Assessment of Heart Rate Monitoring During Exercise With Smart Wristbands and a Heart Rhythm Patch: Validation and Comparison Study.

BACKGROUND: The integration of wearable devices into fitness routines, particularly in military settings, necessitates a rigorous assessment of their accuracy. This study evaluates the precision of heart rate measurements by locally manufactured wristbands, increasingly used in military academies, to inform future device selection for military training activities. OBJECTIVE: This research aims to assess the reliability of heart rate monitoring in chest straps versus wearable wristbands. METHODS: Data on heart rate and acceleration were collected using the Q-Band Q-69 smart wristband (Mobile Action Technology Inc) and compared against the Zephyr Bioharness standard measuring device. The Lin concordance correlation coefficient, Pearson product moment correlation coefficient, and intraclass correlation coefficient were used for reliability analysis. RESULTS: Participants from a Northern Taiwanese medical school were enrolled (January 1-June 31, 2021). The Q-Band Q-69 demonstrated that the mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) of women was observed to be 13.35 (SD 13.47). Comparatively, men exhibited a lower MAPE of 8.54 (SD 10.49). The walking state MAPE was 7.79 for women and 10.65 for men. The wristband's accuracy generally remained below 10% MAPE in other activities. Pearson product moment correlation coefficient analysis indicated gender-based performance differences, with overall coefficients of 0.625 for women and 0.808 for men, varying across walking, running, and cooldown phases. CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights significant gender and activity-dependent variations in the accuracy of the MobileAction Q-Band Q-69 smart wristband. Reduced accuracy was notably observed during running. Occasional extreme errors point to the necessity of caution in relying on such devices for exercise monitoring. The findings emphasize the limitations and potential inaccuracies of wearable technology, especially in high-intensity physical activities.

Caseworker Cultural Mediator Involvement in Neurocritical Care for Patients and Families With Non-English Language Preference: A Quality Improvement Project.

Objective To describe Harborview Medical Center's experience with the involvement of caseworker cultural mediators (CCM) for patients requiring neurocritical care. Methods Using univariate and multivariate analysis (model adjusted for age, Glasgow Coma Scale score (GCS), Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) Scores, mechanical ventilation, transition to comfort measures only (CMO), and death by neurologic criteria), we examined CCM team members' involvement in the care of Amharic/Cambodian/Khmer/Somali/Spanish/Vietnamese patients admitted to our neurocritical care service between 2014-2022, factors associated with CCM utilization, and changes in CCM utilization after a QI initiative was implemented in 2020 to encourage healthcare providers to consult the CCM team. Results Compared to eligible patients (n=827) who did not receive CCM referral, patients with CCM involvement (n=121) were younger (49 [interquartile range, IQR 38,63] vs. 56 [IQR 42,68] years, p = 0.002), had greater illness severity (admission GCS 8.5 [IQR 3,14] vs. 14 [IQR 7,15], p < 0.001, SOFA scores (5 [IQR 2,8] vs. 4 [IQR2,6], p = 0.007), and more frequently required mechanical ventilation (67% vs. 40%, odds ratio, OR 3.07, 95% CI 2.06,4.64), with higher all-cause mortality (20% vs. 12%, RR 1.83, 95% CI 1.09, 2.95), and with a higher rate of transition to CMO (11.6% vs. 6.2%, OR 2.00, 95% CI 1.03;3.66). The CCM QI initiative was independently associated with increased CCM involvement (aOR 4.22, 95% CI [2.32;7.66]). Overall, 4/10 attempts made by CCMs to reach out to the family to provide support were declined by the family. CCMs reported providing cultural/emotional support (n=96, 79%), end-of-life counseling (n=16, 13%), conflict mediation (n=15, 12.4%), and facilitating goals of care meetings (n=4, 3.3%). Conclusions Among eligible patients, CCM consultations appeared to occur in patients with higher disease severity. Our QI initiative increased CCM involvement.

