Ocular biological parameters and prevalence of myopia in vocational high school and general high school in China.

Significance: Higher prevalence of myopia is possibly associated with more extended schooling schedules. Therefore, adjustments to high school curricula may aid in reducing the prevalence of myopia among adolescents. Purpose: To investigate the prevalence of myopia among 15- to 18-year-old adolescents in Tianjin, China, and to evaluate the impact of different educational schedules on the prevalence of myopia among high school students. Methods: This is a school-based epidemiological study with a cross-sectional design. Ocular biological parameters and noncycloplegic photorefraction were examined using optical biometry devices and photoscreener devices. Each student's spherical equivalent (SE) and ocular biometry were recorded, and the prevalence of myopia was calculated. Results: A total of 2,867 participants (1,519 males and 1,348 females) were tested for non-cycloplegic refraction, axial length (AL), central corneal thickness (CCT), anterior chamber depth (ACD) and lens thickness (LT). In this research, the overall prevalence of myopia was 81.6%, with high myopia accounting for 11.8%. Myopia prevalence was substantially higher in general high schools than in vocational high schools, with 86.1 and 70.1%, respectively. There were no significant differences in the prevalence of myopia (p = 0.744) or high myopia (p = 0.851) across the three vocational school years. In the general high school, however, there was an increase of 4.6% (p < 0.05) in myopia prevalence between year 10 and year12. Conclusion: Comparing vocational and standard high school students, there are considerable disparities in prevalence of myopia, spherical equivalent, and ocular biological parameters. The prevalence of myopia and high myopia increased among standard high school students, but remained relatively consistent among students in vocational schools.

The Effect of Trait Anxiety on Bedtime Procrastination: the Mediating Role of Self-Control.

BACKGROUND: Bedtime procrastination (BP), a special type of health behavior procrastination, is considered to be a failure of self-control. Notably, self-control may mediate the effect of trait anxiety on general procrastination. However, there is no evidence demonstrating the role of self-control in the relationship between trait anxiety and BP. Moreover, the association between BP and trait anxiety has not yet been thoroughly studied. Therefore, the present study aimed to explore the direct relationship between them as well as the mediating role of self-control in this relationship. METHODS: This cross-sectional survey included 718 college students enrolled in Chinese universities between October 2018 and January 2020. The Chinese versions of the Bedtime Procrastination Scale, the Self-Control Scale, and the Trait Anxiety Inventory were used to evaluate BP, self-control, and trait anxiety, respectively. RESULTS: Multiple linear regression analysis revealed trait anxiety independently predicted BP while controlling for demographic characteristics. Correlation analyses showed that BP was positively correlated with trait anxiety, but negatively related to self-control. Structural equation modeling further revealed a mediating role of self-control in the relationship between trait anxiety and BP. CONCLUSIONS: Trait anxiety is a significant independent predictor of BP and may induce BP directly or indirectly through the effect of self-control. These findings provide a deeper understanding of the relationship between trait anxiety and BP and the underlying mechanism by exploring the mediating effect of self-control. As such, trait anxiety and self-control should be included in prevention and intervention strategies to address BP behavior in college students.

Bedtime procrastination in the relationship between self-control and depressive symptoms in medical students: From the perspective of sex differences.

BACKGROUND: Depressive symptoms typically exhibit sex differences among medical students and are associated with bedtime procrastination (BP) and self-control. However, it remains unclear whether sex differences exist in the relationship between these variables. METHODS: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted among 402 medical students from a public university in China. Students' depressive symptoms, BP, and trait self-control were assessed using the Chinese version of the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI)-II, the Bedtime Procrastination Scale, and the Self-control Scale, respectively. Applying a BDI cutoff value of 14, 364 valid participants were divided into non-depressed (<14) and depressed (≥14) groups. RESULTS: Binary logistic regression revealed that BP was an independent predictor of the prevalence of depressive symptoms in women only. Hierarchical regression showed that high BP levels were independently positively correlated to more depressive symptoms only in non-depressed women. In contrast, low self-control levels were independently negatively correlated to more depressive symptoms in non-depressed and depressed female students. Furthermore, structural equation modeling reflected the mediating role of BP between self-control and depressive symptoms in the non-depressed female group only. CONCLUSIONS: Sex differences exist in the effect of BP on depressive symptoms as well as the relationship between self-control and depressive symptoms among Chinese medical students. As a moderator, sex regulates the mediating effect of BP on the relationship between self-control and depressive symptoms in the non-depressed group. These findings provide a sex-specific perspective for targeted prevention and intervention of depressive symptoms among high-risk medical students, especially during the non-depressed period.

