OTULIN allies with LUBAC to govern angiogenesis by editing ALK1 linear polyubiquitin.

OTULIN coordinates with LUBAC to edit linear polyubiquitin chains in embryonic development, autoimmunity, and inflammatory diseases. However, the mechanism by which angiogenesis, especially that of endothelial cells (ECs), is regulated by linear ubiquitination remains unclear. Here, we reveal that constitutive or EC-specific deletion of Otulin resulted in arteriovenous malformations and embryonic lethality. LUBAC conjugates linear ubiquitin chains onto Activin receptor-like kinase 1 (ALK1), which is responsible for angiogenesis defects, inhibiting ALK1 enzyme activity and Smad1/5 activation. Conversely, OTULIN deubiquitinates ALK1 to promote Smad1/5 activation. Consistently, embryonic survival of Otulin-deficient mice was prolonged by BMP9 pretreatment or EC-specific ALK1Q200D (constitutively active) knockin. Moreover, mutant ALK1 from type 2 hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT2) patients exhibited excessive linear ubiquitination and increased HOIP binding. As such, a HOIP inhibitor restricted the excessive angiogenesis of ECs derived from ALK1G309S-expressing HHT2 patients. These results show that OTULIN and LUBAC govern ALK1 activity to balance EC angiogenesis.

Broad protective RBD heterotrimer vaccines neutralize SARS-CoV-2 including Omicron sub-variants XBB/BQ.1.1/BF.7.

SARS-CoV-2 variants with severe immune evasion are a major challenge for COVID-19 prevention, especially the circulating Omicron XBB/BQ.1.1/BF.7 strains. Thus, the next-generation of broad-spectrum vaccines are urgently needed. Previously, we developed a COVID-19 protein subunit vaccine, ZF2001, based on the RBD-homodimer as the immunogen. To adapt SARS-CoV-2 variants, we developed chimeric RBD-heterodimers to induce broad immune responses. In this study, we further explored the concept of tandem RBD homotrimer and heterotrimer. Prototype SARS-CoV-2 RBD-homotrimer, prototype-Delta-BA.1 (PDO) RBD-heterotrimer and Delta-BA.2-BA.5 (DBA2BA5) RBD-heterotrimer were designed. Biochemical and cryo-EM structural characterization demonstrated total epitope exposure of the RBD-trimers. In mouse experiments, PDO and DBA2BA5 elicited broad SARS-CoV-2 neutralization. Potent protection against SARS-CoV-2 variants was observed in challenge assays and was correlated with neutralizing antibody titer. This study validated the design strategy of tandem RBD-heterotrimers as multivalent immunogens and presented a promising vaccine candidate, DBA2BA5, eliciting broad-spectrum immune responses, including against the circulating XBB/BF.7/BQ.1.1.

Selective Activation of Cascade Assembly Amplification for DNA Methyltransferase Detection Using a Double-Loop Interlocked DNA Circuit.

Precise and reliable monitoring of DNA adenine methyltransferase (Dam) activity is essential for disease diagnosis and biological analysis. However, existing techniques for detecting Dam activity often rely on specific DNA recognition probes that are susceptible to DNA degradation and exhibit limited target sensitivity and specificity. In this study, we designed and engineered a stable and dynamic DNA nanodevice called the double-loop interlocked DNA circuit (DOOR) that enables the sensitive and selective monitoring of Dam activity in complex biological environments. The DOOR incorporates two interlocked specialized sequences: a palindromic sequence for Dam identification and an initiator sequence for signal amplification. In the presence of Dam, the DOOR is cleaved by double-stranded DNA phosphodiesterase I endonuclease, generating massive double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) units. These units can self-assemble into a long dsDNA scaffold, thereby enhancing the subsequent reaction kinetics. The dsDNA scaffold further triggers a hyperbranched hybrid chain reaction to produce a fluorescent 3D DNA nanonet, enabling more precise monitoring of the Dam activity. The DOOR device exhibits excellent sensitivity, specificity, and stability, rendering it a powerful tool for studying DNA methylation in various biological processes and diseases.

