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Abstract Hospital organisations aim to restore patients’ health and improve their comfort. Furthermore, nurses are obligated to provide quality nursing care to patients. A hospital’s positive culture, interpersonal caring behaviour, and organisational health are important factors related to nursing quality. This study aimed to identify the factors that affected the quality of nursing care and verify the mediating effect of hospital organisational health on the relationship between positive nursing organisational culture, caring behaviour, and quality of nursing care. Data were collected from 190 clinical nurses who had worked for over 6 months in a tertiary hospital located in C city, South Korea. Descriptive statistics, independent t-test and one-way analysis of variance, Scheffe’s post-hoc test, Pearson’s correlation coefficient, hierarchical regression, and Baron and Kenny’s 3-stage procedures were calculated via SPSS version 25.0. Mediating effects were verified via bootstrapping. Hospital organisational health (β = 0.47, p

To improve detection sensitivity for interesting radionuclides in measurements of environmental samples by Broad Energy Germanium detectors, the Pulse Shape Discrimination method using rise-time ratio is introduced. A certified soil sample and a typical squid-ash sample were measured by a well-shielded BEGe spectrometer. Minimum Detection Activities for the 722.9 keV and 949.8 keV peaks from the squid-ash sample were decreased by about 26% and 35% respectively. The method performs well especially when the main background comes from gamma radionuclides in samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ginsenoside compound K (CK) with a wide range of pharmacological activities has been widely used in the healthcare product industry. However, the application of CK is limited by low productivity and difficult separation. The purpose of this study is to convert ginsenoside Rb1 into CK by improving conversion efficiency in novel "green" reaction medium-deep eutectic solvent (DES). Talaromyces purpureogenus was selected from ginseng rhizosphere soil to produce β-glucosidase with high activity and purity to transform ginsenosides, and Mn2+ was found to be an enzyme promoter. Among the DES based on choline chloride as hydrogen-bond receptor, choline chloride:ethylene glycol (ChCl:EG = 2:1) was the most promising solvent in maintaining enzyme activity and stability. In the presence of 30% v/v ChCl:EG = 2:1, the half-life of β-glucosidase was increased by 96%, the solubility of F2 was increased by 120%, and CK yield was increased by 54% compared with those in the buffer. Fourier transform infrared, circular dichroism, and fluorescence spectroscopy confirmed that DES did not destroy the structure and conformation of β-glucosidase. In addition, 80.6% CK conversion was obtained at 60 °C, pH 4.5, 48 h and 8 mM Rb1, which provided a feasible method for efficiently producing CK. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the oxidative desulfurization of copper slag at temperatures ranging from 1250 °C to 1450 °C using experimental copper slag as raw material. This is significantly different from the oxidative desulfurization process of low sulfur slag (wS < 0.2 pct) at temperatures > 1500 °C compared with the literature. Based on thermodynamic equilibrium calculation and an experimental study of oxidative desulfurization, desulfurization effects of different oxidants are compared, and the basic principles and rules of oxidative desulfurization are explored to solve the problem of high S content in copper slag in the process of comprehensive utilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel intermediate connector (IC) was formed which was composed of aluminum (Al, 3 nm)/1,4,5,8,9,11-hexaazatriphenylene-hexacarbonitrile (HAT-CN). The 3-nm-thick Al in the IC is certified to efficiently generate intrinsic charge carriers, and the HAT-CN is proved to work as the holes injection layer (HIL) for the corresponding electroluminescent (EL) unit simultaneously. This simply IC comprehensively takes advantage of the features of the HAT-CN so as to stack two single EL units without introducing extra material. In addition to a significant enhancement in luminance and current efficiency, a current efficiency (CE) of 10.2 cd/A and a luminance of 2 042 cd/m2 under the current density 20 mA/cm2 of this tandem organic light emitting device (TOLED) are yielded, which are notably almost the sum of that of the two single-unit devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A rapid decline in egg production of laying hens begins after 480 d of age. Such a rapid decrease results predominantly from the ovarian aging, accompanied by endocrine changes, decreased yolk synthesis and accumulation, and the reduction in follicles selected into the preovulatory hierarchy. In this study, hens at 90, 150, 280, and 