Multitarget and suspect-screening of antimicrobials in vegetables samples: Uptake experiments and identification of transformation products

This work provided an accurate analytical method to perform a multitarget analysis of a variety of antimicrobials (AMs) including sulfonamides, tetracyclines, macrolides, fluoroquinolones and quinolones, one imidazole and one nitroimidazole, one triazole, one diaminopyridine and one derivative of Penicillium stoloniferum in vegetables. The analysis is performed using liquid-chromatography coupled to a low-resolution triple quadrupole mass spectrometer (UHPLC-MS/MS) to detect the target analytesor coupled to a high-resolution q-Orbitrap (HRMS) to monitor the formed transformation products (TPs). Both instruments were compared in terms of limits of quantification and matrix effect at the detection. The method was applied to determine the presence of AMs in organic and non-organic vegetables, where sulfadiazine and mycophenolic acid were detected. On the other hand, the transference of four AMs (trimethoprim, sulfamethazine, enrofloxacin, and chlortetracycline) from soils to lettuces was evaluated through controlled uptake experiments. The choice of AMs was based on the classification into different families, and on the fact that those AM families are the most frequently detected in the environment. In this case, each of the AMs with which the soils were contaminated were found in the exposed lettuces. Moreover, in both studies, specific TPs of the AMs were identified, posing the necessity of assessing their effects in relation to food and human safety.

Observation of Seven Astrophysical Tau Neutrino Candidates with IceCube

We report on a measurement of astrophysical tau neutrinos with 9.7 yr of IceCube data. Using convolutional neural networks trained on images derived from simulated events, seven candidate ν_{τ} events were found with visible energies ranging from roughly 20 TeV to 1 PeV and a median expected parent ν_{τ} energy of about 200 TeV. Considering backgrounds from astrophysical and atmospheric neutrinos, and muons from π^{±}/K^{±} decays in atmospheric air showers, we obtain a total estimated background of about 0.5 events, dominated by non-ν_{τ} astrophysical neutrinos. Thus, we rule out the absence of astrophysical ν_{τ} at the 5σ level. The measured astrophysical ν_{τ} flux is consistent with expectations based on previously published IceCube astrophysical neutrino flux measurements and neutrino oscillations.

Measurements of All-Particle Energy Spectrum and Mean Logarithmic Mass of Cosmic Rays from 0.3 to 30 PeV with LHAASO-KM2A

We present the measurements of all-particle energy spectrum and mean logarithmic mass of cosmic rays in the energy range of 0.3-30 PeV using data collected from LHAASO-KM2A between September 2021 and December 2022, which is based on a nearly composition-independent energy reconstruction method, achieving unprecedented accuracy. Our analysis reveals the position of the knee at 3.67±0.05±0.15  PeV. Below the knee, the spectral index is found to be -2.7413±0.0004±0.0050, while above the knee, it is -3.128±0.005±0.027, with the sharpness of the transition measured with a statistical error of 2%. The mean logarithmic mass of cosmic rays is almost heavier than helium in the whole measured energy range. It decreases from 1.7 at 0.3 PeV to 1.3 at 3 PeV, representing a 24% decline following a power law with an index of -0.1200±0.0003±0.0341. This is equivalent to an increase in abundance of light components. Above the knee, the mean logarithmic mass exhibits a power law trend towards heavier components, which is reversal to the behavior observed in the all-particle energy spectrum. Additionally, the knee position and the change in power-law index are approximately the same. These findings suggest that the knee observed in the all-particle spectrum corresponds to the knee of the light component, rather than the medium-heavy components.

[Diagnosis and treatment of arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy in children]

Objective: To summarize the clinical manifestations, experiences in diagnosis and treatment of arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (ACM) in children. Methods: A retrospective analysis of the clinical manifestations, laboratory tests, radiological features, treatment and follow-up results was conducted in 11 children diagnosed with ACM at the center of congenital heart disease, Beijing anzhen hospital from May 2010 to March 2022. Results: A total of 11 patients aged 2 to 16 years, including 5 males and 6 females were diagnosed with ACM. The clinical manifestations included decreased activity tolerance (7 patients), heart failure (4 patients), syncope or sudden death (3 patients), palpitation (3 patients), and chest tightness and pain (3 patients). Electrocardiogram showed right bundle branch block in 9 cases, paroxysmal ventricular tachycardia in 4 cases, frequent premature ventricular contraction in 4 cases, ventricular pre-excitation in 1 case, left bundle branch block in 1 case, and first degree atrioventricular block in 2 cases. Echocardiography showed enlargement of the right heart, widening of the right ventricular outflow tract, and thinning and bulging of the local wall of the right ventricle with reduced pulsation. Ventricular thrombosis was found in 2 cases. Six children underwent cardiac magnetic resonance imaging, which mainly showed severe enlargement of the right heart, thin free wall of the right ventricle, decreased right heart function, enhanced right ventricular myocardium, and formation of right ventricular aneurysm. Two children underwent myocardial biopsy examination and presented with typical pathological changes of ACM. Genetic tests in five patients revealed DSG2 gene mutation in 2 cases, PKP2 gene mutation in 2 cases, and MYH6 gene mutation in 1 case. All patients received anti heart failure treatment and antiarrhythmic drugs. Two children received anticoagulant treatment due to ventricular thrombosis. Radiofrequency ablation was performed in 2 patients. Glenn procedure was performed in 4 patients, and heart transplantation was performed in 1 patient due to progressive heart failure. The follow-up period ranged from 6 months to 12 years. Two cases died of right heart failure, 6 cases had different degrees of heart failure, 1 case had intermittent chest tightness and pain, and 2 cases were stable. Conclusions: ACM is a progressive genetic cardiomyopathy characterized by decreased activity tolerance, cardiac failure and arrhythmia in pediatric patients. The diagnosis is mainly based on clinical manifestations, electrocardiogram, cardiac imaging changes, and genetic testing. Early detection, diagnosis, and personalized treatment can improve the prognosis.

Laser-Induced Preparation of Anderson-Type Polyoxometalate-Derived Sulfide/Oxide Electrocatalysts for Electrochemical Water Oxidation

Developing cost-effective and high-active electrocatalysts is vital to enhance the electrocatalytic performance for oxygen evolution reaction (OER). However, traditional pyrolysis methods require complicated procedures, exact temperatures, and long reaction times, leading to high costs and low yields of electrocatalysts in potential industrial applications. Herein, a rapid and economic laser-induced preparation strategy is proposed to synthesize three bimetallic sulfide/oxide composites (MMoOS, M=Fe, Co, and Ni) on a nickel foam (NF) substrate. A focused CO2 laser with high energy is applied to decompose Anderson-type polyoxometalate (POM)-based precursors, enabling the creation of abundant heteropore and defective structures in the MMoOS composites that have multi-components of MS/Mo4O11/MoS2. Remarkably, owing to the structural interactions between the active species, FeMoOS shows superior electrocatalytic performance for OER in an alkaline medium, exhibiting a low overpotential of 240 mV at 50 mA cm-2, a small Tafel slope of 79 mV dec-1, and good durability for 80 h. Physical characterizations after OER imply that partially dissolved Mo-based species and new-formed NiO/NiOOH can effectively uncover abundant active sites, fasten charge transfer, and modify defective structures. This work provides a rapid laser-induced irradiation method for the synthesis of POM-derived nanocomposites as promoted electrocatalysts.