Nanoconfined Silver Nanoclusters Combined with X-Shaped DNA Recognizer-Triggered Cascade Amplification for Electrochemiluminescence Detection of APE1.

Apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease 1 (APE1), as a vital base excision repair enzyme, is essential for maintaining genomic integrity and stability, and its abnormal expression is closely associated with malignant tumors. Herein, we constructed an electrochemiluminescence (ECL) biosensor for detecting APE1 activity by combining nanoconfined ECL silver nanoclusters (Ag NCs) with X-shaped DNA recognizer-triggered cascade amplification. Specifically, the Ag NCs were prepared and confined in the glutaraldehyde-cross-linked chitosan hydrogel network using the one-pot method, resulting in a strong ECL response and exceptional stability in comparison with discrete Ag NCs. Furthermore, the self-assembled X-shaped DNA recognizers were designed for APE1 detection, which not only improved reaction kinetics due to the ordered arrangement of recognition sites but also achieved high sensitivity by utilizing the recognizer-triggered cascade amplification of strand displacement amplification (SDA) and DNAzyme catalysis. As expected, this biosensor achieved sensitive ECL detection of APE1 in the range of 1.0 × 10-3 U·µL-1 to 1.0 × 10-10 U·µL-1 with the detection limit of 2.21 × 10-11 U·µL-1, rendering it a desirable approach for biomarker detection.

Multi-Functional and Flexible Nano-Silver@MXene Heterostructure-Decorated Graphite Felt for Wearable Thermal Therapy.

Wearable heaters with multifunctional performances are urgently required for the future personal health management. However, it is still challengeable to fabricate multifunctional wearable heaters simultaneously with flexibility, air-permeability, Joule heating performance, electromagnetic shielding property, and anti-bacterial ability. Herein, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs)@MXene heterostructure-decorated graphite felts are fabricated by introducing MXene nanosheets onto the graphite felts via a simple dip-coating method and followed by a facile in situ growth approach to grow AgNPs on MXene layers. The obtained AgNPs@MXene heterostructure decorated graphite felts not only maintain the intrinsic flexibility, air-permeability and comfort characteristics of the matrixes, but also present excellent Joule heating performance including wide temperature range (30-128 °C), safe operating conditions (0.9-2.7 V), and rapid thermal response (reaching 128 °C within 100 s at 2.7 V). Besides, the multifunctional graphite felts exhibit excellent electromagnetic shielding effectiveness (53 dB) and outstanding anti-bacterial performances (>95% anti-bacterial rate toward Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli and Staphy-lococcus aureus). This work sheds light on a novel avenue to fabricate multifunctional wearable heaters for personal healthcare and personal thermal management.

Electrical-Driven Directed-Evolution of Copper Nanowires Catalysts for Efficient Nitrate Reduction to Ammonia.

The electrocatalytic conversion of nitrate (NO3 -) to NH3 (NO3RR) at ambient conditions offers a promising alternative to the Haber-Bosch process. The pivotal factors in optimizing the proficient conversion of NO3 - into NH3 include enhancing the adsorption capabilities of the intermediates on the catalyst surface and expediting the hydrogenation steps. Herein, the Cu/Cu2O/Pi NWs catalyst is designed based on the directed-evolution strategy to achieve an efficient reduction of NO3‾. Benefiting from the synergistic effect of the OV-enriched Cu2O phase developed during the directed-evolution process and the pristine Cu phase, the catalyst exhibits improved adsorption performance for diverse NO3RR intermediates. Additionally, the phosphate group anchored on the catalyst's surface during the directed-evolution process facilitates water electrolysis, thereby generating Hads on the catalyst surface and promoting the hydrogenation step of NO3RR. As a result, the Cu/Cu2O/Pi NWs catalyst shows an excellent FE for NH3 (96.6%) and super-high NH3 yield rate of 1.2 mol h-1 gcat. -1 in 1 m KOH and 0.1 m KNO3 solution at -0.5 V versus RHE. Moreover, the catalyst's stability is enhanced by the stabilizing influence of the phosphate group on the Cu2O phase. This work highlights the promise of a directed-evolution approach in designing catalysts for NO3RR.

