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This study aimed to construct the molecular biomarkers of autophagy and endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS), as well as their corresponding protein interaction network in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) patients with different levels of physical activity (PA) by bioinformatics methods. The expression profiles of the genes were downloaded from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO). Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between AD samples with low, moderate and high levels of PA were studied. The autophagy and ERS-related genes (AERSRGs) were extracted from GeneCards and MsigDB databases. The functional enrichment analysis was conducted to determine the function of DEGs. To explore the proteins, miRNAs and transcription factors (TF) interacting with DEGs, the protein–protein network, mRNA-miRNA network and mRNA-TF network were built using Cytoscape software. Then the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis were conducted to verify the diagnostic performance of hub genes. A total of 533 AERSRGs were identified in Group H and 150 AERSRGs were screened in Group M. Functional enrichment analysis suggested genes of AD play vital roles in some biological process (e.g., cell cycle phase transition, mitochondrion organization, proteasomal protein catabolic process). KEGG enrichment analysis suggested that sarcopenia involves the pathways (e.g., GABA, P2Y receptors, serotonin release cycle). A total of 5 hub genes were screened in Group H and 9 were identified in Group M. ROC analysis suggested that several hub genes exhibited a relatively high sensitivity and specificity in both groups of AD. The hub genes screened in this study are closely correlated with autophagy and ERS in AD and can differentiate AD with different levels of PA. SRC, MAPK3 and MAP2K1 exhibit relatively high sensitivity and specificity in diagnosis in Group H; MCM2, CDC42, HNRNPM, ASF1A, NCBP2, SNRNP70 and MCM6 exhibit relatively high sensitivity and specificity in diagnosis in Group M.

Background: It is well known that patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) suffer from impaired quality of life (QoL) and decreased health-related fitness. Studies on the relationship between them have been scarce. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was performed in 104 NAFLD patients. Liver fat content and fibrosis were assessed using transient elastography. Health-related fitness was measured by fitness test. VO2max was determined by YMCA submaximal cycle ergometer test. Body composition was tested by bioimpedance analysis. QoL was evaluated using the 36-item Short Form Health Survey Questionnaire (SF-36). Results: Most patients had severe liver steatosis without significant fibrosis. Most of them exhibited poor health-related fitness. Multiple linear regression analyses demonstrated that body compositions (waist circumference, hip circumference, percent body fat, percent skeletal muscle, visceral fat area) dependently contributed to QoL (health transition, role limitation due to physical problem, general health, physical functioning and vitality). VO2max was positively related with physical functioning. Conclusion: For NAFLD patients, decreased health-related fitness was associated with impaired QoL both in the physical and mental dimension. Our results indicate that visceral fat together with muscle mass and VO2max could serve as individual exercise intervention targets to improve QoL.

The current study aimed to investigate the antiproliferative effect of Resv on the growth of VSMCs and to determine the association between Resv and STAT3 and the mitochondrial biogenesis signaling pathway under high-glucose conditions. Male Wistar rats weighing between 180 and 200 g were killed by cervical vertebra dislocation. Primary VSMCs were obtained by outgrowth methods. Cells from different treatment groups were then collected, and changes in cell proliferation and signaling pathway activity were analyzed by PCR and Western blotting. And the MTT assay was used to investigate the effect of Resv on VSMC proliferation. Resv inhibited proliferation of VSMCs under high-glucose conditions. Resv suppressed the transcriptional activity of STAT3, but the mitochondrial gene GRIM-19, which is responsible for STAT3 activation, was simultaneously upregulated. The mitochondrial biogenesis signaling pathway components NRF1, NRF2, TFB1m, and TFB2m were also upregulated. In addition, the mitochondrial genes NDUFA1, NDUFA2, and NDUFA3 were involved in the function of Resv. The results of the study suggest that Resv has an antiproliferative effect in high-glucose-cultured VSMCs partly through inhibiting STAT3 function and upregulating mitochondrial biogenesis.

