Prevalence and genomic characteristics of becAB-carrying Clostridium perfringens strains.

Clostridium perfringens, as a foodborne pathogen, can cause various intestinal diseases in both humans and animals according to its repertoire of toxins. In recent years, a multitude of studies have highlighted its threat to infants and young children. C. perfringens carries numerous toxins, with the newly identified BEC toxin confirmed as the second toxin to cause diarrheal illness, after CPE. However, the global dissemination of C. perfringens strains carrying becAB genes, which encode BEC toxins, has not been extensively studied. Following epidemiological surveillance of the prevalence of C. perfringens from different sources in various provinces of China, we identified two becAB-carrying strains and one strain carrying a sequence similar to becAB from distinct provinces and sources. When combined with genomic analysis of other becAB-carrying C. perfringens strains from public databases, we found that becAB was present in strains from different lineages. Our analysis of the plasmid and genetic environment corroborates previous findings on becAB-carrying strains, confirming that it currently achieves horizontal transmission through one type of evolutionarily conserved Pcp plasmid. This study provides a comprehensive analysis of the prevalence and transmission patterns of the newly emerged toxin gene locus, becAB, in C. perfringens. Despite the relatively low identification rate of becAB-carrying strains, their potential impact requires ongoing surveillance and investigation of their features, particularly their antimicrobial resistance.

The impact of collagen membrane fixation protocols on volume stability in horizontal ridge augmentation in the aesthetic area: A retrospective study.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to evaluate the impact of different collagen membran fixation protocols on the volume stability in horizontal ridge augmentation in the aesthetic area. METHODS: A total of 48 patients with 65 augmented sites were included in this study. Implants were placed in the aesthetic region, and simultaneous guided bone regeneration (GBR) surgery was performed for horizontal ridge augmentation. Participants were divided into four groups, each comprising 12 patients, based on different absorbable collagen membrane fixation protocols. Group 1: without fixation; Group 2: fixation with absorbable sutures; Group 3: fixation with titanium pins; Group 4: fixation with titanium pins and absorbable sutures. Cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) was performed immediately after surgery and at 6 months post-surgery, respectively. The horizontal thickness of the augmented region was analyzed for volume stability at the implant shoulder (H0) and 1-5 mm apical to the implant shoulder (H1-H5). Changes in labial thickness during bone healing were calculated as absolute values (mm) and relative values (%). RESULTS: After 6 months of bone healing, horizontal thickness was significantly reduced at all levels (H0-H5) in all groups compared to immediate post-surgery results (p < 0.05). At H1-H5, horizontal bone loss in group 1 was significantly higher than in the other three groups (p < 0.05). Group 4 exhibited significantly less horizontal bone loss compared to group 2 at H0-H2 (p < 0.05) and group 4 compared to group 3 at H0-H1 (p < 0.05). No significant difference in horizontal bone loss between groups 2 and 3 was detected at H0-H5 (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Guided bone regeneration in the aesthetic area with additional membrane fixation demonstrated superior volume stability of the augmented region compared to cases without fixation. There was no significant difference in bone volume stability between membrane fixation with titanium pins and fixation with absorbable sutures. However, the combined use of pins and absorbable sutures yielded superior volume stability.

Sources of trust in the healthcare context. A multilevel relationship with work engagement and organisational outcomes.

Introduction: The present study analysed the mediating role of interactional justice and horizontal trust between transformational leadership and organisational outcomes (i.e., job performance and service quality) at the work team level and the cross-level relationship of team horizontal trust with job performance at the individual level, controlling for work engagement based on the HERO Model. Methods: Through structural equations and hierarchical linear models, the proposed hypotheses were addressed. The sample corresponds to 1,638 workers grouped into 109 work teams belonging to 28 hospitals in Spain. Results: First, Structural Equation Modelling analysis revealed that, as expected, at the team level, interactional justice and horizontal trust mediate positive and significantly the relationship between transformational leadership and organisational outcomes (i.e., job performance and service quality). Secondly, the results of the Linear Hierarchical Models showed a positive relationship between work engagement and individual level performance. Finally, the multilevel analysis revealed that horizontal trust at the team level is positively related to work engagement at individual level; however, there is no cross-level relationship between horizontal trust at the team level and individual performance controlled by work engagement. Discussion: Horizontal trust, at the team level, is positioned as a mediating variable between resources and organisational outcomes. Furthermore, it proves to be a key cross-level element for generating work engagement and job performance. The theoretical and practical implications of the study based on the HERO Model are discussed.

