Cell softness regulates tumorigenicity and stemness of cancer cells.

Identifying and sorting highly tumorigenic and metastatic tumor cells from a heterogeneous cell population is a daunting challenge. Here, we show that microfluidic devices can be used to sort marker-based heterogeneous cancer stem cells (CSC) into mechanically stiff and soft subpopulations. The isolated soft tumor cells (< 400 Pa) but not the stiff ones (> 700 Pa) can form a tumor in immunocompetent mice with 100 cells per inoculation. Notably, only the soft, but not the stiff cells, isolated from CD133+ , ALDH+ , or side population CSCs, are able to form a tumor with only 100 cells in NOD-SCID or immunocompetent mice. The Wnt signaling protein BCL9L is upregulated in soft tumor cells and regulates their stemness and tumorigenicity. Clinically, BCL9L expression is correlated with a worse prognosis. Our findings suggest that the intrinsic softness is a unique marker of highly tumorigenic and metastatic tumor cells.

Individual-specific metabolic network based on 18F-FDG PET revealing multi-level aberrant metabolisms in Parkinson's disease.

Metabolic network analysis in Parkinson's disease (PD) based on 18F-FDG PET has revealed PD-related metabolic patterns. However, alterations at the systemic metabolic network level and at the connection level between different brain regions still remain unknown. This study aimed to explore metabolic network alterations at multiple network levels among PD patients using an individual-specific metabolic network (ISMN) approach. 18F-FDG-PET images of patients with PD (n = 34) and healthy subjects (n = 47) were collected. Healthy subjects were further separated into reference group (n = 28) and control group (n = 19) randomly. Standardized uptake value normalized by lean body mass ratio (SULr) maps was calculated from the PET images. ISMNs were constructed based on SULr maps for PD patients and controls with reference to the reference group. Comparisons of nodal and edge features were performed between PD and control groups. Correlation analysis was conducted between multilevel network properties and clinical scales in PD group. A linear classifier was trained based on nodal or edge features to distinguish PD from controls. The distance from each patient's ISMN to the group-level difference network showed a negative correlation with Hoehn and Yahr stage (r = -0.390, p = .023). Eight nodes from ISMN were identified which exhibited significantly increased nodal degree in PD patients compared to controls (p < .05). Eleven edges were observed which demonstrated significant distinctions in Z-score values in comparisons to the control group (p < .05). Furthermore, the nodal and edge features showed comparable performances in PD diagnosis compared to the traditional SULr values, with area under the receiver operating characteristic curve larger than 0.91. The proposed ISMN approach revealed systemic metabolic deviations, as well as nodal and edge distinctions in PD, which might be supplementary to the existing findings on PD-related metabolic patterns.

Disassociation between fluctuation shift over frequency and glucose metabolism in motor cortex of Parkinson's disease: a hybrid PET/fMRI study.

Increased glucose metabolism and decreased low-frequency fluctuation have been consistently reported in the motor area of Parkinson's disease (PD). The reason for such seeming paradox is unclear. Here, we enrolled 34 PD patients and 25 healthy controls (HCs) for hybrid PET/fMRI scan (PET/fMRI(discovery) dataset). In addition, 2 replication datasets, namely fMRI(validation-1) and fMRI(validation-2) dataset, were also included. We computed ratio of standard uptake value (SUVr) to measure FDG-uptake. The amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (ALFF) for the following 4 frequency bands was calculated: slow-5, slow-4, slow-3, and slow-2. We obtained a significant group-by-frequency interaction effect of ALFF in the paracentral lobule/supplementary motor area (PFWE = 0.003) and the right sensorimotor area (PFWE < 0.001) in the PET/fMRI(discovery) dataset, which could be replicated using fMRI(validation-1) and fMRI(validation-2) datasets (PFWE < 0.05). In detail, HCs exhibited power law-like fluctuation pattern, but PD patients did not. Correlation analyses further revealed significant associations between ALFF and FDG-uptake in HCs (P-values < 0.031), but not in PD (P-values > 0.28). Taken together, this study identified a fluctuation shift over frequency effect in PD patients, which further disassociated with glucose metabolism in the motor cortex.

