnaire (BMQ)] and satisfaction about medicine information [the Satisfaction with Information about Medicines Scale (SIMS)]. Associations between SLE disease activity index (SLEDAI-2 K) and observed factors were analyzed by multiple logistic regression. RESULTS: Based on CQR, only 28.10% patients were adherent. The score of BMQ was 2.85 ± 5.42, and merely 32.38% patients were satisfied with the information about their prescribed medicines. Disease activity was associated with SIMS, EuroQol five-dimensions [EQ5D], Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics (SLICC), depression, use of NSAID (P ≤ 0.05). Remission of disease was positively correlated with SIMS (OR = 0.16, 95% CI: [0.06, 0.40]), and BMQ (OR = 0.64, 95%CI: [0.43, 0.94]). CONCLUSION: In this study, the scores of BMQ and SIMS were low, implying defects in the patient education of health service system, which led to disease flare in Chinese SLE patients. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT03024307 . Registered January 18, 2017.

Overexpression of the mitochondrial chaperone tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated protein 1 is associated with the poor prognosis of patients with colorectal cancer.

Tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated protein-1 (TRAP-1), a mitochondrial chaperone, contributes significantly to the progression of cancer. However, the understanding of its involvement in the clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis of colorectal cancer (CRC) remains limited. The aim of the present study was to assess the significance of TRAP-1 expression in CRC. The expression of TRAP-1 was evaluated in corresponding cancerous, paracancerous, lymph node and distant metastatic tissues of 256 cases of CRC by immunohistochemistry. The associations between TRAP-1 expression and the clinicopathological parameters and survival rates of patients was assessed. Out of 256 patients with CRC, TRAP-1 expression was detected in 203 (79.3%). TRAP-1 expression was significantly increased in cancerous tissue compared with that in corresponding paracancerous tissues (P<0.001). Overexpression of TRAP-1 was significantly associated with differentiation (P=0.011), depth of invasion (P=0.006), lymph node metastasis (P<0.001) and tumor-node-metastasis stage (P<0.001). In patients with high TRAP-1 expression, the 5-year overall survival (OS) rate was 38.0%, in contrast to 56.5% in patients with low TRAP-1 expression (P=0.003). Similarly, the 5-year progression-free survival (PFS) was 26.6% for patients with high TRAP-1 expression and 53.3% for patients with low TRAP-1 expression (P<0.001). Multivariate analyses indicated the TRAP-1 expression is an independent prognostic factor for poorer OS [P=0.015; hazard ratio (HR), 1.914] and PFS (P<0.001; HR, 2.534). Thus, TRAP-1 may serve as a potential biomarker for predicting the prognosis of patients with CRC. Specifically, overexpression of TRAP-1 may predict progression and poor survival in cases of CRC.

Quality of life and self-care in elderly patients with cardiovascular diseases: The effect of a Traditional Chinese Medicine health educational intervention.

AIMS: To explore the effects of a Traditional Chinese Medicine health educational intervention on the quality of life and self-care agency of elderly patients living with chronic cardiovascular disease. BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. The secondary prevention and treatment for chronic cardiovascular disease emphasize the importance of lifestyle modification. However, behavior-changing is difficult and individual choices are influenced by broader environmental factors. The lifestyle intervention for the purpose of self-care enhancing should be considered the driving force from the cultural element. METHODS: The study was conducted from April 2014 to October 2014. Ninety-eight community dwelling individuals with chronic cardiovascular disease were recruited from Shaoxing and randomized. 48 participants were in the intervention group with a 6-month Traditional Chinese Medicine health education and 50 participants were in the control group with routine care. The main measurements included health-related quality of life and self-care agency, which was assessed by the Short Form-36 Chinese version and the Exercise of Self-Care Agency Scale respectively, and were measured at the baseline and post intervention (6months after baseline). RESULTS: After 6months of intervention, the quality of life and self-care agency in the intervention group were significantly improved. CONCLUSIONS: The traditional Chinese medicine health education is an effective method for promoting quality of life and self-care agency in cardiovascular disease patients. It could be applied as adjunctive care for cardiovascular disease patients self-care supporting.