Sex differences in risk factors for metabolic syndrome in middle-aged and senior hospital employees: a population-based cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Several cross-sectional studies have reported risk factors for metabolic syndrome (MetS). However, these studies did not focus on sex differences in middle-aged and senior populations or employ a longitudinal design. These study design differences are important, as there are sex differences in lifestyle habits associated with MetS, and middle-aged and senior individuals have increased MetS susceptibility. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine whether sex differences influenced MetS risk over a ten-year follow-up period among middle-aged and senior hospital employees. METHODS: This population-based and prospective cohort study enrolled 565 participants who did not have MetS in 2012 for a ten-year repeated-measurement analysis. Data were retrieved from the hospital's Health Management Information System. Analyses included Student's t tests, χ2 tests and Cox regression. P < 0.05 indicated statistical significance. RESULTS: Male middle-aged and senior hospital employees had an elevated MetS risk (hazard ratio (HR) = 1.936, p < 0.001). Men with more than four family history risk factors had an increased risk of MetS (HR = 1.969, p = 0.010). Women who worked shift duty (HR = 1.326, p = 0.020), had more than two chronic diseases (HR = 1.513, p = 0.012), had three family history risk factors (HR = 1.623, p = 0.010), or chewed betel nuts (HR = 9.710, p = 0.002) had an increased risk of MetS. CONCLUSIONS: The longitudinal design of our study improves the understanding of sex differences in MetS risk factors in middle-aged and senior adults. A significantly elevated risk of MetS over the ten-year follow-up period was associated with male sex, shift work, the number of chronic diseases, the number of family history risk factors, and betel nut chewing. Women who chewed betel nuts had an especially increased risk of MetS. Our study indicates that population-specific studies are important for the identification of subgroups susceptible to MetS and for the implementation of hospital-based strategies.

Effect of the Nintendo Ring Fit Adventure Exergame on Running Completion Time and Psychological Factors Among University Students Engaging in Distance Learning During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 outbreak has not only changed the lifestyles of people globally but has also resulted in other challenges, such as the requirement of self-isolation and distance learning. Moreover, people are unable to venture out to exercise, leading to reduced movement, and therefore, the demand for exercise at home has increased. OBJECTIVE: We intended to investigate the relationships between a Nintendo Ring Fit Adventure (RFA) intervention and improvements in running time, cardiac force index (CFI), sleep quality (Chinese version of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index score), and mood disorders (5-item Brief Symptom Rating Scale score). METHODS: This was a randomized prospective study and included 80 students who were required to complete a 1600-meter outdoor run before and after the intervention, the completion times of which were recorded in seconds. They were also required to fill out a lifestyle questionnaire. During the study, 40 participants (16 males and 24 females, with an average age of 23.75 years) were assigned to the RFA group and were required to exercise for 30 minutes 3 times per week (in the adventure mode) over 4 weeks. The exercise intensity was set according to the instructions given by the virtual coach during the first game. The remaining 40 participants (30 males and 10 females, with an average age of 22.65 years) were assigned to the control group and maintained their regular habits during the study period. RESULTS: The study was completed by 80 participants aged 20 to 36 years (mean 23.20, SD 2.96 years). The results showed that the running time in the RFA group was significantly reduced. After 4 weeks of physical training, it took females in the RFA group 19.79 seconds (P=.03) and males 22.56 seconds (P=.03) less than the baseline to complete the 1600-meter run. In contrast, there were no significant differences in the performance of the control group in the run before and after the fourth week of intervention. In terms of mood disorders, the average score of the RFA group increased from 1.81 to 3.31 for males (difference=1.50, P=.04) and from 3.17 to 4.54 for females (difference=1.38, P=.06). In addition, no significant differences between the RFA and control groups were observed for the CFI peak acceleration (CFIPA)_walk, CFIPA_run, or sleep quality. CONCLUSIONS: RFA could either maintain or improve an individual's physical fitness, thereby providing a good solution for people involved in distance learning or those who have not exercised for an extended period. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05227040; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05227040.