Long-acting anti-inflammatory injectable DEX-Gel with sustained release and self-healing properties regulates TH1/TH2 immune balance for minimally invasive treatment of allergic rhinitis.

BACKGROUND: Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a prevalent immune-related allergic disease, and corticosteroid nasal sprays serve as the primary treatment for this patient population. However, their short duration of efficacy and frequent administration pose challenges, leading to drug wastage and potential adverse effects. To overcome these limitations, we devised a novel approach to formulate DEX-Gel by incorporating dexamethasone (DEX) into a blend of Pluronic F127, stearic acid (SA), and polyethylene glycol 400 (PEG400) to achieve sustained-release treatment for AR. RESULTS: Following endoscopic injection into the nasal mucosa of AR rats, DEX-Gel exhibited sustained release over a 14-day period. In vivo trials employing various assays, such as flow cytometry (FC), demonstrated that DEX-Gel not only effectively managed allergic symptoms but also significantly downregulated helper T-cells (TH) 2 and TH2-type inflammatory cytokines (e.g., interleukins 4, 5, and 13). Additionally, the TH1/TH2 cell ratio was increased. CONCLUSION: This innovative long-acting anti-inflammatory sustained-release therapy addresses the TH1/TH2 immune imbalance, offering a promising and valuable approach for the treatment of AR and other inflammatory nasal diseases.

Reciprocal negative feedback between Prrx1 and miR-140-3p regulates rapid chondrogenesis in the regenerating antler.

During growth phase, antlers exhibit a very rapid rate of chondrogenesis. The antler is formed from its growth center reserve mesenchyme (RM) cells, which have been found to be the derivatives of paired related homeobox 1 (Prrx1)-positive periosteal cells. However, the underlying mechanism that drives rapid chondrogenesis is not known. Herein, the miRNA expression profiles and chromatin states of three tissue layers (RM, precartilage, and cartilage) at different stages of differentiation within the antler growth center were analyzed by RNA-sequencing and ATAC-sequencing. We found that miR-140-3p was the miRNA that exhibited the greatest degree of upregulation in the rapidly growing antler, increasing from the RM to the cartilage layer. We also showed that Prrx1 was a key upstream regulator of miR-140-3p, which firmly confirmed by Prrx1 CUT&Tag sequencing of RM cells. Through multiple approaches (three-dimensional chondrogenic culture and xenogeneic antler model), we demonstrated that Prrx1 and miR-140-3p functioned as reciprocal negative feedback in the antler growth center, and downregulating PRRX1/upregulating miR-140-3p promoted rapid chondrogenesis of RM cells and xenogeneic antler. Thus, we conclude that the reciprocal negative feedback between Prrx1 and miR-140-3p is essential for balancing mesenchymal proliferation and chondrogenic differentiation in the regenerating antler. We further propose that the mechanism underlying chondrogenesis in the regenerating antler would provide a reference for helping understand the regulation of human cartilage regeneration and repair.

Preparation, in vitro anti-tumour activity and in vivo pharmacokinetics of RGD-decorated liposomes loaded with shikonin.

