Preliminary Effectiveness of a Brief School-Based HERO Intervention: Improving the Wellbeing of Final Year Adolescent Female Students

Young people face multiple challenges, including appearance dissatisfaction, academic stressors, anxiety and depression. These challenges may increase during the final year of high school and may have become further exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. This study examines the preliminary effectiveness of a brief, uncontrolled school-based intervention aimed at enhancing Psychological Capital (PsyCap), consisting of positive resources of hope, self-efficacy, resilience and optimism (HERO), and reducing mental health symptoms among female year 12 students (n = 95, Mage = 16.78, SD = 0.45). Outcomes on measures of HERO and secondary outcomes of flourishing, appearance dissatisfaction, anxiety and depression were measured at pre and post-intervention. In the overall cohort, no significant changes were found on the HERO outcomes or flourishing post-intervention, while symptoms of depression, anxiety and appearance dissatisfaction decreased significantly. For students with higher baseline anxiety, optimism and anxiety symptoms improved significantly at post-intervention. However, students with lower baseline anxiety experienced significant decreases in self-efficacy and optimism, as well as a significant increase in anxiety symptoms post-intervention. Baseline depression levels did not impact intervention outcomes. The findings, although mixed and limited by the lack of control group, suggest that a brief intervention grounded in PsyCap theory may improve student wellbeing under challenging circumstances.

The correlation between death anxiety, loneliness and hope levels in patients treated in the cardiac intensive care unit

BACKGROUND

A sense of hope plays an important role in relieving stress and psychological distress of cardiology patients, as well as improving their physical well-being.

AIM

The aim of this study is to investigate the correlation between death anxiety, loneliness and hope levels in patients receiving treatment in a cardiac intensive care unit (ICU).

DESIGN

This is a prospective, descriptive and correlational study.

METHODS

The study was completed with 150 cardiac ICU patients in Istanbul, Turkey. The data were collected using a Patient Information Form, the Templer Death Anxiety Scale (TDAS), the Herth Hope Index (HHI) and the UCLA Loneliness Scale (UCLA-LS).

RESULTS

The patients had a mean age of 63.56 ± 12.74 years. Most of the patients (82%) were treated in the ICU for heart failure. There was a statistically significant positive correlation between total scores of TDAS and UCLA-LS (r = .337; p < .001) and a statistically significant negative correlation between total scores of UCLA-LS and HHI (r = -.292; p < .001). Also, there was a statistically significant negative correlation between the scores of UCLA-LS and Positive Readiness and Expectancy Subscale (r = -.164; p = .044). The multiple linear regression indicated that the model was statistically significant (F = 7.177, p < .001). The variables of age and UCLA-LS among those included in the model were statistically significant predictors of the death anxiety scores of the patients (23.1%) (p < .05).

CONCLUSIONS

The cardiology patients who received treatment in the ICU had a high level of death anxiety and moderate levels of loneliness and hope. The age and loneliness level were statistically significant predictors of death anxiety.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE

It is recommended that individualized nursing care be planned and provided to conscious cardiology patients who are treated in the ICU, considering their age and loneliness levels and that nursing care be planned for individuals who are at risk of fear, anxiety, loneliness and hopelessness by periodically assessing their death anxiety, loneliness and hope levels.

Machine learning-aided design and screening of an emergent protein function in synthetic cells

Recently, utilization of Machine Learning (ML) has led to astonishing progress in computational protein design, bringing into reach the targeted engineering of proteins for industrial and biomedical applications. However, the design of proteins for emergent functions of core relevance to cells, such as the ability to spatiotemporally self-organize and thereby structure the cellular space, is still extremely challenging. While on the generative side conditional generative models and multi-state design are on the rise, for emergent functions there is a lack of tailored screening methods as typically needed in a protein design project, both computational and experimental. Here we describe a proof-of-principle of how such screening, in silico and in vitro, can be achieved for ML-generated variants of a protein that forms intracellular spatiotemporal patterns. For computational screening we use a structure-based divide-and-conquer approach to find the most promising candidates, while for the subsequent in vitro screening we use synthetic cell-mimics as established by Bottom-Up Synthetic Biology. We then show that the best screened candidate can indeed completely substitute the wildtype gene in Escherichia coli. These results raise great hopes for the next level of synthetic biology, where ML-designed synthetic proteins will be used to engineer cellular functions.

Hope and dementia

Dementia is a terminal and progressive condition which often brings with it a loss of hope, and feelings of hopelessness in those living with the condition and their family carers. Community nurses are in a unique position of being able to interact with people with dementia and their family carers in their own homes, or the care settings in which they reside, and in some case, will be the only professionals with regular contact with the family. Therefore, they have the opportunity to increase feelings of hope in those they work with. This article will discuss the concept of hope as it relates to dementia. It goes on to give an overview of Snyder's model of hope, which presents hope as a cognitive state, and therefore presents the opportunity for professionals to increase feelings of hope. An overview of the research evidence around hope-based interventions is then given, with the ideas applied to community nursing practice using a case study. This article aims to add some hope-based interventions to the toolkit of community nurses as they work with people and families affected by dementia.

