Alternative Splicing Mediated by RNA-Binding Protein RBM24 Facilitates Cardiac Myofibrillogenesis in a Differentiation Stage-Specific Manner.

BACKGROUND: Mutations in genes encoding sarcomeric proteins lead to failures in sarcomere assembly, the building blocks of contracting muscles, resulting in cardiomyopathies that are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Splicing variants of sarcomeric proteins are crucial at different stages of myofibrillogenesis, accounting for sarcomeric structural integrity. RBM24 (RNA-binding motif protein 24) is known as a tissue-specific splicing regulator that plays an essential role in cardiogenesis. However, it had been unclear if the developmental stage-specific alternative splicing facilitated by RBM24 contributes to sarcomere assembly and cardiogenesis. Our aim is to study the molecular mechanism by which RBM24 regulates cardiogenesis and sarcomere assembly in a temporal-dependent manner. METHODS: We ablated RBM24 from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) using CRISPR/Cas9 techniques. RESULTS: Although RBM24-/- hESCs still differentiated into sarcomere-hosting cardiomyocytes, they exhibited disrupted sarcomeric structures with punctate Z-lines due to impaired myosin replacement during early myofibrillogenesis. Transcriptomics revealed >4000 genes regulated by RBM24. Among them, core myofibrillogenesis proteins (eg, ACTN2 [α-actinin 2], TTN [titin], and MYH10 [non-muscle myosin IIB]) were misspliced. Consequently, MYH6 (muscle myosin II) cannot replace nonmuscle myosin MYH10, leading to myofibrillogenesis arrest at the early premyofibril stage and causing disrupted sarcomeres. Intriguingly, we found that the ABD (actin-binding domain; encoded by exon 6) of the Z-line anchor protein ACTN2 is predominantly excluded from early cardiac differentiation, whereas it is consistently included in human adult heart. CRISPR/Cas9-mediated deletion of exon 6 from ACTN2 in hESCs, as well as forced expression of full-length ACTN2 in RBM24-/- hESCs, further corroborated that inclusion of exon 6 is critical for sarcomere assembly. Overall, we have demonstrated that RBM24-facilitated inclusion of exon 6 in ACTN2 at distinct stages of cardiac differentiation is evolutionarily conserved and crucial to sarcomere assembly and integrity. CONCLUSIONS: RBM24 acts as a master regulator to modulate the temporal dynamics of core myofibrillogenesis genes and thereby orchestrates sarcomere organization.

What are people's attitudes toward medical insurance fraud whistleblowers? a study from China.

PURPOSE: Medical insurance fraud has caused huge losses to countries around the world, and public reporting has become an important means to combat medical insurance fraud. The attitude of medical insurance fraud whistleblowers affects people's reporting behavior, and understanding people's attitude toward medical insurance fraud whistleblowers provides a basis for further improving the system and policy of public participation in medical insurance fund supervision. METHODS: We adopted the questionnaire method to conduct a national cross-sectional survey of the Chinese public and analyzed the data using Chi-square tests, Fisher's exact tests, and binary logistic regression models. RESULTS: A total of 837 respondents were included, and 81.8% of the population had a supportive attitude toward medical insurance fraud whistleblowers, with gender, whether they had used medical insurance reimbursement, and present life satisfaction being statistically significant (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The public is generally supportive of medical insurance fraud whistleblowers, and women, those who have used medical insurance for reimbursement, and those who are satisfied with their lives are more likely to be supportive of medical insurance fraud whistleblowers.

What influences the public's willingness to report health insurance fraud in familiar or unfamiliar healthcare settings? a cross-sectional study of the young and middle-aged people in China.

