The relationship between family communication and family resilience in Chinese parents of depressed adolescents: a serial multiple mediation of social support and psychological resilience.

BACKGROUND: Family resilience plays a crucial role in helping depressed adolescents overcome challenges. However, studies examining family resilience in depressed adolescents are currently scarce. This study, guided by the family resilience framework, aimed to investigate the serial-multiple mediation of social support and psychological resilience between family communication and family resilience in Chinese families of depressed adolescents. METHODS: In 229 parents of adolescents with major depressive disorder, 20.1% comprises of fathers, while 79.9% comprises of mothers. The mean age of depressed adolescents was 14.84 (±1.76) years, and the mean age of parents of these depressed adolescents was 43.24 (±4.67) years. The Family Resilience Assessment Scale (FRAS), the Psychological Resilience of Parents of Special Children Questionnaire, and the Social Support Rating Scale, Family Assessment Device (FAD) were used to collected data. Descriptive, univariate, and Pearson correlation analyses were used in preliminary analyses. To explore mediation, we employed a serial-multiple mediation model (PROCESS model 6). RESULTS: Family communication was positively correlated with family resilience, social support, and psychological resilience. Mediation analysis revealed indirect effects of family communication on family resilience, which were mediated solely by either social support or psychological resilience, or through multiple mediation pathways involving both social support and psychological resilience. CONCLUSIONS: Family communication positively and directly affects the family resilience of depressed adolescents, and a higher level of social support and psychological resilience can help improve family resilience. These findings not only provide empirical evidence supporting the family resilience framework but also have practical implications for future family interventions targeting depressed adolescents.

Assessing the causal relationship between immune traits and systemic lupus erythematosus by bi-directional Mendelian randomization analysis.

Previous studies have observed relationships between immune cells and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), but their causal links remain undetermined. Based on the public available genome-wide association studies (GWAS) summary statistics, we conducted two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) to evaluate the associations between 731 immune phenotypes and SLE pairs. Pairwise pleiotropy analysis was performed to identify pleiotropic genes for significant immunophenotype-SLE pairs. A comprehensive gene function analysis was undertaken to explore the mechanisms of immune cells in SLE. By using the instrumental variables extracted from GWAS data, we observed that increased levels of five immune phenotypes were causally associated with SLE risk (FDR < 0.05), that were CD20 on IgD+ CD38- naïve, BAFF-R on IgD+ CD38dim, CD39+ secreting Treg AC, CD14- CD16+ monocyte AC, and HLA DR on CD14+ monocyte. Pairwise gene-based analyses identified a total of 38 pleiotropic genes for 5 significant pairs identified and gene set enrichment analysis revealed the involvement of the identified pleiotropic genes in complex pathways (i.e., systemic lupus erythematosus, an integral component of luminal side of endoplasmic reticulum membrane, C-type lectin receptor signaling pathway and regulation of hormone secretion). This study demonstrates that the immune response influences the progression of SLE in a complex pattern. These findings greatly improve our understanding of the interaction between immune response and SLE risk and also aid in the design of therapeutic strategies from an immunological perspective.

Moderating effects of suicide resilience and meaning in life on the association between entrapment and suicidal ideation in Chinese patients with ovarian cancer: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Numerous studies have confirmed that patients with ovarian cancer have a relatively high risk of suicidality. Early identification of psychological factors related to suicidal ideation in patients with ovarian cancer may provide effective information for suicide prevention strategies. This study aimed to investigate whether and how suicide resilience and meaning in life moderate the relationship between entrapment and suicidal ideation in patients with ovarian cancer. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional investigation was conducted in 505 Chinese patients with ovarian cancer. Patients completed a battery of self-reported questionnaires that included the General Information Questionnaire, and Chinese versions of the Entrapment Scale, Scale for Suicidal Ideation, Suicide Resilience Inventory-25, and Meaning in Life Scale. Descriptive statistics, Pearson' s chi-square, Pearson' s correlation, and hierarchical multiple linear regression analysis were performed. RESULTS: In this study, the prevalence of suicidal ideation reported by patients with ovarian cancer was 32.07%. Patients' suicidal ideation could be explained by the following three predictors: entrapment × suicide resilience × meaning in life (ß = -0.169, p < 0.001), entrapment × suicide resilience (ß = -0.148, p < 0.001), and entrapment × meaning in life (ß = -0.107, p = 0.005). CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that ovarian cancer patients are prone to suicidal ideation when they feel a sense of entrapment. Enhancing patients' suicide resilience and meaning in life may be two targeted interventions to reduce suicidal ideation in ovarian cancer patients. In particular, considering both the protective effects of suicide resilience and meaning in life may yield better suicide prevention outcomes than considering only one of these factors.

