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The development of efficient and reliable online assessments has become increasingly important in the digital era. We developed a 10-min online word reading assessment of global English based on the existing paper-and-pencil version of our English silent word reading test. The test includes two parts, namely, random word recognition and contextual word reading. A total of 889 participants (437 children and 392 adults; 62.7% female) took part in the study. They were from various regions including mainland China, Hong Kong SAR, Macau SAR, Poland, the United States, and the Philippines. Reliability and validity analyses on various demographics samples (by age and country/region of origin) demonstrated that the WordSword Test is highly reliable and valid (e.g., the correlation of this test with other English reading measures were above.80). Education level was positively correlated with test performance, while the correlations between age and test performance were not consistent. Ninety-seven children participants also took the paper-and-pencil version of the WordSword Test. The correlation between performances on the online and paper-and-pencil versions of the test was.879, one year apart. With more children and adults taking the WordSword Test, we ultimately hope to establish norms by area, grade level, and age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of marriage pairings on fertility intentions is specific and has attracted increasing scholarly attention in recent years. Using data from the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS), this study explored the impact of couples' educational pairings, age pairings, and income pairings on women's desired number of children and their preference for sons. The results showed that marital-educational pairing had a greater effect on women's fertility intentions than age and income pairing. The effect of marital pairing on women's fertility intentions is also influenced by women's age and urban–rural differences. The study helps to understand the changes in women's fertility intentions and the factors influencing them after the fertility policy transition in China and inspires scholars to pay more attention to the interaction process between couples in the study of fertility intentions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Constipation is common in elderly inpatients with intracerebral hemorrhage. This study aimed to construct a model for predicting the risk of constipation in elderly inpatients with intracerebral hemorrhage and to provide reference for formulating targeted intervention measures. Methods: Elderly patients with intracerebral hemorrhage who were treated in the department of Neurosurgery of a third-class hospital in Suzhou from January 2018 to September 2023 were included. Clinical data of patients with and without constipation were compared. Logistic regression analysis was used to explore the influencing factors of constipation in elderly patients with intracerebral hemorrhage, and R software was used to construct a line chart model to verify its predictive effect. Results: A total of 504 elderly patients with intracerebral hemorrhage were included. The incidence of constipation in elderly patients with cerebral hemorrhage was 63.9%. Logistic regression analysis showed that GCS score (OR = 1.094, 95%CI: 1.019∼1.174), hypertension (OR = 2.911, 95%CI: 1.797∼4.715), use of dehydrating agent (OR = 3.794, 95%CI: 2.337∼6.158), surgical treatment (OR = 3.986, 95%CI: 2.339∼6.793), use of sedative drugs (OR = 4.212, 95%CI:2.386-7.435), and limb paralysis (OR = 6.313, 95%CI:3.689∼10.803) were the independent risk factors for constipation in elderly patients with intracerebral hemorrhage. The area under the ROC curve of the prediction model was 0.872 (95%CI: 0.8401∼0.9033), the best critical value was 0.705, the sensitivity was 0.748, and the specificity was 0.857. Conclusion: The constipation risk prediction model of elderly patients with cerebral hemorrhage has good differentiation and calibration, which is helpful for health care providers to identify the risk of constipation in elderly patients with intracerebral hemorrhage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated the association between anemia status and the risk of heart failure (HF) in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) based on a multi-center, large-sample and retrospective cross-sectional study including 89,207 patients. Heart failure was categorized as HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), HF with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), and HF with mid-range ejection fraction (HFmrEF). In multi-adjusted models, compared with patients without anemia, mild anemia (odds ratio [OR] 1.71; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.53–1.91; P <.001), moderate anemia (OR 3.68; 95% CI, 3.25–4.17; P <.001), and severe anemia (OR 8.02; 95% CI, 6.50–9.88; P <.001) were associated with the risk of HF among CHD patients. Men aged <65 years were more likely to develop HF. In subgroup analyses, the multi-adjusted ORs and 95% CI of HFpEF, HFrEF, and HFmrEF related to anemia were 3.24 (95% CI 1.43–7.33), 2.22 (95% CI 1.28–3.84), and 2.55 (95% CI 