The present study reports on the effects of a self-regulated (SRL) writing strategy-based intervention supported with e-learning tools on SRL strategy use in English writing with 468 Hong Kong prim...

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a leading malignancy of the digestive system, especially in China. Although radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and transarterial chemoembolization have achieved tremendous success, surgical resection remains the primary treatment for HCC patients. Recent studies have shown that intravenous anesthetic drugs may affect the malignant behaviors of tumor cells, ultimately leading to differences in the postoperative prognosis of patients. Etomidate is one of the most widely used intravenous anesthetic drugs for the induction and maintenance of anesthesia in tumor patients undergoing surgery. However, the effects and underlying mechanisms of etomidate on HCC cells have not yet been characterized. Our study indicated that etomidate significantly impedes the malignant progression of HCC cells. Mechanistically, etomidate inhibits phosphorylation and, ultimately, the activity of Janus kinase 2 (JAK2) by competing with ATP for binding to the ATP-binding pocket of JAK2. Thus, it suppresses the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway in HCC cells to exert its anti-tumor efficacy. Herein, we provide preclinical evidence that etomidate is the optimal choice for surgical treatment of HCC patients.

To investigate the job satisfaction among psychiatric nurses in China and to explore its associated factors.A cross-sectional survey among a nationwide sample from 32 tertiary psychiatric hospitals in 29 provincial capitals in China.Nurses (N = 9.907) were targeted for this survey in December 2017. In all, 8,493 responded (response rate = 85.7%) and 7,881 (79.5%) were included in the analysis. An online questionnaire was used to collect demographics and factors related to the work environment. The short version of the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire was used to assess job satisfaction. Multilevel regression was used to examine the association between job satisfaction and these factors.The mean job satisfaction score was 73.7. The multiple regression analysis indicated that self-rated health, monthly income, medical liability insurance coverage, perceived respect from patients, social recognition, nurse-physician collaboration, and trust were significantly associated with higher job satisfaction scores, while age, work hours, and directly experiencing patient-initiated violence were negatively associated with job satisfaction (p .05).Overall, Chinese psychiatric nurses are closer to satisfied than neutral and some demographics and factors related to stressful work environments were associated with nurses' job satisfaction scores.This study examined factors associated with the job satisfaction of Chinese psychiatric nurses in a nationwide sample and indicated that to improve nurses' job satisfaction, the government and hospital administrators could consider ways to promote nurses' personal health and to modify the stressful work environments, such as improving income, reducing work hours, promoting the psychiatric nursing specialty in ways that increase the public's respect for it, increasing awareness of medical liability insurance coverage, and protecting nurses from patients' violence.目的: 调查我国精神科护士的工作满意度,并探究其相关因素。 设计: 对全国19个省会城市32所三级精神病院进行横断面调查。 方法: 本次调查在2017年12月进行,护士(N = 9.907)为本次调查对象。在所有调查对象中,有8493名护士回复(回复率= 85.7%),其中7881 人(79.5%)被纳入了分析。我们使用了在线问卷手机人口统计数据以及与工作环境相关的因素。我们采用了明尼苏达州满意度调查问卷的简要版本以评估工作满意度,并使用了多水平回归以检验工作满意度与这些因素之间的关联。 结果: 平均工作满意度为73.7分。多元回归分析法表明自我评估的健康水平、每月收入、医疗责任保险范围、感知到的患者的尊重、社会认可、医护合作和信任度与更高的工作满意度分数显著相关,而年龄、工作时长以及直接经历患者暴力则与工作满意度呈负相关(p.05)。 结论: 总的来说,中国精神科护士的工作满意度中等偏上,与紧张的工作环境相关的因素以及人口统计数据与护士的工作满意度相关。 影响: 本研究在全国范围内调查了与中国精神科护士工作满意度相关的因素,本研究表明,为了提高护士的工作满意度,政府和医院管理者可以考虑采取措施改善护士个人健康并改变紧张的工作环境,例如提高收入,减少工作时间,提升公众对精神科护理专业的尊重,提高医疗责任保险覆盖意识,并保护护士免受患者伤害。.

