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Purpose: To investigate the status of structural empowerment, job stress and burnout in China, and to explore the relationships among them. Methods: The questionnaires of CWEQ-II, job stressors and MBI were used to investigate 1002 nurses working at tertiary-level hospitals. Results: The average score of CWEQ-II was 2.23 ± 0.59. The score of EE of MBI was 29.75 ±13.94, PA was 27.40 ± 11.21, both of them showed a high level of exhaustion, DP was 8.07 ± 5.82 and showed a middle level of exhaustion. The findings showed that workload and time pressure were the most frequently encountered job stress among staff nurses, the score was 3.23 ± 0.95; There was a significantly correlation among structural empowerment, job stressors and the level of burnout(p b 0.05). Hierarchical regression analysis showed that structural empowerment had significant influence on the every factors of job stressors (p b 0.05) and burnout, job stressors had significant influence on the every factors of burnout (p b 0.05). Structural equation modeling analyses revealed a good fit to the data based on various fit indices (χ²/df = 2.29, GFI = 0.945, CFI = 0.965, IFI = 0.966, RMSEA = 0.061). Staff nurses felt that structural empowerment in their workplace resulted in lower levels of job stress which in turn strongly influenced Burnout. Conclusions: These results provide initial support for an expanded model of structural empowerment, and offer a broader understanding of the empowerment process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) has received a great deal of attention in recent years for its role as a prognostic and predictive molecular marker of glioma. However, the results of studies examining its mutation frequency and predictive value are inconsistent, and several studies have investigated the association between TERT gene polymorphisms and gliomagenesis. We used a meta-analysis approach to examine these unsolved problems. A bibliography search using EMBASE and MEDLINE was performed to identify potentially relevant articles and conference abstracts that investigated TERT mutations in glioma. The references contained in the identified trials were also examined to identify any other relevant published or unpublished articles. Sixteen studies were included. Pooled estimates of the relative risks (RR), 95% confidence intervals (95% CI), hazard ratios (HR) and frequency were calculated. TERT mutations occurred frequently in glioblastoma (69%) and oligodendrogliomas (72%) but were less frequent in astrocytomas (24%) and oligoastrocytomas (38%). The HR for glioma patients with TERT mutations versus wild type TERT was 1.63 (95% CI 1.35–1.98). TERT polymorphisms were associated with an increased risk of glioma compared to controls (RR = 1.28, 95% CI 1.23–1.33). Our study shows that the TERT gene is a valuable prognostic and predictive biomarker of glioma, and TERT gene polymorphisms are significantly associated with an increased risk of glioma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We conducted a meta-analysis to comprehensively evaluate the current data on the overall efficacy of levetiracetam (LEV), a new generation antiepileptic drug, in patients with brain tumors. The efficacy of LEV in patients diagnosed with brain tumors has been evaluated in several studies, however, with inconsistent results. Bibliographic searches of the EMBASE, MEDLINE, ClinicalTrials.gov and Cochrane Central Register of the Controlled Trials databases were performed to identify articles and conference abstracts that investigated the efficacy of LEV in the treatment of brain tumor patients. Fourteen studies were included in this meta-analysis. Among the 14 included studies, two were randomized controlled trials. The subgroup analysis demonstrated that the complete response rate of LEV was 94% during the postoperative period and 84% during the long-term follow-up period. Our results suggest that LEV is a relatively effective drug for the treatment of brain tumor patients and its efficacy is slightly lower during the long-term follow-up period than during the postoperative period. Further randomized controlled trials are warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Isothermal compression tests were carried out on Ni-20.0Cr-2.5Ti-1.5Nb-1.0Al superalloy at the temperatures of 940-1060°C (all below nominal γ'-transus temperature of 1080°C) and strain rates of 0.001-1.0s-1. The processing maps were constructed to evaluate the efficiency of power dissipation (η) and recognize the flow instability regimes. When the strain is 0.70, the optimum processing condition is around 1020°C/1.0s-1 with peak efficiency 0.58. True strain takes great effect on the efficiency of power dissipation η under the condition of 1020°C/1.0s-1. The efficiency value η undergoes a small decline at low strains, and then increases linearly from 0.26 to 0.58 at high strains. However, the efficiency value remains high constant (η=0.40) with the increased strain under the condition of 980°C/0.001s-1. As a result, hot deformation can be carried out firstly at 980°C/0.001s-1 with small strain about 0.35 and then carried out at 1020°C/1.0s-1 to get fine homogeneous microstructure. There are two instability regimes respectively located around 940°C/1.0s-1 and 1060°C/0.001s-1 when the strains are 0.05-0.40. However, there is another instability regime located around 1060°C/1.0s-1 when the strains are 0.45-0.70. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The electron beam welding of superalloy FGH4096 and GH4133B was conducted, and the cylindrical compression specimens were machined from the central part of the electron beam weldments. Isothermal compression tests were carried out on electron beam weldments FGH4096-GH4133B alloy at the temperatures of 1020-11140 °C (the nominal &#947'-transus temperature is about 1080 °C) and the strain rates of 0.001-1.0 s-1 with the height reduction of 50%. True stress-true strain curves are sensitive to the deformation temperature and strain rate, and the flow stress decreases with the increasing deformation temperature and the decreasing strain rate. The true stress-true strain curves can indicate the intrinsic relationship between the flow stress and the thermal-dynamic behavior. The apparent activation energy of deformation at the strain of 0.6 was calculated to be 550 kJ/mol, and the apparent activation energy has a great effect on the microstructure. The constitutive equation that describes the flow stress as a function of strain rate and deformation temperature was proposed for modeling the hot deformation process of FGH4096-GH4133B electron beam weldments. The constitutive equation at the strain of 0.6 was established using the hyperbolic law. The relationship between the strain and the values of parameters was studied, and the cubic functions were built. The constitutive equation during the whole process can be obtained based on the parameters under different strains. Comparing the experimental flow stress and the calculated flow stress, the constitutive equation obtained in this paper can be very good to predict the flow stress under the deformation temperature range of 1020-1140 °C and the strain rate range of 1.0-0.001 s-1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most lethal type of primary brain tumor, and patients that undergo the maximum tumor resection that is safely possible and standard radiochemotherapy only achieve a median survival time of 14.6 months. Several clinical studies have reported that valproic acid could prolong survival of GBM patients. However, the results of these studies are inconsistent. We examined relevant studies and conducted a meta-analysis to assess the effects of VPA on survival times and recurrence. Methods A bibliographic search was performed in the EMBASE, MEDLINE, ClinicalTrials.gov and Cochrane Central Register of the Controlled Trials databases to identify potentially relevant articles or conference abstracts that investigated the effects of VPA on the outcome of glioma patients. Five observational studies were included. Results Pooled estimates of the hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated. Our meta-analysis confirmed the benefit of using VPA (HR, 0.56; 95% CI, 0.44–0.71). Sub-group analysis shows that patients treated with VPA had a hazard ratio of 0.74 with a 95% confidence interval of 0.59–0.94 vs. patients treated by other-AEDs and a hazard ratio of 0.66 with a 95% confidence interval of 0.52–0.84 vs. patients treated by administration of non-AEDs. No heterogeneity was observed in the subset analysis. Conclusion The results of our study suggest that glioblastoma patients may experience prolonged survival due to VPA administration. Sub-analysis confirmed the benefit of VPA use compared to a non-AEDs group and an other-AEDs group. Further RCTs of this subject should be performed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purposes: The purposes of this study were (1) to examine the level of structural empowerment, organizational commitment and job satisfaction in Chinese nurses; and (2) to investigate the relationships among the three variables. Background: A high turnover rate was identified in Chinese staff nurses, and it was highly correlated with lower job satisfaction. Structural empowerment and organizational commitment have been positively related to job satisfaction in western countries. Methods: A cross-sectional survey design was employed. Data analysis included descriptive statistics and multiple step-wise regression to test the hypothesized model. Results: Moderate levels of the three variables were found in this study. Both empowerment and commitment were found to be significantly associated with job satisfaction (r = 0.722, r = 0.693, p b 0.01, respectively). The variables of work objectives, resources, support and informal power, normative and ideal commitment were significant predictors of job satisfaction. Conclusions: Support for an expanded model of Kanter's structural empowerment was achieved in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Purpose: Seizures are the most common initial symptom in patients with low-grade gliomas, and approximately 30% of these patients still suffer from epilepsy after gross-total resection of the tumour. We examined the relationship between the overexpression of ki-67 in WHO grade II gliomas and seizure control. Methods: A series of 93 histologically confirmed WHO grade II glioma tissues were analysed through immunohistochemical staining for ki-67 expression. Follow-up visits regarding seizure control were scheduled at 12 months. The Engel classification was used to categorise patients’ seizure status. Results: Of the 93 patients analysed, 65 (66.3%) patients initially presented with seizures. A total of 36 patients were diagnosed with WHO grade II oligodendrogliomas, 29 patients had oligoastrocytomas and 28 patients had astrocytomas. Ki-67 was over-expressed in 15 patients. One year after surgery poor seizure control was observed in 11 of these patients. In contrast, low ki-67 expression (<10%) was found in 78 patients. Poor seizure control was observed in 36 patients (difference between ki-67 over- and low expression groups P =0.002). Logistic regression analysis revealed that patients with gross-total resection achieved better seizure control while ki-67 overexpression and age below 38 years were poor seizure control factors explained of the variance of seizure outcome (OR: 0.382, 4.354 and 1.822, respectively). Conclusions: In WHO grade II gliomas, Ki-67 is a molecular marker which predicts poor seizure control of glioma patients after the resection of the tumour. Gross-total resection, ki-67 overexpression and age below 38 years significantly affect seizure prognosis. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: We report a 51-year-old man with an unusual intradural suprasellar chondroid chordoma. He presented with headache and diminution of vision in both eyes. MRI demonstrated the suprasellar tumor as an isointense mass with heterogeneous enhancement after intravenous administration of contrast agent. There was neither bony nor dural association, and gross-total removal of the mass was performed using a left extended pterional approach. Based on the histological characteristics of the tumor, which was composed of typical chordoma cells and islands of chondroid elements, we diagnosed a chondroid chordoma. We believe this is the first report of an entirely intradural chondroid chordoma on the suprasellar region. Clinical, radiological, and pathological features of the tumor are described. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• Developed real-time hybrid model (RTHM) tests to reproduce Saige building vibration incident. • Developed RTHM testing system that includes the loading system, instrumentations, and the delay compensation component. • Wind loads tests of the masts were first carried out show that the dynamic characteristics of scaled mast models were conserved. • RTHM results demonstrate the capability of the developed testing method to reproduce the Saige building abnormal vibration. In May 2021, the 72-story Shenzhen Saige building experienced abnormal vibration that was strongly felt on many floors and triggered social panic. The tower was therefore closed for more than 2 months resulting in huge economic losses. A preliminary study consisting of field resonant excitation tests and a series of numerical simulations were carried out. It was concluded that the wind loads provoked the higher modes of the building vibration. Specifically, the vibration of the mast, which is located at the building top, induced this abnormal vibration. To validate this conclusion, real-time hybrid model (RTHM) tests was developed to reproduce this building vibration incident. This paper presents the details of the validation RTHM tests including testing design and result discussions. Structural vibration parameters obtained from the field tests were used in the numerical substructure building model, and the experimental substructures were the two scaled down mast models (the cantilever beam section of the masts). During RTHM test, the restoring force of the experimental substructure due to real wind loads induced by an air fan was measured and used in the numerical simulation to compute interface motions. A shaking table was then used to impose the interface motion back to the bottom of the mast model to reproduce the abnormal vibration incident. The demonstrated ability of the developed RTHM testing method to reproduce the resonant phenomenon of the wind-induced tower vibration provides an alternative experimental method to study vibration responses of high-rise buildings in future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The incidence of traumatic arteriovenous fistula (TAVF) between the middle meningeal artery (MMA) and the petrosal vein (PV) is rare. Although TAVF has been reported involving the MMA several sinus and veins, this is the first incidence of a fistula involving the extracranial MMA and PV. We present a 47-year-old male with sudden onset of weakness of his right limb and speech difficulty a few hours before admission to our facility. He had a 6-month history of mild traumatic head injury. Initial computed tomography revealed midbrain hemorrhage while digital subtraction angiography revealed a TAVF of the left MMA. Enhanced magnetic resonance imaging, however, revealed communication between the MMA and PV. We treated the patient with coil embolization via the transarterial route. This is the first incidence of a fistula connecting the extracranial MMA and PV. We managed the patient with only coil embolization without any further neurologic deficits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Berberine has been verified to protect the heart from ischemia/reperfusion injury through animal experiments. However, the cardioprotective properties of berberine have not been established fully. This study was aimed at investigating whether berberine is cardioprotective in vivo and in vitro . Methods In the cardiomyoblast cells, the autophagosomes were observed by immunostaining. The apoptosis was detected by a flow cytometry. Beclin-1, LC3-II/I, adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK), and mTOR in cardiomyocytes were detected by Western blot. Next, one hundred patients, who were undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), were randomly assigned to the berberine group (n = 52) or control group (n = 48). Berberine was administered on them postoperatively. Their plasma was then analyzed for CRP, TNF-α and IL-6. Results In the cardiomyoblast cells, berberine reduced the autophagy and apoptosis induced by NaH 2 PO 4 . At the same time, berberine increased the activation of p-AMPK and inhibited the activation of p-mTOR induced by NaH 2 PO 4 . in vivo , berberine significantly reduced the levels of CRP, TNF-α and IL-6 in the patients’ plasma. Conclusion It was concluded that berberine therapy reduced myocardial injury partly by reducing myocardial autophagy and apoptosis through the AMPK/mTOR pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We have characterized two novel 16p13.3 deletions, with a deletion size of 108 Kb and ∼336 Kb, respectively. • The 108-kb deletion arose de novo, the precise 5′ and 3′ breakpoints were identified comprehensively using of molecular methods. • Except for a haematological phenotype of α0-thalassemia, no developmental and neurological abnormalities were noticed in the deletion carriers. Monosomy of terminal 16p13.3 is a relatively common subtelomeric abnormality, most affected individuals presented α-thalassemia, some also have mental retardation, developmental abnormalities and/or speech delay and facial dysmorphism, which is termed ATR-16 syndrome. Here, we reported two novel 16p13.3 deletions involving the α-globin gene cluster and multispecies conserved sequences (MCSs), causing only a phenotype of α-thalassemia. Samples were collected from members of the two families and were subjected to haematological and comprehensive genetic analysis. The novel 108 Kb deletion in family A extends from the non-protein coding RNA gene (WASIR2) to the NPRL3 gene , removing MCS-R1 to R3. This deletion should arise de novo because it wasn't detected in both parents. The novel 336 Kb deletion in family B should extend from telomere to ∼ chr16:336000, removing the entire α-globin gene cluster. Carriers of these two deletions presented with microcytosis and hypochromic red cells, in accordance with a phenotype of α0-thalassemia carrier. Our study increases the mutation spectrum of α-thalassemia. MCSs deletion should be considered in clinical practice of thalassemia screening and diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]