Examining the relationship between bedtime procrastination and personality traits in Chinese college students: the mediating role of self-regulation skills.

Objective: Personality traits are commonly used to explain individual differences in procrastinatory behavior. This study aims to examine the relationship between bedtime procrastination (BP) and personality traits, and to understand the role of self-regulation skills in this relationship. Participants: We recruited 294 college students. Methods: Data were collected through standardized questionnaires to evaluate BP, personality traits, and self-control (a main indicator of self-regulation skills). Results: Correlation analysis showed that BP was positively correlated with the psychoticism and neuroticism dimensions of Eysenck's personality. Hierarchical regression and structural equation modeling analyses further revealed that psychoticism and neuroticism predicted BP directly and indirectly via self-control. Conclusions: BP has a significant relationship with Eysenck's personality traits, particularly, with some dimensions that directly and indirectly predict BP through self-regulation skills. Therefore, individualized intervention strategies based on personality traits and self-regulation skills should be integrated in measures used to reduce BP behaviors among college students.

Bedtime procrastination predicts the prevalence and severity of poor sleep quality of Chinese undergraduate students.

ObjectiveBedtime procrastination is a type of unhealthy sleep behavior, but whether it affects sleep quality remains unknown. The current study aimed to examine the relationship between bedtime procrastination and poor sleep quality among Chinese college students. Participants: A total of 1550 Chinese undergraduates participated and effectively completed the study. Methods: This cross-sectional study collected information on bedtime procrastination and self-reported sleep quality via the Bedtime Procrastination Scale and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Results: The prevalence of poor sleep quality was 39.42% among Chinese undergraduates. Age, education, and bedtime procrastination independently predicted the prevalence of poor sleep quality. Bedtime procrastination was a unique contributor to the severity of poor sleep quality. Conclusions: This study highlighted the independent associations between bedtime procrastination and the prevalence and severity of self-reported poor sleep quality. These findings may be helpful in designing effective measures to improve the sleep quality of college students.

Does abusive supervision lead nurses to suffer from workplace violence? A cross-sectional study.

AIM: This study aimed to (1) assess the current status of Chinese nurses' exposure to workplace violence; (2) identify the cluster of interrelationships between abusive supervision, anxiety and depression symptoms, work ability, and workplace violence in nursing settings; and (3) clarify the functional mechanism among these variables. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted online from September to October 2020 in China. A total of 1,221 valid questionnaires were collected across 100 cities in 31 provinces. RESULTS: Approximately 67.57% of participants experienced workplace violence in the past one year, in the types of verbal violence (59.71%), made difficulties (43.16%), mobbing behaviour (26.70%), smear reputation (22.52%), physical violence (11.30%), intimidating behaviour (10.16%) and sexual harassment (4.10%), respectively. Moreover, nurses' exposure to workplace violence was significantly and positively influenced by the perceptions of abusive supervision (ß = 0.209, p < .01) and the symptoms of anxiety and depression (ß = 0.328, p < .01). Anxious and depressive symptoms partly mediated the association between abusive supervision and workplace violence, which were significantly moderated by work ability (ß = -0.021, p < .05). CONCLUSIONS: Our study assesses the prevalence of the seven types of workplace violence against Chinese nurses. Majority of nurses have experienced different types of workplace violence. Nurses who are abused by their supervisor are more likely to develop poor psychological health than those who are not. Moreover, nurses' positive association of abusive supervision with workplace violence is more notable among nurses with lower work ability. IMPLICATIONS OF NURSING MANAGEMENT: 'No abusive supervision, no workplace violence'. A harmonious nursing environment needs to be provided to minimize exposure to workplace violence and mental health threats towards nursing staff, which is a key point for hospital administrators and health policymakers. Essential work ability should be developed to reduce the damage of the abusive supervision and workplace violence against nurses.