'Only to reconcile with it'. The coping experience amongst middle-aged and older cancer survivors: A qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Cancer threat is relevant to age, and the threat of a foreshortened life coupled with a lengthy treatment process negatively affects middle-aged and older adults. Understanding the coping throughout the cancer experience in middle-aged and older cancer survivors will help develop supportive care to promote their physiological and psychological coping effects. OBJECTIVES: To explore the cancer coping experiences of middle-aged adults aged 40-59 and older adults over 60. DESIGN: A descriptive phenomenological study was employed. METHODS: Face-to-face, in-depth, semistructured interviews were conducted with 22 oncology patients in a tertiary university hospital aged 40 or above from August to October 2023. The interview data were analyzed using thematic analysis procedures. RESULTS: Five themes and 13 subthemes were formed through analysis: acceptance of cancer (considering cancer as chronic, believing in fate and attributing cancer to karma); having different information needs (desired to be truthfully informed, information-seeking behaviour, information avoidance behaviour); getting families involved (developing dependent behaviours, feeling emotional support, family members suffering worse); striving to maintain positive psychological state (positive thinking, seeking peer support) and negative experience (undesirable, low self-esteem). CONCLUSION: Our study reveals that cancer survivors' attitudes towards having cancer have changed from a death sentence to a more positive perception of a chronic disease. Supportive programmes for developing coping strategies should consider the cultural traditions and religious beliefs, different information needs, involvement of family and promoting a positive psychological state while avoiding negative factors. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: Participants with experience of coping with cancer were involved in the semistructured interview.

Magnetic DNA Nanomachine for On-Particle Cascade Amplification-Based Ferromagnetic Resonance Detection of Plant MicroRNA.

Plant microRNAs play critical roles in post-transcriptional gene regulation of many processes, thus motivating the development of accurate and user-friendly microRNA detection methods for better understanding of, e.g., plant growth, development, and abiotic/biotic stress responses. By integrating the capture probe, fuel strand, primer, and template onto the surface of a magnetic nanoparticle (MNP), we demonstrated a magnetic DNA nanomachine that could conduct an on-particle cascade amplification reaction in response to the presence of target microRNA. The cascade amplification consists of an exonuclease III-assisted target recycling step and a rolling circle amplification step, leading to changes in the MNP arrangement that can be quantified by ferromagnetic resonance spectroscopy. After a careful investigation of the exonuclease III side reaction, the biosensor offers a detection limit of 15 fM with a total assay time of ca. 70 min. Moreover, our magnetic DNA nanomachine is capable of discriminating the target microRNA from its family members. Our biosensor has also been tested on total endogenous microRNAs extracted from Arabidopsis thaliana leaves, with a performance comparable to qRT-PCR.

Synergistic Enhancement of Photocatalytic CO2 Reduction by Built-in Electric Field/Piezoelectric Effect and Surface Plasmon Resonance via PVDF/CdS/Ag Heterostructure.

Photocatalytic reduction of CO2 using solar energy is an effective means to achieve carbon neutrality. However, the photocatalytic efficiency still requires improvements. In this study, polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) ferroelectric/piezoelectric nanofiber membranes are prepared by electrospinning. Cadmium sulfide (CdS) nanosheets are assembled in situ on the surface of PVDF based on coordination between F- and Cd2+ , and then Ag nanoparticles are deposited on CdS. Because of the synergistic effect between localized surface plasmon resonance of Ag nanoparticles and the built-in electric field of PVDF, the CO2 photocatalytic reduction efficiency using PVDF/CdS/Ag under visible light irradiation is significantly higher than that of any combination of CdS, CdS/Ag, or PVDF/CdS. Under micro-vibration to simulate air flow, the CO2 reduction efficiency of PVDF/CdS/Ag is three times higher than that under static conditions, reaching 240.4 µmol g-1 h-1 . The piezoelectric effect caused by micro-vibrations helps prevent the built-in electric field from becoming saturated with carriers and provides a continuous driving force for carrier separation.