An optimized instrument variable selection approach to improve causality estimation in association studies.

Mendelian randomization (MR) is an emerging tool for inferring causality in genetic epidemiology. MR studies suffer bias from weak genetic instrument variables (IVs) and horizontal pleiotropy. We introduce a robust integrative framework strictly adhering with STROBE-MR guidelines to improve causality inference through MR studies. We implemented novel t-statistics-based criteria to improve the reliability of selected IVs followed by various MR methods. Further, we include sensitivity analyses to remove horizontal-pleiotropy bias. For functional validation, we perform enrichment analysis of identified causal SNPs. We demonstrate effectiveness of our proposed approach on 5 different MR datasets selected from diverse populations. Our pipeline outperforms its counterpart MR analyses using default parameters on these datasets. Notably, we found a significant association between total cholesterol and coronary artery disease (P = 1.16 × 10-71) in a single-sample dataset using our pipeline. Contrarily, this same association was deemed ambiguous while using default parameters. Moreover, in a two-sample dataset, we uncover 13 new causal SNPs with enhanced statistical significance (P = 1.06 × 10-11) for liver-iron-content and liver-cell-carcinoma. Likewise, these SNPs remained undetected using the default parameters (P = 7.58 × 10-4). Furthermore, our analysis confirmed previously known pathways, such as hyperlipidemia in heart diseases and gene ME1 in liver cancer. In conclusion, we propose a robust and powerful framework to infer causality across diverse populations and easily adaptable to different diseases.

Tailoring Lithium Horizontal Deposition for Long-Lasting High-Loading NCA (≥5 mA h cm-2)||Lithium-Metal Full Cells in Carbonate Electrolytes.

We report a design for a synergistic lithium (Li) metal hosting layer for high-loading Li(Ni,Co,Al)O2 (NCA) (≥5 mA h cm-2)||Li-metal full cells in carbonate electrolytes. Based on density functional theory calculations, the hosting layer was designed as a three-dimensional silver/carbon composite nanofiber (Ag/CNF) network with high Li affinity and a platinum (Pt)-coated polypropylene separator with low Li affinity. This design enabled the tailoring of horizontal Li deposition on the Ag/CNF hosting layer. The Li deposition behavior modulated by the hosting layer was thoroughly examined based on the initial Li deposition and cycling behaviors of the Li||Li symmetric cell configuration. Cryogenic focused-ion beam cross-sectional images of the cycled Li anodes clearly demonstrated that dense lithium deposition was enabled by the synergistic hosting layer high-loading NCA (≥5 mA h cm-2)||Li-metal full cells. When the hosting layer was used, the average cycling performance improved by 78.27% under various cycling conditions. Our work demonstrates that the synergistic hosting layer design is a fruitful pathway to accelerate the commercialization of high-energy-density Li-metal batteries in carbonate electrolytes.

Horizontal partial laryngectomy for laryngeal neuroendocrine tumor: A case report.

INTRODUCTION: Moderately differentiated neuroendocrine tumors of the larynx are rare malignant tumors that arise from the submucosa of the larynx, for which surgery is the first-line treatment. PRESENTATION OF CASE: We report a case of moderately differentiated neuroendocrine tumor of the larynx, in which the patient, a 74-year-old man, experienced long-term palliation but an unfortunate outcome of death owing to metastasis. Laryngeal endoscopic examination revealed an elevated submucosal lesion on the laryngeal surface of the epiglottis. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging showed a tumor-like lesion demonstrating a contrasting effect in the submucosa of the epiglottis. A biopsy revealed a moderately differentiated neuroendocrine tumor (formerly called an atypical carcinoid), and a horizontal partial laryngectomy was performed. The patient had a good postoperative course; however, three years and ten months after surgery, he experienced recurrence in the upper gastrointestinal tract and carcinoid syndrome and died four years and three months after the surgery. DISCUSSION: The prognosis of laryngeal neuroendocrine tumors remains poor. In this case, local control was possible without irradiation because the resection margins were negative on pathological examination. This case report has been reported in line with the SCARE Criteria. CONCLUSION: Long-term follow-up of this type of tumor is necessary, as distant metastasis is likely to affect prognosis. In addition to surgery, effective adjuvant therapies, including molecular targeted therapies, should be established.

