Kinematic Modeling and Experimental Study of a Rope-Driven Bionic Fish.

This paper presents a biomimetic fish robot featuring a flexible spine driven by cables, which integrates the cable-driven mechanism with a flexible spine. The drive system separates the body and tail fin drives for control, offering enhanced flexibility and ease in achieving phase difference control between the body and tail fin movements compared to the conventional servo motor cascaded structure. A prototype of the biomimetic fish robot was developed, accompanied by the establishment of a kinematic model. Based on this model, a control method for the biomimetic fish is proposed. Additionally, we introduce the concept of prestress to establish a numerical model for the biomimetic fish. Using multi-physical field simulation software, we simulate the two-dimensional autonomous swimming process of the biomimetic fish under different flapping frequencies and solve for its swimming characteristics as well as hydrodynamic properties. Both the simulation and experimental results validate the accuracy of our kinematic model.

Experimental treatment efficacy of dmrFABP5 on prostate cancer singly or in combination with drugs in use.

Enzalutamide is a drug used to treat prostate cancer (PC) and docetaxel is a drug for chemotherapeutic treatment of diverse cancer types, including PC. The effectiveness of these drugs in treating castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) is poor and therefore CRPC is still largely incurable. However, the bio-inhibitor of fatty acid-binding protein 5 (FABP5), dmrFABP5, which is a mutant form of FABP5 incapable of binding to fatty acids, has been shown recently to be able to suppress the tumorigenicity and metastasis of cultured CRPC cells. The present study investigated the possible synergistic effect of dmrFABP5 combined with either enzalutamide or docetaxel on suppressing the tumorigenic properties of PC cells, including cell viability, migration, invasion and colony proliferation in soft agar. A highly significant synergistic inhibitory effect on these properties was observed when dmrFABP5 was used in combination with enzalutamide on androgen-responsive PC 22RV1 cells. Moreover, a highly significant synergistic inhibitory effect was also observed when dmrFABP5 was combined with docetaxel, and added to 22RV1 cells and to the highly malignant, androgen-receptor (AR)-negative Du145 cells. DmrFABP5 alone failed to produce any suppressive effect when added to the FABP5-negative cell line LNCaP, although enzalutamide could significantly suppress LNCaP cells when used as a single agent. These synergistic inhibitory effects of dmrFABP5 were produced by interrupting the FABP5-related signal transduction pathway in PC cells. Thus, dmrFABP5 appears to be not only a potential single therapeutic agent, but it may also be used in combination with existing drugs to suppress both AR-positive and AR-negative PC.

Duration time of labor progression for pregnant women of vaginal birth after cesarean in Hubei, China.

OBJECTIVE: There have been limited reports on the duration of labor progression in pregnant women undergoing vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC). This study aimed to investigate the duration of labor progression during VBAC in Hubei, China. METHODS: A total of 359 pregnant women undergoing VBAC were enrolled as the VBAC group, meeting the following criteria: singleton pregnancy, gestational age ≥ 37 weeks, live birth, history of cesarean delivery, and a willingness to attempt a vaginal delivery. At the same time, 359 primiparas successfully undergoing vaginal delivery were randomly enrolled in the control group at a 1:1 ratio. Subsequently, the durations of the first, second, and third stages of labor were comparatively analyzed between the two groups. RESULTS: The duration of the first, second, and total stages of labor in the VBAC group was significantly shorter than that in the control group (p < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the duration of the third stage of labor between the two groups (p > 0.05). The amount of blood loss, the rate of postpartum hemorrhage (PPH), and episiotomy were higher in the VBAC group than in the control group (p < 0.05). The rate of labor analgesia and intrapartum fever in the VBAC group was significantly lower than that in the control group (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The duration of labor progression of the first, second, and total stages of VBAC is shorter than that in primiparous women in our observation in China.

FABP5 can substitute for androgen receptor in malignant progression of prostate cancer cells.

