Stepwise Multiple Linear Regression Analysis Research Articles

Factors Associated With Loneliness Among Chinese Patients With Cancer: A Cross-sectional Study.

Loneliness has a significant impact on the physical and psychological well-being of patients with cancer. However, the specific factors contributing to loneliness among patients with cancer within the context of Chinese culture remain poorly understood. The objective of this study was to identify the factors associated with loneliness among patients with cancer in China. A cross-sectional study was conducted using convenience sampling, involving a sample of 205 patients with cancer from a tertiary hospital in Guangzhou, China. Participants completed several validated questionnaires, including the Cancer Loneliness Scale (CLS), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), Cancer-Related Negative Social Expectations Scale (C-rNSES), and Social Support Rating Scale (SSRS). Multiple linear stepwise regression analysis was employed to explore the relationships between loneliness and psychosocial factors. The median score for loneliness among patients with cancer was 13, with an interquartile range of 8. The multiple linear stepwise regression analysis revealed that negative social expectations, social support, and depression were significantly associated with loneliness in this population. Collectively, these factors accounted for 50.1% (R2 = .501) of the variance in loneliness. The findings of this study highlight the importance of addressing negative social expectations and depression and improving social support to prevent or reduce loneliness among patients with cancer. Health care providers should consider these factors when developing interventions aimed at preventing or alleviating loneliness in this population.

Alkaline humic acid fertilizer alters the distribution, availability, and translocation of cadmium and zinc in the acidic soil–Sauropus androgynus system

Humic acids (HA) are a popular soil additive to reduce metal availability, but they have the drawbacks of reduced effectiveness over time and a significant reduction in soil pH. An alkaline humic acid fertilizer (AHAF) combining alkaline additives with HA was developed to overcome such drawbacks. A field experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of different AHAF application rates on the physicochemical properties, bioavailability, accumulation, and translocation of Cd and Zn heavy metals in Sauropus androgynus grown in acidic soil. Based on our results, the 100AF (100% AHAF) treatment significantly increased soil pH, cation exchange capacity (CEC), and organic matter content (OM) after one year of application. Compared with the control treatment (CK), the application of different rates of AHAF resulted in a 37.1–40.3% decrease in soil exchangeable Cd fractions (Exc-Cd) and an increase in the humic acid-bound Cd fractions (HA-Cd) Fe- and Mn-oxide-bound Cd fractions (OX-Cd), and organic matter-bound Cd fractions (OM-Cd) by 9.5–64.6%, 24.8–45.1%, and 158.8–191.2%, respectively (P < 0.05). The different AHAF treatments decreased the Res-Zn, Exc-Zn, and OM-Zn fractions by 69.6–73.0%, 7.4–23.9%, and 18.1–23.2%, respectively (P < 0.05), and increased the HA-Zn fraction by 8.4–28.1%. In the control treatment, the bioconcentration factors (BCFs) for Cd and Zn in different S. androgynus plant organs were in the following order: (Cd) Leaves > Stems > Branches > Roots > Edible branches; (Zn) Roots > Stems > Leaves > Branches > Edible branches. The transfer factors (TFs) of Cd and Zn in S. androgynus were classified as follows: TF2 > TF1 > TF3 > TF4. Thus, S. androgynus stems, and roots had a strong ability to transport Cd and Zn to the leaves. Compared with CK, the 100AF treatment significantly increased the BCFs for Zn in all plant parts (except BCFedible branches). In contrast, it significantly decreased all BCFs and TFs for Cd and the TF4 for Zn, effectively reducing Cd and Zn accumulation in the edible branches of S. androgynus. Soil pH, CEC, OM, and HA-M fraction were highly and significantly negatively correlated with Cd and Zn content in edible branches (P < 0.001). Stepwise multiple linear regression analysis revealed that the soil HA-M fraction was the key contributing factor for Zn accumulation and translocation in S. androgynus. Moreover, based on our findings, the absorption, uptake, and translocation of Cd and Zn were mainly determined by metal speciation and the pH in the soil. Moreover, the competitive antagonistic mechanisms between Zn and Cd absorption also affected their accumulation in S. androgynus. Thus, AHAF can be used as a soil amendment to sustainably improve acidic soils and effectively reduce Cd and Zn accumulation in edible branches of S. androgynus.