Background: Sports university students are usually expected to lead an active life and have a lower risk of depression. Therefore, there are few studies on depression and its risk factors among this population. This study aimed to investigate depression and its association with sedentary behavior and physical activity in sports university students. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among undergraduates majoring in physical education in a sports university in Beijing in March 2021. Students were asked about sociodemographic information, domain-specific sedentary behavior, physical activity, and depression (using a nine-item Patient Health Questionnaire). Chi-squared test and logistic regression were carried out to analyze the data. Results: Among a total of 584 participants, the detection rate of depression was 49.1%. The median of total sedentary time was 7.29 h per day. After adjusting for covariates, recreational screen time (OR = 1.540, p = 0.035), sedentary time spent completing schoolwork (OR = 0.658, p = 0.038), and participation in vigorous physical activity everyday (OR = 0.415, p = 0.001) and a few times per week (OR = 0.423, p &lt, 0.001) were significantly associated with depression. Conclusions: Sports university students are not immune to depression and inactive lifestyles. Excessive recreational screen time may have an adverse effect on depression, which is somewhat independent of physical activity.

The effects of diethyl aminoethyl hexanoate (DA-6) with different concentrations on the growth and selenium (Se) uptake of grape seedlings were studied by a pot experiment. When the concentration of DA-6 was not higher than 20 mg/L, the biomass, photosynthetic pigment content, antioxidant enzyme activity, and Se content of grape seedlings had the increase trend. Then it decreased when the concentration of DA-6 was higher than 20 mg/L. At the concentration of 20 mg/L DA-6, the level of biomass, photosynthetic pigment content, antioxidant enzyme activity, and Se content of grape seedlings got the maximum. Compared to the control, the concentration of 20 mg/L DA-6 increased the root and shoot biomass by 37.46% and 27.55%, respectively, and increased the Se contents in roots and shoots by 51.45% and 111.41%, respectively. The net photosynthetic rate, transpiration rate, stomatal conductance, and CO2 concentration of intercellular of grape seedlings had the same changing trend as that of the biomass with the increase in DA-6 concentrations, while the vapor pressure deficit of leaf had the opposite trend. Therefore, at 20 mg/L DA-6 concentrations, it was found to promote the growth and improve the Se uptake of grape.

The mutual grafting affecting the physiological characteristics and selenium (Se) absorption capacity in offspring of Solanum photeinocarpum from the farmland and mining ecosystems were studied by the pot experiments. The mutual grafting significantly increased the dry biomass, antioxidant enzyme activity, and soluble protein content in offspring of S. photeinocarpum from the farmland ecosystem, while the activities of superoxide dismutase and catalase in offspring of S. photeinocarpum from the mining ecosystem were inhibited than the ungrafted S. photeinocarpum. It was observed that the photosynthetic pigment level of S. photeinocarpum offspring from the farmland ecosystem was lower than the ungrafted S. photeinocarpum to varying degrees. Besides, mutual grafting not only increased the Se concentration of S. photeinocarpum offspring, but also significantly promoted the amount of extracted Se by S. photeinocarpum offspring. The shoots Se extraction and dry biomass of S. photeinocarpum offspring with combination of S. photeinocarpum from the mining ecosystem / S. photeinocarpum from the farmland ecosystem reached the maximum level, thereby promoting the growth and Se accumulation capacity of S. photeinocarpum offspring than another grafting combination.

