Reliability of acute illness dihydrorhodamine-123 testing for chronic granulomatous disease.

Background: Dihydrorhodamine (DHR) flow cytometric analysis is used to evaluate granulocyte oxidative bursts and is the test of choice for the diagnosis of chronic granulomatous disease (CGD). We present the clinical and DHR test profiles of five subjects assessed during and after acute illness.

Methods: This was a retrospective report of the findings of five out of a total of one hundred and seventeen patients, whose blood was sent to the laboratory for dihydrorhodamine-123 flow cytometry testing between January 2005 and December 2010.

Maintenance of patency of central venous access devices by registered nurses in an acute ambulatory setting: an evidence utilisation project.

Aim: The aim of the project was to implement the best practice for the maintenance of patency for central venous access devices by registered nurses in an acute ambulatory setting.

Method: This project utilised the Joanna Briggs Institute Practical Application of Clinical Evidence System and Getting Research into Practice programs to facilitate a process of change using an audit, feedback and re-audit cycle as a strategy to improve clinical practice. The team conducted the project in three phases over a 5-month period (July to November 2011).

An online Symptom Care and Management System to monitor and support patients receiving chemotherapy: a pilot study.

This pilot study aimed to explore the benefits of an online Symptom Care and Management System (SCMS) in the home monitoring and symptom management of patients receiving chemotherapy. A single-group experimental design was employed, and four patients aged 39-59 years undergoing their first chemotherapy treatment were recruited from one cancer centre in Singapore from November 2010 to February 2011. A mixed method was used to collect patient's data.

Myocardial density analysis utilizing automated myocardial defect analysis software on resting 320-detector MDCT.

Cardiac CT myocardial perfusion is an emerging tool utilizing differences in myocardial density of ischemic compared to normal myocardium. We sought to document the contrast enhanced density profile of myocardial segments subtended by severely stenotic coronary arteries on rest (non stress) cardiac CT imaging, and compare the density with identical segments without ischemic disease. 100 cardiac CT studies were identified resulting in 25 normal patients, 37 with severe left anterior descending artery stenosis, 14 with severe left circumflex artery stenosis, and 24 with severe right coronary artery stenosis.

Nutritional screening among patients with cancer in an acute care hospital: a best practice implementation project.

Aim: This project sought to improve the nutritional screening practice among registered nurses in caring for adult patients with cancer.

Methods: This project used the pre- and post-implementation audit strategy using Joanna Briggs Institute Practical Application of Clinical Evidence System and Getting Research into Practice (JBI-PACES) module. The audit, feedback and re-audit sequence was the strategy used to improve clinical practice.

Patient handover in the oncology setting: an evidence utilisation project.

Background: Handover is an essential activity in nursing and is an integral part of communication as it will improve and ensure quality patient care in clinical practice. However, handover could be ineffective and harmful to patients and nurses if the information communicated is incorrect, irrelevant or omitted. Thus to achieve optimal care as well as to maintain patient safety, these information needs to be accurately communicated.

Enhancing hand hygiene in a polyclinic in Singapore.

Aims: This project intended to enhance the compliance rate of nurses (registered nurses and enrolled nurses) in a polyclinic to the five moments of hand hygiene. It proposed to conduct a preliminary baseline audit on the standard of hand hygiene practice, educate nurses on the five moments of hand hygiene in the polyclinic and conduct a post-implementation audit to capture the compliance rate of nurses on practising the five moments of hand hygiene.

Methods: The team conducted a pre- and post-implementation audit using the Joanna Briggs Institute Practical Application of Clinical Evidence System and Getting Research into Practice programme, from July 2011 through November 2011, over a period of 5 months.

Correct placement of blood pressure cuff during blood pressure measurement.

Aim: The aim of this project was to educate staff nurses and enrolled nurses on the correct placement of blood pressure cuff and monitor the compliance of best practice to audit criteria.

Methods: This project adopted a pre- and post-implementation audit approach. It utilised the Joanna Briggs Institute Practical Application of Clinical Evidence System and Getting Research into Practice programs.

Detectability of secretagogin in human erythrocytes.

Secretagogin is a six EF-hand calcium-binding protein that can identify granule cells in the dentate gyrus of hippocampus. The aim of this study was to determine if secretagogin can be detected in human blood cells. Eight adult males were recruited for blood analysis.

Systematic review on the relationship between the nursing shortage and job satisfaction, stress and burnout levels among nurses in oncology/haematology settings.

Aim: To establish the best available evidence regarding the relationship between the nursing shortage and nurses' job satisfaction, stress and burnout levels in oncology/haematology settings.

Methods: Electronic databases (CINAHL, Medline, Scopus, ScienceDirect, PsycInfo, PsycArticles, Web of Science, The Cochrane Library, Proquest and Mednar) were searched using a three-step strategy in order to identify published and unpublished studies conducted between 1990 and 2010. Grey literature was excluded in the review.

Urease activity represents an alternative pathway for Mycobacterium tuberculosis nitrogen metabolism.

Urease represents a critical virulence factor for some bacterial species through its alkalizing effect, which helps neutralize the acidic microenvironment of the pathogen. In addition, urease serves as a nitrogen source provider for bacterial growth. Pathogenic mycobacteria express a functional urease, but its role during infection has yet to be characterized.