The Prevalence and Factors Associated with the Prescription of Opioids for Head/Neck Pain after Elective Craniotomy for Tumor Resection/Vascular Repair: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Background and objective: There is no report of the rate of opioid prescription at the time of hospital discharge, which may be associated with various patient and procedure-related factors. This study examined the prevalence and factors associated with prescribing opioids for head/neck pain after elective craniotomy for tumor resection/vascular repair. Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study on adults undergoing elective craniotomy for tumor resection/vascular repair at a large quaternary-care hospital. We used univariable and multivariable analysis to examine the prevalence and factors (pre-operative, intraoperative, and postoperative) associated with prescribing opioids at the time of hospital discharge. We also examined the factors associated with discharge oral morphine equivalent use. Results: The study sample comprised 273 patients with a median age of 54 years [IQR 41,65], 173 females (63%), 174 (63.7%) tumor resections, and 99 (36.2%) vascular repairs. The majority (n = 264, 96.7%) received opioids postoperatively. The opiate prescription rates were 72% (n = 196/273) at hospital discharge, 23% (19/83) at neurosurgical clinical visits within 30 days of the procedure, and 2.4% (2/83) after 30 days from the procedure. The median oral morphine equivalent (OME) at discharge use was 300 [IQR 175,600]. Patients were discharged with a median supply of 5 days [IQR 3,7]. On multivariable analysis, opioid prescription at hospital discharge was associated with pre-existent chronic pain (adjusted odds ratio, aOR 1.87 [1.06,3.29], p = 0.03) and time from surgery to hospital discharge (compared to patients discharged within days 1−4 postoperatively, patients discharged between days 5−12 (aOR 0.3, 95% CI [0.15; 0.59], p = 0.0005), discharged at 12 days and later (aOR 0.17, 95% CI [0.07; 0.39], p < 0.001)). There was a linear relationship between the first 24 h OME (p < 0.001), daily OME (p < 0.001), hospital OME (p < 0.001), and discharge OME. Conclusions: This single-center study finds that at the time of hospital discharge, opioids are prescribed for head/neck pain in as many as seven out of ten patients after elective craniotomy. A history of chronic pain and time from surgery to discharge may be associated with opiate prescriptions. Discharge OME may be associated with first 24-h, daily OME, and hospital OME use. Findings need further evaluation in a large multicenter sample. The findings are important to consider as there is growing interest in an early discharge after elective craniotomy.

One shot to control Pain: Decreasing postoperative opioid use in gynecologic oncology patients with intrathecal opioid injection.

OBJECTIVES: To determine whether regional anesthesia with single-shot intrathecal opioid injections (ITO) reduce postoperative pain and intravenous (IV) opioid use after exploratory laparotomy in major gynecologic surgeries. METHODS: A retrospective chart review of 315 consecutive cases of patients who underwent an exploratory laparotomy on the gynecologic oncology service from July 2015 to January 2018 was conducted. Single-shot ITO was offered to all patients undergoing open abdominal surgery. The primary outcomes of interest were IV opioid use in morphine equivalents during the first 48 hours after surgery. Univariate analyses were performed to estimate the effect of ITO on IV opioid use at 0, 6, 12, 24 and 48 hours after surgery. Longitudinal regression analyses were performed to estimate the effect of ITO on changes in outcomes of interest over time, adjusting for potential confounders. RESULTS: 35% (110/315) received ITO preoperatively. There were no differences in patient age, BMI, previous number of abdominal surgeries, history of opioid dependence, type of gynecologic surgery, or total EBL between the ITO and control groups. Preoperative ITO was associated with a significantly lower IV opioid requirement between 0 and 6 hours after surgery (9.7 ± 8.1 vs 14.3 ± 11.5, p < 0.0001) and between 6 and 12 hours after surgery (2.7 ± 3.8 vs 5.4 ± 9.5, p = 0.0054). There was no statistically significant difference in total hospital stay opioid requirement but median length of stay was increased by 1 day. CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative administration of ITO reduced IV opioid requirement in the first 12 hours postoperatively but was associated with median 1 day increase in hospital stay.

Metabolic Syndrome and Its Related Factors among Hospital Employees: A Population-Based Cohort Study.

