Caffeine Consumption Habits, Sleep Quality, Sleep Quantity, and Perceived Stress of Undergraduate Nursing Students.

BACKGROUND: Consumption of energy drinks is prevalent among college students and has increased over the last decade. There is inadequate research about the energy drink consumption habits of prelicensure nursing students. PURPOSE: This study determined if there were differences in sleep quality, sleep quantity, and perceived stress levels in nursing students who consume energy drinks compared with those who consume other sources of caffeine and those who abstain. METHODS: A comparative study design was used. Participants (n = 272) from universities in 2 regions of the United States answered questions about sleep, perceived stress, caffeine, and energy drink consumption. RESULTS: Nursing students at both universities who consumed energy drinks reported poorer sleep quality, fewer sleep hours, and higher levels of perceived stress than caffeine-only consumers and non-caffeine consumers. CONCLUSIONS: Prelicensure nursing students may be unaware of the relationships among energy drink consumption, sleep quality, sleep quantity, and perceived stress levels.

Long-term stability of thyroid hormones and DNA in blood spots kept under varying storage conditions.

BACKGROUND: Congenital hypothyroidism is screened using blood spotted on filter paper that may be transported from remote areas to central testing facilities. However, storage conditions and transportation may affect sample quality. METHODS: We examined long-term stability of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and thyroxin (TT4) in blood spotted on filter paper, which was stored at room temperature (RT), 4°C and -20°C under continuous or intermittent power supply (six hours on and six hours off around the clock.) Hormone levels in the discs were measured periodically for up to ten years. Extraction of DNA from blood spots and polymerase chain reaction were performed. RESULTS: Our results showed that TT4 was stable for up to 6.1, 5.34 and 5.16 years when stored at -20°C, 4°C and RT, respectively. TSH was stable for up to 2.7 years at RT, and for up to 6.5 and 4.1 years when stored at -20°C and 4°C, respectively, under continuous power supply. However, under intermittent power supply, TSH was stable for up to 3.8 and 2.5 years when stored at 4°C and -20°C, respectively. Mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase and sex-determining region of Y chromosome genes were successfully amplified from DNA extracted from the blood spots. CONCLUSION: Our data indicate that TT4 and TSH are most stable in blood spots stored at -20°C under continuous power supply. However, they can be stored at RT or at 4°C and -20°C under interrupted power supply for at least 2.5 years. Moreover, the DNA extracted from the blood spots was intact and suitable for genetic studies.

Nurses Consuming Energy Drinks Report Poorer Sleep and Higher Stress.

The energy drink consumption habits of nurses working in clinical settings is unknown. Utilizing a descriptive-comparison design, researchers examined the caffeine and energy drink habits of clinical nurses and relationships or differences that existed with their sleep quantity, sleep quality, and perceived stress levels. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Significant relationships existed between energy drink consumption and sleep quality, sleep quantity, and perceived stress levels. Nurses who consumed energy drinks had poorer sleep quality and fewer sleep hours compared with caffeine-only consumers and noncaffeine consumers. Nurses who consumed energy drinks also had increased levels of perceived stress than noncaffeine consumers. Educating nurses regarding energy drink ingredients and relationships that exist between energy drink consumption, sleep, and perceived stress could be beneficial. Future studies are needed to examine motivational factors related to energy drink consumption as well as any health or safety implications that might be associated.

Association of Angiotensin I Converting Enzyme Insertion/287 bp Deletion Polymorphisms and Proliferative Prostatic Diseases among Lebanese Men.

BACKGROUND: Angiotensin I converting enzyme (ACE) insertion (I) and 287 bp Alu repeat DNA fragment deletion (D) polymorphisms have been indicated in various cancers. Here, we investigated I/D polymorphisms in prostate cancer (PCa) and benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) among Lebanese men. METHODS: Blood DNA extracted from 69 control subjects, 69 subjects with clinically confirmed PCa, and 69 subjects with clinical BPH, all the subjects were aged 50 years or older, was subjected to the polymerase chain reaction. The PCR products were resolved in polyacrylamide gels to determine II, ID, and DD genotypes. The odds ratios (OR), 95% confidence intervals (CI), and p values of the allele frequencies and genotype ratios were calculated for establishing possible association of the alleles and/or genotypes and PCa and/or BPH. RESULTS: The proportions of II, ID, and DD genotypes were significantly different from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium for BPH and PCa groups (but not the control group), mostly due to overabundance of the ID genotypes. There was no significant difference in the I and D allele frequencies between the control groups and the affected groups. The ratio of (DD + ID)/II is significantly lower among the control group compared to the BPH group (RR = 8.92, p values of the allele frequencies and genotype ratios were calculated for establishing possible association of the alleles and/or genotypes and PCa and/or BPH. p values of the allele frequencies and genotype ratios were calculated for establishing possible association of the alleles and/or genotypes and PCa and/or BPH. CONCLUSIONS: Our data indicate that the D allele of the I/D polymorphisms of the ACE gene is associated with increased risk of BPH, and the ID genotype is a risk factor for both BPH and PCa among Lebanese males.