The soy-derived peptide Vglycin inhibits the growth of colon cancer cells in vitro and in vivo.

Vglycin, a novel natural polypeptide isolated from pea seeds, possesses antidiabetic properties. Our previous studies have shown that Vglycin can induce the differentiation of human colon adenocarcinoma cells. We aimed to determine the anticancer activity of Vglycin against colon cancer cells and to elucidate related apoptosis-inducing mechanisms. Treatment with purified Vglycin significantly reduced growth, viability, and colony formation of CT-26, SW480, and NCL-H716 colon cancer cells in a dose-dependent manner while down-regulating the expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen. Mouse xenograft studies showed a 38% inhibition of colon cancer growth in mice treated with Vglycin (20 mg/kg/day) at day 21. Furthermore, the potential mechanisms involved in Vglycin-induced cell apoptosis were examined using cell cycle studies, ultrastructural examination, as well as apoptosis-associated pathway analysis. The results showed that Vglycin significantly promoted apoptosis and G1/S phase cell cycle arrest. As revealed by Western blot, the expression of CDK2 and Cyclin D1 was down-regulated in all three Vglycin-treated colon cancer cells, indicating that the CDK2/Cyclin D1 cell cycle pathway involved in the initiation and progression of colon cancer. Moreover, the inhibition of Vglycin-induced cell proliferation in colon cancer cells was accompanied by alteration of the expression levels of the apoptosis-related proteins Bax, Bcl-2 and Mcl-1, and an increase of caspase-3 activity. Together, our results suggest that Vglycin may be another plant-derived peptide that suppresses colon cancer, supporting the continued investigation of Vglycin as therapeutic agent for colon cancer. Impact statement The antidiabetic properties and the capability of inducing differentiation of human colon adenocarcinoma cells of Vglycin have been reported in our previous studies. However, the anticancer potential of Vglycin on colon cancer cells and its possible related mechanisms were still unknown. In this study, we found that Vglycin could reduce growth, viability, and colony formation or colony size of CT-26, SW480, and NCL-H716 colon cancer cells. Moreover, Vglycin decreased tumor volume by 38% in xenograft mice transplanted with CT-26 cells. The mechanisms of these phenomena may be due to the down-regulated CDK2 and Cyclin D1, G1/S phase cell cycle arrest, and the dysregulated expression of Bax, Bcl-2, and Mcl-1. The findings highlight the anticancer potential of Vglycin against colon cancer cells, and suggest Vglycin may be another colon cancer potential suppressive component of plant-derived peptides.

A short synthetic peptide fragment of human C2ORF40 has therapeutic potential in breast cancer.

C2ORF40 encodes a secreted protein which is cleaved to generate soluble peptides by proteolytic processing and this process is believed to be necessary for C2ORF40 to exert cell type specific biological activity. Here, we reported a short mimic peptide of human C2ORF40 acts potential therapeutic efficacy in human cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. We synthesized a short peptide of human C2ORF40, named C2ORF40 mimic peptide fragment and assessed its biological function on cancer cell growth, migration and tumorigenesis. Cell growth assay showed that C2ORF40 mimic peptide fragment significantly suppressed cell proliferation of breast and lung cancer cells. Moreover, C2ORF40 mimic peptide fragment significantly inhibited the migration and invasion of breast cancer cells. Furthermore, we showed that this peptide suppressed tumorigenesis in breast tumor xenograft model. Cell cycle assay indicated that the C2ORF40 mimic peptide fragment suppressed the growth of tumor cells through inducing mitotic phase arrest. In conclusion, our results firstly suggested that this short synthetic peptide of human C2ORF40 may be a candidate tumor therapeutic agent.

Prevalence and predictors of compassion fatigue, burnout and compassion satisfaction among oncology nurses: A cross-sectional survey.

