Influence of “Internet plus” based continuous nursing intervention on hemodialysis self-management ability of patients with uremia and its countermeasures

Objective: To analyze the impact of “Internet Plus”oriented continuous nursing intervention on hemodialysis self-management ability (HSMA) of patients with uremia and its countermeasures.Methods: 60 uremia patients admitted to hemodialysis in the hospital from January to December 2018 were selected as the control group (using routine continuous nursing intervention); 60 uremia patients admitted to hemodialysis from January to December 2019 were also selected as the observation group (using "Internet Plus"oriented continuous nursing intervention); the changes in the score values of the two groups of patients according to the self-management scale (SMSH) and chronic disease health literacy after intervention respectively. Results: After intervention，the self-management score of the patients in the observation group in terms of problem solving，emotional processing and self-care was higher than that of the control group (P<0.05)，and the score value in terms of information acquisition ability，improvement of health willingness, communication and interaction ability was higher than that of the control group (P<0).0.05).Conclusion:the continuity of nursing intervention based on “Internet plus”self-management enhances the self-management ability of patients with uremic hemodialysis and improves their health literacy

Spatial Path Following for AUVs Using Adaptive Neural Network Controllers

The spatial path following control problem of autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) is addressed in this paper. In order to realize AUVs’ spatial path following control under systemic variations and ocean current, three adaptive neural network controllers which are based on the Lyapunov stability theorem are introduced to estimate uncertain parameters of the vehicle’s model and unknown current disturbances. These controllers are designed to guarantee that all the error states in the path following system are asymptotically stable. Simulation results demonstrated that the proposed controller was effective in reducing the path following error and was robust against the disturbances caused by vehicle's uncertainty and ocean currents

Ancient geograpical barriers drive differentiation among Sonneratia caseolaris populations and recent divergence from S. Ianceolata

Glacial vicariance is thought to influence population dynamics and speciation of many marine organisms. Mangroves, a plant group inhabiting intertidal zones, were also profoundly influenced by Pleistocene glaciations. In this study, we investigated phylogeographic patterns of a widespread mangrove species Sonneratia caseolaris and a narrowly distributed, closely related species S. lanceolata to infer their divergence histories and related it to historical geological events. We sequenced two chloroplast fragments and five nuclear genes for one population of S. lanceolata and 12 populations of S. caseolaris across the Indo-West Pacific (IWP) region to evaluate genetic differentiation and divergence time among them. Phylogenetic analysis based on sequences of nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer and a nuclear gene rpl9 for all Sonneratia species indicate that S. lanceolata individuals are nested within S. caseolaris. We found strong genetic structure among geographic regions (South China Sea, the Indian Ocean, and eastern Australia) inhabited by S. caseolaris. We estimated that divergence between the Indo-Malesia and Australasia populations occurred 4.035 million years ago (MYA), prior to the onset of Pleistocene. BARRIERS analysis suggested that complex geographic features in the IWP region had largely shaped the phylogeographic patterns of S. caseolaris. Furthermore, haplotype analyses provided convincing evidence for secondary contact of the South China Sea and the Indian Ocean lineages at the Indo-Pacific boundary. Demographic history inference under isolation and migration (IM) model detected substantial gene flow from the Sri Lanka populations to the populations in the Java Island. Moreover, multi-locus sequence analysis indicated that S. lanceolata was most closely related to the Indian Ocean populations of S. caseolaris and the divergence time between them was 2.057 MYA, coinciding with the onset of the Pleistocene glaciation. Our results suggest that geographic isolation driven by the Pleistocene ice age resulted in the recent origin of S. lanceolata

A reporter system for assaying influenza virus RNP functionality based on secreted Gaussia luciferase activity

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Influenza A virus can infect a wide variety of animal species including humans, pigs, birds and other species. Viral ribonucleoprotein (vRNP) was involved in genome replication, transcription and host adaptation. Currently, firefly luciferase (Fluc) reporter system was used in vRNP functional assay. However, its limitation for the testing by virus infection resulted in an increased need for rapid, sensitive, and biosafe techniques. Here, an influenza A virus UTR-driven gene reporter for vRNP assay based on secreted <it>Gaussia </it>luciferase (Gluc) activity was evaluated.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>By measuring Gluc levels in supernatants, reporter gene activity could be detected and quantitated after either reconstitution of influenza A virus polymerase complex or viral infection of 293T and A549 cells, respectively. As compared with Fluc reporter, Gluc-based reporter was heat-tolerant (65°C for 30 min) and produced 50-fold higher bioluminescent activity at 24 h posttransfection. Signals generated by Gluc reporter gene could be detected as early as 6 h post-infection and accumulated with time. Testing by viral infection, stronger signals were detected by Gluc reporter at a MOI of 0.001 than that of 1 and the effects of PB2-627K/E or amantadine on influenza vRNP activity were elucidated more effectively by the Gluc reporter system.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>This approach provided a rapid, sensitive, and biosafe assay of influenza vRNP function, particularly for the highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses.</p

Knock-down of glutaminase 2 expression decreases glutathione, NADH, and sensitizes cervical cancer to ionizing radiation

