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Objective To evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of low-intensity ultrasound (LIUS) in promoting uterine involution and relieving postpartum pain. Methods The randomized controlled clinical trial in this study was conducted at five centers in three regions across China from June 2014 to December 2014. A total of 498 subjects were randomly divided into two groups. The LIUS group received ultrasound treatment, and the control group received sham ultrasound treatment. The fundal height and visual analogue scale (VAS) scores of the subjects following cesarean section were recorded separately before and after five treatments. The incidence of adverse events was recorded, while the records on lochia duration were obtained by telephone follow-up. The Full Analysis Set (FAS) comprised all subjects randomized who received at least one treatment. The Per-Protocol Set (PPS) comprised all patients who did not seriously violate the study protocol and had good compliance with complete report forms. Efficacy analyses were performed based on the FAS and PPS. All safety analyses were performed based on the safety set (SS), which included all patients who received at least one treatment. Results In the analysis of PPS and FAS, the LIUS group performed better than the control group in reducing the fundal height, shortening the duration of lochia, and relieving postpartum pain, with a significant difference between the two groups (p

Practical Guidelines for Safe Childbirth Checklist has not been widely used in medical institutions at all levels in China. This study aims to understand the current status of knowledge, attitude and practice of obstetric medical staff toward the Safe Childbirth Checklist and analyze its influencing factors to provide a reference for establishing the promotion of the checklist. Convenience sampling was used in a cross-sectional survey of 685 obstetric medical staff in Chongqing using a self-designed questionnaire to analyze their knowledge, attitude and practice of the checklist. The scores of knowledge, attitude and practice of obstetric medical staff on the checklist were 29.96 ± 5.44, 62.87 ± 9.11, and 37.74 ± 6.82, respectively. Occupation and hospital level were influencing factors of the knowledge and practice scores, while length of service was the only influencing factor of the knowledge score. Education was the influencing factor of attitude score. The total effects of the knowledge, facilitation and inhibition dimensions on practice were 0.671, 0.263 and -0.135, respectively. Mediating effects presented in the facilitation and inhibition of attitude in safe childbirth. Obstetrics medical staff know the checklist well, however, their attitudes and practices need to be improved. Managers should take targeted measures to strengthen the attitudes and practices of obstetric medical staff toward safe childbirth and promote the use of the checklist, thus providing a powerful safeguard for higher delivery quality and safer delivery.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of COVID‐19 on the prevalence of acute stress disorder and subsequent effects on career planning among healthcare students. A cross‐sectional survey was conducted among 1158 healthcare students across five medical universities in February 2020. Acute stress disorder was assessed using the Stanford Acute Stress Response Questionnaire. Further data regarding COVID‐19 knowledge, individual behaviours, occupational choices, and career planning were collected. Based on the results of the Stanford Acute Stress Response Questionnaire, the students were divided into high‐risk and low‐risk groups for acute stress disorder. The correlation between acute stress disorder and the impact on career planning was analysed. The high‐risk group comprised 143 (12.3%) participants, while 1015 (87.7%) participants were in the low‐risk group. Two factors increased the risk of acute stress disorder in the students, including ‘I think the pandemic is far away from me’ (B: 1.27, 95%CI: 1.60–7.87) and ‘Physical contact with confirmed or suspected cases’ (B: 2.49, 95%CI: 3.42–42.44). Those who obtained pandemic information from official media sources indicated a lower risk of acute stress disorder (B: −0.24, 95%CI: 0.49–1.26). The high‐risk group was more likely to quit the medical profession after graduation. The COVID‐19 pandemic may cause acute stress disorder among healthcare students and affect their career planning. Universities and relevant departments should provide more information and moral support for these students.

Objective: To assess the prevalence and degrees of maternal prenatal stress among twin-pregnant women and to investigate the impact of prenatal stress on primary pregnancy outcomes.Methods: The Cho...

To determine the roles of selenoprotein X gene (Selx) in protecting liver cells against oxidative damage, the influences of Selx knockdown on H2O2-induced apoptosis in human normal hepatocyte (LO2) cells were studied. pSilencer 3.1 was used to develop knockdown vector targeting the 3'-UTR of human Selx. The Selx knockdown and control cells were further exposed to H2O2, and cell viability, cell apoptosis rate, and the expression levels of mRNA and protein of apoptosis-related genes were detected. The results showed that vector targeting the 3'-UTR of Selx successfully silenced mRNA or protein expression of SelX in LO2 cells. Selx knockdown resulted in decreased cell viability, increased percentage of early apoptotic cells, decreased Bcl2A1 and Bcl-2 expression, and increased phosphorylation of P38 in LO2 cells. When Selx knockdown LO2 cells were exposed to H2O2, characteristics of H2O2-induced cell dysfunctions were further exacerbated. Taken together, our findings suggested that SelX played important roles in protecting LO2 cells against oxidative damage and reducing H2O2-induced apoptosis in liver cells.