Application of IMB model in preventing venous thromboembolism in elderly lung cancer patients

ObjectiveThis study aims to explore the effects of the Information-Motivation-Behavioral (IMB) Skills Model on the prevention of Venous Thromboembolism (VTE) in elderly lung cancer patients.MethodsA convenience sampling method was used to select study participants who were hospitalized for treatment between November 2022 and August 2023 at a tertiary hospital in Neijiang and met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The control group (n = 41) received conventional health education, while the intervention group (n = 40) received health education based on the IMB Skills Model over three months. The scores of the Venous Thrombosis Knowledge, Participation in Thrombosis Prevention Willingness and Behavior Questionnaire, and Quality of Life Measurement Scale (QLQ-C30) were compared before the intervention and after three months. After three months of intervention, the hospital satisfaction and VTE incidence rates in both groups were investigated and compared.ResultsAfter three months of intervention, the scores for the Venous Thrombosis Knowledge, (Participation in Thrombosis Prevention Willingness and Behavior Questionnaire in the intervention group were higher than those in the control group (P < 0.05). The QLQ-C30 scores in the intervention group for physical function, role function, emotional function, insomnia, appetite loss, and overall health status were higher than those in the control group (P < 0.05). The intervention group rated higher in doctor's professional skills, information provision, accessibility; nurse's professional skills, humanistic care, information provision, accessibility; team communication, services of other personnel, overall satisfaction compared to the control group (P < 0.05). The rate of VTE in the intervention group was 2.5%(1/40), and that in the control group was 19.5%(8/41). There was a significant difference (χ2 = 4.336, P = 0.037).ConclusionNursing interventions based on the IMB Skills Model for elderly lung cancer patients can enhance patients’ understanding of venous thrombosis, increase willingness and active participation in thrombosis prevention, improve quality of life, increase hospital satisfaction, and reduce the incidence of VTE

Key technologies research on of soil-structure interaction base story isolated structure response in 3D seismic zone

The development of karst in Karst area leads to poor stability of stratum. If earthquake occurs, the area will produce destructive disaster. In order to improve the stability capacity of the grassroots in the region, this study investigates the seismic response of inter-story isolation structures considering soil-structure interaction (SSI) in three-dimensional earthquakes. A model of the inter-story isolation structure incorporating SSI was developed, and one-dimensional, two-dimensional, and three-dimensional ground motions were applied to compare the seismic response under different input conditions. A three-dimensional isolation system was introduced and compared with traditional horizontal isolation structures to address excessive tensile and compressive stresses on the isolation structure during three-dimensional ground motion. The results demonstrate that the seismic response to three-dimensional earthquakes surpasses one-dimensional and two-dimensional inputs. Furthermore, adding a three-dimensional isolation structure effectively isolates vertical ground motion and reduces structural seismic response. Moreover, it minimizes soil stresses on the foundation compared to traditional horizontal isolation structure, enhancing foundation stability. This study will provide theoretical value and practical guidance for the research on key technology of SSI base story isolation structure response in Karst Plateau 3D Seismic zone

Alterations of the gut microbiota associated with the occurrence and progression of viral hepatitis

BackgroundGut microbiota is the largest population of microorganisms and is closely related to health. Many studies have explored changes in gut microbiota in viral hepatitis. However, the correlation between gut microbiota and the occurrence and progression of viral hepatitis has not been fully clarified.MethodsPubMed and BioProject databases were searched for studies about viral hepatitis disease and 16S rRNA gene sequencing of gut microbiota up to January 2023. With bioinformatics analyses, we explored changes in microbial diversity of viral hepatitis, screened out crucial bacteria and microbial functions related to viral hepatitis, and identified the potential microbial markers for predicting risks for the occurrence and progression of viral hepatitis based on ROC analysis.ResultsOf the 1389 records identified, 13 studies met the inclusion criteria, with 950 individuals including 656 patient samples (HBV, n = 546; HCV, n = 86; HEV, n = 24) and 294 healthy controls. Gut microbial diversity is significantly decreased as the infection and progression of viral hepatitis. Alpha diversity and microbiota including Butyricimonas, Escherichia-Shigella, Lactobacillus, and Veillonella were identified as the potential microbial markers for predicting the risk of development of viral hepatitis (AUC>0.7). Microbial functions including tryptophan metabolism, fatty acid biosynthesis, lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis, and lipid metabolism related to the microbial community increased significantly as the development of viral hepatitis.ConclusionsThis study demonstrated comprehensively the gut microbiota characteristics in viral hepatitis, screened out crucial microbial functions related to viral hepatitis, and identified the potential microbial markers for predicting the risk of viral hepatitis

Ischemic and haemorrhagic stroke risk estimation using a machine-learning-based retinal image analysis

