A G-quadruplex/thioflavin T-based label-free biosensor to detect ClO- in stress-induced hypertension.

Hypochlorous acid (HClO), as an essential reactive oxygen species (ROS) in biological systems, plays a pivotal role in processes of physiology and pathology. Abnormal fluctuations in HClO concentration can lead to various diseases, such as inflammation, cardiovascular diseases, and neurodegeneration. Therefore, developing an approach to rapidly and sensitively quantify ClO- content is vital to biomedicine development and bioassays. Herein, we fabricated a novel "turn-on" label-free fluorescence DNA probe to specifically detect hypochlorite ion (ClO-) based on G-quadruplex formation. To this end, we designed a G-rich signal DNA sequence (S-DNA) and a block DNA sequence (B-DNA), followed by the introduction of ClO--responsive phosphorothioate (PS) into B-DNA. In the absence of ClO-, B-DNA hybridized with S-DNA, preventing G-quadruplex formation from S-DNA; this resulted in the relatively low fluorescence intensity of ThT. Once ClO- was added, the hydrolysis between PS and ClO- split the B-DNA into two fragments, resulting in B-DNA breaking away from S-DNA, allowing G-quadruplex formation from S-DNA and increasing the fluorescence intensity of ThT. Using this method, we can detect ClO- without the interference of additional reactive oxygen species. The detection limit of ClO- was as low as 10 nM. Furthermore, this method facilitates the detection of ClO- within the tissues of rats with stress-induced hypertension.

Wide Temperature Electrolytes for Lithium Batteries: Solvation Chemistry and Interfacial Reactions.

Improving the wide-temperature operation of rechargeable batteries is crucial for boosting the adoption of electric vehicles and further advancing their application scope in harsh environments like deep ocean and space probes. Herein, recent advances in electrolyte solvation chemistry are critically summarized, aiming to address the long-standing challenge of notable energy diminution at sub-zero temperatures and rapid capacity degradation at elevated temperatures (>45°C). This review provides an in-depth analysis of the fundamental mechanisms governing the Li-ion transport process, illustrating how these insights have been effectively harnessed to synergize with high-capacity, high-rate electrodes. Another critical part highlights the interplay between solvation chemistry and interfacial reactions, as well as the stability of the resultant interphases, particularly in batteries employing ultrahigh-nickel layered oxides as cathodes and high-capacity Li/Si materials as anodes. The detailed examination reveals how these factors are pivotal in mitigating the rapid capacity fade, thereby ensuring a long cycle life, superior rate capability, and consistent high-/low-temperature performance. In the latter part, a comprehensive summary of in situ/operational analysis is presented. This holistic approach, encompassing innovative electrolyte design, interphase regulation, and advanced characterization, offers a comprehensive roadmap for advancing battery technology in extreme environmental conditions.

Effects of the turbocharged Miller cycle strategy on the performance improvement and emission characteristics of diesel engines.

The turbocharged Miller cycle strategy is studied to improve the power density of diesel engines and reduce emissions. A thermodynamic model and a 1D simulation model of turbocharged diesel engine are established. Results show that the introduction of the Miller cycle reduces the thermal efficiency under naturally aspirated conditions because of the low effective compression ratio, whereas it increases the thermal efficiency under a turbocharged condition owing to the energy recovered by the turbocharger. Under restricted combustion pressure and fixed intake mass, the thermal efficiency first increases and then decreases with increasing Miller cycle ratio, and the peaks occur at approximately 30%-50%. The gain of isochoric combustion ratio overlaps the loss of effective compression ratio due to the Miller cycle on the lower side, whereas it reverses on the higher side. With maximum and equal intake mass, the maximum power initially increases and subsequently decreases with increasing Miller cycle ratio, reaching a peak at 40%. Under a fixed isochoric combustion ratio, the thermal efficiency first increases and then decreases with increasing intake mass, and the optimum intake mass corresponding to the highest thermal efficiency decreases with increasing Miller cycle ratio. The lower the restricted combustion pressure is, the higher the gain in power and thermal efficiency by the Miller cycle strategy. Based on the calculation of the 1D model validated using a practical engine, the power can be increased from 41.6 kW/L to 100 kW/L while the brake thermal efficiency can be increased from 34.98% into 38.55% by increasing the Miller cycle ratio from 19% to 30% and the combustion pressure from 17.7 MPa to 35 MPa. With the application of the supercharged Miller cycle, when the Miller cycle ratio is 30% and the power intensity is increased from 60 kW/L to 100 kW/L, NOx decreases by 32.4%, CO decreases by 28%, showing a tendency to decrease and then stabilize, and HC increases by 5.3%. When the power is 80 kW/L and the Miller cycle ratio is increased from 10% to 30%, NOx decreases by 8.6%, CO decreases by 2%, and HC increases by 0.04%.

