Experience of undergraduate nursing students participating in artificial intelligence + project task driven learning at different stages: a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Artificial intelligence is a growing phenomenon that will soon facilitate wide-scale changes in many professions, and is expected to play an important role in the field of medical education. This study explored the realistic feelings and experiences of nursing undergraduates participating in different stages of artificial intelligence + project task driven learning, and provide a basis for artificial intelligence participation in nursing teaching. METHODS: We conducted face-to-face semi-structured interviews with nursing undergraduates participating in Nursing Research Course which adopts artificial intelligence + project task driven learning from a medical university in Ningxia from September to November 2023, to understand their experience of using artificial intelligence for learning and the emotional changes at different stages. The interview guide included items about their personal experience and feelings of completing project tasks through dialogue with artificial intelligence, and suggestions for course content. Thematic analysis was used to analyze interview data. This study followed the COREQ checklist. RESULTS: According to the interview data, three themes were summarized. Undergraduate nursing students have different experiences in participating in artificial intelligence + project task driven learning at different stages, mainly manifested as diverse emotional experiences under initial knowledge deficiency, the individual growth supported by external forces during the adaptation period, and the expectations and suggestions after the birth of the results in the end period. CONCLUSIONS: Nursing undergraduates can actively adapt to the integration of artificial intelligence into nursing teaching, dynamically observe students' learning experience, strengthen positive guidance, and provide support for personalized teaching models, better leveraging the advantages of artificial intelligence participation in teaching.

Alleviation of Glucocorticoid-Induced Osteoporosis in Rats by Ethanolic Reynoutria multiflora (Thunb.) Moldenke Extract.

Secondary osteoporosis is frequently due to the use of high-dose glucocorticoids (GCs). The existing strategy for managing glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis (GIOP) is considered insufficient and remains in a state of ongoing evolution. Therefore, it is crucial to develop more precise and effective agents for the treatment of GIOP. The constituents of Reynoutria multiflora (Thunb.) Moldenke, specifically Polygonum multiflorum (PM) Thunb, have previously shown promise in mitigating osteopenia. This study aimed to investigate the therapeutic effects of an ethanolic PM extract (PMR30) against GIOP in male rats. Prednisone (6 mg/kg/day, GC) was continuously administered to rats to induce GIOP, and they were subjected to treatment with or without ethanolic PMR30 for a duration of 120 days. Serum was collected for biochemical marker analysis. Bone histomorphometric, histological, and TUNEL analyses were performed on tibia samples. The protein expressions of LC3, Agt5, and Beclin 1 in the femur underwent examination through western blotting. Prolonged and excessive GC treatment significantly impeded bone formation, concomitant with reduced bone mass and body weight. It also suppressed OCN and OPG/RANKL in serum, and decreased Beclin 1 and LC3 in bone. Simultaneously, there was an elevation in bone resorption markers and apoptosis. Treatments with both high dose and low dose of PMR30 alleviated GIOP, stimulated bone formation, and upregulated OCN and OPG/RANKL, while suppressing TRACP-5b, CTX-I, and apoptosis. The impact of PMR30 possibly involves the enhancement of autophagy proteins (LC3, Agt5, and Beclin 1) and the inhibition of apoptosis within the bone. PMR30 holds promise as a prospective therapeutic agent for preventing and treating GIOP.

Metformin attenuates diabetes-induced osteopenia in rats is associated with down-regulation of the RAGE-JAK2-STAT1 signal axis.

Background: Osteopenia and fragile fractures are diabetes-associated complications. Many hypoglycemic drugs have effects on bone metabolism. Metformin, as is a prescribed medication for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), had been reported to have osteoprotective effects beyond its hypoglycemic effect, however the potential mechanism behind these effects remains unclear. In this study, we aimed to investigate the comprehensive effects of metformin on bone metabolism in T2DM rat model and elucidate the potential mechanism. Methods: Goto-Kakizaki spontaneous T2DM rats with significant hyperglycemia were treated with/without metformin for 20 weeks. Glucose tolerance was tested and all rats were weighed every two weeks. The osteoprotective effects of metformin in diabetic rats were determined by quantifying serum bone biomarkers, µ-CT imaging, histological staining, bone histomorphometry, and biomechanical properties analyses. Potential targets of metformin in the treatment of T2DM and osteoporosis were predicted using network pharmacology. The effects of metformin on mesenchymal stem cells (C3H10) cultured in high glucose medium were evaluated by CCK-8 assay, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) staining, qPCR and western blotting. Results: This study demonstrated that metformin significantly attenuated osteopenia, decreased serum glucose and glycated serum protein (GSP) levels, improved bone microarchitecture, and biomechanical properties in GK rats with T2DM. Metformin significantly increased biomarkers of bone formation, and significantly decreased muscle ubiquitin C (Ubc) expression. Network pharmacology analysis found that signal transducer and activator of transcription1 (STAT1) would be a potential target of metformin for regulating bone metabolism. Metformin increased C3H10 â€‹cell viability in vitro, alleviated ALP inhibition caused by hyperglycemia, increased the osteogenic gene expression of runt-related transcription factor 2 (RUNX2), collagen type I alpha 1 (Col1a1), osteocalcin (OCN), and ALP, while suppressing RAGE and STAT1 expression. Metformin also increased the protein expression of Osterix and decreased that of RAGE, p-JAK2, and p-STAT1. Conclusions: Our results demonstrate that metformin attenuated osteopenia and improved bone microarchitecture in GK rats with T2DM and significantly promoted stem cell osteogenic differentiation under high glucose condition. The effects of metformin on bone metabolism are closely associated with the suppression of RAGE-JAK2-STAT1 signaling axis. The translational potential of this article: Our research provides experiment evidence and potential mechanistic rationale for the use of metformin as an effective candidate for diabetes-induced osteopenia treatment.

