Serenity—Uses in the Care of Chronically Ill Older Patients: A Concept Clarification

Serenity is an emotional experience that contributes to the acceptance of a situation. One phenomenon in the care of chronically ill older patients and patients in end of life care is that too much focus is placed on the patient’s disease. This can contribute to anxiety, sadness or sense of isolation. For older people that are chronically ill or in care at the end of life, it is important that the registered nurse can help them to find serenity. Further knowledge is needed about how the concept of serenity is used in relation to the care of older chronically ill patients. Aim: The purpose of this concept analysis was to clarify how serenity is used in nursing and in relation to the care of chronically ill older patients. Method: The study follows Rodgers’ evolutionary method of concept analysis. Findings: Serenity is a state of physical, mental, emotional and spiritual balance when life conditions can be managed or accepted. Through the experience of serenity the chronically ill older patient is able to find or develop the self in order to continue with dignity. The concept is most used at the lowest described levels of the self, including a perception of personal safety. The highest level involves a sense of wholeness and awareness. Conclusion: The concept of serenity is used in relation to chronically ill older patients as a condition where the patient finds balance and thus can manage or accept their situation. Chronically ill older patients will not recover. For that reason it needed a better understanding about what factors to experience serenity are needed. Further research is also needed to examine how registered nurses can support older chronically patients in finding serenity with the help of nursing interventions.

Chronically Evaluated Highest Instantaneous Priority Next: A Novel Algorithm for Processor Scheduling

This paper proposes a novel chronically evaluated highest instantaneous priority next processor scheduling algorithm. The currently existing algorithms like first come first serve, shortest job first, round-robin, shortest remaining time first, highest response ratio next and varying response ratio priority algorithm have some problems associated with them. Some of them can lead to endless waiting or starvation and some of them like round-robin has problem of too many context switches and high waiting time associated with them. In the proposed algorithm, we have taken care of all such problems. As the novel algorithm is capable of achieving as good results as shortest remaining time first algorithm and also it will never lead to starvation.

A description of resilience for Norwegian home-living chronically ill oldest older persons

Background: Despite worsening health the chronically ill oldest older persons have expressed feelings of inner strength, which can be understood as resilience. The objective was to describe and compare the characteristics of resilience in two different age groups of chronically ill oldest older persons living at home and who needed help from home nursing care. Design: Cross-sectional design was used to describe and compare the resilience qualities between the two age groups. Methods: The inclusion criteria were 80 years or older, living at home with chronic disease, receiving help from home nursing care, and with the capacity to be interviewed. A sample of 120 oldest older women (n = 79) and men (n = 41) separated in two age groups, aged 80- 89 and 90+ years, participated in the study. Resilience characteristics were measured by Resilience Scale. Results: The whole group of oldest older people was vulnerable in relation to the characteristics of perseverance, self-reliance, and existential aloneness. Despite reduced physical health they reported a meaningful life, and equanimity. Even if there were no significant differences between the age groups among the oldest older persons in the characteristics of Resilience Scale (RS), in the characteristic of meaning there was a tendency of interaction between age and how much help from home nursing care the participants received. Conclusions: It is important to focus on the individual aging and the risk of developing illness and disabilities rather than focusing on chronologic age. Possessing meaning in life and equanimity may be strengths to meet challenges through illness and growing older.

Effects of estradiol-17β and bisphenol A administered chronically to mice throughout pregnancy and lactation on the male pups＇ reproductive system

Aim： To assess the effect of estradiol-17β （E2） and bisphenol A （BPA） administered chronically by implanting a silicone tube throughout pregnancy and lactation on male pups＇ reproductive system in ICR mice. Methods： Female mice were implanted with a tube filled with 10 ng, 500 ng, 1 μg, or 10 μg of E2, or 100 μg or 5 mg of BPA, before mating. The tube was kept in the mice throughout pregnancy and lactation, until the pups had weaned at 4 weeks of age. During the period, E2 was released from the tube at 120 pg or 6, 12 or 120 ng/day, and BPA at 1.2 or 60 μg/day. Results： Most of the mice given 1 μg and 10 lag of E2 did not maintain their pregnancy. However, the other groups showed high rates of birth, more than 70%. At age of 4 weeks, the male pups were killed. Body weight and reproductive organ weights （testes, epididymides and accessory reproductive glands） in the treated groups did not differ from the control values, whereas the percentage of seminiferous tubules in the testis with mature spermatids was significantly lower in the groups given 10 ng and 500 ng of E2 and 5 mg of BPA than that in the control. Conclusion： Chronic exposure to E2 and BPA might disrupt spermatogenesis in male pups. （Asian JAndrol 2008 Mar; 10： 271-276）