Promotion of antibiotic-resistant genes dissemination by the micro/nanoplastics in the gut of snail Achatina fulica.

Terrestrial animal intestines are hotspots for the enrichment of micro/nano plastics (M/NPs) and antibiotic-resistant genes (ARGs). However, little is known about the further impact of M/NPs on the spread of ARGs in animal guts. This study investigates the role of M/NPs (polystyrene) with varying particle sizes (0.082, 42, and 182 µm), concentrations (10 and 100 mg/L), and exposure durations (4 and 16 days) in the ARGs dissemination via conjugation in the edible snail (Achatina fulica) gut. Combination of qPCR with 16S rRNA-based sequencing, we found that PS exposure caused intestinal cell impairment and shifts in the gut microbial community of snails. Conjugation rate increased with PS particle sizes in the snail gut. After 4 days of exposure, significantly higher conjugation rates were observed in the gut exposed to 100 mg/L PS compared to 10 mg/L, however, this trend reversed after 16 days. Consistently, the abundances of conjugation relevant genes trfA and trbB shared similar trends to the conjugation ratios in the snail gut after PS exposure. Transconjugant diversity was much lower in 10 mg/L PS groups than in 100 mg/L PS treatments. Therefore, this study suggests that the presence of M/NPs would complicate management of ARG spread. The selection pressure exerted by M/NPs may sustain or even amplify the spread of ARGs in the gut of terrestrial animals even in the absence of antibiotics. It highlights the necessity of avoiding M/NPs intake as a part of comprehensive strategy for cubing ARG dissemination in the gut of animals.

A Modified Debiased Inverse-Variance Weighted Estimator in Two-Sample Summary-Data Mendelian Randomization.

Mendelian randomization uses genetic variants as instrumental variables to estimate the causal effect of exposure on outcome from observational data. A common challenge in Mendelian randomization is that many genetic variants are only modestly or even weakly associated with the exposure of interest, a setting known as many weak instruments. Conventional methods, such as the popular inverse-variance weighted (IVW) estimator, could be heavily biased toward zero when the instrument strength is weak. To address this issue, the debiased IVW (dIVW) estimator and the penalized IVW (pIVW) estimator, which are shown to be robust to many weak instruments, were recently proposed. However, we find that the dIVW estimator tends to produce an exaggerated estimate of the causal effect, especially when the effective sample size is small. Although the pIVW estimator has better statistical properties, it is slightly more complex, and the idea behind this method is also a bit less intuitive. Therefore, we propose a modified debiased IVW (mdIVW) estimator that directly multiplies a shrinkage factor with the original dIVW estimator. After this simple modification, we prove that the mdIVW estimator not only has second-order bias with respect to the effective sample size, but also has smaller variance and mean squared error than the preceding two estimators. We then extend the proposed method to account for the presence of instrumental variable selection and balanced horizontal pleiotropy. We demonstrate the improvement of the mdIVW estimator over the competing ones through extensive simulation studies and real data analysis.

Dietary zinc supplementation inhibits bacterial plasmid conjugation in vitro by regulating plasmid replication (rep) and transfer (tra) genes.