BACKGROUND: Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide. Given the complexity of caring work, recent studies have focused on the professional quality of life of oncology nurses. China, the world's largest developing country, faces heavy burdens of care for cancer patients. Chinese oncology nurses may be encountering the negative side of their professional life. However, studies in this field are scarce, and little is known about the prevalence and predictors of oncology nurses' professional quality of life. OBJECTIVES: To describe and explore the prevalence of predictors of professional quality of life (compassion fatigue, burnout and compassion satisfaction) among Chinese oncology nurses under the guidance of two theoretical models. DESIGN: A cross-sectional design with a survey. SETTINGS: Ten tertiary hospitals and five secondary hospitals in Shanghai, China. PARTICIPANTS: A convenience and cluster sample of 669 oncology nurses was used. All of the nurses worked in oncology departments and had over 1 year of oncology nursing experience. Of the selected nurses, 650 returned valid questionnaires that were used for statistical analyses. METHODS: The participants completed the demographic and work-related questionnaire, the Chinese version of the Professional Quality of Life Scale for Nurses, the Chinese version of the Jefferson Scales of Empathy, the Simplified Coping Style Questionnaire, the Perceived Social Support Scale, and the Chinese Big Five Personality Inventory brief version. Descriptive statistics, t-tests, one-way analysis of variance, simple and multiple linear regressions were used to determine the predictors of the main research variables. RESULTS: Higher compassion fatigue and burnout were found among oncology nurses who had more years of nursing experience, worked in secondary hospitals and adopted passive coping styles. Cognitive empathy, training and support from organizations were identified as significant protectors, and 'perspective taking' was the strongest predictor of compassion satisfaction, explaining 23.0% of the variance. Personality traits of openness and conscientiousness were positively associated with compassion satisfaction, while neuroticism was a negative predictor, accounting for 24.2% and 19.8% of the variance in compassion fatigue and burnout, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Oncology care has unique features, and oncology nurses may suffer from more work-related stressors compared with other types of nurses. Various predictors can influence the professional quality of life, and some of these should be considered in the Chinese nursing context. The results may provide clues to help nurse administrators identify oncology nurses' vulnerability to compassion fatigue and burnout and develop comprehensive strategies to improve their professional quality of life.

Two variants on T2DM susceptible gene HHEX are associated with CRC risk in a Chinese population.

Increasing amounts of evidence has demonstrated that T2DM (Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus) patients have increased susceptibility to CRC (colorectal cancer). As HHEX is a recognized susceptibility gene in T2DM, this work was focused on two SNPs in HHEX, rs1111875 and rs7923837, to study their association with CRC. T2DM patients without CRC (T2DM-only, n=300), T2DM with CRC (T2DM/CRC, n=135), cancer-free controls (Control, n=570), and CRC without T2DM (CRC-only, n=642) cases were enrolled. DNA samples were extracted from the peripheral blood leukocytes of the patients and sequenced by direct sequencing. The χ2 test was used to compare categorical data. We found that in T2DM patients, rs1111875 but not the rs7923837 in HHEX gene was associated with the occurrence of CRC (p= 0.006). for rs1111875, TC/CC patients had an increased risk of CRC (p=0.019, OR=1.592, 95%CI=1.046-2.423). Moreover, our results also indicated that the two variants of HEEX gene could be risk factors for CRC in general population, independent on T2DM (p< 0.001 for rs1111875, p=0.001 for rs7923837). For rs1111875, increased risk of CRC was observed in TC or TC/CC than CC individuals (p<0.001, OR= 1.780, 95%CI= 1.385-2.287; p<0.001, OR= 1.695, 95%CI= 1.335-2.152). For rs7923837, increased CRC risk was observed in AG, GG, and AG/GG than AA individuals (p< 0.001, OR= 1.520, 95%CI= 1.200-1.924; p=0.036, OR= 1.739, 95%CI= 0.989-3.058; p< 0.001, OR= 1.540, 95%CI= 1.225-1.936). This finding highlights the potentially functional alteration with HHEX rs1111875 and rs7923837 polymorphisms may increase CRC susceptibility. Risk effects and the functional impact of these polymorphisms need further validation.

Long non-coding RNA LOC283070 mediates the transition of LNCaP cells into androgen-independent cells possibly via CAMK1D.