Stability of total and free prostate specific antigen in serum submitted to intermittent cold storage conditions.

The goal of this study was to determine the stability of Total Prostrate Specific antigen (PSA-T) and Free Prostrate Specific Antigen (PSA-F) in archival serum stored at 4°C and -20°C and subjected to temperature shift due to interruption in power supply. Our study showed that PSA-T was stable up to 285 days and PSA-F was stable for 158 days under these conditions. Since power supply interruption is an unavoidable problem in developing nations, our study has implication on the validity of measurement of PSA-T and PSA-F in serum that was not properly stored due to emergency situations and for certain types of retrospective studies.

Acute phase results from STORM, a multicountry observational study of bipolar disorder treatment and outcomes.

OBJECTIVES: This prospective observational study examined the outcomes associated with the treatment of bipolar mania in clinical practice settings in a diverse range of countries: Bosnia, Slovenia, Slovakia, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Turkey. Particular emphasis was placed on investigating outcomes associated with treatment regimens including and excluding the atypical antipsychotic olanzapine. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: In- and outpatients initiating or changing oral medication for the treatment of bipolar mania were grouped into two treatment cohorts: (1) olanzapine (N=569), and (2) non-olanzapine (N=325). Clinical outcome measures included change in Clinical Global Impressions-Bipolar Version Severity of Illness scale (CGI-BP), Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS) and Hamilton Depression Rating scale- 5 item (HAMD-5) scores, and response and remission rates. Outcomes were analysed by conventional linear or logistic regression, adjusted for potential confounders, using last observation carried forward (LOCF) at endpoint, and a marginal structural model (MSM) approach to account for treatment switching. Results from the 12-week acute phase are presented. RESULTS: Clinical improvements were observed in both cohorts. While no marked differences were apparent between the groups in adjusted mean baseline to LOCF endpoint change, longitudinal analysis of these variables using MSM averaged over all visits indicated greater improvements in the olanzapine versus non-olanzapine cohort in CGI-BP Overall (-0.26, p<0.001), CGI-BP Mania (-0.19, p<0.001), CGI-BP Depression (-0.10, p=0.003), CGI Psychosis (-0.14, p=0.001), YMRS (-1.70, p<0.001), and HAMD-5 (-0.40, p<0.001) scores. CONCLUSIONS: Inclusion of olanzapine after initiating or switching treatment for bipolar mania appeared to be beneficial during treatment in terms of symptom improvement.

Association of benign prostate hyperplasia with polymorphisms in VDR, CYP17, and SRD5A2 genes among Lebanese men.

BACKGROUND: The aim of the study was to investigate any associations between benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the VDR gene (FokI, BsmI, ApaI and TaqαI loci) and the CYP17 gene (MspA1I locus), as well as TA repeat polymorphism in SRD5A2 gene among Lebanese men. MATERIALS AND METHODS: DNA extracted from blood of 68 subjects with confirmed BPH and 79 age-matched controls was subjected to PCR/PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis. The odds ra=tio (OR) of having a genotype and the relative risk (RR) of developing BPH for having the genotype were calculated and the alleles were designated risk-bearing or protective. RESULTS: Our data indicated that the A and B alleles of the VDR ApaI and BsmI SNPs were highly associated with increased risk of BPH (p=0.0168 and 0.0002, respectively). Moreover, 63% of the controls compared to 43% of the subjects with BPH were homozygous for none of the risk-bearing alleles (p=0.0123) whereas 60% of the controls and 28% of the subjects with BPH were homozygous for two or more protective alleles (p<0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: For the first time, our study demonstrated that ApaI and BsmI of the VDR gene are associated with risk of BPH among Lebanese men. Our study also indicated that overall polymorphism profile of all the genes involved in prostate physiology could be a better predictor of BPH risk.