The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of sleep problems, depression and anxiety symptoms among conscripted frontline nurses fighting coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in ...Wuhan.This study was a cross-sectional study conducted with 100 frontline nurses. Sleep quality, depression, and anxiety symptoms were measured using the Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI), the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-Item Scale (GAD-7) and the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), respectively.Mean sleep duration was 5.71 hours (SD = 1.09) and mean sleep latency was 33.49 minutes (SD = 28.87). A total of 76%, 81%, 45%, and 19% reported difficulty initiating sleep (DIS), difficulty maintaining sleep (DMS) or early morning awakening (EMA), nightmares and using hypnotics respectively. Among 100 participants in this study, 60 (60%) had poor sleep quality, 46 (46%) suffered depression symptoms and 40 (40%) reported anxiety symptoms. Sleep quality (OR = 3.16, 95% CI: 1.17-8.52) and anxiety symptoms (OR = 8.07, 95% CI: 2.92-22.33) were significantly associated with depression symptoms. Depression symptoms (OR = 7.92, 95% CI: 2.89-21.73) were related to anxiety symptoms. Similarly, depression symptoms (OR = 3.24, 95% CI: 1.19-8.79) were associated with poor sleep quality.Sleep disturbance, depression, and anxiety symptoms are very common among frontline nurses who treating patients with COVID-19 in Wuhan, China. Comprehensive measures that involve psychosocial and personal behaviors should be implemented to improve sleep quality and prevent depression and anxiety symptoms.
We report the discovery of bulk superconductivity (SC) at 6.1 K in a quasi-one-dimensional chromium pnictide K2Cr3As3 that contains (Cr3As3)2−∞ double-walled subnanotubes with face-sharing Cr6/2 ...(As6/2 ) octahedron linear chains in the inner (outer) wall. The material has a large electronic specific-heat coefficient of 70–75mJK−2mol−1 , indicating significantly strong electron correlations. A linear temperature dependence of resistivity in a broad temperature range from 7 to 300 K is observed, which suggests non-Fermi liquid behavior of the material. Unconventional SC is preliminarily manifested by the estimated upper critical field exceeding the Pauli limit by a factor of 3–4. The title compound represents a rare example that possibly unconventional SC emerges in a quasi-1D system with strong electron correlations.
This study aimed to assess the effects of restricting mobile phone use before bedtime on sleep, pre-sleep arousal, mood, and working memory.
Thirty-eight participants were randomized to either an ...intervention group (n = 19), where members were instructed to avoid using their mobile phone 30 minutes before bedtime, or a control group (n = 19), where the participants were given no such instructions. Sleep habit, sleep quality, pre-sleep arousal and mood were measured using the sleep diary, the Pittsburgh sleep quality index, the Pre-sleep Arousal Scale and the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule respectively. Working memory was tested by using the 0-,1-,2-back task (n-back task).
Restricting mobile phone use before bedtime for four weeks was effective in reducing sleep latency, increasing sleep duration, improving sleep quality, reducing pre-sleep arousal, and improving positive affect and working memory.
Restricting mobile phone use close to bedtime reduced sleep latency and pre-sleep arousal and increased sleep duration and working memory. This simple change to moderate usage was recommended to individuals with sleep disturbances.
•Long photoperiod failed to affect AS-stimulated fear response in zebrafish.•Short photoperiod alleviated AS-stimulated fear response in zebrafish.•Short photoperiod alleviated fear response through ...MT/5-HT/DA pathways and HPI axis.
Photoperiod has been well-documented to be involved in regulating many activities of animals. However, whether photoperiod takes part in mood control, such as fear response in fish and the underlying mode(s) of action remain unclear. In this study, adult zebrafish males and females (Danio rerio) were exposed to different photoperiods, Blank (12 h light: 12 h dark), Control (12 h light: 12 h dark), Short daylight (SD, 6 h light: 18 h dark) and Long daylight (LD, 18 h light: 6 h dark) for 28 days. After exposure, fear response of the fish was investigated using a novel tank diving test. After alarm substance administration, the onset to higher half, total duration in lower half and duration of freezing in SD-fish were significantly decreased, suggesting that short daylight photoperiod is capable of alleviating fear response in zebrafish. In contrast, comparing with the Control, LD didn’t show significant effect on fear response of the fish. Further investigation revealed that SD increased the levels of melatonin (MT), serotonin (5-HT) and dopamine (DA) in the brain while decreased the plasma level of cortisol comparing to the Control. Moreover, the expressions of genes in MT, 5-HT and DA pathways and HPI axis were also altered consistently. Our data indicated that short daylight photoperiod might alleviate fear response of zebrafish probably through interfering with MT/5-HT/DA pathways and HPI axis.
Tributyltin (TBT), a widely and persistently distributed organontin, has been well documented to disrupt reproduction and behaviors in animals due to its anti-aromatase activity. TBT has been also ...reported to enhance anxiety in several fish species, whereas the mechanism underlying remains largely unknown. To investigate the disruption of TBT on fish anxiety and the mechanisms possibly involved, adult male zebrafish (Danio rerio) were treated with TBT (100 and 500 ng/L) for 28 days and anxiety behavior was further investigated using a novel tank dive test. Result showed that TBT treatment significantly enhanced the total time of the fish spent in the lower half, delayed the onset time to the higher half of the tank and increased the total duration of freezing of the fish, indicating an enhanced anxiety in TBT-treated fish. Accordingly, TBT sharply elevated the cortisol levels in plasma in a concentration-dependent manner, suggesting that the elevated cortisol level might be involved in the enhanced anxiety. Although the expression of crha was significantly increased and crhbp was significantly decreased in the brain of TBT-treated fish which is consistent to the elevated cortisol level, the expressions of actha and acthb were sharply down-regulated. In contrast, the expressions of genes responsible for the synthesis and action of serotonin (5-HT) (pet1, thp2 and htr1aa), dopamine (DA) (th1, slc6a3, drd2a and drd2b) and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) (gad2 and gabrg2) were all significantly inhibited. The down-regulation of these pivotal genes acting in 5-HT, DA and GABA neurotransmitter systems in response to TBT corresponded well with the TBT-enhanced anxiety in fish. It was thus strongly suggested that these neurotransmitters might be also involved in TBT-enhanced anxiety in adult male zebrafish. The present study extended our understanding of the neurotoxicity of TBT on the anxiety control and behavioral modulation in fish.