INTRODUCTION: Young and middle-aged people are important participants in the fight against health insurance fraud. The study aims to investigate the differences in their willingness to report health insurance fraud and the factors influencing it when it occurs in familiar or unfamiliar healthcare settings. METHODS: Data were obtained from a validated questionnaire from 828 young and middle-aged people. McNemar's test was used to compare the public's willingness to report under the two scenarios. Chi-square tests and multiple logistic regression analysis were used to analyze the determinants of individuals' willingness to report health insurance fraud in different scenarios. RESULTS: Young and middle-aged people were more likely to report health insurance fraud in a familiar healthcare setting than in an unfamiliar one (McNemar's χ²=26.51, P < 0.05). Their sense of responsibility for maintaining the security of the health insurance fund, the government's openness about fraud cases, and the perception of their ability to report had significant positive effects on the public's willingness to report in both settings (P < 0.05). In a familiar healthcare setting, the more satisfied the public is with government measures to protect whistleblowers, the more likely they are to report (OR = 1.44, P = 0.025). Those who perceive the consequences of health insurance fraud to be serious are more likely to report than those who perceive the consequences to be less serious (OR = 1.61, P = 0.042). CONCLUSION: Individuals are more likely to report health insurance fraud in familiar healthcare settings than in unfamiliar ones, in which their awareness of the severity of the consequences of health insurance fraud and their perceived risk after reporting it play an important role. The government's publicizing of fraud cases and enhancing the public's sense of responsibility and ability to maintain the safety of the health insurance fund may be a way to increase their willingness to report, regardless of whether they are familiar with the healthcare setting or not.

Impact of medical insurance access negotiation on the utilization of innovative anticancer drugs in China: an interrupted time series analysis.

BACKGROUND: The high costs of innovative anticancer drugs hinder a number of cancer patients' access to these drugs in China. To address this problem, in 2018, the medical insurance access negotiation (MIAN) policy was implemented, when the prices of 17 innovative anticancer drugs were successfully negotiated and they were therefore included in the reimbursement list. This study aimed to explore the impact of the MIAN policy on the utilization of innovative anticancer drugs. METHODS: With monthly data on drug expenditures and defined daily doses (DDDs) of each innovative anticancer drug from January 2017 to December 2019, interrupted time series analysis was employed to estimate both the instant (change in the level of outcome) and long-term (change in trends of outcomes) impacts of the MIAN policy on drug utilization in terms of drug expenditures and DDDs. Our sample consists of 12 innovative anticancer drugs. RESULTS: From January 2017 to December 2019, the monthly drug expenditures and DDDs of 12 innovative anticancer drugs increased by about 573% (from US$8,931,809.30 to US$51,138,331.09) and 1400% (from 47,785 to 668,754), respectively. Overall, the implementation of the MIAN policy led to instant substantial increases of US$8,734,414 in drug expenditures and 158,192.5 in DDDs. Moreover, a sharper upward trend over time was reported, with increases of US$2,889,078 and 38,715.3 in the monthly growth rates of drug expenditures and DDDs, respectively. Regarding individual innovative anticancer drugs, the most prominent instant change and trend change in drug utilization were found for osimertinib, crizotinib, and ibrutinib. In contrast, the utilization of pegaspargase was barely affected by the MIAN policy. CONCLUSIONS: The MIAN policy has effectively promoted the utilization of innovative anticancer drugs. To ensure the continuity of the effects and eliminate differentiation, supplementary measures should be carried out, such as careful selection of drugs for medical insurance negotiations, a health technology assessment system and a multichannel financing mechanism.

N-Heterocyclic carbenes as privileged ligands for nickel-catalysed alkene functionalisation.

Alkene functionalisation is a powerful strategy that has enabled access to a wide array of compounds including valuable pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals. The reactivity of the alkene π-bond has allowed incorporation of a diverse range of atoms and functional groups through a wide variety of reaction pathways. N-Heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) are a class of persistent carbenes that are widely employed as ancillary ligands due to their ability to act as strong σ-donors compared to widely-applied conventional phosphine-based ligands. NHCs are also unique as their molecular bulk provides steric influence for regio- and stereo-control in many alkene functionalisation reactions, illustrated by the examples covered in this review. A combination of the unique reactivity of NHC ligands and nickel's characteristics has facilitated the design of reaction pathways that show distinct selectivity and reactivity, including the activation of bonds previously considered "inert", such as C-H bonds, the C-O bond of ethers and esters, and the C-N bonds of amides. This review summarises the advancements in Ni(NHC) catalysed alkene functionalisation up to 2022, covering the following major reaction classes: Heck-type reactions, hydrofunctionalisation and dicarbofunctionalisation.