Histone H1.2 Inhibited EMCV Replication through Enhancing MDA5-Mediated IFN-ß Signaling Pathway.

Histone H1.2 is a member of the linker histone family, which plays extensive and crucial roles not only in the regulation of chromatin dynamics, cell cycle, and cell apoptosis, but also in viral diseases and innate immunity response. Recently, it was discovered that H1.2 regulates interferon-ß and inhibits influenza virus replication, whereas its role in other viral infections is poorly reported. Here, we first found the up-regulation of H1.2 during Encephalomyocarditis virus (EMCV) infection, implying that H1.2 was involved in EMCV infection. Overexpression of H1.2 inhibited EMCV proliferation, whereas knockdown of H1.2 showed a significant promotion of virus infection in HEK293T cells. Moreover, we demonstrated that overexpression of H1.2 remarkably enhanced the production of EMCV-induced type I interferon, which may be the crucial factor for H1.2 proliferation-inhibitory effects. We further found that H1.2 up-regulated the expression of the proteins of the MDA5 signaling pathway and interacted with MDA5 and IRF3 in EMCV infection. Further, we demonstrated that H1.2 facilitated EMCV-induced phosphorylation and nuclear translocation of IRF3. Briefly, our research uncovers the mechanism of H1.2 negatively regulating EMCV replication and provides new insight into antiviral targets for EMCV.

Prognostic and immune infiltration features of disulfidptosis-related subtypes in breast cancer.

Breast cancer (BC) is a prominent cause of cancer incidence and mortality around the world. Disulfidptosis, a type of cell death, can induce tumor cell death. The purpose of this study was to analyze the potential impact of disulfidptosis-related genes (DRGs) on the prognosis and immune infiltration features of BC. Based on DRGs, we conducted an unsupervised clustering analysis on gene expression data of BC in TCGA-BRCA dataset and identified two BC subtypes, cluster1 and cluster2, with cluster1 showing a higher likelihood of favorable survival. Through immune analysis, we found that cluster1 had lower proportions of infiltration in immune-related cells, including aDCs, DCs, NK_cells, Th2_cells, and Treg. Based on the immunophenoscore (IPS) results, we inferred that cluster1 might benefit more from immune checkpoint inhibitors targeting CTLA-4 and PD1. Targeted small molecule prediction results showed that patients with cluster2 BC might respond better to antagonistic small molecule compounds, including clofazimine, lenalidomide, and epigallocatechin. Differentially expressed genes between the two subtypes were found to be enriched in signaling pathways related to steroid hormone biosynthesis, ovarian steroidogenesis, and neutrophil extracellular trap formation, according to enrichment analyses. In conclusion, this study identified BC subtypes based on DRGs so as to help predict patient prognosis and provide valuable tools for guiding clinical management and precise treatment of BC patients.

Targeting POLRMT by a first-in-class inhibitor IMT1 inhibits osteosarcoma cell growth in vitro and in vivo.

