The characteristics and predictive role of lymphocyte subsets in COVID-19 patients.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the characteristics and predictive roles of lymphocyte subsets in COVID-19 patients. METHOD: We evaluated lymphocyte subsets and other clinical features of COVID-19 patients, and analyzed their potential impacts on COVID-19 outcomes. RESULTS: 1. Lymphocyte subset counts in the peripheral blood of patients with COVID-19 were significantly reduced, especially in patients with severe disease. 2. In patients with non-severe disease, the time from symptom onset to hospital admission was positively correlated with total T cell counts. 3. Among COVID-19 patients who did not reach the composite endpoint, lymphocyte subset counts were higher than in patients who had reached the composite endpoint. 4. The Kaplan-Meier survival curves showed significant differences in COVID-19 patients, classified by the levels of total, CD8+, and CD4+ T cells at admission. CONCLUSION: Our study showed that total, CD8+, and CD4+ T cell counts in patients with COVID-19 were significantly reduced, especially in patients with severe disease. Lower T lymphocyte subsets were significantly associated with a higher occurrence of composite endpoint events. These subsets may help identify patients with a high risk of composite endpoint events.

Basic psychological needs satisfaction, autonomy support, and mindsets as predictors of self-regulation in university online learners

Problem: In contrast to more traditional learning environments, it can be difficult to "see and hear" both the instructor and, more crucially, the students when engaging in online education. This has been one of the most common criticisms leveled against online education for a long time.The COVID-19 disruption and transformation of online learning in higher education underlines the fact that variance among online learners in terms of academic success and psychological well-being are determined by the level and quality of self-regulation. What is the degree of self-regulation among American university students who study online because of the COVID-19 pandemic's impact, and what variables might affect or perhaps predict this level of self-regulation? Purpose of Study: The purpose of the present study was to test a theoretical model that explains how autonomy support, satisfaction of basic psychological needs, and mindsets predict self-regulation among university online learners in the United States. Based on the model fit and direct effect results of the first research hypothesis, the second research model was developed to examine the mediating effect of basic psychological needs satisfaction on the relationship between autonomy support and self-regulation, and whether mindsets could moderate the indirect effect of basic psychological needs satisfaction on the relationship between autonomy support and self-regulation. To assess the data, structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed. Method: This study used quantitative analysis of non-experimental survey data collected via Alchemer. A model-testing design was used to examine a theoretical model which proposed that basic psychological needs satisfaction (autonomy, competency, relatedness), autonomy support, and mindsets predict online learners' self-regulation. 1257 people in all completed the survey. The number of complete and valid participant responses was a sample of 404. Excel, SPSS version 26, Mplus version 8.3 were used for data analysis. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was adopted as the main statistical technique. Results: The first research model of this study hypothesized that autonomy support, basic psychological needs satisfaction, and mindsets predict university online learners' self-regulation. Analysis of the data indicated that the first hypothesized research model fit the data (X2=464.364, df=200, Normed Chi-Square=2.231, CFI=0.925, TLI=0.913, RMSEA=0.057, SRMR=0.053). The path analysis indices of model one suggested that autonomy support positively affected university online learners' basic psychological needs satisfaction (b=0.82, p<0.001). Basic psychological needs satisfaction positively affected self-regulation (b=0.44, p<0.001) and mindsets positively affected self-regulation (b=0.23, p<0.001). Overall, research model one explained 44.2% variance of online learners' self-regulation.The model fit indices showed that the second hypothesized research model fit the data (X2=378.398, df=146, Normed Chi-Square=2.259, CFI=0.921, TLI=0.908, RMSEA=0.063, SRMR=0.050). A significant mediator effect of basic psychological needs satisfaction was found between autonomy support and self-regulation. The results indicated that the conditional indirect effect of autonomy support on self-regulation via basic psychological needs satisfaction was significant both when the mindsets score was high (which suggests growth mindset orientation) (beta=0.216, 95% CI [0.098, 0.316]) and when the mindsets score was low (which suggests fixed mindset orientation) (beta=0.150, 95% CI [0.031, 0.250]). Conclusions: Applying SEM technique for data analysis, the model fit indices showed that the first hypothesized research model of this study fit the data and explained 44.2% variance of university online learners' self-regulation. The path analysis indices of model one suggests that basic psychological needs satisfaction... (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Nanostructured Copper Surface Kills ESKAPE Pathogens and Viruses in Minutes.

In the search for a fast contact-killing antimicrobial surface to break the transmission pathway of lethal pathogens, nanostructured copper surfaces were found to exhibit the desired antimicrobial properties. Compared with plain copper, these nanostructured copper surfaces with Cu(OH)2 nano-sword or CuO nano-foam were found to completely eliminate pathogens at a fast rate, including clinically isolated drug resistant species. Additionally these nanostructured copper surfaces demonstrated potential antiviral properties when assessed against bacteriophages, as a viral surrogate, and murine hepatitis virus, a surrogate for SARS-CoV-2. The multiple modes of killing, physical killing and copper ion mediated killing contribute to the superior and fast kinetics of antimicrobial action against common microbes, and ESKAPE pathogens. Prototypes for air and water cleaning with current nanostructured copper surface have also been demonstrated.