Fatty acid­binding protein 5 (FABP5) and androgen receptor (AR) are critical promoters of prostate cancer. In the present study, the effects of knocking out the FABP5 or AR genes on malignant characteristics of prostate cancer cells were investigated, and changes in the expression of certain key proteins in the FABP5 (or AR)­peroxisome proliferator activated receptor­Î³ (PPARγ)­vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) signaling pathway were monitored. The results obtained showed that FABP5­ or AR­knockout (KO) led to a marked suppression of the malignant characteristics of the cells, in part, through disrupting this signaling pathway. Moreover, FABP5 and AR are able to interact with each other to regulate this pathway, with FABP5 controlling the dominant AR splicing variant 7 (ARV7), and AR, in return, regulates the expression of FABP5. Comparisons of the RNA profiles revealed the existence of numerous differentially expressed genes (DEGs) comparing between the parental and the FABP5­ or AR­KO cells. The six most abundant changes in DEGs were found to be attributable to the transition from androgen­responsive to androgen­unresponsive, castration­resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) cells. These findings have provided novel insights into the complex molecular pathogenesis of CRPC cells, and have demonstrated that interactions between FABP5 and AR contribute to the transition of prostate cancer cells to an androgen­independent state. Moreover, gene enrichment analysis revealed that the most highly enriched biological processes associated with the DEGs included those responsive to fatty acids, cholesterol and sterol biosynthesis, as well as to lipid and fatty acid transportation. Since these pathways regulated by FABP5 or AR may be crucial in terms of transducing signals for cancer cell progression, targeting FABP5, AR and their associated pathways, rather than AR alone, may provide a new avenue for the development of therapeutic strategies geared towards suppressing the malignant progression to CRPC cells.

Research and Experiment on a Bionic Fish Based on High-Frequency Vibration Characteristics.

This paper takes the high-frequency vibration characteristics of a bionic robot fish as the research object. Through research on the vibration characteristics of a bionic fish, we quantified the role of voltage and beat frequency in high-speed and stable swimming. We proposed a new type of electromagnetic drive. The tail is made of 0° silica gel to simulate the elastic characteristics of fish muscles. We completed a series of experimental studies on the vibration characteristics of biomimetic robotic fish. Through the single-joint fishtail underwater experiment, the influence of vibration characteristics on parameters during swimming was discussed. In terms of control, the central mode generator control method (CPG) control model is adopted, and a replacement layer is designed in combination with particle swarm optimization (PSO). By changing the elastic modulus of the fishtail, the fishtail resonates with the vibrator, and the swimming efficiency of the bionic fish is improved. Finally, through the prototype experiment, it is found that the bionic robot fish can achieve high-speed swimming through high-frequency vibration.

Research on the Spring Creep Based on the Load Simulator of the Double Torsion Spring Steering Gear.

In this paper, creep at room temperature is studied using a mechanical double-spring steering-gear load table, and the results are used to determine the accuracy of theoretical and simulated data. A creep equation at room temperature, based on the parameters obtained by a new macroscopic tensile experiment method, is used to analyze the creep strain and creep angle of a spring under force. The correctness of the theoretical analysis is verified by a finite-element method. Finally, a creep strain experiment of a torsion spring is carried out. The experimental results are 4.3% lower than the theoretical calculation results, which demonstrates the accuracy of the measurement, with an error of <5% achieved. The results shows that the equation used for the theoretical calculation is highly accurate and can meet the requirements of engineering measurement.

The efficacy and mechanism of positive psychological intervention on well-being for colostomy patients: a randomized controlled trial.

