Immunoinformatic evaluation of multiple epitope ensembles as vaccine candidates:E coli 536

Epitope prediction is becoming a key tool for vaccine discovery. Prospective analysis of bacterial and viral genomes can identify antigenic epitopes encoded within individual genes that may act as effective vaccines against specific pathogens. Since B-cell epitope prediction remains unreliable, we concentrate on T-cell epitopes, peptides which bind with high affinity to Major Histacompatibility Complexes (MHC). In this report, we evaluate the veracity of identified T-cell epitope ensembles, as generated by a cascade of predictive algorithms (SignalP, Vaxijen, MHCPred, IDEB, EpiJen), as a candidate vaccine against the model pathogen uropathogenic gram negative bacteria Escherichia coli (E-coli) strain 536 (O6:K15:H31). An immunoinformatic approach was used to identify 23 epitopes within the E-coli proteome. These epitopes constitute the most promiscuous antigenic sequences that bind across more than one HLA allele with high affinity (IC50 <50nM). The reliability of software programmes used, polymorphic nature of genes encoding MHC and what this means for population coverage of this potential vaccine are discussed

Psychosocial interventions for suicidal and self-injurious-related behaviors among adolescents: a systematic review and meta-analysis of Chinese practices

BackgroundSuicidal and self-injurious-related behaviors (SSIRBs) are a serious public health challenge in China. However, a comprehensive systematic review of psychosocial interventions for SSIRBs among Chinese adolescents has not been performed. To fill this gap, this systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to examine psychosocial interventions for SSIRBs among Chinese adolescents.MethodsEight international (PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, ScienceDirect, Clinical Trial, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and Web of Science) and four Chinese (Wanfang, SinoMed, CEPS, and CNKI) databases were searched from inception to 31 January 2023. Data extraction and quality assessment were independently conducted by two groups of researchers. Qualitative synthesis and meta-analysis were both used.ResultsThe initial search yielded 16,872 titles. Of the 649 full texts reviewed, 19 intervention articles focusing on SSIRBs met the inclusion criteria. Thirteen out of the 19 included studies involved cognitive–behavioral therapy (CBT). Seven non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) studies assessing self-injurious behaviors were included (six short-term studies and three long-term studies). Compared with long-term interventions [−1.30 (95% CI: –1.84, −0.76)], short-term psychosocial interventions had a higher standardized mean difference (SMD) value [1.86 (95% CI: –2.72, −0.99)]. Meta-regression showed an inverse relationship between the treatment response and sample size (slope = 0.068, Z = 2.914, p = 0.004) and proportion of females (slope = 1.096, Z = 5.848, p &lt; 0.001). Subgroup analyses showed that compared with the “less than 1 month” group [−0.494 (−0.783, −0.205)], in the “immediate postintervention” group, the pooled estimate was significantly lower [−2.800 (−4.050, −1.550), p &lt; 0.001].ConclusionOur review systematically summarized the key characteristics and effectiveness of existing psychosocial interventions for SSIRBs among Chinese adolescents. Short-term psychosocial interventions for NSSI were significantly effective in reducing self-injurious behavior scores, especially in the immediate postintervention period. More favorable treatment responses could be observed in both male and small samples

