Latent profiles of academic resilience in undergraduate nursing students and their association with resilience and self-efficacy.

AIM: This study aimed to investigate the heterogeneity of academic resilience among nursing students using latent profile analysis and its associated influencing factors. BACKGROUND: Nursing students experience higher levels of stress compared to their peers in other professions, and the cultivation of academic resilience plays a pivotal role in their ability to effectively cope with this stress. Academic resilience not only facilitates success in the face of academic adversity but also contributes to the promotion of mental well-being among nursing students. However, the current research on the academic resilience of nursing students has predominantly focused on a scale-centered total score approach, disregarding individual variability, and hindering the development to inform personalized interventions for enhancing academic resilience. DESIGN: A cross-sectional study. METHODS: A convenience sampling method was used to collect a total of 644 nursing students from two medical schools in Guangzhou City. The participants were recruited through an online survey conducted from January to March 2023. The questionnaires consisted of a general information form, the Chinese version of the Academic Resilience Scale-30 (C-ARS-30), the 10-item Connor Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC-10), and the General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES). Latent profile analysis was used to identify distinct categories of academic resilience among nursing students, and influencing factors were examined through ordinal logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: The academic resilience levels of nursing students can be divided into three potential categories: 'low academic resilience' (13.0%), 'moderate academic resilience' (70.0%), and 'high academic resilience' (17.0%). Level of grade, GPA, self-reported physical health level, resilience and self-efficacy were significantly influenced the different categories of academic resilience of nursing students (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The majority of undergraduate nursing students were placed in the moderate academic resilience group, however, educational institutions should pay special attention to nursing students demonstrating low levels. Regular assessments of academic resilience are recommended, and personalized interventions should be tailored to address specific academic resilience characteristics across different grades of nursing students. Strategies aimed at enhancing academic resilience among nursing students may include improvements in GPA performance, attention to physical health, and the reinforcement of resilience and self-efficacy.

Long head of biceps tendon transposition for massive and irreparable rotator cuff tears: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Superior capsular reconstruction (SCR) with long head of biceps tendon (LHBT) transposition was developed to massive and irreparable rotator cuff tears (MIRCTs); however, the outcomes of this technique remain unclear. AIM: To perform a systematic review of biomechanical outcomes and a meta-analysis of clinical outcomes after LHBT transposition for MIRCTs. METHODS: We performed a systematic electronic database search on PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library. Studies of SCR with LHBT transposition were included according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Biomechanical studies were assessed for main results and conclusions. Included clinical studies were evaluated for quality of methodology. Data including study characteristics, cohort demographics, and outcomes were extracted. A meta-analysis was conducted of the clinical outcomes. RESULTS: According to our inclusion and exclusion criteria, a total of six biomechanical studies were identified and reported an overall improvement in subacromial contact pressures and prevention of superior humeral migration without limiting range of motion (ROM) after LHBT transposition for MIRCTs. A total of five clinical studies were included in the meta-analysis of LHBT transposition outcomes, consisting of 253 patients. The results indicated that compared to other surgical methods for MIRCTs, LHBT transposition had advantages of more significant improvement in ROM (forward flexion mean difference [MD] = 6.54, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 3.07-10.01; external rotation [MD = 5.15, 95%CI: 1.59-8.17]; the acromiohumeral distance [AHD] [MD = 0.90, 95%CI: 0.21-1.59]) and reducing retear rate (odds ratio = 0.27, 95%CI: 0.15-0.48). No significant difference in American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons score, visual analogue scale score, and University of California at Los Angles score was demonstrated between these two groups for MIRCTs. CONCLUSION: In general, SCR with LHBT transposition was a reliable and economical technique for treating MIRCTs, both in terms of biomechanical and clinical outcomes, with comparable clinical outcomes, improved ROM, AHD, and reduced the retear rates compared to conventional SCR and other established techniques. More high-quality randomized controlled studies on the long-term outcomes of SCR with LHBT transposition are required to further assess.

A novel compound heterozygous COL4A4 mutation in a Chinese family with Alport syndrome: A care case report.