Immunisation with the glycolytic enzyme enolase inhibits dissemination of Treponema pallidum in C57BL/6 mice.

Treponema pallidum (T. pallidum), an obligate extracellular bacterium, is the causative agent of sexually transmitted bacterial diseases. In this study, the glycolytic enzyme enolase (Tp Eno) of T. pallidum were injected intramuscularly into C57BL/6 mice, resulting in higher levels of specific anti-Tp Eno antibodies and Tp Eno-specific splenocyte proliferation than those in the mice immunized with recombinant protein Tp Eno. Cytokine (IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, IFN-γ, and TNF-α) analysis of splenocytes showed that the Tp Eno could slightly trigger the Th1-biased immune response. Furthermore, immunization of mice with Tp Eno elicited a significant production of IFN-γ by CD4+ T-cells in the spleen. Subsequently, mice were inoculated intradermally (between the scapulae), intraperitoneally, intrarectally and via the corpora cavernosa with 2.5 × 106 organisms per site (1 × 107 total organisms). The bacterial organ burden detected in the blood, spleen, liver, testes or brain of immunized mice suggested that Tp Eno enhances protective immunity to inhibit T. pallidum colonization in distal tissues. Therefore, Tp Eno vaccination enhances Tp Eno-specific immunogenicity and provides protection against T. pallidum dissemination.

Horizontal inequity trends of health care utilization in rural China after the medicine and healthcare system reform: based on longitudinal data from 2010 to 2018.

BACKGROUND: To assess the effectiveness of China's medicine and health care reform in promoting equity in health care utilization among rural residents, it is necessary to analyze temporal trends in equity in health care utilization among rural residents in China. This study is the first to assess horizontal inequity trends in health care utilization among rural Chinese residents from 2010 to 2018 and provides evidence for improving government health policies. METHODS: Longitudinal data obtained from China Family Panel Studies from 2010 to 2018 were used to determine trends in outpatient and inpatient utilization. Concentration index, concentration curve, and horizontal inequity index were calculated to measure inequalities. Decomposition analysis was applied to measure the contribution of need and non-need factors to the unfairness. RESULTS: From 2010 to 2018, outpatient utilization among rural residents increased by 35.10%, while inpatient utilization increased by 80.68%. Concentration indices for health care utilization were negative in all years. In 2012, there was an increase in the concentration index for outpatient utilization (CI = -0.0219). The concentration index for inpatient utilization decreased from -0.0478 in 2010 to -0.0888 in 2018. Except for outpatient utilization in 2012 (HI = 0.0214), horizontal inequity indices for outpatient utilization were negative in all years. The horizontal inequity index for inpatient utilization was highest in 2010 (HI = -0.0068) and lowest in 2018 (HI = -0.0303). The contribution of need factors to the inequity exceeded 50% in all years. CONCLUSIONS: Between 2010 and 2018, low-income groups in rural China used more health services. This seemingly pro-poor income-related inequality was due in large part to the greater health care need among low-income groups. Government policies aimed at increasing access to health services, particularly primary health care had helped to make health care utilization in rural China more equitable. It is necessary to design better health policies for disadvantaged groups to reduce future inequities in the use of health services by rural populations.

A practical method to improve the performance of knowledge-based VMAT planning for endometrial and cervical cancer.