PeerJ

BACKGROUND: Sleep disturbance is associated with a number of negative adverse outcomes. This study examined the prevalence of sleep disturbance and its association with demographic and clinical characteristics and quality of life (QOL) in psychiatric nurses in China. METHODS: This is a multi-center, cross-sectional study involving 11 psychiatric hospitals in China. Three types of sleep disturbance (difficulty initiating sleep (DIS), difficulty maintaining sleep (DMS) and early-morning awakening (EMA)) and QOL were measured by standardized questions or instruments. RESULTS: A total of 1,847 psychiatric nurses participated. The overall prevalence of at least one type of sleep disturbance was 71.5% (95% CI [69.3-73.5]); the prevalence of DIS, DMS and EMA was 58.5% (95% CI [56.2-60.8]), 53.7% (95% CI [51.4-56.0]) and 54.6% (95% CI [52.3-56.9]), respectively. Nurses with sleep disturbance had significantly lower QOL in physical (F ((1, 1,846)) = 219.12, P \textbackslashtextless 0.001), psychological (F ((1, 1,846)) = 72.18, P \textbackslashtextless 0.001), social (F ((1, 1,846)) = 37.57, P \textbackslashtextless 0.001) and environmental domains (F ((1, 1,846)) = 95.45, P \textbackslashtextless 0.001). Multivariable logistic regression analyses revealed that shift work (DIS, OR = 1.6, 95% CI [1.28-1.98]; DMS, OR = 1.2, 95% CI [1.001-1.54]; EMA, OR = 1.3, 95% CI [1.02-1.58]) and alcohol use (DIS, OR = 1.8, 95% CI [1.46-2.32]; DMS, OR = 1.8, 95% CI [1.43-2.23]; EMA, OR = 1.7, 95% CI [1.33-2.07]) were positively associated with sleep disturbance, while higher monthly income (DIS, OR = 0.5, 95% CI [0.38-0.75]; DMS, OR = 0.7, 95% CI [0.51-0.98]) was negatively associated with sleep disturbance. CONCLUSION: Sleep disturbance was common among nurses in psychiatric hospitals in China, particularly those on shifts and having alcohol use. Health authorities should develop effective measures to reduce risk of sleep disturbance in this population

Depression and quality of life among Macau residents in the 2022 COVID-19 pandemic wave from the perspective of network analysis

BackgroundIn the summer of 2022, Macau experienced a surge of COVID-19 infections (the 618 COVID-19 wave), which had serious effects on mental health and quality of life (QoL). However, there is scant research on mental health problems and QoL among Macau residents during the 618 COVID-19 wave. This study examined the network structure of depressive symptoms (hereafter depression), and the interconnection between different depressive symptoms and QoL among Macau residents during this period.MethodA cross-sectional study was conducted between 26th July and 9th September 2022. Depressive symptoms were measured with the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), while the global QoL was measured with the two items of the World Health Organization Quality of Life-brief version (WHOQOL-BREF). Correlates of depression were explored using univariate and multivariate analyses. The association between depression and QoL was investigated using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). Network analysis was used to evaluate the structure of depression. The centrality index “Expected Influence” (EI) was used to identify the most central symptoms and the flow function was used to identify depressive symptoms that had a direct bearing on QoL.ResultsA total 1,008 participants were included in this study. The overall prevalence of depression was 62.5% (n = 630; 95% CI = 60.00–65.00%). Having depression was significantly associated with younger age (OR = 0.970; p &lt; 0.001), anxiety (OR = 1.515; p &lt; 0.001), fatigue (OR = 1.338; p &lt; 0.001), and economic loss (OR = 1.933; p = 0.026). Participants with depression had lower QoL F (1, 1,008) =5.538, p = 0.019). The most central symptoms included PHQ2 (“Sad Mood”) (EI: 1.044), PHQ4 (“Fatigue”) (EI: 1.016), and PHQ6 (“Guilt”) (EI: 0.975) in the depression network model, while PHQ4 (“Fatigue”), PHQ9 (“Suicide”), and PHQ6 (“Guilt”) had strong negative associations with QoL.ConclusionDepression was common among Macao residents during the 618 COVID-19 wave. Given the negative impact of depression on QoL, interventions targeting central symptoms identified in the network model (e.g., cognitive behavioral therapy) should be developed and implemented for Macau residents with depression