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•TBT enhanced the anxiety responses in zebrafish male.•TBT elevated the plasma levels of cortisol.•TBT altered the expressions of genes in anxiety responses.
A catalytic enantioselective polycyclization of tertiary enamides with terminal silyl enol ethers has been developed by virtue of Cu(OTf)2 catalysis with a novel spiropyrroline-derived oxazole ...(SPDO) ligand. This tandem reaction offers an effective approach to assemble bicyclic and tricyclic N-heterocycles bearing both aza- and oxa-quaternary stereogenic centers, which are primal subunits in a range of natural alkaloids. Strategic application of this methodology and a late-stage radical cyclization as key steps have been showcased in the concise total synthesis of (−)-cephalocyclidin A.
Cerium oxalate hydrate particles were synthesized by precipitation technique under external magnetic field with respective intensities of 0, 0.1, 0.3, and 0.6 T. The particle morphologies were ...investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscope (TEM). Results show that external magnetic field has a great influence on the growth behavior of cerium oxalate hydrate particles. Rod-like and plate-like cerium oxalate hydrate particles with smaller size are formed without the applying of external magnetic field. However, the extremely big rod-like particles with the average size of 12.47 μm were prepared under external magnetic field of 0.6 T. The increasing magnetic field intensity makes the grain grow quickly. Thermogravimetric analysis supports the presence of 8.5 H
2
O molecules associated with cerium oxalate. Further, the growth mechanism of cerium oxalate hydrate under external magnetic field was briefly discussed.
An improved method, i.e., flocculation-solidification combined method (FSCM), has been developed for building a working platform more efficiently at the surface of newly reclaimed ground filled with ...hydraulically dredged mud slurry at extra high water content (EHW-MS). Previous experimental results have demonstrated the significant superiority of FSCM over conventional pure cement solidification method (PCSM) under some application conditions. This study focuses on further clarifying the reasonable boundary for the application conditions, i.e., identifying the reasonable application range, of FSCM in EHW-MS treatment. A number of laboratory experiments are performed to characterize the deposition and strength gain behavior of FSCM or PCSM treated EHW-MS samples with various values of the equivalent initial water content (w
ei
) and Atterberg limits. The deposition and strength characteristics resulting from FSCM and PCSM are then compared comprehensively to illustrate the influence of w
ei
and Atterberg limits on the superiority of FSCM over PCSM. Results indicate well that FSCM shows more significant superiority over PCSM with the increase of either w
ei
or Atterberg limits, and plastic limit > 14 (or liquid limit > 23) and w
ei
> 232% can be considered as the reasonable application range of FSCM in EHW-MS treatment, within which the solidification efficiency of FSCM is at least 1.20 times higher than that of PCSM.
Deficiencies in the clearance of peripheral amyloid β (Aβ) play a crucial role in the progression of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Previous studies have shown that the ability of blood monocytes to ...phagocytose Aβ is decreased in AD. However, the exact mechanism of Aβ clearance dysfunction in AD monocytes remains unclear. In the present study, we found that blood monocytes in AD mice exhibited decreases in energy metabolism, which was accompanied by cellular senescence, a senescence-associated secretory phenotype, and dysfunctional phagocytosis of Aβ. Improving energy metabolism rejuvenated monocytes and enhanced their ability to phagocytose Aβ
in vivo
and
in vitro
. Moreover, enhancing blood monocyte Aβ phagocytosis by improving energy metabolism alleviated brain Aβ deposition and neuroinflammation and eventually improved cognitive function in AD mice. This study reveals a new mechanism of impaired Aβ phagocytosis in monocytes and provides evidence that restoring their energy metabolism may be a novel therapeutic strategy for AD.
As bone marrow transplant (BMT) is gradually applied to the study of central nervous system (CNS) disease, it is needed to investigate the proper dose of chemotherapy to eradicate bone marrow cells ...while bringing little damage to brain. In the present study, we established a BMT model with varied busulfan and cyclophosphamide (Bu-Cy) dosages. The recipient mice’s chimera rate, neuronal death, neuroinflammation, and behavioral functions were all investigated. Chimerism of peripheral blood cells was shown to rise with Bu-Cy treatment doses, with 60.7% in the Bu(20 mg/kg)/Cy(100 mg/kg) group and 93.0% in the Bu(35 mg/kg)/Cy(100 mg/kg) group. Recipients with Bu(35 mg/kg)/Cy(100 mg/kg) therapy had brain injury, increased neuroinflammation, diminished neurogenesis and cognitive abnormalities, whereas animals given a lesser dosage had no such brain damages. Conclusively, considering the chimerism and the possibility to damage brain, we recommend Bu(20 mg/kg)/Cy(100 mg/kg) is the ideal dose in BMT for studying CNS diseases in the C57/BL6 mouse strain.
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