Shikonin (SHK) has been evidenced to possess effects against various cancer cells. However, poor aqueous solubility and high toxicity restrict its application. In the study, RGD-decorated liposomes loaded with SHK (RGD-Lipo-SHK) were prepared via thin-film hydration method. Characterization and cellular uptake of liposomes was evaluated. Cytotoxicity of blank liposomes and different SHK formulations was measured against breast cancer cells (MDA-MB-231, MCF-7, and MCF-10A). Anti-tumour effects and pharmacokinetic parameters of different SHK formulations were appraised in tumour spheroids and in rat model, respectively. Liposomes displayed a particle size of less than 127 nm with a polydispersity index about 0.21. The encapsulation efficiency was about 91% for SHK, and drug leakage rate of liposomes was less than 6%. RGD-Lipo-SHK showed superior cellular internalization in the αvß3-positive MDA-MB-231 cells. Blank liposomes had no cytotoxicity to MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 cells. Howbeit, different SHK formulations obviously inhibited proliferation of MCF-10A cells, especially free SHK. Meanwhile, RGD-Lipo-SHK significantly inhibited growth inhibition of tumour spheroids. The pharmacokinetics study indicated that the peak concentration, area under plasma concentration-time curves, half-life, and mean residence time of RGD-Lipo-SHK distinctly increased compared with those of free SHK. Altogether, these results demonstrated RGD-Lipo-SHK could reduce cytotoxicity, strengthen the antitumor-targeted effect, and prolong circulation time, which provides a foundation for further in vivo experimentations.

Association between gene expression and functional-metabolic architecture in Parkinson's disease.

Gene expression plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease (PD). How gene expression profiles are correlated with functional-metabolic architecture remains obscure. We enrolled 34 PD patients and 25 age-and-sex-matched healthy controls for simultaneous 18 F-FDG-PET/functional MRI scanning during resting state. We investigated the functional gradients and the ratio of standard uptake value. Principal component analysis was used to further combine the functional gradients and glucose metabolism into functional-metabolic architecture. Using partial least squares (PLS) regression, we introduced the transcriptomic data from the Allen Institute of Brain Sciences to identify gene expression patterns underlying the affected functional-metabolic architecture in PD. Between-group comparisons revealed significantly higher gradient variation in the visual, somatomotor, dorsal attention, frontoparietal, default mode, and subcortical network (pFDR < .048) in PD. Increased FDG-uptake was found in the somatomotor and ventral attention network while decreased FDG-uptake was found in the visual network (pFDR < .008). Spatial correlation analysis showed consistently affected patterns of functional gradients and metabolism (p = 2.47 × 10-8 ). PLS analysis and gene ontological analyses further revealed that genes were mainly enriched for metabolic, catabolic, cellular response to ions, and regulation of DNA transcription and RNA biosynthesis. In conclusion, our study provided genetic pathological mechanism to explain imaging-defined brain functional-metabolic architecture of PD.

Simultaneous PET/fMRI revealed increased motor area input to subthalamic nucleus in Parkinson's disease.

Invasive electrophysiological recordings in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) are extremely difficult for cross-sectional comparisons with healthy controls. Noninvasive approaches for identifying information flow between the motor area and the subthalamic nucleus (STN) are critical for evaluation of treatment strategy. We aimed to investigate the direction of the cortical-STN hyperdirect pathway using simultaneous 18F-FDG-PET/functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Data were acquired during resting state on 34 PD patients and 25 controls. The ratio of standard uptake value for PET images and the STN functional connectivity (FC) maps for fMRI data were generated. The metabolic connectivity mapping (MCM) approach that combines PET and fMRI data was used to evaluate the direction of the connectivity. Results showed that PD patients exhibited both increased FDG uptake and STN-FC in the sensorimotor area (PFDR < 0.05). MCM analysis showed higher cortical-STN MCM value in the PD group (F = 6.63, P = 0.013) in the left precentral gyrus. There was a high spatial overlap between the increased glucose metabolism and increased STN-FC in the sensorimotor area in PD. The MCM approach further revealed an exaggerated cortical input to the STN in PD, supporting the precentral gyrus as a target for treatment such as the repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation.

Combined toxicity of erythromycin and roxithromycin and their removal by Chlorella pyrenoidosa.