Background Understanding the long-term inpatient service cost and utilization of psychiatric patients may provide insight into service demand for these patients and guide the design of targeted mental health programs. This study assesses 3-year hospitalization patterns and quantifies service utilization intensity of psychiatric patients in Beijing, China. Methods We identified patients admitted for one of three major psychiatric disorders (schizophrenia, bipolar and depressive disorders) between January 1 and December 31, 2013 in Beijing, China. Inpatient admissions during the following 3 years were extracted and analyzed using sequence analysis. Clinical characteristics, psychiatric and non-psychiatric service use of included patients were analyzed. Results The study included 3443 patients (7657 hospitalizations). The patient hospitalization sequences were grouped into 4 clusters: short stay (N = 2741 (79.61% of patients), who had 126,911 or 26.82% of the hospital days within the sample), repeated long stay (N = 404 (11.73%), 76,915 (16.26%) days), long-term stay (N = 101 (2.93%), 59,909 (12.66%) days) and permanent stay (N = 197 (5.72%), 209,402 (44.26%) days). Length and frequency of hospitalization, as well as readmission rates were significantly different across the 4 clusters. Over the 3-year period, hospitalization days per year decreased for patients in the short stay and repeated long stay clusters. Patients with schizophrenia (1705 (49.52%)) had 78.4% of cumulative psychiatric stays, with 11.14% of them in the permanent stay cluster. Among patients with depression, 23.11% had non-psychiatric hospitalizations, and on average 46.65% of their total inpatient expenses were for non-psychiatric care, the highest among three diagnostic groups. Conclusion Hospitalization patterns varied significantly among psychiatric patients and across diagnostic categories. The high psychiatric care service use of the long-term and permanent stay patients underlines the need for evidence-based interventions to reduce cost and improve care quality.

Background The retention of psychiatric nurses is an important concern for healthcare administrators in China. However, Chinese psychiatric nurses’ intention to leave their jobs and the factors associated with it have been scarcely studied. Objective To investigate Chinese psychiatric nurses’ intention to leave their jobs, and to explore the associations between the intention to leave and individual characteristics, job-related factors and job satisfaction. Design A cross-sectional, anonymous survey of a nationwide sample was conducted. Settings Thirty-two tertiary psychiatric hospitals in 29 provincial capital cities in China. Participants All 9907 nurses in 32 hospitals were targeted for this survey conducted in December 2017; 8493 responded (response rate = 85.7%), and 7933 (without logic errors in the data) were included in the analysis. Methods A questionnaire was used to investigate the respondent’s intention to leave their job and to collect data on related factors, including individual characteristics (gender, age, marital status, educational background and self-rated health), job-related factors (professional title, working years, income, work hours, history of patient-initiated violence, perceived respect from patients, social recognition as well as physician-nurse coordination and trust) and job satisfaction. The short version of the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire was used to assess job satisfaction. Chi-square tests and multilevel logistic regression analysis were used to examine associations between an intention to leave and other factors. Results Among 7933 respondents, 20.2% reported an intention to leave their current jobs. The multiple regression analysis showed that better self-rated health (i.e. OR = 0.373, 95%CI = 0.308-0.452 for good health, reference: poor health), working more than 20 years (OR = 0.479, 95%CI = 0.389-0.590, reference: 20 years or less), higher monthly income (i.e. OR = 0.521, 95%CI = 0.399-0.680 for 6001–8000 RMBs, reference: 4500 RMB or less), perceived patient respect (OR = 0.727, 95%CI = 0.623-0.849), physician-nurse coordination (OR = 0.549, 95%CI = 0.480-0.629) and being satisfied with one’s job (OR = 0.373, 95%CI = 0.308-0.452) were negatively associated with an intention to leave; while those who were male (OR = 1.879, 95%CI = 1.605–2.199), working more than 40 hours per week (OR = 1.584, 95%CI = 1.374–1.825) and experienced patient-initiated violence in the past 12 months (OR = 1.566, 95%CI = 1.376–1.781) had a higher odds of reporting an intention to leave. Conclusions Self-rated health, monthly income, work hours, patient-initiated violence, perceived patient respect, physician-nurse coordination and job satisfaction are significant factors associated with a nurse’s intention to quit their job. In order to retain nurses in Chinese tertiary psychiatric hospitals, the government and hospital administrators should consider ways to address these factors.

Additional file 1.