Several studies have reported on metabolic syndrome (MetS) based on cross-sectional designs, which cannot show a long-term result. Information is lacking on MetS and related factors based on a longitudinal cohort. This study aimed to examine the relationship between MetS and related factors for a total of six years among hospital employees. A population-based study was conducted, including 746 staff. A total of 680 staff without MetS in 2012 were enrolled in the analysis for repeated measurement of six years of the longitudinal cohort. Data were retrieved from the hospital's Health Management Information System. Analyses were performed using Student's t-test, chi-square test, logistic regression, and generalised estimating equations. Statistical significance was defined as p < 0.05. Hospital employees aged between 31 and 40 (odds ratio (OR) = 4.596, p = 0.009), aged between 41 and 50 (OR = 7.866, p = 0.001), aged greater than 50 (OR = 10.312, p < 0.001), with a body mass index (BMI) of 25.0~29.9 kg/m2 (OR = 3.934, p < 0.001), a BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2 (OR = 13.197, p < 0.001), higher level of white blood counts (ß = 0.177, p = 0.001), alanine aminotransferase (ß = 0.013, p = 0.002), and uric acid (ß = 0.223, p = 0.005) were at risk of being diagnosed with MetS. The identification of at-risk hospital employees and disease management programs addressing MetS-related factors are of great importance in hospital-based interventions.

[Applying Multiple Strategies to Increase the Rate of Early Rehabilitation Exercise Adoption in Patients With Acute Stroke].

BACKGROUND & PROBLEMS: Early rehabilitation exercise has been shown to reduce the onset of disability in patients following acute stroke. However, the clinical execution rate of early rehabilitation exercise for those patients remains low. Our medical team developed an early rehabilitation care plan for patients with acute stroke in 2013, at which time the execution rate of early rehabilitation exercise for these patients in our hospital was only 37.1%. The survey found that patients and caregivers had insufficient awareness of early rehabilitation exercise; hospital staffs lacked appropriate assistive devices, rehabilitation equipment, nursing guidance tools, and handover records; and new nursing staffs were insufficiently aware of the importance of early rehabilitation exercise. This care plan was developed to improve the execution rate of early rehabilitation exercise in patients with acute stroke to slow the progression of their disability. PURPOSE: The project was designed to improve the knowledge of new nursing staffs regarding early rehabilitation care and the early rehabilitation exercise completion rate of nursing staffs to raise the execution rate of early rehabilitation exercise in patients with acute stroke. RESOLUTION: After completing the cause analysis, multiple strategies were pursued: (1) nursing education sheets with texts, illustrations, video, and posters were used; (2) group in-service educational training was organized; (3) an innovative transfer belt was designed; (4) facilities were set up to deliver virtual-reality (VR) training; (5) standard procedures on early rehabilitation exercise in patients with acute stroke were revised and implemented; (6) nursing handover procedures were revised; and (7) education courses on early rehabilitation exercise for post-stroke patients were developed. RESULTS: The accuracy of knowledge related to early rehabilitation exercise among new nursing staff improved from 31.3% to 80%; the completion rate for nursing education increased from 53.6% to 98%; and the early rehabilitation exercise execution rate increased from 37.1% to 82.8%. CONCLUSIONS: This project successfully increased the motivation and confidence of patients in rehabilitation and the rate of exercise program execution, which may be expected to impact positively on patients' quality of life.

Gender Differences in the Prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome Among Taiwanese Air Force Personnel: A Population-Based Study.

BACKGROUND: Authors of several studies have reported differences in the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) between men and women. However, information is lacking on gender difference among military personnel. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to examine the prevalence of MetS and its component abnormalities among Taiwanese Air Force personnel by gender and age groups. METHODS: A population-based study was conducted including 14 872 Taiwanese Air Force personnel. Data were retrieved from the military's Health Management Information System. Analyses were performed using Student t test, χ test, and linear-by-linear χ test. Statistical significance was defined as P < .05. RESULTS: The MetS prevalence was 14.0% (15.1% in men and 5.3% in women). Metabolic syndrome was associated with age for both men and women (both Ptrend < .001), with a greater prevalence of MetS in men aged 18 to 44 years than in women, but not in the age group of 45 years or older. In men, MetS was most prevalent in those with increased waist circumference (78.2%), followed by those with elevated blood pressure (75.6%). By contrast, in women, it was most prevalent in those with increased waist circumference (86.5%), followed by those with reduced high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (84.3%). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that military nurses and other health providers should consider the gender- and age-based MetS prevalence trend among Taiwanese Air Force personnel when designing interventions to identify vulnerable subgroups at a high risk of MetS. Health management programs should be adapted to minimize metabolic risks.