Parental detection of neonatal jaundice using a low-cost colour card: a multicentre prospective study.

BACKGROUND: Since most infants are usually discharged before age 48-72 hours, peak bilirubin levels will almost always occur after discharge. Parents may be the first to observe the onset of jaundice after discharge, but visual assessment is unreliable. The jaundice colour card (JCard) is a low-cost icterometer designed for the assessment of neonatal jaundice. The objective of this study was to evaluate parental use of JCard to detect jaundice in neonates. METHODS: We conducted a multicentre, prospective, observational cohort study in nine sites across China. A total of 1161 newborns ≥35 weeks of gestation were enrolled in the study. Measurements of total serum bilirubin (TSB) levels were based on clinical indications. The JCard measurements by parents and paediatricians were compared with the TSB. RESULTS: JCard values of parents and paediatricians were correlated with TSB (r=0.754 and 0.788, respectively). The parents' and paediatricians' JCard values 9 had sensitivities of 95.2% vs 97.6% and specificities of 84.5% vs 71.7% for identifying neonates with TSB ≥153.9 µmol/L. The parents' and paediatricians' JCard values 15 had sensitivities of 79.9% vs 89.0% and specificities of 66.7% vs 64.9% for identifying neonates with TSB ≥256.5 µmol/L. Areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves of parents for identifying TSB ≥119.7, ≥153.9, ≥205.2, and ≥256.5 µmol/L were 0.967, 0.960, 0.915, and 0.813, respectively, and those of paediatricians were 0.966, 0.961, 0.926 and 0.840, respectively. The intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.933 between parents and paediatricians. CONCLUSION: The JCard can be used to classify different levels of bilirubin, but it is less accurate with high bilirubin levels. The JCard diagnostic performance of parents was slightly lower than that of paediatricians.

A novel cell-wall polysaccharide derived from the stipe of Agaricus bisporus inhibits mouse melanoma proliferation and metastasis.

Malignant melanoma is an invasive and highly aggressive skin cancer that-if diagnosed-poses a serious threat to the patient's health and life. In this work, a novel purified cell-wall polysaccharide (termed Abwp) was obtained from the discarded stipe of Agaricus bisporus (A. bisporus) and characterized to be a novel homogeneous polysaccharide consisted of a ß-(1 â†’ 4)- glucosyl backbone with ß-(1 â†’ 2) and (1 â†’ 6)-d-glucosyl side-chains. The anti-melanoma effects of Abwp and its associated mechanisms in mice were then explored using in vitro and in vivo approaches. In vitro results showed that Abwp inhibited B16 melanoma cell proliferation and promoted their apoptosis in both time- and dose-dependent manners. In B16 cells induced with tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α), Abwp significantly decreased the protein expression of inflammatory-related signaling pathway (e.g., p38 MAPK and NF-κB) in time-, concentration-, and dose-dependent manners. Moreover, Abwp blocked nuclear entry of NF-κB-p65. In an in vivo mouse model featuring neoplasm transplantation with B16 melanoma cells, Abwp significantly inhibited the growth and proliferation of mouse melanoma. Hematoxylin staining showed that the invasion of melanoma cells into the lung tissue of the Abwp-treated group was significantly reduced. Immunohistochemical analysis showed that the expression of proliferation cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), N-cadherin, MMP-9, and Snail in the lung of mouse was significantly inhibited. Immunofluorescence showed that Abwp significantly interfered with the nuclear transcription of NF-κB-p65 in a dose-dependent manner. Collectively, these results showed that Abwp mediated p38 MAPK and NF-κB signaling pathways to inhibit the inflammatory response and malignant proliferation and metastasis of melanoma in mice.

The experiences of emergency hospital care among adolescents and young adults with self-harm: A systematic review and thematic synthesis of qualitative evidence.

