We explored whether medical health workers had more psychosocial problems than nonmedical health workers during the COVID-19 outbreak.
An online survey was run from February 19 to March 6, 2020; a ...total of 2,182 Chinese subjects participated. Mental health variables were assessed via the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), the Symptom Check List-revised (SCL-90-R), and the Patient Health Questionnaire-4 (PHQ-4), which included a 2-item anxiety scale and a 2-item depression scale (PHQ-2).
Compared with nonmedical health workers (n = 1,255), medical health workers (n = 927) had a higher prevalence of insomnia (38.4 vs. 30.5%, p < 0.01), anxiety (13.0 vs. 8.5%, p < 0.01), depression (12.2 vs. 9.5%; p< 0.04), somatization (1.6 vs. 0.4%; p < 0.01), and obsessive-compulsive symptoms (5.3 vs. 2.2%; p < 0.01). They also had higher total scores of ISI, GAD-2, PHQ-2, and SCL-90-R obsessive-compulsive symptoms (p ≤ 0.01). Among medical health workers, having organic disease was an independent factor for insomnia, anxiety, depression, somatization, and obsessive-compulsive symptoms (p < 0.05 or 0.01). Living in rural areas, being female, and being at risk of contact with COVID-19 patients were the most common risk factors for insomnia, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive symptoms, and depression (p < 0.01 or 0.05). Among nonmedical health workers, having organic disease was a risk factor for insomnia, depression, and obsessive-compulsive symptoms (p < 0.01 or 0.05).
During the COVID-19 outbreak, medical health workers had psychosocial problems and risk factors for developing them. They were in need of attention and recovery programs.
Simultaneous electrochemical ring contraction and expansion reactions remain unexplored to date. Herein, the reductive electrosynthesis of heterocycle‐fused fulleroids from ...fullerotetrahydropyridazines and electrophiles in the presence of a trace amount of oxygen has been achieved with concurrent ring contraction and ring expansion. When trifluoroacetic acid and alkyl bromides are employed as electrophiles, heterocycle‐fused fulleroids with a 1,1,2,6‐configuration are regioselectively formed. In contrast, heterocycle‐fused fulleroids with a 1,1,4,6‐configuration are regioselectively produced as two separable stereoisomers if phthaloyl chloride is used as the electrophile. The reaction proceeds through multiple steps of electroreduction, heterocycle ring‐opening, oxygen oxidation, heterocycle contraction, fullerene cage expansion, and nucleophilic addition. The structures of these fulleroids have been determined by spectroscopic data and single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction analyses. The observed high regioselectivities have been rationalized by theoretical calculations. Representative fulleroids have been applied in organic solar cells as the third component and exhibit good performance.
The electrochemically triggered simultaneous ring contraction and expansion reaction of fullerotetrahydropyridazines with electrophiles in the presence of a trace amount of oxygen affords pyrazoline‐fused fulleroids with unprecedented 1,1,2,6‐ or 1,1,4,6‐addition patterns.
Sulfur is an important volatile and its cycle is of great significance to the evolution of life. The role of the subducting slab as a key component in the sulfur cycle remains a topic of ongoing ...debate. Here, we report whole-rock sulfur isotope and chalcophile element content of lower crustal cumulates from the Kohistan complete arc section in order to investigate this cycle in terms of the subduction products, i.e. arc magmas. Results show that the Kohistan garnet-free pyroxenites have heavy sulfur isotopic compositions with δ34S values of +11.84 to +15.24‰, while the garnet-bearing ultramafic cumulates show lighter isotopic signatures with δ34S values of +3.08 to +6.35‰. The occurrence of well-preserved primitive magmatic sulfide inclusions dominated by pyrrhotite in clinopyroxene suggests that the heavy δ34S values of clinopyroxenite and websterite were inherited from the magma source. The sub-arc mantle source is thought to be modified by the 34S-rich fluid released by the subducting slab. Although the garnet-bearing ultramafic cumulates have higher Cu concentrations (up to ∼530 ppm), most of the sulfides are decomposed and distributed along mineral boundaries and fractures through interaction with CO2-rich metamorphic fluid before and/or during the crystallization of garnet. The sulfur isotopic compositions of the garnet-bearing cumulate can be explained by a simple Rayleigh fractionation between metamorphic fluid and sulfide. Our study identifies the heaviest sulfur isotopes (δ34S up to +15‰) of primitive arc magma with a perspective of lower crustal cumulate. These findings suggest that the subducting slab-derived sulfur recycles into the mantle wedge, highlighting the critical role of subduction zone in the global volatile cycle.
