Integral boundary value problems for first order integro-differential equations with impulsive integral conditions

AbstractThis paper is concerned with the integral boundary value problems for first order integro-differential equations with impulsive integral conditions. Sufficient conditions are obtained for the existence of extremal solutions

Editorial: Novel Technologies for Sustainable and Energy-efficient Flow Photochemistry

Due to the development of novel light-sources, methodologies and technologies, photochemistry has seen a remarkable renaissance in academia and industry. Many photochemical investigations are now routinely performed under continuous-flow conditions in purpose-designed reactors. Successful examples of pre-industrial applications have subsequently been developed and realized. Likewise, photocalytic materials can be easily incorporated into reactor channels, thus further advancing the potential of flow-photochemistry. This Research Topic comprises of four submissions and highlights recent achievements in photochemical research

Historical Trends in Air Temperature, Precipitation, and Runoff of a Plateau Inland River Watershed in North China

Understanding historical trends in temperature, precipitation, and runoff is important but incomplete for developing adaptive measures to climate change to sustain fragile ecosystems in cold and arid regions, including the Balagaer River watershed on the Mongolian Plateau of northeast China. The objective of this study was to detect such trends in this watershed from 1959 to 2017. The detection was accomplished using a Mann-Kendall sudden change approach at annual and seasonal time scales. The results indicated that the abrupt changes in temperature preceded that in either runoff or precipitation; these abrupt changes occurred between 1970 and 2004. Significant (α = 0.05) warming trends were found at the minimum temperatures in spring (0.041 °C a−1), summer (0.037 °C a−1), fall (0.027 °C a−1), and winter (0.031 °C a−1). In contrast, significant decreasing trends were found in the precipitation (−1.27 mm a−1) and runoff (−0.069 mm a−1) in the summer. Marginally increasing trends were found in the precipitation in spring (0.18 mm a−1) and fall (0.032 mm a−1), whereas an insignificant decreasing trend was found in the runoffs in these two seasons. Both precipitation and runoff in the wet season exhibited a significant decreasing trend, whereas in the dry season, they exhibited a marginally increasing trend. Sudden changes in spring runoff and sudden rises in temperature are the main causes of sudden changes in basin rainfall

Investigation and analysis of psychological stress and professional identity of nursing students during COVID-19 pandemic

426-432Certain diseases or infections affect large number of people in short span of time. A local endemic disease can outbreak into an epidemic affecting the whole population or region which at times extend to other countries and continents and become pandemic. Pandemics results in loss of life as well as economy. Pooled efforts and resources, effective sharing of data, parallel multiple approaches as well as physical and mental state of front line staff influence management of pandemics. The coronavirus disease COVID-19 caused by SARS-CoV-2 started in December 2019 from Wuhan in China, is now a worldwide public health emergency affecting millions of people. It affects many frontline healthcare workers too. Here, we studied psychological stress and professional identity of nursing students for possible correlations, if any, and analyze influencing factors. We used purposive sampling technique with 415 nursing students in Nanjing, China through a general information questionnaire, perceived stress scale and nursing professional identity questionnaire. Students' origin, monthly living expenses and their knowledge on epidemic prevention and treatment have shown a significant impact on their psychological stress (P <0.01). Similarly, students' gender, origin, clinical practices and knowledge of prevention and treatment, and whether they actively learn such knowledge impact significantly on their professional identity (P <0.01). The overall score of psychological stress was (24.47±7.35) and professional identity had 72.47±8.07. The stress condition exhibited negative correlation with the degree of professional identity (P <0.01，r = -0.457). Increased psychological stress, had lower sense of professional identity. Overall, analysis of data on perceived stress and professional identity pandemic suggests that stress levels are inversely proportional to knowledge in effective ways of handling the pandemic. Students with clinical practice fared better in terms of professional identity. The study suggests nursing students to stay focused on studies, clinical practice and counselling, if required

Risk Factors for Prolonged Mechanical Ventilation After Pulmonary Endarterectomy: 7 Years' Experience From an Experienced Hospital in China