Background Comorbidities are common among patients with schizophrenia yet the prevalence of comorbidity combinations and their associations with inpatient service utilization and readmission have been scarcely explored. Methods Data were extracted from discharge summaries of patients whose primary diagnosis was schizophrenia spectrum disorders (ICD-10: F20-F29). We identified 30 most frequent comorbidities in patients’ secondary diagnoses and then used the association rule mining (ARM) method to derive comorbidity combinations associated with length of stay (LOS), daily expense and one-year readmission. Results The study included data from 8252 patients. The top five most common comorbidities were extrapyramidal syndrome (EPS, 44.58%), constipation (31.63%), common cold (21.80%), hyperlipidemia (20.99%) and tachycardia (19.13%). Most comorbidity combinations identified by ARM were significantly associated with longer LOS (≥70 days), few were associated with higher daily expenses, and fewer with readmission. The 3-way combination of common cold, hyperlipidemia and fatty liver had the strongest association with longer LOS (adjusted OR (aOR): 3.38, 95% CI: 2.12-5.38). The combination of EPS and mild cognitive disorder was associated with higher daily expense (≥700 RMB) (aOR: 1.67, 95% CI: 1.20-2.31). The combination of constipation, tachycardia and fatty liver were associated with higher 1-year readmission (aOR: 2.05, 95% CI: 1.03-4.09). Conclusion EPS, constipation, and tachycardia were among the most commonly reported comorbidities in schizophrenia patients in Beijing, China. Specific groups of comorbidities may contribute to higher inpatient psychiatric service utilization and readmission. The mechanism behind the associations and potential interventions to optimize service use warrant further investigation.

Additional File 1. Results of supplementary analyses and the list of comorbidities included in the Elixhauser Comorbidity Index (ECI). Supplementary Table 1 listed the comorbidities of ECI. Supplementary Table 2–4 showed the results of the supplementary descriptive and univariate analyses. Supplementary Table 5–7 presented the results of the sensitivity analyses. Supplementary Table 8–9 showed the results for post-regression diagnostics and calibration plots of the primary and sensitivity analyses models.

Background Measuring family members’ satisfaction with inpatient psychiatric care may help improve the quality of healthcare in psychiatric hospitals. This survey aimed to investigate the satisfaction of family members with inpatient psychiatric care and to explore its associated factors, using a newly-developed 5-item questionnaire. Methods This study included 1598 family members of psychiatric inpatients in 32 tertiary public psychiatric hospitals in 29 provinces of China. Satisfaction and demographic data were collected by research staff while patient and hospital data were retrieved separately. Results We found that the overall satisfaction level was 93.84% (23.46/25). The total satisfaction score in Northeast China was the highest, followed by the East, Middle and West regions (p Conclusions We suggest government and hospital managers recruit more mental health professions to improve family satisfaction. If feasible, providing more psychologic treatments to inpatients may also improve families’ satisfaction and involvement.

ObjectivesChina launched the National Healthcare Improvement Initiative (NHII) in 2015 to improve patient experiences in healthcare. This study aimed to generate evidence of hospital care quality from the patients’ perspective.DesignThis nationwide cross-sectional study interviewed participants from 31 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions across China.SettingA total of 117 tertiary hospitals in mainland China.Participants48 422 responses from outpatients and 35 957 responses from inpatients were included in this study.Primary outcome measureThe scores of six predefined domains in the Chinese Patient Experience Questionnaire, five of which were designed to reflect specific dimensions of care, and one of which indicated the overall rating.ResultsMore than 80% of the respondents viewed their care experiences as positive. The NHII seems to have had a positive impact, as indicated by the steady, although unremarkable, increase in the patient experience scores over the 2016–2018 period. The Chinese patients generally reported a positive experience with the clinical aspects of care, but reported a less positive experience with the environmental, interpersonal and social services aspects of care. The institutional factors, including region and type of hospital, and personal factors, such as gender, age, education and occupation, were factors affecting the patient experience in China. Humanistic care was the aspect of care with the greatest association with the overall patient experience rating in both the outpatient and inpatient settings.ConclusionsThe national survey indicated an overall positive patient perspective of care in China. Older age, higher education level and formal employment status were found to be correlated with positive care experiences, as were higher levels of economic development of the region, a more generous insurance benefits package and a higher degree of coordinated care. The interpersonal-related initiatives had substantial roles in the improvement of the patient experience. In the regions where farmers and users of traditional Chinese medicine services constitute a greater proportion of the population, improvement of patient experiences for these groups deserves special policy attention.