Humans use dietary supplements for several intended effects, such as supplementing malnutrition. While these compounds have been developed for host end benefits, their ancillary impact on the gut microbiota remains unclear. The human gut has been proposed as a reservoir for the prevalent lateral transfer of antimicrobial resistance and virulence genes in bacteria through plasmid conjugation. Here, we studied the effect of dietary zinc supplements on the incidence of plasmid conjugation in vitro. Supplement effects were analyzed through standardized broth conjugation assays. The avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) strain APEC-O2-211 was a donor of the multidrug resistance plasmid pAPEC-O2-211A-ColV, and the human commensal isolate E. coli HS-4 was the plasmid-free recipient. Bacterial strains were standardized and mixed 1:1 and supplemented 1:10 with water, or zinc derived from either commercial zinc supplements or zinc gluconate reagent at varying concentrations. We observed a significant reduction in donors, recipients, and transconjugant populations in conjugations supplemented with zinc, with a dose-dependent relationship. Additionally, we observed a significant reduction (P < 0.05) in log conjugation efficiency in zinc-treated reactions. Upregulation of the mRNA for the plasmid replication initiation gene repA and the subset of transfer genes M, J, E, K, B, P, C, W, U, N, F, Q, D, I, and X was observed. Furthermore, we observed a downregulation of the conjugal propilin gene traA and the entry exclusion gene traS. This study demonstrates the effect of dietary zinc supplements on the conjugal transfer of a multidrug resistance plasmid between pathogenic and commensal bacteria during in vitro conditions.IMPORTANCEThis study identifies dietary zinc supplementation as a potential novel intervention for mitigating the emergence of multidrug resistance in bacteria, thus preventing antibiotic treatment failure and death in patients and animals. Further studies are required to determine the applicability of this approach in an in vivo model.

A rare diagnosis of nine syndrome: Clinical, imaging findings, and literature review.

In this article, we reported a rare case of nine syndrome, which is characterized by clinical signs of the one-and-a-half syndrome, ipsilateral facial palsy, contralateral hemiparesis, hemihypesthesia, or ataxia. A 44-year-old male presented with sudden onset of double vision for 3 days. Examination revealed left horizontal gaze palsy, internuclear ophthalmoplegia, left lower motor neuron facial nerve palsy with right hemiplegia, and hemihypesthesia. Magnetic resonance imaging brain showed evidence of acute infarction at the left paramedian pons. Magnetic resonance angiography revealed a beaded small-caliber basilar artery suggestive of intracranial vasculopathy in the posterior circulation. The patient has been treated with an antiplatelet and lipid-lowering agent. His right hemiparesis has improved, but the ocular motility and left facial paresis persisted. The literature reviews of 14 cases of nine syndrome were discussed, and the biography background, clinical pictures, etiology, neuroimaging, treatment, and recovery status were described.

Comparative Efficacy of Classic Versus Horizontal Incision Techniques in Skin-Reducing Mastectomy: A Single Center Retrospective Analysis.

Background: The reconstruction of large breasts carries a heightened risk profile. While skin-reducing mastectomy (SRM) techniques facilitate the correction of breast ptosis, they are frequently associated with a high incidence of vascular complications. This study compares two SRM techniques-the horizontal incision and the classic inverted T incision-by examining their clinical and surgical outcomes. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed data from 24 patients (30 breasts) who underwent SRM with immediate prosthetic reconstruction between 2019 and 2023 at the European Institute of Oncology in Milan, Italy. Our comparison focused on breast aesthetic outcome, reconstruction quality, complication rates (early and late), and patient satisfaction, utilizing the BREAST-Q questionnaire to gauge the latter. Results: Among the 24 patients included in the study, 16 (20 breasts) were treated with the inverted T technique, and 8 (10 breasts) with the horizontal incision approach. A higher overall complication rate was observed with the inverted T technique compared to the horizontal method, with early complications outnumbering late ones. The most common issues were recurrent seroma and skin necrosis leading to implant exposure. Notably, there were no cases of implant infection. Although the horizontal incision technique achieved slightly higher patient satisfaction scores, the difference was not statistically significant. Discussion: The inverted T and horizontal incision techniques each have unique benefits and drawbacks. Our findings indicate enhanced patient satisfaction and reduced complication rates with the horizontal incision technique. The selection of the technique should be customized based on the patient's individual risk factors, tissue quality, and preferences.

An Analysis of Combined Molecular Weight and Hydrophobicity Similarity between the Amino Acid Sequences of Spike Protein Receptor Binding Domains of Betacoronaviruses and Functionally Similar Sequences from Other Virus Families.