Defective Nb2 C MXene Cocatalyst on TiO2 Microsphere for Enhanced Photocatalytic CO2 Conversion to Methane.

Sustainable and scalable solar-energy-driven CO2 conversion into fuels requires earth-abundant and stable photocatalysts. In this work, a defective Nb2 C MXene as a cocatalyst and TiO2 microspheres as photo-absorbers, constructed via a coulombic force-driven self-assembly, is synthesized. Such photocatalyst, at an optimized loading of defective Nb2 C MXene (5% def-Nb2 C/TiO2 ), exhibits a CH4 production rate of 7.23 µmol g-1  h-1 , which is 3.8 times higher than that of TiO2 . The Schottky junction at the interface improves charge transfer from TiO2 to defective Nb2 C MXene and the electron-rich feature (nearly free electron states) enables multielectron reaction of CO2 , which apparently leads to high activity and selectivity to CH4 (sel. 99.5%) production. Moreover, DFT calculation demonstrates that the Fermi level (EF ) of defective Nb2 C MXene (-0.3 V vs NHE) is more positive than that of Nb2 C MXene (-1.0 V vs NHE), implying a strong capacity to accept photogenerated electrons and enhance carrier lifetime. This work gives a direction to modify the earth-abundant MXene family as cocatalysts to build high-performance photocatalysts for energy production.

Rhenium Suppresses Iridium (IV) Oxide Crystallization and Enables Efficient, Stable Electrochemical Water Oxidation.

IrO2 as benchmark electrocatalyst for acidic oxygen evolution reaction (OER) suffers from its low activity and poor stability. Modulating the coordination environment of IrO2 by chemical doping is a methodology to suppress Ir dissolution and tailor adsorption behavior of active oxygen intermediates on interfacial Ir sites. Herein, the Re-doped IrO2 with low crystallinity is rationally designed as highly active and robust electrocatalysts for acidic OER. Theoretical calculations suggest that the similar ionic sizes of Ir and Re impart large spontaneous substitution energy and successfully incorporate Re into the IrO2 lattice. Re-doped IrO2 exhibits a much larger migration energy from IrO2 surface (0.96 eV) than other dopants (Ni, Cu, and Zn), indicating strong confinement of Re within the IrO2 lattice for suppressing Ir dissolution. The optimal catalysts (Re: 10 at%) exhibit a low overpotential of 255 mV at 10 mA cm-2 and a high stability of 170 h for acidic OER. The comprehensive mechanism investigations demonstrate that the unique structural arrangement of the Ir active sites with Re-dopant imparts high performance of catalysts by minimizing Ir dissolution, facilitating *OH adsorption and *OOH deprotonation, and lowering kinetic barrier during OER. This study provides a methodology for designing highly-performed catalysts for energy conversion.

Effect of Nurse-Led Individualised Self-Care Model on Myocardial Infarction Patients with Diabetes: A Randomised Controlled Pilot Trial.

Background: To assess the effectiveness of the nurse-led individualised self-care model on myocardial infarction (MI) patients with diabetes. Methods: A total of 120 MI patients were enrolled from May 2020 to December 2021. The intervention group received the nurse-led individualised self-care model (n = 60), whereas the control group only received routine health education (n = 60). The Myocardial Infarction Dimensional Assessment Scale (MIDAS), Coronary Heart Disease Self-Management Behavior Scale (CSMS), Self-Rated Abilities for Health Practices (SRAHP) scale, General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), blood glucose and nursing satisfaction in both groups were observed and recorded. Results: The six MIDAS subscales except for insecurity, and all dimensions of the CSMS, SRAHP, GSES and HADS scores, of the intervention group were significantly improved compared to those of the control group (p < 0.05). Compared with the control group (5.69 ± 1.43 mmol/L), the intervention group showed a decrease in the serum levels of fasting blood glucose (4.83 ± 1.57 mmol/L; p < 0.01). Conclusions: Our pilot study provides preliminary evidence supporting the feasibility of implementing nurse-led individualised self-care, suggesting its preliminary effects in improving health-related quality of life, self-care ability, health behaviours, self-efficacy, social support and nursing satisfaction among MI patients with diabetes. However, considering the unblinded and pilot nature of this study, these positive results should be interpreted with caution. Clinical Trial Registration: OSF Registration number: DOI 10.17605/OSF.IO/DVW95 (https://archive.org/details/osf-registrations-dvw95-v1).

