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A structured laughter yoga therapy program on patients with chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting: A randomized clinical trial
No full textObjetive
Chemotherapy is a prevalent cancer treatment, often accompanied by debilitating side effects such as nausea and vomiting. This study explores the potential effectiveness of laughter yoga, a combination of exercise and voluntary laughter, in alleviating chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting.
Methods
This two-group randomized clinical trial was conducted on 69 cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy at the Reza Chemotherapy and Oncology Center, Mashhad, Iran, in 2018. Patients were randomly divided into intervention and control groups. Both groups received routine self-care training, with the addition of four 20-min to 30-min laughter yoga sessions held immediately before one of their chemotherapy appointments for the intervention group only. Nausea and vomiting were assessed using the Morrow Assessment of Nausea and Emesis questionnaire at two stages, before and after the intervention. Data were analyzed with Chi-square, Independent-t, Mann–Whitney, Wilcoxon, and McNemar tests using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS).
Results
The mean age of patients in the intervention group was 49.0 ± 9.6 years, while in the control group, it was 45.2 ± 12.6 years. The intragroup comparison showed a statistically significant decrease in the severity and duration of nausea in the intervention group and a statistically significant increase in the severity and duration of nausea in the control group from pre-test to post-test (P < 0.05). The intergroup comparison showed no statistically significant difference between the two groups in terms of vomiting conditions.
Conclusions
Laughter yoga demonstrates promise in improving chemotherapy-induced nausea, suggesting its potential recommendation for managing this distressing side effect. Further research is warranted to explore its broader application in cancer care.
Trial registration
This study (No. IRCT20180429039463N1) was registered in the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials on 21/08/2018
QSAR and docking based lead optimization of nitrogen heterocycles for enhanced prostaglandin EP2 receptor agonistic potency
No full textIn the existing effort, a dataset of 309 experimentally screened molecules for in vitro (Ki) agonist potential for Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) receptor 2 subtype (EP2), which is a metabolite of arachidonic acid that binds with and regulates cellular responses to PGE2, was investigated in the QSAR (Quantitative structure–activity relationship) study. A six-parameter QSAR model was developed that meets the specified values for internal and external validation as well as random parameters such as R2tr = 0.808, Q2LMO = 0.794, R2ex = 0.781. Insightful and quantitative opinion reveals several underappreciated and distinct structural features that are responsible for the agonist potency of these molecules on Prostaglandin EP2 receptor such as; the hydrogen atom is correct 2 bonds from the donor atom, the sp2 hybridized carbon atom is correct 2 bonds from the cyclic nitrogen atom, and so on. The developed QSAR model captures the narrative as well as the novel pharmacophoric features. The QSAR effect was further demonstrated using the reported crystalline buildings of CP533536 with the Prostaglandin EP2 receptor activity. The evaluation led to the identification of valuable new pharmacophoric properties that will be used to optimize lead compounds in the future
Impact of transportation infrastructure and urbanization on environmental pollution: evidence from novel wavelet quantile correlation approach
No full textIn terms of achieving sustainable development goals (SDGs), the developing economies are facing many issues, and one of the key issues is environmental degradation. Being a developing economy, Pakistan is also experiencing thought-provoking impacts of global warming and still far away from the ideal track of sustainable development. For addressing environment-related issue and achieving the targets of SDGs, a policy-level reorientation might be necessary. In this view, this study investigates the impact of economic growth, transport infrastructure, urbanization, financial development, and renewable energy consumption on CO2 emissions by using the data of Pakistan during 1990-2020. For this purpose, we use novel wavelet quantile correlation approach. The empirical results of wavelet quantile correlation approach demonstrate that economic growth, transport infrastructure, urbanization, and financial development are responsible for environmental pollution. Whereas, result also claims that renewable energy consumption is a useful tool for reducing environmental pollution in Pakistan. Moreover, the results of FMOLS approach show that 1% increase in economic growth, transportation infrastructure, urbanization, and financial development increases CO2 emissions by 0.240, 0.010, 0.478, and 0.102%, respectively. However, 1% increase in renewable energy usage reduces CO2 emission by 1.083%. Based on the empirical outcomes, this study proposes comprehensive policy framework for achieving the targets of SDG 7 (clean energy), SDG 8 (economic growth), SDG 11 (sustainable cities and communities), and SDG 13 (climate action)