QUESTION: The incidence of self-injurious behavior in adolescents and young adults is on the rise. Seeking care in the emergency department after self-injurious behavior is one way they signal for help. The purpose of this systematic evaluation was to synthesize the best available qualitative research evidence on young people's experiences of emergency department visits following self-harm behaviors and their need for emergency medical services. STUDY SELECTION AND ANALYSIS: Eleven databases were retrieved with predefined search terms from database construction to February 4, 2022. Literature was screened according to inclusion and exclusion criteria and quality assessment. FINDINGS: Eleven studies yielded fifty-five findings that were summarized into eight categories and aggregated into three composite statements: (1) positive emergency department experience; (2) negative emergency department experience; and (3) desire for help. CONCLUSIONS: Young people with a history of self-injurious behavior have a mixed sense of experience in the emergency department. The sense of negative experience makes patients feel dissatisfied and disappointed with healthcare services, and positive experiences can help them seek further help. The emergency departments should improve the diagnosis and treatment model of self-injured adolescent patients to ensure that they receive effective and high-quality medical resources.

Unraveling the Role of Entropy in Thermoelectrics: Entropy-Stabilized Quintuple Rock Salt PbGeSnCdxTe3+x.

Entropy-engineered materials are garnering considerable attention owing to their excellent mechanical and transport properties, such as their high thermoelectric performance. However, understanding the effect of entropy on thermoelectrics remains a challenge. In this study, we used the PbGeSnCdxTe3+x family as a model system to systematically investigate the impact of entropy engineering on its crystal structure, microstructure evolution, and transport behavior. We observed that PbGeSnTe3 crystallizes in a rhombohedral structure at room temperature with complex domain structures and transforms into a high-temperature cubic structure at ∼373 K. By alloying CdTe with PbGeSnTe3, the increased configurational entropy lowers the phase-transition temperature and stabilizes PbGeSnCdxTe3+x in the cubic structure at room temperature, and the domain structures vanish accordingly. The high-entropy effect results in increased atomic disorder and consequently a low lattice thermal conductivity of 0.76 W m-1 K-1 in the material owing to enhanced phonon scattering. Notably, the increased crystal symmetry is conducive to band convergence, which results in a high-power factor of 22.4 µW cm-1 K-1. As a collective consequence of these factors, a maximum ZT of 1.63 at 875 K and an average ZT of 1.02 in the temperature range of 300-875 K were obtained for PbGeSnCd0.08Te3.08. This study highlights that the high-entropy effect can induce a complex microstructure and band structure evolution in materials, which offers a new route for the search for high-performance thermoelectrics in entropy-engineered materials.

Symptom distress and suicidal ideation among Chinese ovarian cancer patients: A moderated mediation model of depression and suicide resilience.

Objective: The aim of this study was to examine whether depression mediates the relationship between symptom distress and suicidal ideation in Chinese patients with ovarian cancer, and whether this mediating effect was moderated by suicide resilience. Methods: From March to October 2022, this cross-sectional study was performed in a three Grade 3A hospital and an oncology specialty hospital in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. Ultimately, 213 ovarian cancer patients completed anonymous self-report. Bootstrapping method was used for regression analysis to test the mediating and moderating effects. Results: Among the 213 participants, 29.58% (n = 63) exhibited significant suicidal ideation. Symptom distress was positively associated with suicidal ideation, and depression partially mediated this relationship. Suicide resilience moderated the relationship between depression and suicidal ideation. In ovarian cancer patients with low suicide resilience, the effect of symptom distress on suicidal ideation through depression was greater, while in patients with high suicide resilience, this effect was attenuated. Conclusion: Our study suggests that symptom distress could be more likely to lead to suicidal ideation as depression levels increase in ovarian cancer patients. Fortunately, suicide resilience could attenuate this negative effect.

Associations between Profiles of Helicopter Parenting and Decisional Procrastination among Chinese Adolescents.

Adolescence is a critical period for the development of decision-making skills. Helicopter parenting may lead to adolescents' decisional procrastination because it hinders the satisfaction of their basic psychological needs and impairs their self-systemic processes. Nevertheless, little is known about helicopter parenting and its influence on adolescent development in China. The current study aimed to examine the profiles of helicopter parenting among Chinese adolescent boys and girls, as well as their associations with adolescent decisional procrastination. Matched data on fathers (Mage = 44.86), mothers (Mage = 42.88), and children (Mage = 16.22, 59.9% female) from six hundred and ninety-nine families were included in this study. The results indicated four helicopter parenting profiles among Chinese adolescent boys and three among adolescent girls. Adolescent boys' decisional procrastination was more closely associated with mothers' helicopter parenting. In contrast, adolescent girls' decisional procrastination was associated with both fathers' and mothers' helicopter parenting. These findings demonstrate helicopter parenting patterns in Chinese culture and their links to adolescent decisional procrastination, providing practical paths for family education improvement.