[Clinical and prognostic analysis of opsoclonus-myoclonus-ataxia syndrome in children]

Objective: To summarize the clinical and prognostic features of children with opsoclonus-myoclonus-ataxia syndrome (OMAS). Methods: A total of 46 patients who met the diagnostic criteria of OMAS in the Department of Neurology, Beijing Children's Hospital from June 2015 to June 2023 were retrospectively analyzed. Centralized online consultations or telephone visits were conducted between June and August 2023. The data of the children during hospitalization and follow-up were collected, including clinical manifestations, assistant examination, treatment and prognosis. According to the presence or absence of tumor, the patients were divided into two groups. The chi-square test or Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare the differences between the two groups. Univariate Logistic regression was used to analyze the factors related to OMAS recurrence and prognosis. Results: There were 46 patients, with 25 males and the onset age of 1.5 (1.2, 2.4) years. Twenty-six (57%) patients were diagnosed with neuroblastoma during the course of the disease, and no patients were categorized into the high-risk group. A total of 36 patients (78%) were followed up for≥6 months, and all of them were treated with first-line therapy with glucocorticoids, gammaglobulin and (or) adrenocorticotrophic hormone. Among the 36 patients, 9 patients (25%) were treated with second-line therapy for ≥3 months, including rituximab or cyclophosphamide, and 17 patients (47%) received chemotherapy related to neuroblastoma. At the follow-up time of 4.2 (2.2, 5.5) years, 10 patients (28%) had relapsed of OMAS. The Mitchell and Pike OMS rating scale score at the final follow-up was 0.5 (0, 2.0). Seven patients (19%) were mildly cognitively behind their peers and 6 patients (17%) were severely behind. Only 1 patient had tumor recurrence during follow-up. The history of vaccination or infection before onset was more common in the non-tumor group than in the tumor group (55%(11/20) vs. 23%(6/26), χ²=4.95, P=0.026). Myoclonus occurred more frequently in the non-tumor group (40%(8/20) vs. 4%(1/26), χ²=7.23, P=0.007) as the onset symptom. Univariate Logistic regression analysis showed that the tumor group had less recurrence (OR=0.19 (0.04-0.93), P=0.041). The use of second-line therapy or chemotherapy within 6 months of the disease course had a better prognosis (OR=11.64 (1.27-106.72), P=0.030). Conclusions: OMAS in children mostly starts in early childhood, and about half are combined with neuroblastoma. Neuroblastoma in combination with OMAS usually has a low risk classification and good prognosis. When comparing patients with OMAS with and without tumors, the latter have a more common infection or vaccination triggers, and myoclonus, as the onset symptom, is more common. Early addition of second-line therapy is associated with better prognosis in OMAS.

Dulaglutide treatment reverses depression-like behavior and hippocampal metabolomic homeostasis in mice exposed to chronic mild stress

INTRODUCTION

Treatment strategies for depression based on interventions for glucose and lipid metabolism disorders are receiving increasing attention. Investigating the mechanism of their antidepressant effect and exploring new diagnostic and therapeutic biomarkers have attracted increasing attention. Dulaglutide, a long-acting GLP-1 receptor agonist, has been reported to alleviate cognitive deficits and neuronal damage. However, the antidepressant effect of dulaglutide and, especially, the underlying mechanism are still poorly understood. In this study, we aimed to explore the underlying biomarkers of depression and potential modulatory targets of dulaglutide in chronic mild stress (CMS) mice.

METHODS

Sixty mice were randomly divided into a control group (CON group), a CMS+Vehicle group (CMS+Veh group), a CMS+0.3 mg/kg dulaglutide group (Low Dula group), and a CMS+0.6 mg/kg dulaglutide group (High Dula group). Numerous behavioral tests, mainly the open field test, forced swimming test, and tail suspension test, were applied to evaluate the potential effect of dulaglutide treatment on anxiety- and depression-like behaviors in mice exposed to chronic stress. Furthermore, a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry-based metabolomics approach was utilized to investigate the associated mechanisms of dulaglutide treatment.

RESULTS

Three weeks of dulaglutide treatment significantly reversed depressive-like but not anxiety-like behaviors in mice exposed to chronic stress for 4 weeks. The results from the metabolomics analysis showed that a total of 20 differentially expressed metabolites were identified between the CON and CMS+Veh groups, and 46 metabolites were selected between the CMS+Veh and High Dula groups in the hippocampus of the mice. Comprehensive analysis indicated that lipid metabolism, amino acid metabolism, energy metabolism, and tryptophan metabolism were disrupted in model mice that experienced depression and underwent dulaglutide therapy.

CONCLUSION

The antidepressant effects of dulaglutide in a CMS depression model were confirmed. We identified 64 different metabolites and four major pathways associated with metabolic pathophysiological processes. These primary data provide a new perspective for understanding the antidepressant-like effects of dulaglutide and may facilitate the use of dulaglutide as a potential therapeutic strategy for depression.

A case report of fatal familial insomnia with cerebrospinal fluid leukocytosis during the COVID-19 epidemic and review of the literature

Fatal familial insomnia (FFI) is a rare autosomal dominant genetic neurodegenerative disease. Generally, FFI patients will develop rapidly progressive dementia, sleep disturbance, autonomic dysfunction, and so on. Cerebrospinal fluid examination of FFI patients normally shows no obvious abnormalities. Here, we report a young male patient who was diagnosed with FFI during the COVID-19 epidemic. Clinical symptoms include psychobehavioral abnormality, cognitive decline, sleep disturbance, and autonomic dysfunction. No abnormalities were found in routine examinations after admission. However, the number of white blood cells in the cerebrospinal fluid increased. Though the patient was treated with anti-infection and immunotherapy, the symptoms were not relieved. A lumbar puncture was performed again, and it was found that the total Tau protein in the cerebrospinal fluid was elevated, and PET results showed that brain metabolism decreased. Finally, a genetic test was used to confirm the diagnosis of FFI. This case suggests that patients with FFI may also have elevated white blood cells in cerebrospinal fluid and timely detection of Tau protein in cerebrospinal fluid is helpful for early identification of FFI. And precise diagnosis relies on genetic testing.

Red cell distribution in critically ill patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

BACKGROUND

Red blood cell distribution width (RDW) is associated with increased mortality risk in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, limited data are available for critically ill patients with COPD.

METHODS

Data from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care III V1.4 database were analyzed in this retrospective cohort research. The International Classification of Diseases codes were used to identify critically ill patients with COPD. The first value of RDW was extracted within the first 24 h after intensive care unit admission. The endpoint was 28-day all-cause mortality. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to examine the relationship between RDW and 28-day mortality. Age, sex, ethnicity, anemia status, comorbidities, clinical therapy, and disease severity score were considered for subgroup analysis.

RESULTS

A total of 2,344 patients were included with mean (standard deviation) age of 72.3 (11.3) years, in which 1,739 (53.6%) patients were men. The increase in RDW was correlated with an increased risk of 28-day mortality in the multivariate logistic regression model (odds ratio [OR] 1.15; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.09-1.21). In comparison with the low-RDW group, the middle and high-RDW groups tended to have higher risks of 28-day all-cause mortality (OR [95% CI] 1.03 [0.78-1.34]; OR [95% CI] 1.70 [1.29-2.22]; P trend < 0.0001). Subgroup analyses show no evidence of effect modifications on the correlation of RDW and 28-day all-cause mortality.

