The stresses of volunteering in a hospice: a qualitative study

OBJECTIVES: This study examined the stresses associated with hospice volunteering, ways of coping and perception of available support. METHODS: Two focus groups were conducted comprising 17 volunteers. The data obtained were transcribed and analysed using thematic analysis. RESULTS: Reported stressors included losing patients and dealing with disfigurement. However, informants generally reported the work as satisfying and generally stress-free. Coping strategies ranged from keeping a distance from clients, religious faith, to the realization that death was a merciful end and was not necessarily painful. Informants generally perceived support to be adequate. CONCLUSIONS: The implications of these findings for training volunteers are discussed, especially the need to educate volunteers about the symptoms and signs of cancer.     

Epidemiology and risk factors for human papillomavirus infection in a diverse sample of low-income young women

BackgroundTwo HPV vaccines prevent infection with HPV-16 and HPV-18, high-risk (cancer-associated) HPV types which together cause approximately 70% of cervical cancers; one vaccine also prevents HPV-6 and HPV-11, which together cause approximately 90% of anogenital warts. Defining type-specific HPV epidemiology in sexually experienced women will help estimate the potential clinical benefits of vaccinating this population.ObjectivesTo examine HPV epidemiology in a diverse sample of sexually experienced women, and to determine factors associated with high-risk HPV and vaccine-type HPV (HPV-6, HPV-11, HPV-16 and HPV-18).Study designCross-sectional study of 13–26-year-old women (N = 409) who completed a questionnaire and provided a cervicovaginal swab. Swabs were genotyped for HPV using PCR amplification. Logistic regression models were used to determine whether participant characteristics, knowledge, and behaviors were associated with high-risk and vaccine-type HPV.ResultsMost women (68.4%) were positive for ≥1 HPV type, 59.5% were positive for ≥1 high-risk type, 33.1% were positive for ≥1 vaccine-type HPV, and 3.5% were positive for both HPV-16 and HPV-18: none was positive for all four vaccine types. In adjusted logistic regression models, Black race (OR 2.03, 95% CI 1.21–3.41) and lifetime number of male sexual partners (OR 4.79, 95% CI 2.04–11.23 for ≥10 partner vs. ≤1 partner) were independently associated with high-risk HPV infection.ConclusionsHPV prevalence was very high in this sample of sexually active young women, but <5% were positive for both HPV-16 and HPV-18, suggesting that vaccination could be beneficial for many individual women who are sexually experienced.     

A novel finding to assess ischemia in pacing stress echocardiography (PASE)

Background: Normalization of heart rate post–pacing stress echocardiography (PASE) could enable evaluation of effect of ischemia on diastolic function. Methods: We examined the effect of pacing on left ventricular (LV) filling in 55 patients who underwent a transesophageal PASE. Pulse wave Doppler of mitral inflow was obtained at baseline and during transition from peak pacing to up to three beats immediate post pacing. Results: Thirty-four patients (62%; 62 ± 12 years) had normal (NL) PASE, wall motion score index (WMSI) 1 ± 0 at baseline and during PASE. Sixteen patients (29%; 64 ± 12 years) had ischemic (ISCH) PASE, WMSI 1.07 ± 0.08 at baseline and 1.40 ± 0.21 during PASE. Five patients (9%; 81 ± 5 years) had abnormal (ABN) PASE, WMSI 1.55 ± 0.34 at baseline and 1.55 ± 0.34 during PASE. The ABN group had the most pronounced decrease in deceleration time (DT) seen in all three post-PASE beats (221 ± 29 ms at baseline vs. 145 ± 46, 144 ± 26 and 144 ± 18 ms at beats 1, 2, and 3, P < 0.005 from baseline for all). The DT reduced significantly at post-PASE beat 1 from baseline (234 ± 45 ms vs. 158 ± 36 ms, P = 0.02) in the ISCH group, whereas no significant change in DT occurred in the NL group (239 ± 74 ms vs. 222 ± 58 ms, P = 0.14) at beat 1. Conclusion: In ISCH and ABN ventricles the duration of early diastolic filling decreased post-pacing. This new finding of a shortened deceleration time (DT) may be a marker of an ischemic response in PASE reflecting abnormal LV compliance.     

Beneficial effect of the leaves of Murraya koenigii (Linn.) Spreng (Rutaceae) on diabetes-induced renal damage in vivo

Ethnopharmacological relevance

Murraya koenigii (Linn.) Spreng (curry leaf) is widely used as a nephroprotective agent in kidney's infirmities among diabetics by the traditional practitioners in Malaysia. However, the latter role of curry leaf has been grossly under reported and is yet to receive proper scientific evaluation.

Aim of the study

The present study was designed to investigate the beneficial effect of the leaves of Murraya koenigii (Linn.) on diabetes-induced renal damage in vivo with regard to prove its efficacy by local traditional practitioners in the treatment of kidney frailties in diabetics.