Robust estimation of bacterial cell count from optical density

Optical density (OD) is widely used to estimate the density of cells in liquid culture, but cannot be compared between instruments without a standardized calibration protocol and is challenging to relate to actual cell count. We address this with an interlaboratory study comparing three simple, low-cost, and highly accessible OD calibration protocols across 244 laboratories, applied to eight strains of constitutive GFP-expressing E. coli. Based on our results, we recommend calibrating OD to estimated cell count using serial dilution of silica microspheres, which produces highly precise calibration (95.5% of residuals &lt;1.2-fold), is easily assessed for quality control, also assesses instrument effective linear range, and can be combined with fluorescence calibration to obtain units of Molecules of Equivalent Fluorescein (MEFL) per cell, allowing direct comparison and data fusion with flow cytometry measurements: in our study, fluorescence per cell measurements showed only a 1.07-fold mean difference between plate reader and flow cytometry data

Sleep disturbance and its association with quality of life among psychiatric nurses in China

Background: Sleep disturbance is associated with a number of negative adverse outcomes. This study examined the prevalence of sleep disturbance and its association with demographic and clinical characteristics and quality of life (QOL) in psychiatric nurses in China. Methods: This is a multi-center, cross-sectional study involving 11 psychiatric hospitals in China. Three types of sleep disturbance (difficulty initiating sleep (DIS), difficulty maintaining sleep (DMS) and early-morning awakening (EMA)) and QOL were measured by standardized questions or instruments. Results: A total of 1,847 psychiatric nurses participated. The overall prevalence of at least one type of sleep disturbance was 71.5% (95% CI [69.3–73.5]); the prevalence of DIS, DMS and EMA was 58.5% (95% CI [56.2–60.8]), 53.7% (95% CI [51.4–56.0]) and 54.6% (95% CI [52.3–56.9]), respectively. Nurses with sleep disturbance had significantly lower QOL in physical (F(1, 1,846) = 219.12, P \u3c 0.001), psychological (F(1, 1,846) = 72.18, P \u3c 0.001), social (F(1, 1,846) = 37.57, P \u3c 0.001) and environmental domains (F(1, 1,846) = 95.45, P \u3c 0.001). Multivariable logistic regression analyses revealed that shift work (DIS, OR = 1.6, 95% CI [1.28–1.98]; DMS, OR = 1.2, 95% CI [1.001–1.54]; EMA, OR = 1.3, 95% CI [1.02–1.58]) and alcohol use (DIS, OR = 1.8, 95% CI [1.46–2.32]; DMS, OR = 1.8, 95% CI [1.43–2.23]; EMA, OR = 1.7, 95% CI [1.33–2.07]) were positively associated with sleep disturbance, while higher monthly income (DIS, OR = 0.5, 95% CI [0.38–0.75]; DMS, OR = 0.7, 95% CI [0.51–0.98]) was negatively associated with sleep disturbance. Conclusion: Sleep disturbance was common among nurses in psychiatric hospitals in China, particularly those on shifts and having alcohol use. Health authorities should develop effective measures to reduce risk of sleep disturbance in this population

Prevalence and network structure of post-traumatic stress symptoms and their association with suicidality among Chinese mental health professionals immediately following the end of China’s Dynamic Zero-COVID Policy: A national survey