Recently, we proposed a new method, based on protein profiles derived from physicochemical dynamic time warping (PCDTW), to functionally/structurally classify coronavirus spike protein receptor binding domains (RBD). Our method, as used herein, uses waveforms derived from two physicochemical properties of amino acids (molecular weight and hydrophobicity (MWHP)) and is designed to reach into the twilight zone of homology, and therefore, has the potential to reveal structural/functional relationships and potentially homologous relationships over greater evolutionary time spans than standard primary sequence alignment-based techniques. One potential application of our method is inferring deep evolutionary relationships such as those between the RBD of the spike protein of betacoronaviruses and functionally similar proteins found in other families of viruses, a task that is extremely difficult, if not impossible, using standard multiple alignment-based techniques. Here, we applied PCDTW to compare members of four divergent families of viruses to betacoronaviruses in terms of MWHP physicochemical similarity of their RBDs. We hypothesized that some members of the families Arteriviridae, Astroviridae, Reoviridae (both from the genera rotavirus and orthoreovirus considered separately), and Toroviridae would show greater physicochemical similarity to betacoronaviruses in protein regions similar to the RBD of the betacoronavirus spike protein than they do to other members of their respective taxonomic groups. This was confirmed to varying degrees in each of our analyses. Three arteriviruses (the glycoprotein-2 sequences) clustered more closely with ACE2-binding betacoronaviruses than to other arteriviruses, and a clade of 33 toroviruses was found embedded within a clade of non-ACE2-binding betacoronaviruses, indicating potentially shared structure/function of RBDs between betacoronaviruses and members of other virus clades.

Enhanced GRU-based regression analysis via a diverse strategies whale optimization algorithm.

Taking into account the whale optimization algorithm's tendency to get trapped in local optima easily and its slow convergence rate, this paper proposes a diverse strategies whale optimization algorithm (DSWOA) and uses it to optimize the parameters of GRU, thereby achieving better regression prediction effects. First, an innovative t-distribution perturbation is used to perturb the optimal whale to expand the optimization space of the optimal whale. Secondly, in the random search stage, we perform a Cauchy walk on the whale's position and then use reverse learning to enable the algorithm to effectively navigate away from the local optimum. Finally, we adopt a horizontal learning strategy for all whales and use two random whales to determine the current whale's position. Updated, the results suggest that DSWOA is highly effective in global optimization. By utilizing DSWOA, the parameters of GRU were fine-tuned. The experimental findings reveal that GRU produces promising outcomes on multiple datasets, making it a more effective tool for regression prediction tasks.

Revealing antibiotic resistance's ancient roots: insights from pristine ecosystems.

The prevailing belief that antibiotic resistance mechanisms emerged with human antibiotic use has been challenged. Evidence indicates that some antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) have a long evolutionary history, predating the advent of antibiotics in human medicine, thereby demonstrating that resistance is an ancient phenomenon. Despite extensive surveys of resistance elements in environments impacted by human activity, limited data are available from remote and pristine habitats. This minireview aims to compile the most relevant research on the origins and evolution of ARGs in these habitats, which function as reservoirs for ancient resistance mechanisms. These studies indicate that ancient ARGs functionally similar to modern resistance genes, highlighting the general role of natural antimicrobial substances in fostering the evolution and exchange of diverse resistance mechanisms through horizontal gene transfer over time. This minireview underscores that antibiotic resistance was present in ancestral microbial communities and emphasizes the ecological role of antibiotics and resistance determinants. Understanding ancient ARGs is crucial for predicting and managing the evolution of antibiotic resistance. Thus, these insights provide a foundational basis for developing new antibiotics and strategies for microbial resistance management.

Bidirectional two-sample Mendelian randomization analysis unveils causal association between inflammatory cytokines and the risk of diabetic nephropathy.