AbstractPhosphate-activated mitochondrial glutaminase (GLS2) is suggested to be linked with elevated glutamine metabolism. It plays an important role in catalyzing the hydrolysis of glutamine to glutamate. The present study was to investigate the potent effect of GLS2 on radioresistance of cervical carcinoma. GLS2 was examined in 144 cases of human cervical cancer specimens (58 radioresistant specimens, 86 radiosensitive specimens) and 15 adjacent normal cervical specimens with immunohistochemistry. HeLa cells were treated with a cumulative dose of 50Gy X-rays, over 6months, yielding the resistant sub-line HeLaR. The expressions of GLS2 were measured by Western blot. Radioresistance was tested by colony survival assay. Apoptosis was determined by flow cytometry. The levels of glutathione (GSH), reactive oxygen species (ROS), NAD+/NADH ratio and NADP+/NADPH ratio were detected by quantization assay kit. Xenografts were used to confirm the effect of GLS2 on radioresistance in vivo. The expressions of GLS2 were significantly enhanced in tumor tissues of radioresistant patients compared with that in radiosensitive patients. In vitro, the radioresistant cell line HeLaR exhibited significantly increased GLS2 levels than its parental cell line HeLa. GLS2 silenced radioresistant cell HeLaR shows substantially enhanced radiosensitivity with lower colony survival and higher apoptosis in response to radiation. In vivo, xenografts with GLS2 silenced HeLaR were more sensitive to radiation. At the molecular level, knock-down of GLS2 increased the intracellular ROS levels of HeLaR exposed to irradiation by decreasing the productions of antioxidant GSH, NADH and NADPH. GLS2 may have an important role in radioresistance in cervical cancer patients

Coronary artery disease as an independent predictor of short-term and long-term outcomes in patients with type-B aortic dissection undergoing thoracic endovascular repair

Background and aimsPrevious studies reported a high prevalence of concomitant coronary artery disease (CAD) in patients with Type B aortic dissection (TBAD). However, there is too limited data on the impact of CAD on prognosis in patients with TBAD. The present study aimed to assess the short-term and long-term impact of CAD on patients with acute or subacute TBAD undergoing thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR).MethodsWe retrospectively evaluated 463 patients with acute or subacute TBAD undergoing TEVAR from a prospectively maintained database from 2010 to 2017. CAD was defined before TEVAR by coronary angiography. Multivariable logistic and cox regression analyses were performed to evaluate the relationship between CAD and the short-term as well as long-term outcomes.ResultsAccording to the results of coronary angiography, the 463 patients were divided into the following two groups: CAD group (N = 148), non-CAD group (N = 315). In total, 12 (2.6%) in-hospital deaths and 54 (12%) all-cause deaths following a median follow-up of 48.1 months were recorded. Multivariable analysis revealed that CAD was an independent predictor of in-hospital major adverse clinical events (MACE) (odd ratio [OR], 2.33; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.07–5.08; p = 0.033), long-term mortality [hazard ratio (HR), 2.11, 95% CI, 1.19–3.74, P = 0.011] and long-term MACE (HR, 1.95, 95% CI, 1.26–3.02, P = 0.003). To further clarify the relationship between the severity of CAD and long-term outcomes, we categorized patients into three groups: zero-vessel disease, single-vessel disease and multi-vessel disease. The long-term mortality (9.7 vs. 14.4 vs. 21.2%, P = 0.045), and long-term MACE (16.8 vs. 22.2 vs. 40.4%, P = 0.001) increased with the number of identified stenosed coronary vessels. Multivariable analysis indicated that, multi-vessel disease was independently associated with long-term mortality (HR, 2.38, 95% CI, 1.16–4.89, P = 0.018) and long-term MACE (HR, 2.79, 95% CI, 1.65–4.73, P = 0.001), compared with zero-vessel disease.ConclusionsCAD was associated with short-term and long-term worse outcomes in patients with acute or subacute TBAD undergoing TEVAR. Furthermore, the severity of CAD was also associated with worse long-term prognosis. Therefore, CAD could be considered as a useful independent predictor for pre-TEVAR risk stratification in patients with TBAD

Regional Geological Survey of Hanggai, Xianxia and Chuancun, Zhejiang Province in China

This Open Access book introduces readers to the regional geology of Hanggai, Xianxia and Chuancun, the area between China's northern Zhejiang Province and southern Anhui Province and explores the strata, magmatic rocks and tectonic structures in 1:50,000 scale geological maps. Based on studies of multiple stratigraphic divisions, the standard stratigraphic section of the upper Ordovician Hirnantian in the lower Yangtze region is established, revealing for the first time numerous “Burgess Shale-type” sponge fossils in Hirnantian strata and identifying 10 grapholite fossil belts and various fossil categories, including chitin, trilobites, gastropods, brachiopods, and cephalopods. Moreover, the book identifies for the first time Late Ordovician volcanic events in northern Zhejiang province. The work represents a major contribution to research on Paleozoic strata in the Lower Yangtze region, and sheds new light on understanding the Hirnantian glacial event and biological extinction event in South China by providing a high-precision time scale. In addition, the book opens an important avenue for future research on sponge evolution after the Cambrian life explosion. As such, it offers a unique and valuable asset for researchers and graduate students alike

Neuraminidase and Hemagglutinin Matching Patterns of a Highly Pathogenic Avian and Two Pandemic H1N1 Influenza A Viruses

BACKGROUND: Influenza A virus displays strong reassortment characteristics, which enable it to achieve adaptation in human infection. Surveying the reassortment and virulence of novel viruses is important in the prevention and control of an influenza pandemic. Meanwhile, studying the mechanism of reassortment may accelerate the development of anti-influenza strategies. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: The hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) matching patterns of two pandemic H1N1 viruses (the 1918 and current 2009 strains) and a highly pathogenic avian influenza A virus (H5N1) were studied using a pseudotyped particle (pp) system. Our data showed that four of the six chimeric HA/NA combinations could produce infectious pps, and that some of the chimeric pps had greater infectivity than did their ancestors, raising the possibility of reassortment among these viruses. The NA of H5N1 (A/Anhui/1/2005) could hardly reassort with the HAs of the two H1N1 viruses. Many biological characteristics of HA and NA, including infectivity, hemagglutinating ability, and NA activity, are dependent on their matching pattern. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Our data suggest the existence of an interaction between HA and NA, and the HA NA matching pattern is critical for valid viral reassortment