The impact of climate change on urban resilience in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region.

The increasing uncertainty related to disaster risk under climate change brings about new challenges for sustainable urban management. The emergence of the urban resilience concept can improve the ability and extent to which cities can absorb and resolve risks, providing insight into the sustainable development of cities and regions. Yet, to date, the impact of climate change on regional urban resilience is not well understood. This paper measures the changes in urban resilience of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH) region from 1998 to 2019, and then explores the contribution of climate influencing factors such as temperature, precipitation and wind speed to urban resilience using econometric models. Results demonstrate the following: (1) Urban resilience shows a large spatial heterogeneity in the BTH region. Overall, Beijing and Tianjin have better and more stable resilience than Hebei Province. (2) Regarding the static impact of climate change on urban resilience, a 1 unit increase in Ln temperature and Ln precipitation will respectively increase Ln resilience by 1.01 units and 0.54 units, indicating that it has a significant positive impact on urban resilience. Each 1 unit increase in Ln wind speed will decrease resilience by 1.65 units, representing a significant negative effect. (3) Regarding the dynamic impact of climate change on urban resilience, a positive 1 unit impact of climatic factors indicates that an increase in temperature will first increase and then decrease urban resilience, and an increase in precipitation and wind speed will initially support improvement in urban resilience. Based on these findings, this article offers policy recommendations to improve urban resilience.

Association of metformin use with fracture risk in type 2 diabetes: A systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies.

Aims: Increasing evidence suggests that metformin can affect bone metabolism beyond its hypoglycemic effects in diabetic patients. However, the effects of metformin on fracture risk in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients remain unclear. A systematic review and meta-analysis were performed in this study to evaluate the association between metformin application and fracture risk in T2DM patients based on previous studies published until June 2021. Methods: A systematic search was performed to collect publications on metformin application in T2DM patients based on PubMed, Embase, Cochran, and Web of Science databases. Meta-analysis was performed by using a random-effects model to estimate the summary relative risks (RRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Subgroup analyses based on cohort/case-control and ethnicity and sensitivity analyses were also performed. Results: Eleven studies were included in the meta-analysis. Results demonstrated metformin use was not significantly associated with a decreased risk of fracture (RR, 0.91; 95% CI, 0.81-1.02; I2 = 96.8%). Moreover, metformin use also demonstrated similar results in subgroup analyses of seven cohort studies and four case-control studies, respectively (RR, 0.90; 95% CI, 0.76-1.07; I2 = 98.0%; RR, 0.96; 96% CI, 0.89-1.03; I2 = 53.7%). Sensitivity analysis revealed that there was no publication bias. Conclusion: There was no significant correlation between fracture risk and metformin application in T2DM patients. Due to a limited number of existing studies, further research is needed to make a definite conclusion for clinical consensus.

Inter-provincial sectoral embodied CO2 net-transfer analysis in China based on hypothetical extraction method and complex network analysis.

