This study examined the role of individual differences in horizontal and vertical individualism and collectivism, trust and worries, and concerns about COVID-19 in predicting the attitudes toward ...compliance of health advice and psychological responses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Chinese university students (
N
=384, 324 female) completed measures of individualism and collectivism, trust, attitudes toward compliance, and psychological responses to the pandemic. Results showed that not only vertical collectivist orientation but also horizontal individualist orientation significantly predicted higher willingness to comply, whereas vertical individualist orientation significantly predicted lower willingness to comply. Vertical individualist and vertical collectivist orientations predicted higher psychological response in terms of distress, anxiety, and depression, while horizontal collectivistic orientation significantly predicted less psychological problems. Implications of the effect of individual-level cultural orientations on attitudes toward public health compliance and psychological well-being during global health crises are discussed.
Coronavirus disease 2019 is an emerging disease with a rapid increase in cases and deaths since its first identification in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. Limited data are available about ...coronavirus disease 2019 during pregnancy; however, information on illnesses associated with other highly pathogenic coronaviruses (ie, severe acute respiratory syndrome and the Middle East respiratory syndrome) might provide insights into coronavirus disease 2019’s effects during pregnancy. Coronaviruses cause illness ranging in severity from the common cold to severe respiratory illness and death. Currently the primary epidemiologic risk factors for coronavirus disease 2019 include travel from mainland China (especially Hubei Province) or close contact with infected individuals within 14 days of symptom onset. Data suggest an incubation period of ∼5 days (range, 2–14 days). Average age of hospitalized patients has been 49–56 years, with a third to half with an underlying illness. Children have been rarely reported. Men were more frequent among hospitalized cases (54–73%). Frequent manifestations include fever, cough, myalgia, headache, and diarrhea. Abnormal testing includes abnormalities on chest radiographic imaging, lymphopenia, leukopenia, and thrombocytopenia. Initial reports suggest that acute respiratory distress syndrome develops in 17–29% of hospitalized patients. Overall case fatality rate appears to be ∼1%; however, early data may overestimate this rate. In 2 reports describing 18 pregnancies with coronavirus disease 2019, all were infected in the third trimester, and clinical findings were similar to those in nonpregnant adults. Fetal distress and preterm delivery were seen in some cases. All but 2 pregnancies were cesarean deliveries and no evidence of in utero transmission was seen.
Data on severe acute respiratory syndrome and Middle East respiratory syndrome in pregnancy are sparse. For severe acute respiratory syndrome, the largest series of 12 pregnancies had a case-fatality rate of 25%. Complications included acute respiratory distress syndrome in 4, disseminated intravascular coagulopathy in 3, renal failure in 3, secondary bacterial pneumonia in 2, and sepsis in 2 patients. Mechanical ventilation was 3 times more likely among pregnant compared with nonpregnant women. Among 7 first-trimester infections, 4 ended in spontaneous abortion. Four of 5 women with severe acute respiratory syndrome after 24 weeks’ gestation delivered preterm. For Middle East respiratory syndrome, there were 13 case reports in pregnant women, of which 2 were asymptomatic, identified as part of a contact investigation; 3 patients (23%) died. Two pregnancies ended in fetal demise and 2 were born preterm. No evidence of in utero transmission was seen in severe acute respiratory syndrome or Middle East respiratory syndrome. Currently no coronavirus-specific treatments have been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration. Because coronavirus disease 2019 might increase the risk for pregnancy complications, management should optimally be in a health care facility with close maternal and fetal monitoring. Principles of management of coronavirus disease 2019 in pregnancy include early isolation, aggressive infection control procedures, oxygen therapy, avoidance of fluid overload, consideration of empiric antibiotics (secondary to bacterial infection risk), laboratory testing for the virus and coinfection, fetal and uterine contraction monitoring, early mechanical ventilation for progressive respiratory failure, individualized delivery planning, and a team-based approach with multispecialty consultations. Information on coronavirus disease 2019 is increasing rapidly. Clinicians should continue to follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website to stay up to date with the latest information (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/hcp/index.html).