AIMS: The positive psychology intervention (PPI) is an effective therapy designed to motivate individuals' positive quality and power, to help them survive in an adverse situation, and to establish a high-quality personal and social life. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy and mechanism of PPI on the psychological capital, psychological distress, and life satisfaction among colostomy patients. METHODS: Patients (n = 120) with permanent stomas were recruited and randomly assigned into two groups. Patients in the experimental group (n = 60) received standard care and PPI, whereas patients in the control group (n = 60) only received standard care. The psychological capital, psychological distress, and life satisfaction were measured and compared between two groups before the intervention, the immediate post-intervention, and follow-up. RESULTS: All 120 patients completed the study. The hope, optimism, resilience, psychological distress, and life satisfaction score of the experimental group were significantly higher than those of the control group at T1 and T2 (P < 0.05). Self-efficacy score of the experimental group had no significant difference at the two time points after the intervention than the control group (P > 0.05). Changes in hope and resilience which belong to psychological capital mediated the intervention's efficacy on changes in PPI on life satisfaction (ß = 0.265, P = 0.005; ß = 0.686, P = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS: PPI could effectively improve psychological capital, psychological distress, and life satisfaction among patients with stomas. Besides, our findings add novel support that increased hope and resilience are the active ingredients that promote intervention change.

Porcine-Stimulated Human Tr1 Cells Showed Enhanced Suppression in Xenoantigen Stimulation Response.

Type 1 regulatory T (Tr1) cells play a fundamental role in maintaining and inducing immune tolerance. Our preliminary study demonstrated that an interleukin- (IL-) 10-mediated pathway is a possible regulatory mechanism underlying the xenoantigen-specific human Treg enhanced suppressive capacity. Here, we developed a feasible protocol for expanding IL-10-induced xenoantigen-specific human Tr1 cells in vitro which would be more efficient in transplantation immunotherapy efficiency. In this study, xenoantigen-specific Tr1 cells are generated from human naive CD4+ T cells expanded for two subsequent xenoantigen-stimulation cycles with recombinant human IL-10. The phenotype and suppressive capacity of xenoantigen-stimulated Tr1 cells are assessed, and the mechanism of their suppression is studied. Tr1 cells can be induced by porcine xenoantigen stimulation combined with IL-10, IL-2, and IL-15, displaying an increased expression of CD49b, CTLA-4, and LAG-3 without expressing Foxp3 which also showed an effector memory Treg phenotype and expressed high levels of CD39. After xenoantigen stimulation, the IL-10 and IL-5 gene expression in Tr1 cells increased, secreting more IL-10, and xenoantigen-stimulated Tr1 cells changed their T cell receptor (TCR) Vß repertoire, increasing the expression of TCR Vß2, TCR Vß9, and TCR Vß13. In a pig to human mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR), xenoantigen-stimulated Tr1 cells displayed enhanced suppressive capacity via CD39 in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, IL-5 could affect the proliferation of xenoantigen-specific Tr1 cells, but not their phenotypes' expression. This study provides a theory and feasible method for immune tolerance induction in clinical xenotransplantation.

Short Chain Fatty Acids Prevent Glyoxylate-Induced Calcium Oxalate Stones by GPR43-Dependent Immunomodulatory Mechanism.

Calcium oxalate (CaOx) stones are the most common type of kidney stones and are associated with high recurrence, short chain fatty acids (SCFAs), and inflammation. However, it remains uncertain whether SCFAs affect the formation of CaOx stones through immunomodulation. We first performed mass cytometry (CyTOF) and RNA sequencing on kidney immune cells with glyoxylate-induced CaOx crystals (to elucidate the landscape of the associated immune cell population) and explored the role of SCFAs in renal CaOx stone formation through immunomodulation. We identified 29 distinct immune cell subtypes in kidneys with CaOx crystals, where CX3CR1+CD24- macrophages significantly decreased and GR1+ neutrophils significantly increased. In accordance with the CyTOF data, RNA sequencing showed that most genes involved were related to monocytes and neutrophils. SCFAs reduced kidney CaOx crystals by increasing the frequency of CX3CR1+CD24- macrophages and decreasing GR1+ neutrophil infiltration in kidneys with CaOx crystals, which was dependent on the gut microbiota. GPR43 knockdown by transduction with adeno-associated virus inhibited the alleviation of crystal formation and immunomodulatory effects in the kidney, due to SCFAs. Moreover, CX3CR1+CD24- macrophages regulated GR1+ neutrophils via GPR43. Our results demonstrated a unique trilateral relationship among SCFAs, immune cells, and the kidneys during CaOx formation. These findings suggest that future immunotherapies may be used to prevent kidney stones using SCFAs.