CONCLUSION

An increase in RDW was associated with an increased risk of 28-day all-cause mortality in critically ill patients with COPD. Further studies are required to investigate this association.

Imputation methods for informative censoring in survival analysis with time dependent covariates

Cox proportional hazards model has been an established model for survival analysis. The flexibility of incorporating time dependent covariates has made the analysis more suitable in many clinical trials when the time dependent covariates may be predictive factors for the events. Subjects are censored for various reasons, but they are usually nonnormatively censored in the analysis. Methods for informative censoring are not well studied for settings with time dependent covariates. In this paper, we propose a few methods for informative censoring in survival analysis by Cox model with time dependent covariates, including tipping point method and Reference Based Imputation (Jump to Reference and Copy Reference). The implementation of these methods by multiple imputation is described and illustrated with two data examples.

Prevalence and factors of posttraumatic growth among Hubei residents during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional study

The adverse impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health has been widely concerned, but the research on positive psychological factors is insufficient, this study aims to investigate the prevalence and factors of posttraumatic growth (PTG) among residents in the worst-hit areas of China (Hubei Province). We were conducted in three disaster areas with different severity in Hubei Province three months after the outbreak, and the data were from 575 respondents. Instruments included the simplified Chinese version of the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (C-PTGI) and the public health emergency psychological questionnaire. Nonparametric tests, Spearman correlation analyses, and multiple linear regression equations were used to analyze the data. The results showed that three months after the outbreak of COVID-19, the PTG of Hubei residents was at a low level, and their sense of fear was the most prominent, with a positive detection rate of 82.09%. According to the results of this study, high PTG levels were associated with high levels of fear, married and healthcare providers, while low levels of PTG were associated with serious chronic diseases, males, good economic status, and poor prevention and control measures. Government departments should strengthen social support for residents, carry out necessary stress management training to help them correctly deal with negative emotions and promote their personal growth.

Psychological capital among clinical nurses: A latent profile analysis

AIM

To determine the psychological capital level of nurses and explore the latent profiles of nurses regarding their psychological capital scores.

BACKGROUND

The use of individual-centered analysis for the connotation of nurses' psychological capital structure is less studied and still needs to be further explored.

METHODS

By the convenience sampling method, 494 clinical nurses from 7 general hospitals in Sichuan province were selected. The study was conducted from December 2022 to February 2023. Latent profile analysis was used for data analysis. We followed STROBE guidelines in this research.

RESULTS

The total mean score of nurses' psychological capital is 5.17 (SD = 0.8). The following four latent profiles were identified: "poor" (4.5%), "medium" (22.9%), "well-off" (41.5%), and "rich" (31.1%). Multiple logistic regression showed that the number of hours worked per day and the number of night shifts per month were negative predictors of psychological capital, and psychological training and job satisfaction were protective factors of psychological capital.

DISCUSSION

Our study found that the four profiles can be distinguished by "poor," "well-off," "medium," and "rich" levels of psychological capital. Among them, more than 70% of the nurses belonged to the well-off and rich profiles, and the number of the poor profile was the lowest.

CONCLUSION

The overall psychological capital of clinical nurses is at a medium-high level. Each profile is influenced by multiple sociodemographic factors (i.e., age, working hours, monthly income, psychological training, and job satisfaction).

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING AND HEALTH POLICY

Administrators should develop enhancement strategies to improve the mental health of nurses based on the characteristics of their psychological capital profiles.

Laser-induced immobilization of an amorphous iron-phosphate/Fe3O4 composite on nickel foam for efficient water oxidation

A laser-induced immobilization strategy is applied to prepare an amorphous iron-phosphate/Fe3O4 (L-FePO) composite on a nickel foam (NF) support. By laser-irradiating an iron hydrogen phosphate (FeHP) precursor, a melting and oxidation process leads to the generation of L-FePO with hierarchical pores and an amorphous structure. L-FePO shows exceptional electrocatalytic performance for the OER in an alkaline electrolyte, demonstrating an overpotential of 256 mV at 100 mA cm-2, a Tafel slope of 71 mV dec-1, and good stability over 100 h. The active Fe3O4, partially dissolved phosphate, and newly formed FeOOH species provide abundant active sites, contributing to the excellent OER performance.

[Study on the current status and relationship between psychological capital and compassion fatigue with work engagement of clinical nurses]

Objective: To explore the relationship between clinical nurses' psychological capital, compassion fatigue with work engagement, and analyze the mediating effect of psychological capital between compassion fatigue and work engagement, so as to provide scientific evidence for reducing compassion fatigue and improving work engagement of clinical nurses. Methods: From December 2021 to February 2022, 494 clinical nurses from 7 general hospitals in Sichuan Province were selected for the study using convenience sampling. The General Information Questionnaire, the Compassion Fatigue Short Scale, the Work Engagement Short Scale and the Psychological Capital Questionnaire for Nurses were used to conduct the survey. Pearson correlation was used to analyze the correlation between compassion fatigue, work engagement and psychological capital. And stepwise regression analysis and Bootstrap method were used to analyze the effects of compassion fatigue and psychological capital on work engagement as well as the mediating effect of psychological capital between compassion fatigue and work engagement. Results: Of the 494 clinical nurses, 33 (6.7%) were male and 461 (93.3%) were female, with an average age of (31.47±6.89) years old and an average working years (9.87±7.61) years. The average scores of psychological capital, compassion fatigue and work engagement of clinical nurses were (5.01±0.76), (3.19±2.08) and (4.60±1.37) points, respectively. Compassion fatigue was negatively correlated with psychological capital and work engagement (r=-0.608, -0.580, P<0.001), and work engagement was positively correlated with psychological capital (r=0.771, P<0.001). Compassion fatigue and psychological capital together accounted for 61.3% of the variation in work engagement, with the direct effects on work engagement were -0.206 (95%CI: -0.283--0.138, P<0.001) and 0.677 (95%CI: 0.599-0.744, P=0.001), respectively. Psychological capital partially mediated the relationship between compassion fatigue and work engagement, with a mediating effect of -0.397 (95%CI: -0.456--0.340, P<0.001), accounting for 65.8% of the total effect. Conclusion: The work engagement of clinical nurses is at a high level. Managers should take targeted measures to alleviate the symptoms of clinical nurses' compassion fatigue, improve their psychological capital, and then stabilize and improve their level of work engagement.

Associations between triglyceride glucose index and depression in middle-aged and elderly adults: A cross-sectional study

The pathogenesis of depression is unclear, and it responds poorly to treatment. It is thus urgent to identify the pathogenesis of depression and possible therapeutic targets. There may be interactions between insulin resistance (IR) and depression. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between depression, triglyceride glucose (TyG) index. The study participants were 198 middle-aged and elderly patients who were admitted to the Hebei General Hospital between January 1, 2021, and August 31, 2022, together with 189 healthy adults as controls. Depression was diagnosed according to ICD-10 diagnostic criteria for depression. IR was assessed by the TyG index. Compared with the control group, patients suffering from depression had higher TyG index (P = .00); There were significant differences in the sex ratio (P = .00), family history (P = .00), body mass index (P = .008), total cholesterol (P = .00), fasting blood glucose (P = .004), high-density lipoprotein (P = .00), and low-density lipoprotein (P = .001) levels between the 2 groups. After excluding other confounding factors, the TyG index was found to be independently associated with depression, with an OR of 2.75. These data support an association of depression with the TyG index. IR thus appears to be a risk factor for depression.

