Perceived stigma among discharged patients of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China: A latent profile analysis

BackgroundPerceived stigma has greatly influenced the life quality of the COVID-19 patients who recovered and were discharged (RD hereafter). It is essential to understand COVID-19 stigma of RD and its related risk factors. The current study aims to identify the characteristics of perceived COVID-19 stigma in RD using latent profile analysis (LPA), to explore its psycho-social influencing factors, and to determine the cut-off point of the stigma scale using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted among COVID-19 RD in 13 communities in Jianghan District, Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China from June 10 to July 25, 2021, enrolling total 1,297 participants. Data were collected on demographic characteristics, COVID-19 perceived stigma, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, depression, sleep disorder, fatigue, resilience, social support, and peace of mind. LPA was performed to identify different profiles of perceived COVID-19 stigma level. Univariate analysis and multinominal logistic regression analysis were conducted to explore the influencing factors in different profiles. ROC analyses was carried out to identify the cut-off value of perceived stigma.ResultsAmong the participants, three profiles of perceived stigma were identified: “low perceived COVID-19 stigma” (12.8%), “moderate perceived COVID-19 stigma” (51.1%), and “severe perceived COVID-19 stigma” (36.1%). Multinominal logistic regression analysis revealed that older age, living with other people, anxiety, and sleep disorder were positively associated with moderate perceived COVID-19 stigma, while higher educational level was negatively associated with moderate perceived COVID-19 stigma. Female, older age, living with other people, anxiety, and sleep disorder were positively associated with severe perceived COVID-19 stigma, while higher educational level, social support, and peace of mind were negatively associated with severe perceived COVID-19 stigma. ROC curve of the Short Version of COVID-19 Stigma Scale (CSS-S) for screening perceived COVID-19 stigma showed that the optimal cut-off value was ≥ 20.ConclusionThe study focuses on the issue of perceived COVID-19 stigma and its psycho-socio influencing factors. It provides evidence for implementing relevant psychological interventions to COVID-19 RD

NCAPG Promotes Pulmonary Artery Smooth Muscle Cell Proliferation as a Promising Therapeutic Target of Idiopathic Pulmonary Hypertension: Bioinformatics Analysis and Experiment Verification

Idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH) is a disease with complex etiology. Currently, IPAH treatment is limited, and patients’ prognosis is poor. This study aimed to explore new therapeutic targets in IPAH through bioinformatics. Two data sets (GSE113439 and GSE130391) meeting the requirements were obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Then, differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified and analyzed by NetworkAnalyst platform. By enriching Gene Ontology (GO) and the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), we examined the function of DEGs. A protein–protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed to identify central genes using the CytoNCA plug-in. Finally, four central genes, ASPM, CENPE, NCAPG, and TOP2A, were screened out. We selected NCAPG for protein-level verification. We established an animal model of PAH and found that the expression of NCAPG was significantly increased in the lung tissue of PAH rats. In vitro experiments showed that the expression of NCAPG was significantly increased in proliferative pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells (PASMCs). When NCAPG of PASMCs was knocked down, the cell proliferation was inhibited, which suggested that NCAPG was related to the proliferation of PASMCs. Therefore, these results may provide new therapeutic targets for IPAH

Enhancing the Effectiveness of Cause-Related Marketing: Visual Style, Self-Construal, and Consumer Responses

The visual presentation of cause-related marketing (CRM) messages is gaining increasing attention from researchers and practitioners. This study delves into the impact of the visual style of CRM messages on consumer responses and the moderating role of self-construal. The results demonstrate that visual style has a significant effect on consumer responses, as cause-focused messages engender a higher brand attitude and purchase intention than product-focused messages (Studies 1 and 2). Meanwhile, the effects of visual style on both consumers’ brand attitude and purchase intention are mediated by the perceived self-serving motives. Importantly, self-construal moderates the relationship between visual style and consumer responses (Study 2). Cause-focused messages lead to enhanced brand attitudes and purchase intentions than product-focused messages by reducing the perceived self-serving motives for consumers with an interdependent self-construal, although not for consumers with an independent self-construal. Grounded in these findings, the theoretical contributions and practical implications are discussed

Ferulic Acid: A Review of Pharmacology, Toxicology, and Therapeutic Effects on Pulmonary Diseases