PURPOSE: The aim of this work was to demonstrate a practical and effective method to improve the performance of RapidPlan (RP) model. METHODS: 203 consecutive clinical VMAT plans (P0) for cervical and endometrial cancer were used to train an RP model (M0). The plans were then reoptimized by M0 to generate 203 new plans (P1). Compared with P0, 150 plans with a lower mean dose (MD) of bladder, rectum and PBM were selected from P1 to configure a new RP model (M1). A final RP model (M2) was trained using plans in M1 and the remaining 53 plans from P1 (excluding OARs with worse MD) and the corresponding plans from P0 (only including OARs with better MD). The models were validated on the mentioned 53 plans (closed-loop set) and 46 patient cohorts outside the training library (open-loop set). p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: For closed-loop validation, the difference of D2%, D98% and CI95% between groups was of no statistical significance, the homogeneity index (HI) was lower in the groups of RP models (p < 0.05). The MD of all OARs decreased monotonically in the sequence of the clinical group, group M0, M1 and M2, except the MD of bowel in M1 and MD of LFH in M2. Similarly, for open-loop validation, there was no significant difference in D2%, D98% and HI between groups, but CI95% was larger in the clinical group (p < 0.05). The MD of all OARs decreased monotonically in the sequence of the clinical group, group M0, M1 and M2, with the exception of bowel in M1. CONCLUSION: The practical method of incorporating plan data of better-sparing OARs from both the clinical VMAT plans and the re-optimized plans could further improve the performance of the RP model.

The influence of cross-regional medical treatment on total medical expenses, medical insurance payments, and out-of-pocket expenses of patients with malignant tumors in Chinese low-income areas.

BACKGROUND: In recent years, due to the increasing number of cross-regional medical patients, countries around the world have issued a series of policies or regulations to reduce their out-of-pocket burden. In this context, this study intended to explore the impact of the Spatio-temporal characteristics of cross-regional medical treatment on total medical expenses, medical insurance payments, and out-of-pocket expenses of patients with malignant tumors in low-income areas. METHODS: This study included 54,904 data of cross-provincial medical treatment of malignant tumor patients insured in Heilongjiang Province, China in 2020. Firstly, Microsoft Excel 2019 and ArcGIS 10.2 were applied to conduct a descriptive analysis of the Spatio-temporal characteristics of their cross-provincial medical treatment. Then, binary and multivariate logistic regression models were used to explore the specific impact of economic level and geographical distance of medical regions on total medical expenses, medical insurance payments, and out-of-pocket expenses. RESULTS: The number of cross-regional medical patients showed a gradual upward trend from February to December, and fell back in January. They were concentrated in regions with high economic level and short distance from the insured region, where were more likely to form the group with high out-of-pocket expenses (AOR = 3.620, P < 0.001; AOR = 1.882, P < 0.001). While this possibility in middle-distance medical regions were less (AOR = 0.545, P < 0.001). Afterwards, two sensitivity analysis methods showed that the results were robust. CONCLUSION: The number of cross-regional medical patients with malignant tumors in low-income areas is affected by seasonal factors, meanwhile, their total medical expenses, actual medical insurance payment levels, and out-of-pocket expenses are all affected by the economic level and geographical distance of medical regions. And the middle-distance medical regions may be the best choice for patients with planned cross-regional medical treatment. These provide some evidence for policymakers to improve the fairness and sustainability of medical security for cross-regional medical patients and reduce their direct economic burden of disease.

Air pollution and refraining from visiting health facilities: a cross-sectional study of domestic migrants in China.

BACKGROUND: Local environmental factors are associated with health and healthcare-seeking behaviors. However, there is a paucity in the literature documenting the link between air pollution and healthcare-seeking behaviors. This study aimed to address the gap in the literature through a cross-sectional study of domestic migrants in China. METHODS: Data were extracted from the 2017 China Migrants Dynamic Survey (n = 10,051) and linked to the official air pollution indicators measured by particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10) and air quality index (AQI) in the residential municipalities (n = 310) of the study participants over the survey period. Probit regression models were established to determine the association between air pollution and refraining from visiting health facilities after adjustment for variations in the predisposing, enabling and needs factors. Thermal inversion intensity was adopted as an instrumental variable to overcome potential endogeneity. RESULTS: One unit (µg/m3) increase in monthly average PM2.5 was associated with 1.8% increase in the probability of refraining from visiting health facilities. The direction and significance of the link remained unchanged when PM2.5 was replaced by AQI or PM10. Higher probability of refraining from visiting health facilities was also associated with overwork (ß = 0.066, p = 0.041) and good self-related health (ß = 0.171, p = 0.006); whereas, lower probability of refraining from visiting health facilities was associated with short-distance (inter-county) migration (ß=-0.085, p = 0.048), exposure to health education (ß=-0.142, p < 0.001), a high sense of local belonging (ß=-0.082, p = 0.018), and having hypertension/diabetes (ß=-0.169, p = 0.005). CONCLUSION: Air pollution is a significant predictor of refraining from visiting health facilities in domestic migrants in China.

