ObjectiveTo investigate the relationship between job satisfaction, work stress, work–family conflict and turnover intention, and explore factors associated with turnover intention, among physicians ...in Guangdong Province, China.MethodsFrom August to October 2013, physicians completed questionnaires and scales with regard to their job satisfaction, work stress, work–family conflict, and turnover intention. Binary logistic regression and structural equation modelling (SEM) were used in data analysis.ResultsA total of 3963 physicians were approached, with 3563 completing the questionnaire. The mean score of the overall perception of turnover intention of physicians who worked in Guangdong was 2.71 on a scale ranging from 1 to 6. Hours worked per week, working in an urban/rural area, type of institution, and age significantly impacted on turnover intention. Turnover intention was directly and negatively related to job satisfaction, and it was directly, indirectly and positively related to work stress and work–family conflict.ConclusionJob satisfaction, work stress, work–family conflict, hours worked per week, working in an urban/rural area, types of institution and age are influencing factors of turnover intention. Reducing working hours, raising salary, providing more opportunities for career development and training, supporting and encouraging physicians by senior managers could potentially contribute to the reduction in turnover intention.
Early invasive growth along specific anatomical structures, especially the white matter tract, is regarded as one of the main causes of poor therapeutic outcome of people with gliomas. We show that ...some glioma stem cells (GSCs) are preferentially located along white matter tracts, which exhibit a demyelinated phenotype, at the invasive frontier of glioma tissues. These GSCs are CD133
Notch1
, whereas the nerve fibers express the Notch ligand Jagged1. The Notch-induced transcription factor Sox9 promotes the transcription of SOX2 and the methylation level of the NOTCH1 promoter is attenuated by the upregulation of SOX2 to reinforce NOTCH1 expression in GSCs. This positive-feedback loop in a cohort of glioma subjects is correlated with a poor prognosis. Inhibition of Notch signaling attenuates the white-matter-tract tropism of GSCs. These findings provide evidence indicating that the NOTCH1-SOX2 positive-feedback loop controls GSC invasion along white matter tracts.
Objectives
To evaluate the effectiveness of the Chinese version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment Basic (MoCA‐BC) as a screening tool for detecting mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in Chinese ...elderly adults.
Design
Cross‐sectional.
Setting
Huashan Hospital, Shanghai, China.
Participants
Individuals with MCI (n = 264) and mild Alzheimer's disease (AD) (n = 160) were recruited from the Memory Clinic, Huashan Hospital; cognitively normal controls were recruited from Jinshan Community, Shanghai, China (n = 280).
Measurements
MoCA‐BC scores.
Results
The MoCA‐BC had good criterion‐related validity (Pearson correlation coefficient MoCA‐BC vs MMSE = 0.787) and reliable internal consistency (Cronbach alpha = 0.807). The optimal cutoff scores for MCI screening were 19 for individuals with no more than 6 years of education, 22 for individuals with 7 to 12 years of education, and 24 for individuals with more than 12 years of education. The MoCA‐BC was superior to the MMSE for detecting MCI, with optimal sensitivity and specificity across all education groups using the above cutoff scores.
Conclusion
The MoCA‐BC is a reliable cognitive screening test across all education levels in Chinese elderly adults, with high acceptance and good reliability.
Early detection and effective treatment of severe COVID-19 patients remain major challenges. Here, we performed proteomic and metabolomic profiling of sera from 46 COVID-19 and 53 control ...individuals. We then trained a machine learning model using proteomic and metabolomic measurements from a training cohort of 18 non-severe and 13 severe patients. The model was validated using 10 independent patients, 7 of which were correctly classified. Targeted proteomics and metabolomics assays were employed to further validate this molecular classifier in a second test cohort of 19 COVID-19 patients, leading to 16 correct assignments. We identified molecular changes in the sera of COVID-19 patients compared to other groups implicating dysregulation of macrophage, platelet degranulation, complement system pathways, and massive metabolic suppression. This study revealed characteristic protein and metabolite changes in the sera of severe COVID-19 patients, which might be used in selection of potential blood biomarkers for severity evaluation.
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•93 proteins show differential expression in severe COVID-19 patient sera•204 metabolites in COVID-19 patient sera correlate with disease severity•A model composed of 29 serum factors shows patient stratification potential•Pathway analysis highlights metabolic and immune dysregulation in COVID-19 patients
Proteomic and metabolomic analysis of COVID-19 sera identifies differentially expressed factors that correlate with disease severity and highlights dysregulation of multiple immune and metabolic components in clinically severe patients.
•Monitoring the severity of COVID-19 is imperative to reduce the poor outcome.•An overview of the association of inflammatory markers with severity of COVID-19.•CRP, PCT, IL-6, ESR, SAA, and serum ...ferritin are indicators for severity of COVID-19.•Measurement of inflammatory markers assists to monitor the severity of COVID-19.