Measurement of Ultra-High-Energy Diffuse Gamma-Ray Emission of the Galactic Plane from 10 TeV to 1 PeV with LHAASO-KM2A

The diffuse Galactic γ-ray emission, mainly produced via interactions between cosmic rays and the interstellar medium and/or radiation field, is a very important probe of the distribution, propagation, and interaction of cosmic rays in the Milky Way. In this Letter, we report the measurements of diffuse γ rays from the Galactic plane between 10 TeV and 1 PeV energies, with the square kilometer array of the Large High Altitude Air Shower Observatory (LHAASO). Diffuse emissions from the inner (15°10  TeV). The energy spectrum in the inner Galaxy regions can be described by a power-law function with an index of -2.99±0.04, which is different from the curved spectrum as expected from hadronic interactions between locally measured cosmic rays and the line-of-sight integrated gas content. Furthermore, the measured flux is higher by a factor of ∼3 than the prediction. A similar spectrum with an index of -2.99±0.07 is found in the outer Galaxy region, and the absolute flux for 10≲E≲60  TeV is again higher than the prediction for hadronic cosmic ray interactions. The latitude distributions of the diffuse emission are consistent with the gas distribution, while the longitude distributions show clear deviation from the gas distribution. The LHAASO measurements imply that either additional emission sources exist or cosmic ray intensities have spatial variations.

[Comparative analysis of seroepidemiological survey results of hepatitis B among people aged 1-69 years in Tibet Autonomous Region in 2014 and 2020]

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of hepatitis B prevention and control in Tibet Autonomous Region by comparative analysis of the results of seroepidemiological surveys of hepatitis B in 2014 and 2020. Methods: The required sample size was calculated based on the estimated HBsAg positivity rates of permanent residents aged 1-4, 5-14, 15-29, and 30-69 years. A total of 7 163 people and 4 802 people were required in 2014 and 2020, respectively. The subjects were selected by stratified multistage cluster random sampling method, using questionnaires to obtain basic information, and 5 ml of venous blood was collected from each subject to detect HBsAg, anti-HBs, and anti-HBc, and rechecked the HBsAg positive samples. SPSS 22.0 software was used to analyze the survey results, calculate the positive rate and 95% confidence interval. Results: A total of 7 069 people were investigated in 2014 and 4 913 people in 2020. In 2020, the positive rate of HBsAg, anti-HBs, and anti-HBc was 9.20% (452/4 913), 37.11% (1 823/4 913), and 32.75% (1 609/4 913), respectively, and decreased by 22.95%, 15.54%, and 1.92% as compared with the rate in 2014. The positive rate of HBsAg of people aged 1-, 5-, 15- and 30-69 years in 2020 was 2.23% (8/358), 2.85% (20/701), 6.86% (69/1 006) and 12.46%(355/2 848), respectively, decreased by 61.82%, 62.75%, 54.81% and 24.21% as compared with the rate in 2014. The positive rate of anti-HBs of people aged 1-4 years was 52.79% (189/358), 10.30% increased compared with 2014; for people aged 5-, 15-, and 30-69 years was 32.67% (229/701), 37.67% (379/1 006) and 36.03%(1 026/2 848), respectively, decreased by 20.84%, 14.13% and 16.52% as compared with the rate in 2014. The positive rate of anti-HBc of people aged 1-, 5-, 15-, 30-69 years was 4.19% (15/358), 6.42%(45/701), 21.07% (212/1 006), and 46.95% (1 337/2 848), respectively, decreased by 59.63%, 58.93%, 50.49%, and 12.10% as compared with the rate in 2014. Conclusions: The prevention and control of hepatitis B in Tibet have made partial achievements. The prevalence of HBsAg among people aged 1-69 years in 2020 had declined compared with 2014, but it is still at a high epidemic level. People have a high risk of HBV infection for a low level of anti-HBs. It is necessary to strengthen the vaccination of hepatitis B further and effectively implement the strategy of blocking mothers and children of the hepatitis B virus.

The levels and related factors of mental workload among nurses: A systematic review and meta-analysis

AIM

The aim was to determine the overall levels and related factors of mental workload assessed using the NASA-TLX tool among nurses.

BACKGROUND

Mental workload is a key element that affects nursing performance. However, there exists no review regarding mental workload assessed using the NASA-TLX tool, focusing on nurses.

DESIGN

A systematic review and meta-analysis.

DATA SOURCES

PubMed, MEDLINE, Web of Science, EMBASE, PsycINFO, Scopus, CINAHL, CNKI, CBM, Weipu and WanFang databases were searched from 1 January 1998 to 30 February 2022.

REVIEW METHODS

Following the PRISMA statement recommendations, review methods resulted in 31 quantitative studies retained for inclusion which were evaluated with the evaluation criteria for observational studies as recommended by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. The data were pooled and a random-effects meta-analysis conducted.

RESULTS

Findings showed the pooled mental workload score was 65.24, and the pooled prevalence of high mental workload was 54%. Subgroup analysis indicated nurses in developing countries and emergency departments experienced higher mental workloads, and the mental workloads of front-line nurses increased significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic.

CONCLUSION

These findings highlight that nurses experience high mental workloads as assessed using the NASA-TLX tool and there is an urgent need to explore interventions to decrease their mental workloads.

Surface Adsorption of Amorphous Phosphate on RuNi-Doped Molybdate for the Hydrogen Evolution Reaction

Developing highly active and cost-effective electrocatalysts is critical for enhancing the intrinsic performance of electrocatalytic water splitting. Oxoanion-based compounds, such as phosphates and molybdates, have emerged as promising electrocatalysts owing to their advantageous properties of nontoxicity, low price, and strong water adsorption ability. However, their relatively inferior activity has impeded extensive investigation into electrochemical applications. Herein, an amorphous phosphate-adsorbed and RuNi-doped molybdate (RuNiMo-P) composite is synthesized on nickel foam (NF) support by using a simple two-step method. Significantly, an acidic solution of phosphomolybdic acid (PMo12), containing a low concentration of Ru, can etch the NF, contributing to the in situ growth of the RuNi-doped molybdate precursor. Subsequent phosphating ensures the surface formation of the amorphous phosphate layer due to abundant oxygen in the precursor. The strong structural interaction between RuNi-doped molybdate and amorphous phosphate in RuNiMo-P prompts an enhanced hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) performance, delivering an overpotential of 38 mV at a current density of -10 mA cm-2, a Tafel slope of 53 mV dec-1, and good stability in an alkaline medium. Characterizations after HER reveal that RuNi doping, partial dissolution of phosphate and molybdate species, and newly formed NiOOH nanosheets can expose active sites, facilitate charge transfer, and modify electronic structures, thereby improving the HER performance effectively.

Secondary traumatic stress and posttraumatic growth in newly graduated nurses: the mediating role of compassion satisfaction

BACKGROUND

Nurses' secondary traumatic stress, compassion satisfaction and posttraumatic growth are closely related, but for newly graduated nurses, there are few reports to evaluate the specific path between these three. The aim of this study was to investigate examine the mediating role of compassion satisfaction in secondary traumatic stress and posttraumatic growth among newly graduated nurses.

METHODS

From March 2021 to May 2021, a total of 330 newly graduated nurses from five tertiary hospitals in China were enrolled, and asked to complete questionnaires regarding secondary traumatic stress, compassion satisfaction and posttraumatic growth. Descriptive statistics, independent-samples T-test, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), Pearson correlation analysis and structural equation model were used in this study. A STROBE checklist was used to report findings.