AIMS: The present study is to investigate the role of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in the development of androgen independence in prostate cancer and its underlying mechanism. METHODS: We established an androgen-independent prostate carcinoma (AIPC) cell line LNCaP-AI from androgen-dependent prostate carcinoma (ADPC) cell line LNCaP. Different expression profiles of lncRNAs and mRNAs between LNCaP and LNCaP-AI cells were investigated using microarray analysis. The expression of RNAs was determined using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Protein levels were measured using Western blotting. MTT assay was used to test cell viability. Tumor formation assay was performed in nude mice to detect tumor growth in vivo. Flow cytometry was performed to detect cell cycles. Transwell assay was employed to test cell migration and invasion. RESULTS: According to bioinformatics prediction, lncRNA LOC283070 could possibly play an important role in the transition of LNCaP cells into LNCaP-AI cells. LOC283070 was up-regulated in LNCaP-AI cells and frequently up-regulated in AIPC cell lines. Overexpression of LOC283070 in LNCaP cells accelerated cell proliferation and migration, even under androgen-independent circumstances. Knockdown of LOC283070 inhibited LNCaP-AI cell proliferation and migration. Moreover, overexpression of LOC283070 promoted tumor growth in vivo in both normal mice and castrated mice. CAMK1D overexpression had similar effect with LOC283070, and CAMK1D knockdown fully abrogated the effect of LOC283070 overexpression on the transition of LNCaP cells into androgen-independent cells. CONCLUSIONS: The present study shows that overexpression of LOC283070 mediates the transition of LNCaP cells into androgen-independent LNCaP-AI cells possibly via CAMK1D.

USP35 activated by miR let-7a inhibits cell proliferation and NF-κB activation through stabilization of ABIN-2.

Ubiquitin specific protease 35 (USP35) is a member of deubiquitylases (DUBs). It remains largely unknown about the biological role and the regulation mechanism of USP35. Here, we first identified miR let-7a as a positive regulator of USP35 expression and showed that USP35 expression positively correlates with miR let-7a expression in different cancer cell lines and tissues. Then, we showed that USP35 expression was decreased dramatically in the tumor tissues compared with the adjacent non-cancerous tissues. USP35 overexpression inhibited cell proliferation in vitro and inhibited xenograft tumor growth in vivo. Furthermore, we revealed that USP35 acts as a functional DUB and stabilizes TNFAIP3 interacting protein 2 (ABIN-2) by promoting its deubiquitination. Functionally, both ABIN-2 and USP35 could inhibit TNFα-induced NF-κB activation and overexpression of ABIN-2 alleviated USP35-loss induced activation of NF-κB. Collectively, our data indicated that miR let-7a-regulated USP35 can inhibit NF-κB activation by deubiquitination and stabilization of ABIN-2 protein and eventually inhibit cell proliferation. Overall, our study provides a novel rationale of targeting miR let-7a-USP35-ABIN-2 pathway for the therapy of cancer patients.

Professional quality of life: A cross-sectional survey among Chinese clinical nurses.

The Professional Quality of Life Scale was adapted to create a Chinese version to investigate the professional quality of life of Chinese nurses and possible risk factors. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 752 nurses sampled from four general hospitals in Shanghai, China. An expert panel, cognitive review, and pretest were used to ensure cultural adaptability. Psychometric tests included reliability and validity. One-way and multivariate analysis of variance were conducted for statistical analysis. Content validity indexes of all items were over 0.90. Five items were excluded because their item-total correlations and factor loading of exploratory factor analysis were less than 0.3. The 25-item scale revealed acceptable reliability. Confirmatory factor analysis supported its structure. There was variation in the scores between different departments, religions, working positions, nursing experiences, forms of employment, and average working hours (all P < 0.05). This study extended the application of the original scale in Chinese nursing culture. Attention should be paid to risk factors and differences between East and West.

