Effects of online-offline integrated death education on patients with advanced cancer: A before-and-after study.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effectiveness of the constructed OOIDE intervention in patients with advanced cancer. METHOD: In this study, patients were invited to participate in a 4-week OOIDE intervention. The assessment of patients' ability to cope with death was conducted using a scale in conjunction with interviews. Additionally, patients' 'readiness to die' was assessed. RESULTS: Thirty-two patients with advanced cancer participated in this study. Our intervention significantly enhanced their perspective on life and spirituality, while also reducing their fear of death (P < 0.01). Furthermore, it facilitated their acceptance of death, encouraged a more rational approach to their illness, and fostered an understanding of hospice care, thereby reinforcing their sense of self-worth. Additionally, the intervention improved the relationship between the patient and their families, fostering greater mutual understanding and respect for the patient's perspectives. Comparing the results to the pre-intervention period, there was a significant increase in the number of patients who discussed death with their families and contemplated the place of their passing (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: OOIDE improves participants' ability to confront death, while also assisting patients' families in the physical and psychological preparations for the loss of their relative.

Identification of disulfidptosis-related genes and immune infiltration in lower-grade glioma.

Lower-grade glioma (LGG), a prevalent malignant tumor in the central nervous system, requires accurate prediction and treatment to prevent aggressive progression. We aimed to explore the role of disulfidptosis-related genes (DRGs) in LGG, a recently discovered form of programmed cell death characterized by abnormal disulfide accumulation. Leveraging public databases, we analyzed 532 LGG tumor tissues (The Cancer Genome Atlas), 1,157 normal samples (Genotype-Tissue Expression), and 21 LGG tumor samples with 8 paired normal samples (GSE16011). Our research uncovered intricate relationships between DRGs and crucial aspects of LGG, including gene expression, immune response, mutation, drug sensitivity, and functional enrichment. Notably, we identified significant heterogeneity among disulfidptosis sub-clusters and elucidated specific differential gene expression in LGG, with myeloid cell leukemia-1 (MCL1) as a key candidate. Machine learning techniques validated the relevance of MCL1, considering its expression patterns, prognostic value, diagnostic potential, and impact on immune infiltration. Our study offers opportunities and challenges to unravel potential mechanisms underlying LGG prognosis, paving the way for personalized cancer care and innovative immunotherapeutic strategies. By shedding light on DRGs, particularly MCL1, we enhance understanding and management of LGG.

At-home disposal practices of used insulin needles among patients with diabetes in China: A single-center, cross-sectional study.

Background: Most insulin injections for people with diabetes are administered at home, thus generating many used needles. Unsafe disposal of these at-home needles can lead to needle stick injuries, blood-borne disease transmission, and environmental contamination. Previous studies have shown varying results on the prevalence of and factors associated with safe sharps disposal practices of people with diabetes. Objective: To assess the prevalence of and the factors associated with the safe disposal of used insulin needles among patients with diabetes. Methods: We collected data from 271 insulin-using patients at a tertiary care hospital in China. A self-designed instrument was used to assess sociodemographic data, disease- and treatment-related characteristics, sharps disposal practices, education on diabetes self-management and sharps disposal, and awareness of the potential risks associated with unsafe sharps disposal. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to explore factors associated with safe sharps disposal practices. Results: Only 10.3% (28/271) of participants disposed of used at-home insulin needles in a safe manner, and 14.8% (45/271) of participants had received previous instruction on sharps disposal. Previous sharps disposal instruction (AOR = 4.143, 95% CI = 1.642-10.450) and awareness of the risk of blood-borne pathogen transmission (AOR = 3.064, 95% CI = 1.332-7.046) were associated with safe disposal of used insulin needles. Conclusion: In our study, the prevalence of safe sharps disposal practices was low, and a minority of respondents had received previous instruction on sharps disposal. Participants who had previously received instruction and were aware of the risk of blood-borne pathogen transmission were more likely to handle sharps safely. Our study findings suggest that health care professionals should pay attention to sharps disposal practices of patients with diabetes and conduct diabetes education programs that include information on safe sharps disposal methods and potential hazards of unsafe sharps disposal.

Mediating Role of Resourcefulness in the Relationship Between Illness Uncertainty and Poststroke Depression.

Objectives: To examine the association between illness uncertainty, resourcefulness, and poststroke depression (PSD) and identifies whether stroke patients' resourcefulness plays a mediating role in the relationship between illness uncertainty and PSD. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from September 2020 to April 2021. A convenience sample of 355 stroke patients was recruited. A general characteristic questionnaire, the Mishel Uncertainty in Illness Scale, the Resourcefulness Scale (RS), and the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) were used to obtain data. Descriptive analysis, Student's t-test, Mann-Whitney U-test, chi-squared test, hierarchical regression analyses, Pearson correlation analysis, and mediation analysis with the PROCESS macro were used to analyze the data. Results: Illness uncertainty, resourcefulness, and PSD were significantly related to each other. Resourcefulness partially mediated the relationship between illness uncertainty and PSD. Conclusion: Illness uncertainty and resourcefulness were significantly associated with PSD, and resourcefulness played a mediating role between illness uncertainty and PSD. Interventions designed to reduce illness uncertainty and enhance resourcefulness may contribute to the prevention and improvement of PSD.

LAMP2 as a Biomarker Related to Prognosis and Immune Infiltration in Esophageal Cancer and Other Cancers: A Comprehensive Pan-Cancer Analysis.

Esophageal cancer (ESCA) is a common malignant tumor with poor prognosis. Accumulating evidence indicates an important role of lysosomal-associated membrane protein 2 (LAMP2) in the progression and development of various cancers. In this study, we obtained RNA-sequencing raw count data and the corresponding clinical information for ESCA samples from The Cancer Genome Atlas and Gene Expression Omnibus databases. We comprehensively investigated the expression and prognostic significance of LAMP2 and relationships between LAMP2 expression and prognosis, different clinicopathological parameters, and immune cell infiltration in ESCA. We also obtained the differentially expressed genes between the high LAMP2 expression and low LAMP2 expression groups in ESCA and performed a functional enrichment analysis of the 250 linked genes most positively related to LAMP2 expression. Moreover, we performed the pan-cancer analysis of LAMP2 to further analyze the role of LAMP2 in 25 commonly occurring types of human cancer. We also verified and compared the expression of LAMP2 in 40 samples of human ESCA tissue and adjacent tissues. The results indicated that LAMP2 expression was significantly upregulated in ESCA and various human cancers. In addition, LAMP2 expression was associated with certain clinicopathological parameters, prognosis, and immune infiltration in ESCA and the other types of cancer. Our study represents a comprehensive pan-cancer analysis of LAMP2 and supports the potential use of the modulation of LAMP2 in the management of ESCA and various cancers.