Sleep disturbance and anxiety symptoms among asymptomatic COVID-19 carriers in Shanghai, China: the mediating role of entrapment and defeat.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic increases the risk of psychological problems, especially for the infected population. Sleep disturbance and feelings of defeat and entrapment are well-documented risk factors of anxiety symptoms. Exploring the psychological mechanism of the development of anxiety symptoms is essential for effective prevention. This study aimed to examine the mediating effects of entrapment and defeat in the association between sleep disturbance and anxiety symptoms among asymptomatic COVID-19 carriers in Shanghai, China. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted from March to April, 2022. Participants were 1,283 asymptomatic COVID-19 carriers enrolled from the Ruijin Jiahe Fangcang Shelter Hospital, Shanghai (59.6% male; mean age = 39.6 years). Questionnaire measures of sleep disturbance, entrapment, defeat, anxiety symptoms, and background characteristics were obtained. A mediation model was constructed to test the mediating effects of entrapment and defeat in the association between sleep disturbance and anxiety symptoms. RESULTS: The prevalence rates of sleep disturbance and anxiety symptoms were 34.3% and 18.8%. Sleep disturbance was positively associated with anxiety symptoms (OR [95%CI] = 5.013 [3.721-6.753]). The relationship between sleep disturbance and anxiety symptoms (total effect: Std. Estimate = 0.509) was partially mediated by entrapment (indirect effect: Std. Estimate = 0.129) and defeat (indirect effect: Std. Estimate = 0.126). The mediating effect of entrapment and defeat accounted for 50.3% of the association between sleep disturbance and anxiety symptoms. CONCLUSION: Sleep disturbance and anxiety symptoms were prevalent among asymptomatic COVID-19 carriers. Entrapment and defeat mediate the association between sleep disturbance and anxiety symptoms. More attention is needed to monitoring sleep conditions and feelings of defeat and entrapment to reduce the risk of anxiety.

Social Stigma and Depression among Asymptomatic COVID-19 Carriers in Shanghai, China: The Mediating Role of Entrapment and Decadence.

INTRODUCTION: Since the advent of 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19), the coexistence between social stigma and depression symptoms (depression hereafter) in COVID-19 patients has been mentioned, but the mechanisms involved remains unclear. This study aimed to explore how the stigma affects depression during the mid-pandemic period. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey using non-probability sampling was conducted among asymptomatic COVID-19 carriers in Shanghai, China (April 2022). An online questionnaire was used to obtain information on demographic characteristics and psychological traits. Logistic regression and path analysis were performed to analyze the depression risk factors and examine the mediation model, respectively. RESULTS: A total of 1283 participants (59.6% men) were involved in this study, in which 44.7% of carriers reported having depression. Univariate analyses found that education level (OR 0.575; 95% CI 0.448-0.737) and doses of vaccine (OR 1.693; 95% CI 1.042-2.750), were significantly associated with depression among asymptomatic carriers. The association between social stigma and depression was fully mediated by their feelings of entrapment and decadence (indirect effect = 0.204, p < 0.001; direct effect = -0.059, p = 0.058). The mediating role of entrapment between stigma and depression was moderated by age group (estimate = 0.116, p = 0.008). CONCLUSION: Mental health issues resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic are increasingly apparent in China and require urgent attention and responses. These findings provide new perspectives for the early prevention of depression in asymptomatic carriers.

A highly sensitive stretchable strain sensor based on multi-functionalized fabric for respiration monitoring and identification

Wearable strain sensors have generated considerable recent research interest due to their huge potential in the real-time detection of human body deformation. State-of-the-art strain sensors are normally fabricated through conductive networks with a single sensing element, which always faces the challenge of either limited stretchability or inferior quality in sensitivity. In this work, we report a highly sensitive strain sensor based on a multi-functionalized fabric through carbonization and polymer-assisted copper deposition. The sensor shows high sensitivity (Gauge factor∼3557.6 in the strain range from 0 to 48%), and outstanding stretchability up to the strain of 300%, which is capable of detecting different types of deformation of the human body. By integrating the high-performance sensor with a deep learning network, we demonstrate a high accuracy of respiration monitoring and emergency alarm system, showing the enormous application potential of the sensor in personal and public healthcare.

Effect of Thymoquinone on Acute Kidney Injury Induced by Sepsis in BALB/c Mice.

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a common complication of sepsis and has also been observed in some patients suffering from the new coronavirus pneumonia COVID-19, which is currently a major global concern. Thymoquinone (TQ) is one of the most active ingredients in Nigella sativa seeds. It has a variety of beneficial properties including anti-inflammatory and antioxidative activities. Here, we investigated the possible protective effects of TQ against kidney damage in septic BALB/c mice. Eight-week-old male BALB/c mice were divided into four groups: control, TQ, cecal ligation and puncture (CLP), and TQ+CLP. CLP was performed after 2 weeks of TQ gavage. After 48 h, we measured the histopathological alterations in the kidney tissue and the serum levels of creatinine (CRE) and blood urea nitrogen (BUN). We also evaluated pyroptosis (NLRP3, caspase-1), apoptosis (caspase-3, caspase-8), proinflammatory (TNF-α, IL-1ß, and IL-6)-related protein and gene expression levels. Our results demonstrated that TQ inhibited CLP-induced increased serum CRE and BUN levels. It also significantly inhibited the high levels of NLRP3, caspase-1, caspase-3, caspase-8, TNF-α, IL-1ß, and IL-6 induced by CLP. Furthermore, NF-κB protein level was significantly decreased in the TQ+CLP group than in the CLP group. Together, our results indicate that TQ may be a potential therapeutic agent for sepsis-induced AKI.