2.24–2.89), respectively. These findings suggest that anemia might be associated with increased risk of different types of HF, especially HFpEF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The widespread use of digital technology and devices has fundamentally transformed people's social life in recent decades, particularly in interpersonal relationships. Two popular social phenomena elucidate how social connections and interactions have dramatically evolved due to technological advancement. Sexting has surfaced as a popular way of getting attention or flirting among young populations over the past decade. Online dating also has emerged as a viable avenue for people to seek interpersonal romantic and/or sexual relationships. Based on survey data collected from two Chinese universities and one U.S. university, this study links sexting and online dating by comparatively assessing the prevalence of sexting victimization and factors influencing such victimization among young online daters. Bivariate and multiple analyses reveal that American college students are more inclined than their Chinese counterparts to be victims of receiving sexts. Chinese students with higher degrees of rape myth acceptance are more likely to experience sexting victimization, but such an association does not exist among U.S. students. Internet-related activities were only weakly connected to sexting victimization among college students. LGBT young adults, regardless of their country affiliation, are at a higher risk for sexting misconduct. Female and younger American students were more likely to experience sexting victimization, whereas Chinese students in a romantic relationship were more inclined to experience sexting victimization. If possible, future research should employ a random sampling strategy to draw a larger number of college students from different types of universities in different regions. Future studies should include other theoretically relevant variables, such as self-control and opportunity variables, into the sexting victimization research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The topic of school bullying has become an important issue over the world. Being in disadvantaged situations of fathers' absence, prior research suggested that left-behind children (LBC) with absent fathers in China are more vulnerable to get involved in school bullying (bullying or being bullied). In addition, fathers' absence brings much pressure to single stay-at-home mothers, leading to more maternal psychologically controlling parenting. Following a three-wave longitudinal design, this study aimed to examine the developmental relationship between maternal psychological control and father-absent LBC's bullying/victimization as well as its mechanism. A total of 348 father-absent LBC aged 7-11 years in China completed a battery of questionnaires at three-time points. The results indicated that there are reciprocal effects between maternal psychological control and father-absent LBC's bullying/victimization. Specifically, maternal psychological control at T1 predicted father-absent LBC's victimization at T2; children's victimization at T2 predicted maternal psychological control at T3; maternal psychological control predicted later children's bullying perpetration stably from T1 to T2 and from T2 to T3; children's bullying at T2 predicted maternal psychological control at T3. Two vicious circles happened in the above relationships. Current findings highlight the stronger effects of mothers' negative parenting on children's school bullying, which bring inspiration for future family education and school intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is little investigation on the independent effects of left-behind experience (LBE) on self-esteem and aggressive behavior in Chinese young adult populations, or the interaction effects of LBE and self-esteem on aggressive behavior. Thus, a school-based health survey was conducted in Anhui province in China in 2017. A total of 4,154 college students completed standard questionnaires which contain details of left-behind–related characters, self-esteem, aggressive behavior, and sociodemographic profile. Of included students, 55.3% were those with LBE (LBEs). Compared to students without left-behind experiences (NLBEs), LBEs had significantly increased scores of aggressive behavior and decreased score of self-esteem. The increased aggression in LBEs was highly related to longer left-behind duration, younger age of left-behind for the first time, and decreased self-esteem. On the other side, the aggressive behavior was demonstrated negatively correlated with self-esteem in both LBEs and NLBEs. There was an interaction effect of left-behind duration and self-esteem on physical aggression and of frequency of contacting with parents and self-esteem on verbal aggression. Besides, the interaction of primary caregiver and self-esteem on hostility and aggression toward self were also observed, respectively. Our results indicated LBEs and low self-esteem are associated with increased risk of aggressive behavior in Chinese young adults. The increased aggressive behavior in LBEs were highly related to longer left-behind duration, younger age of left-behind for the first time