The ecological effects of antibiotics in surface water have attracted increasing research attention. In this study, we investigated the combined ecotoxicity of erythromycin (ERY) and roxithromycin (ROX) on the microalgae, Chlorella pyrenoidosa, and the removal of ERY and ROX during the exposure. The calculated 96-h median effect concentration (EC50) values of ERY, ROX, and their mixture (2:1 w/w) were 7.37, 3.54, and 7.91 mg∙L-1, respectively. However, the predicted EC50 values of ERY+ROX mixture were 5.42 and 1.51 mg∙L-1, based on the concentration addition and independent action models, respectively. This demonstrated the combined toxicity of ERY+ ROX mixture showed an antagonistic effect on Chlorella pyrenoidosa. During the 14-d culture, low-concentration (EC10) treatments with ERY, ROX, and their mixture caused the growth inhibition rate to decrease during the first 12 d and increase slightly at 14 d. In contrast, high-concentration (EC50) treatments significantly inhibited microalgae growth (p < 0.05). Changes in the total chlorophyll contents, SOD and CAT activities, and MDA contents of microalgae suggested that individual treatments with ERY and ROX induced higher oxidative stress than combined treatments. After the 14-d culture time, residual Ery in low and high concentration Ery treatments were 17.75% and 74.43%, and the residual Rox were 76.54% and 87.99%, but the residuals were 8.03% and 73.53% in ERY+ ROX combined treatment. These indicated that antibiotic removal efficiency was higher in combined treatments than that in individual treatments, especially at low concentrations (EC10). Correlation analysis suggested that there was a significant negative correlation between the antibiotic removal efficiency of C. pyrenoidosa and their SOD activity and MDA content, and the enhanced antibiotic removal ability of microalgae benefited from increased cell growth and chlorophyll content. Findings in this study contribute to predicting ecological risk of coexisting antibiotics in aquatic environment, and to improving biological treatment technology of antibiotics in wastewater.

First Report of Root Rot caused by Coniella fragariae on Paeoniae radix Rubra in China.

Paeoniae radix Rubra is a traditional Chinese herbal medicine, which has the effect of clearing heat and cooling blood, activating blood and removing stasis. It has become popular in the Chinese market in recent years due to its extremely high medicinal value and showy flower color. In May 2021, typical symptoms of root rot were observed in a field (35°7'12″ N, 103°58'48″ E) in Dingxi, Gansu province, China. Approximately 10% of the plants in the field had typical root rot symptoms, and the root of each affected plant is at least 5% severe. The roots of the naturally infected plants in the field discolored and decayed with black brown spots on the surface of the root bark, the root bark detached from the phloem，and some leaves were chlorosis, shrunken and smaller, and the branches were dead and underdeveloped. In the transverse section, the xylem was black diffusion and abnormal odor. Three diseased plants with typical symptoms were chosen at random and brought back to the lab. Small pieces cut from the margins of lesions were surface disinfested with 75% ethanol for 15 s, and 0.5% NaClO solution for 30 s, rinsed three times in sterile distilled water, dried on sterile filter paper, plaed onto potato dextrose agar (PDA), and incubated at 25 ± 1℃ for 7 days in the dark. The pure cultures were obtained by single-spore isolation. All isolates produced wavy on the surface, radial from the inside out, initially white or milky white to orange colonies with abundant black brown oily conidiomata pycnidia on PDA at 25 ± 1℃ after 15 days in the dark. The conidiomata pycnidia is spherical to irregularly spherical, 231.5 to 512.4 µm, initially transparent with age turning brown, with a dark brown internal conidial mass inside, and with a 13.1 to 45.4 µ m wide ostiole central. Young conidia (n=100) developed from conidiogenous cells, which were simple, tapering, hyaline, smooth, and 12.3 to 18.0 × 2.5 to 4.6 µm, 1.0 to 1.5 µm wide at apex. Mature conidia (n=100) were ellipsoid, apices tapering, subobtusely rounded, brown, and 6.5 to 11.0 × 4.1 to 7.5 µm. The morphological characteristics of the isolates were consistent with previous descriptions of the genus Coniella (Crous et al., 2014). A representation isolate CS-1 was deposited in the Institute of Plant Protection, Gansu Academy of Agricultural Sciences and used for further studies. To confirm the identity of the causal fungus, the internal transcribed spacer (ITS), 28S large subunit of nuclear ribosomal RNA (LSU) and partial translation elongation factor 1-alpha (TEF1-α) gene of the representative isolate CS-1 were amplified and sequenced using primers ITS1/ITS4 (White et al., 1990), LROR/LR7 (Chethan et al., 2017) and EF1-728F/EF1-986R (Carbone and Kohn, 1999), respectively, and deposited on GenBank with accession numbers OP824764 (ITS), OP824767 (LSU)/span>and OP903926 (TEF1-α). Blastn analysis of all sequences resulted in E-value of 0.0 (ITS and LSU) and nearly 0.0 (TEF1-α), with Query cover values of 90% to 99% identity with C. fragariae, confirming the hypothesis based on morphological features examination. To conduct a pathogenicity test, three root segments of healthy plants were wounded using sterilized needles and inoculated by pipetting 10 µL of conidial suspension (1×107 conidia/mL) onto each wound, and controls were inoculated with 10 µL sterile distilled water. These root segments were kept in a moist chamber at 25°C in the dark. The experiment was repeated three times. After 14 days, root rot symptoms were observed on all of the inoculated root segments and identical to those observed in the field, whereas control root segments did not develop symptoms. The pathogen was re-isolated from the lesions of inoculated root segments, fulfilling Koch's postulates. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of C. fragariae causing root rot on P. radix Rubra in China. This identification can aid in the selection of appropriate management measures for this disease.