The unique effects of hope and gratitude on psychological distress and well-being in trauma-exposed Hispanic/Latino adults

OBJECTIVE

Gratitude and hope are well-established predictors of well-being and buffers against posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and anxiety symptoms. However, scarce literature exists that investigates these relationships in a Hispanic/Latino sample. The current study investigates gratitude's and hope's relationship to PTSD and anxiety symptoms and different domains of well-being in trauma-exposed Hispanic/Latino young adults at a large southern university.

METHOD

The sample was composed of 732 undergraduate students who were mostly female (80.7%) and young adults, (Mage = 21.8, SD = 4.3), who endorsed experiencing one or more traumatic events via the Life Events Checklist. Students completed an online survey for course credit.

RESULTS

Structural equation models were used to analyze the data. Gratitude had a stronger inverse relationship with PTSD symptoms (β = -.43, 95% CI [-0.50, -0.35]) and anxiety symptoms (β = -.28, 95% CI [-0.36, -0.20]) compared to hope (β = .06, 95% CI [-0.01, 0.14]) (β = -.06, 95% CI [-0.14, 0.02]). Both gratitude and hope were robust predictors of the three domains of well-being.

CONCLUSIONS

The current study found that hope and gratitude predicted resilience in trauma-exposed Hispanic/Latino young adults. Decreased levels of gratitude were a stronger predictor of psychological distress and subjective well-being than decreased levels of hope, but hope was a robust predictor of the three well-being domains. The findings of this study may lend support for the development of hope and gratitude interventions in a Hispanic/Latino population for the prevention of PTSD symptoms and anxiety symptoms via engendering higher levels of resilience. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Family Environment, Loneliness, Hope, and Subjective Well-Being of Asian Older Adults

The current study examined the interactions between family environment, hope, and loneliness, and their subsequent influence on the subjective well-being (SWB) of 345 noninstitutionalized older adults (aged 60 years and above) in Singapore. Door-to-door surveys information was collected on family environment (cohesiveness, relationship closeness, and support), hope, loneliness, and SWB (life satisfaction, happiness, and absence of negative affect). Structural equation modelling was conducted to test competing hypotheses derived from life stress and integrated resource theories. The results revealed that family environment influenced SWB both directly and indirectly. Family environment decreased loneliness and increased SWB. Additionally, family environment influenced SWB by offering increased hope. Family environment sets the context for the SWB of older adults in Singapore. Families should therefore be targeted for interventions to reduce loneliness, increase psychological resources, and raise SWB during old age.

Using metaphors to build hope and hopefulness from depression

Helplessness and hopelessness are common key dynamics of depression that often inhibit therapeutic progress and client recovery. Based on a case example, this article examines the processes for effectively communicating therapeutic interventions aimed toward building hope when other approaches have failed. It explores the use of therapeutic metaphors including assessing for positive outcomes, building the PRO Approach for creating therapeutic metaphors and using Hope Theory as an example of an evidence-based process for facilitating both hope and enhanced treatment outcomes. It concludes with an illustrative metaphor within a hypnotic model and a step-by-step process for building your own hope-enhancing metaphors.

"Pathways": A hope-enhancing intervention for patients undergoing treatment for advanced lung cancer

OBJECTIVE

Observational data suggest hope is associated with the quality of life and survival of people with cancer. This trial examined the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary outcomes of "Pathways," a hope intervention for people in treatment for advanced lung cancer.

METHODS

Between 2020 and 2022, we conducted a single-arm trial of Pathways among participants who were 3-12 weeks into systemic treatment. Pathways consisted of two individual sessions delivered during infusions and three phone calls in which participants discussed their values, goals, and goal strategies with a nurse or occupational therapist. Participants completed standardized measures of hope and goal interference pre- and post-intervention. Feasibility was defined as ≥60% of eligible patients enrolling, ≥70% of participants completing three or more sessions, ≥70% of participants completing post-assessments, and mean acceptability ratings ≥7 out of 10 on intervention relevance, helpfulness, and convenience. Linear regression fixed effects models with covariates modeled pre-post changes in complete case analysis and multiple imputation models.

RESULTS

Fifty two participants enrolled: female (59.6%), non-Hispanic White (84.6%), rural (75.0%), and with low educational attainment (51.9% high school degree or less). Except for enrollment (54%), feasibility and acceptability markers were surpassed (77% adherence, 77% retention, acceptability ratings ≥8/10). There was moderate improvement in hope and goal interference from pre-to post-intervention (d = 0.51, p < 0.05 for hope; d = -0.70, p < 0.005 for goal interference).