•Kohistan pyroxenites possess significantly heavy sulfur isotopic compositions;•Slab-derived sulfur enters the sub-arc mantle resulting in the heavy sulfur isotopes;•Contribution of the subducting slab on sulfur recycling is confirmed in the terms of lower crustal cumulates.
ObjectiveThe SARS-CoV-2-infected disease (COVID-19) outbreak is a major threat to human beings. Previous studies mainly focused on Wuhan and typical symptoms. We analysed 74 confirmed COVID-19 cases ...with GI symptoms in the Zhejiang province to determine epidemiological, clinical and virological characteristics.DesignCOVID-19 hospital patients were admitted in the Zhejiang province from 17 January 2020 to 8 February 2020. Epidemiological, demographic, clinical, laboratory, management and outcome data of patients with GI symptoms were analysed using multivariate analysis for risk of severe/critical type. Bioinformatics were used to analyse features of SARS-CoV-2 from Zhejiang province.ResultsAmong enrolled 651 patients, 74 (11.4%) presented with at least one GI symptom (nausea, vomiting or diarrhoea), average age of 46.14 years, 4-day incubation period and 10.8% had pre-existing liver disease. Of patients with COVID-19 with GI symptoms, 17 (22.97%) and 23 (31.08%) had severe/critical types and family clustering, respectively, significantly higher than those without GI symptoms, 47 (8.14%) and 118 (20.45%). Of patients with COVID-19 with GI symptoms, 29 (39.19%), 23 (31.08%), 8 (10.81%) and 16 (21.62%) had significantly higher rates of fever >38.5°C, fatigue, shortness of breath and headache, respectively. Low-dose glucocorticoids and antibiotics were administered to 14.86% and 41.89% of patients, respectively. Sputum production and increased lactate dehydrogenase/glucose levels were risk factors for severe/critical type. Bioinformatics showed sequence mutation of SARS-CoV-2 with m6A methylation and changed binding capacity with ACE2.ConclusionWe report COVID-19 cases with GI symptoms with novel features outside Wuhan. Attention to patients with COVID-19 with non-classic symptoms should increase to protect health providers.
Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare Mill.) is widely cultivated and used as a culinary spice. In this work, the chemical composition of the essential oil obtained by hydrodistillation of fennel seeds was ...analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC–MS), and 28 components were identified. Trans-anethole (68.53%) and estragole (10.42%) were found to be the major components. The antibacterial activity, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), and minimum bactericide concentration (MBC) of essential oil against several food-borne pathogens were evaluated. The results showed that the gram positive and gram negative strains of bacteria had different sensitivities to essential oil of fennel seeds, the essential oil exhibited antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus albus, Bacillus subtilis, Salmonella typhimurium, Shigella dysenteriae and Escherichia coli according to the results of MIC and MBC. Among these bacteria, S. dysenteriae was the most sensitive to essential oil, showing the lowest MIC and MBC values of 0.125 and 0.25 mg/mL respectively. In addition, kill-time assay also showed that the essential oil had a significant effect on the growth rate of surviving S. dysenteriae. We concluded that the mechanism of action of the essential oil against S. dysenteriae might be described as essential oil acting on membrane integrity according to the results of the leakage of electrolytes, the losses of contents (proteins, reducing sugars and 260 nm absorbing materials) assays and electron microscopy observation.
•Analyzed the chemical compositions of essential oil from fennel seeds.•Investigated the antibacterial activity of essential oil from fennel seeds.•Evaluated the action mechanism of essential oil against Shigella dysenteriae.