Validation of the 8-Item Morisky Medication Adherence Scale in Chronically Ill Ambulatory Patients in Rural Greece

Objective: To validate a Greek version of the structured self-reported 8-item Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS-8) and determine its psychometric properties in patients with chronic illnesses. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in a small public hospital and a public health care centre, in a rural town in western Greece. The sample consisted of 100 patients with various chronic illnesses. Data were collected between January-May 2011, on the Greek version of the MMAS-8 and Beliefs about Medicines Questionnaire (BMQ). Results: Scale’s reliability analysis revealed an overall Cronbach’s alpha of 0.753 and the corrected item to total correlations, were greater than 0.30 for each of the 8 items comprising the medication adherence scale, showing good internal consistency. Convergent validity was supported by a significant correlation between the present scale’s total score and the BMQ-Specific Necessity score (Spearman’s rho = 0.492, p < 0.001). Conclusion: The current study showed acceptable reliability and validity of the Greek version of the 8-item MMAS to measure adherence to medications for various chronic illnesses. The validated Greek version of the MMAS-8 can help towards understanding adherence barriers in Greece so as to develop effective strategies to increase adherence and reduce the costs.

The way early-onset chronically depressed patients are treated today makes me sad

The author has treated almost 400 chronically depressed outpatients during his career. He has also participated as a Field Trial Coordinator in the Unipolar Field Trials of DSM-IV and consulted with the DSM-V Mood Disorders Workgroup concerning his research for the new diagnostic nomenclature for the chronic depressions, Chronic Depression Disorder. In addition, he has served as Principal Investigator in several large clinical trials involving 2200 chronically depressed outpatients. The current paper is a Brief Report describing his negative reactions to the way 40 of his chronically depressed patients have been treated today by both Psychologists and Psychiatrists. All the patients are his patients and have been seen by him in psychotherapy over the past decade. Several reasons are proposed for the inadequate treatment and specific proposals are made for the improvement of treatment for the early-onset chronically depressed patient.

Antiviral treatment standards for hepatitis B:An urgent need for expansion

The present letter to the editor is related to the review with the title“Past,present,and future of long-term treatment for hepatitis B virus.”Chronic hepatitis B(CHB)represents an important and pressing public health concern.Timely identification and effective antiviral therapy hold the potential to reduce liver-related mortality attributable to chronic infection with hepatitis B virus(HBV)substantially.However,the current global treatment rates for CHB remain conspicuously low,with the excessively stringent treatment criteria advocated by national CHB guidelines being a contributing factor to these low rates.Nevertheless,recent strides in comprehending this malady and the emergence of novel antiviral agents prompt the imperative re-evaluation of treatment standards to extend the sphere of potential beneficiaries.An impending need arises for a novel paradigm for the classification of patients with CHB,the expansion of antiviral treatment eligibility for HBV-infected individuals,and even the streamlining of the diagnostic process for CHB to amplify cost-effectiveness and augment survival prospects.