Time Perspective and Bedtime Procrastination: The Role of the Chronotype-Time Perspective Relationship.

INTRODUCTION: Bedtime procrastination (BP) has a close relationship with one's chronotype, from a biological perspective on time. However, it remains unknown whether there is an association between BP and psychological time. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the relationship between time perspective (TP) and BP and the effect of TP on the relationship between BP and chronotype by examining a sample of college students pre- and post-COVID-19 outbreak. METHODS: A total of 628 Chinese students (267 in pre-outbreak and 361 in post-outbreak) validly completed the Chinese version of the Bedtime Procrastination Scale, the Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory (ZTPI), and the Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire. RESULTS: Students with more BP behaviors exhibited greater deviation from a balanced TP, especially after the COVID-19 outbreak. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that the past-negative and future orientations, as operationalized by the ZTPI, contributed independently to BP behaviors. The structural equation modeling analyses further demonstrated that morningness was significantly related to a more future-oriented TP, which in turn decreased BP in pre- and post-COVID-19 outbreak samples, while morningness was associated with a less past-negative-oriented TP, which in turn decreased BP only in the post-COVID-19 outbreak sample. CONCLUSION: This study indicated that TP in students with BP predominantly focused on future orientation and that TP can mediate the relationship between chronotype and BP behaviors. However, the COVID-19 pandemic may disrupt the time flow and change the role of chronotype-TP in BP. These findings explain how individual differences in TP are associated with BP, which may be helpful in designing effective interventions to avoid BP, from the viewpoint of time perspective therapy.

Sleep timing and hygiene practices of high bedtime procrastinators: a direct observational study.

BACKGROUND: Bedtime procrastination (BP) has been proven to be an important indicator of sleep insufficiency from a psychological perspective. However, the effect of BP on sleep patterns related to sleep deficiency remains unknown. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the characteristics of self-reported sleep timing and hygiene practices between high and low-moderate bedtime procrastinators. It also aimed to examine the relationship between these characteristics and high level of BP. METHODS: A total of 391 Chinese college students were recruited for this study. Participants completed questionnaires on demographics, sleep timing variables, the Sleep Hygiene Practice Scale (SHPS) and the Bedtime Procrastination Scale (BPS). RESULTS: High bedtime procrastinators were more likely to have higher SHPS global and subdomain scores (Ps < 0.001). They also were more likely to exhibit later sleep onset, sleep offset and rise time on both weekdays and weekends (Ps < 0.01). The significant independent determinant factors of the prevalence of high BP were: SHPS total score [odds ratio (OR) = 1.05, P < 0.001], arousal-related behaviour (OR = 1.07, P = 0.007), sleep schedule and timing (OR = 1.12, P < 0.001) and sleep onset on weekdays (OR = 2.65, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: High bedtime procrastinators showed maladaptive sleep-related variables, which mainly manifested as changes in arousal-related behaviour and sleep schedule and timing, as well as delays in sleep onset time on weekdays. The findings could help guide the formulation of appropriate interventions in primary health care.

The impact of bedtime procrastination on depression symptoms in Chinese medical students.