CONCLUSIONS

Strong feasibility, acceptability, and patient-reported outcome data suggest Pathways is a promising intervention to increase hope and reduce cancer-related goal interference during advanced lung cancer treatment.

[Explainable artificial intelligence in pathology]

With the advancements in precision medicine, the demands on pathological diagnostics have increased, requiring standardized, quantitative, and integrated assessments of histomorphological and molecular pathological data. Great hopes are placed in artificial intelligence (AI) methods, which have demonstrated the ability to analyze complex clinical, histological, and molecular data for disease classification, biomarker quantification, and prognosis estimation. This paper provides an overview of the latest developments in pathology AI, discusses the limitations, particularly concerning the black box character of AI, and describes solutions to make decision processes more transparent using methods of so-called explainable AI (XAI).

Seesaw Precarity: Journaling Anxious Hope on a Chinese University Campus During Covid-19

In this article, we examine the Covid-19 experiences of a group of Chinese university students studying in the city of Guangzhou. We draw on journal entries that Chinese students submitted to the Pandemic Journaling Project between March and May 2022, along with follow-up responses in July and December 2022, to argue that these students spent most of their undergraduate years living in a state of "seesaw precarity." We define seesaw precarity as a protracted period during which many Chinese were unable to predict from one day to the next whether they would be free to engage in the quotidian activities of everyday life. We trace student reactions and adaptations as they struggled to attend class, buy food, and see friends and family in the midst of unpredictable swings between openness and closedness. The seesaw nature of restrictions spurred considerable anxiety among the students we followed, but also produced an optimistic mindset we refer to as "anxious hope." Participants accepted the necessity of Covid controls and felt it was incumbent upon them as individuals to adjust to this reality. They saw themselves as responsible for actively cultivating a positive mindset. Our findings suggest that the promotion of emotional self-care and anxious hope during the pandemic may have supported the viability of long-term controls as well as the acceptability of their sudden abandonment, while muting the possibility of resistance.

[Research Progress in the Relationship Between Neurofilament Light Chain Protein and Cognitive Impairment in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus]

Metabolic abnormality in type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM)can cause damage to the central nervous system,leading to cognitive decline.Neurofilament light chain protein(NFL),as a blood marker of neuroaxonal injuries,is significantly associated with the onset of cognitive impairment and affected by the renal function.It can participate in the development of cognitive impairment in T2DM through inflammation,blood-brain barrier breakdown,interaction between microglia and neurons,and Tau protein phosphorylation.We reviewed the mechanism of the occurrence and development of NFL-involved cognitive impairment and the correlation between NFL and renal function in T2DM,hoping to provide a basis for early diagnosis and treatment of cognitive impairment in T2DM patients.

Nurse-Client Engagement: A Concept Analysis Through a Spiritual Lens

ABSTRACT

Engaging clients is central to nurses' work across all practice settings. This concept analysis seeks to better understand engagement as seen by the participants. Data from 15 qualitative studies conducted between 1982 and 2020 illustrate engagement from the perspective of nurse and client. Five defining attributes emerged: genuine concern and hopeful persistence, authenticity, trusting, time, and mutuality. The purpose of this concept analysis is to make the process of engagement visible, quantifiable, and valid.

Hope and illness expectations: A cross-sectional study in patients with advanced cancer

BACKGROUND

The fear of taking away hope hinders clinicians' willingness to share serious news with patients with advanced disease. Unrealistic illness expectations, on the other hand, can complicate decision making and end-of-life care outcomes. Exploration of the association between hope and illness expectations can support clinicians in better communication with their patients.

AIM

The aim of this study was to explore whether realistic illness expectations are associated with reduced hope in people with advanced cancer.

DESIGN

This is a cross-sectional secondary analysis of baseline data from a primary palliative care cluster-randomized trial CONNECT (data collected from July 2016 to October 2020). Hope was measured by Herth Hope Index. Illness expectations were measured by assessing patients' understanding of their treatment goals, life expectancy, and terminal illness acknowledgement. Multivariable regression was performed, adjusting for demographical and clinical confounders.

SETTING/PARTICIPANTS

Adult patients with advanced solid cancers recruited across 17 oncology clinics.

RESULTS

Data from 672 patients were included in the study, with mean age of 69.3 years (±10.2), 53.6% were female. Proportion of patients indicating realistic expectations varied based on which question was asked from 10% to 46%. Median level of hope was 39 (IQR = 36-43). Multivariate non-inferiority regression did not find any significant differences in hope between patients with more and less realistic illness expectations.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results suggest that hope can be sustained while holding both realistic and unrealistic illness expectations. Communication about serious news should focus on clarifying the expectations as well as supporting people's hopes.