Aims To identify and group hospitalization trajectory of alcohol use disorder (AUD) patients and its associations with service utilization, healthcare quality and hospital-level variations. Methods Inpatients with AUD as the primary diagnosis from 2012 to 2014 in Beijing, China, were identified. Their discharge medical records were extracted and analyzed using the sequence analysis and the cluster analysis. Results Eight-hundred thirty-one patients were included, and their hospitalization patterns were grouped into four clusters: short stay (n = 565 (67.99%)), mean psychiatric length of stay in 3 years: (32.25 ± 18.69), repeated short stay (n = 211 (25.39%), 137.76 ± 88.8 days), repeated long stay (n = 41 (4.93%), 405.44 ± 146.54 days), permanent stay (n = 14 (1.68%), 818.14 ± 225.22 days). The latter two clusters (6.61% patients) used 37.26% of the total psychiatric hospital days and 33.65% of the total psychiatric hospitalization expenses. All the patients in the permanent stay cluster and 41.77% of the patients in the short stay cluster were readmitted at least once within 3 years. Two-hundred thirty-four patients (28.16%) were admitted at least once for non-psychiatric reasons, primarily for diseases of circulatory and digestive systems. Cluster composition varied significantly among different hospitals. Conclusion Hospitalization pattern of patients with AUD varies greatly, and while most (>2/3) hospitalizations were short stay, those with repeated long stay and permanent stay used more than one third of the hospital days and expenses. Our findings suggest interventions targeting at certain patients may be more effective in reducing resource utilization.

Background and Purpose Exaggerated hypotension following administration of propofol is strongly predicted in patients with hypertension. Increased PKCs play a crucial role in regulating vascular tone. We studied whether propofol induces vasodilation by inhibiting increased PKC activity in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) and, if so, whether contractile Ca2+ sensitization pathways and filamentous–globular (F/G) actin dynamics were involved. Experimental Approach Rings of thoracic aorta, denuded of endothelium, from normotensive Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats and SHR were prepared for functional studies. Expression and activity of PKCs in vascular smooth muscle (VSM) cells were determined by Western blot analysis and elisa respectively. Phosphorylation of the key proteins in PKC Ca2+ sensitization pathways was also examined. Actin polymerization was evaluated by differential centrifugation to probe G- and F-actin content. Key Results Basal expression and activity of PKCβ2 and PKCθ were increased in aortic VSMs of SHR, compared with those from WKY rats. Vasorelaxation of SHR aortas by propofol was markedly attenuated by LY333531 (a specific PKCβ inhibitor) or the PKCθ pseudo-substrate inhibitor. Furthermore, noradrenaline-enhanced phosphorylation, and the translocation of PKCβ2 and PKCθ, was inhibited by propofol, with decreased actin polymerization and PKCβ2-mediated Ca2+ sensitization pathway in SHR aortas. Conclusion and Implications Propofol suppressed increased PKCβ2 and PKCθ activity, which was partly responsible for exaggerated vasodilation in SHR. This suppression results in inhibition of actin polymerization, as well as that of the PKCβ2- but not PKCθ-mediated, Ca2+ sensitization pathway. These data provide a novel explanation for the unwanted side effects of propofol.