The complete mitochondrial genome of Monolepta hieroglyphica (Motschulsky) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae).

Monolepta hieroglyphica (Motschulsky) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) is an important agricultural insect pest. In this study, the complete mitochondrial genome of M. hieroglyphica was sequenced using Illumina HiSeq X Ten. The mitogenome was 16,213 bp long and comprised 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), two ribosomal RNA genes (rRNAs), 22 transfer RNA genes (tRNAs) and a putative control region (CR). The nucleotide composition of the M. hieroglyphica mitochondrial genome was significantly biased (A, G, C and T accounted for 41.04%, 8.01%, 11.76% and 39.18%, respectively) with 80.23% A + T content. Two rRNAs were located between tRNA-Leu and the CR, separated by tRNA-Val. The CR, located between 12 s rRNA and tRNA-Ile, was 1661 bp long. The length of the 22 tRNAs ranged from 61 to 71 bp. Phylogenetic analyses of 29 Chrysomelidae-Galerucinae species based on 13 mitochondrial protein-coding genes reconstructed using Bayesian 3.2.0 showed that the M. hieroglyphica mitogenome was clustered with the existing three different species of the Monolepta genus mitogenomes in a monophyletic manner. The M. hieroglyphica mitogenome provides an important data resource for further studies and contributes to our understanding of the phylogeny of this group.

The complete mitochondrial genome of Monolepta hieroglyphica (Motschulsky) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae).

Monolepta hieroglyphica (Motschulsky) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) is an important agricultural insect pest. In this study, the complete mitochondrial genome of M. hieroglyphica (GenBank accession number MW732714) was sequenced using Illumina HiSeq X Ten. The mitogenome was 16,213 bp long and comprised 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), two ribosomal RNA genes (rRNAs), 22 transfer RNA genes (tRNAs) and a putative control region (CR). The nucleotide composition of the M. hieroglyphica mitochondrial genome was significantly biased (A, G, C and T accounted for 41.04%, 8.01%, 11.76% and 39.18%, respectively) with 80.23% A + T content. Two rRNAs were located between tRNA-Leu and the CR, separated by tRNA-Val. The CR, located between 12 s rRNA and tRNA-Ile, was 1,661 bp long. The length of the 22 tRNAs ranged from 61 to 71 bp. Phylogenetic analyses of 29 Chrysomelidae-Galerucinae species based on 13 mitochondrial protein-coding genes reconstructed using Bayesian 3.2.0 showed that the M. hieroglyphica mitogenome was clustered with the existing three different species of the Monolepta genus mitogenomes in a monophyletic manner. The M. hieroglyphica mitogenome provides an important data resource for further studies and contributes to our understanding of the phylogeny of this group.

[Application of an intervention plan based on unplanned readmission risk model in the rehabilitation of patients with acute myocardial infarction complicated with cardiogenic shock after percutaneous coronary intervention].