Effects of different obesity evaluation indexes on long-term blood pressure variability in adults

Abstract Background In recent years, people have a new understanding of the treatment of hypertension. Even at the optimal blood pressure levels recommended by the guidelines, further attention to blood pressure variability is warranted. Obesity and overweight are associated with blood pressure variability, but existing studies mainly focus on the effect of traditional obesity indicators on blood pressure variability (BPV). Objectives To explore the correlation between the new obesity assessment indicators LAP, BRI, CVAI and blood pressure variability. Methods A total of 7092 subjects who had regular physical examination in a community health center, were included for analysis. We used new measures to assess obesity, including LAP, BRI, CVAI. Subjects were grouped according to the baseline CVAI quartile. We used variation independent of mean(VIM) to assess long-term variations in blood pressure. Variance analysis was used to analyze the differences among different blood pressure variables and their baseline characteristics. Stepwise multivariate linear regression and multiple logistic regression analyses were used to assess the impact of CVAI/LAP/BRI on VIM. Results The average age of the subjects was 60.7±6.8 years old. With the increase of CVAI and BRI, the mean blood pressure variability increased gradually. In contrast, the mean blood pressure variability decreases with increasing LAP. After adjusting for other confounding factors, multiple linear regression analysis showed that VIMSBP increased by 0.007 and 0.216 for each unit increase in CVAI and BRI, respectively. LAP found no correlation. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that increased CVAI and BRI were risk factors for increased VIMSBP, and increased LAP was protective factor for increased VIMSBP. Conclusion Compared with traditional indicators, the novel obesity indicators were also associated with blood pressure variability. And it has a stronger correlation than traditional indicators.

A study on measure of resilience and impact of demanding clinical training on young medical professional's burnout in a tertiary care hospital, Andhra Pradesh

BACKGROUND: The psychological state of medical students gaining concern on the part of medical institutions in several countries. Numerous studies are being conducted to study stress, burnout, and depression in medical students in India and globally. However, little is known about medical student resilience, particularly in India. The objectives of this study were to study the resilience, self-perceptions of stress coping skills, and burnout among medical students in clinical training in a tertiary care health center, to study factors associated with resilience among medical students in clinical training in a tertiary care health center and to study the relationship between resilience and self-perceptions of stress coping skills and symptoms of burnout. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted in a tertiary healthcare hospital in district Guntur, Andhra Pradesh from November 2020 to December 2020, among 186 adult male and female medical students, aged more than 20 years, enrolled in the regular degree course and part of patient care or at least last three months. Participants were randomly selected and a structured questionnaire with Connor Davidson Resilience Scale 10 was used for interviewing. Descriptive and inferential statistics were conducted to measure associations between outcome and explanatory variables. We used multiple linear regression to examine the association between dependent and independent variables. A P value less than. 05 was considered significant. RESULTS: In the present study, 109 (58.0%) were females. The mean age of the study participants was 25.4 years (standard deviation 2.78). The mean score resilience score of the study participants using Connor Davidson Resilience Scale 10 was 25.1 (standard deviation 7.97). Of the total 44 (23.7%) of the study, participants reported the presence of burnout. A significant positive correlation was between resilience and self-perceptions of stress-coping skills with a Pearson Correlation coefficient of 0.393. Among the study participants, the mean resilience score was higher among those not having any symptoms of burnout. In the hierarchical stepwise multiple linear regression analysis, male gender (P value = .014), financial independence (P value = .044), and absence of burnout symptoms (P value = .004) were significantly associated with higher resilience scores. Psychiatric medicine usage was significantly associated with a lower resilience score with P &lt; .05. CONCLUSION: Our study samples had higher resilience and lower burnout prevalence compared to the West. The stressful clinical event experienced by medical students demands training and innovative strategies to foster communication and teamwork skills among medical teams.