Background/Aims: Phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) exerts a pleiotropic effect on the growth and differentiation of various cells. Protein kinase Cs (PKCs) plays a central role in mediating the effects of PMA on cells. The present study investigated whether the down-regulation of protein kinase C-ε (PKC-ε) is involved in the inhibition of vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) proliferation caused by prolonged PMA incubation. Methods: Using cell counting, Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) and EdU incorporation assay on VSMCs, we evaluated the inhibitory effects of prolonged incubation of PMA, of lentiviruses carrying the short-hairpin RNAs (shRNA) of PKC-ε and of the PKC-ε inhibitor peptide on the proliferation and viability of cells. The effect of PKC-ε down-regulation on growth of rat breast cancer SHZ-88 cells was also measured. Results: The prolonged incubation of VSMCs with PMA for up to 72 hours resulted in attenuated cell growth rates in a time-dependent manner. The expression of PKC-ε, as assessed by Western blotting, was also decreased accordingly. Notably, the number of EdU-positive cells and the cell viability of VSMCs were decreased by shRNA of PKC-ε and the PKC-ε inhibitor peptide, respectively. The proliferation of rat breast cancer SHZ-88 cells was also attenuated by lentivirus-induced shRNA silencing of PKC-ε. Conclusions: Prolonged incubation of PMA can inhibit the expression of PKC-ε. The effect results in the inhibition of VSMC proliferation. PKC-ε silencing can also attenuate breast cancer cell growth, suggesting that PKC-ε may be a potential target for anti-cancer drugs.

Background Psychiatric readmissions negatively impact patients and their families while increasing healthcare costs. This study aimed at investigating factors associated with psychiatric readmissions within 30 days and 1 year of the index admissions and exploring the possibilities of monitoring and improving psychiatric care quality in China. Methods Data on index admission, subsequent admission(s), clinical and hospital-related factors were extracted in the inpatient medical record database covering 10 secondary and tertiary psychiatric hospitals in Beijing, China. Logistic regressions were used to examine the associations between 30-day and 1-year readmissions plus frequent readmissions (≥3 times/year), and clinical variables as well as hospital characteristics. Results The 30-day and 1-year psychiatric readmission rates were 16.69% (1289/7724) and 33.79% (2492/7374) respectively. 746/2492 patients (29.34%) were readmitted 3 times or more within a year (frequent readmissions). Factors significantly associated with the risk of both 30-day and 1-year readmission were residing in an urban area, having medical comorbidities, previous psychiatric admission(s), length of stay > 60 days in the index admission and being treated in tertiary hospitals (p Conclusion More than 30% of the psychiatric inpatients were readmitted within 1 year. Urban residents, those with medical comorbidities and previous psychiatric admission(s) or a longer length of stay were more likely to be readmitted, and men are more likely to be frequently readmitted. ECT treatment may reduce the likelihood of 30-day readmission and frequent admissions. Targeted interventions should be designed and piloted to effectively monitor and reduce psychiatric readmissions.

Social media has been used as data resource in a growing number of health-related research. The objectives of this study were to identify content volume and sentiment polarity of social media records relevant to healthcare services in China. A list of the key words of healthcare services were used to extract data from WeChat and Qzone, between June 2017 and September 2017. The data were put into a corpus, where content analyses were performed using Tencent natural language processing (NLP). The final corpus contained approximately 29 million records. Records on patient safety were the most frequently mentioned topic (approximately 8.73 million, 30.1% of the corpus), with the contents on humanistic care having received the least social media references (0.43 Million, 1.5%). Sentiment analyses showed 36.1%, 16.4%, and 47.4% of positive, neutral, and negative emotions, respectively. The doctor-patient relationship category had the highest proportion of negative contents (74.9%), followed by service efficiency (59.5%), and nursing service (53.0%). Neutral disposition was found to be the highest (30.4%) in the contents on appointment-booking services. This study added evidence to the magnitude and direction of public perceptions on healthcare services in China&rsquo, s hospital and pointed to the possibility of monitoring healthcare service improvement, using readily available data in social media.

