Nursing students' mental health: How does eco-anxiety effect?

Climate change is recognised as one of the fundamental determinants of human health. Anxiety experienced in response to an ecological crisis is defined as eco-anxiety. This study aims to determine the eco-anxiety levels of nursing students and the relationship between eco-anxiety and their mental health. The sample of the cross-sectional correlation and descriptive study consisted of nursing students (N = 609) from two different universities in Istanbul. Data were collected with Personal Information Form, Eco-Anxiety Scale and Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21). The data were analysed with SPSS (v.28) by using the Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis tests, the Spearman correlation test and general linear model. It was determined that 84.2% of the participants were women and 60.8% were 18-20 years old. The participants' total Eco-Anxiety Scale score was 25.65 ± 7.49, and the total DASS-21 score was 21.24 ± 14.76. There is a statistically significant and positive relationship between the Eco-Anxiety Scale and DASS-21. Mental health nurses can play a key role in planning and raising awareness of interventions for eco-anxiety.

Graphene-Based Nanocomposites as Antibacterial, Antiviral and Antifungal Agents.

Over the past decade, there have been many interesting studies in the scientific literature about the interaction of graphene-based polymeric nanocomposites with microorganisms to tackle antimicrobial resistance. These studies have reported variable intensities of biocompatibility and selectivity for the nanocomposites toward a specific strain, but it is widely believed that graphene nanocomposites have antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal activities. Such antibacterial activity is due to several mechanisms by which graphene nanocomposites can act on cells including stimulating oxidative stress; disrupting membranes due to sharp edges; greatly changing core structure mechanical strength and coarseness. However, the underlying mechanisms of graphene nanocomposites as antiviral and antifungal agents remain relatively scarce. In this review, recent advances in the synthesis, functional tailoring, and antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal applications of graphene nanocomposites are summarized. The synthesis of graphene materials and graphene-based polymeric nanocomposites with techniques such as pressurized gyration, electrospinning, chemical vapor deposition, and layer-by-layer self-assembly is first introduced. Then, the antimicrobial mechanisms of graphene membranes are presented and demonstrated typical in vitro and in vivo studies on the use of graphene nanocomposites for antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal applications. Finally, the review describes the biosafety, current limitations, and potential of antimicrobial graphene-based nanocomposites.

Antiviral properties of porous graphene, graphene oxide and graphene foam ultrafine fibers against Phi6 bacteriophage.

As the world has experienced in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 pandemic, viral infections have devastating effects on public health. Personal protective equipment with high antiviral features has become popular among healthcare staff, researchers, immunocompromised people and more to minimize this effect. Graphene and its derivatives have been included in many antimicrobial studies due to their exceptional physicochemical properties. However, scientific studies on antiviral graphene are much more limited than antibacterial and antifungal studies. The aim of this study was to produce nanocomposite fibers with high antiviral properties that can be used for personal protective equipment and biomedical devices. In this work, 10 wt% polycaprolactone-based fibers were prepared with different concentrations (0.1, 0.5, 1, 2, 4 w/w%) of porous graphene, graphene oxide and graphene foam in acetone by using electrospinning. SEM, FTIR and XRD characterizations were applied to understand the structure of fibers and the presence of materials. According to SEM results, the mean diameters of the porous graphene, graphene oxide and graphene foam nanofibers formed were around 390, 470, and 520 nm, respectively. FTIR and XRD characterization results for 2 w/w% concentration nanofibers demonstrated the presence of graphene oxide, porous graphene and graphene foam nanomaterials in the fiber. The antiviral properties of the formed fibers were tested against Pseudomonas phage Phi6. According to the results, concentration-dependent antiviral activity was observed, and the strongest viral inhibition graphene oxide-loaded nanofibers were 33.08 ± 1.21% at the end of 24 h.

Nanofiber Based on Electrically Conductive Materials for Biosensor Applications.