Developing a core competency framework for advanced practice nursing in mainland China: a sequential exploratory study.

BACKGROUND: Advanced Practice Nursing (APN) have been highly valued and an integral part of the health care system. Development and establishment of new APN roles is a complex process that has resulted from a wide variety of reasons, key component is a lack of a competency map delineation and role evaluation. Currently, however, competence framework has not been compared at an international level. In mainland China, APN have been introduced in some organizations but their competency domains have not yet been clearly defined, this study aimed to identify the core competencies for advanced practice nursing. METHODS: This study was performed in two phases: first, in-depth and semi-structured individual interviews with 46 participants from key stakeholders were carried out followed by a qualitative content analysis, then an item pool of core competencies was constructed by extracting data from the first phase and the results from previous studies, scales and documents; second, a Delphi technique was conducted with the participation of 28 experts from 7 areas of China to form the final core competency framework for advanced practice nursing. RESULTS: Through the qualitative phase, the core competency framework with six domains and 70 items emerged and then entered into the Delphi phase. Twenty-eight of 30 experts finished 2 rounds of Delphi approaches. The final core competencies for advanced practice nursing consisted of six domains with 61 items, including direct clinical nursing practice, research and evidence-based nursing practice, professional development, organization and management, mentoring and consultation, and ethical/legal practice. CONCLUSION: This core competency framework consisted of six domains with 61 items can be used in competency-based education to cultivate advanced practice nurses as well as competency level assessment.

The mediating role of psychological needs on the relationship between perceived organizational support and work engagement.

AIM: To examine the mediating effect of basic psychological needs on the relationship between perceived organizational support and work engagement among nurses. BACKGROUND: The satisfaction of basic psychological needs is crucial for breeding and sustaining individuals' intrinsic motivation. Little is known about the underlying motivational mechanisms that explain the relationship among perceived organizational support, basic psychological needs, and work engagement in a nursing context. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional online survey. A sample of 858 nurses from 12 hospitals was surveyed on their perceived organizational support, basic psychological needs, and work engagement. Structural equation models and bootstrapping methods were used to examine the hypotheses. STROBE reporting guidelines were utilized. RESULTS: Perceived organizational support was positively associated with basic psychological needs and work engagement. Basic psychological needs were positively associated with work engagement. Basic psychological needs mediated the relationship between perceived organizational and work engagement. CONCLUSION: Perceived organizational support may enhance work engagement by fulfilling the basic psychological needs of nurses. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING AND NURSING POLICY: Basic psychological needs deserve more attention in nursing organizations. Managers should seek optimal strategies to fulfill nurses' needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness to stimulate their intrinsic motivation to enhance work engagement.