Osteosarcoma (OS) is a highly aggressive form of bone cancer that predominantly affects adolescents and young adults. In this study, we have undertaken an investigation into the potential anti-OS cell activity of IMT1 (inhibitor of mitochondrial transcription 1), a first-in-class inhibitor of RNA polymerase mitochondrial (POLRMT). IMT1 exhibited a profound inhibitory effect on cell survival, proliferation, cell cycle progression, and migration in primary and immortalized OS cells. Furthermore, this POLRMT inhibitor elicited apoptosis in the OS cells, without, however, inducing cytotoxicity in human osteoblasts or osteoblastic cells. IMT1 disrupted mitochondrial functions in OS cells, resulting in mitochondrial depolarization, oxidative injury, lipid peroxidation, and ATP reduction in OS cells. Silencing POLRMT using targeted shRNA closely mimicked the actions of IMT1 and exerted potent anti-OS cell activity. Importantly, IMT1's effectiveness was diminished in POLRMT-silenced OS cells. Subsequent investigations revealed that IMT1 suppressed the activation of the Akt-mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) cascade in OS cells. IMT1 treatment or POLRMT silencing in primary OS cells led to a significant reduction in Akt1-S6K-S6 phosphorylation. Conversely, it was enhanced upon POLRMT overexpression. The restoration of Akt-mTOR activation through the introduction of a constitutively active S473D mutant Akt1 (caAkt1) mitigated IMT1-induced cytotoxicity in OS cells. In vivo, oral administration of IMT1 robustly curtailed the growth of OS xenografts in nude mice. Furthermore, IMT1 suppressed POLRMT activity, impaired mitochondrial function, repressed Akt-mTOR activation, and induced apoptosis within xenograft tissues. Collectively, these findings underscore the potent growth-inhibitory effects attributed to IMT1 via targeted POLRMT inhibition. The utilization of this POLRMT inhibitor carries substantial therapeutic promise in the context of OS treatment.

Prognostic value of oxygen inhalation therapy for simple nocturnal hypoxemia in COPD: a meta-analysis.

Objective: The effect of oxygen therapy on the prognosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) with nocturnal hypoxemia (NOD) has been controversial. Therefore, this study systematically evaluated the relevant literature and included it into randomized controlled studies for meta-analysis to evaluate the efficacy and prognosis. Methods: We searched PubMed, EMBASE, web of science, Cochrane, China HowNet and Wanfang database for the literature on the prognosis of COPD patients with simple NOD from the establishment of the database to 30 June 2022. The outcome indicators were death and aggravation of the disease. The efficacy evaluation measures were pulmonary function and arterial blood gas results. The publication bias and heterogeneity of the included studies were evaluated. Results: A total of 621 patients from 5 studies were included in this meta-analysis, and there was no publication bias in the included studies. The total mortality of long-term oxygen therapy (LTOT) in COPD patients with simple NOD in oxygen therapy group (RR = 1.04; 95% CI: 0.81-1.33, p = 0.77), mortality (RR = 0.87; 95% CI: 0.58-1.31, p = 0.50), risk of progression to LTOT events (RR = 1.07; 95% CI: 0.76-1.51, p = 0.71). PaO2 in patients with COPD and simple NOD in oxygen therapy group was higher than that in non-oxygen therapy group (mean difference (MD) = 13.47; 95% CI: 3.49-23.46, p = 0.008), the decrease of PaCO2 level was not statistically significant (MD = -10.05; 95% CI: -26.36-6.27, p = 0.23). Conclusion: Oxygen therapy can improve the prognosis of blood oxygen partial pressure in COPD patients with simple NOD, but oxygen therapy has no significant effect on the survival rate, controlling the progression of the disease to LTOT and reducing the partial pressure of carbon dioxide.

Design of flavonol-loaded cationic gold nanoparticles with enhanced antioxidant and antibacterial activities and their interaction with proteins.

In this work, four structurally similar flavonols (galangin, kaempferol, quercetin and myricetin) were coated on the surface of (11-mercaptoundecyl)-N,N,N-trimethylammonium bromide (MUTAB)­gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) by two-step phase transfer and self-assembly, and the cationic MUTAB- AuNPs coated with flavonols (flavonol-MUTAB-AuNPs) were designed. Free radical scavenging and antibacterial experiments show that flavonol-MUTAB-AuNPs greatly improve the scavenging effect on DPPH, hydroxyl and superoxide anion radicals, and significantly enhance the inhibition effect on Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli compared with flavonols and AuNPs. Then γ-globulin, fibrinogen, trypsin and pepsin were selected as representative proteins and their interaction with flavonol-MUTAB-AuNPs were investigated by various spectroscopic techniques. The fluorescence quenching mechanism of these four proteins by flavonol-MUTAB-AuNPs is static quenching. The binding constants Ka between them are in the range of 103 to 106. The interaction between them is endothermic, entropy-driven spontaneous process, and the main non-covalent force is the hydrophobic interaction. The effect of flavonol-MUTAB-AuNPs on the structure of the four proteins were investigated using UV-vis absorption spectra, synchronous fluorescence spectra and circular dichroism spectra. These results offer important insights into the essence of the interaction between flavonol-MUTAB-AuNPs and γ-globulin/fibrinogen/trypsin/pepsin. They will contribute to the development of safe and effective flavonol-MUTAB-AuNPs in biomedical fields.