and decreased self-esteem. In those LBEs with some certain left-behind–related characters, aggressive behavior decreased more prominently with the increase of self-esteem. Strategies to improve self-esteem, particularly among young adults who have certain characters of LBE, should be a significant component of prevention and interventions of aggressive behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Little is known about the frequency and types of disease clusters involving major chronic diseases that contribute to multimorbidity in China. We examined the frequency of disease clusters involving major chronic diseases and their relationship with age and socioeconomic status in 0.5 million Chinese adults. Methods: Multimorbidity was defined as the presence of at least two or more of five major chronic diseases: stroke, ischaemic heart disease (IHD), diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and cancer. Multimorbid disease clusters were estimated using both self-reported doctor-diagnosed diseases at enrolment and incident cases during 10-year follow-up. Frequency of multimorbidity was assessed overall and by age, sex, region, education and income. Association rule mining (ARM) and latent class analysis (LCA) were used to assess clusters of the five major diseases. Results: Overall, 11% of Chinese adults had two or more major chronic diseases, and the frequency increased with age (11%, 24% and 33% at age 50–59, 60–69 and 70–79 years, respectively). Multimorbidity was more common in men than women (12% vs 11%) and in those living in urban than in rural areas (12% vs 10%), and was inversely related to levels of education. Stroke and IHD were the most frequent combinations, followed by diabetes and stroke. The patterns of self-reported disease clusters at baseline were similar to those that were recorded during the first 10 years of follow-up. Conclusions: Cardiometabolic and cardiorespiratory diseases were most common disease clusters. Understanding the nature of such clusters could have implications for future prevention strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peer victimization is a serious issue among school-aged children. Chinese left-behind children tend to experience peer victimization and associated nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) behavior. However, the possible improvement of subjective socioeconomic status (SES) based on increased family income may serve to buffer the relationship between peer victimization and NSSI, and this buffering effect may differ by level of social support. Thus, the current study aimed to examine the moderating effect of subjective SES on the relationship between peer victimization and NSSI by the level of social support among Chinese left-behind children. A total of 431 left-behind children and 447 non-left-behind children (comparison group) completed self-report scales measuring peer victimization, NSSI, subjective SES, and social support. Results showed that peer victimization was positively related to NSSI among left-behind children, but not among non-left-behind children. Moreover, for left-behind children with low levels of social support, high subjective SES intensified the association between peer victimization and NSSI; peer victimization was positively associated with NSSI among left-behind children who reported high subjective SES, but not among those with low subjective SES. However, high levels of social support seemed to protect the left-behind children with high subjective SES who experienced peer victimization from NSSI. For non-left-behind children with both parents present, high subjective SES played a protective role in the association between peer victimization and NSSI, regardless of the levels of social support they enjoyed. These findings contribute to an understanding of subjective SES as a moderating mechanism in the association between peer victimization and NSSI among left-behind children. Social support proved central to the protective role of subjective SES. Intervention programs to enhance social support can help to strengthen the protective effect of subjective SES on NSSI among left-behind children who experience peer victimization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates associations between internal migration and health among middle-aged and older adults in China, including variations associated with type of migration (rural-to-urban, urban-to-rural, rural-to-rural, urban-to-urban). Data were drawn from China's Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (2011, 2013, 2015). Lagged panel and fixed-effect regression models address associations between migration and health outcomes (self-rated health, depression) while controlling for pre-migration and post-migration selection effects. The results reveal the positive implications of rural-to-urban migration for the self-rated health of middle-aged but not older adults. They also point to the positive effects of migration within and to rural areas for the self-rated and mental health of older adults. Overall, although migration may be beneficial to the health of internal migrants in China, complexities associated with age, type of migration, and the health outcome involved need to be taken into account. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current research aimed to examine the reasons people are single, that is, not in an intimate relationship, across eight different countries—Brazil, China, Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, India, Japan, and the UK. We asked a large cross-cultural sample of single participants (N = 6,822) to rate 92 different possible reasons for being single. These reasons were classified into 12 factors, including one's perceived inability to find the right partner, the perception that one is not good at flirting, and the desire to focus on one's career. Significant sex and age effects were found for most factors. The extracted factors were further classified into three separate domains: Perceived poor capacity to attract mates, desiring the freedom of choice, and currently being in between relationships. The domain structure, the relative importance of each factor and domain, as well as sex and age effects were relatively consistent across countries. There were also important differences however, including the differing effect sizes of sex and age effects between countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intimate partner sexual violence (IPSV) among emerging adults, including heterosexuals and sexual minorities in the Chinese population, is poorly understood. Focusing on college students, the objectives of the present study were to estimate the prevalence of IPSV among Chinese emerging adults, examine the association between sexual orientation and IPSV, and evaluate the mental health and quality of life of survivors of IPSV. Data were collected from four university campuses in Hong Kong. A total of 1,015 participants were included in the data analysis. The prevalence of IPSV as identified by Conflict Tactics Scale (CTS)-2 was 12.1%. There was no gender difference in the prevalence of IPSV. Multiple logistic regression found that being older; having experienced childhood sexual abuse and having a smoking habit; and belonging to a sexual minority were factors associated with IPSV. Multiple linear regression found that IPSV survivors were more likely to have higher levels of anxiety and depression, more severe psychosomatic symptoms, and poorer quality of life in three domains: psychological, social relationships, and environment when compared with those without IPSV experience. The documented factors underscored the importance of awareness that men and sexual minorities might incur IPSV, which should receive more attention in IPSV prevention programs. Also, interventions for IPSV survivors should be targeted at improving their mental health and quality of life and sex education should place more emphasis on sexual consent and sexual health in dating relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We use data from the 2014 China Longitudinal Aging Social Survey to examine the effect of attitudes toward aging on quality of life among older adults in China. We find that older people who experience psychosocial loss may be less satisfied with their life, and have more feelings of depression and loneliness. Compared to older women, older men have lower life satisfaction, and more depression and loneliness, though psychosocial loss has less of an effect on them. Older women who experience psychosocial loss are more likely to be dissatisfied with their life and feel more depressive and lonelier than their male counterparts. Among those who experience psychosocial loss, older people living in rural communities have a higher level of life satisfaction, while living in urban areas may counteract some of the positive impact of psychological growth on reducing the frequency of feeling depressed and lonely. Social policy can play a role in shaping constructive social/community environments to build more positive attitudes toward aging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To measure the validity and reliability of a Chinese version of Child Oral Health Impact Profile (COHIP) and to assess oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) with regard to gender, age, and cleft types in Chinese children with orofacial cleft (OFC). Design: A total of 120 patients with OFC (8-15 years old) and their parents were investigated with COHIP in the West China Hospital of Stomatology. Items were divided into oral symptoms, functional well-being, emotional well-being, school, and peer interaction subscales, and scores on all subscales were compared between and within groups. Results: The internal consistency measured by Cronbach α was satisfactory in children's sample (0.85) and parents' sample (0.90). The correlation between children's and parents' questionnaires was moderate to weak (Pearson r = 0.34), which was also supported by moderate intraclass correlation coefficients. The OHRQoL of children differed significantly from parents on the overall COHIP, functional well-being, emotional well-being, and school subscales. Older children had poor OHRQoL, functional well-being, and emotional well-being. Girls had poor emotional well-being. Children with cleft lip and palate and cleft palate performed worse on the overall COHIP, functional well-being, and school subscales. Parents, boys, and younger children had better treatment expectations