RESULTS

The scores of secondary traumatic stress, compassion satisfaction and posttraumatic growth of newly graduated nurses were 27.11 ± 4.94 (score range: 10-50), 31.89 ± 6.22 (score range: 10-50) and 56.47 ± 20.41 (score range: 0-100), respectively. Additionally, structural equation modeling showed that compassion satisfaction mediated the relationship between secondary traumatic stress and posttraumatic growth with the partial mediating effect of 0.089.

CONCLUSIONS

Newly graduated nurses may experience moderate secondary traumatic stress, but their posttraumatic growth is at a low level, and compassion satisfaction significantly affects the relationship between the two. Nursing managers should strengthen psychological evaluation, and promote their posttraumatic growth by improving their level of compassion satisfaction.

[Chronic non-bacterial osteomyelitis with autoimmune hepatitis: a case report and literature review]

Objective: To summarize the clinical characteristics and treatments of chronic non-bacterial osteomyelitis with autoimmune hepatitis in children. Methods: A child who had chronic non-bacterial osteomyelitis with autoimmune hepatitis was admitted to the Department of Gastroenterology of the Children's Hospital Capital Institute of Pediatrics at April 2022. The clinical data was retrospectively analyzed. Using the keywords of "chronic non-bacterial osteomyelitis""autoimmune hepatitis" in Chinese and English, the literature from database establishment to December 2022 in CNKI, Wanfang, China Biomedical Literature Database and Pubmed was searched. Combined with this case, the clinical characteristics and treatment of chronic non-bacterial osteomyelitis combined with autoimmune hepatitis were analyzed. Results: A 5 years and 3 months girl was admitted to the Department of Gastroenterology of Children's Hospital, Capital Institute of Pediatrics for "transaminase elevated for 1 year and swelling of right maxillofacial area for half a year". The physical examinations at admission found a 4.0 cm × 4.0 cm swelling area with tenderness before the right ear, abdominal distention with visible abdominal wall vein, firm and enlarged liver (10.0 cm below the xiphoid and 4.5 cm below the right ribs), and splenomegaly (Line Ⅰ 10.0 cm, Line Ⅱ 11.5 cm, and Line Ⅲ 25.0 cm). There was no redness, swelling or restriction of the limbs. Laboratory examination found abnormal liver function with alanine aminotransferase 118 U/L, aspartate aminotransferase 227 U/L, γ-glutamyltransferase 360 U/L, and positive direct anti-human globulin test; immunology test found immunoglobulin G 41.60 g/L and a homogeneous type of antinuclear antibody of 1∶1 000; the autoimmune hepatitis antibody test found a positive anti-smooth muscle antibody (1∶100). Liver biopsy showed moderate interfacial inflammation and the patient was diagnosed with autoimmune hepatitis (International Autoimmune Hepatitis Group 19). The imaging findings showed extensive involvement of the bilateral mandible, while the right side was severe. There were expansile bone changes, thinning of the bone cortex, and significant swelling of the surrounding soft tissue in the mandibular body, mandibular angle, and mandibular ramus. After treatment of glucocorticoid, the swelling of the right maxillofacial region disappeared and the transaminase returned to normal. Only one case was reported before in English and none in Chinese. The two cases were both girls whose main clinical features were joint pain and swelling. The previous case started with pain in both knee joints, and developed liver injury during treatment while this case had liver injury as the initial clinical presentation. Besides, the affected sites and degrees of arthritis in the 2 cases were different. After glucocorticoid treatment, the clinical symptoms were alleviated, and transaminases returned to normal. Conclusions: Chronic non bacterial osteomyelitis may involve the liver and manifest as autoimmune hepatitis. Glucocorticoids therapy is effective.

Observation of high-energy neutrinos from the Galactic plane

The origin of high-energy cosmic rays, atomic nuclei that continuously impact Earth's atmosphere, is unknown. Because of deflection by interstellar magnetic fields, cosmic rays produced within the Milky Way arrive at Earth from random directions. However, cosmic rays interact with matter near their sources and during propagation, which produces high-energy neutrinos. We searched for neutrino emission using machine learning techniques applied to 10 years of data from the IceCube Neutrino Observatory. By comparing diffuse emission models to a background-only hypothesis, we identified neutrino emission from the Galactic plane at the 4.5σ level of significance. The signal is consistent with diffuse emission of neutrinos from the Milky Way but could also arise from a population of unresolved point sources.

Association of triglyceride-glucose index with major depressive disorder: A cross-sectional study

The triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index has been proposed as a new marker for insulin resistance, which is associated with a risk of major depressive disorder (MDD). This study aims to explore whether the TyG index is correlated with MDD. In total, 321 patients with MDD and 325 non-MDD patients were included in the study. The presence of MDD was identified by trained clinical psychiatrists using the International Classification of Diseases 10th Revision. The TyG index was calculated as follows: Ln (fasting triglyceride [mg/dL] × fasting glucose [mg/dL]/2). The results revealed that the MDD group presented higher TyG index values than the non-MDD group (8.77 [8.34-9.17] vs 8.62 [8.18-9.01], P < .001). We also found significantly higher morbidity of MDD in the highest TyG index group than in the lower TyG index group (59.9% vs 41.4%, P < .001). Binary logistic regression revealed that TyG was an independent risk factor for MDD (odds ratio [OR] 1.750, 95% confidence interval: 1.284-2.384, P < .001). We further assessed the effect of TyG on depression in sex subgroups. The OR was 3.872 (OR 2.014, 95% confidence interval: 1.282-3.164, P = .002) for the subgroup of men. It is suggested that the TyG index could be closely associated with morbidity in MDD patients; thus, it may be a valuable marker for identifying MDD.

A tera-electron volt afterglow from a narrow jet in an extremely bright gamma-ray burst

Some gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) have a tera-electron volt (TeV) afterglow, but the early onset of this has not been observed. We report observations with the Large High Altitude Air Shower Observatory of the bright GRB 221009A, which serendipitously occurred within the instrument field of view. More than 64,000 photons >0.2 TeV were detected within the first 3000 seconds. The TeV flux began several minutes after the GRB trigger, then rose to a peak about 10 seconds later. This was followed by a decay phase, which became more rapid ~650 seconds after the peak. We interpret the emission using a model of a relativistic jet with half-opening angle ~0.8°. This is consistent with the core of a structured jet and could explain the high isotropic energy of this GRB.

[Research progress on mosaic embryo transfer and pregnancy risk]

Mosaic embryos contain two or more genetically distinct cell lines, which can be detected by pre-implantation genetic testing for aneuploidy. At present, it has been reported that mosaic embryo transfer can lead to healthy live births. In order to prevent severe adverse pregnancy outcomes, such as implantation failure, abortion, congenital malformation and neonatal death after implantation of mosaic embryos, it is critical to carry out genetic counseling, prenatal diagnosis and pregnancy supervision for mosaic embryo transfer. This article reviews the selection of mosaic embryos, the pregnancy outcomes of mosaic embryo transfer, and the safety of offspring, in order to provide references for the clinical practice of mosaic embryo transfer.