Rescuing Dicer expression in inflamed colon tissues alleviates colitis and prevents colitis-associated tumorigenesis.

Chronic inflammation is known to promote carcinogenesis; Dicer heterozygous mice are more likely to develop colitis-associated tumors. This study investigates whether Dicer is downregulated in inflamed colon tissues before malignancy occurs and whether increasing Dicer expression in inflamed colon tissues can alleviate colitis and prevent colitis-associated tumorigenesis. Methods: Gene expression in colon tissues was analyzed by immunohistochemistry, immunoblots, and real-time RT-PCR. Hydrogen peroxide or N-acetyl-L-cysteine was used to induce or alleviate oxidative stress, respectively. Mice were given azoxymethane followed by dextran sulfate sodium to induce colitis and colon tumors. Berberine, anastrozole, or pranoprofen was used to rescue Dicer expression in inflammatory colon tissues. Results: Oxidative stress repressed Dicer expression in inflamed colon tissues by inducing miR-215 expression. Decreased Dicer expression increased DNA damage and cytosolic DNA and promoted interleukin-6 expression upon hydrogen peroxide treatment. Dicer overexpression in inflamed colon tissues alleviated inflammation and repressed colitis-associated carcinogenesis. Furthermore, we found that anastrozole, berberine, and pranoprofen could promote Dicer expression and protect cells from hydrogen peroxide-induced DNA damage, thereby reducing cytosolic DNA and partially repressing interleukin-6 expression upon hydrogen peroxide treatment. Rescuing Dicer expression using anastrozole, berberine, or pranoprofen in inflamed colon tissues alleviated colitis and prevented colitis-associated tumorigenesis. Conclusions: Dicer was downregulated in inflamed colon tissues before malignancy occurred. Decreased Dicer expression further exaggerated inflammation, which may promote carcinogenesis. Anastrozole, berberine, and pranoprofen alleviated colitis and colitis-associated tumorigenesis by promoting Dicer expression. Our study provides insight into potential colitis treatment and colitis-associated colon cancer prevention strategies.

Evaluation of the pain intensity differences among hospitalized cancer patients based on a nursing information system.

Evaluating the absolute difference in pain intensity and the percentage difference in pain intensity could facilitate an understanding of pain reduction among cancer patients during repeated hospitalizations. Examinations of the absolute differences in pain intensity and the percentage differences in pain intensity according to the worst pain intensity and last evaluated pain intensity before discharge are lacking. The aim of this study was to evaluate the absolute and percentage difference in pain intensities among cancer patients with moderate or severe pain from their 1st to 18th hospitalizations from 2011-2013. A population-based retrospective cohort study was conducted. Pain intensity was assessed using scales and was recorded in a nursing information system. The absolute and percentage difference in pain intensities were examined via the one-sample Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, and group differences in moderate or severe pain were evaluated with the Mann-Whitney U test. For moderate pain patients, the mean absolute difference in pain intensity was 1.52, and the percentage difference in pain intensity was 29.0%; both these values were significant. More significant changes in the absolute and percentage difference in pain intensities were associated with severe pain patients. Both the average absolute difference in pain intensity (3.09) and the percentage difference in pain intensity (38.5%) in patients with severe pain were significantly higher than the average absolute difference in pain intensity (1.52) and the percentage difference in pain intensity (29.0%) in patients with moderate pain. Cancer patients with moderate and severe pain experienced pain reductions of approximately 30% and 40%, respectively. Early pain management intervention in patients with severe pain is necessary to achieve an obvious analgesic effect, and the formula of the percentage difference in pain intensity should be incorporated into the nursing information system to alert clinicians for early detection of the effectiveness of cancer pain management.

Rare-Earth-Doped Calcium Carbonate Exposed to X-ray Irradiation to Induce Reactive Oxygen Species for Tumor Treatment.