Corneal metabolic biomarkers for moderate and high myopia in human

This study aimed to identify the corneal metabolic biomarkers for moderate and high myopia in human. We enrolled 221 eyes from 221 subjects with myopia to perform the femtosecond laser small incision lenticule extraction (SMILE) surgery. Among these, 71 eyes of 71 subjects were enrolled in the low myopic group, 75 eyes of 75 subjects in the moderate myopic group and 75 eyes of 75 subjects in the high myopic group. The untargeted metabolomics analysis was performed to analyze the corneal tissues extracted during the SMILE surgery using an ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) coupled to a quadrupole time-of-flight (Q-TOF) mass spectrometry (MS). The one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to identify the different metabolites among the three myopic groups, the orthogonal partial least-squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) model was used to reveal the different metabolites between moderate myopia and low myopia, and between high myopia and low myopia. The Venn gram was used to find the overlapped metabolites of the three datasets of the different metabolites. The stepwise multiple linear regression analysis was used to determine the metabolic molecules associated with manifest refractive spherical equivalents (MRSE). The Receiver Operating Characteristics (ROC) analysis was performed to reveal the corneal biomarkers for moderate and high myopia. The hub biomarker was further selected by the networks among different metabolites created by the Cytoscape software. A total of 1594 metabolites were identified in myopic corneas. 321 metabolites were different among the three myopic groups, 106 metabolites were different between high myopic corneas and low myopic corneas, 104 metabolites were different between moderate myopic corneas and low myopic corneas, and 30 metabolic molecules overlapped among the three datasets. The multivariate linear regression analysis revealed the myopic degree was significantly influenced by the corneal levels of azelaic acid, arginine-proline (Arg-Pro), 1-stearoyl-2-myristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine, and hypoxanthine. The ROC curve analysis showed that azelaic acid, Arg-Pro and hypoxanthine were effective in discriminating low myopia from moderate to high myopia with the area under the curve (AUC) values as 0.982, 0.991 and 0.982 for azelaic acid, Arg-Pro and hypoxanthine respectively. The network analysis suggested that Arg-Pro had the maximum connections among these three biomarkers. Thus, this study identified azelaic acid, Arg-Pro and hypoxanthine as corneal biomarkers to discriminate low myopia from moderate to high myopia, with Arg-Pro serving as the hub biomarker for moderate and high myopia.

Mediating effects of social support, mental health between stress overload, fatigue and turnover intention among operating theatre nurses

BackgroundThe high rate of nurses turnover and nursing staff shortage have been an ongoing concern issue and a challenge for global health systems. To explore the turnover intention among operating theatre nurses, and to test the hypothetical model for estimating the effects of stress overload and fatigue between social support, mental health and turnover intention.Designa multi-center and cross-sectional online survey.MethodsThis study was conducted from October 2020 to March 2021 comprised 1060 operating theatre nurses from 76 Chinese hospitals. The descriptive analysis, independent sample t test and one-way analysis of variance and Spearman correlation analysis were used to explore the relationships among variables by the SPSS software, and stepwise multiple linear regression analysis was utilized to identify influencing factors of turnover intention and its dimensions among operating theatre nurses. A structural equation model was analyzed by the AMOS software.ResultsSocial support, mental health, stress overload and fatigue were important predictors of turnover intention among operating theatre nurses. Besides, stress overload positively affected fatigue, mental health and turnover intention; fatigue negatively affected social support, however, fatigue positively affected mental health; social support negatively affected mental health and turnover intention; mental health positively affected turnover intention. Moreover, social support, mental health mediated between stress overload, fatigue and turnover intention among operating theatre nurses.ConclusionSocial support, mental health mediated between stress overload, fatigue and turnover intention among operating theatre nurses.

Comparison of Compassion Fatigue, Burnout and Compassion Satisfaction of Oncology-Hematology & Dialysis Nurses.