Vinylene-Linked Emissive Covalent Organic Frameworks for White-Light-Emitting Diodes.

Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) have gained considerable attention due to their highly conjugated π-skeletons, rendering them promising candidates for the design of light-emitting materials. In this study, we present two vinylene-linked COFs, namely, VL-COF-1 and VL-COF-2, which were synthesized through the Knoevenagel condensation of 2,4,6-trimethyl-1,3,5-triazine with terephthalaldehyde or 4,4'-biphenyldicarboxaldehyde. Both VL-COF-1 and VL-COF-2 exhibited excellent chemical and thermal stability. The presence of vinylene linkages between the constituent building blocks in these COFs resulted in broad excitation and emission properties. Remarkably, the designed VL-COFs demonstrated bright emission, fast fluorescence decay, and high stability, making them highly attractive for optoelectronic applications. To assess the potential of these VL-COFs in practical devices, we fabricated white-light-emitting diodes (WLEDs) coated with VL-COF-1 and VL-COF-2. Notably, the WLEDs coated with VL-COF-1 achieved high-quality white light emission, closely approximating standard white light. The promising performance of VL-COF-coated WLEDs suggests the feasibility of utilizing COF materials for stable and efficient lighting applications.

Experimental studies on the particulate matter emission characteristics of a lateral swirl combustion system for direct injection diesel engines.

To analyze the particulate emission characteristics of a lateral swirl combustion system (LSCS), experimental research on a single-cylinder diesel engine was done and compared against the Turbocharger-Charge Air Cooling-Diesel Particle Filter Series combustion system (TCDCS) at different conditions. Compared to the TCDCS, the LSCS presents better combustion performance and lower total particle emission characteristics: As for the LSCS, the vast majority of the particle number size distributions shifted downward, indicating a decrease in the particle number concentration. The total particle number and mass concentrations of the LSCS decreased by 8.7-62.4% and 15.2-55.6% at various loads. The number concentration of particles smaller than approximately 8 nm increased for the LSCS, which can be attributed to the higher temperature and more thorough fuel/air mixture, facilitating the oxidation of large particles into small particles. Combined with the simulation, the LSCS perfectly exerts the wall-flow-guided effect, remarkably improving the fuel/air mixing quality and reducing the local over-concentration regions, which can inhibit the formation of particles. Hence, the LSCS effectively reduces the particle number and mass concentrations, exhibiting excellent particulate emission characteristics.

Mitigating Ion Migration with an Ultrathin Self-Assembled Ionic Insulating Layer Affords Efficient and Stable Wide-Bandgap Inverted Perovskite Solar Cells.

Wide-bandgap perovskite solar cells (PSCs) are attracting increasing attention because they play an irreplaceable role in tandem solar cells. Nevertheless, wide-bandgap PSCs suffer large open-circuit voltage (VOC ) loss and instability due to photoinduced halide segregation, significantly limiting their application. Herein, a bile salt (sodium glycochenodeoxycholate, GCDC, a natural product), is used to construct an ultrathin self-assembled ionic insulating layer firmly coating the perovskite film, which suppresses halide phase separation, reduces VOC loss, and improves device stability. As a result, 1.68 eV wide-bandgap devices with an inverted structure deliver a VOC of 1.20 V with an efficiency of 20.38%. The unencapsulated GCDC-treated devices are considerably more stable than the control devices, retaining 92% of their initial efficiency after 1392 h storage under ambient conditions and retaining 93% after heating at 65 °C for 1128 h in an N2 atmosphere. This strategy of mitigating ion migration via anchoring a nonconductive layer provides a simple approach to achieving efficient and stable wide-bandgap PSCs.

Induced regulatory T cells modified by knocking down T-bet in combination with ectopic expression of inhibitory cytokines effectively protect graft-versus-host disease.