Increasing evidence showed that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) played an important role in the occurrence and development of tumors. To date, lncRNA small nucleolar RNA host gene 12 (SNHG12) has ...revealed an oncogenic role in various tumors. However, the role of SNHG12 in cervical cancer is still unclear. Therefore, we focused on the biological function and molecular mechanism of SNHG12 in the tumorigenesis of cervical cancer. In this study, the expression of miR‐125b was observably downregulated in cervical cancer cells. Meanwhile, the expression of SNHG12 was obviously upregulated in cervical cancer cell lines (HeLa, SiHa, Caski, C4‐1, and C33A) compared with the immortalized cervical epithelial cells. The further assay showed that miR‐125b was a target of SNHG12 in cervical cancer. Moreover, a negative relationship between miR‐125b and SNHG12 was found in cervical cancer. In addition, SNHG12 inhibition restrained the proliferation, migration, and invasion of cervical cancer cells. Meanwhile, miR‐125b mimics repressed the expression of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3). The further assay showed that STAT3 was a target of miR‐125b in cervical cancer. In addition, sh‐STAT3 repressed the migration and invasion of cervical cancer cells. Furthermore, it showed that miR‐125b inhibitors reversed STAT3 expression restrained by the reduction of SNHG12 expression. In general, SNHG12 modulated STAT3 by sponging miR‐125b in cervical cancer and played an important role in the development of cervical cancer.
“Small nucleolar RNA host gene 12 (SNHG12) might be a novel biomarker for the diagnosis or treatment of cervical cancer and SNHG12/miR‐125b/ signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 axis was implicated in the progression of cervical cancer.”
It has been predicted that upsets due to Single-Event Transients (SETs) in logic circuits will increase significantly with higher operating frequency and technology scaling. For synchronous circuits ...manufactured at advanced technology nodes, errors due to single-event transients are expected to exceed those due to latch upsets. Experimental results presented in this paper quantify the contribution of logic errors to the total Soft-Error Rate (SER) for test circuits fabricated in a 40 nm bulk CMOS technology. These results can be used to develop guidelines to assist circuit designers adopt effective hardening strategies to reduce the SER, while meeting performance specifications for high speed logic circuits.
Black phosphorous (BP), the most thermodynamically stable allotrope of phosphorus, is a high-mobility layered semiconductor with direct band-gap determined by the number of layers from 0.3 eV (bulk) ...to 2.0 eV (single layer). Therefore, BP is considered as a natural candidate for broadband optical applications, particularly in the infrared (IR) and mid-IR part of the spectrum. The strong light-matter interaction, narrow direct band-gap, and wide range of tunable optical response make BP as a promising nonlinear optical material, particularly with great potentials for infrared and mid-infrared opto-electronics. Herein, we experimentally verified its broadband and enhanced saturable absorption of multi-layer BP (with a thickness of ~10 nm) by wide-band Z-scan measurement technique, and anticipated that multi-layer BPs could be developed as another new type of two-dimensional saturable absorber with operation bandwidth ranging from the visible (400 nm) towards mid-IR (at least 1930 nm). Our results might suggest that ultra-thin multi-layer BP films could be potentially developed as broadband ultra-fast photonics devices, such as passive Q-switcher, mode-locker, optical switcher etc.
Increasing evidence has revealed a significant association between microorganisms and oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Porphyromonas gingivalis, the keystone pathogen in chronic periodontitis, is ...considered an important potential etiologic agent of OSCC, but the underlying immune mechanisms through which P. gingivalis mediates tumor progression of the oral cancer remain poorly understood. Our cohort study showed that the localization of P. gingivalis in tumor tissues was related to poor survival of patients with OSCC. Moreover, P. gingivalis infection increased oral lesion multiplicity and size and promoted tumor progression in a 4-nitroquinoline-1 oxide (4NQO)–induced carcinogenesis mouse model by invading the oral lesions. In addition, CD11b+ myeloid cells and myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) showed increased infiltration of oral lesions. Furthermore, in vitro observations showed that MDSCs accumulated when human-derived dysplastic oral keratinocytes (DOKs) were exposed to P. gingivalis, and CXCL2, CCL2, interleukin (IL)–6, and IL-8 may be potential candidate genes that facilitate the recruitment of MDSCs. Taken together, our findings suggest that P. gingivalis promotes tumor progression by generating a cancer-promoting microenvironment, indicating a close relationship among P. gingivalis, tumor progression of the oral cancer, and immune responses.