Treatment of chronical myocardial ischemia by adenovirus-mediated hepatocyte growth factor gene transfer in minipigs

Growth factor gene transfer-induced therapeutic angiogenesis has become a novel approach for the treatment of myocardial ischemia. In order to provide a basis for the clinical application of an adeno- virus with hepatocyte growth factor gene (Ad-HGF) in the treatment of myocardial ischemia, we estab- lished a minipig model of chronically ischemic myocardium in which an Ameroid constrictor was placed around the left circumflex branch of the coronary artery (LCX). A total of 18 minipigs were ran- domly divided into 3 groups: a surgery control group, a model group and an Ad-HGF treatment group implanted with Ameroid constrictor. Ad-HGF or the control agent was injected directly into the ischemic myocardium, and an improvement in heart function and blood supply were evaluated. The results showed that myocardial perfusion remarkably improved in the Ad-HGF group compared with that in both the control and model groups. Four weeks after the treatment, the density of newly formed blood vessels was higher and the number of collateral blood vessels was greater in the Ad-HGF group than in the model group. The area of myocardial ischemia reduced evidently and the left ventricular ejection fraction improved significantly in the Ad-HGF group. These results suggest that HGF gene therapy may become a novel approach in the treatment of chronically ischemic myocardium.

Brain region-specific roles of brain-derived neurotrophic factor in social stress-induced depressive-like behavior

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor is a key factor in stress adaptation and avoidance of a social stress behavioral response.Recent studies have shown that brain-derived neurotrophic factor expression in stressed mice is brain region–specific,particularly involving the corticolimbic system,including the ventral tegmental area,nucleus accumbens,prefrontal cortex,amygdala,and hippocampus.Determining how brain-derived neurotrophic factor participates in stress processing in different brain regions will deepen our understanding of social stress psychopathology.In this review,we discuss the expression and regulation of brain-derived neurotrophic factor in stress-sensitive brain regions closely related to the pathophysiology of depression.We focused on associated molecular pathways and neural circuits,with special attention to the brain-derived neurotrophic factor–tropomyosin receptor kinase B signaling pathway and the ventral tegmental area–nucleus accumbens dopamine circuit.We determined that stress-induced alterations in brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels are likely related to the nature,severity,and duration of stress,especially in the above-mentioned brain regions of the corticolimbic system.Therefore,BDNF might be a biological indicator regulating stress-related processes in various brain regions.

Association of physical activity with risk of chronic kidney disease in China:A population-based cohort study

Background:Information on the association between physical activity(PA)and the risk of chronic kidney disease(CKD)is limited.We aimed to explore the associations of total,domain-specific,and intensity-specific PA with CKD and its subtypes in China.Methods:The study included 475,376 adults from the China Kadoorie Biobank aged 30-79 years during 2004-2008 at baseline.An interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to collect the information about PA,which was quantified as metabolic equivalent of task hours per day(MET-h/day)and categorized into 4 groups based on quartiles.Cox regression was used to analyze the association between PA and CKD risk.Results:During a median follow-up of 12.1 years,5415 incident CKD cases were documented,including 1159 incident diabetic kidney disease(DKD)cases and 362 incident hypertensive nephropathy(HTN)cases.Total PA was inversely associated with CKD risk,with an adjusted hazard ratio(HR,95%confidence interval(95%CI))of 0.83(0.75-0.92)for incident CKD in the highest quartile of total PA as compared with participants in the lowest quartile.Similar results were observed for risk of DKD and HTN,and the corresponding HRs(95%CIs)were 0.75(0.58-0.97)for DKD risk and 0.56(0.37-0.85)for HTN risk.Increased nonoccupational PA,low-intensity PA,and moderate-to-vigorous-intensity PA were significantly associated with a decreased risk of CKD,with HRs(95%CIs)of 0.80(0.73-0.88),0.85(0.77-0.94),and 0.85(0.76-0.95)in the highest quartile,respectively.Conclusion:PA,including nonoccupational PA,low-intensity PA,and moderate-to-vigorous-intensity PA,was inversely associated with the risk of CKD,including DKD,HTN,and other CKD,and such associations were dose dependent.