RATIONALE: Alport syndrome (AS) is an inherited progressive renal failure, characterized by kidney disease, hearing loss, and eye abnormalities. PATIENT CONCERNS: A 7-year-old male child was admitted for persistent microscopic hematuria and proteinuria. DIAGNOSES: Combined with clinical manifestations, laboratory testing, pathological changes of kidney and sequencing results, the patient was diagnosed as AS. INTERVENTIONS: The patient was treated with ACEI and tacrolimus drugs for 2 years, but continued to have hematuria and proteinuria. Thus, a genetic analysis was performed using next-generation sequencing in four affected members from the family. OUTCOMES: The findings revealed triple compound heterozygous mutation of COL4A4: three novel variations, c.1045C>T (p. R349X), c.3505+1G>A (splicing), and c.2165G>A (p. G722D). LESSONS: This study was novel in finding that a triple variant of the COL4A4 gene simultaneously in trans and in cis. The effects of multiple mutation sites and the type of gene mutation in AS were also underlined.

Engineering an Indium Selenide van der Waals Interface for Multilevel Charge Storage.

As the continuous miniaturization of floating-gate transistors approaches a physical limit, new innovations in device architectures, working principles, and device materials are in high demand. This study demonstrated a nonvolatile memory structure with multilevel data storage that features a van der Waals gate architecture made up of a partially oxidized surface layer/indium selenide (InSe) van der Waals interface. The key functionality of this proof-of-concept device is provided through the generation of charge-trapping sites via an indirect oxygen plasma treatment on the InSe surface layer. In contrast to floating-gate nonvolatile memory, these sites have the ability to retain charge without the help of a gate dielectric. Together with the layered structure, the surface layer with charge-trapping sites facilitates continual electrostatic doping in the underlying InSe layers. The van der Waals gating effect is further supported by trapped charge-induced core-level energy shifts and relative work function variations obtained from operando scanning X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Kelvin probe microscopy, respectively. On modulating the amount of electric field-induced trapped electrons by the electrostatic gate potential, eight distinct storage states remained over 3000 s. Moreover, the device exhibits a high current switching ratio of 106 within 11 cycles. The demonstrated characteristics suggest that the engineering of an InSe interface has potential applications for nonvolatile memory.

Expression and functional characterization of odorant-binding protein genes in the endoparasitic wasp Cotesia vestalis.

Odorant-binding proteins (OBPs) are crucial in insect's olfactory perception, which participate in the initial step of odorant molecules transporting from the external environment to olfactory receptor neurons. To better understand the roles for OBPs in olfactory perception in Cotesia vestalis, a solitary larval endoparasitoid of diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella, we have comprehensively screened the genome of C. vestalis, and obtained 20 CvesOBPs, including 18 classic OBPs and two minus-C OBPs. Motif-pattern analysis indicates that the motifs of C. vestalis OBPs are highly conserved in Hymenoptera. The results of tissue expression analysis show that five OBPs (CvesOBP1/11/12/14/16) are highly expressed in male antennae, whereas six other OBP genes (CvesOBP7/8/13/17/18/19) are significantly transcriptionally enriched in female antennae. The results of RNA interference experiments for three most highly expressed OBP genes (CvesOBP17/18/19) in female antennae demonstrate that they are likely involved in parasitic processes of female wasps, as the wasps take a longer time to target the hosts when they are knocked down.

Epigenetic Silencing of miR-9 Promotes Migration and Invasion by EZH2 in Glioblastoma Cells.

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common primary brain tumor in adults. Tumor invasion is the major reason for treatment failure and poor prognosis in GBM. Inhibiting migration and invasion has become an important therapeutic strategy for GBM treatment. Enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) and C-X-C motif chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4) have been determined to have important roles in the occurrence and development of tumors, but the specific relationship between EZH2 and CXCR4 expression in GBM is less well characterized. In this study, we report that EZH2 and CXCR4 were overexpressed in glioma patients. Furthermore, elevated EZH2 and CXCR4 were correlated with shorter disease-free survival. In three human GBM cell lines, EZH2 modulated the expression of miR-9, which directly targeted the oncogenic signaling of CXCR4 in GBM. The ectopic expression of miR-9 dramatically inhibited the migratory capacity of GBM cells in vitro. Taken together, our results indicate that miR-9, functioning as a tumor-suppressive miRNA in GBM, is suppressed through epigenetic silencing by EZH2. Thus, miR-9 may be an attractive target for therapeutic intervention in GBM.

Mangiferin inhibits lipopolysaccharide-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and enhances the expression of tumor suppressor gene PER1 in non-small cell lung cancer cells.