Background: It is known that health professionals who work with chronic patients for a long time are at risk in terms of compassion fatigue and burnout. Purpose: The study aims to compare the levels of compassion fatigue, burnout, and compassion satisfaction of nurses working on oncology-hematology and dialysis and determine the predictors. Methods: This study was carried out using descriptive and correlational research design. The research was conducted with 278 nurses. Participants were enrolled using a convenience sampling technique from the oncology-hematology inpatient services, outpatient chemotherapy units, and bone marrow transplant units and dialysis nurses of purposively selected hospitals in Istanbul, Turkey. Personal information form and Professional Quality of Life-IV. Potential predictors were analyzed using univariate analysis. We conducted multiple stepwise linear regression analyses to reveal the outcome variables. Results: A sub-analysis comparing the dialysis specialty with the oncology-hematology revealed that dialysis nurses report significantly higher compassion fatigue scores than oncology nurses. Working willingly in the current unit and the level of received social support were determined as predictors for all outcome variables. Conclusions: This is the first study comparing compassion fatigue, burnout, and compassion satisfaction levels of oncology-hematology and dialysis nurses. This study indicates the need for nurse managers to be aware of compassion fatigue and plan compassion fatigue prevention programs. In addition, this study guides the interventional studies to be conducted in the future.

Balance deficit is the domain of the Fugl-Meyer scale that best explain limitations in functional independence during hospitalization after a stroke

PurposeTo investigate which of the residual sensorimotor impairments, assessed by the Fugl-Meyer scale, would best explain functional independence during hospitalization after a stroke. MethodsThis cross-sectional study retrieved data from medical records between January 2014 to December 2021. Explanatory independent variables were the following domains of the Fugl-Meyer scale: joint pain, joint range of motion, balance, sensory function, and motor function of the upper and lower limbs. Functional independence was measured by the Functional Independence Measure (FIM). Step-wise multiple linear regression analysis was used to identify which measures would explain functional independence (α=5%). ResultsData from 1,344 individuals, who had a mean age of 64 years, were retrieved. All included explanatory variables were significantly correlated with the FIM scores (0.24 ≤ r ≤ 0.87). Balance alone explained 76 % (F=4.24; p<0.001) of the variance in the FIM scores. When sensory function and upper-limb motor function scores were included in the model, the explained variance increased to 82 % (F = 1.935; p < 0.001). ConclusionsBalance, which is important for carrying-out self-care activities, is the domain of the Fugl-Meyer scale that best explained functional independence during hospitalization after a stroke. Although sensory function and motor function of the upper limb added little to the explained variance, they should not be underlooked. Future research is needed to determine whether progressive balance training interventions would enhance functional independence after a stroke.

Aspects of Rest-Activity Rhythms Associated With Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms in Moderate and Severe Dementia: Results of a Cross-sectional Analysis.

Disturbances in rest-activity rhythms (RAR) are commonly observed in patients with dementia; however, the influence thereof on behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) remains unexplored. This study aimed to determine whether there is an association between RAR and BPSD among patients with moderate and severe dementia. RAR analyses of 64 participants were performed using actigraphy. BPSD was assessed using the Neuropsychiatric Inventory-Nursing Home (NPI-NH) scale, and other clinical variables were assessed by the Mini-Mental State Examination, Cognitive Test for Severe Dementia, and Hyogo Activities of Daily Living Scale. Correlations among RAR, sleep time, and BPSD were analyzed. A stepwise multiple linear regression analysis was conducted to examine the association of RAR and sleep time with BPSD. The demographic variables were also adjusted. Variables were compared between two groups with aberrant and nonaberrant activity peak timing. Correlation analysis showed that longer maximum durations of activity and shorter daytime sleep were associated with higher NPI-NH scores. Stepwise multiple linear regression analysis showed that maximum activity duration predicted the NPI-NH score after adjustment for the demographic variables. There was no significant difference in any variables between the groups with aberrant and nonaberrant activity peak timing. RAR is associated with BPSD in moderate-to-severe dementia, which should be considered with regard to treatment.

Formate Might Be a Novel Potential Serum Metabolic Biomarker for Type 2 Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy.