Effects of microRNA-221/222 on cell proliferation and apoptosis in prostate cancer cells.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the role of miR-221/222 in cell proliferation and apoptosis in human prostate cancer cells, and examine the effects of miR-221/222 on caspase-10 expression. METHODS: Prostate cancer cells were transfected with miR-221/222 mimics or inhibitors. Cell proliferation was assessed by MTT assay. The expression levels of miR-221/222 were detected with quantitative real-time PCR. Apoptosis was induced with TNF-α/CHX treatment, and evaluated by Hoechst 33342 staining, propidium iodide (PI) flow cytometric analysis, caspase-3 activity measurement, and Western blot analysis. Luciferase activity assay, quantitative real-time PCR, and Western blot were performed to evaluate the effects of miR-221/222 on caspase-10 expression. RESULTS: Our results showed that miR-221/222 could promote the proliferation of prostate cancer cells, including LNCaP and PC3 cells. After transfection and apoptosis induction, Hoechst 33342 staining and PI flow cytometric assay showed that apoptosis was dramatically decreased in prostate cancer cells treated with miR-221/222 mimics. Moreover, caspase-3 activity was dramatically decreased, and the cleaved forms of caspase-3 were reduced, in the miR-221/222 mimic-treated group. On the contrary, miR-221/222 knockdown sensitized the prostate cancer cells to TNF-α/CHX-induced apoptosis. In addition, a negative correlation was observed between the expressions of miR-221/222 and caspase-10 in prostate cancer cells. miR-221/222 could repress the expression of caspase-10, which was confirmed by the luciferase reporter assay. CONCLUSION: miR-221/222 promote cell proliferation and repress apoptosis, through suppressing caspase-10, in prostate cancer cells. Our results provide promising evidence for the miRNA-based therapeutic strategy of prostate cancers.

Expression profile of long non-coding RNAs is altered in endometrial cancer.

This study was to uncover the role of long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) in the process of endometrial cancer (EC) development using microarray technique to obtain the expression profiles of lncRNAs in EC and its adjacent normal tissues. A total of 45 pieces of pathologically-proven EC tissues were used in this study. All samples were frozen in liquid nitrogen immediately after resection and stored at -80°C for future use. The detection of lncRNA and transcripts was conducted using microarray analysis. To understand the biochemical function of lncRNA, bioinformatics analyses (gene ontology and pathway analyses) were performed. To further investigate the relationship between lncRNAs and EC, subgroup analysis was conducted. In order to validate the consistency of the lncRNAs with microarray data, qRT-PCR was performed. In this study, 30586 lncRNAs and 26109 transcripts (fold change ≥ 2.0) were found in the tested EC. In particular, compared with normal tissues, 4010 the lncRNA were up-regulated, and 3350 of them were down-regulated. Seven of the lncRNAs were in accordance with microarray data in qRT-PCR. Among these lncRNAs, 3 were up-regulated and 4 were down-regulated. Furthermore, pathway analysis revealed that 24 pathways were correlated to the up-regulated transcripts, while 27 pathways were associated with the down-regulated transcripts. Our study demonstrated that the expressions of a large amount of lncRNAs were altered in EC in comparison to normal tissues, suggesting that lncRNAs could potentially serve as a diagnostic biomarker that is beneficial for the diagnosis and therapy of EC.

Development of a nursing education program for improving Chinese undergraduates' self-directed learning: A mixed-method study.

OBJECTIVE: This paper demonstrates the establishment of an extra-curricular education program in Chinese context and evaluates its effectiveness on undergraduate nursing students' self-directed learning. METHODS: Zimmerman's self-directed learning model was used as the theoretical framework for the development of an education program. Mixed-method was applied in this research study. 165 undergraduate students from a nursing college were divided into experimental group (n=32) and control group (n=133). Pre- and post-tests were implemented to evaluate the effectiveness of this education program using the self-directed learning scale of nursing undergraduates. Qualitative interview was undertaken within participants from the experimental group to obtain their insights into the influence of this program. RESULTS: Both quantitative and qualitative analyses showed that the program contributed to nursing students' self-directed learning ability. In the experimental group, the post-test score showed an increase compared with pretest score (p<0.05). The score of experimental group was higher than control group (p<0.05) after 18months training, while there was no difference between them before this program. Qualitative results from 9 students' experience were formulated as three main thematic categories: influence on awareness, influence on learning activities and influence on learning environment. It can be found in the qualitative analysis that learners benefited from this program. CONCLUSION: The education program contributes to the improvement of nursing undergraduates' self-directed learning. Various pedagogic methods could be applied for self-directed learning.