Leader humility and employee service performance: examining the role of meaningfulness in work, thriving at work and trust in the leader
No full textAlthough the effectiveness of leader humility has been established, there remains a research gap regarding its impact on employee service performance in different industries and cultural contexts. This study examines the perceived influence of leader humility on employee service performance, considering the mediating effects of meaningfulness in work and thriving at work and the moderating effect of trust in a leader. The research focuses specifically on the banking and telecom industries in Bangladesh. Conservation resource theory is the underpinning theory and test of the proposed model. This study investigates how leader humility promotes employee service performance by enhancing meaningfulness in work and thriving at work. Additionally, this study explores the contributions of trust in leaders and leader humility to improve meaningfulness in work. A quantitative research approach is adopted, utilizing a survey instrument adapted from existing studies. Non-probability sampling techniques are employed to collect data from the target respondents. The measurement and structural model analysis are conducted using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). At the same time, the sequential mediation impact of meaningfulness in work and thriving at work and the moderated mediation impact of trust in leaders is analyzed using the PROCESS Macro in SPSS. The hypotheses are validated through a matched manager-employee questionnaire sample comprising 306 participants from two Bangladeshi service companies operating in the banking and telecom sectors. Study findings demonstrate that leader humility improves employee meaningfulness, thriving at work, and service performance. This finding suggests that humble leaders can create a workplace where employees feel purpose, personal growth, and better service. This study also shows that thriving at work mediates the association between meaningfulness in work and employee service performance. This finding shows that meaningful work motivates employees to thrive, improving service performance. This study also finds that meaningfulness and thriving at work sequentially buffer the association between leader humility and employee service performance. Leader humility directly affects meaningfulness, which affects thriving at work and service performance. Trust in the leader also moderates the relationship between leader humility and employee outcomes. This study's noble finding shows that leader humility affects meaningfulness and thriving at work depending on trust in a leader. Trust in the leader influences how well leader humility promotes meaningful work experiences and employee thriving. This study analyzes Bangladesh's banking and telecom sectors, revealing their distinctive dynamics. This discovery makes the results more applicable and has practical implications for these industries. These findings highlight how leader humility improves staff well-being and performance. This study explains leader humility and its contextual factors. This study has theoretical and managerial implications. These consequences are thoroughly investigated, providing practical insights for leaders and companies in comparable situations
Investigation of the association and carcinogenesis of Fusobacterium nucleatum, DNMT3a, and the hypermethylation of SEPT9 in colorectal cancer (CRC)
Get PDFThe FDA has recently approved the screening of colorectal cancer (CRC) using methylated SEPT9 (mSEPT9) as a highly sensitive biomarker. Meanwhile, Fusobacterium nucleatum (FN) has been implicated in CRC progression. However, the association between FN and SEPT9 in CRC remains unexplored, as does the role of DNMT3a, a DNA methyltransferase known to methylate SEPT9 in liver cells but with an unknown function towards SEPT9 in CRC. To address these gaps, this study primarily aims to demonstrate the clinical significance of FN and SEPT9 methylation in CRC patients, investigate the involvement of DNMT3a in regulating SEPT9 methylation in CRC, and define the relationship between FN, DNMT3a expression, and SEPT9 methylation in CRC. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) analysis of the DNA from FFPE tissue collected from CRC patients reveals that FN is prevalent in CRC patients (87.95 %) and more abundant in cancer tissue than in normal tissue (p < 0.05). Although no significant associations were found between FN and clinicopathological features of CRC patients, a high bacterial load of FN was significantly associated with larger tumour size and the presence of KRAS mutations (p < 0.05). Moreover, SEPT9 is more prevalent in CRC patients (90.36 %). Elevated levels of mSEPT9 were detected in CRC tissue, particularly in patients aged 50 years and above, and were associated with larger tumour size (p < 0.05). Importantly, high levels of mSEPT9 were correlated with elevated levels of FN in CRC tissue, regardless of the cancer status of the tissue. For the in vitro study, we see a reduction in SEPT9 hypermethylation due to the silencing of DNMT3a in HCT116 colon cancer cells. However, the resulting downregulation of SEPT9 protein was unexpected. This finding revealed the complex and multifaceted roles of DNMT3a in the regulation of SEPT9 at the methylation, gene expression, and protein expression levels. On the other hand, the FN infection assay demonstrated that FN induces greater changes in CRC cell line (HCT116) compared to normal colon cell line (CCD-112). Interestingly, we see a downregulation of DNMT3a and SEPT9 protein expression in response to FN infection despite an upregulation of the mRNA expression of DNMT3a and SEPT9 in HCT116 and CCD-112 cells. No observable trends in SEPT9 hypermethylation were observed in the FN infected cells. In summary, this study provides valuable insights into the association between FN and SEPT9 methylation in CRC. It sheds light on the complex involvement of DNMT3a in regulating SEPT9 methylation in CRC cells. These findings contribute to a better understanding of CRC and may pave the way for the development of novel diagnostic and therapeutic approaches targeting FN, SEPT9, and DNMT3a in the management of CRC
Development of trivalent DNA vaccine encapsulated in chitosan TPP nanoparticles against EV-A71 and CV-A16
Get PDFHand foot and mouth disease (HFMD) is a prevalent global disease commonly occurring in young children under 6 years of age. Enterovirus 71 (EV-A71) and Coxsackievirus 16 (CV-A16) have been isolated as the major causative agents for most HFMD outbreaks in the Asia Pacific region. Severe HFMD could lead to cardiopulmonary and neurological failure or death. Currently, there are no US-FDA approved HFMD vaccines or antiviral treatments available in the market. The current China FDA approved vaccine for HFMD is a monovalent inactivated vaccine targeting EV-A71 without providing protection against CV-A16. In this study, we attempt to design a trivalent DNA vaccine candidate that could be administered to confer cross protection against EV-A71 and CV-A16. Chitosan-TPP Nanoparticles encapsulation of plasmid vaccine candidate was carried out
to enhance immune response and prevent degradation. The VP1, VP2 genes of EV-A71 and VP1 gene of CV-A16 were cloned into the pIRES2-AcGFP1vector to form the recombinant plasmid pIRES-VP121. Chitosan TPP nanoparticles (NPs) encapsulating the trivalent pDNA were synthesized through ionic gelation followed by in vitro characterization. In vivo immunization of 4 weeks old ICR mice was carried out to evaluate the immunologic enhancement of Chitosan Nanoparticles. The formulated chitosan TPP (CS-TPP-NPs (pIRES-VP121)) were highly monodispersed with an average size of ~200nm. Chitosan TPP NPs encapsulating the pDNA showed >70% encapsulation efficiency and good cellular uptake in mice macrophage cells were observed. The plasmid DNA vaccine was protected from DNase I digestion by chitosan TPP NPs. In vivo immunization studies demonstrated enhanced immunogenic responses by CS-TPP-NPs (pIRES-VP121) due to self adjuvanting properties of chitosan nanoparticles. Mice administered with CS-TPP NPs (pIRES-VP121) intramuscularly were observed to have the highest IFN-γ response (~15-fold increment). Sera from mice
immunized with the naked pDNA and CS-TPP-NPs (pIRES-VP121) demonstrated good
viral clearance against wild-type EV-A71 and CV-A16 in RD cells. Unfortunately, murine sera administered with naked pDNA and CS-TPP-NPs (pIRES-VP121) showed reduced ability to neutralize mouse adapted virus (MAV) strains of EV-A71 and CV-A16. CS-TPP-NPs (pIRES-VP121) could serve as a prototype for future development of multivalent HFMD DNA vaccine candidates
Why doctors should empower parents, not dismiss symptoms of developmental delay
No full textIN A majority of children’s developmental delay cases, parents often consult professionals about their concerns, or for a diagnosis to better explain and understand their child’s unusual behaviour or delayed development. They hope to gain more insight into what is going on and what they can expect in the future.