As one of the most frequent complications of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) shows a profound impact on 50% of patients with symptoms of neuropathic pain, numbness and other paresthesia. No valid serum biomarkers for the prediction of DPN have been identified in the clinic so far. This study is to investigate the potential serum biomarkers for DPN firstly based on 1H-Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (1H-NMR)-based metabolomics technique. Thirty-six patients enrolled in this study were divided into two groups: 18 T2DM patients without DPN (T2DM group) and 18 T2DM patients with DPN (DPN group). Serum metabolites were measured via 1H-NMR spectroscopy. Bioinformatic approaches including principal component analysis (PCA), orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA), independent sample t-test, Fisher's test, Pearson and Spearman correlation analysis, Stepwise multiple linear regression analysis and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis were used to identify the potential altered serum biomarkers. A total of 20 metabolites were obtained and further analyzed. Formate was identified as the only potential biomarker that decreased in the DPN group with statistical significance after multiple comparisons (p<0.05). Formate also displayed a negative relationship with some elevated clinical markers in DPN. ROC curve analysis showed a good discriminative ability for formate in DPN with an area under the curve (AUC) value of 0.981. Formate could be considered a potential serum metabolic biomarker for DPN. The reduced level of formate in DPN may be associated with mitochondrial dysfunction and gut microbiota alteration. Monitoring the level of serum formate would be an important strategy for the early diagnosis of DPN and a supplement of formate may be a promising treatment for DPN in the future.

Estimating potassium in potato plants based on multispectral images acquired from unmanned aerial vehicles.

Plant potassium content (PKC) is a crucial indicator of crop potassium nutrient status and is vital in making informed fertilization decisions in the field. This study aims to enhance the accuracy of PKC estimation during key potato growth stages by using vegetation indices (VIs) and spatial structure features derived from UAV-based multispectral sensors. Specifically, the fraction of vegetation coverage (FVC), gray-level co-occurrence matrix texture, and multispectral VIs were extracted from multispectral images acquired at the potato tuber formation, tuber growth, and starch accumulation stages. Linear regression and stepwise multiple linear regression analyses were conducted to investigate how VIs, both individually and in combination with spatial structure features, affect potato PKC estimation. The findings lead to the following conclusions: (1) Estimating potato PKC using multispectral VIs is feasible but necessitates further enhancements in accuracy. (2) Augmenting VIs with either the FVC or texture features makes potato PKC estimation more accurate than when using single VIs. (3) Finally, integrating VIs with both the FVC and texture features improves the accuracy of potato PKC estimation, resulting in notable R 2 values of 0.63, 0.84, and 0.80 for the three fertility periods, respectively, with corresponding root mean square errors of 0.44%, 0.29%, and 0.25%. Overall, these results highlight the potential of integrating canopy spectral information and spatial-structure information obtained from multispectral sensors mounted on unmanned aerial vehicles for monitoring crop growth and assessing potassium nutrient status. These findings thus have significant implications for agricultural management.

Phytoextraction of highly cadmium-polluted agricultural soil by Sedum plumbizincicola: An eight-hectare field study

Phytoextraction with Sedum plumbizincicola is an in-situ, environmentally friendly and highly efficient remediation technique for slightly Cd-polluted soils but it remains a challenge to remediate highly Cd-polluted soils under field conditions. Here, an 8-ha field experiment was conducted to evaluate the feasibility of repeated phytoextraction by S. plumbizincicola of a highly Cd-polluted acid agricultural soil (pH 5.61, [Cd] 2.58 mg kg−1) in Yunnan province, southwest China. Mean shoot dry biomass production, Cd concentration and Cd uptake were 1.95 t ha−1, 170 mg kg−1 and 339 g ha−1 at the first harvest, and 0.91 t ha−1, 172 mg kg−1 and 142 g ha−1 at the second harvest. After two seasons of phytoextraction, soil total and CaCl2-extractable Cd concentrations decreased from 2.58 ± 0.69 to 1.53 ± 0.43 mg kg−1 and 0.22 ± 0.12 to 0.14 ± 0.07 mg kg−1, respectively. Stepwise multiple linear regression analysis shows that the shoot Cd concentration and uptake of S. plumbizincicola were positively related to soil CaCl2-extractable Cd concentrations, especially in the first crop. A negative relationship indicates that soil organic matter content played an important role in soil Cd availability and shoot Cd concentration in the first crop. In addition, the rhizosphere effect on soil CaCl2-extractable Cd concentration was negatively correlated with soil pH in the first crop. The accuracy of the calculation of soil Cd phytoextraction efficiency at field scale depends on all of the following factors being considered: shoot Cd uptake, cropping pattern, standardized sampling points, and the leaching and surface runoff of Cd. Phytoextraction with S. plumbizincicola is a feasible technique for efficient Cd removal from highly polluted soils and wide variation in soil properties can influence phytoextraction efficiency at the field scale.