Ferulic acid (FA), a prevalent dietary phytochemical, has many pharmacological effects, including anti-oxidation and anti-inflammation effects, and has been widely used in the pharmaceutical, food, and cosmetics industries. Many studies have shown that FA can significantly downregulate the expression of reactive oxygen species and activate nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor-2/heme oxygenase-1 signaling, exerting anti-oxidative effects. The anti-inflammatory effect of FA is mainly related to the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase and nuclear factor-kappaB signaling pathways. FA has demonstrated potential clinical applications in the treatment of pulmonary diseases. The transforming growth factor-β1/small mothers against decapentaplegic 3 signaling pathway can be blocked by FA, thereby alleviating pulmonary fibrosis. Moreover, in the context of asthma, the T helper cell 1/2 imbalance is restored by FA. Furthermore, FA ameliorates acute lung injury by inhibiting nuclear factor-kappaB and mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways via toll-like receptor 4, consequently decreasing the expression of downstream inflammatory mediators. Additionally, there is a moderate neuraminidase inhibitory activity showing a tendency to reduce the interleukin-8 level in response to influenza virus infections. Although the application of FA has broad prospects, more preclinical mechanism-based research should be carried out to test these applications in clinical settings. This review not only covers the literature on the pharmacological effects and mechanisms of FA, but also discusses the therapeutic role and toxicology of FA in several pulmonary diseases

The Effect of Complementary and Alternative Medicine on Subfertile Women with In Vitro Fertilization

About 10–15% of couples have difficulty conceiving at some point in their reproductive lives and thus have to seek specialist fertility care. One of the most commonly used treatment options is in vitro fertilization (IVF) and its related expansions. Despite many recent technological advances, the average IVF live birth rate per single initiated cycle is still only 30%. Consequently, there is a need to find new therapies to promote the efficiency of the procedure. Many patients have turned to complementary and alternative medical (CAM) treatments as an adjuvant therapy to improve their chances of success when they undergo IVF treatment. At present, several CAM methods have been used in infertile couples with IVF, which has achieved obvious effects. However, biologically plausible mechanisms of the action of CAM for IVF have not been systematically reviewed. This review briefly summarizes the current progress of the impact of CAM on the outcomes of IVF and introduces the mechanisms

A Current Sensing Biosensor for BOD Rapid Measurement

In order to improve the practicality of the rapid biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) method, a highly sensitive rapid detection method for BOD that is based on establishing the correlation between current and dissolved oxygen (DO) was developed. In this experiment, Bacillus subtilis was used as the test microorganism, and the embedding method was used to achieve quantitative fixation of microorganisms, which could increase the content of microorganisms and prolong the service life of the biological element. The conductivity (COND) probe is used as a sensing element, so that the testing value can be read every second. In the program, the moving average method is used to process the collected data so that the value can be read every minute. National standard samples were detected to test the accuracy and stability of the method. The results showed that relative error and analytical standard deviations were less than 5%. Different polluted water was tested to evaluate its application range. The results showed that relative error was less than 5%. The results of the method are consistent with the results of the wastewater sample obtained by the BOD5 standard method. The proposed rapid BOD current sensing biosensor method should be promising in practical application of wastewater monitoring

Linc00210 drives Wnt/β-catenin signaling activation and liver tumor progression through CTNNBIP1-dependent manner

Abstract Background Liver tumor initiating cells (TICs) have self-renewal and differentiation properties, accounting for tumor initiation, metastasis and drug resistance. Long noncoding RNAs are involved in many physiological and pathological processes, including tumorigenesis. DNA copy number alterations (CNA) participate in tumor formation and progression, while the CNA of lncRNAs and their roles are largely unknown. Methods LncRNA CNA was determined by microarray analyses, realtime PCR and DNA FISH. Liver TICs were enriched by surface marker CD133 and oncosphere formation. TIC self-renewal was analyzed by oncosphere formation, tumor initiation and propagation. CRISPRi and ASO were used for lncRNA loss of function. RNA pulldown, western blot and double FISH were used to identify the interaction between lncRNA and CTNNBIP1. Results Using transcriptome microarray analysis, we identified a frequently amplified long noncoding RNA in liver cancer termed linc00210, which was highly expressed in liver cancer and liver TICs. Linc00210 copy number gain is associated with its high expression in liver cancer and liver TICs. Linc00210 promoted self-renewal and tumor initiating capacity of liver TICs through Wnt/β-catenin signaling. Linc00210 interacted with CTNNBIP1 and blocked its inhibitory role in Wnt/β-catenin activation. Linc00210 silencing cells showed enhanced interaction of β-catenin and CTNNBIP1, and impaired interaction of β-catenin and TCF/LEF components. We also confirmed linc00210 copy number gain using primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) samples, and found the correlation between linc00210 CNA and Wnt/β-catenin activation. Of interest, linc00210, CTNNBIP1 and Wnt/β-catenin signaling targeting can efficiently inhibit tumor growth and progression, and liver TIC propagation. Conclusion With copy-number gain in liver TICs, linc00210 is highly expressed along with liver tumorigenesis. Linc00210 drives the self-renewal and propagation of liver TICs through activating Wnt/β-catenin signaling. Linc00210 interacts with CTNNBIP1 and blocks the combination between CTNNBIP1 and β-catenin, driving the activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling. Linc00210-CTNNBIP1-Wnt/β-catenin axis can be targeted for liver TIC elimination