Induced regulatory T (iTreg) cells play a vital role in immune tolerance and in controlling chronic inflammation. Generated in the periphery, iTreg cells are suitable for responding to alloantigens and preventing transplant rejection. Nevertheless, their clinical application has been impeded by the plasticity and instability attributed to the loss of forkhead box protein 3 expression, raising concerns that iTreg may be converted to effector T cells and even exert a pathogenic effect. Herein, second-generation short hairpin RNAs loaded with 3 pairs of small interfering RNAs were utilized to target the T-box transcription factor TBX21. In addition, 2 immunosuppressive cytokines, namely, transforming growth factor beta and interleukin 10, were constitutively expressed. This novel engineering strategy allowed the generation of stably induced regulatory T (SI Treg) cells, which maintained the expression of forkhead box protein 3 even in an unfavorable environment and exerted potent immunosuppressive functions in vitro. Furthermore, SI Treg cells demonstrated an effector transcriptional profile. Finally, SI Treg cells showed a significant protective effect against graft-versus-host disease-related deaths in a xenotransplantation model. Collectively, these results signify that SI Treg cells hold great promise for future clinical application and offer a rational therapeutic approach for transplant rejection.

IFITM2 Presents Antiviral Response through Enhancing Type I IFN Signaling Pathway.

Interferon (IFN) helps cells fight viral infections by further inducing the expression of many downstream IFN-stimulated genes (ISGs). Human interferon-inducible transmembrane proteins (IFITM) are one of these ISGs. The antiviral function of human IFITM1, IFITM2, and IFITM3 are well known. In this study, we report that IFITM can significantly inhibit EMCV infectivity in HEK293 cells. Overexpression of IFITM proteins could promote IFN-ß production. Meanwhile, IFITMs facilitated type I IFN signaling pathway adaptor MDA5 expression. We detected the binding of IFITM2 to MDA5 in a co-immunoprecipitation assay. It was also found that the ability of IFITM2 to activate IFN-ß was significantly inhibited after interfering with MDA5 expression, suggesting that MDA5 may play an important role in the activation of the IFN-ß signaling pathway by IFITM2. Moreover, the N-terminal domain plays an active role in the antiviral activity and the activation of IFN-ß by IFITM2. These findings suggest that IFITM2 plays a vital role in antiviral signaling transduction. In addition, a positive feed-forward loop between IFITM2 and type I IFN establishes a key role for IFITM2 in enforcing innate immune responses.

A bioinspired polydopamine-FeS nanocomposite with high antimicrobial efficiency via NIR-mediated Fenton reaction.

Ferrous and sulfur ions are essential elements for the human body, which play an active role in maintaining the body's normal physiology. Meanwhile, mussel-inspired polydopamine (PDA) possesses good hydrophilicity and biocompatibility. In the present work, ferrous sulfide embedded into polydopamine nanoparticles (PDA@FeS NPs) was designed and synthesized via a simple predoping polymerization-coprecipitation strategy and the intelligent PDA matrix successfully prevented the oxidation and agglomeration of FeS nanoparticles. Importantly, there was an obvious synergistic enhancement of the photothermal effect between polydopamine and ferrous sulfide. The PDA@FeS NPs exhibited excellent photothermal antibacterial effects against both E. coli and S. aureus. The near-infrared (NIR) light-mediated release of ferrous ions could reach about 26.5% under weakly acidic conditions, further triggering the Fenton reaction to produce toxic hydroxyl radicals (·OH) in the presence of hydrogen peroxide. The antibacterial mechanism could be attributed to cell membrane damage and cellular content leakage with the synergistic effect of PTT and CDT. This study highlighted the germicidal efficacy of PDA@FeS NPs and provided a new strategy for designing and developing next-generation antibacterial platforms.

Relationships of leisure activities with physical and cognitive functions among Chinese older adults: A prospective community-based cohort study.