BackgroundStroke is the second leading cause of death worldwide, causing a considerable disease burden. Ischemic stroke is more frequent, but haemorrhagic stroke is responsible for more deaths. The clinical management and treatment are different, and it is advantageous to classify their risk as early as possible for disease prevention. Furthermore, retinal characteristics have been associated with stroke and can be used for stroke risk estimation. This study investigated machine learning approaches to retinal images for risk estimation and classification of ischemic and haemorrhagic stroke.Study designA case-control study was conducted in the Shenzhen Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital. According to the computerized tomography scan (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) results, stroke patients were classified as either ischemic or hemorrhage stroke. In addition, a control group was formed using non-stroke patients from the hospital and healthy individuals from the community. Baseline demographic and medical information was collected from participants' hospital medical records. Retinal images of both eyes of each participant were taken within 2 weeks of admission. Classification models using a machine-learning approach were developed. A 10-fold cross-validation method was used to validate the results.Results711 patients were included, with 145 ischemic stroke patients, 86 haemorrhagic stroke patients, and 480 controls. Based on 10-fold cross-validation, the ischemic stroke risk estimation has a sensitivity and a specificity of 91.0% and 94.8%, respectively. The area under the ROC curve for ischemic stroke is 0.929 (95% CI 0.900 to 0.958). The haemorrhagic stroke risk estimation has a sensitivity and a specificity of 93.0% and 97.1%, respectively. The area under the ROC curve is 0.951 (95% CI 0.918 to 0.983).ConclusionA fast and fully automatic method can be used for stroke subtype risk assessment and classification based on fundus photographs alone

Status and influencing factors of work stress among nurse managers in western China: a cross-sectional survey study

Abstract Aims Due to the nature of their work, nurses are more prone to experiencing psychological consequences than other healthcare workers. However, evidence on the emotional burden of nurse managers in China is limited. Furthermore, perceived organizational support has been approved that can affect mental health outcomes. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the status quo and influencing factors of nurse managers’ work stress, and their possible relationship with perceived organizational support, which could further provide more countermeasures to safeguard their health. Methods A cross-sectional online survey of 21 secondary and tertiary hospitals was conducted in a city in Sichuan province, Southwest China, using a convenience sampling method between October and November 2022. Data were collected using the general information questionnaire, the Chinese version of the Stress Overload Scale (SOS) and the perceived Organizational Support Scale (POSS). SPSS 23.0 was applied to analyze the data. Results In total, 380 participants completed the survey. The median scores (interquartile range [IQR]) for SOS and POSS were 60.50 (50.00, 70.75) and 51.00 (44.00, 55.00), respectively. The work stress of the nurse managers was negatively correlated with perceived organizational support (P < 0.01). Multiple linear regression analysis showed that age older than 40 years, from secondary hospitals, working in emergency or pediatric wards, and professional qualification of supervisor nurse or deputy supervisor nurse, and the scores of POSS less than 51 significantly influenced the work stress of the nurse managers. Conclusions Our study shows that nurse managers are more prone to work stress, and organizational support can effectively reduce this stress. Governments and hospital administrators should pay more attention to providing comprehensive strategies based on various risk factors to protect and promote psychological health

Effectiveness of Acupuncture for Lateral Epicondylitis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

Objective. This study aimed at assessing the clinical effectiveness of acupuncture for lateral epicondylitis (LE). Methods. The following databases were systematically searched: China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Chinese Science and Technology Periodical Database, Wan Fang database, Chinese Biomedicine Literature, PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library from inception to May 2019. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) meeting the inclusion criteria were included. RevMan 5.3 software was used to conduct meta-analyses. The study quality was evaluated with the Cochrane risk of bias. Results. Ten RCTs involving 796 individuals were included in this meta-analysis. Three studies reported randomized methods with a specific description. For the analyses of the clinical efficacy rate, acupuncture outperformed sham acupuncture (two RCTs, n = 130, P=0.15), medicine therapy (two RCTs, n = 124, P=0.02), and blocking therapy (four RCTs, n = 427, P=0.0001). For the analyses of the visual analog scale, acupuncture outperformed sham acupuncture (two RCTs, n = 92, P=0.18), medicine therapy (two RCTs, n = 144, P<0.00001), and blocking therapy (two RCTs, n = 132, P=0.03). The subgroup analyses comparing acupuncture with sham acupuncture therapy revealed heterogeneities. The follow-up information and adverse reactions were not analyzed because of the insufficient number of studies. Conclusions. Acupuncture appears to be superior to drug or blocking therapy or sham acupuncture therapy for LE. However, considering the low quality of the available trials, further large-scale RCTs with a low risk of bias are needed in the future

Alterations in nutrient digestion and utilization associated with different residual feed intake in Hu sheep