What fragile factors hinder the pace of China's alleviation efforts of the poverty-stricken population? A study from the perspective of impoverishment caused by medical expenses.

OBJECTIVE: China has made remarkable achievements in poverty alleviation. However, with the change in economic development and age structure, the population stricken by poverty due to medical expenses and disability accounted for 42.3 and 14.4% of the total poverty-stricken population, respectively. Accordingly, it is crucial to accurately pinpoint the characteristics of people who are about to become poor due to illness. In this study, we analyzed the incidence of impoverishment by medical expense at the provincial, family, and different medical insurance scheme levels to identify the precise groups that are vulnerable to medical-related poverty. METHOD: Data were extracted from the Fifth National Health Service Survey in China in 2013 through a multi-stage, stratified, and random sampling method, leaving 93,570 households (273,626 people) for the final sample. The method recommended by World Health Organization (WHO) was adopted to calculate impoverishment by medical expense, and logistic regression was adopted to evaluate its determinants. RESULTS: The poverty and impoverishment rate in China were 16.2 and 6.3% respectively. The poverty rate in western region was much higher than that of central and eastern regions. The rate of impoverishment by medical expense (IME) was higher in the western region (7.2%) than that in the central (6.5%) and eastern (5.1%) regions. The New Cooperative Medical Scheme (NCMS) was associated with the highest rate (9.1%) of IME cases. The top three diseases associated with IME were malignant tumor, congenital heart disease, and mental disease. Households with non-communicable disease members or hospitalized members had a higher risk on IME. NCMS-enrolled, poorer households were more likely to suffer from IME. CONCLUSION: The joint roles of economic development, health service utilization, and welfare policies result in medical impoverishment for different regions. Poverty and health service utilization are indicative of households with high incidence of medical impoverishment. Chronic diseases lead to medical impoverishment. The inequity existing in different medical insurance schemes leads to different degrees of risk of IME. A combined strategy to precise target multiple vulnerabilities of poor population would be more effective.

Catastrophic health expenditure incidence and its equity in China: a study on the initial implementation of the medical insurance integration system.

BACKGROUND: By 2013, several regions in China had introduced health insurance integration policies. However, few studies addressed the impact of medical insurance integration in China. This study investigates the catastrophic health expenditure and equity in the incidence of catastrophic health expenditure by addressing its potential determinants in both integrated and non-integrated areas in China in 2013. METHODS: The primary data are drawn from the fifth China National Health Services Survey in 2013. The final sample comprises 19,788 households (38.4%) from integrated areas and 31,797 households (61.6%) from non-integrated areas. A probit model is employed to decompose inequality in the incidence of catastrophic health expenditure in line with the methodology used for decomposing the concentration index. RESULTS: The incidence of catastrophic health expenditure in integrated areas is higher than in non-integrated areas (13.87% vs. 13.68%, respectively). The concentration index in integrated areas and non-integrated areas is - 0.071 and - 0.073, respectively. Average household out-of-pocket health expenditure and average capacity to pay in integrated areas are higher than those in non-integrated areas. However, households in integrated areas have lower share of out-of-pocket expenditures in the capacity to pay than households in non-integrated areas. The majority of the observed inequalities in catastrophic health expenditure can be explained by differences in the health insurance and householders' educational attainment both in integrated areas and non-integrated areas. CONCLUSIONS: The medical insurance integration system in China is still at the exploratory stage; hence, its effects are of limited significance, even though the positive impact of this system on low-income residents is confirmed. Moreover, catastrophic health expenditure is associated with pro-poor inequality. Medical insurance, urban-rural disparities, the elderly population, and use of health services significantly affect the equity of catastrophic health expenditure incidence and are key issues in the implementation of future insurance integration policies.