But as parents, have you had your healthcare professional deny, dismiss, downplay or discredit concerns about your child’s development
Lifestyle management of hypertension: International Society of Hypertension position paper endorsed by the World Hypertension League and European Society of Hypertension
No full textHypertension, defined as persistently elevated systolic blood pressure (SBP) >140 mmHg and/or diastolic blood pressure (DBP) at least 90 mmHg (International Society of Hypertension guidelines), affects over 1.5 billion people worldwide. Hypertension is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) events (e.g. coronary heart disease, heart failure and stroke) and death. An international panel of experts convened by the International Society of Hypertension College of Experts compiled lifestyle management recommendations as first-line strategy to prevent and control hypertension in adulthood. We also recommend that lifestyle changes be continued even when blood pressure-lowering medications are prescribed. Specific recommendations based on literature evidence are summarized with advice to start these measures early in life, including maintaining a healthy body weight, increased levels of different types of physical activity, healthy eating and drinking, avoidance and cessation of smoking and alcohol use, management of stress and sleep levels. We also discuss the relevance of specific approaches including consumption of sodium, potassium, sugar, fibre, coffee, tea, intermittent fasting as well as integrated strategies to implement these recommendations using, for example, behaviour change-related technologies and digital tools
The decline in intentions to stop watching pornography among young adults
Get PDFOnline pornography has grown tremendously in the past years worldwide including Asian countries. Thus, this study aimed to investigate if there have been any changes in Malaysians’ attitudes toward pornography, subjective norms, perceived behavioural control and intentions to stop watching pornography between 2015 and 2019. Data from 160 participants in 2015 and 166 participants in 2019 between 18 and 30 years old were collected using online surveys. The quantitative analysis conducted has shown that attitudes and subjective norms toward pornography have significantly increased while intentions to stop watching pornography have decreased over time. Meanwhile, no significant difference was found on perceived behavioural control. These changes may be due to the influence of technological advancements and entertainment liberalisation. The increase in accessibility and frequency of sexual content via modern media has increased sexual desires within a society, which subsequently decreases their intention to stop watching pornography. As there are many potential risks that are associated with avid pornography watching, we believe that there is a need to incorporate a prudent sexual education within schools to ensure young adults better understand pornography-viewing phenomena.
LAY SUMMARY
Comparing data between 2015 and 2019, we observed increased pro-pornography attitudes and subjective norms, reduced intentions to quit pornography viewing, and unchanged perceived behavioural control. We recommend enhancing sexual education in schools to foster a better understanding of pornography-related concerns among young adults
The use of a multi-disciplinary geriatric telemedicine service (TELEG) and its acceptance at a tertiary care centre in Malaysia
No full textBackground: The COVID-19 pandemic has fueled the widespread adoption of telemedicine in healthcare, particularly in Sarawak, Malaysia. This study investigates the use and acceptance of Sarawak's inaugural multidisciplinary geriatric telemedicine service, TELEG.
Methods: This cross-sectional study took place at the Sarawak Heart Centre's geriatric department from July 1, 2021, to April 30, 2022. Convenient sampling included all TELEG-enrolled patients during this period, to achieve minimum sample size of 148. TELEG's utilization was assessed in terms of medication therapy and treatment plan optimization, as well as enhanced healthcare accessibility. Participants' acceptance of TELEG was measured using the Service User Technology Acceptability Questionnaire (SUTAQ) administered through Google Forms. Descriptive statistics percentages illustrated the proportion of participants who found TELEG moderately to highly acceptable. Associations between baseline characteristics and overall acceptance were explored through bivariate analyses, including Pearson's correlation test, independent t-test, and ANOVA. The influence of six SUTAQ dimensions on overall acceptance, multivariable linear regression using enter method was employed. Statistical significance was determined by p-values less than 0.5.
Results: Among 180 geriatric patients enrolled in TELEG during the study period, 149 agreed to participate. TELEG led to medication therapy optimization for 88.6% of participants, primarily involving dose adjustment (44.7%), de-prescribing (31.8%), and prescribing (15.9%). Additionally, 53.8% received treatment plan optimization, predominantly in the form of self-care education (56.3%), referrals for further treatment (33.8%), additional laboratory investigations (29.6%), and increased monitoring (26.8%). Among those educated in self-care (n = 40), dietary intake (27.5%), lower limb exercise (25.0%), and COVID-19 vaccination (12.5%) were the most common topics. All participants expressed moderate to high acceptance of TELEG (mean = 4.9, SD = 0.65, on a scale of 1 to 6). Notably, care personnel concern (B = 0.256; p < 0.001) had the most significant impact on overall acceptance.
Conclusion: This pioneering study evaluates the utilization and user acceptance of a geriatric telemedicine service in the region, providing valuable insights to support its expansion. Follow-up surveys or interviews to gain insights into users' experiences are crucial to further enhance acceptance