Regenerative medicine strategies for chronic complete spinal cord injury

Spinal cord injury is a condition in which the parenchyma of the spinal cord is damaged by trauma or various diseases.While rapid progress has been made in regenerative medicine for spinal cord injury that was previously untreatable,most research in this field has focused on the early phase of incomplete injury.However,the majority of patients have chronic severe injuries;therefore,treatments for these situations are of fundamental importance.The reason why the treatment of complete spinal cord injury has not been studied is that,unlike in the early stage of incomplete spinal cord injury,there are various inhibitors of neural regeneration.Thus,we assumed that it is difficult to address all conditions with a single treatment in chronic complete spinal cord injury and that a combination of several treatments is essential to target severe pathologies.First,we established a combination therapy of cell transplantation and drug-releasing scaffolds,which contributes to functional recovery after chronic complete transection spinal cord injury,but we found that functional recovery was limited and still needs further investigation.Here,for the further development of the treatment of chronic complete spinal cord injury,we review the necessary approaches to the different pathologies based on our findings and the many studies that have been accumulated to date and discuss,with reference to the literature,which combination of treatments is most effective in achieving functional recovery.

Concerns about the application of resistance exercise with blood-flow restriction and thrombosis risk in hemodialysis patients

Background:Hemodialysis(HD)per se is a risk factor for thrombosis.Considering the growing body of evidence on blood-flow restriction(BFR)exercise in HD patients,identification of possible risk factors related to the prothrombotic agent D-dimer is required for the safety and feasibility of this training model.The aim of the present study was to identify risk factors associated with higher D-dimer levels and to determine the acute effect of resistance exercise(RE)with BFR on this molecule.Methods:Two hundred and six HD patients volunteered for this study(all with a glomerular filtration rate of<15 mL/min/1.73 m^(2)).The RE+BFR session consisted of 50%arterial occlusion pressure during 50 min sessions of HD(intradialytic exercise).RE repetitions included concentric and eccentric lifting phases(each lasting 2 s)and were supervised by a strength and conditioning specialist.Results:Several variables were associated with elevated levels of D-dimer,including higher blood glucose,citrate use,recent cardiovascular events,recent intercurrents,higher inflammatory status,catheter as vascular access,older patients(>70 years old),and HD vintage.Furthermore,RE+BFR significantly increases D-dimer after 4 h.Patients with borderline baseline D-dimer levels(400-490 ng/mL)displayed increased risk of elevating D-dimer over the normal range(-500 ng/mL).Conclusion:These results identified factors associated with a heightened prothrombotic state and may assist in the screening process for HD patients who wish to undergo RE+BFR.D-dimer and/or other fibrinolysis factors should be assessed at baseline and throughout the protocol as a precautionary measure to maximize safety during RE+BFR.

Resveratrol combats chronic diseases through enhancing mitochondrial quality

Resveratrol(RSV),as a functional food component extracted from natural plants,has been widely studied and recognized in preventing and treating various diseases,with major mechanisms including executing anti-inflammation and anti-oxidation functions,and improving mitochondrial quality.Chronic diseases as non-communicable diseases are mainly caused by multiple factors,such as physiological decline and dysfunction in the body,and have become a significant challenge on public health worldwide.It is worth noting that chronic diseases such as Alzheimer's disease(AD),Parkinson's disease(PD),muscle atrophy,cardiovascular disease,obesity,and cancer are accompanied by abnormal mitochondrial function.Therefore,targeted regulation of mitochondria may be a meaningful way to prevent and treat chronic diseases.Increasing evidence has confirmed that RSV is actively involved in regulating mitochondria,and it has become an essential consideration to prevent and treat chronic diseases through targeting mitochondria and improving corresponding functions.In this article,current studies on RSV to optimize mitochondrial quality for preventing and alleviating chronic disease are systematically summarized,which can provide a theoretical reference for the development of functional foods or drugs to combat chronic diseases.

Bowel function and inflammation: Is motility the other side of the coin?

Digestion and intestinal absorption allow the body to sustain itself and are the emblematic functions of the bowel.On the flip side,functions also arise from its role as an interface with the environment.Indeed,the gut houses microorganisms,collectively known as the gut microbiota,which interact with the host,and is the site of complex immune activities.Its role in human pathology is complex and scientific evidence is progressively elucidating the functions of the gut,especially regarding the pathogenesis of chronic intestinal diseases and inflammatory conditions affecting various organs and systems.This editorial aims to highlight and relate the factors involved in the pathogenesis of intestinal and systemic inflammation.

c-myb is involved in CML progression and is a therapeutic target in the zebrafish CML model