The Relationship Between Social Support and Suicide Resilience in Chinese Cancer Patients: A Serial Multiple Mediation Model Through Self-care Self-efficacy and Meaning in Life.

BACKGROUND: A growing body of literature has shown a higher risk of suicide in cancer patients compared with the general population. Early detection of factors related to suicide resilience in cancer patients could prevent loss of life. OBJECTIVE: The study aimed to investigate the serial-multiple mediation of self-care self-efficacy and meaning in life in the relationship between social support and suicide resilience among Chinese cancer patients. METHODS: A cross-sectional investigation of 287 cancer patients using a battery of self-reported questionnaires was performed. For preliminary analyses, descriptive, univariate, and Pearson correlation analyses were performed. Mediation analyses were tested using a serial-multiple mediation model (PROCESS model 6). RESULTS: Mediation analysis indicated the indirect effects of social support on suicide resilience mediated solely by either self-care self-efficacy (point estimate = 0.20; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.12-0.30), or by meaning in life (point estimate = 0.06; 95% CI, 0.01-0.12), or by the multiple mediation of self-care self-efficacy to meaning in life (point estimate = 0.03; 95% CI, 0.01-0.06). CONCLUSIONS: The findings demonstrated the crucial direct or indirect effects of social support, self-care self-efficacy, and meaning in life on facilitating cancer patients' suicide resilience. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Oncology nurses, as 24-hour care providers for cancer patients, may interact with and be important sources for the psychosocial care of cancer patients at risk of suicide. Prevention and intervention efforts must be directed at assisting cancer patients, improving self-care self-efficacy, and finding meaning in life after a cancer diagnosis.

Family Resilience Progress from the Perspective of Parents of Adolescents with Depression: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis.

Family resilience plays an important role in the healthy family development of adolescents with depression, but few studies have explored the specific process of family resilience. This study aims to explore the dynamic processes of family resilience from parents of adolescents with depression. Data were collected from 14 Chinese parents of adolescents with depression by interpretative phenomenological analysis method. Four themes and 12 sub-themes emerged: (1) decompensation phase: (i) misinterpretations of illness, (ii) heavy psychological burden, (iii) chaotic rhythms in family; (2) launch phase: (i) potential influences of labeling, (ii) we must cure my child anyway, (iii) begin adjusting to family roles; (3) recovery phase: (i) family reflection, (ii) subsequent reorganization of family resources, (iii) ultimately establishing a new balance; (4) normality phase: (i) adaption for medical seeking process, (ii) actively lower expectations, (iii) concerns of future needs. Mental health professionals could provide targeted suggestions to help the parents achieve family resilience by assessing its different phases.

Silver Atom Off-Centering in Diamondoid Solid Solutions Causes Crystallographic Distortion and Suppresses Lattice Thermal Conductivity.

The class I-III-VI2 diamondoid compounds with tetrahedral bonding are important semiconductors widely applied in optoelectronics. Understanding their heat transport properties and developing an effective method to predict the diamondoid solid solutions' thermal conductivity will help assess their impact as thermoelectrics. In this work, we investigated in detail the heat transport properties of CuGa1-xInxTe2 and Cu1-xAgxGaTe2 and found that in the Ag-alloyed solid solutions, the Ag atom off-centering effect results in crystallographic distortion and extra strong acoustic-optical phonon scattering and an extremely low lattice thermal conductivity. Moreover, we integrate the alloy scattering and the off-centering effect with the crystallographic distortion parameter to develop a modified Klemens model that predicts the thermal conductivity of diamondoid solid solutions. Finally, we demonstrate that Cu1-xAgxGaTe2 solid solutions are promising p-type thermoelectric materials, with a maximum ZT of 1.23 at 850 K for Cu0.58Ag0.4GaTe2.

Carrier Mobility Modulation in Cu2Se Composites Using Coherent Cu4TiSe4 Inclusions Leads to Enhanced Thermoelectric Performance.