Identification of a Novel Gene Signature Based on Kinesin Family Members to Predict Prognosis in Glioma.

Background and Objectives: Extensive research indicates that the kinesin superfamily (KIFs) regulates tumor progression. Nonetheless, the potential prognostic and therapeutic role of KIFs in glioma has been limited. Materials and Methods: Four independent cohorts from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database and the Chinese Glioma Genome Atlas (CGGA) database were generated into a large combination cohort for identification of the prognostic signature. Following that, systematic analyses of multi-omics data were performed to determine the differences between the two groups. In addition, IDH1 was selected for the differential expression analysis. Results: The signature consists of five KIFs (KIF4A, KIF26A, KIF1A, KIF13A, and KIF13B) that were successfully identified. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves indicated the signature had a suitable performance in prognosis prediction with the promising predictive area under the ROC curve (AUC) values. We then explored the genomic features differences, including immune features and tumor mutation status between high- and low-risk groups, from which we found that patients in the high-risk group had a higher level of immune checkpoint modules, and IDH1 was identified mutated more frequently in the low-risk group. Results of gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) analysis showed that the E2F target, mitotic spindle, EMT, G2M checkpoint, and TNFa signaling were significantly activated in high-risk patients, partially explaining the differential prognosis between the two groups. Moreover, we also verified the five signature genes in the Human Protein Atlas (HPA) database. Conclusion: According to this study, we were able to classify glioma patients based on KIFs in a novel way. More importantly, the discovered KIFs-based signature and related characteristics may serve as a candidate for stratification indicators in the future for gliomas.

Modulation effect of substantia nigra iron deposition and functional connectivity on putamen glucose metabolism in Parkinson's disease.

Neurodegeneration of the substantia nigra affects putamen activity in Parkinson's disease (PD), yet in vivo evidence of how the substantia nigra modulates putamen glucose metabolism in humans is missing. We aimed to investigate how substantia nigra modulates the putamen glucose metabolism using a cross-sectional design. Resting-state fMRI, susceptibility-weighted imaging, and [18 F]-fluorodeoxyglucose-PET (FDG-PET) data were acquired. Forty-two PD patients and 25 healthy controls (HCs) were recruited for simultaneous PET/MRI scanning. The main measurements of the current study were R2* images representing iron deposition (28 PD and 25 HCs), standardized uptake value ratio (SUVr) images representing FDG-uptake (33 PD and 25 HCs), and resting state functional connectivity maps from resting state fMRI (34 PD and 25 HCs). An interaction term based on the general linear model was used to investigate the joint modulation effect of nigral iron deposition and nigral-putamen functional connectivity on putamen FDG-uptake. Compared with HCs, we found increased iron deposition in the substantia nigra (p = .007), increased FDG-uptake in the putamen (left: PFWE < 0.001; right: PFWE < 0.001), and decreased functional connectivity between the substantia nigra and the anterior putamen (left PFWE < 0.001, right: PFWE  = 0.007). We then identified significant interaction effect of nigral iron deposition and nigral-putamen connectivity on FDG-uptake in the putamen (p = .004). The current study demonstrated joint modulation effect of the substantia nigra iron deposition and nigral-putamen functional connectivity on putamen glucose metabolic distribution, thereby revealing in vivo pathological mechanism of nigrostriatal neurodegeneration of PD.