OBJECTIVE: Previous observational studies have indicated associations between various inflammatory cytokines and diabetic nephropathy (DN) caused by type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). However, the causality remains unclear. We aimed to further evaluate the causal association between 91 inflammatory cytokines and DN using bidirectional two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis. METHOD: Summary statistics for DN were obtained from a publicly available genome-wide association study (GWAS) analysis. Data pertaining to inflammatory cytokines were derived from a GWAS protein quantitative trait locus (pQTL) study. The primary analytical approach employed the inverse variance weighted (IVW) method, complemented by MR-Egger regression, weighted mode (WM), and weighted median (WME) methods to evaluate the causal association between inflammatory cytokines and DN. Sensitivity analyses were conducted to validate the robustness of the findings. RESULT: Among individuals of European ancestry, the IVW method results revealed a positive causal association between the gene expression of tumor necrosis factor ligand superfamily member 14 (TNFSF14), and TNF-related activation-induced cytokine (TRANCE) with DN. Conversely, a negative causal association was observed between the gene expression of interleukin-1-alpha (IL-1α), and transforming growth factor-alpha (TGF-α) with DN. Among individuals of East Asian ancestry, the IVW method results indicated a negative causal association between the gene expression of glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) and DN. Notably, these findings persisted without evidence of horizontal pleiotropy or heterogeneity, ensuring their robustness and reliability. CONCLUSION: The MR analysis underscores a causal association between inflammatory cytokines and DN, providing an important reference and evidence for the study of DN.

[Spatio-temporal Situation, Regional Differences, and Dynamic Evolution of the Distribution of Ecological Compensation in the Yellow River Basin].

In the context of regional coordinated development and modernization of ecological and environmental governance capacity, the spatial collaborative governance of transboundary river basins has received extensive attention, but the ecological compensation of river basins is faced with the intertwined relationship of rights and responsibilities, and the horizontal ecological compensation mechanism has not yet been perfected. Based on the emergy ecological footprint model, the ecological compensation amount of 90 cities in the Yellow River Basin in 2007-2021 was measured, and the spatiotemporal pattern, regional differences, and dynamic evolution characteristics of distribution were explored by combining exploratory spatial data analysis, Dagum Gini coefficient, kernel density estimation, and spatial Markov chain analysis. The results showed that： ① The spatiotemporal pattern of ecological compensation in the Yellow River Basin was different, the ecological compensation amount decreased slightly in the fluctuation and increased from the northwest to southeast gradient in general, and the high-value areas were concentrated in the areas with a superior ecological background or developed economy, and some upstream cities had given up many development opportunities to maintain the ecological security of the Yellow River Basin, however, failed to obtain reasonable ecological compensation. ② A significant positive spatial agglomeration phenomenon was observed in ecological compensation and the overall spatial distribution trend was "cold in the north and hot in the south." The number of low-payment areas and low-compensation areas gradually decreased, showing a gradually shrinking agglomeration layout from the periphery to the center, whereas the number of high-payment areas and high-compensation areas continued to increase and formed a spatial evolution characteristic of the coexistence of scattered distribution and group distribution. ③ The overall regional differences in ecological compensation expanded. The over-variation density was the main source of the overall differences, and the focus on alleviating the intra-regional and inter-regional differences was located in the downstream areas. ④ A slight multi-level differentiation phenomenon was present in ecological compensation. The influence of different neighbors on the horizontal transfer of ecological compensation was quite different. This spatial spillover effect easily formed a "space club convergence" phenomenon within a certain geographical spatial range, but with the expansion of time, the probability of maintaining the original level of ecological compensation in each city decreased, and mobility gradually increased. Therefore, increasing the investment in ecological compensation in different fields, strengthening the coordinated development between regions, and giving full play to the spatial spillover effect are important ways to solve the current spatial imbalance of ecological compensation in the Yellow River Basin.

Determination of Lubrication Layer Thickness and Its Effect on Concrete Pumping Pressure.

The flow of six kinds of fresh concrete under different flow rates and lubrication layer thickness (TLL) values in the horizontal pipe was numerically simulated. The influence of the TLL on the pressure per unit length (PL) was analyzed. It was determined that the formation of the lubrication layer (LL) significantly reduces the PL in concrete pumping. As the TLL increased, the PL decreased. However, the degree of reduction in the PL gradually decreased as the TLL increased. Relating the simulated PL with the experimental PL, the size of the TLL was obtained, which was between 1 and 3 mm. The minimum and maximum were 1.23 and 2.58 mm, respectively, and the average value was 1.97 mm. The strength (S24, S50), the size of the aggregate (A10, A20, A25), and the flow rate of pumping all affected the TLL. The type of fresh concrete and the flow rate of pumping significantly affected the PL, which impacted the TLL. However, the TLL also impacted the PL. Finally, this made the TLL change within a certain range. When PL > 14,000 Pa/m, 2 mm < TLL< 3 mm; on the other hand, 1 mm < TLL< 2 mm. Therefore, we can use CFD to simulate the flow of all types of concrete in the actual pumping pipeline with a TLL of 2 mm to obtain their pumping pressure and guide the actual construction.