Risk factors for BK virus-associated hemorrhagic cystitis after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE AND BACKGROUND: BK virus-associated hemorrhagic cystitis (BKV-HC) is an intractable complication leading to higher mortality and prolonged hospitalization among allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HCT) recipients. Therefore, identifying the potential risk factors of BKV-HC after allo-HCT is crucial to improve prognosis and for early prevention. However, the risk factors for BKV-HC remain debatable. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to identify the risk factors for BKV-HC, for early prevention of the occurrence of BKV-HC and to improve the quality of life and prognosis of allo-HCT recipients. METHODS: We searched relevant studies from PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library up to February 2023. The odds ratios (ORs) and the corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of all risk factors were calculated to evaluate their effects on the occurrence of BKV-HC. RESULTS: Overall, 11 studies involving 2556 allo-HCT recipients were included in this meta-analysis. All included studies were retrospective and published between 2013 and 2022. We found that male sex (OR = 1.32; 95% CI, 1.07-1.62; p = .009, I2  = 34%), haploidentical donor (OR = 1.84; 95% CI, 1.18-2.87; p = .007, I2  = 23%), myeloablative conditioning (OR = 1.76; 95% CI, 1.36-2.28; p < .0001, I2  = 45%), acute graft versus host disease (aGVHD) (OR = 2.73; 95% CI, 2.02-3.69; p < .0001, I2  = 46%), chronic graft versus host disease (cGVHD) (OR = 1.71; 95% CI, 1.12-2.60; p = .01, I2  = 0%), and cytomegalovirus (CMV) reactivation (OR = 3.13; 95% CI, 1.12-8.78; p = .03, I2  = 79%) were significantly associated with BKV-HC in the univariable analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Our meta-analysis indicated that male sex, haploidentical donor, myeloablative conditioning, aGVHD, cGVHD, and CMV reactivation were potential risk factors for BKV-HC.

Spindle-shaped Cu-Ru mesoporous nanospheres with enhanced enzyme-like activity for visual differentiation of toxic o-/m-aminophenol and recognition mechanisms.

To effectively differentiate toxic aminophenol isomers, a kind of spindle-shaped Cu-Ru bimetal mesoporous nanozyme (Cu-Ru MPNZ) with high specific surface was developed by one-pot homogeneous reduction method, directed by hexadecyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) in this work. By virtue of the distinctive microstructure, Cu-Ru MPNZ expressed superior bi-functional oxidase- and peroxidase-mimic activity to catalyze the oxidation of 3,3',5,5,'-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) and 2,2'-azinobis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6- sulfonic acid) ammonium salt (ABTS) with low Michaelis-Menten constants and quick reaction rates. Especially, toxic aminophenol isomers could exclusively react with the oxydates of TMB or ABTS to express differentiable signals in color. Under the optimal conditions, Cu-Ru MPNZ was successfully applied for visual differentiation of toxic aminophenol isomers in real aqueous, juices and medicinal samples with low detection limits (1.60 × 10-8 mol/L for o-aminophenol and 3.25 × 10-8 mol/L for m-aminophenol) and satisfactory recoveries (96.6-103.5%). The different recognition mechanisms of Cu-Ru MPNZ to toxic o- and m-aminophenol isomers were proposed for the first time as far as we known. This work will provide a potential way to monitor different organic isomer pollution in future.

Application of Retrospective Outcome Special Attention Nursing in the Continuous Nursing of Patients with Heart Failure During Vulnerable Period.

