OBJECTIVES: To study the impact of family socioeconomic status on children's reading fluency and the chain mediation effect of family reading environment and children's living and learning styles in this relationship. METHODS: A total of 473 children from grades 2 to 6 in two primary schools in Nanjing were selected through stratified random sampling. The children's reading fluency was assessed, and a questionnaire was used to collect information on family socioeconomic status, family reading environment, and children's living and learning styles. The mediation model was established using the Process macro in SPSS, and the Bootstrap method was employed to test the significance of the mediation effects. RESULTS: Family socioeconomic status, family reading environment, and children's living and learning styles were significantly positively correlated with reading fluency (P<0.001). The family reading environment and children's living and learning styles mediated the relationship between family socioeconomic status and children's reading fluency. Specifically, the independent mediation effect of family reading environment accounted for 11.02% of the total effect, while the independent mediation effect of children's living and learning styles accounted for 10.79%. The chain mediation effect of family reading environment and children's living and learning styles accounted for 7.41% of the total effect. CONCLUSIONS Family socioeconomic status can affect children's reading fluency through three pathways: family reading environment, children's living and learning styles, and the chain mediation effect of family reading environment and children's living and learning styles.
Humans ; Child ; Male ; Female ; Reading ; Learning ; Social Class ; Family

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship among seminal oxidation-reduction potential (nORP), sperm DNA fragmentation (DFI) and semen parameters in patients with varicocele. METHODS: Clinical data of 522 patients treated in the reproductive andrology clinic of the Northern Theater General Hospital from November 2023 to December 2023 were retrospectively analyzed, including 435 men of childbearing age and 87 men of infertile age. The patients were divided into the varicocele group (n=116) and non-varicocele group (n=406) according to clinical diagnosis. The differences of seminal plasma nORP, DFI, sperm high DNA stain ability (HDS) and semen parameters were analyzed between the two groups. The relationship among general clinical data, seminal plasma nORP, semen parameters, DFI and HDS in patients with varicocele were further analyzed. According to the severity of varicocele, the patients were divided into three groups, including mild, moderate and severe. And the differences of seminal plasma nORP and semen parameters, DFI and HDS among all groups were analyzed. The differences of seminal plasma nORP, semen parameters, DFI and HDS were compared between the varicocele and non-varicocele groups. RESULTS: The total sperm count, sperm concentration, progressive motility sperm percentage (PR%) and normal sperm morphology rate (NSMR) in patients with varicocele were significantly lower than those in control group (P<0.05). And seminal plasma nORP, DFI and HDS in patients with varicocele were significantly higher than those in control group (P<0.05). Seminal plasma nORP in patients with varicocele was significantly negatively correlated with total sperm, sperm concentration and NSMR (P<0.05), and significantly positively correlated with DFI and HDS (P<0.05). There were significant differences in nORP, total sperm count, sperm concentration, PR%, DFI and HDS among mild, moderate and severe varicocele groups (P<0.05). Seminal plasma nORP, sperm concentration, PR% and DFI in severe group were significantly lower than those in mild and moderate groups(P<0.05). Sperm count and HDS in severe group were significantly lower than those in mild group (P<0.05). In infertile patients, seminal plasma nORP, DFI and HDS in varicocele group were significantly higher than those in control group (P<0.05). And PR% in varicocele group was significantly lower than that in control group (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS Seminal plasma nORP in patients with varicocele may be an important marker of oxidative stress affecting DFI and semen parameters.
Humans ; Male ; Varicocele/metabolism* ; Semen/metabolism* ; Spermatozoa ; Sperm Count ; Infertility, Male ; Retrospective Studies ; DNA Fragmentation ; Oxidation-Reduction ; Semen Analysis ; Adult ; Sperm Motility

Objective This article aims to investigate the association between hypertension and the risk of GSD by conducting a national multicenter study,a systematic review,and a meta-analysis.Methods The study was conducted in three stages.In the first stage,subjects were recruited for health examination in four hospitals in Chengdu,Tianjin,Beijing,and Chongqing,China,from 2015 to 2020,and the multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to investigate the association between hypertension and the risk of GSD in each center.In the second stage,Embase,PubMed,Wanfang Data,VIP,and CNKI databases were searched for related studies published up to May 2021,and a meta-analysis was conducted to further verify such association.In the third stage,the random effects model was used for pooled analysis of the results of the multicenter cross-sectional study and the findings of previous literature.Results A total of 633 948 participants were enrolled in the cross-sectional study,and the prevalence rate of GSD was 7.844%.The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that hypertension was positively associated with the risk of GSD(P＜0.05).Subgroup analysis showed that there was no significant difference in the association between hypertension and GSD between individuals with different sexes,ages,and subtypes of GSD.A total of 80 articles were included in the systematic review and the meta-analysis,and the results showed that the risk of GSD was increased by 1.022 times for every 10 mmHg increase in diastolic pressure and 1.014 times for every 10 mmHg increase in systolic pressure.Conclusion Hypertension significantly increases the risk of GSD,and the findings of this study will provide a basis for the etiology of GSD and the identification of high-risk groups.