Child Maltreatment Types by Age: Implications for Prevention

Child maltreatment is a global public health issue known to affect an average of 600,000 U.S. children of all ages (0-18 years old) annually. However, a preponderance of preventive programs target children on the younger end of the spectrum, specifically those aged 0-5. Annual reports of the prevalence of maltreatment provide opportunities to analyze trends, but in 2009, these reports stopped reporting the ages of victims for each type of maltreatment (i.e., neglect, physical abuse, emotional abuse, and sexual abuse). This omission limits the ability to match (or design) prevention programs responsive to the ages of those at greatest risk. Using data from the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (NCANDS) from 2011-2020, this secondary data analysis describes trends for four types of maltreatment by age from an epidemiological perspective. Implications for practice (i.e., prevention) and policy are presented. The findings of this study offer the first step in what is hoped to be a line of research that seeks to identify, match, and/or develop evidence-based programs to prevent child maltreatment among the populations at highest risk.

Literary, Found and Research Poetry: New Approaches to Representations of Aging and Aged Care

At a time when rapid population aging is producing an emphasis on questions of healthy aging in the public discourse, conditions such as dementia, physical, and other disabilities still too often remain taboo, and this is particularly true in relation to the confronting subjects of aged care, neglect, and failures of care provision. This article considers the transformative potential of 2 different but complementary forms of poetry-research poetry and lyric poetry-to break these silences and represent experiences across the physical and emotional spectrum of aging, including the perspectives of older people and their families whose experiences are neutral, negative, or even distressing, as well as challenge and counter existing negative stereotypes of aging in the public and literary realms. Neither research poetry nor lyric poetry is common in gerontological research; however, they offer the radical potential to offer insight into the lived realities of older people and their loved ones. Research poetry uses the direct words of older people, drawing on transcripts and found texts, and giving voice to people who otherwise would not be heard. Lyric poetry, by contrast, draws more heavily on literary techniques such as metaphor and direct address to evoke sensory and intimate experiences of aging and aged care. This paper presents 2 poems comparing and contrasting the respective processes and techniques of these different poetic forms to represent the imaginary, feared, and hoped-for futures of older people, including those in aged care.

A review focusing on the role of pyroptosis in prostate cancer

As one of the types of programmed cell death, pyroptosis has become a focus of research in recent years. Numerous studies have shown that pyroptosis plays a regulatory role in tumor cell invasiveness, differentiation, proliferation, and metastasis. It has been demonstrated that pyroptosis is involved in the regulation of signaling pathways implicated in the pathogenesis of prostate cancer (PCa). Furthermore, the loss of expression of pyroptosis-related genes in PCa has been reported, and pyroptosis-related genes have demonstrated a considerable ability in predicting the prognosis of PCa. Therefore, the potential role of pyroptosis in regulating the development of PCa warrants further investigation and attention. In this review, we summarize the basics of the role of pyroptosis and also discuss research into the mechanisms of action associated with pyroptosis in PCa. It is hoped that by exploring the potential of the pyroptosis pathway in intervening in PCa, it will provide a viable direction for the diversification of PCa treatment.

[Application and Development of a Chinese Medicine Meridian and Acupoint Intervention in Nursing Practice]

Chinese medicine advocates a holistic and comprehensive approach that emphasizes differential diagnosis, treatment, and nursing as well as a diverse range of healthcare options. Within Chinese medicine, acupuncture techniques targeting meridians and acupoints are recognized as a suitable healthcare modality for promoting health, preventing diseases, and managing existing conditions. This article was designed to explore the practical application and advancement of acupuncture related to meridians and acupoints in the field of nursing. After introducing the development and current landscape of Chinese medicine healthcare, the application of acupoint stimulation within the context of Chinese medicinal nursing is discussed, taking into account clinical expertise, patient preferences, and safety concerns. Next, empirical findings on the impact of acupoint stimulation interventions are presented in hopes of translating clinical knowledge into evidence-based practice. Lastly, future prospects and investments in Chinese medicinal nursing are outlined. Within the realm of professional nursing practice, attaining proficiency in meridian and acupoint interventions requires comprehensive expertise and skills. Healthcare professionals in the nursing field should contemplate enhancing their knowledge and competencies in Chinese medicinal nursing. By providing the best evidence-based care, possessing specialized expertise, and taking patient preferences into account, the quality and completeness of evidence-based healthcare may be improved.

Are multicancer early detection screening tests a hoped-for breakthrough?: Although these tests have the potential to detect multiple cancer types earlier, research is underway to determine if their benefits outweigh their drawbacks

This news section offers Cancer readers timely information on events, public policy analysis, topical issues, and personalities. In this issue, multicancer screening tests have the ability to detect multiple cancer types earlier, but researchers are still determining whether their advantages outweigh their drawbacks. In addition, removing the thymus in adults raises the risk of developing or dying from cancer, and adding immunotherapy to stereotactic ablative radiotherapy improves event‐free survival in patients with early or recurrent non‐small cell lung cancer.