Primary health institutions preference by hypertensive patients: effect of distance, trust and quality of management in the rural Heilongjiang province of China.

BACKGROUND: Traditional "inverted triangle" healthcare resources allocation model in China has wasted a lot of health resources. The Chinese health reform began to strengthens the role of the primary health institutions in delivering primary health care especially in rural areas in the background of large development gap between urban-rural health and rapid growth in the incidence of chronic diseases in rural. We take hypertensive patients as an example, to verify the effect of policy implementation through distribution characteristics of rural primary health institutions preference of hypertensive patients and explore the influencing factor that promoting rationalized use of medical care for patients with chronic disease as well as rational allocation of health resources in rural areas. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in Heilongjiang, a province in northeastern China by using a self-designed questionnaire. Stratified cluster sampling was used to choose 484 hypertensive patients from two villages in Heilongjiang province in 2010. RESULTS: About 88.4% of respondents reported preferred primary health institutions (83.5% preferred village clinics and 4.9% preferred township hospitals), 49.4% of respondents knew hypertension management administered by primary health institutions, 53.5% received hypertension education from primary care physicians, more than half of respondents reported that they didn't receive telephone interviews and family visits from primary care physicians over the past 6 months. Residence closer to the primary health institutions (OR = 10.360), trust in village doctors (OR = 7.323), elders (OR = 3.001), and asked for return visits by primary health physicians (OR = 2.073) promote preferences for primary health institutions. CONCLUSIONS: Accessibility to primary healthcare and doctor-patient trust stimulate patients to choose the primary health institutions. Primary health institutions should improve general approach to hypertension management and enhance the ability of providing basic public health services.

Can integration reduce inequity in healthcare utilization? Evidence and hurdles in China.

BACKGROUND: Integration of medical insurance schemes has been prioritized as one of the key strategies to address inequity in China's health system. The first pilot attempt to integrate started in 2003 and later expanded nationwide. This study aims to assess its intended impact on inequity in inpatient service utilization and identify the main determinants contributing to its ineffectiveness. METHODS: A total of 49,365 respondents in the pilot integrated area and 77,165 respondents in the non-integration area were extracted from the Fifth National Health Services Survey. A comparative analysis was conducted between two types of areas. We calculate a concentration index (CI) and horizontal inequity index (HI) in inpatient service utilization and decompose the two indices. RESULTS: Insurance integration played a positive role in reducing inequality in inpatient service utilization to some extent. A 13.23% lower in HI, a decrease in unmet inpatient care and financial barriers to inpatient care in the pilot integrated area compared with the non-integration area; decomposition analysis showed that the Urban-Rural Residents Basic Medical Insurance, a type of integrated insurance, contributed 37.49% to reducing inequality in inpatient service utilization. However, it still could not offset the strong negative effect of income and other insurance schemes that have increased inequality. CONCLUSIONS: The earlier pilot attempt for integrating medical insurance was not enough to counteract the influence of factors which increased the inequality in inpatient service utilization. Further efforts to address the inequality should focus on widening access to financing, upgrading the risk pool, reducing gaps within and between insurance schemes, and providing broader chronic disease benefit packages. Social policies that target the needs of the poor with coordinated efforts from various levels and agencies of the government are urgently needed.

Pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic integration of cefquinome against Pasteurella Multocida in a piglet tissue cage model.