Background:Despite the success of tyrosine kinase inhibitors in chronic myeloid leukemia(CML)therapy,CML still faces the challenges of drug resistance and progression to blast crisis.Twenty-five percent of patients have imatinib resistance and treatment difficulties due to heterogeneity after progression,but little is known about the mechanism.A key transcription factor in hematopoiesis,MYB,has been reported to increase abnormally in several types of aggressive blood disorders including CML.Methods:This study used a zebrafish model to explore the relationship between BCR/ABL1 and c-myb in CML progression.A CML zebrafish model was crossed with a c-myb hyperactivity transgenic line.Results:It was found that both exogenous BCR/ABL1 and c-myb could up-regulate the expression of neutrophil-related genes.More seriously,neutrophil accumulation was observed when BCR/ABL1 was combined with c-myb overexpression.Further studies showed that c-myb may be one of the downstream targets of BCR/ABL1 and the effect of BCR/ABL1 on neutrophils was c-myb dependent.Taking advantage of this inheritable in vivo model,it was shown that a combination of imatinib and flavopiridol,a cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor targeting MYB,could more effectively alleviate the aggressive phenotype of the double transgene line.Conclusion:In summary,this study suggests that c-myb acts downstream of BCR/ABL1 and is involved in CML progression and is therefore a risk factor and a valuable target for the treatment of CML progression.The model used in the study could be helpful in high-throughput drug screening in CML transformation.

Transcriptome analysis suggests broad jejunal alterations in Linghu’s obesity-diarrhea syndrome:A pilot study

BACKGROUND Obesity is associated with a significantly increased risk for chronic diarrhea,which has been proposed as Linghu’s obesity-diarrhea syndrome(ODS);however,its molecular mechanisms are largely unknown.AIM To reveal the transcriptomic changes in the jejunum involved in ODS.METHODS In a cohort of 6 ODS patients(JOD group),6 obese people without diarrhea(JO group),and 6 healthy controls(JC group),high-throughput sequencing and bioinformatics analyses were performed to identify jejunal mucosal mRNA expression alterations and dysfunctional biological processes.In another cohort of 16 ODS patients(SOD group),16 obese people without diarrhea(SO group),and 16 healthy controls(SC group),serum diamine oxidase(DAO)and D-lactate(DLA)concentrations were detected to assess changes in intestinal barrier function.RESULTS The gene expression profiles of jejunal mucosa in the JO and JC groups were similar,with only 1 differentially expressed gene(DEG).The gene expression profile of the JOD group was significantly changed,with 411 DEGs compared with the JO group and 211 DEGs compared with the JC group,129 of which overlapped.The enrichment analysis of these DEGs showed that the biological processes such as digestion,absorption,and transport of nutrients(especially lipids)tended to be up-regulated in the JOD group,while the biological processes such as rRNA processing,mitochondrial translation,antimicrobial humoral response,DNA replication,and DNA repair tended to be down-regulated in the JOD group.Eight DEGs(CDT1,NHP2,EXOSC5,EPN3,NME1,REG3A,PLA2G2A,and PRSS2)may play a key regulatory role in the pathological process of ODS,and their expression levels were significantly decreased in ODS patients(P<0.001).In the second cohort,compared with healthy controls,the levels of serum intestinal barrier function markers(DAO and D-LA)were significantly increased in all obese individuals(P<0.01),but were higher in the SOD group than in the SO group(P<0.001).CONCLUSION Compared with healthy controls and obese individuals without diarrhea,patients with Linghu’s ODS had extensive transcriptomic changes in the jejunal mucosa,likely affecting intestinal barrier function and thus contributing to the obesity and chronic diarrhea phenotypes.