PURPOSE: Depression symptoms are closely related to inadequate sleep and are experienced by medical students at an increased rate. Bedtime procrastination is considered a new, important predictor of sleep deficiency. However, whether there is a correlation between bedtime procrastination and depression symptoms remains unclear. This study aimed to examine the impact of bedtime procrastination on depression symptoms among medical students. METHODS: A total of 419 Chinese medical students were invited to participate in this study, and 401 participants (mean age, 19.48 years; range, 17-23 years) were included in the final statistical analysis. Depression symptoms and bedtime procrastination were assessed using the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) and the Bedtime Procrastination Scale (BPS), respectively. RESULTS: The prevalence of depression symptoms in Chinese medical students was 26.9%. The mean BPS scores were significantly higher in the depressed group than in the non-depressed group. Binary logistic regression analysis identified that bedtime procrastination was an independent contributor to the prevalence of depression symptoms. Further correlation and multiple linear regression analyses demonstrated that the BDI scores were significantly and positively associated with the BPS scores in students without depression, while the BDI scores correlated with male students experiencing depression. CONCLUSIONS: Depression symptoms, which become more prevalent among Chinese medical students, are found to independently associate with bedtime procrastination. In particular, the severity of depression symptoms shows a positive correlation with increased bedtime procrastination before developing into depression, and it shows correlation with sex only in a state of depression.

Effect of nano yam polysaccharide on the blood glucose and blood lipid in rats.

Chinese yam is the dry rhizome of dioscoreaceae plant. Polysaccharide in yam is one of significant functional components, its pharmacological effects include glucose-lowering, lipid-lowering, anti-tumor, anti-oxidation and enhancing the immune. The effects of nano yam polysaccharide on the metabolism of blood glucose and blood lipid in model rats were systematically investigated in this study. The results showed that the diabetic rat model can been successfully induced by the peritoneal injection of 200mg/kg alloxan. The rats were fed with the high-fat diet for 30d, which could induce a model of hyperlipidemia rat successfully. After the model rats were fed with nano yam polysaccharide of 50mg/ml and 100mg/ml per day for 12d and 30d, respectively. For each nano yam polysaccharide group, the blood glucose level was significantly reduced, the glucose tolerance, glycogen and the content of C-peptide were improved in alloxan rats. Moreover, the symptom of one little and three more in diabetic rats was ameliorated and the contents of TC, TG and LDL-C in the serum for the high fat rats were significantly decreased.

Therapeutic Potential of Oxytocin in Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease: Mechanisms and Signaling Pathways.

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a major cardiovascular disease responsible for high morbidity and mortality worldwide. The major pathophysiological basis of CAD is atherosclerosis in association with varieties of immunometabolic disorders that can suppress oxytocin (OT) receptor (OTR) signaling in the cardiovascular system (CVS). By contrast, OT not only maintains cardiovascular integrity but also has the potential to suppress and even reverse atherosclerotic alterations and CAD. These protective effects of OT are associated with its protection of the heart and blood vessels from immunometabolic injuries and the resultant inflammation and apoptosis through both peripheral and central approaches. As a result, OT can decelerate the progression of atherosclerosis and facilitate the recovery of CVS from these injuries. At the cellular level, the protective effect of OT on CVS involves a broad array of OTR signaling events. These signals mainly belong to the reperfusion injury salvage kinase pathway that is composed of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-Akt-endothelial nitric oxide synthase cascades and extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase 1/2. Additionally, AMP-activated protein kinase, Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase signaling and many others are also implicated in OTR signaling in the CVS protection. These signaling events interact coordinately at many levels to suppress the production of inflammatory cytokines and the activation of apoptotic pathways. A particular target of these signaling events is endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and mitochondrial oxidative stress that interact through mitochondria-associated ER membrane. In contrast to these protective effects and machineries, rare but serious cardiovascular disturbances were also reported in labor induction and animal studies including hypotension, reflexive tachycardia, coronary spasm or thrombosis and allergy. Here, we review our current understanding of the protective effect of OT against varieties of atherosclerotic etiologies as well as the approaches and underlying mechanisms of these effects. Moreover, potential cardiovascular disturbances following OT application are also discussed to avoid unwanted effects in clinical trials of OT usages.

General stationary solutions of the nonlocal nonlinear Schrödinger equation and their relevance to the PT-symmetric system.