Objective: To assess the effectiveness and benefits of retrospective outcome special attention nursing in providing continuous care for patients with heart failure during a vulnerable period. Methods: 96 patients with heart failure discharged from the hospital between January 2021 and January 2022 were included in the study. Patients discharged from January 2021 to June 2021 (48 cases) formed the single group, while those from July 2021 to January 2022 (48 cases) constituted the combined group. The single group received standard continuous nursing, while the combined group underwent retrospective outcome special attention nursing intervention in addition to standard care. Following the interventions, cardiac function-related indicators, negative emotions, self-management ability, health behavior, quality of life, and readmission rates were compared between the two groups. Results: Following the intervention, the combined group exhibited significant improvements, including enhanced 6-minute walk test (6MWT) results (P < .05) and lower scores on the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAMA) and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD) (P < .05), indicating reduced anxiety and depression levels. The combined group also demonstrated superior self-management abilities, with higher scores in health behavior dimensions (nutrition, exercise, health responsibility, stress coping) and a higher overall self-management score (P < .05). However, the combined group had lower quality of life scores (P < .05). Notably, the combined group's readmission rate was significantly lower at 14.58% (7/48), compared to 33.33% (16/48) in the single group (P < .05). Conclusion: Retrospective outcome special attention nursing improves cardiac function, emotional regulation, self-management, health behaviors, quality of life, and reduces readmission rates in heart failure patients during vulnerable periods.

The Leap of Inulin Fructans from Food Industry to Medical Application.

As a dietary supplement, the efficacy of prebiotics has become a hot issue in recent years. Inulin is one of internationally recognized prebiotics and belongs to a group of non-digestible and fermentable carbohydrates. Currently, the food industry is increasingly using prebiotic inulin as a health-promoting substrate, not just as food supplement. In addition, inulin has also shown great promise in the treatment of various diseases. This article reviews the application of inulin in the food industry and summarizes physiological function of inulin. Through the review and prospect of the research on obesity, diabetes and mental illness, it provides the theoretical basis for the joint development of inulin in food industry and medical application.

Genetic polymorphisms and phylogenetic characteristics of Tibeto-Burman-speaking Lahu population from southwest China based on 41 Y-STR loci.

BACKGROUND: Male sex-linked Y-chromosome short tandem repeats (Y-STRs) have been widely used in forensic cases and population genetics research. At present, the forensic-related Y-STR data in the Chinese Lahu population are still poorly understood. AIM: To enrich the available Y-STR data of this Chinese minority population and investigate its phylogenetic relationships with other reported populations. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The genetic polymorphisms of 41 Y-STR loci were analysed in 299 unrelated healthy Lahu male individuals from Southwest China. Phylogenetic analyses were performed by multidimensional scaling analysis and neighbor-joining phylogenetic tree construction. RESULTS: A total of 379 alleles were observed at the 41 Y-STR loci. The allele frequencies ranged from 0.0033 to 0.9666. The genetic diversity values ranged from 0.0653 to 0.9072. A total of 254 different haplotypes of the 41 Y-STR loci were observed in 299 individuals. The values of haplotype diversity, haplotype match probability, and discrimination capacity were 0.9987, 0.0047, and 0.8495, respectively. The phylogenetic analysis indicated that the Tibeto-Burman-speaking Lahu population showed a close genetic relationship with the Yunnan Yi population. CONCLUSIONS: The haplotype data of the present study can enrich the forensic databases of this Chinese minority population and will be useful for population genetics and forensic DNA application.

Innovations in teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic: comparisons of the impacts of different teaching approaches in psychiatric nursing on undergraduate nursing students.