Hope as a Moderator of Intimate Partner Violence and Suicide Risk Behaviors Among Latinas

The current study investigated the role of hope in the relationship between intimate partner violence (IPV) and suicide risk behaviors among a community sample of Latinas (N = 180). Moderation analyses revealed significant interaction effects demonstrating that both aspects of hope-agency and pathways-were associated with suicide risk behaviors at high levels of IPV. Results suggest hope may be helpful when IPV is at low levels, but it may exacerbate suicide risk when high levels of IPV are experienced among Latinas. Future directions and implications are discussed, including the importance of understanding the unique cultural context in which Latina survivors exist.

Relations among self-control, hope, and psychological adjustment: A two-wave longitudinal mediation study

While the relationships between self-control, hope, and psychological adjustment have been examined in cross-sectional studies, the fact that these variables have not been considered together in any longitudinal research creates a gap in the literature. Therefore, our study aimed to investigate the longitudinal relationships between self-control, hope, and psychological adjustment. Specifically, a cross-lagged panel study in two waves was conducted to examine whether hope mediated the association between self-control and psychological adjustment using a Turkish college sample (N = 349). The results revealed that hope had a significant mediation effect in the longitudinal association between self-control and psychological adjustment. In this direction, self-control indirectly predicts psychological adjustment through hope. This longitudinal study reveals that having self-control may have a positive influence on a person's level of hope and that hope may be a significant predictor of individual psychological adjustment.

Perceived Chronic Social Adversity and Suicidal Ideation Among Chinese College Students: The Moderating Role of Hope

This study aimed to investigate the relations among perceived chronic social adversity, hope and suicidal ideation among Chinese college students. 535 college students completed the Perceived Chronic Social Adversity Questionnaire (PCSAQ), the Suicidal Ideation Scale (SIS), and the Revised Adult Dispositional Hope Scale (RADHS). The results showed that perceived chronic social adversity was positively associated with suicidal ideation, and hope was negatively associated with suicidal ideation. The results also confirmed that hope negatively moderated the relationship between perceived chronic social adversity and suicidal ideation. Further study showed that there was a significant positive relation between perceived chronic social adversity and suicidal ideation under the low hope level, however, there was a non-significant relation between perceived chronic social adversity and suicidal ideation under the high hope level.

Putting Emotions in the Health Belief Model: The Role of Hope and Anticipated Guilt on the Chinese's Intentions to Get COVID-19 Vaccination

When promoting COVID-19 vaccination, the media and public figures often mention hope to return to normalcy and sometimes try to elicit guilt by asking people to get vaccinated to protect themselves and others. Situated within the health belief model, the present research aimed to investigate whether hope and anticipated guilt were related to vaccine uptake intent. It postulated that hope and anticipated guilt mediated the relationships between risk perceptions/perceived benefits and vaccine uptake intent. The data were collected via an online survey of 460 Chinese participants in March 2021 and were analyzed using Hayes' PROCESS MACRO. The results revealed that perceived susceptibility and perceived benefits, but not perceived severity, predicted the Chinese's vaccine uptake intent. Furthermore, hope positively predicted vaccine uptake intent and partially mediated the relationship between perceived benefits and vaccination intent and between perceived severity and vaccination intent. Anticipated guilt was a significant, but weak predictor of vaccination intent. Both theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Measuring hope: psychometric properties of the children's Hope Scale among South Sudanese refugee children

We investigated the psychometric properties of the Children's Hope Scale among a sample of 1,118 South Sudanese refugee children (570 girls, 548 boys) aged 9 to 14 years displaced in Uganda. We assessed the underlying factor structure and model fit through exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses and measurement invariance by sex and developmental stage. Confirmatory factor analysis revealed good fit for a one-factor model with the error terms of items 1 and 3 and items 4 and 6 allowed to covary. There was no evidence of differential item functioning by group. Evidence from this study supports the use of a unidimensional model of hopefulness across groups and signifies the importance of confirming these properties for measures used to evaluate humanitarian interventions.

Optical fractal in cryogenic environments based on distributed feedback Bragg photonic crystals

We studied the optical fractal effect of the one-dimensional distributed feedback Bragg photonic crystals formed by semiconductor GaAs and dielectric TiO2. Light wave is transmitted in the intermediate dielectric slab and reflected back by the periodic photonic crystals at both ends, forming multiple fractal resonance output. The transmission channels expand exponentially by thickening the bulk in a cryogenic environment. The quality factor of each fractal resonant state improves with a greater periodic number of crystals. Furthermore, central wave of resonance has a blue-shift as the external pressure increases, while the influence of environment temperature on the fractal resonance could be ignored. It is hoped that our study can highlight the potential of these findings for designing multi-channel communication filters in cryogenic environments.

