Search

Background: Phubbing is a commonly seen phenomenon that has emerged in recent years among groups of college students, posing a rising challenge to educators. We conduct research in which the reciprocal relationship between problematic social media use and phubbing is explored and analysed quantitatively, aiming to discover reliable theoretical support to work out an appropriate intervention on students' phubbing for students' mental health concerns., Methods: Using the problematic social media use scale and the phubbing scale, 328 college students from four universities in Shandong Province were enrolled in a two-stage longitudinal follow-up study for 20 months from December 2019 to August 2021. A cross-lagged model was constructed to explore the reciprocal relationship between problematic social media use and phubbing. The results of correlation analysis showed that problematic social media use was positively correlated with phubbing at both time points (r = 0.51, 0.53, P < 0.01)., Results: The results of cross-lagged regression analysis showed that the predictive effect of pretest problematic social media use on posttest problematic social media use was statistically significant (β = 0.24, P < 0.01). There was statistical significance in the prediction effect of pretest phubbing on posttest phubbing (β = 0.16, P < 0.05). Pretest problematic social media use had statistical significance in predicting posttest phubbing (β = 0.22, P < 0.01), and there was no statistical significance in the prediction of pretest phubbing on posttest problematic social media (β = 0.16, P < 0.05)., Conclusion: The problematic social media use of college students is closely related to phubbing, and problematic social media use can predict phubbing., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Objectives: Caffeine has been shown to reduce the incidence of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). To investigate the protective mechanism of caffeine in a hyperoxia-based cell model of BPD in vitro. Methods: Type II alveolar epithelial cells (AECs II) were isolated and randomly divided into 6 groups: the normal, hyperoxia, caffeine (50 μM caffeine), antagonist (5 μM ZM241385), agonist (5 μM CGS21680), and DMSO groups. Transfection with siRNA against adenosine A2A receptor (siA2AR) was performed in AECs II. Results: Caffeine alone or in combination with adenosine A2A receptor (A2AR) antagonist inhibited apoptosis, promoted proliferation and reduced oxidative stress (OS). The cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP), protein kinase A (PKA) mRNA, A2AR mRNA and the protein levels of A2AR, phospho-Src, phospho-ERK1/2, phospho-P38 and cleaved caspase-3 were decreased in the caffeine and antagonist groups compared with that in the hyperoxia group. However, the effects of caffeine above were weakened by the A2AR agonist. Knockdown of A2AR showed similar results to caffeine. Discussion: Caffeine can reduce apoptosis, promote proliferation, and alleviate OS in hyperoxia-induced AECs II injury by inhibiting the A2AR/cAMP/PKA/Src/ERK1/2/p38MAPK signaling pathway. Caffeine and A2AR may serve as a promising therapeutic target for BPD in prematurity.

Purpose: Numerous cross-sectional studies have explored the correlation between study engagement and critical thinking, but the relationship between the development of these two key variables over time is unclear and the causal relationship between them remains controversial. In this study, we examined the developmental trajectories of and the interplay between study engagement and critical thinking., Methods: We used a questionnaire method to follow 654 first-year students in Chinese higher vocational college over a period of one year and three times, of which 231 (35.321%) were male and 423 (64.679%) were female, with an average age of 18.11 years. Descriptive statistics were used to present general characteristics of the study participants, and latent growth model was used to explore the developmental trajectories of study engagement and critical thinking, and to explore the interplay between study engagement and critical thinking from a developmental perspective. Based on this, a cross-lagged model was used to verify the causal relationship between study engagement and critical thinking., Results: During the first year of higher vocational college in China, students' levels of study engagement and critical thinking declined continuously. The initial level and development of study engagement can positively influence the initial level and development of critical thinking, respectively, while the initial level and development of critical thinking can in turn positively influence the initial level and development of study engagement, respectively. Study engagement and critical thinking can predict each other., Conclusion: The above results help researchers and educators to develop study engagement and critical thinking in higher vocational college students from a developmental perspective. The development of either aspect of study engagement and critical thinking can contribute to the joint improvement of both., Competing Interests: The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work., (© 2022 Lv et al.)

Time-restricted eating (TRE) is known to improve metabolic health, whereas very few studies have compared the effects of early and late TRE (eTRE and lTRE) on metabolic health. Overweight and obese young adults were randomized to 6-h eTRE (eating from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.) (n = 21), 6-h lTRE (eating from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.) (n = 20), or a control group ( ad libitum intake in a day) (n = 19). After 8 weeks, 6-h eTRE and lTRE produced comparable body weight loss compared with controls. Compared with control, 6-h eTRE reduced systolic blood pressure, mean glucose, fasting insulin, insulin resistance, leptin, and thyroid axis activity, whereas lTRE only reduced leptin. These findings shed light on the promise of 6-h eTRE and lTRE for weight loss. Larger studies are needed to assess the promise of eTRE to yield better thyroid axis modulation and overall cardiometabolic health improvement., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2022 The Author(s).)