580 d old (D90, D150, D280, and D580, respectively) were compared for yolk precursor formation in the liver to elucidate effects of aging on laying performance. The results showed that liver lipid synthesis increased remarkably in hens from D90 to D150, but decreased sharply at D580 as indicated by the changes in triglyceride (TG) levels. This result was consistent with the age-related changes of the laying performance. The levels of liver antioxidants and total antioxidant capacity decreased significantly in D580 hens and the methane dicarboxylic aldehyde in D580 hens was much higher than that at other stages. The serum 17β-estradiol level increased from D90 to D280, but decreased at D580 ({itP}<0.05). The expression of estrogen receptor α and β mRNAs in the liver displayed similar changes to the serum 17β-estradiol in D580 hens. Expressions of the genes related to yolk precursor formation and enzymes responsible for fat acid synthesis were all decreased in D580 hens. These results indicated that decreased yolk precursor formation in the liver of the aged hens resulted from concomitant decreases of serum 17β-estradiol level, transcription levels of estrogen receptors and critical genes involved in yolk precursor synthesis, and liver antioxidant status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-level expression of recombinant collagen by genetic engineering is urgently required. Recombinant collagen is different from natural collagen in its hydroxyproline (Hyp) content and thermal stability. To obtain hydroxylated collagen for applications in biomedicine and biomaterials, the human collagen α1(III) chain was co-expressed with the viral prolyl 4-hydroxylase A085R in Escherichia coli. Unlike previous reports using human prolyl 4-hydroxylase, this study examined the hydroxylation of full-length human collagen α1(III) chain (COL3A1) by viral prolyl 4-hydroxylase. The genes encoding these two proteins were controlled by different promoters, Ptac and PRPL, on a recombinant pKK223-3 plasmid. The sequencing results verified that the target genes were successfully inserted into the recombinant vector. Based on quantitative PCR, SDS-PAGE, and western blotting, successful expression by E. coli BL21(DE3) was detected at the mRNA and protein levels for both loci. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) results suggested that the highest Hyp yield was obtained when the two proteins were induced with 0.5 mM IPTG and heat-shock treatment at 50 °C, corresponding to high enzyme expression and low human collagen α1(III) chain expression levels. A biological activity analysis indicated that the recombinant collagen with the highest hydroxylation level supported the growth of baby hamster kidney cells, similar to observations for native collagen. The production of hydroxylated collagen in this study establishes a new method for collagen hydroxylation and provides a basis for the application of recombinant collagen expressed in E. coli. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Radiotherapy has been an integral treatment modality for cancer. The field arose from and progressed through innovations in physics, engineering, and biology. The evolution of radiation oncology will rely on the continued adoption of advances from other fields. A new area of science that possesses the ability to impact radiation oncology is nanomedicine. Materials on the nanoscale provide many unique properties such as enhanced permeability and retention effect and superparamagnetism that are well suited for applications in radiation oncology. In this review, we will provide a comprehensive summary on how nanotechnology can improve cancer radiotherapy in aspects of treatment delivery and monitoring as well as diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the significance of La-related protein 1 (LARP1) in the development and progression of colorectal cancer (CRC). Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blot analyses were carried out to determine the mRNA and protein expression of LARP1 in CRC tumor tissues and paired adjacent normal mucosa. The expression of LARP1 was upregulated in CRC. Immunohistochemical analysis using tissue microarray was performed. A positive correlation between LARP1 and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) in the area of proliferation was observed using the Spearman's correlation coefficient test ( r = 0.332, P < 0.01). The elevated expression of LARP1 significantly correlated with T stage ( P = 0.02), N stage ( P = 0.006), M stage ( P < 0.001), American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) stage ( P = 0.04), differentiation rank ( P < 0.001), and PCNA level ( P < 0.001). In addition, the inhibitory effect of LARP1 knockdown on CRC cell proliferation was demonstrated using Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK8) and colony-forming cell (CFC) assays. Multivariate analysis showed that LARP1 was an independent prognostic factor for overall survival (OS; hazard rate (HR) = 0.244; 95 % confidence interval (CI), 0.078-0.769; P = 0.016) and disease-free survival (DFS; HR = 0.281; 95 % CI, 0.086-0.917; P = 0.035) in CRC patients. LARP1 plays an important role in the proliferation of colorectal cancer and represents a new prognostic indicator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aim: The association between nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and apolipoprotein C3 gene (APOC3) promoter region single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) rs2854117 and rs2854116 is controversial. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between other polymorphisms of APOC3 and NAFLD in Chinese.Methods: Fifty-nine liver biopsy-proven NAFLD patients and 72 healthy control subjects were recruited to a cohort representing Chinese Han population. The polymorphisms in the exons and flanking regions of APOC3 and patatin-like phospholipase domain-containing protein 3 (PNPLA3) rs738409 polymorphisms were genotyped.Results: Among the five SNPs (rs4225, rs4520, rs5128, rs2070666, and rs2070667) in APOC3, only rs2070666 (c.179 + 62 T/A) was significantly different in genotype and allele frequency (both p < 0.01) between groups of NAFLD and control. After adjusting for sex, age, serum triglycerides, total cholesterol, body mass index, and the PNPLA3 rs738409 polymorphism, the APOC3 rs2070666 A allele was an independent risk factor for NAFLD with an odds ratio (OR) of 3.683 and 95 % confidence interval (CI) of 1.037-13.084. The APOC3 rs2070666 A allele was linked to the fourth quartile of the controlled attenuation parameter values (OR 2.769, 95 % CI 1.002-7.651) in 131 subjects, and also linked to the significant histological steatosis (OR 4.986, 95 % CI 1.020-24.371), but neither to liver stiffness measurement values nor to hepatic histological activity and fibrosis in NAFLD patients.Conclusions: The APOC3 rs2070666 A allele is a risk factor for NAFLD independent of obesity, dyslipidemia, and PNPLA3 rs738409, and it might contribute to increased liver fat content in Chinese Han population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CuO nanowire mesocrystals (NWMCs), which possess well-defined octahedral morphology and high-porosity architecture with anisotropic interpenetrating nanowires, have attracted considerable attention owing to their superior physical and chemical properties. However, the current synthetic approach for CuO NWMCs using graphene oxide as modifier leads to uncontrollable products and low productivity (~30 %), which largely hinder their further industrial application. Herein, we report a modified synthetic approach for controllable and large-scale preparation of CuO NWMCs using perylene-3,4,9,10-tetracarboxylic dianhydride molecule as modifier. The effects of growth time and initial pH on the morphology of final products have been systemically investigated. Under the optimal reaction condition with initial pH of 5.3 and reaction time of 15 h, the well-defined octahedral CuO NWMCs can be obtained with a productivity as high as ~75 %. In addition, this synthetic approach can be easily scaled up from 50 to 500 mL autoclave. The ability of high productivity and reproducibility in synthesis of CuO NWMCs enable us to further study their peroxidase-like activity by catalyzing the oxidation of o-phenylenediamine in the presence of HO. The CuO NWMCs have exhibited a superior catalytic activity with the K of 1.14 × 10, 10 times higher than that of horseradish peroxidase. Moreover, the CuO NWMCs can also retain 69.5 % of their initial activities after 10-batch redox reactions. Our results provide a facile approach to controllable and large-scale synthesis of CuO NWMCs using homogeneous molecule modifier and open up opportunities to use CuO NWMCs as nanozyme for future industrial application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aim: The controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) using transient elastography (TE) was validated in chronic hepatitis C to evaluate hepatic steatosis; however, limited data are available on chronic hepatitis B (CHB). Therefore, we assessed the accuracy and the efficacy of CAP for the detection of steatosis in CHB.Methods: Consecutive CHB patients underwent liver biopsy and liver stiffness measurements (LSM) with simultaneous CAP determination using the M probe of the TE. The area under the receiver operating characteristics curve (AUROC) was used to evaluate the performance of CAP in diagnosing steatosis compared with biopsy.Results: A total of 340 patients were included: 60 % were male, the median age was 37 years; the body mass index (BMI) was ≥ 28 kg/m(2) for 14 % of the subjects; and the distribution of the steatosis grade was S0 58.2 %, S1 34.2 %, S2 5.0 % and S3 2.6 %. The median (range) of CAP was 218 (100-400) dB/m, and CAP correlated with the BMI (ρ = 