To address the CO2 emissions issue, China promised to increase its nationally determined contributions, trying to reach a CO2 emissions peak by 2030. For optimizing emission reduction policies, it is important to clarify the CO2 linkage structure and transfer characteristics. Previous research mainly focused on the calculation and comparison of CO2 linkage at the national level or the regional level and lacked inter-provincial sector-sector transfer analysis. This study uses hypothetical extraction method (HEM) to calculate the inter-provincial sectoral linkages of embodied CO2 in 2012 and 2015, providing a new perspective for sectoral CO2 linkage studies in China. We use net transfer to reveal the impact of provincial trade on the embodied CO2 emissions, and identify key CO2 emitter sectors. Combined with complex networks, we describe the clustering feature visualized and identify the transfer media sectors. The results are as follows: (1) the key sectors with large linkage are mainly the heavy industries located in North China. The electricity industry has the largest net CO2 outflow as the energy supplier, whereas the construction industry has the largest net inflow as the driving sector. (2) The CO2 transfer networks present closely connected and spatial clustering features, reflecting the embodied CO2 linkage between geographically adjacent sectors closer. (3) The important media sectors are mostly located in northwest China with small industrial scale and linkage degrees, such as the transport equipment industry in Shanxi. Emission reduction policies should be overall planned and tailored to local conditions. Consequently, possible policy implications of the results are discussed, which could provide additional insights for CO2 mitigation.

Study on industrial selection of counterpart cooperation between Jilin province and Zhejiang province in China from the perspective of low carbon.

Counterpart cooperation is a major innovative measure in China's strategy for revitalizing north-eastern China. While promoting economic progress, regional counterpart cooperation should also focus on low-carbon economy and sustainable development. Under the background of China's proposed innovative cooperation strategy, using a multi-regional input-output (MRIO) model and structural decomposition analysis (SDA), this study takes Jilin province and its counterpart Zhejiang province as an example and decomposes the change in carbon emission intensity (CEI), which is a widely used indicator to measure regional carbon emission performance. The decomposition spans the years 2007 to 2012, at the level of two provinces and departments. By comparing the factors that drive and inhibit CEI in the two provinces, it was found that the production technology effect in Jilin province primarily drove the growth in CEI, while in Zhejiang province, the opposite occurred. Second, the structural effects of agriculture and heavy industry in Jilin province accounted for the largest proportion of this change, and the pulling effect on the increase in CEI in Jilin was significantly higher than that in Zhejiang province. Third, the scale effect of agricultural demand in Zhejiang province was much higher than that in Jilin province, and the same trend was observed for the scale effect of heavy industrial exports.

Fabrication of Er3+/Yb3+ Co-Doped Bi5O7I Microsphere With Upconversion Luminescence and Enhanced Photocatalytic Activity for Bisphenol A Degradation.

Er3+/Yb3+ co-doped Bi5O7I uniform porous microsphere photocatalysts were synthesized by a two-step chemical method, which possesses excellent photocatalytic performance and upconversion luminescence property. The photocatalytic performance of the photocatalysts was studied by degradation of bisphenol A in aqueous solution under visible light and different monochromatic light irradiation. The photocatalytic performance of Er3+/Yb3+ co-doped Bi5O7I sample is better than that of the pristine Bi5O7I and Er3+-doped Bi5O7I samples. Moreover, Er3+/Yb3+ co-doped Bi5O7I possesses photocatalytic ability with a red light monochromatic LED lamp (3 W, λ = 630 nm) and an infrared monochromatic LED lamp (100 W, λ = 940 nm) irradiation whose wavelength is longer than the absorption-limiting wavelength of pristine Bi5O7I sample. This phenomenon further verified that the upconversion property of Er3+ and Yb3+ causes the improved photocatalytic efficiency of Er3+/Yb3+ co-doped Bi5O7I sample.

Functional Characterization of New Polyketide Synthase Genes Involved in Ochratoxin A Biosynthesis in Aspergillus Ochraceus fc-1.

Ochratoxin A (OTA), a potentially carcinogenic mycotoxin which contaminates grains, is produced by several Aspergillus species. A comparative sequence analysis of the OTA-producing Aspergillus ochraceus fc-1 strain and other Aspergillus species was performed. Two new OTA-related polyketide synthase (PKS) (AoOTApks) genes were identified. The predicted amino acid sequence of AoOTApks-1 displayed high similarity to previously identified PKSs from OTA-producing A. carbonarius ITEM 5010 (67%; [PI] No. 173482) and A. niger CBS 513.88 (62%; XP_001397313). However, the predicted amino acid sequence of AoOTApks-2 displayed lower homology with A. niger CBS 513.88 (38%) and A. carbonarius ITEM 5010 (28%). A phylogenetic analysis of the ß-ketosynthase and acyl-transferase domains of the AoOTApks proteins indicated that they shared a common origin with other OTA-producing species, such as A. carbonarius, A. niger, and A. westerdijkiae. A real-time reverse-transcription PCR analysis showed that the expression of AoOTApks-1 and -2 was positively correlated with the OTA concentration. The pks gene deleted mutants ∆AoOTApks-1 and ∆AoOTApks-2 produced nil and lesser OTA than the wild-type strain, respectively. Our study suggests that AoOTApks-1 could be involved in OTA biosynthesis, while AoOTApks-2 might be indirectly involved in OTA production.