Methotrexate chemotherapy promotes osteoclast formation in the long bone of rats via increased pro-inflammatory cytokines and enhanced NF-κB activation.

Cancer chemotherapy with methotrexate (MTX) is known to cause bone loss. However, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. This study investigated the potential role of MTX-induced pro-inflammatory cytokines and activation of NF-κB in the associated osteoclastogenesis in rats.

Singapore's anatomical future: quo vadis?

The disciplines of anatomy and surgery are not dichotomous since one is dependent on the other. Traditionally, surgeons predominantly taught gross and clinical anatomy. In this review, we examine the context of how human anatomy is taught nowadays.

Mediator acts upstream of the transcriptional activator Gal4.

The proteasome inhibitor MG132 had been shown to prevent galactose induction of the S. cerevisiae GAL1 gene, demonstrating that ubiquitin proteasome-dependent degradation of transcription factors plays an important role in the regulation of gene expression. The deletion of the gene encoding the F-box protein Mdm30 had been reported to stabilize the transcriptional activator Gal4 under inducing conditions and to lead to defects in galactose utilization, suggesting that recycling of Gal4 is required for its function.

Reliability, validity and feasibility of quality of life instruments for adult patients with cancer undergoing chemotherapy: result from a systematic review.

Aim: The aim of this review was to analyse the literature critically and present the best available evidence related to quality of life (QoL) instruments that consists of all four subscales of physical, psychological, social and spiritual, which can be used in the clinical setting to assess adult patients with cancer on chemotherapy.

Inclusion Criteria: This review included randomised control trials and observational studies without control group related to QoL instruments used for cancer chemotherapy. The types of participants for this review included all adults with cancer over the age of 18 years who have undergone chemotherapy.

Nurses' perceptions of the barriers in effective communication with inpatient cancer adults in Singapore.

Aim: This study investigated the factors affecting effective communication between Singaporean registered nurses and inpatient oncology adults.

Background: In oncology nursing, where conversations entail emotionally loaded topics and patients' receptivity is greatly affected by their life-threatening disease and its trajectory, effective communication is crucial.

Design: This is a qualitative study situated within the interpretivism paradigm.

Effectiveness of the Sitz bath in managing adult patients with anorectal disorders.

Objective: The objective of this review was to critically analyze and systematically review the best evidence related to the effectiveness of the Sitz bath in managing adult patients with anorectal disorders.

Methods: The text terms were established and searched systematically from the relevant databases from 1990 to November 2009 in the English language. The eligible studies that were congruent with the review's inclusion criteria were selected.

Paclitaxel inhibits osteoclast formation and bone resorption via influencing mitotic cell cycle arrest and RANKL-induced activation of NF-κB and ERK.

Pathological bone destruction (osteolysis) is a hallmark of many bone diseases including tumor metastasis to bone, locally osteolytic giant cell tumor (GCT) of bone, and Paget's disease. Paclitaxel is frequently prescribed in the treatment of several malignant tumors where it has been shown to exert beneficial effects on bone lesions. However, the mechanism(s) through which paclitaxel regulates osteoclast formation and function remain ill defined.

Rational disruption of the oligomerization of the mini-ferritin E. coli DPS through protein-protein interface mutation.

DNA-binding protein from starved cells (DPS), a mini-ferritin capable of self-assembling into a 12-meric nano-cage, was chosen as the basis for an alanine-shaving mutagenesis study to investigate the importance of key amino acid residues, located at symmetry-related protein-protein interfaces, in controlling protein stability and self-assembly. Nine mutants were designed through simple inspection, synthesized, and subjected to transmission electron microscopy, circular dichroism, size exclusion chromatography, and "virtual alanine scanning" computational analysis. The data indicate that many of these residues may be hot spot residues.

Anxiety in women with breast cancer undergoing treatment: a systematic review.

Background: Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers worldwide, and anxiety is a psychological morbidity that is inevitable. Many researchers have investigated the prevalence and detrimental effects of anxiety in breast cancer treatment, but little is known about differences in anxiety level among women receiving different breast cancer treatments. A systematic review of all available literature was needed to attain better understanding of anxiety in patients undergoing treatment for breast cancer.

Naringin abrogates osteoclastogenesis and bone resorption via the inhibition of RANKL-induced NF-κB and ERK activation.

Osteolytic bone diseases including osteoporosis are commonly accompanied with enhanced osteoclast formation and bone resorption. Naringin, a natural occurring flavonoid has been found to protect against retinoic acid-induced osteoporosis and improve bone quality in rats. Here, we showed that naringin perturbs osteoclast formation and bone resorption by inhibiting RANK-mediated NF-κB and ERK signaling.

Singaporean nurses' provision of guidance to parents on non-pharmacological postoperative pain-relief methods: An educational intervention study.

This study examined the impact of an educational intervention (booklet distribution and lectures) on Singaporean nurses' provision of guidance to parents on the use of non-pharmacological methods of pain relief for their child's postoperative pain. Using a quasi-experimental one-group pre- and post-test study design, 134 and 112 registered nurses completed the questionnaires pre- and post-test, respectively. More than 75% of the nurses "always" guided parents to use breathing techniques, relaxation, positioning, comforting/reassurance, helping with activities of daily living, and creating a comfortable environment in the pretest and touch, presence, and distraction in addition to the aforementioned methods in the post-test.