Although significant advances have recently been made in the diagnosis and treatment of cervical carcinoma, the long-term survival rate for advanced cervical cancer remains low. Therefore, an urgent ...need exists to both uncover the molecular mechanisms and identify potential therapeutic targets for the treatment of cervical cancer. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have important roles in cancer progression and could be used as either potential therapeutic agents or targets. miR-506 is a component of an X chromosome-linked miRNA cluster. The biological functions of miR-506 have not been well established. In this study, we found that miR-506 expression was downregulated in approximately 80% of the cervical cancer samples examined and inversely correlated with the expression of Ki-67, a marker of cell proliferation. Gain-of-function and loss-of-function studies in human cervical cancer, Caski and SiHa cells, demonstrated that miR-506 acts as a tumor suppressor by inhibiting cervical cancer growth in vitro and in vivo. Further studies showed that miR-506 induced cell cycle arrest at the G1/S transition, and enhanced apoptosis and chemosensitivity of cervical cancer cell. We subsequently identified Gli3, a hedgehog pathway transcription factor, as a direct target of miR-506 in cervical cancer. Furthermore, Gli3 silencing recapitulated the effects of miR-506, and reintroduction of Gli3 abrogated miR-506-induced cell growth arrest and apoptosis. Taken together, we conclude that miR-506 exerts its anti-proliferative function by directly targeting Gli3. This newly identified miR-506/Gli3 axis provides further insight into the pathogenesis of cervical cancer and indicates a potential novel therapeutic agent for the treatment of cervical cancer.
Background
Various methods are used for cervical ripening during the induction of labour. It is still debatable which of these methods of treatment is optimal.
Objective
To compare treatment ...techniques for cervical ripening in the induction of labour.
Search strategy
Medline, Embase, and the Cochrane Collaboration databases were searched using the keywords ‘cervical ripening’, ‘labour induced’, ‘misoprostol’, ‘dinoprostone’, and ‘Foley catheter’.
Selection criteria
Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of cervical ripening during the induction of labour, evaluating rates of failure to achieve vaginal delivery within 24 hours, incidence of uterine hyperstimulation with fetal heart rate (FHR) changes, and rates of caesarean section. Studies including women with prelabour rupture of membranes were excluded.
Data collection and analysis
Outcome data were collected and analysed through pairwise meta‐analysis and network meta‐analysis within a Bayesian framework.
Main results
A total of 96 RCTs (17 387 women) were included in the meta‐analysis. Vaginal misoprostol was the most effective cervical ripening method to achieve vaginal delivery within 24 hours, but had the highest incidence of uterine hyperstimulation with FHR changes. The use of a Foley catheter to induce labour was associated with the lowest rate of uterine hyperstimulation accompanied by FHR changes. The caesarean section rate was lowest using oral misoprostol for the induction of labour.
Author's conclusions
No method of labour induction demonstrated overall superiority when considering all three clinical outcomes. Decisions regarding the choice of induction method will depend upon the relative preference for effecting vaginal delivery within 24 hours, minimising the incidence of uterine hyperstimulation with adverse FHR changes and avoiding caesarean section.
Tweetable
Oral misoprostol for the induction of labour is safer than vaginal misoprostol and has the lowest rate of caesarean section.
Tweetable
Oral misoprostol for the induction of labour is safer than vaginal misoprostol and has the lowest rate of caesarean section.