OBJECTIVE: To study and analyze the application effect of intervention plan based on unplanned readmission risk model (LACE) in the rehabilitation of patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) complicated with cardiac shock (CS) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). METHODS: Ninety-three patients with AMI complicated with CS who received PCI in Tianjin Union Medical Center from January 2019 to December 2020 were enrolled. The patients were divided into LACE intervention group (n = 46) and routine intervention group (n = 47) according to the different nursing intervention methods. The patients in the routine intervention group received routine interventions, including drug care, diet care, psychological care, health education and telephone follow-up, while those in the LACE intervention group were assessed for the risk of LACE, and then intervention measures were formulated according to the score of LACE index, including strengthening risk awareness, life behavior, daily life ability, self-care ability, health recovery and health needs. The follow-up period in both groups was 3 months. The changes of cardiac function, incidence of adverse cardiac events, readmission rate, self-management ability after intervention and quality of life level before and after intervention were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in cardiac function or quality of life before intervention between the two groups. After intervention for 3 months, the cardiac function and quality of life in the two groups were improved as compared with those before intervention. The left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) in the LACE intervention group was significantly higher than that in the routine intervention group (0.533±0.076 vs. 0.492±0.072, P < 0.05), the left ventricular end diastolic diameter (LVEDD) was significantly lower than that in the routine intervention group (mm: 47.09±7.01 vs. 53.23±7.15, P < 0.01), and the World Health Organization Quality of Life-brief (WHOQOL-BREF) score was also significantly higher than that in the routine intervention group (66.32±6.19 vs. 55.79±7.26, P < 0.01). The scores of self-management ability in the coronary heart disease self-management scale (CSMS) after intervention in the LACE intervention group were significantly higher than those in the routine intervention group (adverse hobbies score: 17.37±3.24 vs. 14.21±2.73, symptoms score: 14.82±3.11 vs. 10.56±2.65, emotional cognition score: 16.17±2.83 vs. 12.95±2.41, first aid score: 11.85±1.94 vs. 10.62±1.56, disease knowledge score: 15.58±2.73 vs. 12.68±2.61, daily life score: 17.80±2.61 vs. 14.33±2.36, treatment compliance score: 11.47±1.84 vs. 8.56±1.23, all P < 0.01). The incidence of adverse cardiac events and readmission rate in the LACE intervention group were significantly lower than those in the routine intervention group (10.87% vs. 29.79%, 4.35% vs. 17.02%, both P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The intervention plan based on LACE risk model can effectively promote postoperative rehabilitation of patients with AMI complicated with CS after PCI, and also help to improve patients' self-management ability and quality of life, which is worthy of clinical promotion and application.

Study on quantitative diagnosis model of TCM syndromes of post-stroke depression based on combination of disease and syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Post-stroke depression (PSD) is one of the most common stroke complications with high morbidity. Researchers have done much clinical research on Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) treatment, but very little research on diagnosis. Based on the thought of combination of disease and syndrome, this study will establish a unified and objective quantitative diagnosis model of TCM syndromes of PSD, so as to improve the clinical diagnosis and treatment of PSD. OBJECTIVE: First: To establish a unified and objective quantitative diagnosis model of TCM syndromes in PSD under different disease courses, and identify the corresponding main, secondary, and concurrent symptoms, which are based on the weighting factor of each TCM symptom. Second: To find out the relationship between different stages of PSD and TCM syndromes. Clarify the main syndrome types of PSD under different stages of disease. Reveal the evolution and progression mechanism of TCM syndromes of PSD. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This is a retrospective study of PSD TCM diagnosis. Three hundred patients who were hospitalized in the First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of TCM with complete cases from January 2014 to January 2019 are planned to be recruited. The study will mainly collect the diagnostic information from the cases, find the related indicators of TCM and Western medicine in PSD, and clarify the relationship between different disease stages and TCM syndromes. Finally, the PSD TCM syndrome quantitative diagnosis model will be established based on the operation principle of Back Propagation (BP) artificial neural network. CONCLUSION: To collect sufficient medical records and establish models to speed up the process of TCM diagnosis.

Use of Tregs as a cell-based therapy via CD39 for benign prostate hyperplasia with inflammation.