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is often complicated by pulmonary infection, which affects treatment and prognosis. Bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is an effective stimulator of inflammatory cytokine production, and previous studies have reported that LPS promotes tumor invasion and metastasis. Mangiferin is a plant-derived C-glucosylxanthone with many biological activities, such as antioxidation and anti-inflammation. This research mainly explored the mechanism of its antitumor activities on LPS-induced A549, NCI-H460, and NCI-H520 NSCLC cells. We determined that mangiferin exhibits growth inhibiting activity against LPS-induced NSCLC cells through the 3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. In addition, mangiferin reversed the LPS-induced downregulation of E-cadherin (epithelial marker); conversely, it significantly inhibited the expression of raised vimentin (mesenchymal markers). Moreover, the ability of NSCLC cells to migrate, as evidenced by the wound healing and transwell migration assays, and the expression of CXCR4 increased by LPS were significantly repressed by mangiferin. In addition, mangiferin markedly mediated protein levels of PER1 and NLRP3 in LPS-induced NSCLC cells and reduced the secretion of IL-1ß. These results indicate that mangiferin is not only a remarkable anti-inflammatory compound but also an antitumor agent; thus, it has the potential for being developed into anti-inflammatory and antitumor drugs in the future.

[From waste to treasure: turning activated sludge into bioplastic poly-3-hydroxybutyrate].

Large quantity of activated sludge is generated from wastewater treatment but without yet an appropriate deposition. High temperature can lyse the activate sludge so that nitrogen and phosphorus containing nutrients are released. Halomonas CJN was found to grow on the heat lysed activated sludge and glucose for production of bioplastic poly-3-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) in the absence of yeast extract, nitrogen and phosphorus sources as well as trace elements. This reduces the PHB production cost significantly. Furthermore, acetic acid formed from anaerobic fermentation of heat lysed activated sludge can be used to replace glucose for cell growth but not much for PHB production. After construction of an additional PHB synthesis pathway in Halomonas CJN, we can produce PHB entirely from heat lysed activated sludge, reducing production cost of PHB roughly from ¥ 30 000 Yuan/ton to ¥ 20 000 Yuan/ton, thus turning waste activated sludge to valuable raw material resource.

Vaterite induced by Lysinibacillus sp. GW-2 strain and its stability.

Studies on the formation and stability of vaterite by bacteria in experimental systems are of great importance for understanding the mechanism by which microbes contribute to carbonate mineralization. In this study, mineralization experiments using Lysinibacillus sp. strain GW-2 were carried out for 72h under shaking conditions and aging experiments using biotic and chemically synthesized vaterite were performed for 60days in distilled water and air. Our results indicate that Lysinibacillus sp. strain GW-2 can induce the formation of vaterite with spherical morphology from an amorphous calcium carbonate precursor. Biogenic vaterite was more stable than chemically synthesized vaterite in distilled water, perhaps due to organic matter secreted by bacteria that enwrapped the vaterite and prevented it from transforming into more stable phases. Infrared spectrophotometry of biogenic and chemically synthesized vaterite confirmed the presence of organic matter in biogenic vaterite.

Assessment of Utilization and Cost-Effectiveness of Telemedicine Program in Western Regions of China: A 12-Year Study of 249 Hospitals Across 112 Cities.

BACKGROUND: The imbalance in healthcare between urban and rural areas is still a problem in China. In recent decades, China has aimed to develop telemedicine. We assessed the implementation, utilization, and cost-effectiveness of a large telemedicine program across western China. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In 2002-2013, a government-sponsored major telemedicine program was established by West China Hospital of Sichuan University (hub), covering 249 spoke hospitals in 112 cities throughout western China and in 40 medical expertise areas. We analyzed the cross-sectional data from 11,987 consultations conducted at West China Hospital using the telemedicine network over a 12-year period. The types of diseases as well as the diagnosis and treatment changes were assessed. We also performed a cost-savings analysis and a one-way sensitivity analysis. RESULTS: Of the 11,987 teleconsultations, we noted that neoplasms (19.4%), injuries (13.9%), and circulatory diseases (10.3%) were the three most common diagnoses. Teleconsultations resulted in a change of diagnosis in 4,772 (39.8%) patients, and 3,707 (77.7%) of them underwent major diagnosis changes. Moreover, it led to a change of treatment in 6,591 (55.0%) patients, including 3,677 (55.8%) changes not linked to diagnosis changes. The telemedicine network resulted in an estimated net saving of $2,364,525 (if the patients traveled to the hub) or $3,759,014 (if the specialists traveled to the spoke hospitals). CONCLUSIONS: The introduction of telemedicine in China, linking highly specialized major hospitals (hub) with hundreds of small rural hospitals (spoke), can greatly improve the quality, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness of healthcare delivery and utilization. This new Internet-based healthcare model should be utilized more widely in developing countries.