OBJECTIVES: Based on a prospective design, this study aimed to investigate the relationships of leisure activities with physical and cognitive functions among Chinese older adults. METHODS: The respondents aged 65 years or more were selected from the 2014-2018 of the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey. Physical function measurement indicators were reflected by activities of daily living (ADL), instrumental activities of daily living (IADL), and physical performance (PP), while cognitive function was assessed by Mini-Mental State Examination. Fine-Gray competing risk regression models were used to analyze the data. RESULTS: Using the figures for 2014 as a baseline for the study, we included 6047, 6216, 5951, and 5916 respondents in the ADL, IADL, PP, and cognitive function analyses, respectively. The prospective results showed that keeping domestic animals or pets was related to a lower risk of ADL disability of respondents after adjustment (SHR: 0.619, 95% CI: 0.486, 0.788). Similarly, taking part in social activities (SHR: 0.781, 95%CI: 0.658, 0.929) and reading books or newspapers (SHR: 0.793, 95% CI: 0.656, 0.958) were associated with a lower risk of IADL disability. Playing cards or mahjong was correlated with a lower risk of cognitive impairment (SHR: 0.669, 95% CI: 0.507, 0.882), while keeping domestic animals or pets was related to a higher risk of cognitive impairment (SHR: 1.279, 95% CI: 1.047, 1.562). CONCLUSION: Participation in leisure activities moderately may decrease the risk of a decline in physical and cognitive functions among Chinese older adults.

Comparative study on the interaction between transferrin and flavonols: Experimental and computational modeling approaches.

Transferrin is the indispensable component in the body fluids and has been explored as a potential drug carrier for target drugs to cancer cells. Flavonols are widely distributed in plants and shown a wide range of biological activities. In the present study, the interaction between flavonols (including galangin, kaempferol, quercetin, and myricetin) and transferrin under physiological conditions was investigated by using experimental as well as computational approaches. Fluorescence data reveal that the fluorescence quenching mechanism of transferrin by flavonols is static quenching. Transferrin has moderate affinity with flavonols, and the binding constants (Ka) are 103-104 L/mol. In addition, there are two different binding sites for the interaction between kaempferol and transferrin. Thermodynamic parameter analysis shows that the interaction of flavonols and transferrin is synergistically driven by enthalpy and entropy. Hydrophobic interaction, electrostatic force and hydrogen bonds are the main force types. Synchronous fluorescence spectroscopy shows that flavonols decrease the hydrophobicity of the microenvironment around tryptophan (Trp) and have no effect on the microenvironment around tyrosine (Tyr). UV-vis and CD spectra show that the interaction between transferrin and flavonols leads to the loosening and unfolding of transferrin backbone. The increase of ß-sheet is accompanied by the decrease of α-helix and ß-turn. The specific binding sites of flavonols to transferrin are confirmed by molecular docking. Molecular dynamic simulation suggests that the transferrin-flavonols docked complex is stable throughout the simulation trajectory.

How Do Presenteeism and Family Functioning Affect the Association Between Chinese Nurses' Job Stress and Intention to Stay?

BACKGROUND: Despite a great deal of existing research on nurses' job stress and intention to stay, it is still unclear how the association between Chinese nurses' job stress and intention to stay is affected by presenteeism and family functioning. AIMS: This study aimed to investigate the correlations of Chinese nurses' job stress, presenteeism, and family functioning with their intention to stay and clarify the mediating effect of presenteeism and the moderating effect of family functioning on the association between their job stress and intention to stay. METHOD: A cross-sectional study of 1,008 nurses was performed in a major general hospital in Qiqihar City, Heilongjiang Province, China. The participants were invited to engage in a questionnaire survey regarding job stress, presenteeism, family functioning, and intention to stay. A moderated mediation analysis was conducted through multiple linear regression analysis and the PROCESS macro. RESULTS: Job stress and presenteeism were negatively correlated with intention to stay, whereas family functioning was positively correlated with intention to stay. The effect of job stress on intention to stay was partially mediated by presenteeism (Effect = -0.147, 95% CI = [-0.305, -0.003]). In addition, family functioning moderated the direct effect of job stress on intention to stay (Index = -0.134, 95% CI = [-0.274, -0.001]). CONCLUSIONS: Presenteeism and family functioning were found to play mediating and moderating roles, respectively, in the relationship between job stress and intention to stay. Relevant interventions or family-friendly programs should be developed to enhance nurses' intention to stay.

Associations of job satisfaction and burnout with psychological distress among Chinese nurses.