Conventional photodynamic therapy (PDT) is limited by its penetration depth due to the photosensitizer and light source. In this study, we developed X-ray induced photodynamic therapy that applied X-ray as the light source to activate Ce-doped CaCO3 (CaCO3:Ce) to generate an intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) for killing cancer cells. The A549 cell line was used as the in vitro and in vivo model to evaluate the efficacy of X-ray-induced CaCO3:Ce. The cell viability significantly decreased and cell cytotoxicity obviously increased with CaCO3:Ce exposure under X-ray irradiation, which is less harmful than radiotherapy in tumor treatment. CaCO3:Ce produced significant ROS under X-ray irradiation and promoted A549 cancer cell death. CaCO3:Ce can enhance the efficacy of X-ray induced PDT, and tumor growth was inhibited in vivo. The blood analysis and hematoxylin and eosin stain (H & E) stain fully supported the safety of the treatment. The mechanisms underlying ROS and CO2 generation by CaCO3:Ce activated by X-ray irradiation to induce cell toxicity, thereby inhibiting tumor growth, is discussed. These findings and advances are of great importance in providing a novel therapeutic approach as an alternative tumor treatment.

Novel polymeric biomaterial poly(butyl-2-cyanoacrylate) nanowires: synthesis, characterization and formation mechanism.

Poly(butyl-2-cyanoacrylate) (PBCA) nanoparticles have been widely elaborated for nearly half a century. However, PBCA nanowires (PNWs) were seldom investigated. Here, new polymeric biomaterial PNWs were prepared via emulsion polymerization based on the sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)-assisted emulsion process. Results indicated that SDS micelles and PBCA polymer can develop surfactant-polymer complexes by self-assembly at room temperature. SDS concentration was confirmed to be the critical parameter for the association of the surfactant and the polymer. With the addition of SDS (0-40 mM), the interaction between SDS and PBCA led to a series of transitions from nanoparticles to nanowires. These morphology transitions were triggered by changing the electrostatic repulsion in the SDS-PBCA system, confirmed by the variety of zeta potential with increasing molar contents of SDS. To overcome the electrostatic repulsion, the complexes underwent transitions from spherical, worm-like (short-cylindrical), to elongated-cylindrical form. Finally, associated with the results from scanning / transmission electron microscopy (SEM / TEM), the elongated-cylindrical PNWs acquired at 20 mM of SDS were chosen to execute cell viability assay, which showed that they had no toxicity but with good-biocompatibility at the doses ≤ 50 µg/ml. These results indicate that the PNWs prepared by this facile-green and low-toxic strategy can potentially work as promising biomaterials in the biomedicine field.

A mimotope of Aß oligomers may also behave as a ß-sheet inhibitor.

Beta-amyloid (Aß) oligomers are strongly associated with the cascade of harmful events leading to neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Elimination of Aß oligomers or inhibition of Aß assembly is a valuable therapeutic approach for the treatment of AD. Here, we obtained a mimotope of Aß oligomers, AOEP2, by screening a peptide library using oligomer-specific antibodies. The antibodies induced by AOEP2 specifically recognize Aß oligomers rather than monomers and fibrils. Interestingly, the AOEP2 peptide binds to Aß monomers and inhibits the formation of Aß oligomers and ß-sheet structure, reduces Aß42-induced neurotoxicity, and decreases the release of proinflammatory cytokines. Taken together, AOEP2, a novel multifunctional peptide directly or indirectly targeting Aß, has promising therapeutic potential for AD.

Massilia buxea sp. nov., isolated from a rock surface.