Levetiracetam-induced cutaneous adverse drug reactions were not associated with HLA genes in a small sample of Chinese patients with epilepsy.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to evaluate the clinical characteristics of levetiracetam (LEV)-induced cutaneous adverse drug reactions (cADRs) and to explore its possible genetic association with the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) genes. METHODS: Nine cases with LEV-induced cADRs were recruited. Demographic and clinical information of these cases was summarized. Additionally, cases were matched with LEV-tolerant controls (1:4). High-resolution HLA class I and class II genotyping was performed for each participant. The allele frequencies between the cases and controls were compared. RESULTS: All LEV-induced cADRs were mild skin rashes which occurred within 28 days of LEV exposure. The mean latency from LEV exposure to skin rash was (15.67±5.41) days (ranging 6-27). The carrier rates of the two alleles, HLA-DRB1*0405 and HLA-DQB1*0401, were higher in cases compared with controls (the same P=0.036, OR=13.875, 95% CI: 1.273-151.230). The association between the HLA-C*0304 allele and LEV-induced cADRs was boundary (P=0.05, OR=5.2, 95% CI: 1.086-24.897). However, the above-mentioned HLA alleles didn't reach statistical significance after multiple comparisons. CONCLUSIONS: Safety monitoring was necessary within four weeks after the initiation of LEV treatment, although it has been regarded as a safe antiepileptic drug. Our study failed to show any potential link between HLA alleles and LEV-induced cADRs in Han Chinese. Further studies are needed to clarify the genetic and immunological mechanisms of LEV-induced cADRs.

Efficacy of low to moderate doses of oxcarbazepine in adult patients with newly diagnosed partial epilepsy.

PURPOSE: The objective of this study was to explore the efficacy of low dose of oxcarbazepine (OXC) in adult patients with newly diagnosed partial epilepsy in an actual clinical setting. The associated factors influencing the poor control of seizures were also evaluated. METHODS: The epilepsy database (2010-2014) from the Epilepsy Clinic of West China Hospital was retrospectively reviewed. RESULTS: A total of 102 adult patients with newly diagnosed, previously untreated partial epilepsy initially treated with OXC were included, and divided into good response group (64) and poor response group (38) according to whether they were seizure-free for at least 12 months. There were 27 (26.5%) patients becoming seizure-free with OXC 600 mg/day monotherapy. The remaining 75 patients had doses of either increasing OXC to 900 mg/day (n = 59) or the addition of another antiepileptic drug (AED) (n = 16), with another 20 (19.6%) and six (5.9%) patients becoming seizure-free, respectively (P = 0.788). In addition, two (2.0%) and nine (8.8%) patients became seizure-free with OXC > 900 mg/day monotherapy and OXC ≥ 900 mg/day combination therapy, respectively. Multivariate binary logistic regression analysis revealed that the time from onset of epilepsy to treatment initiation is significantly associated with seizure control (P = 0.02). CONCLUSION: Our results indicated that OXC at low to moderate doses is effective for the treatment of Chinese adult patients with newly diagnosed, previously untreated partial epilepsy, and a longer time interval from the onset of epilepsy to the start of treatment significantly predicts poor seizure control.

Downregulation of microRNA-15b by hepatitis B virus X enhances hepatocellular carcinoma proliferation via fucosyltransferase 2-induced Globo H expression.