Psychological capital and organizational citizenship behavior among nurses during the COVID-19 epidemic: mediation of organizational commitment

BACKGROUND

Nurses' organizational citizenship behavior, a spontaneous "altruistic work behavior", may be affected by psychological capital and organizational commitment, but its mechanism is not clear. The aim of this study was to investigate the characteristics and distribution of psychological capital, organizational commitment and organizational citizenship behavior among nurses during the COVID-19 epidemic, and explore the mediating role of organizational commitment in psychological capital and organizational citizenship behavior.

METHODS

A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 746 nurses from 6 designated hospitals for COVID-19 treatment in China. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation analysis, and structural equation model were used in this study.

RESULTS

Nurses' psychological capital, organizational commitment and organizational citizenship behavior scores were 103.12 ± 15.57, 46.53 ± 7.14 and 101.47 ± 12.14, respectively. Additionally, organizational commitment partially mediates between psychological capital and organizational citizenship behavior.

CONCLUSIONS

During the COVID-19 pandemic, nurses' psychological capital, organizational commitment, and organizational citizenship behavior were found to be at an upper-middle level, influenced by various social-demographic factors. Furthermore, the results illustrated that psychological capital can affect organizational citizenship behavior through the mediating role of organizational commitment. Therefore, the findings emphasize the importance of nursing administration to monitor and prioritize the mental health and organizational behavior of nurses during the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. It is crucial to focus on developing and nurturing nurses' psychological capital, strengthening their organizational commitment, and ultimately promoting their organizational citizenship behavior.

An extension to a 2-in-1 adaptive design with biomarker subpopulation selection

In a recent article, Jin and Zhang (2022) proposed an adaptive 2-in-1 design which can expand an ongoing Phase 2 trial with multiple treatment or dose arms into a confirmatory Phase 3 trial with the selected arms based on interim data, and proved that the design can preserve the familywise Type I error rate under a mild assumption. The proposed adaptive design provides an efficient pathway to combine the treatment or dose selection stage and the confirmatory stage into one trial and can expedite drug development. Here we extend the adaptive 2-in-1 design by Jin and Zhang (2022) to an adaptive 2-in-1 design with biomarker subpopulation selection with a similar framework.

Laryngeal mask general anaesthesia versus spinal anaesthesia for promoting early recovery of cervical conisation: A randomised, controlled clinical study

Background

Although both spinal and general anaesthesia provides good anaesthesia for cervical conization, spinal anaesthesia delays the return of lower limb movements and urinary function, whereas general anaesthesia requires the patient to be unconscious. It is unclear which anaesthetic technique is more conducive to early postoperative recovery in patients undergoing cervical conization.

Patients and methods

140 patients undergoing cervical conization underwent either laryngeal mask general anaesthesia (LMA, n = 70) or spinal anaesthesia (SA, n = 70). In the LMA group, an i-gel mask was used for airway management. In the SA group, spinal anaesthesia was received with 0.75% ropivacaine (15 mg) in the L3-4 interval. The quality of recovery score (QoR-15) was the primary endpoint of the study. Secondary endpoints included incidence of adverse 24-h analgesia (NRS>3); return of lower limb activity; first bed activity and feeding; and the number of catheters removed at 6, 12 and 24 h postoperatively.

Result

The LMA group significantly improved QoR-15 scores (136.62 ± 11.02 vs 119.97 ± 12.75; P < 0.001); and reduced the incidence of poor analgesia (NRS >3) within 24 h postoperatively (20% vs 42.8%, P = 0.006); reduced time in bed (15.62 ± 3.83 h vs 18.27 ± 5.57 vs, P = 0.001); improved patient satisfaction (86% vs 27%; P < 0.001); and catheters removal within 24 h (70/70 vs 42/70, P < 0.001).

Conclusion

LMA general anaesthesia can facilitate early postoperative recovery in patients undergoing cervical conization compared with conventional spinal anaesthesia.

Trial registration

Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ID: ChiCTR1800019384), http://www.chictr.org.cn/listbycreater.aspx (08/11/2018).

An Extended Framework of Multiple Testing in Group Sequential Design

Here, we consider testing multiple hypotheses in group sequential trials. A graphical multiple test procedure was proposed for group sequential trials using weighted Bonferroni test. In this paper, we extend the framework for the graph-based group sequential procedure by applying a modified weighted Simes test. The proposed procedure preserves the familywise error rate. Simulations are conducted to evaluate the performances of the proposed procedure. The proposed procedures are also illustrated with a numerical example.

Levels of psychological capital among nurses: A systematic review and meta-analysis

AIM

To systematically evaluate the available literature about overall levels of psychological capital among nurses.

BACKGROUND

Psychological capital is described as a positive mental state associated with nurses' mental health, quality of care and patient outcomes.

METHODS

A search was carried out using PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Cochrane Library and Chinese Database, including China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Chinese Biological Medical (CBM), WanFang and Weipu Database from the inception of the databases until October 2021. Subsequently, two researchers identified and reviewed the literature and assessed the risk of bias. A random-effects model was conducted to achieve pooled estimates of psychological capital scales.

RESULTS

The pooled mean score of the psychological capital scale was 4.21 (95% CI, 4.07-4.35). For subdimensions such as hope, optimism, self-efficacy and resilience, the score was 4.12 (95% CI, 4.11-4.12), 4.34 (95% CI, 4.34-4.34), 4.50 (95% CI, 4.50-4.51) and 4.34 (95% CI, 4.33-4.34), respectively. Subgroup analyses indicated that nurses practising in Asia and intensive care units might have experienced lower psychological capital levels. In addition, significant differences were noted in studies with sample size and publication year. Studies with a large sample size reported a higher psychological capital than those with a small sample size. The pooled mean scores of psychological capital were higher in 2014-2018 than in 2019-2021. Meta-regression further revealed that geographic regions of participants might be a source of heterogeneity, and the Asian region had 32.23% of the heterogeneity between studies, and the African region had 18.71%.

CONCLUSION

This review is the first to synthesize published research and calculate a pooled score of psychological capital in nurses. These findings indicated that nurses reported a medium-high level of psychological capital, and there was significant heterogeneity.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING POLICY

Administrators and policymakers should concentrate on nurses' psychological capital and tactically integrate psychological capital into nursing vocational training programs.

Bayesian Method of Borrowing Study-Level Historical Longitudinal Control Data for Mixed-Effects Models with Repeated Measures

Bringing historical control information into a new trial appropriately holds the promise of more efficient trial design with more accurate estimates, increased power, and fewer patients allocated to inefficacious control group, provided the historical control data are sufficiently similar to the concurrent control. Interest has been growing over the past few decades in leveraging historical clinical trial on the control arm. However, most of the current historical borrowing methods focus on incorporating patient-level historical control information at only one time point. In this work, we propose a Bayesian hierarchical Mixed effect Models for Repeated Measures to incorporate aggregated study-level longitudinal historical control estimates into the concurrent trial that collected repeated longitudinal data. The simulation study demonstrates that, as compared to one time point data analysis approach, leveraging longitudinal historical control data produces greater power enhancement and mitigates the power loss when the missing data under missing at random mechanism is present. Our work also helps fill the gap of lack of methods borrowing historical longitudinal control data from the published summarized estimates when patient-level control data are not available.