Comparative Proteomic and Metabolomic Analysis of Staphylococcus warneri SG1 Cultured in the Presence and Absence of Butanol

The complete genome of the solvent tolerant Staphylococcus warneri SG1 was recently published. This Gram-positive bacterium is tolerant to a large spectrum of organic solvents including short-chain alcohols, alkanes, esters and cyclic aromatic compounds. In this study, we applied a two-dimensional liquid chromatography (2D-LC) mass spectrometry (MS) shotgun approach, in combination with quantitative 2-MEGA (dimethylation after guanidination) isotopic labeling, to compare the proteomes of SG1 grown under butanol-free and butanol-challenged conditions. In total, 1585 unique proteins (representing 65% of the predicted open reading frames) were identified, covering all major metabolic pathways. Of the 967 quantifiable proteins by 2-MEGA labeling, 260 were differentially expressed by at least 1.5-fold. These proteins are involved in energy metabolism, oxidative stress response, lipid and cell envelope biogenesis, or have chaperone functions. We also applied differential isotope labeling LC-MS to probe metabolite changes in key metabolic pathways upon butanol stress. This is the first comprehensive proteomic and metabolomic study of S. warneri SG1 and presents an important step toward understanding its physiology and mechanism of solvent tolerance

Depressive symptoms, perceived social support, and anticipated HIV stigma among HIV‐negative/unknown men who have sex with men in China during the COVID‐19 pandemic: A multicenter online cross‐sectional study

Abstract Objective To investigate the prevalence of depressive symptoms among human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)‐negative/unknown men who have sex with men (MSM) in China and explore the relationship between perceived social support, anticipated HIV stigma, and depressive symptoms. Methods Participants in this study were recruited from a gay social networking app (Blued) in China by convenience sampling from December 16, 2020 to March 1, 2021. Perceived Social Support Questionnaire, Anticipated HIV Stigma Questionnaire, and Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale were used to measure the social support, anticipated HIV stigma, and depressive symptoms of participants. Confirmatory factor analysis was performed to assess the reliability and validity of the measurement model. Structural equation modeling was employed to evaluate the association of perceived social support, anticipated HIV stigma, and depressive symptoms, as well as the mediation effects. Results Overall, 47.70% (665/1394) of the participants had depressive symptoms. Perceived social support could have both direct and indirect effects on depressive symptoms with the mediating role of anticipated HIV stigma among HIV‐negative/unknown MSM. Conclusion Tailored interventions regarding perceived social support and anticipated HIV stigma, such as group therapy, mutual support groups and mindfulness training, with the involvement of non‐governmental or governmental organizations, should be taken into account to reduce depressive symptoms and stigma among HIV‐negative/unknown MSM in China

Comparative Proteomic and Metabolomic Analysis of Staphylococcus warneri SG1 Cultured in the Presence and Absence of Butanol

The complete genome of the solvent tolerant Staphylococcus warneri SG1 was recently published. This Gram-positive bacterium is tolerant to a large spectrum of organic solvents including short-chain alcohols, alkanes, esters and cyclic aromatic compounds. In this study, we applied a two-dimensional liquid chromatography (2D-LC) mass spectrometry (MS) shotgun approach, in combination with quantitative 2-MEGA (dimethylation after guanidination) isotopic labeling, to compare the proteomes of SG1 grown under butanol-free and butanol-challenged conditions. In total, 1585 unique proteins (representing 65% of the predicted open reading frames) were identified, covering all major metabolic pathways. Of the 967 quantifiable proteins by 2-MEGA labeling, 260 were differentially expressed by at least 1.5-fold. These proteins are involved in energy metabolism, oxidative stress response, lipid and cell envelope biogenesis, or have chaperone functions. We also applied differential isotope labeling LC-MS to probe metabolite changes in key metabolic pathways upon butanol stress. This is the first comprehensive proteomic and metabolomic study of S. warneri SG1 and presents an important step toward understanding its physiology and mechanism of solvent tolerance