Metasurfaces are artificially engineered ultrathin structures that can finely tailor and control electromagnetic wavefronts. There is currently a strong interest in exploring their capability to lift ...some fundamental limitations dictated by Lorentz reciprocity, which have strong implications in communication, heat management, and energy harvesting. Time‐varying approaches have emerged as attractive alternatives to conventional schemes relying on magnetic or nonlinear materials, but experimental evidence is currently limited to devices such as circulators and antennas. Here, the recently proposed concept of space‐time‐coding digital metasurfaces is leveraged to break reciprocity. Moreover, it is shown that such nonreciprocal effects can be controlled dynamically. This approach relies on inducing suitable spatiotemporal phase gradients in a programmable way via digital modulation of the metasurface‐elements' phase repsonse, which enable anomalous reflections accompanied by frequency conversions. A prototype operating at microwave frequencies is designed and fabricated for proof‐of‐concept validation. Measured results are in good agreement with theory, hence providing the first experimental evidence of nonreciprocal reflection effects enabled by space‐time‐modulated digital metasurfaces. The proposed concept and platform set the stage for “on‐demand” realization of nonreciprocal effects, in programmable or reconfigurable fashions, which may find several promising applications, including frequency conversion, Doppler frequency illusion, optical isolation, and unidirectional transmission.
Space‐time‐coding digital metasurfaces are designed to break Lorentz reciprocity, via anomalous reflections accompanied by frequency conversions. A proof‐of‐concept validation is provided via measurements at microwave frequencies. This concept sets the stage for “on‐demand” realization of nonreciprocal effects, in programmable or reconfigurable fashions, with possible applications in frequency conversion, Doppler frequency illusion, optical isolation, and unidirectional transmission.
Electrochromic performance fading is inevitable upon extended cycling, and the limited lifetime greatly prevents large‐scale commercialization of electrochromism‐based devices. Here the origin of the ...performance degradation is uncovered and the performance restoration in TiO2 thin films is explored. It is shown that, depending on the applied potential windows, the inserted ions are immobilized in α‐traps resulting in a monotonous degradation of colored state, or immobilized in b‐ and modified α‐traps leading to mutual degradation of colored and bleached state of the films. It is found by releasing the resided ions in various traps, the initial performance can be restored accordingly. Moreover, reversible sites and all traps are demonstrated to be interconvertible through an ion trapping and detrapping process. These results provide a general scope in understanding the electrochromism in oxide thin films and offer the scheme for potential traps control or even elimination, aiming at superior electrochromic devices.
Ion trapping and detrapping in amorphous titanium oxide is demonstrated. It is found that α‐, β‐, and modified α‐traps are the keys resulting in the electrochromic degradation. Importantly, ions resided in all kinds of traps can also be released through a detrapping process, therefore the initial electrochromic performance can be restored accordingly.
Excessive productions of inflammatory cytokines and free radicals are involved in spinal cord injury (SCI). Fibroblast growth factor 5 (FGF5) is associated with inflammatory response and oxidative ...damage, and we herein intend to determine its function in SCI. Lentivirus was instilled to overexpress or knockdown FGF5 expression in mice. Compound C or H89 2HCl were used to suppress AMP‐activated protein kinase (AMPK) or protein kinase A (PKA), respectively. FGF5 level was significantly decreased during SCI. FGF5 overexpression mitigated, while FGF5 silence further facilitated inflammatory response, oxidative damage and SCI. Mechanically, FGF5 activated AMPK to attenuate SCI in a cAMP/PKA‐dependent manner, while inhibiting AMPK or PKA with pharmacological methods significantly abolished the neuroprotective effects of FGF5 against SCI. More importantly, serum FGF5 level was decreased in SCI patients, and elevated serum FGF5 level often indicate better prognosis. Our study identifies FGF5 as an effective therapeutic and prognostic target for SCI.
L., an ancient dioecious gymnosperm, is now cultivated worldwide for landscaping and medical purposes. A novel biflavonoid-amentoflavone 7''-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (
)-and four known biflavonoids were ...isolated and identified from the male flowers of
. The anti-proliferative activities of five biflavonoids were evaluated on different cancer lines. Bilobetin (
) and isoginkgetin (
) exhibited better anti-proliferative activities on different cancer lines. Their effects were found to be cell-specific and in a dose and time dependent manner for the most sensitive HeLa cells. The significant morphological changes validated their anticancer effects in a dose-dependent manner. They were capable of arresting the G2/M phase of the cell cycle, inducing the apoptosis of HeLa cells dose-dependently and activating the proapoptotic protein Bax and the executor caspase-3. Bilobetin (
) could also inhibit the antiapoptotic protein Bcl-2. These might be the mechanism underlying their anti-proliferation. In short, bilobetin (
) and isoginkgetin (
) might be the early lead compounds for new anticancer agents.