UCHL1 Impairs Periodontal Ligament Stem Cell Osteogenesis in Periodontitis

Periodontitis comprises a series of inflammatory responses resulting in alveolar bone loss. The suppression of osteogenesis of periodontal ligament stem cells (PDLSCs) by inflammation is responsible for impaired alveolar bone regeneration, which remains an ongoing challenge for periodontitis therapy. Ubiquitin C-terminal hydrolase L1 (UCHL1) belongs to the family of deubiquitinating enzymes, which was found to play roles in inflammation previously. In this study, the upregulation of UCHL1 was identified in inflamed PDLSCs isolated from periodontitis patients and in healthy PDLSCs treated with tumor necrosis factor-α or interleukin-1β, and the higher expression level of UCHL1 was accompanied with the impaired osteogenesis of PDLSCs. Then UCHL1 was inhibited in PDLSCs using the lentivirus or inhibitor, and the osteogenesis of PDLSCs suppressed by inflammation was rescued by UCHL1 inhibition. Mechanistically, the negative effect of UCHL1 on the osteogenesis of PDLSCs was attributable to its negative regulation of mitophagy-dependent bone morphogenetic protein 2/Smad signaling pathway in periodontitis-associated inflammation. Furthermore, a ligature-induced murine periodontitis model was established, and the specific inhibitor of UCHL1 was administrated to periodontitis mice. The histological results showed increased active osteoblasts on alveolar bone surface and enhanced alveolar bone regeneration when UCHL1 was inhibited in periodontitis mice. Besides, the therapeutic effects of UCHL1 inhibition on ameliorating periodontitis were verified, as indicated by less bone loss and reduced inflammation. Altogether, our study proved UCHL1 to be a key negative regulator of the osteogenesis of PDLSCs in periodontitis and suggested that UCHL1 inhibition holds promise for alveolar bone regeneration in periodontitis treatment.

Sensorimotor network connectivity correlates with motor improvement after repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation in patients with Parkinson's disease

BACKGROUND

Emerging evidence suggests that repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) generally improves Parkinson's disease (PD) motor symptoms. However, personal responses to rTMS might be different. In this study, we explore the connectivity changes in PD patients with different responses to rTMS.

METHODS

Among PD patients, 25 were treated with 10Hz-rTMS and seven were with sham rTMS over the supplementary motor area for 10 days. Resting-state functional connectivity magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) was performed in PD patients before and after rTMS stimulation. Neuropsychological scales such as Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale Part III (UPDRS-III) were collected synchronously with rs-fMRI. To explore the connectivity changes after rTMS, degree centrality was calculated.

RESULTS

13 out of 25 participants were responsive to 10Hz rTMS. Degree centrality patterns in the left sensorimotor regions are primarily responsible for the differences between responsive and non-responsive individuals. Improvement in motor symptoms was substantially related to the baseline degree centrality in the left PreCG and the left PoCG. The performance in distinguishing non-responders from responders was further validated by the ROC analysis utilizing DC characteristics. Lastly, we found that connectivity increased in left PreCG and PoCG in patients with a better response to the rTMS.

CONCLUSION

Taken together, these results suggest that the sensorimotor network is involved in the motor improvement following rTMS treatment, with patients with lower sensorimotor connectivity showing a tendency for greater motor improvement to HF-rTMS.

Constraints on Heavy Decaying Dark Matter from 570 Days of LHAASO Observations

The kilometer square array (KM2A) of the large high altitude air shower observatory (LHAASO) aims at surveying the northern γ-ray sky at energies above 10 TeV with unprecedented sensitivity. γ-ray observations have long been one of the most powerful tools for dark matter searches, as, e.g., high-energy γ rays could be produced by the decays of heavy dark matter particles. In this Letter, we present the first dark matter analysis with LHAASO-KM2A, using the first 340 days of data from 1/2-KM2A and 230 days of data from 3/4-KM2A. Several regions of interest are used to search for a signal and account for the residual cosmic-ray background after γ/hadron separation. We find no excess of dark matter signals, and thus place some of the strongest γ-ray constraints on the lifetime of heavy dark matter particles with mass between 10^{5} and 10^{9}  GeV. Our results with LHAASO are robust, and have important implications for dark matter interpretations of the diffuse astrophysical high-energy neutrino emission.

FAM83A promotes the progression and metastasis of human pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors by inducing the epithelial-mesenchymal transition via the PI3K/AKT and ERK pathways

PURPOSE

Family with sequence similarity 83, member A (FAM83A) has been reported to play an important role in cancer progression and metastasis. The purpose of this study was to clarify the role and mechanism of FAM83A in pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PanNETs).

METHODS

PanNET specimens and adjacent nontumor pancreatic tissues obtained from 68 patients who underwent curative surgery for PanNETs were assessed for FAM83A expression using immunochemical staining. The relationships between FAM83A expression, clinicopathological parameters and prognosis were statistically analyzed. PanNET cell lines were used to study the role of FAM83A in the progression and metastasis of PanNETs in vitro and in vivo.

RESULTS

FAM83A was overexpressed in PanNET specimens compared with adjacent nontumor tissues. Furthermore, FAM83A expression was closely associated with lymph node metastasis (P = 0.02), perineural invasion (P = 0.001), WHO classification (P = 0.039), AJCC stage (P = 0.01) and shorter disease-free survival in patients with PanNETs (P < 0.001). FAM83A overexpression effectively promoted PanNET cell proliferation, migration, invasion and growth both in vitro and in vivo, whereas FAM83A inhibition exerted the opposite effects. Subsequent mechanistic investigations revealed that FAM83A promotes the progression and metastasis of PanNETs by inducing epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) via the PI3K/AKT and ERK pathways.

CONCLUSIONS

FAM83A plays an important role in the progression and metastasis of PanNET by inducing the EMT via the activation of the ERK and PI3K/AKT pathways and may serve as a valuable molecular target in PanNET treatment.

Evidence for neutrino emission from the nearby active galaxy NGC 1068

A supermassive black hole, obscured by cosmic dust, powers the nearby active galaxy NGC 1068. Neutrinos, which rarely interact with matter, could provide information on the galaxy’s active core. We searched for neutrino emission from astrophysical objects using data recorded with the IceCube neutrino detector between 2011 and 2020. The positions of 110 known gamma-ray sources were individually searched for neutrino detections above atmospheric and cosmic backgrounds. We found that NGC 1068 has an excess of 79 − 20 + 22 neutrinos at tera–electron volt energies, with a global significance of 4.2σ, which we interpret as associated with the active galaxy. The flux of high-energy neutrinos that we measured from NGC 1068 is more than an order of magnitude higher than the upper limit on emissions of tera–electron volt gamma rays from this source.

The relationship between organizational commitment and work engagement among clinical nurses in China: A cross-sectional study

AIM

This study aims to investigate the levels of organizational commitment and work engagement among clinical nurses in tertiary hospitals and explore the relationship between them.

BACKGROUND

The nursing literature supports the idea that organizational commitment plays an important role in positively influencing job performance. However, the relationship between organizational commitment and work engagement among clinical nurses remains unclear.

METHODS

This was a cross-sectional study. A convenience sample of clinical nurses (n = 621) was selected from five tertiary hospitals in Sichuan Province of China. Survey instruments included a general information questionnaire about organizational commitment and work engagement. Univariate analysis, correlation analyses and linear regression analysis were used to examine the association between organizational commitment and work engagement.

RESULTS

The mean scores for organizational commitment and work engagement were 3.85 ± 0.59 and 4.58 ± 1.46, respectively. A moderate degree of positive correlation was found between them. Gender, monthly income and retention commitment were significantly associated with work engagement, and they accounted for 39.0% of the total variance.

