The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of young people: A comparison between China and the United Kingdom / 中华创伤杂志(英文版)

PURPOSE@#As COVID-19 spreads globally and affects people's health, there are concerns that the pandemic and control policies may have psychological effects on young people (age from 17 to 35 years). This psychological impact might vary in different countries, and thus we compared the prevalence of self-reported psychological distress, loneliness and posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) among young people in the United Kingdom (UK) and China at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.@*METHODS@#Data of this study came from two sources. One source was the first wave of COVID-19 study in Understanding Society, a special wave of the UK household longitudinal study, which provided the high-quality, national-wide representative panel data. The sample comprised 1054 young people. The other source was an online survey on the mental health of 1003 young people from Shanghai, a highly developed area in China. The questionnaire included questions on the prevalence of common mental disorders (cut-off score ≥ 4), loneliness and potential PTSS (cut-off ≥ 33). Univariable analyses were conducted to test the differences in the self-reported prevalence of psychological distress and loneliness between the two groups. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were run to explore the predictors of psychological distress and loneliness among all the young people from England and Shanghai.@*RESULTS@#Among the samples with self-reported psychological distress, the UK sample accounted for 34.4% (n=1054) and the Chinese sample accounted for 14.1% (n=1003). The difference between the two groups was statistically significant (p < 0.001). Additionally, 57.1% of people in the UK and 46.7% in China reported that they sometimes or often felt lonely, of which the difference is statistically significant (p < 0.001). Regression analysis of the entire samples showed that nationality, gender, psychotherapy and loneliness were significant predictors of 12-item General Health Questionnaire scores, while the variables of age and living alone were not. Significant predictors of self-reported loneliness were the nationality, gender, age, living alone and psychotherapy. In China, 123 (12.3%) young people, 49 men (11.3%) and 74 women (13.0%), met the criteria of PTSS symptoms (cut-off scores ≥ 33). These scores were only collected in China.@*CONCLUSION@#This evidence suggests that mental health and loneliness reported by young people were lower in China than that in the UK during the studied period. More research is needed to understand these differences. If the differential negative psychological impacts are confirmed, country-specific measures of prevention and intervention should be adopted to improve the mental health of young people under the ongoing impact of the pandemic.

Changes of c-fos, c-jun mRNA expressions in cardiomyocyte hypertrophy induced by angiotensin II and effects of tanshinone II A / 中国中药杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the changes of proto-oncogene c-fos, c-jun mRNA expression in angiotensin II (Ang II)-induced hypertrophy and effects of tanshinone II A (Tan) in the primary culture of neonatal rat cardiomyocytes.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>Twelve neonatal Wistar rats aged one day old of clean grade and both sexes were selected to isolate and culture cardiomyocytes. The cardiomyocytes were divided into: normal control group, Ang II (10(-6) mol x L(-1)) group, Ang II (10(-6) mol x L(-1)) +Tan (10(-8) g x L(-1)) group, Ang II (10(-6) mol x L(-1)) + valsartan (10(-6) mol x L(-1)) group, Tan (10(-8) g x L(-1)) group, valsartan (10(-6) mol x L(-1)) group. The cardiomyocyte size was determined by phase contrast microscope, the rate of protein synthesis in cardiomyocytes was measured by 3H-leucine incorporation. The c-fos, c-jun mRNA expression of cardiomyocytes were assessed using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).</p><p><b>RESULT</b>Ang II was added to the culture medium and 30 min later, the c-fos, c-jun mRNA expression of cardiomyocytes increased significantly (P < 0. 01). After Ang II took effect for 24 h, the rate of protein synthesis in Ang II group increased more prominently than that in normal control group (P < 0.01). After Ang II took effect for 7 days, the size of cardiomyocyte in Ang II group increased obviously (P < 0. 05). If tanshinone II or valsartan was added to the culture medium before Ang II, both of them could inhibit the increase of c-fos, c-jun mRNA expression (P < 0.01), cardiomyocyte protein synthesis rate (P < 0.01), and cardiomyocyte size (P < 0.05) induced by Ang II.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Tanshinone II could ameliorate Ang II-induced cardiomyocytes hypertrophy by inhabiting c-fos, c-jun mRNA expression.</p>

Carcinoma cervical in situ y uso de acetato de medroxiprogesterona de depósito

Se investigó la relación del uso del acetato de medroxiprogesterona de depósito (DMPA)) con el riesgo de carcinoma cervical in situ utilizando los datos de un gran estudio multinacional de casos y controles hospitalarios. Para evitar posibles riesgos de detección por los tamizajes con frotis de papanicolau, se restringieron los análisis finales a un subgrupo de casos con síntomas en el momento de su diagnóstico de carcinoma cervical in situ. En relación con las no usuarias, el riesgo fue elevado en mujeres que habían utilizado alguna vez DMPA y aumento con la relación de su uso. Se observaron tendencias decrecientes en el riesgo relativo con los tiempos desde el primero y el último en usuarios de largo término. Los resultados de otra porción de este mismo estudio no demostraron una relación con el cáncer cervical invasivo con el uso de DMPA. Estos hallazgos sugieren que si la DMPA aumenta el riesgo de carcinoma cervical in situ entonces o bien éste es un efecto reversible o las lesiones cervicales inducidas por el DMPA no tienen a progresar hacia enfermedad invasiva