AIM:To explore the expression of RhoC in oral squamous cell carcinoma(OSCC)and its effects on the malignant biological behavior of OSCC cells.METHODS:The UALCAN and K-M plotter databases,alongside tis-sue sample analyses,facilitated understanding RhoC expression in cancer and its links to clinicopathological traits.Two small interfering RNAs(RhoC-siRNA)were constructed according to the RhoC gene sequence.The mRNA and protein ex-pression levels of RhoC in OSCC cells were determined.The protein levels of FAK,p-FAK,MAPK,p-MAPK,matrix me-talloproteinase-2(MMP-2)and MMP-9 were also examined by Western blot.Furthermore,the invasion and migration of OSCC cells were analyzed by Transwell assay and scratch test.Finally,the pulmonary metastasis model of nude mice was established.RESULTS:The results of the databases showed that RhoC was highly expressed in OSCC tissues,which was closely related to pathological stage,pathological grade and lymph node metastasis,but not significantly related to the sur-vival rate of patients.Furthermore,compared with paracancer tissues,the mRNA and protein expression levels of RhoC were increased in OSCC tissues(P<0.01).Silencing of RhoC prominently reduced the migration and invasion of OSCC cells as well as the protein levels of p-FAK,p-MAPK,MMP2 and MMP9(P<0.05).The protein levels of MAPK and FAK were unchanged(P>0.05).The fluorescence intensity of the experimental group was significantly lower than that of the control group,and the results of HE staining showed that the number of lung nodules in the experimental group was sig-nificantly reduced(P<0.05).CONCLUSION:RhoC can effectively influence the migration and invasion of OSCC cells,and its potential mechanism may be related to FAK/MAPK/MMPs signaling pathway.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the mechanism of self-efficacy between self-management ability and self-management behavior and its differences among patients with different disease courses through mediation tests. METHODS: In the study, 489 patients with type 2 diabetes who attended the endocrinology departments of four hospitals in Shanxi Province and Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region from July to September 2022 were enrolled as the study population. They were investigated by General Information Questionnaire, Diabetes Self-Management Scale, Chinese version of Diabetes Empowerment Simplified Scale, and Diabetes Self-Efficacy Scale. Mediation analyses were performed using the linear regression model, Sobel test, and Bootstrap test in the software Stata version 15.0 and divided the patients into different disease course groups for subgroup analysis according to whether the disease course was > 5 years. RESULTS: In this study, the score of self-management behavior in the patients with type 2 diabetes was 6.16±1.41, the score of self-management ability was 3.99±0.74, and the score of self-efficacy was 7.05±1.90. The results of the study showed that self-efficacy was positively correlated with self-management ability (r=0.33) as well as self-management behavior (r=0.47) in the patients with type 2 diabetes (P < 0.01). The mediating effect of self-efficacy accounted for 38.28% of the total effect of self-management ability on self-management behaviors and was higher in the behaviors of blood glucose monitoring (43.45%) and diet control (52.63%). The mediating effect of self-efficacy accounted for approximately 40.99% of the total effect for the patients with disease course ≤ 5 years, while for the patients with disease course > 5 years, the mediating effect accounted for 39.20% of the total effect. CONCLUSION Self-efficacy enhanced the effect of self-management ability on the behavior of the patients with type 2 diabetes, and this positive effect was more significant for the patients with shorter disease course. Targeted health education should be carried out to enhance patients' self-efficacy and self-management ability according to their disease characteristics, to stimulate their inner action, to promote the development of their self-management behaviors, and to form a more stable and long-term mechanism for disease management.
Humans ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2/therapy* ; Self Efficacy ; Self-Management ; Blood Glucose Self-Monitoring ; Blood Glucose ; Self Care