Symptom clusters and quality of life in ambulatory patients with multiple myeloma.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to investigate symptom clusters and associated clinical factors in ambulatory multiple myeloma patients undergoing medication therapy. We also aimed to determine the correlations between symptom clusters and patient quality of life. METHODS: A total of 174 multiple myeloma patients hospitalized in the haematology day unit were included in this study. A cross-sectional survey was conducted to examine symptoms and quality of life. Symptoms were assessed by the Chinese version of the Condensed Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale. Quality of life was measured with the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General. Principal component analysis was used to identify symptom clusters. Independent-samples t tests and chi-square tests were used for comparisons between groups. Spearman's rank correlation analysis was used to identify correlations. RESULTS: We identified three symptom clusters in multiple myeloma patients: psychological; pain, dry mouth, and difficulty sleeping; and fatigue symptom cluster. For each symptom cluster, the patients could be categorized into a severe-symptom group or a mild-symptom group based on the distress of symptoms. The patients in each group exhibited differential demographic and clinical features. Symptom cluster distress was adversely correlated with patients' quality of life. CONCLUSIONS: Ambulatory multiple myeloma patients undergoing anticancer medication therapy experience multiple symptoms, which can be categorized into three symptom clusters. For each symptom cluster, level of distress was associated with patients' demographic and clinical characteristics. The presence and level of distress of these symptom clusters have adverse impacts on patients' quality of life.

Nurses' perceptions of career growth: A qualitative descriptive study.

AIMS: To explore nurses' experiences and perceptions of career growth and its influencing factors, as career growth is more closely associated with individual attitudes and behaviours in the new career era. DESIGN: A qualitative descriptive design was used. METHODS: Thirty-one nurses from 10 secondary and 8 tertiary hospitals in Sichuan Province of China were purposively selected to participate in this study. The data were collected using individual semi-structured face-to-face interviews. Two researchers independently reviewed the transcripts and emergent coding. The data were analysed using qualitative content analysis. FINDINGS: The nurses' perceptions of career growth fully described the nurses' experience and occurred in five dimensions: career promotion, career goal progress, professional ability and quality improvement, professional identity development and increase in personal prestige. The factors influencing career growth were identified at the organizational, individual and social levels. Career growth in nursing was complex, changed over time and showed several specific characteristics compared with other careers. The nurse-specific symbol of career growth was professional identity development, which reflected career progression characteristics. CONCLUSIONS: Career growth is a multi-dimensional concept with varying influencing factors. The meaning of career growth for nurses is distinct from that for employees in other careers. IMPACT: Nursing managers should guide nurses to comprehensively assess their career growth from multiple perspectives, and professional identity development deserves more attention. Both organizations and individuals should take responsibility for career management to pursue career growth.

An Energy-Efficient BJT-Based Temperature Sensor with ±0.8 °C (3σ) Inaccuracy from -50 to 150 °C.

This article presents an energy-efficient BJT-based temperature sensor. The output of sensing front-ends is modulated by employing an incremental Δ-Σ ADC as a readout interface. The cascoded floating-inverter-based dynamic amplifier (FIA) is used as the integrator instead of the conventional operational transconductance amplifier (OTA) to achieve a low power consumption. To enhance the accuracy, chopping and dynamic element matching (DEM) are applied to eliminate the component mismatch error while ß-compensation resistor and optimized bias current are used to minimize the effect of ß variation. Fabricated in a standard 180-nm CMOS process, this sensor has an active area of 0.13 mm2. While dissipating only 45.7 µW in total, the sensor achieves an inaccuracy of ±0.8 °C (3σ) from -50 °C to 150 °C after one-point calibration.

Effectiveness of Low-Frequency Pallidal Deep Brain Stimulation at 65 Hz in Tourette Syndrome.

