Job stress, recognition, job performance and intention to stay at work among Jordanian hospital nurses

PURPOSE: To investigate: (1) relationships between job stress, recognition of nurses' performance, job performance and intention to stay among hospital nurses; and (2) the buffering effect of recognition of staff performance on the 'stress-intention to stay at work' relationship. BACKGROUND: Workplace stress tremendously affects today's workforce. Recognition of nurses' performance needs further investigation to determine if it enhances the level of intention to stay at work and if it can buffer the negative effects of stress on nurses' intention to stay at work. DESIGN AND METHODS: The sample of the present study was a convenience one. It consisted of 206 Jordanian staff nurses who completed a structured questionnaire. RESULTS: The findings of the study indicated a direct and a buffering effect of recognition of nurses' performance on job stress and the level of intention to stay at work. CONCLUSION: The results of the study indicated the importance of recognition for outstanding performance as well as achievements. Implications for nursing management The results of this study support the need to focus on the implementation of recognition strategies in the workplace to reduce job stress and enhance retention.     

Safety and efficacy of cetuximab-chemotherapy combination in Saudi patients with metastatic colorectal cancer

BACKGROUND: Cetuximab-based combination chemotherapy (CBCC) proved safe and effective as second-line strategy for metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). This prospective phase-II study was designed to assess the efficacy and safety of CBCC as first-, second- or third-line among Saudi patients with mCRC. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients with mCRC were offered CBCC to assess time-to-disease progression (TTP), response rate and duration, overall survival (OS) and safety. RESULTS: Nineteen patients were eligible and their median age was 51 years. Seven patients received CBCC as first-line and 12 as second- or third-line. Responses: 11 (58%) partial responses, 5 (26%) stable disease and 3 (16%) disease progressions. The median response duration was 4.3 months [95% confidence interval (CI): 3.4-5.2 months]. The median TTP was 6.8 months (95% CI: 2-13.9 months) for all 19 patients compared to 9.3 months (95% CI: 3.9-14.6 months) for the seven patients who received CBCC as first-line. The median OS for the entire population was 12.3 months (95% CI could not be determined). On the other hand, while the median OS for those who received CBCC as first-line have not been reached, the median OS for those who received CBCC after failure of other salvage therapies was 12.3 months (95% CI: 3.2-21.4 months). CBCC was generally tolerable. One patient had a severe hypersensitivity reaction and another fatal cardiac arrest. CONCLUSION: CBCC is active with an acceptable safety profile. Until results from phase-III clinical trials are available, using CBCC as first-line is probably justified.     

Smooth muscle cell expression of a constitutive active form of human Rac 1 accelerates cutaneous wound repair

BACKGROUND: Hyperoxia has been shown to improve wound healing; however, the mechanism for such therapeutic effects of oxygen remains hypothetical. Rac 1 regulates a wide variety of cellular activities, including cell proliferation and migration, and also is a key regulator for the activity of the nicotinamide dinucleotide phosphate oxidase the enzyme complex responsible for the production of a large fraction of cellular superoxide. METHODS: We generated transgenic mice that express either the cDNA of a constitutively active mutant of human Rac 1 (V12 mutant or Rac CA) or the dominant negative isoform (V12 and N17 mutant or Rac DN) in the blood vessels using mouse vascular smooth muscle promoter for alpha-actin. We placed 2 wounds of 6 mm in diameter at the middorsal region of each mouse and allowed about 3 weeks for the wounds to heal. RESULTS: The size of the wounds in Rac CA transgenic mice was reduced relative to wild type mice; healing of Rac DN mice was slower than wild type and Rac CA ( P < .05). Blood vessel formation appeared faster in Rac CA mice, a finding associated with enhanced expression of some angiogenic growth factors. CONCLUSION: The current studies suggest that Rac 1 activation accelerates the wound healing process and is associated with more efficient angiogenesis at the wound site.     

The effect of daily zinc and/or multivitamin supplements on early childhood development in Tanzania: results from a randomized controlled trial

Impaired childhood development has lifelong consequences for educational attainment and wage‐earning potential. Micronutrient supplements have the potential to improve development. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of daily zinc and/or multivitamin (vitamins C, E and B‐complex) supplements on development among Tanzanian infants. In this randomized, 2 × 2 factorial, double‐blind trial, 2400 infants were randomized to zinc (Zn), multivitamins (MV), zinc and multivitamins (Zn + MV) or placebo at 6 weeks of age. At approximately 15 months, a sub‐sample of 247 children underwent developmental assessment using the cognitive, language (receptive and expressive) and motor (fine and gross) scales of the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development Third Edition (BSID‐III). Mean BSID‐III scores were compared using univariate and multivariate linear regression models adjusted for child's sex, post‐conceptual age and test administrator. Logistic regressions were used to assess odds of low developmental scores. We did not detect a significant difference in mean BSID‐III scores in any of the five domains in univariate or multivariate models comparing each of the four treatment groups. We also did not detect a significant difference in mean BSID‐III scores when comparing children who received zinc supplements versus those who did not, or in comparisons of children who received multivitamin supplements versus those who did not. There was no significant difference in odds of a low BSID‐III score in any of the five domains in treatment arms either. Because neither daily zinc nor multivitamin (vitamins B‐complex, C and E) supplementation led to improvements in any of the developmental domains assessed using the BSID‐III, we recommend pursuing alternative interventions to promote early childhood development in vulnerable populations. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd     

Undernutrition and childhood infections: a prospective study of childhood infections in relation to growth in the Sudan

The relationships between both diarrhoea and respiratory infections and linear and ponderal growth were prospectively examined among 28 753 Sudanese pre-school children. Childhood infections were significantly and inversely associated with attained height and attained weight and gain in height and weight over a 6-mo period. They were significantly and positively associated also with stunting after adjusting for age, gender, socio-economic status, dietary variables and previous morbidity. Attained height was on average 17 mm lower (95% CI [-19 -15]) for children with diarrhoea and 11 mm lower (95% CI [-3 -9]) for children with complicated cough than for those without these symptoms. The association between morbidity and attained weight was significant for diarrhoea and complicated cough, but the differences between children with and without symptoms were negligible. The risk of being stunted 6 mo later was 1.38 times (95% CI [1.20 1.59]), 1.29 times (95% CI [0.97 1.72]) and 1.32 times (95% CI [1.13 1.54]) greater among normally-nourished children with diarrhoea, febrile diarrhoea and fever, respectively, than among children without these symptoms. The difference in attained height between children with diarrhoea or complicated cough and those without symptoms increased with age, and was larger among the non-breastfed children compared with breastfed children. CONCLUSION: The results underline the need to reduce child morbidity to prevent the impairment of growth and development.