Objective: To study the socio-demographic characteristics, the working environment, and the level of career satisfaction among psychiatry residents in China. Method: This was a part of a large-scale, nation-wide online survey of hospitals, healthcare professionals, and patients. Data, including socio-demographics, work hours, income, job satisfaction, and intention to quit were collected anonymously. Respondents also completed the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire (MSQ). Results: One thousand sixty residents nested in 32 psychiatric hospitals in 29 provinces in China completed the survey. Respondents were predominantly female (69.0%), worked an average of 47.8 ± 11.6 h per week, and 28.97% had experienced medical disputes in the previous year. The top three reported reasons for dissatisfaction were low pay (50.1%), contentious doctor-patient relationships (17.6%), and high workload (10.8%). An intention to quit their current job was reported by 18.7% of residents. The overall mean MSQ score was 73.8 ± 13.8, with significant differences across post-graduate training years and regions. A multilevel regression analysis found that a higher MSQ score was significantly associated with fewer years in residency, shorter work hours, higher monthly pay, having medical liability insurance, and feeling satisfied with the level of doctor-nurse cooperation, their hospitals' medical disputes prevention/management, and the healthcare workers' social environment. Conclusion: Psychiatry residents in China are predominantly female and well-educated. They are only moderately satisfied with their career. Poor salaries, contentious doctor-patient relationships and high workload are among their top complaints and may explain why a considerable proportion are intending to leave their current residency. More support from the government regarding residents' salaries, workload and working environment may help improve their job satisfaction and retention, ensuring that China will have a pool of well-trained and engaged psychiatrists for the future.

Background Surveying patients’ satisfaction is essential to improve patient-centered care, however, studies on satisfaction and their correlates among psychiatric inpatients are rare in China. This study aimed to measure satisfaction levels of psychiatric inpatients in a national sample and to examine individual and institutional correlates. Methods As part of the National Survey for the Evaluation of Psychiatric Hospital Performance, psychiatric inpatients from 32 tertiary psychiatric hospitals in 29 Chinese provinces were interviewed on the day of discharge by trained research staff. Satisfaction was assessed using a five-item questionnaire. Patients’ sociodemographic and clinical information were manually retrieved from medical records and institutional data were provided by participating hospitals. Multilevel linear regression was used to assess factors associated with level of satisfaction. Results Among 1663 inpatients, the reported satisfaction levels were high, with a mean score of 23.3 ± 2.4 out of 25. Education level was positively associated with global satisfaction, satisfaction with costs, and satisfaction with privacy protection. Treatment response was associated with global satisfaction and with the doctor-patient communication subscore. The number of psychotherapy sessions was positively associated with the privacy protection subscore (coefficient = 0.0, P = 0.046). The Global Assessment of Function score was positively associated with the doctor-patient communication subscore (coefficient = 0.0, P = 0.003). Total satisfaction scores and all five subscores were positively associated with hospital-level factors, and patients discharged from hospitals with better staffing and resources reported significantly higher levels of satisfaction. Conclusion Overall, psychiatric inpatients in China were satisfied with the services they received. To further improve patient satisfaction, mental health professionals should optimize their patients’ treatment response as much as possible before discharge and provide more psychological treatment during the hospitalization. The government should also provide more resources to increase the number of mental health professionals (nurses, psychologists, and psychiatrists) working in psychiatric hospitals.

The selenium accumulation characteristics ofSolanum nigrumwith different ploidy were studied by the pot experiment, and the biomass, selenium content and selenium accumulation of diploid (Solanum photeinocarpum), tetraploid (Solanum photeinocarpum) and hexaploid (Solanum nigrum) plants were determined, the results showed that there was a difference between the biomass and selenium content of three kinds of ploidy plants ofS. nigrum. The biomass of various organs and shoots of hexaploidS. nigrumplants was significantly higher than that of tetraploid and diploid plants. In terms of selenium content and selenium accumulation, the hexaploid plants had the highest selenium content and selenium accumulation in stems, leaves and shoots. After comprehensive comparison, the hexaploidS. nigrumhas large biomass and strong selenium-enriching ability, so it can be used as an excellent plant material for soil selenium absorption and transformation.