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Journal of Molecular Modeling Mar 2023The COVID-19 epidemic is raging around the world, with the emergence of viral mutant strains such as Delta and Omicron, posing severe challenges to people's health...
OBJECTIVE
The COVID-19 epidemic is raging around the world, with the emergence of viral mutant strains such as Delta and Omicron, posing severe challenges to people's health and quality of life. A full understanding life cycle of the virus in host cells helps to reveal inactivation mechanism of antibody and provide inspiration for the development of a new-generation vaccines.
METHODS
In this work, molecular recognitions and conformational changes of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein mutants (i.e., Delta, Mu, and Omicron) and three essential partners (i.e., membrane receptor hACE2, protease TMPRSS2, and antibody C121) both were compared and analyzed using molecular simulations.
RESULTS
Water basin and binding free energy calculations both show that the three mutants possess higher affinity for hACE2 than WT, exhibiting stronger virus transmission. The descending order of cleavage ability by TMPRSS2 is Mu, Delta, Omicron, and WT, which is related to the new S1/S2 cutting site induced by transposition effect. The inefficient utilization of TMPRSS2 by Omicron is consistent with its primary entry into cells via the endosomal pathway. In addition, RBD-directed antibody C121 showed obvious resistance to Omicron, which may have originated from high fluctuation of approaching angles, high flexibility of I472-F490 loop, and reduced binding ability.
CONCLUSIONS
According to the overall characteristics of the three mutants, high infectivity, high immune escape, and low virulence may be the future evolutionary selection of SARS-CoV-2. In a word, this work not only proposes the possible resistance mechanism of SARS-CoV-2 mutants, but also provides theoretical guidance for the subsequent drug design against COVID-19 based on S protein structure.
Topics: Humans; COVID-19; Quality of Life; SARS-CoV-2; Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus; Mutation
PubMed: 36964244
DOI: 10.1007/s00894-023-05509-4 -
BMC Medical Research Methodology Oct 2021Little guidance exists regarding how best to upskill and support those delivering complex healthcare interventions to ensure robust trial outcomes and implementation... (Randomized Controlled Trial)
Randomized Controlled Trial
BACKGROUND
Little guidance exists regarding how best to upskill and support those delivering complex healthcare interventions to ensure robust trial outcomes and implementation fidelity. Mentoring was provided to occupational therapists (OTs) delivering a complex vocational rehabilitation (VR) intervention to stroke survivors. This study aimed to explore mentors' roles in supporting OTs with intervention delivery and fidelity, and to describe factors affecting the mentoring process and intervention delivery.
METHODS
Quantitative data (duration, mode and total time of mentoring support) was extracted from mentoring records and emails between mentors and OTs, alongside qualitative data on barriers and facilitators to intervention delivery. Semi-structured interviews with mentors (n = 6) and OTs (n = 19) explored experiences and perceptions of intervention training, delivery and the mentoring process. Mean total and monthly time spent mentoring were calculated per trial site. Qualitative data were analysed thematically.
RESULTS
Forty-one OTs across 16 sites were mentored between March 2018 and April 2020. Most mentoring was provided by phone or Microsoft Teams (range: 88.6-100%), with the remainder via email and SMS (Short Message Service) text messages. Mentors suggested strategies to enhance trial recruitment, improved OTs' understanding of- and adherence to trial processes, intervention delivery and fidelity, and facilitated independent problem-solving. Barriers to mentoring included OT non-attendance at mentoring sessions and mentors struggling to balance mentoring with clinical roles. Facilitators included support from the trial team and mentors having protected time for mentoring.
CONCLUSIONS
Mentoring supported mentee OTs in various ways, but it remains unclear to what extent the OTS would have been able to deliver the intervention without mentoring support, or how this might have impacted fidelity. Successful implementation of mentoring alongside new complex interventions may increase the likelihood of intervention effectiveness being observed and sustained in real-life contexts. Further research is needed to investigate how mentors could be selected, upskilled, funded and mentoring provided to maximise impact. The clinical- and cost-effectiveness of mentoring as an implementation strategy and its impact on fidelity also requires testing in a future trial.
TRIAL REGISTRATION
ISRCTN, ISRCTN12464275 . Registered on 13th March 2018.
Topics: Humans; Mentoring; Mentors; Rehabilitation, Vocational; Stroke; Survivors
PubMed: 34602054
DOI: 10.1186/s12874-021-01382-y -
Frontiers in Pediatrics 2022While the association between father absence and youth hostility has been well-documented among depressed youths, there is a lack of research on the potential mechanism...