Studies reported associations of inflammatory markers with the severity of COVID-19, but conclusions were inconsistent. We aimed to provide an overview of the association of inflammatory markers with the severity of COVID-19.
We searched PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Wanfang and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) database until March 20, 2020. Weighted mean difference (WMD) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were pooled using random or fixed-effects models.
A total of 16 studies comprising 3962 patients with COVID-19 were included in our analysis. Random-effect results demonstrated that patients with COVID-19 in the nonsevere group had lower levels for CRP (WMD = −41.78 mg/l, 95% CI = −52.43, −31.13, P < 0.001), PCT (WMD = −0.13 ng/ml, 95% CI = −0.20, −0.05, P < 0.001), IL-6 (WMD = −21.32 ng/l, 95% CI = −28.34, −14.31, P < 0.001), ESR (WMD = −8 mm/h, 95% CI = −14, −2, P = 0.005), SAA (WMD = −43.35 μg/ml, 95% CI = −80.85, −5.85, P = 0.020) and serum ferritin (WMD = −398.80 mg/l, 95% CI = −625.89, −171.71, P < 0.001), compared with those in the severe group. Moreover, survivors had a lower level of IL-6 than non-survivors (WMD = −4.80 ng/ml, 95% CI = −5.87, −3.73, P < 0.001). These results were consistent through sensitivity analysis and publication bias assessment.
The meta-analysis highlights the association of inflammatory markers with the severity of COVID-19. Measurement of inflammatory markers might assist clinicians to monitor and evaluate the severity and prognosis of COVID-19.
Chlorinated paraffins (CPs), complex mixtures of polychlorinated alkanes, are widely used in various industries and are thus ubiquitous in the receiving environment. The present study comprehensively ...reviewed the occurrence, fate and ecological risk of CPs in various environmental matrices in Asia. Releases from the production and consumption of CPs or CP-containing materials, wastewater discharge and irrigation, sewage sludge application, long-range atmospheric transport and aerial deposition have been found to be most likely sources and transport mechanisms for the dispersion of CPs in various environmental matrices, such as air, water, sediment, soil and biota. CPs can be bioaccumulated in biota and biomagnified through food webs, likely causing toxic ecological effects in organisms and posing health risks to humans. Inhalation, dust ingestion and dietary intake are strongly suggested as the major routes of human exposure. Research gaps are discussed to highlight the perspectives of future research to improve future efforts regarding the analysis of CPs, the environmental occurrence and elimination of CPs, the total environmental pressure, and the risks to organisms and populations.
Geographic locations of studies of chlorinated paraffins in the present review. Display omitted
•Chlorinated paraffins (CPs) are ubiquitous in various matrices throughout Asia.•CPs are released during production, storage, transport, usage and disposal processes.•CPs may pose risks to organisms and humans due to bioaccumulation/biomagnification.•Humans are mainly exposed to CPs by inhalation, dust ingestion and food intake.•Research gaps are discussed to highlight the perspectives of future studies.
Evidence is mounting that the gut-brain axis plays an important role in mental diseases fueling mechanistic investigations to provide a basis for future targeted interventions. However, shotgun ...metagenomic data from treatment-naïve patients are scarce hampering comprehensive analyses of the complex interaction between the gut microbiota and the brain. Here we explore the fecal microbiome based on 90 medication-free schizophrenia patients and 81 controls and identify a microbial species classifier distinguishing patients from controls with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.896, and replicate the microbiome-based disease classifier in 45 patients and 45 controls (AUC = 0.765). Functional potentials associated with schizophrenia include differences in short-chain fatty acids synthesis, tryptophan metabolism, and synthesis/degradation of neurotransmitters. Transplantation of a schizophrenia-enriched bacterium, Streptococcus vestibularis, appear to induces deficits in social behaviors, and alters neurotransmitter levels in peripheral tissues in recipient mice. Our findings provide new leads for further investigations in cohort studies and animal models.
Nitrogen (N) and carbon (C) are essential elements for plant growth and crop yield. Thus, improved N and C utilisation contributes to agricultural productivity and reduces the need for fertilisation. ...In the present study, we find that overexpression of a single rice gene, Oryza sativa plasma membrane (PM) H
-ATPase 1 (OSA1), facilitates ammonium absorption and assimilation in roots and enhanced light-induced stomatal opening with higher photosynthesis rate in leaves. As a result, OSA1 overexpression in rice plants causes a 33% increase in grain yield and a 46% increase in N use efficiency overall. As PM H
-ATPase is highly conserved in plants, these findings indicate that the manipulation of PM H
-ATPase could cooperatively improve N and C utilisation, potentially providing a vital tool for food security and sustainable agriculture.
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