Globo H, a cancer-associated carbohydrate antigen, is highly expressed in various types of cancers. However, the role of Globo H in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains elusive. In our study, we performed glycan microarray analysis of 134 human serum samples to explore anti-Globo H antibody changes and found that Globo H is upregulated in hepatitis B virus (HBV)-positive HCC. Similarly, immunohistochemistry showed that Globo H expression was higher in tumors compared to normal tissues. In addition, fucosyltransferase 2 (FUT2), the main synthetic enzyme of Globo H, was also increased in HCC cells overexpressing HBV X protein (HBX). HBX plays an important role in promoting cell proliferation and may be related to increased levels of FUT2 and Globo H. Furthermore, using microRNA profiling, we observed that microRNA-15b (miR-15b) was downregulated in patients with HCC and confirmed association of FUT2 expression with expression of its product, Globo H. Therefore, our results suggest that HBX suppressed the expression of miR-15b, which directly targeted FUT2 and then increased levels of Globo H to enhance HCC cell proliferation. Additionally, proliferation of HBX-overexpressing HCC cells was significantly inhibited by treatment with Globo H antibody in vitro. In xenograft animal experiments, we found that overexpression of miR-15b effectively suppressed tumor growth. The newly identified HBX/miR-15b/FUT2/Globo H axis suggests one possible molecular mechanism of HCC cell proliferation and represents a new potential therapeutic target for HCC treatment.

WWP1 gene is a potential molecular target of human oral cancer.

OBJECTIVE: This study investigates the oncogenic role of WWP1, an ubiquitin ligase linked to tumor promotion, in oral cancer. STUDY DESIGN: An array-based comparative genomic hybridization was used to detect chromosomal changes in 10 oral cancer specimens. An additional 59 specimens and 6 cultured oral cancer cells were further examined to evaluate changes in the DNA copy number and messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein expression of WWP1. RESULTS: The copy number of the WWP1 gene and its mRNA levels were significantly increased in the oral cancer specimens. An elevated WWP1 gene expression was observed in 6 cultured oral cancer cell lines. Knockdown of the endogenous WWP1 using small hairpin RNA further showed that deficiency of WWP1 suppressed cell growth and caused apoptosis in oral cancer cells. CONCLUSION: Our results reveal that WWP1 might play an oncogenic role in oral cancer cells.

Smurf2-mediated degradation of EZH2 enhances neuron differentiation and improves functional recovery after ischaemic stroke.

EZH2 plays an important role in stem cell renewal and maintenance by inducing gene silencing via its histone methyltransferase activity. Previously, we showed that EZH2 downregulation enhances neuron differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs); however, the underlying mechanisms of EZH2-regulated neuron differentiation are still unclear. Here, we identify Smurf2 as the E3 ubiquitin ligase responsible for the polyubiquitination and proteasome-mediated degradation of EZH2, which is required for neuron differentiation. A ChIP-on-chip screen combined with gene microarray analysis revealed that PPARγ was the only gene involved in neuron differentiation with significant changes in both its modification and expression status during differentiation. Moreover, knocking down PPARγ prevented cells from undergoing efficient neuron differentiation. In animal model, rats implanted with intracerebral EZH2-knocked-down hMSCs or hMSCs plus treatment with PPARγ agonist (rosiglitazone) showed better improvement than those without EZH2 knockdown or rosiglitazone treatment after a stroke. Together, our results support Smurf2 as a regulator of EZH2 turnover to facilitate PPARγ expression, which is specifically required for neuron differentiation, providing a molecular mechanism for clinical applications in the neurodegenerative diseases.

Features of the K-complex waves in refractory nocturnal frontal lobe epilepsy.

PURPOSE: To investigate the features of the K-complex (Kc) in refractory nocturnal frontal lobe epilepsy (NFLE) and its relationship with spike discharges (Sds) and clinical seizures. METHODS: Long-term video-electroencephalographic (VEEG) monitoring was used to collect Kc data from NFLE patients and age- and sex-matched controls. We compared the morphological and frequency changes in Kcs between the intractable NFLE group and the control group. Also, the morphological changes in Kcs with Sds and seizures were compared with the other Kcs in NFLE patients. RESULTS: In the NFLE group, frequency, amplitude, and rising slope (except duration) were higher than in the control group. Out of the 30 seizures recorded, nine (30%) commenced after a Kc. These Kcs had higher amplitudes than the other Kcs in the NFLE group; there was no difference in duration or rising slope. Additionally, 28 (13.86%) of 202 Kcs of the NFLE group occurred in conjunction with Sds; there were no obvious morphological differences compared with other Kcs. CONCLUSION: Kc activity increases in NFLE, especially prior to a clinical seizure. This reflects an unstable sleep condition, which suggests a correlation between Kc and epileptic activities including seizures and Sds.