Carrier transport engineering in bulk semiconductors using inclusion phases often results in the deterioration of carrier mobility (µ) owing to enhanced carrier scattering at phase boundaries. Here, we show by leveraging the temperature-induced structural transition between the α-Cu2Se and ß-Cu2Se polymorphs that the incorporation of Cu4TiSe4 inclusions within the Cu2Se matrix results in a gradual large drop in the carrier mobility at temperatures below 400 K (α-Cu2Se), whereas the carrier mobility remains unchanged at higher temperatures, where the ß-Cu2Se polymorph dominates. The sharp discrepancy in the electronic transport within the α-Cu2Se and ß-Cu2Se matrices is associated with the formation of incoherent α-Cu2Se/Cu4TiSe4 interfaces, owing to the difference in their atomic structures and lattice parameters, which results in enhanced carrier scattering. In contrast, the similarity of the Se sublattices between ß-Cu2Se and Cu4TiSe4 gives rise to coherent phase boundaries and good band alignment, which promote carrier transport across the interfaces. Interestingly, the different cation arrangements in Cu4TiSe4 and ß-Cu2Se contribute to enhanced phonon scattering at the interfaces, which leads to a reduction in the lattice thermal conductivity. The large reduction in the total thermal conductivity while preserving the high power factor of ß-Cu2Se in the (1-x)Cu2Se/(x)Cu4TiSe4 composites results in an improved ZT of 1.2 at 850 K, with an average ZT of 0.84 (500-850 K) for the composite with x = 0.01. This work highlights the importance of structural similarity between the matrix and inclusions when designing thermoelectric materials with improved energy conversion efficiency.

Unusual electronic transport in (1 - x)Cu2Se-(x)CuInSe2 hierarchical composites.

The ability to control the relative density of electronic point defects as well as their energy distribution in semiconductors could afford a systematic modulation of their electronic, optical, and optoelectronic properties. Using a model binary hybrid system Cu2Se-CuInSe2, we have investigated the correlation between phase composition, microstructure, and electronic transport behavior in the synthesized composites. We found that both Cu2Se and CuInSe2 phases coexist at multiple length scales, ranging from sub-ten nanometer to several micrometers, leading to the formation of a hybrid hierarchical microstructure. Astonishingly, the electronic phase diagram of the (1 - x)Cu2Se-(x)CuInSe2 (15% ≤ x ≤ 100%) hierarchical composites remarkably deviates from the trend normally expected for composites between a heavily doped semiconductor (Cu2Se) and a poorly conducting phase (CuInSe2). A sudden 3-fold increase in the electrical conductivity and carrier concentration along with a marginal increase in the carrier mobility is observed for composites at the vicinity of equimolar composition (48% ≤ x ≤ 52%). The carrier concentration increases from ∼1.5 × 1020 cm-3 for the composites with x ≤ 45% to 5.0 × 1020 cm-3 for x = 50%, and remains constant at 4.5 × 1020 cm-3 with x value in the range of 52% < x ≤ 90%, then quickly drops to 8 × 1018 cm-3 for pristine CuInSe2 phase (x = 100%). The atypical electronic behavior was rationalized in the light of the formation of an inter-band (IB) within the band gap, which arises from the hybridization of native electronic point defects from both Cu2Se and CuInSe2 phases in the resulting hierarchical composites. The result points to a new strategy to modulate the electronic structure of semiconductor composites to maximize interaction and coupling between two fundamentally contrasting properties enabling access to electronic hybrid systems with potential applications as interactive and stimuli-responsive multifunctional materials.

Analysis of Effect of Six Sigma Method Combined with CI Strategy on Improving of Nursing Quality in Outpatient Infusion Rooms.

Objective: The infusion room is the last part of an outpatient visit, with high patient density, large staff mobility, and a wide variety of conditions. In addition, most patients are accompanied by their families during infusion, and nursing staff in infusion rooms have to face more trivial and miscellaneous tasks than nursing staff in other treatment departments, which are more complex. The purpose of this research is to explore the impact of the Six Sigma method and CI strategy on the quality of nursing management in infusion rooms, so as to provide reference for clinical research. Methods: A total of 2142 patients treated in our outpatient infusion rooms from June 2019 to June 2020 was included into this retrospective analysis. Of these, 1105 patients admitted before 2020 received routine care management services and were considered as the control group. Another 1037 patients were admitted after 2020 and received the Six Sigma method combined with CI strategic care management and were considered as the research group. The incidence of adverse events during treatment was counted in both groups, and patients' compliance behavior and psychology were investigated. After treatment, patients' evaluation of the quality of nursing and their satisfaction with the nursing were investigated. Results: The incidence of adverse events during infusion in the research group was dramatically lower than that in the control group, while the compliance behavior scores were higher (P < 0.05). In addition, SAS and SDS in the research group were lower than those in the control group, while the quality of nursing were higher (P < 0.05). It was also clear that the research group had 93.39% satisfaction with nursing, which was also higher than the control group (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Implementation of infusion room nursing management according to the Six Sigma method with CI strategic plan can avoid adverse events and improve infusion nursing satisfaction. It also helps reduce the incidence of dispute events.