Functional constipation (FCon) is one of the common functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGID). Previous studies reported alterations in cortical morphometry as well as changes in white matter (WM) fiber tracts and thalamo-limbic/parietal structural connectivity (SC). However, whether patients with FCon are implicated in changes in gray matter (GM) volume and associated SC remains unclear. Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) was first employed to examine differences in GM volume between 48 patients with FCon and 52 healthy controls (HC). Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) with probabilistic tractography analysis was then employed to explore alterations in SC of these regions. Results showed abdominal symptoms were positively correlated with anxiety (SAS). Two sample t-test showed patients with FCon had decreased GM volumes in the right middle frontal gyrus (MFG&#95;R), left insula (INS&#95;L), and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC, P FWE  < 0.05) which were negatively correlated with abdominal symptoms and difficulty of defecation respectively. Seed-based SC analysis showed patients with FCon had decreased fractional anisotropy of the ACC-right MFG and bilateral INS-MFG tracts. These findings reflect FCon is associated with changes in GM volumes and corresponding SC in brain regions within the salience network., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Background: Total knee arthroplasty is the leading way to treat hemophilia arthritis. At present, there is a lack of research on the influencing factors of blood loss in total knee arthroplasty for hemophilia arthritis. This study comprehensively explores the definite factors affecting the hidden blood loss in total knee arthroplasty for hemophilia patients., Materials and Methods: Ninety-two hemophilia A patients who underwent total knee arthroplasty in our center were included. Demographics, laboratory data, surgical data, and complications were collected. The Gross equation and Sehat equation were used to calculate the estimated value of hidden blood loss. Multivariate linear regression analysis was used to determine the influencing factors of hidden blood loss., Result: The hidden blood loss of hemophilia A patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty was 1069.51 ± 341.99 mL, and the age was positively correlated with the hidden blood loss (P < 0.001), while tranexamic acid, FVIII prophylaxis, and incremental invivo recovery were negatively correlated with the hidden blood loss (P < 0.001, P = 0.008, P = 0.017)., Conclusion: Elderly patients have a greater risk of blood loss, and additional preventive measures can be appropriately added. Intraoperative intra-articular injection of tranexamic acid is recommended to reduce hidden blood loss, FVIII prophylaxis is recommended for every patient. We recommend that all HA patients measure the incremental invivo recovery and develop a personalized infusion regimen of coagulation factor., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Cancer cell-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) have extensive application in the formation of their environment, including metastasis. This study explored the ability of gastric cancer (GC) cell-derived EVs-mediated microRNA-129-5p/E2F transcription factor 7/mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular regulated protein kinase (miR-129-5p/E2F7/MAPK/ERK) axis to affect the peritoneal metastasis of GC by delivering lncRNA small nucleolar RNA host gene 12 (SNHG12). EV-derived lncRNA and SNHG12/miR-129-5p/E2F7 network were determined by bioinformatics analysis. The regulatory relationship among SNHG12, miR-129-5p, and E2F7 was verified using a combination of dual-luciferase reporter gene, RNA immunoprecipitation, and RNA pull-down assays. The SNHG12, miR-129-5p, and E2F7 expression was measured by RT-qPCR. After GC cell-derived EVs were isolated and co-cultured with human peritoneal mesothelial cells (HPMCs), the uptake of EVs by HPMCs was observed under laser scanning confocal microscopy. Cell viability and apoptosis were examined using cell counting kit-8 and flow cytometry, respectively. Western blot analysis was performed to measure the mesothelial-mesenchymal transition (MMT)-related protein expression. The pathological and morphological characteristics of metastatic tumors in nude mice were observed by hematoxylin-eosin staining. A high SNHG12 expression was correlated with the poor prognosis of patients with GC. GC-derived EVs led to increased HPMC apoptosis and MMT by transferring SNHG12, whereas the knockdown of SNHG12 annulled the aforementioned results. SNHG12 sponged miR-129-5p to boost E2F7 expression and activate the MAPK/ERK signaling, thus inducing HPMC apoptosis and MMT. In vivo experiments further verified that EVs derived from GC cells promoted peritoneal metastasis in nude mice. GC cell-derived EVs elevated the E2F7 expression and activated the MAPK/ERK signaling to promote peritoneal metastasis through the delivery of SNHG12., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Early classification and risk assessment for COVID-19 patients are critical for improving their terminal prognosis, and preventing the patients deteriorate into severe or critical situation. We performed a retrospective study on 222 COVID-19 patients in Wuhan treated between January 23rd and February 28th, 2020. A decision tree algorithm has been established including multiple factor logistic for cluster analyses that were performed to assess the predictive value of presumptive clinical diagnosis and features including characteristic signs and symptoms of COVID-19 patients. Therapeutic efficacy was evaluated by adopting Kaplan-Meier survival curve analysis and cox risk regression. The 222 patients were then clustered into two groups: cluster I (common type) and cluster II (high-risk type). High-risk cases can be judged from their clinical characteristics, including: age > 50 years, chest CT images with multiple ground glass or wetting shadows, etc. Based on the classification analysis and risk factor analysis, a decision tree algorithm and management flow chart were established, which can help well recognize individuals who needs hospitalization and improve the clinical prognosis of the COVID-19 patients. Our risk factor analysis and management process suggestions are useful for improving the overall clinical prognosis and optimize the utilization of public health resources during treatment of COVID-19 patients.