Moderating effects of psychological factors and frequency of experiences in the emergency department: The role of perceived quality of healthcare.

The aim of this study is to identify the main moderators in the relationship between antecedents/predictors (doctors, privacy, accessibility, and availability, perceived waiting time to be called back by the doctor after the examinations and/or tests) and the perceived quality of healthcare (PQHC) in the emergency department (ED). Patients admitted to the ED of a public hospital in Lisbon, Portugal, between January and December 2016 were included in this study, with a representative sample size of 382 patients. A 5% margin of error and a 95% confidence interval were used, and all data were collected between May and November 2017. We used a stepwise multiple linear regression analysis to test the moderation models. We identified 3 main moderators with different moderating roles between the antecedents (predictors) and PQHC: level of life satisfaction, level of happiness, and frequency of ED experiences. Overall satisfaction with doctors is more likely to influence the PQHC among patients with lower levels of life satisfaction. Moreover, privacy and perceived waiting time to be called back by the doctor after an examination and/or test are more likely to influence the PQHC among patients with lower levels of life satisfaction and happiness. Finally, accessibility and availability are more likely to influence the PQHC among patients with more frequent ED experiences. Thus, knowing the moderating effects of psychological factors and the frequency of ED experiences may help to better understand the relationship between PQHC and certain predictors.

Predictors of mortality and transfusion requirements in venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation patients.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the prognostic impact of variables, including thrombocytopenia and the amount of platelet transfusion, for predicting survival in venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) recipients. Additionally, we aimed to identify the predictors of increased transfusion requirement during venoarterial ECMO support. All patients who received venoarterial ECMO between December 2008 and March 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. Univariate and multivariate Cox regressions were used to evaluate in-hospital mortality according to variables including thrombocytopenia and daily average of platelet concentrate transfusion. Stepwise multiple linear regression analysis was used to identify independent predictors for transfusion requirements. Analysis of 218 patients demonstrated severe thrombocytopenia as an independent predictor of in-hospital mortality (hazard ratio = 2.840, 95% CI: 1.593-5.063, P < .001), along with age, pre-ECMO cardiac arrest, and pH. In contrast, the amount of platelet transfusion was not associated with in-hospital mortality. Multiple variables, including the type of indication for ECMO were associated with transfusion requirements. Our findings identified severe thrombocytopenia as an independent prognostic factor of in-hospital mortality. However, daily average platelet transfusion was not associated with survival outcomes. Additionally, our study identified predictive variables of increased transfusion requirements.

Effect of depressive symptoms on quality of work life in female nurses: a cross-sectional study using propensity score matching.

Female nurses have been considered as a vulnerable population in the context of mental health, due to the nature of their work, which can be stressful and emotionally taxing. Understanding the relationship between depressive symptoms and quality of work life (QWL) can contribute to improving mental health and job performance. However, limited studies have focused on the effect of depressive symptoms on QWL in female nurses. The present study aimed to assess the effect of depressive symptoms on female nurses' QWL using propensity score matching (PSM). A cross-sectional, online study using convenience sampling was conducted among 1,401 female nurses in China. PSM was used to minimize the impact of potential confounders between no depressive symptoms and depressive symptoms. Stepwise multiple linear regression analyses were performed on the PSM samples to explore the effects of depressive symptoms on the QWL. The results revealed there were 33.5% of the female nurses reported depressive symptoms before PSM. And female nurses in this study had a moderate level of QWL before PSM (122.11 ± 18.15), which remained steady after PSM (118.33 ± 18.04). After PSM, the final sample contained 864 female nurses. Stepwise multiple linear regression results indicated that depressive symptoms were the most strongly associated with QWL (β = -0.454, p < 0.001). This study highlights the importance of developing mental health plans and psychological interventions for female nurses to maintain mental health and QWL, which is critical to the nursing workforce's sustainability.