Nurses' mental health is related to the quality of medical care and the outcome of treatment, and has become an important issue in nursing management. However, the role of burnout in the relationship between job satisfaction and psychological distress have not been evaluated. This study aimed to examine the prevalence of psychological distress among Chinese nurses and explore the associations of job satisfaction and burnout with psychological distress. A cross-sectional survey of 866 nurses was conducted in Qiqihar City, Heilongjiang Province of China. Job satisfaction, burnout, and psychological distress were assessed via the single-item, the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Services Survey, and the 12-item General Health Questionnaire respectively, followed by a mediation analysis through the multiple regression analysis and a PROCESS macro method. The prevalence of psychological distress was 35.2% among the participants. After controlling the potential confounding factors, job satisfaction and burnout were found to be still associated with psychological distress (P < 0.001). Furthermore, psychological distress was negatively correlated with both job satisfaction (r = -0.312) and personal accomplishment (r = -0.422) but positively correlated with both emotional exhaustion (r = 0.491) and depersonalization (r = 0.449). Burnout may mediate the association between job satisfaction and psychological distress (B = 0.139, ß = 0.440, P < 0.001 for emotional exhaustion; B = 0.226, ß = 0.382, P < 0.001 for depersonalization; and B = -0.105, ß = -0.368, P < 0.001 for personal accomplishment). The mental health status of Chinese nurses remains to be improved. Low job satisfaction and burnout could increase the risk of psychological distress among Chinese nurses. Moreover, job satisfaction may partially affect psychological distress among Chinese nurses through emotional exhaustion, personal accomplishment, and depersonalization. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12144-022-04006-w.

The Mediating Role of Extra-family Social Relationship Between Personality and Depressive Symptoms Among Chinese Adults.

Objectives: This study aims to explore the associations of personality traits and extra-family social relationship with depressive symptoms among Chinese adults. Methods: A nationally representative sample of 29,810 adults aged 16 and above were selected from 2018 CFPS. Personality and depressive symptoms were measured using CBF-PI-15 and the CES-D8 scale. Extra-family social relationship was assessed through the self-rated evaluation. The multiple regression analysis and the PROCESS macro were used for the mediation analysis. Results: Extraversion (OR = 0.807, 95% CI = 0.773, 0.842), agreeableness (OR = 0.795, 95% CI = 0.756, 0.835) and extra-family social relationship (OR = 0.927, 95% CI = 0.913, 0.941) had negative associations with depressive symptoms. Extra-family social relationship could mediate between extraversion and depressive symptoms (Indirect effect = -0.049,95% CI = -0.060, -0.039) as well as agreeableness (Indirect effect = -0.056, 95% CI = -0.068, -0.046) and depressive symptoms. Comparing to females, the indirect effect accounts for a higher proportion of total effect in males. Conclusion: Extra-family social relationship might mediate the association between extraversion and depressive symptoms as well as agreeableness and depressive symptoms.

Numerical study on the wall-impinging diesel spray soot generation and oxidation in the cylinder under cold-start conditions of a diesel engine.

The combustion of wall-impinging diesel spray of heavy-duty diesel engines deteriorates combustion quality under cold-start conditions, making it difficult to control soot emissions. To investigate the causes of soot increase in the combustion of wall-impinging spray at low temperature and low speed starting conditions, the effect of the starting fuel mass on the soot formation and oxidation process was analyzed using a multidimensional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model. The results show that the diesel spray is guided by the piston wall and the limited space, the spray impinged on the wall and the vapor-phase fuel flowed in the spray interaction zone. Thus, the soot mainly accumulates in the spray interaction zone, the region near the cylinder head and the bowl wall in the combustion chamber bowl. The soot from the vapor of deposited fuel film in the piston bowl wall and near wall region accumulates continuously in the after combustion stage, becoming the main source of soot emissions at the time of exhaust valve opening (EVO). Increasing the mass of starting fuel raises the mass of the rich mixture and wall-impinging fuel, which enhances the mismatch between fuel and air, resulting in higher soot generation, while soot is more difficult to be completely oxidized by OH radicals, and ultimately soot emissions increase significantly. It can be deduced that the engine-optimized injection strategy may mitigate the increase in soot emissions at high start-up fuel injection conditions.