BACKGROUND
While the association between father absence and youth hostility has been well-documented among depressed youths, there is a lack of research on the potential mechanism underlying such an association. This study aimed to test a serial mediation model of self-esteem and frustration tolerance on the link between father absence and youth hostility.
METHODS
A total of 137 Chinese youths with major depressive disorder were recruited from Wuhan Mental Health Center. They completed a survey including the Father Absence Questionnaire to measure father absence, the Chinese Hostility Inventory (CHI) to measure hostility, the Psychological Endurance Questionnaire to measure frustration tolerance, and the Self-esteem Scale (SES) to measure self-esteem. A series of multiple linear regression models were employed to assess the associations among father absence, self-esteem, frustration tolerance, and hostility.
RESULTS
Although father absence was modestly associated with hostility ( = 0.30, < 0.001), subsequent serial mediation analysis showed that father absence was not directly related to hostility (= 0.06, = 0.29) when self-esteem and frustration tolerance were included in the model. High levels of father absence had an adverse effect on levels of self-esteem, which decreased levels of frustration tolerance, and thus higher levels of hostility among depressed youths. The indirect effects of father absence on hostility through self-esteem, frustration tolerance, as well as through self-esteem and frustration tolerance serially accounted for 28%, 24%, and 24% of the total effect, respectively.
CONCLUSION
Our study tested a serial mediation model of self-esteem and frustration tolerance as mediators between father absence and hostility among depressed youths. The findings strengthened our understanding of the potential mechanism underlying the association between self-esteem and frustration tolerance, which may provide useful guidance for future intervention programs.
PubMed: 36776682
DOI: 10.3389/fped.2022.711241 -
Frontiers in Genetics 2022Runs of homozygosity (ROH) and heterozygosity (ROHet) are windows into population demographic history and adaptive evolution. Numerous studies have shown that...
Runs of homozygosity (ROH) and heterozygosity (ROHet) are windows into population demographic history and adaptive evolution. Numerous studies have shown that deleterious mutations are enriched in the ROH of humans, pigs, cattle, and chickens. However, the relationship of deleterious variants to ROH and the pattern of ROHet in goats have been largely understudied. Here, 240 Guangfeng and Ganxi goats from Jiangxi Province, China, were genotyped using the Illumina GoatSNP50 BeadChip and genome-wide ROH, ROHet, and genetic load analyses were performed in the context of 32 global goat breeds. The classes with the highest percentage of ROH and ROHet were 0.5-2 Mb and 0.5-1 Mb, respectively. The results of inbreeding coefficients (based on SNP and ROH) and ROHet measurements showed that Guangfeng goats had higher genetic variability than most Chinese goats, while Ganxi goats had a high degree of inbreeding, even exceeding that of commercial goat breeds. Next, the predicted damaging homozygotes were more enriched in long ROHs, especially in Guangfeng goats. Therefore, we suggest that information on damaging alleles should also be incorporated into the design of breeding and conservation programs. A list of genes related to fecundity, growth, and environmental adaptation were identified in the ROH hotspots of two Jiangxi goats. A sense-related ROH hotspot (chromosome 12: 50.55-50.81 Mb) was shared across global goat breeds and may have undergone selection prior to goat domestication. Furthermore, an identical ROHet hotspot (chromosome 1: 132.21-132.54 Mb) containing two genes associated with embryonic development ( and ) was detected in domestic goat breeds worldwide. Tajima's D and BetaScan2 statistics indicated that this region may be caused by long-term balancing selection. These findings not only provide guidance for the design of conservation strategies for Jiangxi goat breeds but also enrich our understanding of the adaptive evolution of goats.
PubMed: 35559012
DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.774196 -
BMC Nursing Jul 2022Improving the professional identity of nursing intern is significant for enhancing the number of new registered nurses and easing the shortage of nursing personnel. The...
BACKGROUND
Improving the professional identity of nursing intern is significant for enhancing the number of new registered nurses and easing the shortage of nursing personnel. The clinical internship is a key period for the formulation of professional identity. However, we know little about the factors influencing the nursing interns' professional identity during clinical internship. Therefore, this study explore the influencing factors of nursing interns' professional identity during clinical internship. This study will provide evidence and suggestions for generating effective strategies contributing to professional identity improvement of nursing interns.
