A cross-sectional study on health-related knowledge and skills and its influencing factors among the Chinese college students / 中华流行病学杂志

Objective To investigate the status on health-related knowledge and skills among the college students. Methods 5070 Chinese students from 28 universities or colleges were sampled, using the multiple-stage stratified, purposive and convenient mixed sampling method. A cross-sectional investigation on health literacy was conducted with self-designed questionnaire, and SPSS 13.0 was used to statistically analyze the data. Results The average scores on health-related related knowledge and skills among the subjects was 74.139 ± 12.0223, with 38.4% on basic health-related literacy (scores≥80). The rate (1.1%) of passing the margin line set for the awareness on chronic disease prevention appeared to be the lowest. And there noticed significant differences (P＜0.05) in different regions, types, and genders on the basic health-related knowledge and skills as well as on the prevalence rates of total and each dimensional health-related literacy among universities and colleges. Regions and types of universities and colleges were the main influencing factors on the levels of health-related knowledge and skills among the college students. Conclusion The prevalence of basic health-related knowledge and skills was low and the prevalence rates of health-related knowledge and skills were differently distributed among student populations under study.

A preliminary study on the occlusal contact changes during retention in adolescent patients / 中华口腔医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the changes of the occlusal contact characteristics in adolescent patients during 12 months after active orthodontic treatment.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Twenty adolescent patients with Hawley retainers after active orthodontic treatment were divided into none occlusal interference group and occlusal interference group. The occlusion of the patients was examined with T-Scan II system directly after the appliance removal (T1) and after an average retention period of 12 months (T2). The changes of occlusal contact characteristics were observed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The disclusion time during protrusion, left and right lateral movements reduced significantly. The average disclusion time decreased [from (1.07 ± 0.87), (0.91 ± 0.47), (0.76 ± 0.43) s to (0.43 ± 0.25), (0.67 ± 0.41), (0.50 ± 0.27) s] significantly (P < 0.05). The occlusal interference disappeared in 4 patients and 1 patient with occlusal interference showed masticatory muscle symptom. The dynamic occlusion [from (1.25 ± 1.11), (0.84 ± 0.15), (0.52 ± 0.49) s to (0.35 ± 0.15), (0.36 ± 0.15), (0.33 ± 0.11) s] improved significantly (P < 0.05) in none occlusal interference group after retention and no statistical differences were found in the occlusal interference group (P > 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The overall dynamic occlusion improved after retention in patients with retainers. The presence of occlusal interference affected the self-improvement process and increased the chance of the disorders of stomatognathic system, such as mandibular abnormal movements. Therefore, functional occlusion evaluation and final detailing were needed before appliance removal.</p>

Occlusal contacts in intercuspal position after orthodontic treatment / 中华口腔医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the occlusal contacts in intercuspal position(ICP) in adolescent patients after orthodontic treatment.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Fourteen adolescent patients after orthodontic treatment were selected as experimental group and 17 healthy adolescents and young adults with normal occlusion were selected as control group. The occlusal contact in ICP in the two groups were recorded with T-Scan II system and compared.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>When the total of force (TOF) were 1/10 TOFmax, 1/4 TOFmax, 1/2 TOFmax, 3/4 TOFmax and TOFmax, the number of occlusal contacts in the anterior segment in the experimental group were 1.5(1.0), 3.0(1.3), 4.5(3.3), 5.5(3.0), 5.5(3.3), which were significantly larger than that in control group [0.0(0.3), 0.0(0.6), 0.3(0.5), 0.3(1.0), 0.0(1.8), P < 0.05]. There were no significant difference in the area of occlusal contacts in the posterior segment between experimental group and control group (P > 0.05). The center of force (COF) in the experimental group located significantly more mesially than that in control group. The value of ICP contact time in experimental group was 0.192(0.141) s and no significant difference was found between experimental group and control group [0.163(0.200) s].</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Although the patients achieved normal occlusion after orthodontic treatment, their anterior teeth received more occlusal force than those in healthy adolescents and young adults with normal occlusion.</p>

Mitogen-activated protein kinase-dependent apoptosis in norcan-tharidin-treated A375-S2 cells is proceeded by the activation of protein kinase C / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>We have reported that norcantharidin (NCTD) induces human melanoma A375-S2 cell apoptosis and that the activation of caspase and the mitochondrial pathway are involved in the apoptotic process. This study aimed at investigating the roles of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and protein kinase C (PKC) in A375-S2 cell apoptosis induced by NCTD.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>We assessed the effects of NCTD on cell growth inhibition using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-dipheyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, DNA fragmentation (DNA agarose gel electrophoresis), and MAPK protein levels (Western blot analysis) in A375-S2 cells. Photomicroscopic data were also collected.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The NCTD inhibitory effect on A375-S2 cells was partially reversed by MAPK and PKC inhibitors. The expression of phosphorylated JNK and p38 also increased after the treatment with NCTD, and inhibitors of c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK) and p38 (SP600125 and SB203580, respectively) had significant inhibitory effects on the upregulation of phosphorylated JNK and p38 expression. Simultaneously, the PKC inhibitor staurosporine blocked the upregulation of phosphorylated JNK and phosphorylated p38, but had little effect on extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) expression.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>These results suggest that the activation of JNK and p38 MAPK promotes the process of NCTD-induced A375-S2 cell apoptosis and that PKC plays an important regulation role in the activation of MAPKs.</p>

Norcantharidin Induces Human Melanoma A375-S2 Cell Apoptosis through Mitochondrial and Caspase Pathways

Norcantharidin (NCTD) is the demethylated form of cantharidin, which is the active substance of mylabris. To examine the pathway of NCTD-induced A375-S2 cell death, 3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-dipheyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, photomicroscopical observation, DNA agarose gel electrophoresis, caspase activity assay and Western blot analysis were carried out. A375-S2 cells treated with NCTD exhibited several typical characteristics of apoptosis. The inhibitory effect of NCTD on human melanoma, A375-S2 cells, was partially reversed by the inhibitors of pan-caspase, caspase-3 and caspase-9. The activities of caspase-3 and -9 were significantly increased after treatment with NCTD at different time. The expression of inhibitor of caspase-activated DNase was decreased in a time-dependent manner, simultaneously, the ratio of Bcl-2/Bax or Bcl-xL/Bax was decreased and the expression ratio of proteins could be reversed by caspase-3 inhibitor. The expression of cytochrome c in cytosol was increased after NCTD treatment and caspase- 3 inhibitor had no significant effect on the up-regulation of cytochrom c. These results suggest that NCTD induced A375-S2 cell apoptosis and the activation of caspase and mitochondrial pathway were involved in the process of NCTD-induced A375-S2 cell apoptosis.