Association between serum vitamin A, D and E status and respiratory distress syndrome in preterm infants - a propensity score matching analysis.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to assess whether the serum levels of vitamin A, vitamin D and vitamin E are associated with respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) in preterm infants. METHODS: This retrospective research included 179 neonates born before 35 weeks of gestation in Jiaxing Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital from January 2020 to December 2020. Depending on whether or not they had RDS, participants were classified into the RDS group (59 neonates) and the control group (120 neonates). The 1:1 propensity score matching (PSM) analysis was performed to balance the baseline confounding factors and then the groups were compared in terms of serum vitamin levels and RDS morbidity. RESULTS: A total of 34 pairs of preterm infants were involved after PSM. There were significant differences in vitamin D level (12.13 (8.44-17.85) ng/mL vs. 16.84 (10.75-25.83) ng/mL), vitamin D deficiency rate (85.3% vs. 55.9%), as well as vitamin A level (134.91 (105.01-156.74) ng/mL vs. 152.46 (120.06-200.00) ng/mL) in the two groups. However, the vitamin A deficiency rate, vitamin E status, as well as vitamin E deficiency rate did not differ significantly between the two groups. Logistic analysis showed that a low level of vitamin D was an independent risk factor for RDS in preterm neonates (OR 0.917, 95%CI 0.851-0.989). CONCLUSIONS: Low serum vitamin D levels may contribute to the development of RDS in preterm infants, but no significant effect of serum vitamin A and vitamin E levels was found.

High Thermoelectric Performance in Chalcopyrite Cu1-xAgxGaTe2-ZnTe: Nontrivial Band Structure and Dynamic Doping Effect.

The understanding of thermoelectric properties of ternary I-III-VI2 type (I = Cu, Ag; III = Ga, In; and VI = Te) chalcopyrites is less well developed. Although their thermal transport properties are relatively well studied, the relationship between the electronic band structure and charge transport properties of chalcopyrites has been rarely discussed. In this study, we reveal the unusual electronic band structure and the dynamic doping effect that could underpin the promising thermoelectric properties of Cu1-xAgxGaTe2 compounds. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations and electronic transport measurements suggest that the Cu1-xAgxGaTe2 compounds possess an unusual non-parabolic band structure, which is important for obtaining a high Seebeck coefficient. Moreover, a mid-gap impurity level was also observed in Cu1-xAgxGaTe2, which leads to a strong temperature-dependent carrier concentration and is able to regulate the carrier density at the optimized value for a wide temperature region and thus is beneficial to obtaining the high power factor and high average ZT of Cu1-xAgxGaTe2 compounds. We also demonstrate a great improvement in the thermoelectric performance of Cu1-xAgxGaTe2 by introducing Cu vacancies and ZnTe alloying. The Cu vacancies are effective in increasing the hole density and the electrical conductivity, while ZnTe alloying reduces the thermal conductivity. As a result, a maximum ZT of 1.43 at 850 K and a record-high average ZT of 0.81 for the Cu0.68Ag0.3GaTe2-0.5%ZnTe compound are achieved.

Severe Chlamydia psittaci Pneumonia Complicated by Rhabdomyolysis: A Case Series.