METHODS
This was a cross-sectional study. The convenience sampling was used to recruit 398 nursing interns from a teaching hospital in Hunan, China. The demographic characteristics information was collected by a self-developed questionnaire. The nursing interns' professional identity and potential influencing factors (e.g., work atmosphere, teacher capacity) were measured by questionnaires with good psychometric properties. The appropriate indicators were used for descriptive statistics, and t test, analysis of variance, Pearson's correlation analysis and multiple linear regression were used to analyse the influencing factors.
RESULTS
In this study, the influencing factors of nursing interns' professional identity are education level, first choice of major, residential status, work atmosphere, and teacher capacity. The results showed that: (1) the nursing interns with a higher education level reported a lower level of professional identity; (2) the nursing interns whose first choice of major was not nursing discipline reported a lower level of professional identity; (3) the nursing interns live in rural areas (compared to urban areas) reported a higher level of professional identity; (4) the nursing interns in better work atmosphere reported a higher level of professional identity; (5) the nursing interns under the guidance of the teachers equipped with better teaching capacity reported a higher level of professional identity.
CONCLUSION
The education level, first choice of major and residential status are influence factors of nursing interns' professional identity. The nursing educators need to pay attention to nursing interns whose first choice is not nursing, and in a bachelor program, who may have a lower level of professional identity. It is crucial to enhance the nursing interns' professional identity by improve the work atmosphere and clinical teachers' capacity, to promote nursing interns to choose nursing as a profession and reduce the shortage of nursing workforce.
PubMed: 35879704
DOI: 10.1186/s12912-022-00983-2 -
Health Promotion Perspectives 2023Adolescents' sleep deteriorated over the last decades, urging the need to develop effective interventions. Using participatory action research (PAR) is a promising and...
BACKGROUND
Adolescents' sleep deteriorated over the last decades, urging the need to develop effective interventions. Using participatory action research (PAR) is a promising and unique approach to target adolescents' sleep. This study aims to describe the process and results of combining PAR and intervention mapping (IM) to guide future researchers on developing and planning of the implementation and evaluation of interventions promoting healthy sleep in adolescents.
METHODS
In each of three intervention schools (two with general and technical education and one with technical and vocational education), an action team including adolescents (age 13- 15 years, n=max. 12) and a researcher was composed to develop and plan the intervention. During weekly sessions (n=ranging from 23 to 34 per school), the action team went through the six steps of IM. A short PAR was performed with parents (n=7) to develop parental intervention components.
RESULTS
Combining PAR and IM resulted in interventions focusing on the importance of healthy sleep, regular sleep patterns and associated behaviors: screen behaviors, physical activity, dietary behavior and relaxation. Several differences in the participatory process (i.e. more guidance needed during brainstorms in the vocational/technical school) and developed intervention (i.e. less intrusive intervention components in the vocational/technical school) were observed between schools.
CONCLUSION
Combining PAR with IM resulted in more extensive interventions than other existing school-based sleep interventions. Future studies should investigate whether a participatory developed sleep intervention could be transferred to another setting using a shorter participatory process.
PubMed: 38235009
DOI: 10.34172/hpp.2023.37 -
Journal of Healthcare Engineering 2021This paper investigates chronic diseases in the older population in the Chinese province of Henan and analyzes the rehabilitation needs and the current supply of related...
This paper investigates chronic diseases in the older population in the Chinese province of Henan and analyzes the rehabilitation needs and the current supply of related services in different levels of medical and elderly care institutions. We explore the fundamental causes for the diversified needs and insufficient supply of chronic disease patients in professional medical services and daily care. Using big data and deep learning (DL) in the sports domain, we propose a novel and intelligent prediction system for chronic diseases. Our model explores effective sinking methods of high-quality medical resources, training and guidance practices, assistance and guidance measures, and the ability to improve the grassroots services so that more chronically ill populations can stay in the community family as long as possible. In such an environment, they can receive cheap, safe, and suitable services. It can also lead to further improvement in constructing the government's regional medical rehabilitation care service system and can formulate long-term care relevant compensation policies.
Topics: Aged; Algorithms; Big Data; Chronic Disease; Humans; Sports
PubMed: 34007431
DOI: 10.1155/2021/9920421 -
The British Journal of General Practice... Jun 2020Undergraduate medical education and postgraduate foundation training are largely secondary care based. General practice trainees also spend nearly half of their training...