Materials and methods

Aqueous (AQ) extract of the leaves of Murraya koenigii (Linn.) was administered to both normal and streptozotocin (STZ) induced diabetic male rats (Sprague-Dawley strain). Animals were divided into six groups (n = 6) and treated with variable dose levels of AQ extract (200 and 400 mg/kg body weight/day) for 30 days. At the end of 30 days, animals were sacrificed, blood was collected, processed and stored at −70 °C for the zestimation of serum urea and creatinine, changes in plasma antioxidant capacity by FRAP assay, and glutathione peroxidase levels, in the normal and STZ-induced diabetic rats. Histological changes of the kidneys of these animals were also evaluated by light microscopy to determine the beneficial effect of the leaves.

Results

Daily oral administration of variable dose levels of the AQ extract for 30 days, produced significant dose dependant decrease in serum urea and creatinine levels (p < 0.001), and marked increase in the levels of plasma antioxidant capacity (p < 0.01) in diabetic treated rats, compared to the control (non-diabetic) subjects. However, the normal treated rats showed minimal variation in these parameters in comparison to normal controls. Histological studies of the kidneys of these animals showed comparable tissue regeneration by the AQ extract.

Conclusion

The results of our study scientifically support the traditional belief for using the leaves of Murraya koenigii (Linn.) as adjuvant, in the treatment of pain disorders related to renal impairments among diabetics.     

Mammographic density does not correlate with Ki-67 expression or cytomorphology in benign breast cells obtained by random periareolar fine needle aspiration from women at high risk for breast cancer

Background  

Ki-67 expression is a possible risk biomarker and is currently being used as a response biomarker in chemoprevention trials. Mammographic breast density is a risk biomarker and is also being used as a response biomarker. We previously showed that Ki-67 expression is higher in specimens of benign breast cells exhibiting cytologic atypia that are obtained by random periareolar fine needle aspiration (RPFNA). It is not known whether there is a correlation between mammographic density and Ki-67 expression in benign breast ductal cells obtained by RPFNA.     

Early detection and biomarkers in pancreatic cancer

Major advances in cancer control will be greatly aided by early detection for diagnosing and treating cancer in its preinvasive state before metastasis. Unfortunately, for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), which is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States, effective early detection and screening are currently not available and tumors are typically diagnosed at a late stage, frequently after metastasis. Partly because of low sensitivity/specificity, existing biomarkers such as CA19-9 are not adequate as early detection markers of pancreatic cancer. Thus, a great need exists for new biomarkers for pancreatic cancer. This article focuses on recent developments in the identification of new serum protein biomarkers that are useful in the early detection of PDAC.     

Prediction of CYP-mediated silybin A-losartan pharmacokinetic interactions using physiological based pharmacokinetic modeling

Journal of Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics - The concomitant use of herbal products and synthetic drugs necessitates the assessment of their interaction potentials. The herbal...     

Six1 overexpression in ovarian carcinoma causes resistance to TRAIL-mediated apoptosis and is associated with poor survival

Tumorigenesis can arise from inappropriate activation of developmental genes in mature tissues. Here, we show that the developmental regulator Six1 is overexpressed in ovarian carcinoma cell lines (OCC) compared with normal ovarian surface epithelium. As observed in other cancers, Six1 overexpression in OCC leads to increased A-type cyclin expression and increased proliferation. In addition, Six1 overexpression renders OCC resistant to tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis inducing ligand (TRAIL)-mediated apoptosis, and Six1 knockdown in the TRAIL-resistant SKOV3 ovarian carcinoma line dramatically sensitizes the cells to TRAIL. Because inactivation of the TRAIL response has been linked to metastasis, and because antibodies and recombinant ligand that activate the TRAIL pathway are currently in clinical trials against ovarian carcinoma, we screened normal ovarian and carcinoma specimens for Six1 mRNA. Six1 was overexpressed in 50% of the early-stage (stage I) and 63% of the late-stage (stages II, III, and IV) ovarian carcinomas examined, with late-stage carcinomas expressing approximately 3-fold higher Six1 mRNA levels on average compared with early-stage tumors. Importantly, in patients with late-stage disease, high Six1 expression was associated with significantly shortened survival (P = 0.0015). These data suggest that Six1 may contribute to ovarian epithelial carcinogenesis by simultaneously increasing proliferation and decreasing TRAIL-mediated apoptosis and imply that Six1 may be an important determinant of TRAIL therapy response that should be considered in patient selection for TRAIL-related clinical trials.     

Content and method trends in the Journal of Community Psychology between 2003 and 2007

Ongoing inquiry into the characteristics of published work and its synergy with community psychology's core principles is an important reflexive endeavour in the field's continuing development. This study examined topic and method trends within the Journal of Community Psychology during a 5‐year period (January 2003–December 2007). Content analyses were conducted on published abstracts during this period (N=242). Most articles were empirical studies (61.2%) and most used a positivist methodology (53.7%). Samples mainly comprised adults and were mixed in terms of gender and ethnic/religious affiliation. The most frequent topics were mental health and mental illness (33.5%), sense of community and social support (24.4%), and dynamics of social exclusion (22.7%). A large proportion of special issues was also noted. These results illustrate contemporary trends in community psychology and suggest that critical and participatory methods as well as socially transformative epistemologies continue to be under‐represented within the field. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.