Purpose: To explore the clinical characteristics, diagnosis, and treatment of severe Chlamydia psittaci pneumonia complicated by rhabdomyolysis and to improve the success rate of treatment. Patients and Methods: The clinical characteristics, diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes of four patients with severe C. psittaci pneumonia complicated by rhabdomyolysis diagnosed by metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) in our hospital were analyzed retrospectively. Results: All four patients were male, aged 46-64 years, and all had a history of bird contact. All patients had fever, fatigue, tea-colored urine, myalgia, and two patients were unable to walk. C. psittaci DNA was found by mNGS of the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of all four patients. Their creatine kinase was >1000 U/L, and myoglobin, C-reactive protein, procalcitonin, and brain natriuretic peptide were significantly increased. The McMahon score of three patients was >6 points, of whom one patient suffered from acute kidney injury; he was treated with continuous renal replacement therapy and eventually died. After diagnosis, three patients were treated with doxycycline and quinolones and were discharged after recovery. Conclusion: Psittacosis complicated by rhabdomyolysis is characterized by fever, fatigue, myalgia, and tea-colored urine, with significant increases in creatine kinase and myoglobin. The McMahon score should be applied early to assess the risk of acute kidney injury, and renal replacement therapy and renal protection therapy should be initiated in the early stage. Among severely ill patients, early use of empirical antibiotics, including quinolones, may improve the prognosis.

Ultralow Thermal Conductivity in Diamondoid Structures and High Thermoelectric Performance in (Cu1-xAgx)(In1-yGay)Te2.

Owing to the diversity of composition and excellent transport properties, the ternary I-III-VI2 type diamond-like chalcopyrite compounds are attractive functional semiconductors, including as thermoelectric materials. In this family, CuInTe2 and CuGaTe2 are well investigated and achieve maximum ZT values of ∼1.4 at 950 K and an average ZT of 0.43. However, both compounds have poor electrical conductivity at low temperature, resulting in low ZT below 450 K. In this work, we have greatly improved the thermoelectric performance in the quinary diamondoid compound (Cu0.8Ag0.2)(In0.2Ga0.8)Te2 by understanding and controlling the effects of different constituent elements on the thermoelectric transport properties. Our combined theoretical and experimental effort indicates that Ga in the In site of the lattice decreases the carrier effective mass and improves the electrical conductivity and power factor of Cu0.8Ag0.2In1-xGaxTe2. Furthermore, Ag in the Cu site strongly suppresses the heat transport via the enhanced acoustic phonon-optical phonon coupling effects, leading to the ultralow thermal conductivity of ∼0.49 W m-1 K-1 at 850 K in Cu0.8Ag0.2In0.2Ga0.8Te2. Defect formation energy calculations suggest intrinsic Cu vacancies introduce defect levels that are important to the temperature-dependent hole density and electrical conductivity. Therefore, we introduced extra Cu vacancies to optimize the hole carrier density and improve the power factor of Cu0.8Ag0.2In0.2Ga0.8Te2. As a result, a maximum ZT of ∼1.5 at 850 K and an average ZT of 0.78 in the temperature range of 400-850 K are obtained, which is among the highest in the diamond-like compound family.

Factors associated with work-family enrichment among Chinese nurses assisting Wuhan's fight against the 2019 COVID-19 pandemic.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To examine the relationship between work-family enrichment and two contextual factors (job support and family support), together with two personal factors (family boundary flexibility and prosocial motivation) among Chinese nurses assisting Wuhan in its fight against the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic was first reported in Wuhan, China, and has now spread worldwide, which has brought attention to the pivotal role of nurses in public health emergencies. Work-family enrichment is a bidirectional structure, including work-to-family enrichment and family-to-work enrichment, that can yield many mutually beneficial results in both work and family domains among clinical nurses. However, few studies have investigated work-family enrichment and its influential factors among front-line nurses during public health emergencies. METHODS: A cross-sectional research design was adopted with a snowball sample of 258 Chinese nurses assisting Wuhan's anti-pandemic efforts. Data were collected from 21 March 2020 until 10 April 2020 through a battery of online questionnaires. Descriptive, univariate and hierarchical linear regression analyses and a Pearson correlation test were performed. A STROBE checklist was used to report findings. RESULTS: The results showed that prosocial motivation, family support and job support predicted high work-to-family enrichment in those nurses, while prosocial motivation, family support and family boundary flexibility predicted high family-to-work enrichment. CONCLUSIONS: The study confirmed the importance of paying attention to the work-family enrichment of front-line medical workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, so that they could concentrate on their anti-pandemic work and maintain their enthusiasm for disaster nursing. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: The findings can help health administrators in affected countries around the world identify the influential factors of work-family enrichment among front-line nurses during infectious disease outbreaks, specifically in the areas of mobilising nurses' prosocial motivation and giving sufficient job support.