With the stationary solution assumption, we establish the connection between the nonlocal nonlinear Schrödinger (NNLS) equation and an elliptic equation. Then, we obtain the general stationary solutions and discuss the relevance of their smoothness and boundedness to some integral constants. Those solutions, which cover the known results in the literature, include the unbounded Jacobi elliptic-function and hyperbolic-function solutions, the bounded sn-, cn-, and dn-function solutions, as well as the hyperbolic soliton solutions. By the imaginary translation transformation of the NNLS equation, we also derive the complex-amplitude stationary solutions, in which all the bounded cases obey either the PT- or anti-PT-symmetric relation. In particular, the complex tanh-function solution can exhibit no spatial localization in addition to the dark- and antidark-soliton profiles, which is in sharp contrast with the common dark soliton. Considering the physical relevance to the PT-symmetric system, we show that the complex-amplitude stationary solutions can yield a wide class of complex and time-independent PT-symmetric potentials, and the symmetry breaking does not occur in the PT-symmetric linear system with the associated potentials.

Impact of workplace incivility in hospitals on the work ability, career expectations and job performance of Chinese nurses: a cross-sectional survey.

OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this study were to investigate new nurses' experiences of workplace incivility; verify the mediating role of work ability in the relationship between workplace incivility and job performance and examine the moderating role of career expectations in the relationship between workplace incivility and job performance. DESIGN: This cross-sectional survey was conducted in China in May 2016. SETTINGS: The research settings included 54 cities across 29 provinces of China. PARTICIPANTS: Of the 903 participants recruited, 696 new nurses (<3 years of nursing experience) agreed to complete the online questionnaire of the study. The effective response rate was 77.1%. The inclusion criteria were voluntary participation, <3 years of nursing experience and recognition as a registered nurse. The exclusion criteria were refusal to participate, >3 years of nursing experience or not recognised as a registered nurse. RESULTS: New nurses (60.7%) experienced some level of workplace incivility in the previous year, and it was more frequent among those with higher educational degrees. Work ability mediated the relationship between workplace incivility and job performance, and this relationship was moderated by career expectations. CONCLUSION: Incivility towards new nurses was relatively common in the workplace. Workplace incivility impairs job performance by weakening the work ability of new nurses. Higher career expectations may buffer workplace incivility and contribute to the maintenance of job performance by buffering the detrimental effects of workplace incivility.

Acute stimulatory effect of tumor necrosis factor on the basolateral 50 pS K channels in the thick ascending limb of the rat kidney.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the acute effect and mechanism of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) on basolateral 50 pS K channels in the thick ascending limb (TAL) of the rat kidney. The TAL tubules were isolated from the rat kidney, and the activity of the 50 pS K channels was recorded using the patch­clamp technique. The results indicated that the application of TNF (10 nM) significantly activated the 50 pS K channels and the TNF effect was concentration­dependent. Inhibition of protein kinase A, phospholipase A2 and protein tyrosine kinase using pathway inhibitors (H89, AACOCF3 and Herbimycin A, respectively) did not abolish the stimulatory effect of TNF, indicating that none of these pathways mediated the TNF effect. By contrast, the phenylarsine oxide inhibitor against protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTP) decreased the activity of the 50 pS K channels and blocked the stimulatory effect of TNF on these channels. Furthermore, western blot analysis demonstrated that the application of TNF (10 nM) in the TAL increased the phosphorylation of PTP, an indication of PTP activity stimulation. Thus, it was concluded that the acute application of TNF may stimulate the basolateral 50 pS K channel in the TAL and the stimulatory effect of TNF may be mediated by the PTP­dependent pathway.

CXCL5 as an autocrine or paracrine cytokine is associated with proliferation and migration of hepatoblastoma HepG2 cells.