Stories of Hope and Health: Wisdom From Older Mexican-American Women Who Broke Free From the Entangled Web of Love and Violence

This interpretive qualitative study explores the lived experience of intimate partner violence (IPV) among 12 older Mexican-American women aged 55-85 with past experiences of IPV to understand how it shaped their lives. Sociocultural factors that influenced the IPV experience and sustained health amidst adversity were explored. Denzin's interpretive interactionism along with Antonovsky's salutogenic theory guided this study. These women survived IPV and discovered ways to foster health and thrive in later years. They all vowed to break the cycle of violence for future generations. Their wisdom offers hope and has implications for healthcare professionals, future research, and advocacy efforts.

The Gordian knot of the immune-redox systems' interactions in psychosis

During the last decades the attempt to enlighten the pathobiological substrate of psychosis, from merely focusing on neurotransmitters, has expanded into new areas like the immune and redox systems. Indeed, the inflammatory hypothesis concerning psychosis etiopathology has exponentially grown with findings reflecting dysfunction/aberration of the immune/redox systems' effector components namely cytokines, chemokines, CRP, complement system, antibodies, pro-/anti-oxidants, oxidative stress byproducts just to name a few. Yet, we still lie far from comprehending the underlying cellular mechanisms, their causality directions, and the moderating/mediating parameters affecting these systems; let alone the inter-systemic (between immune and redox) interactions. Findings from preclinical studies on the stress field have provided evidence indicative of multifaceted interactions among the immune and redox components so tightly intertwined as a Gordian knot. Interestingly the literature concerning the interactions between these same systems in the context of psychosis appears minimal (if not absent) and ambiguous. This review attempts to draw a frame of the immune-redox systems' interactions starting from basic research on the stress field and expanding on clinical studies with cohorts with psychosis, hoping to instigate new avenues of research.

Growing Up in an Era of Storms and Stress-Promoting Hope Among Adolescents in the Face of Climate Change

This JAMA Forum discusses climate change efforts to promote hope among adolescents.

Purpose in the pandemic: Fear of COVID-19, hopelessness, meaning in life, and suicidal thoughts among two samples of Black Americans

The mental health experiences of Black Americans remain understudied in existing COVID-19 research. While several vital reports highlight disparate physical health outcomes-and even higher mortality rates among Black Americans-few queries have considered the current mental health concerns for this particular group. This investigation therefore examines correlates associated with experiencing suicidal ideation at the beginning (e.g., 2020) and in a later phase (e.g., 2022) of the COVID-19 pandemic. Study 1 includes responses from (n = 489) Black young adults ages 18-30 who completed online surveys from May 27 to June 24, 2020. Study 2 includes response from a separate, nationally representative probability-based sample of (n = 794) Black adults ages 18-88 who completed online surveys between April 21 and June 1, 2022. Participants' fear of COVID-19, feelings of hopelessness, and perceptions regarding meaning in life were considered. Study findings indicate that hopelessness, but not fear of COVID-19, was positively associated with suicidal ideation in both studies. Further, presence of meaning in life was negatively associated with suicidal ideation during the past 2 weeks in Study 1 and was also associated with significantly lower odds of suicidal ideation during the past year in Study 2. Presence of meaning in life moderated the relation between hopelessness and suicidal ideation among participants in Study 1 only. Thus, having a sense of life purpose appears to be an important construct to consider when working to prevent suicide among Black Americans during the current global COVID-19 pandemic. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

The associations between spiritual well-being, hope and psychological symptoms in Chinese childhood cancer patients: A path analysis

AIMS

We aimed to test a model in which hope and spiritual well-being acted as protective factors against anxiety and depressive symptoms in childhood cancer patients (CCPs). We hypothesized that hope and spiritual well-being were mutually reinforcing factors that would both reduce anxiety and depressive symptoms.

METHODS

Using path analysis, the hypothetical model was tested on a cross-sectional sample of 412 Chinese CCPs aged 8-17 years. Self-reported measures were used to obtain data on participants' social and clinical characteristics, spiritual well-being, hope, anxiety and depressive symptoms.

RESULTS

The hypothetical model was supported. Results suggested that sex, treatment type and diagnosis predicted spiritual well-being; diagnosis and time since diagnosis predicted hope. Spiritual well-being and hope were mutually predictive and mutually reinforcing, and were both negatively associated with anxiety and depressive symptoms. This model predicted 40% of the variance in spiritual well-being, 37% in hope, 39% in depressive symptoms, and 28% in anxiety.