Improving Prediction of Chronic Kidney Disease Using KNN Imputed SMOTE Features and TrioNet Model

Chronic kidney disease(CKD)is a major health concern today,requiring early and accurate diagnosis.Machine learning has emerged as a powerful tool for disease detection,and medical professionals are increasingly using ML classifier algorithms to identify CKD early.This study explores the application of advanced machine learning techniques on a CKD dataset obtained from the University of California,UC Irvine Machine Learning repository.The research introduces TrioNet,an ensemble model combining extreme gradient boosting,random forest,and extra tree classifier,which excels in providing highly accurate predictions for CKD.Furthermore,K nearest neighbor(KNN)imputer is utilized to deal withmissing values while synthetic minority oversampling(SMOTE)is used for class-imbalance problems.To ascertain the efficacy of the proposed model,a comprehensive comparative analysis is conducted with various machine learning models.The proposed TrioNet using KNN imputer and SMOTE outperformed other models with 98.97%accuracy for detectingCKD.This in-depth analysis demonstrates the model’s capabilities and underscores its potential as a valuable tool in the diagnosis of CKD.

Clinical manifestation,lifestyle,and treatment patterns of chronic erosive gastritis:A multicenter real-world study in China

BACKGROUND Although chronic erosive gastritis(CEG)is common,its clinical characteristics have not been fully elucidated.The lack of consensus regarding its treatment has resulted in varied treatment regimens.AIM To explore the clinical characteristics,treatment patterns,and short-term outcomes in CEG patients in China.METHODS We recruited patients with chronic non-atrophic or mild-to-moderate atrophic gastritis with erosion based on endoscopy and pathology.Patients and treating physicians completed a questionnaire regarding history,endoscopic findings,and treatment plans as well as a follow-up questionnaire to investigate changes in symptoms after 4 wk of treatment.RESULTS Three thousand five hundred sixty-three patients from 42 centers across 24 cities in China were included.Epigastric pain(68.0%),abdominal distension(62.6%),and postprandial fullness(47.5%)were the most common presenting symptoms.Gastritis was classified as chronic non-atrophic in 69.9%of patients.Among those with erosive lesions,72.1%of patients had lesions in the antrum,51.0%had multiple lesions,and 67.3%had superficial flat lesions.In patients with epigastric pain,the combination of a mucosal protective agent(MPA)and proton pump inhibitor was more effective.For those with postprandial fullness,acid regurgitation,early satiety,or nausea,a MPA appeared more promising.CONCLUSION CEG is a multifactorial disease which is common in Asian patients and has non-specific symptoms.Gastroscopy may play a major role in its detection and diagnosis.Treatment should be individualized based on symptom profile.

Satellite glial cells in sensory ganglia play a wider role in chronic pain via multiple mechanisms

Satellite glial cells are unique glial cells that surround the cell body of primary sensory neurons.An increasing body of evidence suggests that in the presence of inflammation and nerve damage,a significant number of satellite glial cells become activated,thus triggering a series of functional changes.This suggests that satellite glial cells are closely related to the occurrence of chronic pain.In this review,we first summarize the morphological structure,molecular markers,and physiological functions of satellite glial cells.Then,we clarify the multiple key roles of satellite glial cells in chronic pain,including gap junction hemichannel Cx43,membrane channel Pannexin1,K channel subunit 4.1,ATP,purinergic P2 receptors,and a series of additional factors and their receptors,including tumor necrosis factor,glutamate,endothelin,and bradykinin.Finally,we propose that future research should focus on the specific sorting of satellite glial cells,and identify genomic differences between physiological and pathological conditions.This review provides an important perspective for clarifying mechanisms underlying the peripheral regulation of chronic pain and will facilitate the formulation of new treatment plans for chronic pain.

History of chronic gastritis:How our perceptions have changed

Currently,the diagnostic strategy for chronic gastritis(CG)is aimed not just at fixing the presence of gastric mucosal inflammation,but also at gastric cancer(GC)risk stratification in a particular patient.Modern classification approach with the definition of the stage of gastritis determines the need,activities and frequency of dynamic monitoring of a patient.However,this attitude to the patient suffering from CG was far from always.The present publication is a literature review describing the key milestones in the history of CG research,from the description of the first observations of inflammation of the gastric mucosa,assessment of gastritis as a predominantly functional disease,to the advent of endoscopy of the upper digestive tract and diagnostic gastric biopsy,assessment of the role of Helicobacter pylori infection in progression of inflammatory changes to atrophy,intestinal metaplasia,dysplasia and GC.