Studies on post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) among mental health professionals (MHPs) are limited, particularly since restrictions due to coronavirus disease (COVID-19) have been lifted such as the recent termination of China’s Dynamic Zero-COVID Policy. The current study filled this gap by exploring the prevalence, correlates, and network structure of PTSS as well as its association with suicidality from a network analysis perspective. A cross-sectional, national survey was conducted using a convenience sampling method on MHPs between January 22 and February 10, 2023. PTSS were assessed using the Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist-Civilian version, while suicidality was assessed using standardized questions related to ideation, plans, and attempts. Univariate and multivariate analyses examined correlates of PTSS. Network analysis explored the structure of PTSS and suicidality. The centrality index of “Expected influence” was used to identify the most central symptoms in the network, reflecting the relative importance of each node in the network. The “flow” function was adopted to identify specific symptoms that were directly associated with suicidality. A total of 10,647 MHPs were included. The overall rates of PTSS and suicidality were 6.7% (n = 715; 95% CI = 6.2–7.2%) and 7.7% (n = 821; 95% CI = 7.2–8.2%), respectively. Being married (OR = 1.523; P \u3c 0.001), quarantine experience (OR = 1.288; P \u3c 0.001), suicidality (OR = 3.750; P \u3c 0.001) and more severe depressive symptoms (OR = 1.229; P \u3c 0.001) were correlates of more PTSS. Additionally, higher economic status (e.g., good vs. poor: OR = 0.324; P = 0.001) and health status (e.g., good vs. poor: OR = 0.456; P \u3c 0.001) were correlates of reduced PTSS. PCL6 (“Avoiding thoughts”; EI = 1.189), PCL7 (“Avoiding reminders”; EI = 1.157), and PCL11 (“Feeling emotionally numb”; EI = 1.074) had the highest centrality, while PCL12 (“Negative belief”), PCL 16 (“Hypervigilance”) and PCL 14 (“Irritability”) had the strongest direct, positive associations with suicidality. A high prevalence of lingering PTSS was found among MHPs immediately after China’s “Dynamic Zero-COVID Policy” was terminated. Avoidance and hyper-arousal symptoms should be monitored among at-risk MHPs after the COVID-19 pandemic and serve as potential targets for the prevention and treatment of PTSS in this population

Prevalence of poor sleep quality in COVID-19 patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Objective: The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and the public health responses were associated with a huge health burden, which could influence sleep quality. This meta-analysis and systematic review examined the prevalence of poor sleep quality in COVID-19 patients. Methods: PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and PsycINFO were systematically searched from their respective inception to October 27, 2022. Prevalence rates of poor sleep were analyzed using a random effects model. Results: Totally, 24 epidemiological and 12 comparative studies with 8,146 COVID-19 patients and 5,787 healthy controls were included. The pooled prevalence of poor sleep quality based on the included studies was 65.0% (95%CI: 59.56–70.44%, I2 = 97.6%). COVID-19 patients had a higher risk of poor sleep quality compared to healthy controls (OR = 1.73, 95% CI: 1.30–2.30, p \u3c 0.01, I2 = 78.1%) based on the 12 comparative studies. Subgroup analysis revealed that COVID-19 patients in low-income countries (p = 0.011) and in studies using a lower Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index score cut-off (p \u3c 0.001) were more likely to have poor sleep quality. Meta-regression analyses revealed that being female (p = 0.044), older (p \u3c 0.001) and married (p = 0.009) were significantly correlated with a higher risk of poor sleep quality while quality score (p = 0.014) were negatively correlated with the prevalence of poor sleep quality in COVID-19 patients. Conclusion: Poor sleep quality was found to be very common in COVID-19 patients. Considering the negative effects of poor sleep quality on daily life, sleep quality should be routinely assessed and appropriately addressed in COVID-19 patient

Internet addiction among adolescents in Macau and mainland China: Prevalence, demographics and quality of life

Internet addiction (IA) is common among adolescents and significantly determined by sociocultural and economic factors. The aim of this study was to compare the prevalence of IA among adolescents between Macau and mainland China and also examine its association with quality of life. A total of 2892 secondary school students were included. Standardized instruments were used to measure IA, depressive symptoms and quality of life. The overall prevalence of IA was 23.7%, with 32.5% in Macau and 19.8% in mainland China. Students in Macau were more likely to suffer from IA than those in mainland China (OR= 2.15, p\u3c 0.001). Correlates of IA included being in higher school grades, poor academic performance, and more severe depressive symptoms. Students with IA reported lower quality of life in physical, psychological, social, and environmental domains. IA is common among Chinese adolescents, particularly in Macau. Considering the negative impact of IA on health and quality of life, regular screening and effective interventions should be undertaken for young Internet users