and global health perceptions. Conclusion: The Chinese version of COHIP is a reliable and valid tool to assess OHRQoL in Chinese children with OFC. Parents' reports could not replace children's answers but add complementary information. Children's gender, age, and cleft types should be considered in OHRQoL assessment and individual treatment plan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to identify symptom clusters of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and to examine the relationship between symptom clusters and health-related quality of life (HRQoL). It included 154 hospitalized patients with COPD. The majority of the participants (88.6%) were aged 60 years and above, and the numbers of men and women were approximately equal (men: 55.2%). The Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI), the Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale (MSAS), and the Chinese version of the Clinical COPD Questionnaire (CCQ) were used to evaluate comorbidity, participant's symptoms, and HRQoL, respectively. Five symptom clusters were identified using exploratory factor analysis, and symptom clusters, especially the Psychological, Pain and Fatigue, GI, and Dyspnea-Sweat symptom clusters, had negative effects on HRQoL in patients with COPD. Understanding the patterns and occurrences of symptom clusters could be essential for developing effective interventions to manage COPD symptoms and improve the patients' HRQoL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Work environments can affect job satisfaction and psychological well-being. Using the job demand-control model as a foundation, this study aimed to explore the relationships between physical and psychosocial work environments and psychological well-being and job satisfaction in the workplace. A multistage sampling method was used with the 2012 China Labor-force Dynamics Survey among 4442 employees. Our outcome measures included psychological well-being and job satisfaction. The final model showed migrants (odds ratio [OR] = 1.34, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.13-1.60) and nonmanagerial employees (OR = 1.49, 95% CI = 1.25-1.78) who worked in general enterprises (OR= 1.61, 95% CI = 1.34-1.92) or suffered longer weekly work hours (OR = 1.42, 95% CI = 1.24-1.63) had worse psychological well-being or lower job satisfaction. Following the job demand-control model, higher job demands and lower job autonomy were significantly and positively associated with worse psychological well-being and lower job satisfaction. This study highlights that improved work environments can protect employees' well-being. Policymakers must provide better work environments. They must consider its physical environment (stable work contract and short work hours) and psychosocial environment (low job demands and high job autonomy) aspects, particularly for migrants and nonmanagerial employees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Improving patients' perception of social support is significant not only for their re-adaptation to life but also for alleviating caregivers' burden. Aim: This study aims to examine an integrated model regarding social support, psychotic symptoms and caregiver burden. Methods: Persons with schizophrenia (N 1 = 300) and their family caregivers (N 2 = 300) in Xinjin County, Chengdu, China, completed the survey to report their demographics, patients' perception of social support (Duke Social Support Index), psychotic symptoms (Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale) and caregiver burden (Burden Scale for Family Caregivers, Short Version). Structural equation modelling was utilised to test the proposed model. Results: The degree of caregiver burden differed significantly within subgroups of patients' gender and education, as well as caregivers' gender, education and employment. Caregiver burden was negatively related to patients' age and household income. Social interaction partially mediated the relationship between instrumental and subjective social support (total effect = 0.451, p <.01). Subjective social support fully mediated the impact of social interaction on psychotic symptoms (total effect = −0.099, p <.05). In the final model, instrumental social support was positively associated with social interaction (p <.001) and increased subjective social support (p <.05). Increased subjective social support showed correlation with a lower degree of psychotic symptoms (p <.01), which was related to a lower level of caregiver burden (p <.001). Conclusion: This study shows the associations of patients' social support with psychotic symptoms and caregiver burden. Culture-specific psychosocial interventions should be provided for both patients and caregivers to enrich external support and reduce psychotic symptoms and caregivers' burden within the health care environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Vitamin D can play a vital role in autoimmune diseases. Epidemiologic evidence demonstrates vitamin D deficiency excited in adult patients with vitiligo. Objectives. To investigate 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) levels in children with vitiligo and explore possible relevant factors. Methods. A total of 114 patients and 100 controls