Status of Horizontal Violence, Level of Psychological Empowerment, and Their Correlation Among Obstetric Nurses: A Cross-Sectional Survey.

BACKGROUND: China's maternity policy has led to an increase in work pressure, which has prompted horizontal violence among obstetric nurses. To understand this phenomenon better, we attempted to identify the factors that influence horizontal violence as well as the level of psychological empowerment among obstetric nurses. METHODS: This cross-sectional survey was conducted among 522 obstetric nurses from December 2022 to February 2023. RESULTS: The findings revealed that 40.42% (211) of the obstetric nurses had experienced horizontal violence in the past 3 months. The overall level of psychological empowerment of obstetric nurses was relatively low. Regression analysis indicated that being a formal worker, being from the area where one serves, the meaning attributed to work, and perceptions of autonomy, self-efficacy, and work impact acted as protective factors against the risk of horizontal violence among obstetric nurses. When compared with the 20-29-year-old age group, those in the 30-39-year-old age group showed a lower risk of experiencing horizontal violence (odds ratio [OR] = 0.369, p < 0.01). Compared with nurses who had worked in obstetrics for < 3 years, those who had worked for 3-5, 6-10, 11-20, and > 20 years showed lower risks of experiencing horizontal violence than the reference level (OR = 0.234, p < 0.05; OR = 0.182, p < 0.05; OR = 0.105, p < 0.05; and OR = 0.056, p < 0.05, respectively). DISCUSSION: The incidence of horizontal violence among obstetric nurses is high, and the overall level of psychological empowerment is low. Nursing managers can alleviate the occurrence of horizontal violence by augmenting the psychological empowerment level of obstetric nurses.

Horizontal well hydraulics in leaky confined aquifer near a stream: analytical solutions for induced drawdown and water budget components.

Horizontal wells have gained popularity as a technology for exploring water resources and remediating aquifers over the last decades, due to costs and numerous technical benefits compared to traditional vertical wells. This study presents a set of analytical solutions for drawdown distribution and various components of water budget contributing to flow toward a horizontal well in an aquifer-aquitard system interacting with a fully penetrating stream. It is assumed that the water level in the upper unconfined aquifer remains fixed at a specific elevation during the course of the pumping in the lower leaky aquifer. The water budget components account for inflows from aquifer storage, stream depletion, and leakage across the aquifer-aquitard interface. Analytical solutions to this three-dimensional, transient, non-axisymmetric Darcian flow model are given for both transient and steady-state flow conditions, relying on a four-fold integral transform technique that includes a Robin-type boundary condition at the aquifer-aquitard interface. It is shown how various components of water budget collectively counterbalance the effect of pumping discharge, confirming that the mass is conserved under both continuous and non-continuous pumping scenarios. Response maps are prepared to assess how different components of water budget react to changes in the well position. Furthermore, it is found that the components of water budget are most sensitive to the well-to-stream distance and anisotropy ratio of the leaky aquifer.

Toxin-Antitoxin Systems Reflect Community Interactions Through Horizontal Gene Transfer.

Bacterial evolution through horizontal gene transfer (HGT) reflects their community interactions. In this way, HGT networks do well at mapping community interactions, but offer little toward controlling them-an important step in the translation of synthetic strains into natural contexts. Toxin-antitoxin (TA) systems serve as ubiquitous and diverse agents of selection; however, their utility is limited by their erratic distribution in hosts. Here we examine the heterogeneous distribution of TAs as a consequence of their mobility. By systematically mapping TA systems across a 10,000 plasmid network, we find HGT communities have unique and predictable TA signatures. We propose these TA signatures arise from plasmid competition and have further potential to signal the degree to which plasmids, hosts, and phage interact. To emphasize these relationships, we construct an HGT network based solely on TA similarity, framing specific selection markers in the broader context of bacterial communities. This work both clarifies the evolution of TA systems and unlocks a common framework for manipulating community interactions through TA compatibility.