Biological function and molecular mechanism of piRNA in cancer.

Cancer is the second leading cause of death globally. piRNAs, which are a novel type of identified small noncoding RNA (ncRNA), play a crucial role in cancer genomics. In recent years, a relatively large number of studies have demonstrated that several piRNA are aberrantly expressed in various kinds of cancers including gastric cancer, bladder cancer, breast cancer, colorectal cancer and Lung cancer and may probably serve as a novel therapeutic target and biomarker for cancer treatment. The present review summarized current advances in our knowledge of the roles of piRNAs in cancer.

Effectiveness of a psychoeducation program on the quality of life in patients with coronary heart disease: A clinical trial.

AIM: The present study was conducted to evaluate effectiveness of a psychoeducation program (PEP) on the quality of life in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD). BACKGROUND: CHD affects patients' quality of life. PEPs may be useful to help patients reach maximum functional health. METHODS: A pretest-posttest controlled clinical trial was conducted on a study population of 70 CHD patients, who were selected through convenience sampling and randomly allocated to either the intervention or the control group. The MacNew Quality of Life Questionnaire in heart disease was completed by participants twice: first as a pretest, and then in a follow-up posttest. RESULTS: After the intervention, the quality of life (QOL) score was 157.97±25.51 in the intervention group and 105.03±8.38 in the control group, making for a significant difference (p<0. 05). CONCLUSION: Based on the findings, PEPs helped CHD patients improve their quality of life through reducing tension, relieving their negative emotions, and improving their social relationships.

A randomized-controlled trial examining the effects of reflexology on anxiety of patients undergoing coronary angiography.

BACKGROUND: The anxiety reduction before coronary angiography has clinical advantages and is one of the objectives of nursing. Reflexology is a non-invasive method that has been used in several clinical situations. Applying reflexology might have effect on the reduction of anxiety before coronary angiography. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this randomized clinical trial was to investigate the effect of reflexology on anxiety among patients undergoing coronary angiography. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This trial was conducted in Shahid Beheshti Hospital, in Kashan, Iran. One hundred male patients who were undergoing coronary angiography were randomly enrolled into intervention and placebo groups. The intervention protocol was included 30 minutes of general foot massage and the stimulation of three reflex points including solar plexus, pituitary gland, and heart. The placebo group only received the general foot massage. Spielbergers state trait anxiety inventory was used to assess the anxiety experienced by patients. Data was analyzed using Man-Witney, Wilcoxon and Chi-square tests. The stepwise multiple regressions used to analyze the variables that are involved in anxiety reduction. RESULTS: The mean range of anxiety decreased from 53.24 to 45.24 in reflexology group which represented 8 score reduction (P = 0.0001). The reduction in anxiety was 5.9 score in placebo group which was also significant (P = 0.0001). The anxiety reduction was significantly higher in reflexology group (P = 0.014). The stepwise multiple regression analysis showed that doing reflexology can explain the 7.5% of anxiety reduction which made a significant model. CONCLUSIONS: Reflexology can decrease the anxiety level before coronary angiography. Therefore, reflexology before coronary angiography is recommended.