Relationships of Body Dissatisfaction and Self-Esteem with Social Physique Anxiety among University Students in Different Study Programs

AbstractThe purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships of body dissatisfaction and self-esteem with social physique anxiety in students pursuing different subjects of study. A total of 219 students aged 22 ± 1.9 years of age participated; 78 were men and 141 women. The participants were divided into two groups according their subject of study. Group A consisted of 123 (56.2%) students in the Department of Physical Education &amp; Sport Science, whose studies were directly associated with the body and physical appearance. Group B consisted of 96 (43.8%) students in other departments. All participants completed the scales: (a) Social Physique Anxiety, (b) Body Dissatisfaction and (c) Self-Esteem. Correlation analysis indicated positive significant values between social physique anxiety, body dissatisfaction and body mass index, and a negative significant correlation between social physique anxiety and self-esteem. Stepwise multiple linear regression analysis with social physique anxiety as a dependent variable across the sample and in group A revealed that social physique anxiety was significantly positively predicted by body dissatisfaction and significantly negatively predicted by self-esteem. For group B, social physique anxiety was significantly positively predicted by only body dissatisfaction. T test analysis indicated significant differences in body dissatisfaction, with group B scoring higher than group A. The results are discussed in the context of practical applications to address symptoms of social physique anxiety regarding body construction in young adults and to provide regular exercise support in study programs at universities.

Linking soil organic carbon mineralization to soil physicochemical properties and bacterial alpha diversity at different depths following land use changes

BackgroundAnthropogenic land use changes (LUCs) impart intensifying impacts on soil organic carbon (SOC) turnover, leading to uncertainty concerning SOC mineralization patterns and determining whether soils act as “source” or “sink” in the global carbon budget. Therefore, understanding the SOC mineralization characteristics of different LUC patterns and their potential influencing factors is crucial. An indoor incubation experiment was conducted to study the SOC mineralization patterns and their relevance to soil physicochemical properties, soil enzyme activity, SOC fractions, and bacterial alpha diversity. The soils were collected from two layers of five typical LUC patterns in Yellow Sea Forest Park, including four that were converted from wheat–corn rotation systems [a gingko plantation (G), a metasequoia plantation (M), a gingko–wheat–corn agroforestry system (GW), and a gingko–metasequoia system (GM)] and a traditional wheat–corn system (W).ResultsLUCs had significant and diverse impacts on the SOC content and SOC fraction contents and on soil enzyme activity. The cumulative SOC mineralization was significantly higher in the M systen than in the W and GW systems at 0–20 cm depth and higher in the G system than in the GW system at 20–40 cm depth after 60-day incubation. The mineralization ratio was highest in the W system and lowest in the GW system. The soil pH and bulk density had a significant negative correlation with the cumulative SOC mineralization, while the soil bacterial Shannon index had a significant positive correlation with cumulative SOC mineralization. Multiple stepwise linear regression analysis showed that the SOC mineralization potential was dominantly explained by the bacterial Shannon index and operational taxonomic units (OTUs). The GW system had lower potentially mineralizable SOC and higher SOC stability. Additionally, the incubation time and cumulative SOC mineralization were well fitted by the first-order kinetic equation.ConclusionsLUCs significantly changed SOC mineralization characteristics and the results highlighted the important roles of the bacterial community in soil carbon cycling, which contributes to the fundamental understanding of SOC turnover regulation.

Experiences of decisional conflict related to epidural labour analgesia among women during late pregnancy in a tertiary hospital in China: a mixed methods study