Objective: To explore the safety and effectiveness of stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) for oligometastases from colorectal cancer (CRC). Methods: This is a prospective, single-arm phase Ⅱ trial. Patients who had histologically proven CRC, 1 to 5 detectable liver or lung metastatic lesions with maximum diameter of any metastases ≤5 cm were eligible. SBRT was delivered to all lesions. The primary endpoint was 3-year local control (LC). The secondary endpoints were treatment-related acute toxicities of grade 3 and above, 1-year and 3-year overall survival (OS) and progression free survival (PFS). Survival analysis was performed using the Kaplan-Meier method and Log rank test. Results: Petients from 2016 to 2019 who were treated in Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College. Forty-eight patients with 60 lesions were enrolled, including 37 liver lesions and 23 lung lesions. Forty-six patients had 1 or 2 lesions, with median diameter of 1.3 cm, the median biologically effective dose (BED(10)) was 100.0 Gy. The median follow-up was 19.5 months for all lesions. Twenty-five lesions developed local failure, the median local progression free survival was 15 months. The 1-year LC, OS and PFS was 70.2% (95% CI, 63.7%~76.7%), 89.0% (95% CI, 84.3%~93.7%) and 40.4% (95%CI, 33.0%~47.8%). The univariate analysis revealed that planning target volume (PTV) and total dose were independent prognostic factors of LC (P<0.05). For liver and lung lesions, the 1-year LC, OS and PFS was 58.7% and 89.4% (P=0.015), 89.3% and 86.5% (P=0.732), 30.5% and 65.6% (P=0.024), respectively. No patients developed acute toxicity of grade 3 and above. Conclusion: SBRT is safe and effective treatment method for oligometastases from CRC under precise respiratory motion management and robust quality assurance.
Colorectal Neoplasms ; Humans ; Liver/pathology* ; Lung/pathology* ; Prospective Studies ; Radiosurgery/methods*

Synephrine is a natural small-molecule alkaloid found in Aurantii fructus immaturus with versatile biological activities, but its derivatives have been rarely studied so far. Based on the multi-target drug design strategy, the phenolic hydroxyl and secondary amino group of synephrine were modified structurally by the molecular splicing method in this study and thus five intermediates and fifteen target molecules were designed and synthesized. These compounds were evaluated with certain human pathogenic bacteria and fungi, and found that the inhibitory activities of IM4 and IM5 against E.coli are comparable to those of eight fluoroquinolones; TM1n showed stronger inhibitory activity against drug-resistant C. trobicans and drug-resistant C. albicans than the positive control drug fluconazole. TM1d and TM1f against C. albicans ATCC90023, TM1o and TM1f against drug-resistant C. albicans, and TM1f against C. parapsilosis ATCC22019 are all comparable to fluconazole, all of which have the potential for in-depth research. In this study, synephrine derivatives with strong inhibitory activities against human pathogenic fungi were discovered for the first time, which provided a new idea for the further study of synephrine.

ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of entecavir (ETV) alone or combined with interferon (IFN) on the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB). MethodsA retrospective analysis was performed for 409 patients with CHB who were admitted to Beijing Ditan Hospital from January 2008 to December 2014, and according to their antiviral therapy, they were divided into ETV+IFN group with 169 patients (IFN treatment for ≥6 months) and ETV group with 240 patients (ETV treatment for ≥12 months). The patients were followed up to June 2019, and the development of HCC was the outcome event. The Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison of continuous variables between two groups, and the chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical variables between two groups. The propensity score matching (PSM) method was used to eliminate baseline differences between groups, the Kaplan-Meier method and the log-rank test were used to compare the incidence rate of HCC between groups, and the Cox proportional-hazards regression model analysis was used to investigate the risk factors for the development of HCC. ResultsThe median follow-up time in this study was 5.4 years (IQR: 4.9-7.9). There was no significant difference in the cumulative incidence rate of HCC between the two groups before and after PSM (before PSM: 1.2% vs 2.8%, χ2=1.423, P=0.233; after PSM: 1.7% vs 4.1%, χ2=1.676, P=0.195), and the subgroup analysis also showed no significant difference in the cumulative incidence rate of HCC between the two groups in the non-high risk population (1.3% vs 1.5%, χ2=0.335, P=0.563). The Cox proportional-hazards regression model showed that age was an independent risk factor for HCC (hazard ratio=1.107, 95% confidence interval: 1.005-1.219, P=0.038). ConclusionFor CHB patients without a high risk of cancer, compared with ETV monotherapy, ETV combined with IFN for at least 6 months does not significantly reduce the risk of HCC.

Objective This study aimed to explore the potential effects of terahertz (THz) waves on primary cultured neurons from 4 rat brain regions (hippocampus,cerebral cortex,cerebellum,and brainstem)and 3 kinds of neuron-like cells (MN9D,PC12,and HT22 cells) under nonthermal conditions.Methods THz waves with an output power of 50 (0.16 THz) and 10 (0.17 THz) mW with exposure times of 6 and 60 min were used in this study.Analysis of temperature change,neurite growth,cell membrane roughness,micromorphology,neurotransmitters and synaptic-related proteins (SYN and PSD95) was used to evaluate the potential effects.Results Temperature increase caused by the THz wave was negligible.THz waves induced significant neurotransmitter changes in primary hippocampal,cerebellar,and brainstem neurons and in MN9D and PC12 cells.THz wave downregulated SYN expression in primary hippocampal neurons and downregulated PSD95 expression in primary cortical neurons.Conclusion Different types of cells responded differently after THz wave exposure,and primary hippocampal and cortical neurons and MN9D cells were relatively sensitive to the THz waves.The biological effects were positively correlated with the exposure time of the THz waves.