CONCLUSION

Spiritual well-being and hope were mutually reinforcing and served as protective factors against anxiety and depressive symptoms. These support the value for integrating spiritual and hope elements in developing interventions for CCPs to improve their spiritual and psychological well-being along the disease trajectory.

A Life-Affirming Palliative Care Model for Severe and Enduring Anorexia Nervosa

Some individuals with severe and enduring anorexia nervosa experience dramatically degraded quality of life in the face of refractory illness and compulsory treatment. We propose a palliative care (PC) model for this group of patients that aims to support their unique goals of care, improve social-professional function, reduce physical suffering, and honor the whole person. Far from representing a pre-hospice model, a PC model for those with severe and enduring anorexia nervosa instead provides an alternative to current practices in hopes of meaningfully improving quality of life and outcomes.

Diagnostic implications of pitfalls in causal variant identification based on 4577 molecularly characterized families

Despite large sequencing and data sharing efforts, previously characterized pathogenic variants only account for a fraction of Mendelian disease patients, which highlights the need for accurate identification and interpretation of novel variants. In a large Mendelian cohort of 4577 molecularly characterized families, numerous scenarios in which variant identification and interpretation can be challenging are encountered. We describe categories of challenges that cover the phenotype (e.g. novel allelic disorders), pedigree structure (e.g. imprinting disorders masquerading as autosomal recessive phenotypes), positional mapping (e.g. double recombination events abrogating candidate autozygous intervals), gene (e.g. novel gene-disease assertion) and variant (e.g. complex compound inheritance). Overall, we estimate a probability of 34.3% for encountering at least one of these challenges. Importantly, our data show that by only addressing non-sequencing-based challenges, around 71% increase in the diagnostic yield can be expected. Indeed, by applying these lessons to a cohort of 314 cases with negative clinical exome or genome reports, we could identify the likely causal variant in 54.5%. Our work highlights the need to have a thorough approach to undiagnosed diseases by considering a wide range of challenges rather than a narrow focus on sequencing technologies. It is hoped that by sharing this experience, the yield of undiagnosed disease programs globally can be improved.

What Are the Ethical Obligations Related to a Request for Nonbeneficial Treatment?

It is common for a headline to proclaim promising results of a new cancer drug and for medical oncology offices to be flooded with calls from patients hoping that this new "miracle" drug offers them a chance of cure. Conf.

World beliefs, character strengths, and hope for the future

Research in recent years has revealed the rate of premature and avoidable deaths from suicide and drug/‌alcohol misuse is rising in the United States. These are sometimes referred to as deaths of despair based on evidence that they are concentrated in relatively poor communities with less access to social resources and low labor force participation. The pattern was first noted in middle-aged White men but seems to be gradually spreading to other ethnic groups. As a first step in establishing a psychological response to this public health issue, the present article summarizes two studies that compared psychological variables to demographics as predictors of hopefulness. A number of intriguing findings emerged. Despite concerns about American despair and conflict, U.S. residents proved the most hopeful among residents of eight countries. Low-income Americans are particularly hopeful except for low-income Whites. Positive character traits and primal beliefs about the world generally proved to be better predictors of hope than ethnicity, financial status, or their interaction. A number of relationships were found between psychological variables and community demographics. The findings as a group suggest hopefulness is driven more by psychological variables than by life circumstances. It is suggested that psychologists could play an important role in the study of this topic by implementing programs intended to enhance hopefulness in impoverished populations, and by encouraging an intentional communal focus on the importance of enhancing well-being.

Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use in Patients With Cancer and Immigration Background

PURPOSE

Studies have shown that patients with cancer are more likely to use complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) than noncancer patients for symptom relief and hope. We aimed to evaluate factors of race, ethnic groups, and immigration status in attitude of patients with cancer in seeking out CAM.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

This is a prospective questionnaire study where information on demographics, cancer information, race/ethnicity, immigration duration, and psychosocial factors was correlated with the CAM use in a community cancer center located in the borough of Brooklyn, at New York City.

RESULTS

Among 658 patients, the prevalence of CAM use was 66.11%. CAM use was 71.98% in females and 54.34% in males (P = .113 × 10-4). Patients of African descent had higher CAM use (72.73%) than the White patients (63.53%; P = .0371). There was no difference of CAM use between the US born (68.77%) and the immigrants (63.98%, P = .199) as a whole; however, comparing with the US born (66.50%), Asian-born immigrants had lower CAM use (53.77%, P = .0161), whereas Latin-American born had a numerical trend toward higher CAM use (74.83%, P = .0608). The number of years of living in the United States was not associated with more CAM use. Prayer and spirituality was the most common CAM subtype used (25.91%). There was no difference in CAM use in the respective non-White ethnic groups whether they were US born or non-US born.