3.622) and steatosis grade (ρ = 29.203) according to a multivariate analysis (both P < 0.001). CAP could detect the different grades of steatosis: ≥ S1 with AUROC of 0.81 at a cutoff of 224 dB/m, ≥ S2 with AUROC of 0.90 at a cutoff of 236 dB/m and ≥ S3 with AUROC of 0.97 at a cutoff of 285 dB/m. Furthermore, the LSM and fibrosis and activity grades on biopsy did not influence the CAP performance.Conclusions: CAP presented excellent diagnostic performance for severe steatosis with high sensitivity and specificity in Chinese patients with CHB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a component of diesel exhaust particles, 3-methyl-4-nitrophenol (4-nitro- m-cresol, PNMC) is also a metabolite of the insecticide fenitrothion and imposes hazardous effects on human health. In the present study, the alleviative effect of a common antioxidant flavonoid quercetin on mouse germ cells intoxicated by PNMC was investigated. Results showed that a single intraperitoneal injection of PNMC at 100 mg/kg induced severe testicular damage after one week. PNMC-treated mice showed a significant loss of germ cells (approximate 40% loss of round germ cells). PNMC caused an increase of hydroxyl radical and hydrogen peroxide production and lipid peroxidation, as well as a decrease in glutathione level, superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase activities. Furthermore, treatment of PNMC increased expression of the pro-apoptotic protein Bax and decreased expression of the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-XL in germ cells. In addition, testicular caspase-3 activity was significantly up-regulated and germ cell apoptosis was significantly increased in the PNMC-treated mice. In contrast, combined administration of quercetin at 75 mg/kg significantly attenuated PNMC-induced testicular toxicity. These results indicate that the antioxidant quercetin displays a remarkable protective effect on PNMC-induced oxidative damage in mouse testes and may represent an efficient supplement to attenuate reproductive toxicity by environmental toxicants to ensure healthy sperm production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The attenuating effect of daidzein (DAI) on oxidative toxicity induced by Aroelor 1254 (A1254) was investigated in mouse testicular cells. Cells were exposed to A1254 alone or with DAI. The oxidative damage was estimated by measuring malondialdehyde (MDA) formation, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and glutathione (GSH) content. Results show that A1254 induced a decrease of germ cell number, an elevation in thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) but a decrease in SOD activity and GSH content. However, simultaneous supplementation with DAI decreased TBARS level and increased SOD activity and GSH content. Consequently, dietary DAI may restore the intracellular antioxidant system to attenuate the oxidative toxicity of A1254 in testicular cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractPurpose??Anitangiogenic and apoptotic properties of a novel chemically modified heparin derivative with low anticoagulant activity were evaluated on the experimentalin vitroandin vivomodel.Materials and Methods??Heparin-lithocholate conjugate (HL) was initially synthesized by covalently bonding lithocholate to heparin. Folate-HL conjugate (FHL) was further synthesized by conjugating folate to HL. Antiangiogenic and apoptotic abilities of HL and FHL were characterized in vitro andin vivoexperimentations.Results??Compared to unmodified heparin, both HL and FHL represented a low anticoagulant activity (38 and 28%, respectively). HL and FHL maintained antiangiogenic activity even further modification from the results of Matrigel plugs assay. FHL specifically induced apoptosis on KB cells having highly expressed folate receptor after cellular internalization. Both administered HL and FHL had similar antiangiogenic activity and inhibitory effect on tumor growthin vivoalthough FHL induced higher apoptosis on tumor tissues.Conclusions??In vivotumor growth inhibition was possibly due to the decrease of vessel density and apoptotic cell death, although antiangiogenic effect of FHL seemed more actively affected on growth inhibition than apoptotic potentialin vivosystem. Thus, Low anticoagulant FHL having antiangiogenic and apoptotic properties would provide benefits for the development of a new class of anticancer agent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Ref. Li and Ge (Nonlinear Dyn. 64:77-87, ), the authors proposed a new adaptive synchronization scheme by pragmatical asymptotically stability theorem. However, there are a few errors in the proof of the stability, and the controller cannot be implemented. In this letter, a modified control law is proposed, and the corresponding proof is given. Simulation results show the effectiveness of the modified method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]