Factors related to stress and coping among Chinese nurses in Hong Kong.

Few empirical studies have investigated the issues linked to Hong Kong nurses work-related health. The present study investigated factors related to stress and coping among Chinese nurses in Hong Kong. The researchers employed a cross-sectional survey and made within-group comparisons of nurses' stress and coping. Using stratified random sampling the researchers selected nurses from the mailing list of a local professional organization. One hundred and sixty-eight (33.6%) nurses responded. Nurses reported lower stress levels than other workers assessed with the same measure. Paediatric nurses reported the highest stress levels. Nurses at the lower grades reported higher stress levels than nurses at the higher grades. Single nurses had marginally higher stress scores than married nurses and females had slightly higher stress scores than males. However, none of these results were statistically significant. The respondents' major sources of stress were related to nursing issues like too much work, interpersonal relationships, and dealing with hospital administration. The respondents coped with their stresses by seeking support from friends and colleagues, using different cognitive strategies and through leisure activities. There was a statistically significant link between the respondents' stress and sickness levels. The results raise issues about the nature of nurses' working experiences.

Effect of culture conditions on tremorgen production by some Penicillium species.

Four strains each of seven tremorgenic Penicillium species were grown under various conditions and tested for tremorgen production by intraperitoneal injection of mice and by chemical analysis. Half of the strains had previously been found to be tremorgenic on bioassay after growth on Czapek Dox yeast extract broth or potato-milk-sucrose broth for 3 weeks at 26 degrees C. In the tests reported here nearly all previously nontremorgenic strains were either tremorgenic to mice or produced tremorgens detectable by chemical analysis but did so after longer incubation periods than used in the original screening. Bioassay was not suitable for the estimation of absolute levels but was preferable to chemical analysis when the identity of the tremorgens was not known. Species and strains within species gave different responses to changes in culture medium, incubation temperature, light irradiation, and shaking. Overall, tremorgen production was maximal at 20 or 26 degrees C, increased with time, and was reduced in shaken culture.