Background: Prolonged mechanical ventilation (PMV) is common after cardiothoracic surgery, whereas the mechanical ventilation strategy after pulmonary endarterectomy (PEA) has not yet been reported. We aim to identify the incidence and risk factors for PMV and the relationship between PMV and short-term outcomes.Methods: We studied a retrospective cohort of 171 who undergoing PEA surgery from 2014 to 2020. Cox regression with restricted cubic splines was performed to identify the cutoff value for PMV. The Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression and logistic regressions were applied to identify risk factors for PMV. The impacts of PMV on the short-term outcomes were evaluated.Results: PMV was defined as the duration of mechanical ventilation exceeding 48 h. Independent risk factors for PMV included female sex (OR 2.911; 95% CI 1.303–6.501; P = 0.009), prolonged deep hypothermic circulatory arrest (DHCA) time (OR 1.027; 95% CI 1.002–1.053; P = 0.036), increased postoperative blood product use (OR 3.542; 95% CI 1.203–10.423; P = 0.022), elevated postoperative total bilirubin levels (OR 1.021; 95% CI 1.007–1.034; P = 0.002), increased preoperative pulmonary artery pressure (PAP) (OR 1.031; 95% CI 1.014–1.048; P &lt; 0.001) and elongated postoperative right ventricular anteroposterior dimension (RVAD) (OR 1.119; 95% CI 1.026–1.221; P = 0.011). Patients with PMV had longer intensive care unit stays, higher incidences of postoperative complications, and higher in-hospital medical expenses.Conclusions: Female sex, prolonged DHCA time, increased postoperative blood product use, elevated postoperative total bilirubin levels, increased preoperative PAP, and elongated postoperative RVAD were independent risk factors for PMV. Identification of risk factors associated with PMV in patients undergoing PEA may facilitate timely diagnosis and re-intervention for some of these modifiable factors to decrease ventilation time and improve patient outcomes

Reduced regional cerebral oxygen saturation increases risk for emergence delirium in pediatric patients

ObjectivesTo assess whether decreased regional cerebral oxygen saturation (rScO2) is associated with the emergence delirium (ED) following general anesthesia in the pediatric population.MethodsA retrospective observational cohort study was conducted on 113 children (ASA I–III) aged 2–14 years who underwent selective surgery under general anesthesia between 2022-01 and 2022-04. Intraoperatively, the rScO2 was monitored using a cerebral oximeter. The Pediatric Anesthesia Emergence Delirium (PAED) score was used to evaluate the patients for ED.ResultsThe incidence of ED was 31%. Low rScO2 was reported in 41.6% of patients, who had a higher incidence of ED (P &lt; 0.001) than those who did not experience desaturation. Logistic regression analysis revealed that decreased rScO2 was significantly associated with incident ED events [odds ratio (OR), 10.77; 95% confidence interval, 3.31–35.05]. Children under 3 years of age had a higher incidence of ED after rScO2 desaturation during anesthesia compared to older children (OR, 14.17 vs. 4.64).ConclusionIntraoperative rScO2 desaturation significantly increased the incidence of ED following general anesthesia. Monitoring should be enhanced to improve the oxygen balance in vital organs to improve the quality and safety of anesthesia

Investigation of a minor groove-binding polyamide targeted to E2F1 transcription factor in chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) cells

No abstract available

Hepatoma-Derived Growth Factor and DDX5 Promote Carcinogenesis and Progression of Endometrial Cancer by Activating β-Catenin

Background: Our previous work determined the correlation between high nuclear expression of hepatoma-derived growth factor (HDGF) and clinicopathological data of endometrial cancer (EC); however, the modulatory mechanisms and biological role of HDGF in EC have not been reported.Methods: Lentiviral particles carrying human HDGF short hairpin RNA (shHDGF-1, -2, and -3) vector and plasmids for HDGF, DDX5, and β-catenin expression were, respectively introduced into EC cells to evaluate the effects and molecular mechanisms underlying EC cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and metastasis. Quantitative real time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and western blotting were used to determine HDGF and DDX5 expression. Co-immunoprecipitation (co-IP), mass spectrometry, and an immunofluorescence co-localization study were conducted to explore the relationship between HDGF, DDX5, and β-catenin. Immunohistochemistry was used to analyze the clinical associations between HDGF and DDX5 in EC.Results: Knocking down HDGF expression significantly decreased EC cellular proliferation, migration, invasion in vitro, as well as tumorigenesis and metastasis in vivo. Conversely, HDGF overexpression reversed these effects. Stable knockdown-based HDGF suppression activated the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway, along with downstream β-catenin-mediated cell cycle and epithelial-mesenchymal transition signaling. Furthermore, co-IP combined with mass spectrometry and an immunofluorescence co-localization study indicated that HDGF interacts with DDX5, whereas β-catenin was associated with DDX5 but not HDGF. Overexpression of DDX5 reversed the suppression of shHDGF. Immunohistochemistry analysis showed that high expression of DDX5 constituted an unfavorable factor with respect to the clinicopathological characteristics of EC tissues and that HDGF and DDX5 high expression (HDGF+/DDX5+) led to a worse prognosis for patients with EC (P &lt; 0.001). In addition, we found that the expression of HDGF and DDX5 was positively correlated in EC tissues (r = 0.475, P &lt; 0.001).Conclusion: Our results provide novel evidence that HDGF interacts with DDX5 and promotes the progression of EC through the induction of β-catenin