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) occurs most commonly among older men, often accompanied by chronic tissue inflammation. Although its aetiology remains unclear, autoimmune dysregulation may contribute to BPH. Regulatory T cells (Tregs) prevent autoimmune responses and maintain immune homeostasis. In this study, we aimed to investigate Tregs frequency, phenotype, and function in BPH patients and to evaluate adoptive transfer Tregs for immunotherapy in mice with BPH via CD39. Prostate specimens and peripheral blood from BPH patients were used to investigate Treg subsets, phenotype and Treg-associated cytokine production. Sorted CD39+/- Tregs from healthy mice were adoptively transferred into mice before or after testosterone propionate administration. The Tregs percentage in peripheral blood from BPH patients was attenuated, exhibiting low Foxp3 and CD39 expression with low levels of serum IL-10, IL-35 and TGF-ß. Immunohistochemistry revealed Foxp3+ cells were significantly diminished in BPH prostate with severe inflammatory. Although the Tregs subset was comprised of more effector/memory Tregs, CD39 was still down-regulated on effector/memory Tregs in BPH patients. Before or after testosterone propionate administration, no alterations of BPH symptoms were observed due to CD39- Tregs in mice, however, CD39+ Tregs existed more potency than Tregs to regulate prostatic hyperplasia and inhibit inflammation by decreasing IL-1ß and PSA secretion, and increasing IL-10 and TGF-ß secretion. Furthermore, adoptive transfer with functional Tregs not only improved prostate hyperplasia but also regulated muscle cell proliferation in bladder. Adoptive transfer with Tregs may provide a novel method for the prevention and treatment of BPH clinically.

Relationships among structural empowerment, innovative behaviour, self-efficacy, and career success in nursing field in mainland China.

AIM: The purpose of the study is to explore the relationships among structural empowerment, innovative behaviour, self-efficacy, and career success by nurses in mainland China. METHOD: A cross-sectional study was designed, and participants were recruited from 6 tertiary hospitals in Tianjin, China. The study used an anonymous questionnaire, filled voluntarily by 460 nurses in spring 2017. Structural equation modelling analyses were conducted. RESULTS: The results reveal that innovative behaviour is positively associated with career success and self-efficacy, which, in turn, mediates the relationship between structural empowerment and career success. Structural empowerment is positively associated with innovative behaviour and career success. Self-efficacy is positively associated with career success and mediates the relationship between innovative behaviour and career success. CONCLUSION: Higher perceived structural empowerment, innovative behaviour, and self-efficacy can increase career success of Chinese nurses.

Modes of selenium occurrence and LCD modeling of selenite desorption/adsorption in soils around the selenium-rich core, Ziyang County, China.

Studying the modes of selenium occurrence in high-Se soils and its behaviors can improve understanding and evaluating its cycling, flux, and balance in geo-ecosystems and its influence on health. In this paper, using a modified sequential chemical extraction technique, seven operationally defined selenium fractions and Se valence distribution were determined about five soils in which paddy was planted (W1, W2, W3, W4, W5) and five soils in which maize was planted (H1, H2, H3, H4, H5) around the selenium-rich core, Ziyang County, Shaanxi Province, China. The results show that selenium fractions in the soils mainly include sulfide/selenide and base-soluble Se, and ligand-exchangeable Se is also high for five soils in which paddy was planted. For water-soluble Se, Se (IV) is main Se valence and almost no Se (VI) was determined about five soils in which paddy was planted, while almost 1:1 of Se (IV) and Se (VI) coexist about five soils in which maize was planted. For exchangeable Se, similar results were found. For the first time, two typical high-Se soils (W1 soil and H1 soil) were chosen to measure the pH-dependent solid-solution distribution of selenite in the pH range 3-9, and the results were explained using LCD (ligand and charge distribution) adsorption modeling. The desorbed selenite concentrations from the two soils are in general underestimated by the model due to a comparable binding affinity of phosphate and selenite on goethite and much lower amount of total selenite than total reactively adsorbed phosphate. The pH dependency of adsorption of selenite added to the soil can be successfully described with the LCD model for W1 soil. Whereas considering the influence of Al-oxides, by lowering selenite adsorption affinity constant K of Se adsorption on goethite by 16 times, the LCD model can describe the adsorption much better. The results can help to understand selenium cycling, flux, and balance in typical high-Se soils.