Biosensors are analytical tools that enable the transmission of different signals produced from the target analyte to a transducer for the production of real-time clinical diagnostic devices by obtaining meaningful results. Recent research demonstrates that the production of structured nanofiber through various methods has come to light as a potential platform for enhancing the functionality of biosensing devices. The general trend is towards the use of nanofibers for electrochemical biosensors. However, optical and mechanical biosensors are being developed by functionalization of nanofibers. Such nanofibers exhibit a high surface area to volume ratio, surface porosity, electroconductivity and variable morphology. In addition, nanosized structures have shown to be effective as membranes for immobilizing bioanalytes, offering physiologically active molecules a favorable microenvironment that improves the efficiency of biosensing. Cost effective, wearable biosensors are crucial for point of care diagnostics. This review aims to examine the electrically conductive materials, potential forming methods, and wide-ranging applications of nanofiber-based biosensing platforms, with an emphasis on transducers incorporating mechanical, electrochemical and optical and bioreceptors involving cancer biomarker, urea, DNA, microorganisms, primarily in the last decade. The appealing properties of nanofibers mats and the attributes of the biorecognition components are also stated and explored. Finally, consideration is given to the difficulties now affecting the design of nanofiber-based biosensing platforms as well as their future potential.

Associations between knowledge level and attitudes towards cyber-dating abuse and dating violence in nursing students.

BACKGROUND: Dating violence is an increasing issue among young people and affects them psychologically. It also includes characteristics like controlling and/or monitoring. Cyber-dating abuse is dating violence characterized as harassing another person in a romantic connection via texting or online emails to control, threaten, or stalk them. OBJECTIVES: This study was conducted to investigate nursing students' knowledge of and attitudes towards dating, dating violence, and cyber-dating violence. DESIGN: This is a descriptive cross-sectional study. PARTICIPANTS: The sample consisted of 448 nursing students from three universities in Istanbul, Turkey. METHODS: Data were collected using a Personal Information Form, the Dating Violence Knowledge Form (DVKF), the Dating Violence Scale (DVS), and the Cyber-Dating Abuse Questionnaire (CDAQ). RESULTS: Participants had a mean age of 20.9 ± 1.9 years. Most participants were women (83.7 %). More than a quarter of the participants were involved in romantic relationships (30.6 %). Participants had a mean DVKF score of 82.0 ± 9.1. One in ten participants was subjected to dating violence (11.2 %). Participants had a mean DVS score of 4.69 ± 0.25. There was no significant difference in CDAQ scores between participants who used violence (28.3 ± 11.5) and those subjected to violence (27.0 ± 8.9). There was a negative correlation between participants' DVKF and CDAQ scores (p < 0.05). The results showed that participants had a high DVKF score and disapproved of dating violence. Participants with a higher DVKF score were less likely to use or be exposed to cyber violence. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, we should develop interventions to strengthen young people's mental health because they are subjected to dating violence. Nurse educators and nurses should also plan interventions to protect young people's mental health and raise their awareness of cyber violence.

The effect of psychosocial distress and self-transcendence on resilience in patients with cancer.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study is to determine the effect of psychosocial distress and self-transcendence on resilience in individuals receiving cancer treatment. This descriptive-correlational study was conducted with individuals receiving cancer treatment (N = 105) from in the chemotherapy unit of a private hospital. CONCLUSION: According to the results of the regression analysis, it was determined that psychosocial distress had a negative relationship with resilience, while self-transcendence had a positive relationship with resilience (p < 0.05). PRACTICE IMPLICATION: The results show that resilience is negatively affected by psychosocial distress and positively affected by self-transcendence. Psychiatric nurses can help patients with cancer find sources of self-transcendence and resilience.

The relationships between self-transcendence and depressive symptoms, self-esteem, and locus of control in individuals diagnosed with substance addiction.

AIMS: This study examined the relationships between self-transcendence and depressive symptoms, self-esteem, and locus of control in persons with substance abuse disorder (SUDs). METHODS: This descriptive-relational study examined 115 participants who had been diagnosed with SUD. RESULTS: High self-transcendence scores were positively associated with lower levels of depressive symptoms, higher levels of self-esteem, and internal locus of control. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Mental health nurses are effective at finding and maintaining resources that promote self-transcendence and support the potential and well-being of individuals with SUD. This study addresses a research gap regarding self-transcendence in such individuals; it provides a basis for nurses to develop interventions to strengthen the mental health of patients and conduct future investigations on the topic.