CONCLUSION

In this cohort of patients with cancer enriched with immigration background, CAM use was the highest in African American patients. The use of CAM in the non-White patients was associated with their ethnic background, regardless whether they were US born or not. Cultural roots appeared to be a strong influencing factor for the usage of CAM.

Getting our hopes up: How actors perceive network effectiveness and why it matters

Health care's grand challenges, such as continuously increasing costs, challenge the sustainability of health systems. Purpose-oriented networks are considered a favorable mode of organization to address these grand challenges. Therefore, it is crucial that they are effective. While network effectiveness is a heavily theorized, multi-dimensional concept that is often measured as a perception of actors, little is known about how network actors perceive effectiveness in practice and how this influences their behavior. In this study, we explored how network actors perceive network effectiveness using 32 interviews with representatives from network member organizations and regulatory agencies actor, 28 h of network meeting observations, and 1.272 pages of documents such as meeting minutes and media outlets. Our results show that actors primarily see hard outcomes (e.g. changes in cost or quality of care) as effectiveness but given the temporal nature of these goals and difficulties quantifying them, they resort to the collaborative process as a proxy to assess effectiveness. Actors engage in networks to solve grand challenges. However, conforming to expectations and environmental pressures also play a substantial role for actors to (continue to) participate in networks. In the absence of hard outcomes, actors legitimize their continued participation in networks using the collaborative process of networks. Actors therefore take purpose-oriented networks for granted as a legitimate way of organizing. Besides attempting to solve grand challenges, networks thus also seem to be adopted because of powerful institutional rules that function as rationalized myths, to gain legitimacy. Future research should be aware of and further unravel the institutional pressures in networks.

The Association Between Spirituality and Hope Among Turkish Women Undergoing Infertility Treatment

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of spirituality on the levels of hope in women undergoing infertility treatment. This cross-sectional study was completed with the participation of 150 women undergoing IVF treatment at a university hospital in Kocaeli. In this study the women's spiritual well-being levels were high, and their hope levels were above the average score. Significant correlations were found between hope, spirituality, educational status, and age. Since attempts to boost hope will increase the chance of success in treatment, it is thought that factors affecting the level of hope should be determined and addressed. It is also thought that health professionals can apply hope therapy to women and take initiatives to provide spiritual support.

Hope-hype of green innovation, corporate governance index, and impact on firm financial performance: a comparative study of Southeast Asian countries

The current production and conception have impacted the environmental hazards. Green innovation (GI) is the ideal solution for sustainable production, consumption, and ecological conservation. The objective of the study is to compare comprehensive green innovation (green product, process, service, and organization) impact on firm financial performance in Malaysia and Indonesia, along with the first study to measure the moderation role of the corporate governance index. This study has addressed the gap by developing the green innovation and corporate governance index. Collected panel data from the top 188 publicly listed firms for 3 years and analyzed it using the general least square method. The empirical evidence demonstrates that the green innovation practice is better in Malaysia, and the outcome also shows that the significance level is higher in Indonesia. This study also provides empirical evidence that board composition has a positive moderation relationship betwixt GI and business performance in Malaysia but is insignificant in Indonesia. This comparative study provides new insights to the policymakers and practitioners of both countries to monitor and manage green innovation practices.

Cradling Hope

In this narrative medicine essay, a physician recounts her family’s experience with critical illness and death and how she came to appreciate both the health care team’s perspective and the family’s perspective regarding when to have hope and when to let go.

A new immune checkpoint-associated nine-gene signature for prognostic prediction of glioblastoma

Glioblastoma (GBM) is a highly malignant neurological tumor that has a poor prognosis. While pyroptosis affects cancer cell proliferation, invasion and migration, function of pyroptosis-related genes (PRGs) in GBM as well as the prognostic significance of PRGs remain obscure. By analyzing the mechanisms involved in the association between pyroptosis and GBM, our study hopes to provide new insights into the treatment of GBM. Here, 32 out of 52 PRGs were identified as the differentially expressed genes between GBM tumor versus normal tissues. And all GBM cases were assigned to 2 groups according to the expression of the differentially expressed genes using comprehensive bioinformatics analysis. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator analysis led to the construction of a 9-gene signature, and the cancer genome atlas cohort of GBM patients were categorized into high risk and low risk subgroups. A significant increase in the survival possibility was found in low risk patients in comparison with the high risk ones. Consistently, low risk patients of a gene expression omnibus cohort displayed a markedly longer overall survival than the high risk counterparts. The risk score calculated using the gene signature was found to be an independent predictor of survival of GBM cases. Besides, we observed significant differences in the expression levels of immune checkpoints between the high risk versus low risk GBM cases, providing instructive suggestions for immunotherapy of GBM. Overall, the present study developed a new multigene signature for prognostic prediction of GBM.