BACKGROUND
Undergraduate medical education and postgraduate foundation training are largely secondary care based. General practice trainees also spend nearly half of their training in hospital rotations. Little is known about factors that support effective transition into general practice specialty training or belongingness experiences throughout training.
AIM
To explore the reported experiences of general practice trainee transition into general practice, training in hospital settings, and views of the future.
METHOD
Semi-structured interviews with 18 purposively selected trainees plus observation and stakeholder discussions by a visiting Sri Lankan general practice trainee attending the vocational training scheme in a participant observer role.
RESULTS
Mastering core skills of general practice, undergraduate and early experience in general practice during specialty training, and general practice trainer guidance and role modelling facilitated transition. A reduced sense of belongingness during hospital rotations impacted on training and work. Building bridging social connections, personal agency initiatives to bring general practice relevance into hospital training, and secondary care affiliative behaviours were adaptive strategies. Allocation to more general practice relevant duties was thought to create value within the hospital team. General practice trainees are thriving with the support of general practice trainers and colleagues, vocational training scheme, and good work/life balance. International graduates require additional support in specific areas.
CONCLUSION
Adequate support towards transition into general practice and fostering belongingness in hospital settings is important due to the wider impact on training, patient care, and primary/secondary care integration. We propose a theoretical explanation based on Wenger's social learning model, which may have useful practical implications.
PubMed: 32554640
DOI: 10.3399/bjgp20X711101 -
Computational Intelligence and... 2022The traditional college physical education platform can only assist classroom teaching and cannot collect classroom teaching activity data in real time, and its role is...
The traditional college physical education platform can only assist classroom teaching and cannot collect classroom teaching activity data in real time, and its role is very limited. With the rapid development of information technology, China's mobile communication has entered the 5G era and the Internet of Things technology will be more widely used and developed. This paper focuses on the integration technology of 5G and the Internet of Things, analyzes the current situation of the construction of the physical education platform in colleges and universities, and proposes the application of the 5G-based Internet of Things technology in the physical education platform. At the same time, the research of this paper is oriented to real-time physical education activities, using the Internet of Things technology and wireless network technology, combined with the traditional campus network and IT information technology means, to propose a new, dynamic, and open sports network teaching platform design. Activity data collection, analysis, modeling, mining, display, feedback, self-improvement, etc. are expounded. At the same time, the realization technology of the model is discussed, and the experimental design of the combination of the platform and volleyball sports teaching is carried out. The experiment shows that through the platform, simulation can better promote students' understanding, mastery, and application of basic techniques such as passing, padding, and serving. The research results show that the platform can make the teaching content intuitive and collect teaching activity data in real time. The interaction between students is helpful for teachers to strengthen the guidance of students' learning process and improve the quality of physical education in higher vocational education.
Topics: Humans; Internet; Internet of Things; Physical Education and Training; Technology; Universities
PubMed: 35498185
DOI: 10.1155/2022/9382048 -
Frontiers in Psychology 2022Teaching is a career with great instances of anxiety and exhaustion in all stages of education with particular difficulties associated with the attribute of language...
Teaching is a career with great instances of anxiety and exhaustion in all stages of education with particular difficulties associated with the attribute of language instruction. The notion of motivation might be a significant fundamental mechanism since demotivated educators are distressed due to the anxious feature of the instructing career. Moreover, educators' wellbeing has been demonstrated to have a pivotal function in the path of instruction and learners' success. On the other hand, to mitigate both motivation and wellbeing among teachers, one of the mental traits in this filed, namely, mindfulness can be effective as it is a technique that link to positive effects when used as an administrative strategy for alleviating stress and concern that bring about motivation and wellbeing. As a result, the purpose of the study is to investigate the predictor role of mindfulness on teachers' motivation and wellbeing. In this study, 577 teachers (235 males and 342 females) Chinese English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers at different colleges, universities, and institutes in 13 provinces among which Jiangsu and Zhejiang province accounted for 26.69%, while other provinces made up 65.86% and 2 municipalities directly under the central government (Beijing and Chongqing; 7.45%). were kindly accepted to participate in the present study, and they answered the three questionnaires, namely, motivation, mindfulness, and wellbeing. The results of the study through a linear regression analysis indicated that teachers' mindfulness could significantly predict both teachers' wellbeing and motivation. According to the results, some pedagogical suggestions for the policymakers, educator trainers, materials developers, and language educators are offered. Ultimately, guidance for further studies is proposed to L2 scholars who are interested.
PubMed: 35664142
DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.906779