BackgroundResearch has indicated some women were in a state of uncertainty about pharmacological pain management decisions, which may lead to maternal anxiety and decisional regret. However, little is known about decisional conflict in the choice of epidural labour analgesia amongst Chinese women. AimThis study aimed to investigate the level of and reasons underlying decisional conflict in Chinese women during their late pregnancy when making a decision on the use of epidural analgesia in labour. MethodsA convergent parallel mixed methods study was undertaken, that included a quantitative survey (n = 323) and qualitative interviews (n = 17) with women recruited from a tertiary general hospital in Hangzhou, China. The quantitative survey assessed the level of and its influencing factors of women's decisional conflict, while the qualitative interview further explored experiences of and reasons underlying the conflict. FindingsParticipants reported a high level of decisional conflict (mean±SD, 39.59±15.92), which related to decision delay and/or negative perceptions about the decision. Multiple stepwise linear regression analysis identified that highest level of education and knowledge of epidural were negatively associated with decisional conflict (p<0.05). Four decision-making styles (rational, dependant, intuitive and avoidant decision-making) associated with different levels of decisional conflict, and four underlying reasons (personal characteristics, informational provision, emotional support and participation in decision-making) of the conflict were thematized. ConclusionDecisional conflict related to epidural labour analgesia is a noteworthy issue amongst women during their late pregnancy. This study suggests a need for provision of family-centred shared decision-making practice about the use of epidural analgesia in labour.

Influence of CYP3A5 and ABCB1 polymorphisms on the pharmacokinetics of vincristine in adult patients receiving CHOP therapy.

This study aims to clarify the impact of CYP3A5 and ABCB1 polymorphisms on the pharmacokinetics of vincristine (VCR) in adult patients receiving CHOP therapy. Plasma samples were collected immediately after the end of VCR administration and at 1.5, 2.5, 3.5, 5.5, 9.5, 13.5, and 25.5h after the start of administration. Areas under the plasma concentration-time curves of VCR in the elimination phase (AUC1.5-25.5) were calculated using the linear trapezoidal rule. Half-lives of VCR during the early phase (1.5-5.5h) and terminal phase (5.5-25.5h; t1/2γ) were determined according to the log-linear regression of the concentration-time data for at least 3 sampling points. A total of 41 adult patients were enrolled in this study. The median t1/2γ and AUC1.5-25.5 were significantly longer and higher in CYP3A5 non-expressers (CYP3A5*3/*3) than in CYP3A5 expressers (CYP3A5*1/*1 or *1/*3) (21.3 vs 13.8h, P = 0.005 and 35.5 vs 30.0ng･h/mL, P = 0.006, respectively). Conversely, there were no significant differences in pharmacokinetic parameters among the ABCB1 c.1236C>T, c.2677G>A/T, c.3435C>T genotype groups. A stepwise selection multiple linear regression analysis showed that the dose of VCR administered and CYP3A5 non-expresser status were independent factors influencing the AUC1.5-25.5 (partial R2 = 0.212, P = 0.002 and partial R2 = 0.143, P = 0.010, respectively). The CYP3A5*3 polymorphism was found to be an indicator for predicting exposure to VCR in adult patients receiving CHOP therapy. This information may be useful for the individualization of VCR dosages.

Global cardiovascular diseases burden attributable to high sodium intake from 1990 to 2019.

Sodium intake shows a positive correlation with blood pressure, resulting in an increased risk for cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Salt reduction is a key step toward the WHO's goal of 25% reduction in mortality from non-communicable diseases (NCDs) by 2025. This study aims to assess the current condition and temporal changes of the global CVD burden due to high sodium intake (HSI). We extracted data from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study 2019. The numbers and age-standardized rates of mortality and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), stratified by location, sex, and socio-demographic Index (SDI), were used to assess the high sodium intakeattributable CVD burden from 1990 to 2019. The relationship between the DALYs rates and related factors was evaluated by stepwise multiple linear regression analysis. Globally, in 2019, the deaths and DALYs of HSI-related CVD were 1.72 million and 40.54 million, respectively, increasing by 41.08% and 33.06% from 1990. Meanwhile, the corresponding mortality and DALYs rates dropped by 35.1% and 35.2%, respectively. The high-middle and middle SDI quintiles bore almost two-thirds ofCVD burden caused by HSI. And the leading cause of HSI attributable CVD burden wasischemic heart disease. Universal health coverage (UHC) wasassociated with the DALYs rates after adjustment. From 1990 to 2019, the global CVD burden attributable to HSI has declined with spatiotemporal and sexual heterogeneity. However, it remains a major public health challenge because of the increasing absolute numbers. Improving UHC serves as an effective strategy to reduce the HSI-related CVD burden.