were included in our case-control study. We analyzed the required data collected by the questionnaire and examination to reveal the correlation with 25(OH)D levels. Results. The mean serum 25(OH)D levels in patients and controls were 43.62 ± 19.23 and 67.87 ± 19.45 nmol/L, respectively. The rate of deficient in patients and controls are 14.9% and 2%, respectively. There was significant difference between the 2 groups. Significant differences also existed on different ages comparing serum vitamin D levels of patients with controls (P < .001). Age was an independent factor affecting 25(OH)D level (P = .032). Two (1.8%) and 4 (3.5%) of children with vitiligo have comorbid autoimmune diseases and family history, respectively. There was no correlation between sex, duration of disease, type of vitiligo, skin lesion location, stage, family history, and comorbid autoimmune diseases with 25(OH)D levels. Conclusion. Serum vitamin D level was associated with onset vitiligo children. More sunshine and vitamin D fortified foods are necessary among children with age. The rates of children vitiligo with family history has decreased in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study investigated age-related differences in gratitude expression and spending preferences, as well as their relations with wishes among 520 7- to 14-year-old Chinese children and adolescents. Results suggested that older Chinese children were more likely than younger ones to express connective gratitude and that the probability of expressing verbal and concrete gratitude remained stable across ages. In addition, older children tended to spend less money on buying things for others as compared with younger children. Regarding the relations between wish types and gratitude and spending preferences, we found that children who wished for social well-being were more likely to express connective gratitude, and to spend a larger amount of money on charity. In addition, children who had hedonistic wishes were more likely to express concrete gratitude. Findings of the present study contribute to the theoretical understanding of gratitude development among Chinese children and adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study examined trajectory patterns of self-rated health (SRH) among older rural Chinese adults and gender differences in the relationship between intergenerational relationships and SRH trajectories. Using data from four waves of a longitudinal study on the well-being of older adults in Anhui province, a general growth mixture model was estimated to examine the SRH trajectory patterns and antecedents of SRH trajectory class memberships. A two-class model was selected to interpret the SRH trajectory patterns. The two classes were labeled remaining poor and good but declining. Intergenerational relationships were a significant antecedent of SRH trajectory class memberships among men but not women. Gender differences in the cumulative effects of intergenerational relationships on the health of older adults were identified in rural China. Policy implications regarding how to help rural families support their elderly members are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate factors associated with tourism experiences, and the association between tourism experiences and subsequent self-rated health. Method: Multilevel logistic regression models and four waves of panel data from a large nationally representative survey of older adults in China were employed. Results: Those who had a tourism experience tended to be younger, men, urban residents, have a higher socioeconomic status (SES), and frequently participate in leisure activities and exercise. However, controlling for SES, women were more likely than men to have a tourism experience. Notably, tourism was negatively associated with poor self-rated health and the association was robust to adjustments for a wide range of confounders. Discussion: The net beneficial impact of tourism on self-rated health may operate through several mechanisms such as improvements in tourists’ cognitive functioning, healthy lifestyles, self-esteen, family and social relations, and psychological and spirtual well-being. Tourism participation is an effective way to promote healthy aging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goal of this study was to evaluate how epilepsy affected the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in children with epilepsy, as well as the risk factors for poor HRQOL. Parents of epileptic children (n = 223) and parents of healthy children (n = 216) were enrolled. The Child Epilepsy Questionnaire–Parental form was given to all parents. Children with epilepsy had significantly lower HRQOL scores for overall QOL and all subscales. Seizure types were not associated with HRQOL, but the age of the child with epilepsy, disease courses and seizure frequency did influence the quality of life. Epilepsy has a severe impact on children’s HRQOL, and age, increased seizure frequency and longer duration of epilepsy are associated with poor HRQOL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aiming to explore universal HIV testing, and to understand the exact HIV prevalence in the older general population, we conducted a community-based