To explore the in vivo antimicrobial activity of cefquinome against Pasteurella multocida in piglets, a piglet tissue cage infection model was used in this study. After the population of P. multocida reached 107  CFU/mL in a tissue cage, piglets received an intramuscular administration of cefquinome at 0.2, 0.4, 0.8, 1, 2, and 4 mg/kg once daily for 3 days. To assess the tissue cage pharmacokinetics (PKTCF) of cefquinome, tissue cage fluid was collected for cefquinome analysis at 1, 3, 6, 9, 12, and 24 hr after each of the 3 daily drug administrations. Bacteria were counted every 24 hr after drug administration and at 48 and 72 hr after the last administration. Evaluation of the relationship between pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) parameters and the antibacterial effect showed that the surrogate of %T > minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) (R2  = 0.981) was the best PK/PD index that correlated with effectiveness of cefquinome against P. multocida. The respective values of %T > MIC required for continuous 1/3-log, 1/2-log, and 1-log reductions were 14.23, 34.45, and 73.44%, respectively, during each 24-hr treatment period. In conclusion, cefquinome exhibited a potent antibacterial effect against P. multocida. When %T > MIC reached 73.44%, cefquinome exhibited a bactericidal effect against P. multocida after three successive daily administrations.

Psychological violence against general practitioners and nurses in Chinese township hospitals: incidence and implications.

BACKGROUND: International reports indicating that around 10-50% of health care staff are exposed to violence every year; in certain settings, this rate might reach over 85%. Evidence has shown that people who experience psychological violence are seven times as likely to be victims of physical violence. Although there have been numerous studies on WPV in general hospitals, there is no consensus regarding the current status of psychological violence directed at health care workers in township hospitals in China. The purpose of this study was to estimate the prevalence and the risk factors of psychological violence in Chinese township hospitals. METHODS: A retrospective cross-sectional survey of township hospitals general practitioners and general nurses was conducted in Heilongjiang Province, China.Descriptive analyses and binary logistic regression analysis were used to estimated the prevalence and the risk factors of psychological violence. RESULTS: Regardless of whether the assessment period was the past 12 months, past 36 months, or during their entire career,GPs and nurses reported that verbal abuse was the most common type of psychological violence (28.05, 30.28, 38.69 and 40.45%, 43.86, 54.02%).The main perpetrator was patients' relatives. Most participants responded to violence with "pretend nothing happened", 55.63% of GPs and 62.64% of nurses reported that the perpetrator received no punishment. Around 47.62% of respondents reported that their workplace had no procedures for reporting violence. When workplaces did have a reporting system, 57.73% knew how to use them. Only 36.98% had training in managing aggression and violence. General nurses, individuals 35 years or younger, those with higher professional titles and who work in shifts are at greater risk of psychological violence. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate a high prevalence of psychological violence in Chinese township hospitals, which can no longer be ignored. Effective measures should be taken to prevent and respond to workplace violence(WPV), especially psychological violence. TRIAL REGISTRATION: (Project Identification Code: HMUIRB20160014), Registered May 10, 2016.

Self-management behavior among patients with diabetic retinopathy in the community: a structural equation model.

PURPOSE: Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is an important, chronic complication of diabetes, requiring competent self-management that depends on adherence to behavioral regimens. This study attempted to identify factors influencing self-management behaviors and develop a model illustrating the interdependence of several factors associated with DR patients. METHODS: In June-December 2012, 368 patients with DR completed questionnaires assessing self-management behavior, diabetes knowledge, health beliefs, social support, and treatment adherence. Structural equation modeling was used to test predicted pathways linking self-management behavior to diabetes knowledge, health beliefs, social support, and treatment adherence. RESULTS: The results indicated that health beliefs, treatment adherence, and duration of diabetes each had a direct impact on diabetes self-management (p < 0.05). Diabetes knowledge only indirectly influenced diabetes self-management, through health beliefs. Social support had a direct impact on diabetes self-management (ß = 0.35, p < 0.01), and an indirect influence on diabetes self-management, through treatment adherence (ß = 0.77, p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Health beliefs, treatment adherence, and social support directly affect diabetes self-management, and diabetes knowledge indirectly affects diabetes self-management. This suggests that enhancing DR patients' health beliefs, treatment adherence, and social support would facilitate their diabetes self-management. Meanwhile, improved health education can strengthen diabetes knowledge, which in turn, can positively affect diabetes self-management.

Determinants of emergency response responsibility perceptions in the local public health workforce after China's health sector restructuring.