The nonlinear optical property of few-layered MoS₂ nanoplatelets synthesized by the hydrothermal exfoliation method was investigated from the visible to the near-infrared band using lasers. Both ...open-aperture Z-scan and balanced-detector measurement techniques were used to demonstrate the broadband saturable absorption property of few-layered MoS₂. To explore its potential applications in ultrafast photonics, we fabricated a passive mode locker for ytterbium-doped fibre laser by depositing few-layered MoS₂ onto the end facet of optical fiber by means of an optical trapping approach. Our laser experiment shows that few-layer MoS₂-based mode locker allows for the generation of stable mode-locked laser pulse, centered at 1054.3 nm, with a 3-dB spectral bandwidth of 2.7 nm and a pulse duration of 800 ps. Our finding suggests that few-layered MoS₂ nanoplatelets can be useful nonlinear optical material for laser photonics devices, such as passive laser mode locker, Q-switcher, optical limiter, optical switcher and so on.
Abstract
STUDY QUESTION
How is endometriosis associated with adverse maternal, fetal and neonatal outcomes of pregnancy?
SUMMARY ANSWER
Women with endometriosis are at elevated risk for serious and ...important adverse maternal (pre-eclampsia, gestational diabetes, placenta praevia and Cesarean section) and fetal or neonatal outcomes (preterm birth, PPROM, small for gestational age, stillbirth and neonatal death).
WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY
A number of studies have shown an association between endometriosis and certain adverse maternal and fetal outcomes, but the results have been conflicting with potential for confounding by the use of assisted reproductive technology.
STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION
A systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies (1 January 1990-31 December 2017) that evaluated the effect of endometriosis on maternal, fetal and neonatal outcomes was conducted.
PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS
Studies were considered for inclusion if they were prospective or retrospective cohort or case-control studies; included women greater than 20 weeks gestational age with endometriosis; included a control group of gravid women without endometriosis; and, reported at least one of the outcomes of interest. Each study was reviewed for inclusion, data were extracted and risk of bias was assessed by two independent reviewers.
MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE
The search strategy identified 33 studies (sample size, n = 3 280 488) for inclusion. Compared with women without endometriosis, women with endometriosis had higher odds of pre-eclampsia (odds ratio OR = 1.18 1.01-1.39), gestational hypertension and/or pre-eclampsia (OR = 1.21 1.05-1.39), gestational diabetes (OR = 1.26 1.03-1.55), gestational cholestasis (OR = 4.87 1.85-12.83), placenta praevia (OR = 3.31 2.37, 4.63), antepartum hemorrhage (OR = 1.69 1.38-2.07), antepartum hospital admissions (OR = 3.18 2.60-3.87), malpresentation (OR = 1.71 1.34, 2.18), labor dystocia (OR = 1.45 1.04-2.01) and cesarean section (OR = 1.86 1.51-2.29). Fetuses and neonates of women with endometriosis were also more likely to have preterm premature rupture of membranes (OR = 2.33 1.39-3.90), preterm birth (OR = 1.70 1.40-2.06), small for gestational age <10th% (OR = 1.28 1.11-1.49), NICU admission (OR = 1.39 1.08-1.78), stillbirth (OR = 1.29 1.10, 1.52) and neonatal death (MOR = 1.78 1.46-2.16). Among the subgroup of women who conceived spontaneously, endometriosis was found to be associated with placenta praevia, cesarean section, preterm birth and low birth weight. Among the subgroup of women who conceived with the use of assisted reproductive technology, endometriosis was found to be associated with placenta praevia and preterm birth.
LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION
As with any systematic review, the review is limited by the quality of the included studies. The diagnosis for endometriosis and the selection of comparison groups were not uniform across studies. However, the effect of potential misclassification would be bias towards the null hypothesis.
WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS
The association between endometriosis with the important and serious pregnancy outcomes observed in our meta-analysis, in particular stillbirth and neonatal death, is concerning and warrants further studies to elucidate the mechanisms for the observed findings.
STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S)
Dr Shifana Lalani is supported by a Physicians' Services Incorporated Foundation Research Grant, and Dr Innie Chen is supported by a University of Ottawa Clinical Research Chair in Reproductive Population Health and Health Services. Dr Singh declares conflicts of interests with Bayer, Abvie, Allergan and Cooper Surgical. All other authors have no conflicts of interests to declare.
REGISTRATION NUMBER
PROSPERO CRD42015013911.
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