Coptis chinensis Franch. has been extensively used in traditional Chinese medicine. The chemical structure of oxyepiberberine, as an alkaloid isolated from Coptis chinensis Franch., has been previously studied. However, anti-cancer effects and underlying mechanisms of oxyepiberberine need to be explored. This study aimed to investigate the anti-cancer effects and underlying mechanisms of oxyepiberberine on LS-1034 human colon cancer cells. The anti-proliferative effects of six derivatives of oxyepiberberine on colon cancer cells were assessed. Among six derivatives, oxyepiberberine showed the greatest anti-proliferative effect on LS-1034 cells with an IC 50 value of 1.36 μM. Oxyepiberberine also induced apoptosis and inhibited migration of LS-1034 cells in a concentration-dependent manner. Importantly, oxyepiberberine was identified as a potent tubulin polymerization inhibitor. The tubulin polymerization inhibitory effects of oxyepiberberine in a concentration-dependent manner with an IC 50 value of 1.26 μM were observed. A xenograft mouse model of colon cancer showed that oxyepiberberine could suppress tumor growth without an obvious toxicity. Conclusion Oxyepiberberine was found as a novel tubulin polymerization inhibitor, and it could be a promising agent to treat colon cancer.

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) play essential roles in tumorigenesis and tumor progression. CircRNA GFRA1 (circGFRA1) was dysregulated in many cancer samples and acted as an independent marker for prediction of survivals in various cancer patients. However, the functions and molecular mechanisms of circGFRA1 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remain unclear. We collected 62 HCC tissues and normal adjacent tissues to evaluate the expression of circGFRA1 and the relationship between circGFRA1 expression and HCC patients' survival. We carried out a list of characterization experiments to investigate the roles and underling mechanisms of circGFRA1 and miR-498 in HCC progressions. CircGFRA1 was greatly increased in HCC tissues and cells, and the over-expression of circGFRA1 was intimately related with the advanced clinical stage and poor survival of HCC patients. The expression of circGFRA1 was negatively correlated with the expression of miR-498, but a positive correlation was found between circGFRA1 and NAP1L3 expression in HCC tissues. Silencing circGFRA1 inhibited the growth and invasion of hepatocellular carcinoma. Moreover, miR-498 over-expression or NAP1L3 inhibition could abrogate the oncogene role of circGFRA1 in HCC in vivo. Our findings indicated that circGFRA1 contributed to HCC progression by modulating the miR-498/NAP1L3 axis in HCC.

Background: Smartphone use disorder (SUD) of college students has drawn increasing attention. Although future time perspective (FTP) may be an important protective factor for individual SUD, the moderating and mediating mechanisms underlying this relationship remain unknown. We tested the individual roles of depression and mindfulness as moderators of this relationship., Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in two colleges in Shandong and Chongqing in China using a sample of 1304 college students recruited by stratified cluster sampling. Data were collected through a validated self-report instrument. A moderation-mediation model was constructed, and an SPSS PROCESS macro was used to analyse the data., Results: The correlation analyses showed that FTP was negatively associated with SUD of college students. The mediation model revealed that depression partially mediated the link between FTP and SUD of college students. The moderation-mediation model suggested that mindfulness moderates two direct paths: FTP to depression and depression to SUD. In the first path (FTP to depression), a high level of mindfulness among college students had weakened the relationship between FTP and depression. Here, the relationship is strengthened by a low level of mindfulness. In the second path (depression to SUD), low levels of mindfulness strengthen the link between depression and FTP. In contrast, significant association was not found with high levels of mindfulness., Conclusions: Results suggest that interventions, such as improving the individual level of FTP and mindfulness, should be conducted. These interventions, in turn, help control the level of depression in college students and ultimately decrease their level of SUD., Competing Interests: Competing interestsThe authors declare that they have no competing interests., (© The Author(s) 2020.)