A Gram-stain-negative, rod-shaped and motile bacterial strain, designated A9T, was isolated from the surface of rock collected from the shore of Nvshan lake in Mingguang, Anhui province, China. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rDNA sequence data showed that strain A9T was affiliated with the genus Massilia and showed the highest sequence similarities to Massilia plicata KCTC 12344T (98.8 %) and Massilia lurida CGMCC 1.10822T (97.9 %). The major fatty acids (>5 %) were summed feature 3 (C16 : 1ω7c and/or C15 : 0 iso 2-OH), C16 : 0 and C18 : 1ω7c. Strain A9T contained Q-8 as the predominant ubiquinone and diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol and an unidentified aminophospholipid as the predominant polar lipids. The DNA G+C content was 69.9 mol%. Mean DNA-DNA relatedness values between strain A9T and its closest phylogenetic relatives, M. plicata KCTC 12344T and M. lurida CGMCC 1.10822T, were 38.8 % and 23.23 %, respectively. On the basis of the results obtained in this study, strain A9T is considered to represent a novel species of the genus Massilia, for which the name Massilia buxea sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is A9T (=DSM 103547T=CGMCC 1.15931T=KCTC 52429T).

Caulobacter rhizosphaerae sp. nov., a stalked bacterium isolated from rhizosphere soil.

The Gram-reaction-negative, aerobic, white- to pale-yellow-coloured and rod-shaped bacterium with a single polar flagellum or a stalk, designated strain 7F14T, was isolated from rhizosphere soil of cultivated watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) collected from Hefei, China. Growth of strain 7F14T was observed at pH 6.0-9.0, 10-30 °C and in the presence of 0-1 % (w/v) NaCl. Cells were catalase-negative and oxidase-positive. Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that strain 7F14T formed a phyletic lineage within the genus Caulobacter of the family Caulobacteraceae and showed the highest 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities to Caulobacter henricii ATCC 15253T (98.66 %), Caulobacter segnis ATCC 21756T (98.27 %), Caulobacter vibrioides CB51T (97.92 %) and Caulobacter flavus RHGG3T (97.44 %). The G+C content of the genomic DNA was 68.6 mol%. Strain 7F14T contained Q-10 as the sole ubiquinone and 11-methyl C18 : 1ω7c, C18 : 1ω7c, C16 : 0 and summed feature 3 (C16 : 1ω7c and/or iso-C15 : 0 2-OH) as the major fatty acids. The polar lipids profile consisted of phosphatidylglycerol, an unknown phosphoglycolipid, five unknown glycolipids, an unknown phospholipid and three unknown lipids. DNA-DNA relatedness values to the most closely related type strains Caulobacter henricii DSM 4730T and Caulobacter segnis DSM 7131T were 26.0 and 19.7 %, respectively. Based on unique phenotypic traits, and phylogenetic, chemotaxonomic and DNA-DNA hybridization results, strain 7F14T should be classified as a representative of a novel species of the genus Caulobacter, for which the name Caulobacter rhizosphaerae sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is 7F14T (=CGMCC 1.15915T=KCTC 52515T).

A Novel Multifunctional Compound Camellikaempferoside B Decreases Aß Production, Interferes with Aß Aggregation, and Prohibits Aß-Mediated Neurotoxicity and Neuroinflammation.

Accumulating evidence suggested that soluble oligomeric ß-amyloid protein (Aß) exerts diverse roles in neuronal cell death, neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, and the eventual dementia associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Developing an agent with multiple properties may be a reasonable strategy for the treatment of AD. In this study, we isolated a novel multifunctional compound named camellikaempferoside B (YCF-2) from Fuzhuan brick tea. YCF-2 consists of kaempferol backbone, p-coumaric acid (p-CA) group, and a novel structure of rhamnopyranosyl group at the C-4' position, possessing the properties of both kaempferol and p-CA. YCF-2 significantly inhibited Aß production by decreasing ß-secretase activity. Moreover, YCF-2 suppressed Aß42 fibrillation and facilitated nontoxic oligomer formation by binding to Aß42 oligomers and by blocking the conformational transition to ß-sheet. Furthermore, YCF-2 ameliorated Aß-induced neuronal cell death, ROS production, inflammatory factor release, and microglia activation by blocking the NF-κB signaling pathway in microglia. These findings indicated that YCF-2 with a novel lead structure has potential applications for drug development for AD treatment.

Using a New Measurement to Evaluate Pain Relief Among Cancer Inpatients with Clinically Significant Pain Based on a Nursing Information System: A Three-Year Hospital-Based Study.