OBJECTIVES: Pallidal deep brain stimulation (DBS) for refractory Tourette syndrome (TS) is often applied using a high frequency. The effectiveness of low-frequency long-term stimulation is unknown. We aimed to evaluate the clinical efficacy of low-frequency DBS applied to the globus pallidus pars internus (GPi) at 65 Hz for the treatment of TS, with long-term follow-up, to provide data for the optimization of stimulation parameters. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of six patients with refractory TS were implanted with electrodes in the GPi and were assigned to receive low-frequency (65 Hz) DBS programming. Assessments were performed pre-DBS and at 3, 12, and a median of 34 (range 26-48) months post-DBS. The primary outcome was tic severity, as assessed by the Yale Global Tic Severity Scale (YGTSS), and the secondary outcomes were comorbid behavioral disorders, mood, functioning, and quality of life. RESULTS: We noted significant differences in the YGTSS scores between the baseline and the post-DBS follow-ups (p = 0.01). At the final follow-up, four of six (66.6%) patients had a greater than 50% reduction in the YGTSS score, whereas the remaining two patients showed a mild worsening of tic severity. The secondary outcome measures also showed remarkable improvements in associated behavioral disorders, mood, functioning, and quality of life. Stimulation-induced adverse effects were not reported, although a device-related complication (an uncomfortable feeling in the neck) occurred in one patient. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study indicated that low-frequency DBS represents an effective and practical treatment for refractory TS with comparable efficacy to high-frequency DBS.

Influencing factors for delayed discharge following day surgery: A retrospective case-control study.

AIM: We aimed to identify the risk factors for delayed discharge in a day surgery centre in west China. BACKGROUND: Delayed discharge affected by various factors is a key indicator for healthcare quality of day surgery. However, few studies have focused on this issue in developing countries where the day surgery started much later. DESIGN: A retrospective case-control design. METHOD: A random sample of 169 delayed discharge cases and 514 normal discharge cases was randomly selected from 38,021 day surgery cases from May 2011 to May 2019 in a tertiary teaching hospital in west China. Socio-demographic and clinical characteristics of patients were collected through the hospital electronic database and a chart review. A multivariate logistic regression was conducted to identify the risk factors for delayed discharge. RESULTS: The urban employee basic medical insurance, comorbidity, general anaesthesia, pain, fever, bleeding and metabolic disorder were identified as the risk factors for delayed discharge. Living in the city where the hospital located was a protective factor for delayed discharge. CONCLUSION: Post-operative complications including fever, pain, bleeding and metabolic disorder were the most important risk factors for delayed discharge. The pre-operative prevention, careful monitoring and rapid reactions to post-operative complications may reduce delayed discharge.

Prevalence and characteristics of chronic Pain in the Chinese community-dwelling elderly: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Chronic pain adversely affects health and daily life in the elderly. Gaining insight into chronic pain that affects the community-dwelling elderly is crucial for pain management in China, which possesses the largest elderly population in the world. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional design study that followed the STROBE Guideline. A randomized cluster sampling method was used to recruit participants in the Sichuan Province from Dec 2018 to May 2019. In addition, face-to-face interviews were conducted to collect socio-demographic data, characteristics and health-seeking behaviors of chronic pain through a self-designed questionnaire. RESULTS: A total of 1381 older adults participated in this study. Among these participants, 791 (57.3%) had chronic pain. Here, prevalence and pain intensity were both found to increase from the 60-69 group to the 70-79 group, which then decreased in the ≥80 group with no significant differences in sex (p > 0.05). The most common pain locations were observed in the legs/feet (53.5%), head (23.6) and abdomen/pelvis (21.1%). Among the elderly suffering from chronic pain, 29.4% sought medical help, 59.2% received medication and 59.7% adopted non-drug therapy. CONCLUSION: Chronic pain is a common health concern in the Chinese community-dwelling elderly, which possesses different characteristics than other countries' populations. Therefore, easier access to medication assistance and provision of scientific guidance for non-drug therapy may serve as satisfactory approaches in improving pain management.