cross-sectional epidemiological investigation in two counties of Zhejiang province, China. Using census strategy and convenience sampling method, those participants who were older than 50 years and met eligibility criteria were enrolled, and HIV prevalence was presented as a crude infection rate. A total of 215,441 (64.82%) were enrolled into this study, HIV testing was added into their health exam plan and 18 were confirmed as HIV positive, giving a crude rate of 0.84/10,000. HIV prevalence was higher among men than among women in all age groups (p < 0.05). Unlike previous research, 14 cases (78%) still had a relatively high CD4 + count; 17 cases (94%) had been infected by sexual transmission. Active large-scale HIV screening by integrating into routine health care can be an effective strategy to find people living with HIV at relative early stage of disease. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This study investigated the noun definitions given by Cantonese speakers at different ages. Definitional responses on six concrete nouns from 1075 children aged 4;10 to 12;01 and 15 adults were analyzed with reference to the semantic content and the syntactic form. Results showed that conventional definitions produced by Cantonese adult speakers were realized with specific superordinates and more perceptual than functional attributes. The content was carried by a syntactic frame, “NP1is NP2”, where relative clause was not the predominant form of NP2 as in the English definition forms. Core attributes signifying the defining properties increased significantly with age while non-core attributes were observed relatively evenly throughout all groups. Preschoolers tended to drop the sentential-subject (i.e., NP1) and the copula is, and produce more functional than perceptual attributes. By Primary-2 (P2) (about 7;0), the taxonomic relation was coded with the frame of “NP1is NP2”. Beginning at P4 (about 9;0), children included a superordinate but the specificity of the adult-like superordinate was not achieved even by P6 (about 11;0). In general, developmental trends accorded with the trends observed in other languages, but typological features played a role in framing the development of the syntactic form. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article presents a study which examines the cross-cultural psychosocial effect of clef palate and lip in non-Anglo populations. The study made use of the data from four studies of controlled study and empirical designs to estimate the effect size using Cohen's D and confidence intervals. The result of the study shows that men with cleft palate and lip are more prone to psychosocial issues as compared to women.

Background: An outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection occurred in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. To date, the analysis of fatal cases and the risk factors for death have rarely been reported. Methods: In this study, 220 adult patients with confirmed and suspected COVID-19 were enrolled. Clinical characteristics, laboratory data, treatments, and complications were compared between 168 survivors and 52 nonsurvivors. Univariable analysis and multivariable logistic regression were used to investigate the risk factors for mortality. Results: A total of 220 patients (168 were discharged and 52 died in the hospital) were enrolled in the study. The median age of all patients was 59.5 (47.0-69.0) years, and the median age of patients who died was significantly older than that of patients who survived (70.5 vs 56.0 years, respectively; P <.001). According to multivariate logistic regression, older age (odds ratio: 1.09, 95% CI: 1.03-1.15; P =.001), initial Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score >2 (37.4, 9.4-148.0; P =.011), and respiratory rate >24 per minute (10.89, 1.47-80.67; P =.019) were independent risk factors for mortality. Conclusion: Clinical and laboratory parameters predicting poor prognosis including older age, baseline SOFA score >2, and respiratory rate >24 per minute were identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The general practitioner (GP) system has been widely applied around the world and experimented with in Shanghai, China. To analyze some of the influencing factors on patient-GP contracts, we developed a questionnaire and conducted site investigations in 2011 and 2012 to 1200 patients by random sampling from 6 pilot community health service (CHS) centers in Pudong, Shanghai. The t test, χ2 test, factor analysis, and logistic regression analysis were used to analyze the data. The factors influencing patients’ contract behavior were age (OR = 1.03; 95%CI = 1.02-1.04), education level (OR = 0.83; 95% CI = 0.75-0.93), social interaction of social capital (OR = 1.34; 95% CI = 1.15-1.56), acceptance of first contact in community (OR = 3.25; 95% CI = 2.07-5.12), the year of investigation (OR = 2.58; 95% CI = 1.92-3.47), and the exposure to publicity (OR = 1.60; 95% CI = 1.39-1.85). Elderly patients formed a focus group to sign contracts with GPs. To increase trust in GPs by patients, it is recommended to improve the level of CHSs, strengthen publicity, and cultivate social capital among patients. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]