OBJECTIVE: Developing a new measurement index is the first step in evaluating pain relief outcomes. Although the percentage difference in pain intensity (%PID) is the most popular indicator, this indicator does not take into account the goal of pain relief. Therefore, the aims of this study were to develop a pain relief index (PRI) for outcome evaluation and to examine the index using demographic characteristics of cancer inpatients with clinically significant pain. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: A national hospital. SUBJECTS: All cancer inpatients. METHODS: Pain intensity was assessed using a numerical rating scale, a faces pain scale or the Face, Legs, Activity, Cry, Consolability (FLACC) Behavioral Tool. Using a nursing information system, a pain score database containing data from 2011 through 2013 was analyzed. RESULTS: Cancer patients representing 93,812 hospitalizations were considered in this study. We focused on cancer patients for whom the worst pain intensity (WPI) was ≥ 4 points. PRI values of -62.02% to -72.55% were observed in the WPI ≥ 7 and 4 ≤ WPI ≤ 6 groups. Significant (P < 0.05) effects on PRI values were observed among patients who were > 65 years old, those who were admitted to the medicine or gynecology and those who had a hospital stay > 30 days. CONCLUSION: This hospital-based study demonstrated that the PRI is an effective and valid measure for evaluating outcome data using an electronic nursing information system. We will further define the meaningful range of percentage difference in PRI from various perspectives.

A new anti-proliferative acylated flavonol glycoside from Fuzhuan brick-tea.

Fuzhuan brick-tea (FBT) is unique for a fungal fermentation stage in its manufacture process and is classified in dark tea. A new acylated flavonol glycoside, kaempferol 3-O-[E-p-coumaroyl-(→2)][α-l-arabinopyranosyl-(1→3)][α-l-rhamnopyranosyl(1→6)]-ß-d-glucopyranoside, which was trivially named as camellikaempferoside A (1), was isolated from FBT along with camelliquercetiside C (2). Their structures were unambiguously elucidated by combination of spectroscopic and chemical methods. Compound 1 showed anti-proliferative activity against MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells with IC50 values of 7.83 and 19.16 µM, respectively.

Trends in Clinically Significant Pain Prevalence Among Hospitalized Cancer Patients at an Academic Hospital in Taiwan: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Clinically significant pain (CSP) is one of the most common complaints among cancer patients during repeated hospitalizations, and the prevalence ranges from 24% to 86%. This study aimed to characterize the trends in CSP among cancer patients and examine the differences in the prevalence of CSP across repeated hospitalizations. A hospital-based, retrospective cohort study was conducted at an academic hospital. Patient-reported pain intensity was assessed and recorded in a nursing information system. We examined the differences in the prevalence of worst pain intensity (WPI) and last evaluated pain intensity (LPI) of ≥ 4 or ≥ 7 points among cancer inpatients from the 1st to the 18th hospitalization. Linear mixed models were used to determine the significant difference in the WPI and LPI (≥ 4 or ≥ 7 points) at each hospitalization. We examined 88,133 pain scores from the 1st to the 18th hospitalization among cancer patients. The prevalence of the 4 CSP types showed a trend toward a reduction from the 1st to the 18th hospitalization. There was a robust reduction in the CSP prevalence from the 1st to the 5th hospitalization, except in the case of LPI ≥ 7 points. The prevalence of a WPI ≥ 4 points was significantly higher (0.240-fold increase) during the 1st hospitalization than during the 5th hospitalization. For the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th hospitalizations, there was a significantly higher prevalence of a WPI ≥ 4 points compared with the 5th hospitalization. We also observed significant reductions in the prevalence of a WPI ≥ 7 points during the 1st to the 4th hospitalizations, an LPI ≥ 4 points during the 1st to the 3rd hospitalizations, and an LPI ≥ 7 points during the 1st to the 2nd hospitalization. Although the prevalence of the 4 CSP types decreased gradually, it is impossible to state the causative factors on the basis of this observational and descriptive study. The next step will examine the factors that determine the CSP prevalence among cancer patients. However, based on these positive findings, we can provide feedback to nurses, physicians, and pharmacists to empower them to be more committed to pain management.