On Mixed Data and Event Driven Design for Adaptive-Critic-Based Nonlinear $H_{\infty}$ Control.

In this paper, based on the adaptive critic learning technique, the control for a class of unknown nonlinear dynamic systems is investigated by adopting a mixed data and event driven design approach. The nonlinear control problem is formulated as a two-player zero-sum differential game and the adaptive critic method is employed to cope with the data-based optimization. The novelty lies in that the data driven learning identifier is combined with the event driven design formulation, in order to develop the adaptive critic controller, thereby accomplishing the nonlinear control. The event driven optimal control law and the time driven worst case disturbance law are approximated by constructing and tuning a critic neural network. Applying the event driven feedback control, the closed-loop system is built with stability analysis. Simulation studies are conducted to verify the theoretical results and illustrate the control performance. It is significant to observe that the present research provides a new avenue of integrating data-based control and event-triggering mechanism into establishing advanced adaptive critic systems.

Innovative behaviour and career success: Mediating roles of self-efficacy and colleague solidarity of nurses.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of the study is to explore the relationships amongst innovative behaviour, self-efficacy, colleague solidarity of nurses and career success of nurses in Mainland China. METHOD: This study used the cross-sectional investigation method and nurses were recruited from eight tertiary hospitals and four secondary hospitals in Tianjin, China. A convenience sample of 848 nurses was included in this survey. Structural equation model analysis was performed as well. RESULTS: Results revealed that the nurses' career success score was at the medium degree, whilst innovative behaviour and self-efficacy were in the medium-high level and had high level of colleague solidarity. The four variables include innovative behaviour, self-efficacy, colleague solidarity of nurses and career success; each dimension showed positive correlation (r = 0.145 to 0.923, P < 0.05). Independent sample T-test showed no significant differences between the two types of hospitals in the main variables (P > 0.05). Multiple linear regression analysis showed that innovative behaviour, self-efficacy and academic solidarity entered the career success regression equation (ß = 0.091 to 0.560, P < 0.05), thereby possibly explaining 52.0% of the total variation. Hierarchical regression analysis and path analysis model showed that self-efficacy and colleague solidarity of nurses played mediating roles between innovative behaviour and career success (ß = 0.132 to 0.221, P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The level of career success of nurses remains to be improved. Additionally, high innovative behaviour, self-efficacy and colleague solidarity of nurses can improve the career success of Chinese nurses.

Facile Synthesis of Flower-Like Copper-Cobalt Sulfide as Binder-Free Faradaic Electrodes for Supercapacitors with Improved Electrochemical Properties.

Supercapacitors have been one of the highest potential candidates for energy storage because of their significant advantages beyond rechargeable batteries in terms of large power density, short recharging time, and long cycle lifespan. In this work, Cu-Co sulfides with uniform flower-like structure have been successfully obtained via a traditional two-step hydrothermal method. The as-fabricated Cu-Co sulfide vulcanized from precursor (P-Cu-Co sulfide) is able to deliver superior specific capacitance of 592 F g-1 at 1 A g-1 and 518 F g-1 at 10 A g-1 which are surprisingly about 1.44 times and 2.39 times higher than those of Cu-Co oxide electrode, respectively. At the same time, excellent cycling stability of P-Cu-Co sulfide is indicated by 90.4% capacitance retention at high current density of 10 A g-1 after 3000 cycles. Because of the introduction of sulfur during the vulcanization process, these new developed sulfides can get more flexible structure and larger reaction surface area, and will own richer redox reaction sites between the interfaces of active material/electrolyte. The uniform flower-like P-Cu-Co sulfide electrode materials will have more potential alternatives for oxides electrode materials in the future.