Improving feed efficiency is crucial to the animal industry. Residual feed intake (RFI) is now regarded as an index of feed efficiency evaluation and is independent of growth characteristics. Our study aims to explore the alterations in growth performance and nutrient digestion in Hu sheep with different RFI phenotypes. Sixty-four male Hu sheep (body weight = 24.39 ± 1.12 kg; postnatal days = 90 ± 7.9) were selected for the study. After an evaluation period of 56 days and power analysis, samples were collected from 14 low RFI (L-RFI group, power = 0.95) and 14 high RFI sheep (H-RFI group, power = 0.95). The L-RFI sheep yielded a lower (P  0.05). The acid detergent fiber, neutral detergent fiber, organic matter, and crude protein apparent digestibility were higher (P  0.05) was found in urine N output (% of N intake) between the 2 groups. Furthermore, L-RFI sheep gave lower (P < 0.05) serum glucose concentrations and higher (P < 0.05) non-esterified fatty acid concentrations. Meanwhile, a lower ruminal acetate molar proportion (P < 0.05) and higher propionate molar proportion (P < 0.05) were observed in L-RFI sheep. In summary, these results revealed that despite having lower dry matter intake, L-RFI sheep possess higher nutrient digestibility, N retention, ruminal propionate production and serum glucose utilization, in order to meet energy demands. Selection for low RFI sheep could reduce feed costs, which in turn provides economic benefits to the sheep industry

Preparation of Carbon Aerogel Electrode for Electrosorption of Copper Ions in Aqueous Solution

Carbon aerogel (CA) has a rich porous structure, in which micropores and mesopores provide a huge specific surface area to form electric double layers. This property can be applied to the application of capacitive deionization (CDI). The adsorption effect of CA electrode on Cu2+ in an aqueous solution was explored for solving heavy metal water pollution. The CAs were synthesized by a sol-gel process using an atmospheric drying method. The structure of CAs was characterized by scanning in an electron microscope (SEM) and nitrogen adsorption/desorption techniques. The adsorption system was built using Cu2+ solution as the simulation of heavy metal pollution solution. The control variate method was used to investigate the effect of the anion species in copper solution, the molar ratio of resorcinol to catalyst (R/C) of CA, and the applied voltage and concentration of copper ion on the adsorption results

Enhancing microstructural and mechanical characteristics of laser welded NiTi SMA/304 SS lap joints with medium and high entropy alloy fillers

The demand for high-quality nickel-titanium (NiTi) shape memory alloy (SMA) and stainless steel (SS) welded structures has led to significant challenges in fusion welding technology, which is largely influenced by filler materials. This study explores the application of CoCrNi medium entropy alloy and CoCrNiFe high entropy alloy as filler materials for laser lap welding of NiTi SMA and 304 SS. A self-fusing joint was produced for comparison. The results demonstrate that the interface zone on the NiTi side was the weakest area regarding cracking defects in NiTi/304 SS lap joints. However, using CoCrNi and CoCrNiFe fillers effectively eliminated cracking defects by considerably suppressing the formation of brittle FeTi and Fe2Ti intermetallic compounds (IMCs). The average microhardness value of the weld zone without filler was higher than with CoCrNi and CoCrNiFe. Furthermore, the addition of CoCrNi and CoCrNiFe fillers to NiTi/304 SS lap joints resulted in a substantial increase in tensile properties, with tensile strength reaching 196 ± 39 MPa without filler, 319 ± 25 MPa with CoCrNi, and 377 ± 33 MPa with CoCrNiFe, respectively.This work was supported by Beijing Natural Science Foundation (No. 3232005), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 52074017) and China-CEEC Joint Education Project for Higher Education (No. 2021113)

Effect of Heat Input on Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Deposited Metal of E120C-K4 High Strength Steel Flux-Cored Wire

The effect of different heat inputs of 1.45 kJ/mm, 1.78 kJ/mm and 2.31 kJ/mm on the microstructure and mechanical properties of deposited metals of the self-developed AWS A5.28 E120C-K4 high strength steel flux-cored wire was studied by optical microscope, scanning electron microscope and mechanical property test. With the increase in heat input, the results showed that the microstructure of deposited metals became coarse. Acicular ferrite increased at first and then decreased, granular bainite increased and degenerated upper bainite and martensite decreased slightly. Under the low heat input of 1.45 kJ/mm, the cooling rate was fast and the element diffusion was uneven, which caused composition segregation and easy to form large size inclusions SiO2-TiC-CeAlO3 with weak binding to the matrix. Under the middle heat input of 1.78 kJ/mm, the composite rare earth inclusions in dimples were mainly TiC-CeAlO3. The dimples were small and uniformly distributed, and the dimple fracture mainly depended on the wall-breaking connection between medium-sized dimples rather than an intermediate media. Under the high heat input of 2.31 kJ/mm, SiO2 was easy to adhere to high melting point Al2O3 oxides to form irregular composite inclusions. Such irregular inclusions do not need to absorb too much energy to form necking. Finally, the integrated effects of microstructure and inclusions resulted in the optimum mechanical properties of deposited metals with a heat input of 1.78 kJ/mm, which was a tensile strength of 793 MPa and an average impact toughness at −40 °C of 56 J