BACKGROUND: Psychiatric nursing education was significantly impacted during the COVID-19 pandemic, and innovative teaching can be challenging. This study aims to compare the effectiveness of four approaches to psychiatric nursing education in the context of the pandemic. METHODS: A quasi-experimental design was adopted. Students were subjected to different teaching designs: face-to-face teaching (Class A in 2021), blended teaching with flipped classroom using roleplay (Class B in 2021), live broadcast teaching (Class A in 2022), and online blended teaching with flipped classroom using case studies (Class B in 2022). Multivariable logistic regression was used to analyse the outcomes in terms of academic performance and course workload. RESULTS: The number of valid data points was 270. The results indicated that compared with Class A in 2021, the two classes in 2022 achieved significantly higher academic performance scores, and Class B in 2021 exhibited a significantly lower workload. Compared with Class A in 2022, Class B in 2021 exhibited a significantly lower workload. Compared with Class B in 2022, Class B in 2021 exhibited a significantly lower workload and achieved lower academic performance scores. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that innovative teaching designs for psychiatric nursing offer advantages with regard to either facilitating academic performance or optimizing learners' task loads. Furthermore, blended learning is a promising teaching approach in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Future teaching initiatives could adopt student-centred constructive learning designs and ensure feasible teaching.

Integrated Multi-Omics Analyses Reveal That Autophagy-Mediated Cellular Metabolism Is Required for the Initiation of Pollen Germination.

Autophagy is an evolutionarily conserved mechanism for degrading and recycling various cellular components, functioning in both normal development and stress conditions. This process is tightly regulated by a set of autophagy-related (ATG) proteins, including ATG2 in the ATG9 cycling system and ATG5 in the ATG12 conjugation system. Our recent research demonstrated that autophagy-mediated compartmental cytoplasmic deletion is essential for pollen germination. However, the precise mechanisms through which autophagy regulates pollen germination, ensuring its fertility, remain largely unknown. Here, we applied multi-omics analyses, including transcriptomic and metabolomic approaches, to investigate the downstream pathways of autophagy in the process of pollen germination. Although ATG2 and ATG5 play similar roles in regulating pollen germination, high-throughput transcriptomic analysis reveals that silencing ATG5 has a greater impact on the transcriptome than silencing ATG2. Cross-comparisons of transcriptome and proteome analysis reveal that gene expression at the mRNA level and protein level is differentially affected by autophagy. Furthermore, high-throughput metabolomics analysis demonstrates that pathways related to amino acid metabolism and aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis were affected by both ATG2 and ATG5 silencing. Collectively, our multi-omics analyses reveal the central role of autophagy in cellular metabolism, which is critical for initiating pollen germination and ensuring pollen fertility.

Enhancing the work engagement of frontline nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic: the mediating role of affective commitment and perceived organizational support.

BACKGROUND: Overload and anxiety were common phenomena among frontline nurses during the pandemic. Understanding the potential pathway for fostering engagement in high-stress working conditions can provide evidence of targeted intervention to facilitate nurses' well-being and safety practices. This study aims to investigate the level of nurses' work engagement during nucleic acid collection tasks in the COVID-19 pandemic and identify its potential antecedents. METHODS: A cross-sectional design was adopted. A sample of 824 nurses who engaged in nucleic acid collection tasks completed an online self-report questionnaire between 1 March and 31 May 2022. Descriptive and path analyses were utilized to analyse the interrelationships among anxiety, perceived workload, affective commitment, perceived organizational support and work engagement. This study was conducted and reported under the guidelines for Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology. RESULTS: The results showed that frontline nurses engaged in such tasks reported high levels of anxiety and task load and low levels of work engagement. Path analysis identified anxiety symptoms, perceived workload, perceived organizational support, and affective commitment as associated with work engagement, and among these factors, perceived organizational support and affective commitment played key roles in mediating the relationship of anxiety, workload and work engagement in high-stress working conditions. CONCLUSIONS: Affective commitment and perceived organizational support were associated with frontline nurses' level of work engagement during the COVID-19 pandemic; these two variables might explain how engagement is generated in high-anxiety and high-workload situations. When healthcare organizations give more attention to frontline nurses' physical and psychological conditions and are able to innovatively motivate affective commitment and facilitate organizational support, nurses' work engagement in high-level tasks may increase, thus enhancing work safety and personal well-being.