BACKGROUND: Local health departments are the backbone of public health emergency (PHE) response plans. The front line of emergency response preparedness is people. Role perceptions of individual staff members of a given organization strongly affect response probability and performance. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine local public health employees' perceptions of emergency response responsibilities, identify factors that influence their perception, and indicate the challenges and bottlenecks of PHE response in the Health Inspection Institution (HII) after its separation from China's multiple Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). METHODS: We used a stratified randomized sample survey to examine HII workers' knowledge of their own duties concerning PHE response in 17 facilities in Heilongjiang, a province in northeastern China. Data were collected from May to July 2010 using a 9-item combined question inquiring about the workers' statutory duties. RESULTS: Of 348 administered surveys, 309 were returned for an overall response rate of 88.8%. Overall, the correct recognition rate of PHE responsibilities was low. Some HII workers were confused about their responsibilities required by law, regulations, and emergency response plans. A quarter of all the respondents had the lowest knowledge for PHE responsibilities. Factors influencing their perceptions of responsibilities were department, work experience in a CDC, and PHE response experience. CONCLUSIONS: To improve preparedness for a PHE, efforts are needed to train, support, and monitor the workers' knowledge and competencies in PHEs as part of an organizational change; the worker's knowledge of their responsibilities should be measured and used as an indicator of preparedness for a PHE, and training should be undertaken where there are deficiencies. Management should also encourage workers in the departments of food hygiene/school health surveillance to be more involved in PHE preparedness and response issues.

An immunoproteomic approach for characterization of the outer membrane proteins of Salmonella Gallinarum.

Salmonella enterica serovar Gallinarum (SG) is an important pathogen that causes fowl typhoid in chickens. In order to investigate SG outer membrane proteins (OMPs) as potential vaccine candidate proteins, we established a proteomic map and database of antigenic SG-OMPs. A total of 174 spots were detected by 2DE. Twenty-two antigen-reactive spots were identified as nine specific proteins using PMF. OmpA was the most abundant protein among all of the identified OMPs, and it exhibited seven protein species. We conducted Western blot analysis for the SG-OMPs in order to determine which proteins were cross-reactive to the serovars Salmonella Enteritidis, Salmonella Typhimurium, and SG. Our results indicated that OmpA was considered to be an antigenic cross-reactive protein among the three serovars. This study sheds new light on our understanding of cross-protection among Salmonella serovars.

Using dose volume histogram (DVH) predictions to improve the plan quality of helical tomotherapy (HT).

This study aimed to investigate whether the RapidPlan (RP) model configured by volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) plans of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) could be used to assist in the optimization of HT plans and improve their quality. An RP model was trained using 100 clinically accepted VMAT plans of NPC patients. The predicted dose constraints of the VMAT trained RP model were used to reoptimize 25 consecutive clinically accepted HT plans (HT_clinical) and perform new VMAT plans based on the same computed topography (CT). The dosimetric quality of the reoptimized HT plans (HT_reoptimized), HT_clinical, and VMAT group were compared. The minimum dose encompassing 2% target (D2%), the minimum dose encompassing 98% target (D98%), homogeneity index (HI) and conformity index (CI) were similar for most targets between the HT_clinical and HT_reoptimized plans, although certain targets in the HT_reoptimized plans had higher D2% and HI and lower D98%. The HT_reoptimized plans outperformed the HT_clinical plans in the Dmax and D1cc of the spinal cord, V40Gy of the left temporal lobe, Dmean and V30Gy of the oral cavity, Dmean of the larynx and thyroid, and the differences were statistically significant. HT plans had higher CI and HI than VMAT plans. HT plans outperformed VMAT plans in the Dmax of the spinal cord and lenses, V30Gy of the oral cavity and parotids, and V40Gy of the temporal lobes, but underperformed in the Dmax and D1cc of the brainstem, D1cc of the spinal cord and Dmean of the oral cavity. The VMAT-based RP model can be used to assist in the planning of HT plans and improve the dosimetry quality of HT plans.