Background Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a public health emergency of international concern and has caused traumatic experience for nurses worldwide. However, the prevalence of depression and anxiety symptoms in nurses, and how psychosocial factors influence nurses in this public crisis are unknown. Objectives To determine the effect of COVID-19 on the mental health of nurses and the prevalence of anxiety and depression symptoms among nurses in China during the outbreak. Design A cross-sectional study. Settings and participants A total of 3,228 nurses in Sichuan Province and Wuhan City were selected by convenience sampling. All participants were invited to complete the questionnaire through WeChat from January 27 to February 3, 2020. Methods A self-reported questionnaire combining depression and anxiety scale was used to collect data anonymously. Binary and multivariate logistic regression was applied to measure the odds of psychosocial factors of anxiety and depression and perceived health, respectively. Results The total incidence of depression (34.3%) and anxiety (18.1%) during the COVID-19 outbreak was lower than that during the SARS outbreak; however, the rate of depression in our study (47.1%) was high and similar in a recent study (50.4%) about the health care workers exposed to COVID-19 in China. The results indicated that COVID-19-related stress, relationship quality with family, and demographic characteristics were associated with depression, anxiety, and perceived health status. Furthermore, the prevalence of depression was similar between nurses working in low-risk COVID-19 wards was as high as working in high-risk COVID-19 wards (OR, 1.078; 95% CI, 0.784–1.481). Conclusions Our study revealed the high prevalence of depression and anxiety among nurses during the outbreak of COVID-19. COVID-19 factors and psychosocial factors were associated with mental health of nurses. The results suggest that hospitals should implement effective mental health promotion programs focused on occupational safety and family support to improve the well-being of nurses.

Purpose Many cancer patients do not have advance directives (ADs), which may lead to unwanted excessive or aggressive care when patients have lost decision-making capacity. The aim of this study was to investigate knowledge and attitudes of approving ADs and explore factors associated with willing to designate ADs among cancer patients in China. Methods We conducted semi-structured interview method investigating 753 in-patients with cancer in two cancer centers. Results Of those subjects, none of the cancer patients had an AD. Only 22.4 % (118 of 526) approved ADs. Comparing with the disapproved ADs group, the approved ADs group were more likely to discuss the AD with oncologist or nurse (χ 2 = 180.4, p < 0.001) in the cancer center (χ 2 = 244.1, p < 0.001), and they chose more comfort care (χ 2 = 18.8, p < 0.001). Most of cancer patients in the two groups wanted to die at home (72.8 %, 73.7 %, respectively). The older patients (OR, 1.04, 95 % CI, 1.02-1.07, p = 0.001), female (OR, 0.55, 95 % CI, 0.35-0.88, p = 0.013), with higher education levels (OR, 3.38, 95 % CI, 1.92-5.96, p < 0.001), with religious beliefs (OR, 2.91, 95 % CI, 1.71-4.94, p < 0.001), and with higher scores of ECOG (OR, 1.46, 95 % CI, 1.17-1.82, p = 0.001) were associated with desiring for ADs. Conclusions Our findings indicate that there was a dearth of knowledge and different attitudes toward approving ADs among cancer patients, and some factors of demographic and clinical characteristics influenced their willing to designate ADs. This research highlights the importance of propagandizing the ADs to the public, especially to the patients, and further discussing with them when the time is ripe.

Pollen is the male gametophyte of higher plants. Its major function is to deliver sperm cells to the ovule to ensure successful fertilization. During this process, many interactions occur among pollen tubes and pistil cells and tissues, and calcium ion (Ca2+) dynamics mediate these interactions among cells to ensure that pollen reaches the embryo sac. Although the precise functions of Ca2+ dynamics in the cells are unknown, we can speculate about its roles on the basis of its spatial and temporal characteristics during these interactions. The results of many studies indicate that calcium is a critical element that is strongly related to pollen germination and pollen tube growth.

No abstract

Background Mental health is an important aspect of the management public health emergencies.While extensive research is being conducted on various aspects of the COVID-19 epidemic, one of the factors overlooked is death anxiety. Methods A cross-sectional study based on the results of an online survey. The survey was conducted one month after the outbreak (February 18–29, 2020) and repeated at the time of resuming activity (April 8–14, 2020). The 15-item Death Anxiety Scale (T-DAS) was used to assess the degree of death anxiety, and the revised 23-item Stanford Acute Stress Response Questionnaire (SASRQ) assessed PTSD symptom clusters. Through convenient sampling, a total of 7678 cases were collected. Results: Between the first and second surveys, the number of individuals with high death anxiety rose from 48.1–53.2%, while the incidence of PTSD increased from 7–10.4%. PTSD was found to be significantly associated with living community contact history, poor health status of participants, history of life-threatening experiences, high death anxiety level, and non-medical occupation. Compared with other occupations, medical staff suffer more lasting death anxiety during the COVID-19 epidemic. Conclusions: During the COVID-19 epidemic, adverse psychological symptoms were prevalent among the general population in China.High death anxiety also was an important factor affecting PTSD.Therefore, means to address death anxiety must be included in the plan for the management of psychological effects of public health emergency and high-risk groups such as medical personnel should receive targeted intervention.