CONCLUSIONS

Clinical nurses had a moderate level of organizational commitment and a high level of work engagement. Organizational commitment positively influenced work engagement; that is, organizational commitment is a significant determinant of nurses' work engagement.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT

Hospital organizations should focus on assessing and strengthening nurses' organizational commitment to promote increased work engagement and, ultimately, improved quality of care. This may include, but is not limited to, increasing rest time for nurses, implementing a performance appraisal system and focusing on nurses' psychological state.

Search for Unstable Sterile Neutrinos with the IceCube Neutrino Observatory

We present a search for an unstable sterile neutrino by looking for a resonant signal in eight years of atmospheric ν_{μ} data collected from 2011 to 2019 at the IceCube Neutrino Observatory. Both the (stable) three-neutrino and the 3+1 sterile neutrino models are disfavored relative to the unstable sterile neutrino model, though with p values of 2.8% and 0.81%, respectively, we do not observe evidence for 3+1 neutrinos with neutrino decay. The best-fit parameters for the sterile neutrino with decay model from this study are Δm_{41}^{2}=6.7_{-2.5}^{+3.9}  eV^{2}, sin^{2}2θ_{24}=0.33_{-0.17}^{+0.20}, and g^{2}=2.5π±1.5π, where g is the decay-mediating coupling. The preferred regions of the 3+1+decay model from short-baseline oscillation searches are excluded at 90% C.L.

Association of usual walking with mortality in oldest old adults aged 85 years and older: a nationwide senior cohort study

Background

Current guidelines recommend moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity (MVPA) for health benefit in adults. However, it is difficult to meet the recommended minimum MVPA in “oldest old” aged over 85. Although walking is simple and easy exercise for oldest old, research on the association between walking and mortality in oldest old are lacking.

Purpose

To investigate the association between walking and the risk of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality among older adults aged 85 years and older.

Methods

7047 participants aged 85 or older underwent the Korean National Health Screening Program, including self-administered questionnaire for physical activity. Reported frequency per week of walking for at least 30 minutes increment was used to classify hours of walking per week. We computed multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios for walking and mutually adjusted for MVPA in relation to all-cause and cardiovascular mortality.

Results

The proportions of participants who engaged in walking, moderate- and vigorous-intensity physical activity were 42.5% (2996/7047), 14.7% (1037/7047) and 11.0% (773/7047), respectively. Only 7.6% (538/7047) of participants met the guidelines recommended minimum MVPA. Compared to inactive individuals, those who walked at least 1 hour per week had lower all-cause (HR 0.60 [95% CI, 0.50–0.74]) and cardiovascular mortality risk (HR 0.61 [95% CI, 0.42–0.89]). Walking 1 hour per week was still significant associated with reduction of risk for all-cause (HR 0.50 [95% CI, 0.40–0.61]) and cardiovascular mortality (HR 0.46 [95% CI, 0.30–0.70]) among participants who reported only walking without any MVPA.

Conclusions

1 hour a week of walking might be of benefit for all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in aged over 85 years, even without MVPA. Promoting walking may be a way to help oldest old avoid inactivity and encourage an active lifestyle for all-cause and cardiovascular mortality risk reduction.

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding sources: None.

[Xenon post-conditioning protects against spinal cord ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats by downregulating mTOR pathway and inhibiting endoplasmic reticulum stress-induced neuronal apoptosis]

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to determine whether xenon post-conditioning affects mTOR signaling as well as endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS)-apoptosis pathway in rats with spinal cord ischemia/reperfusion injury.

METHODS

Fifty male rats were randomized equally into sham-operated group (Sham group), I/R model group (I/R group), I/R model+ xenon post-conditioning group (Xe group), I/R model+rapamycin (a mTOR signaling pathway inhibitor) treatment group (I/R+ Rapa group), and I/R model + xenon post- conditioning with rapamycin treatment group (Xe + Rapa group).. In the latter 4 groups, SCIRI was induced by clamping the abdominal aorta for 85 min followed by reperfusion for 4 h. Rapamycin (or vehicle) was administered by daily intraperitoneal injection (4 mg/kg) for 3 days before SCIRI, and xenon post-conditioning by inhalation of 1∶1 mixture of xenon and oxygen for 1 h at 1 h after initiation of reperfusion; the rats without xenon post-conditioning were given inhalation of nitrogen and oxygen (1∶ 1). After the reperfusion, motor function and histopathologic changes in the rats were examined. Western blotting and real-time PCR were used to detect the protein and mRNA expressions of GRP78, ATF6, IRE1α, PERK, mTOR, p-mTOR, Bax, Bcl-2 and caspase-3 in the spinal cord.

RESULTS

The rats showed significantly lowered hind limb motor function following SCIRI (P < 0.01) with a decreased count of normal neurons, increased mRNA and protein expressions of GRP78, ATF6, IRE1α, PERK, and caspase-3, and elevated p-mTOR/mTOR ratio and Bax/Bcl-2 ratio (P < 0.01). Xenon post-conditioning significantly decreased the mRNA and protein levels of GRP78, ATF6, IRE1α, PERK and caspase-3 (P < 0.05 or 0.01) and reduced p-mTOR/mTOR and Bax/Bcl-2 ratios (P < 0.01) in rats with SCIRI; the mRNA contents and protein levels of GRP78 and ATF6 were significantly decreased in I/R+Rapa group (P < 0.01). Compared with those in Xe group, the rats in I/R+Rapa group and Xe+Rapa had significantly lowered BBB and Tarlov scores of the hind legs (P < 0.01), and caspase-3 protein level and Bax/Bcl-2 ratio were significantly lowered in Xe+Rapa group (P < 0.05 or 0.01).

CONCLUSION

By inhibiting ERS and neuronal apoptosis, xenon post- conditioning may have protective effects against SCIRI in rats. The mTOR signaling pathway is partially involved in this process.

A hybrid return to baseline imputation method to incorporate MAR and MNAR dropout missingness

Missing data are inevitable in longitudinal clinical trials due to intercurrent events (ICEs) such as treatment interruption or premature discontinuation for different reasons. Missing at random (MAR) assumption is usually unverifiable and sensitivity analyses are often requested under missing not at random (MNAR) assumption. Return to baseline (RTB) imputation is a commonly used MNAR method. In practice, not all dropout missingness can be assumed MNAR. For example, missingness or dropouts due to COVID-19 can be reasonably assumed MAR. Therefore, traditional RTB is not applicable when there is both MAR and MNAR dropout missingness. Here we propose a hybrid strategy for RTB imputation which can handle missing data due to MAR and MNAR dropouts at the same time. Standard multiple imputation approach is proposed and an analytic likelihood based approach is derived to improve efficiency.

Strong Constraints on Neutrino Nonstandard Interactions from TeV-Scale ν_{μ} Disappearance at IceCube

We report a search for nonstandard neutrino interactions (NSI) using eight years of TeV-scale atmospheric muon neutrino data from the IceCube Neutrino Observatory. By reconstructing incident energies and zenith angles for atmospheric neutrino events, this analysis presents unified confidence intervals for the NSI parameter ε_{μτ}. The best-fit value is consistent with no NSI at a p value of 25.2%. With a 90% confidence interval of -0.0041≤ε_{μτ}≤0.0031 along the real axis and similar strength in the complex plane, this result is the strongest constraint on any NSI parameter from any oscillation channel to date.