C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 5 (CXCL5) is a CXC-type chemokine that is a crucial inflammatory mediator and a powerful attractant for granulocytic immune cells. Increasing evidence has indicated that CXCL5 is involved in the tumorigenesis of various malignancies. The present investigation demonstrated that CXCL5 was expressed in both hepatoblastoma HepG2 cells and liver stellate LX-2 cells, and CXCL5's receptor C-X-C chemokine receptor type 2 (CXCR2) was expressed in HepG2 cells by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), western blotting and ELISA assays. Cell counting kit-8, colony formation and Transwell assays revealed that exogenous CXCL5 expression efficiently promoted proliferation, colony formation and migration of HepG2 cells. To explore the autocrine and paracrine roles of CXCL5 in the oncogenic potential of HepG2 cells, HepG2 cells overexpressing CXCL5 and LX-2 cells overexpressing CXCL5 were successfully constructed by gene transfection. Similarly, overexpression of CXCL5 in HepG2 also enhanced proliferation, colony formation and migration of HepG2 cells. Furthermore, the condition medium of LX-2 cells overexpressing CXCL5 affected the proliferation and migration of HepG2 cells. RT-PCR and western blotting assays were also conducted to explore whether overexpression of CXCL5 in HepG2 modulated the expression of genes. The results revealed that overexpression of CXCL5 regulated the expression of several genes, including N-myc downregulated gene 3,w B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2), Bcl-2-associated X protein, P53, vascular endothelial growth factor, interleukin (IL)-18, IL-1ß and cystathionine-γ-lyase. In conclusion, the present findings indicate that CXCL5/CXCR2 axis contributes to the oncogenic potential of hepatoblastoma via autocrine or paracrine pathways by regulating expression of genes associated with the progression of carcinoma.

Effects of transcutaneous acupoint electrical stimulation on the imbalance of Th1, Th2, Th17 and Treg cells following thoracotomy of patients with lung cancer.

An imbalance in the various T lymphocytes, including T-helper (Th)1, Th2 and Th17 cells, and regulatory T (Treg) cells, has been associated with immune dysfunction, and may occur following thoracotomy of patients with lung cancer. The use of transcutaneous acupoint electrical stimulation (TAES) has previously been demonstrated to exert immunoregulatory effects; therefore, the present study aimed to evaluate whether TAES was able to attenuate postoperative immune suppression in patients with lung cancer. Thoracic surgical patients with lung cancer (n=27) underwent TAES (frequency, 2/100 Hz; intensity, 4-12 mA) at the bilateral large intestine 4, pericardium 6, small intestine 3 and San Jiao 6 acupuncture points for 30 min, prior to incision, and at 20, 44, 68, 92 and 116 h following thoracotomy. The number of Th1, Th2, Th17 and Treg cells, and the protein and mRNA expression levels of related cytokines were measured by flow cytometry, ELISA and polymerase chain reaction, respectively. The balance of Th1, Th2, Th17 and Treg cells in the peripheral blood of patients with lung cancer was disrupted following thoracotomy. TAES administration increased the percentage of Th1 and Th17 cells, the protein expression levels of interleukin (IL)-2 and interferon-γ, the mRNA expression levels of T-bet and RAR-related orphan receptor-γt, and decreased the percentage of Th2 cells, IL-10 protein expression levels, and GATA binding protein 3 mRNA expression levels. The results of the present study demonstrated that TAES was able to partially attenuate the postoperative immune depression of patients with lung cancer, by regulating the balance of Th1, Th2, Th17 and Treg cells, and the expression levels of related cytokines and transcription factors; therefore, TAES may be considered to be a promising strategy for treating postoperative immune dysfunction in patients with lung cancer.

[Effect of pyruvate on polyol pathway and lens epithelium apoptosis in diabetic rats].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of polyol pathway on the lens epithelium apoptosis and caspase-3 activity and its reversal by pyruvate in diabetic rats. METHODS: Two hundred and twenty Wistar rats were divided into 3 groups: control group (60 rats), experiment group (80 rats) and treatment group (80 rats). After streptozotocin (STZ) induced cataract, the treatment group received 2% pyruvate in the diet and drinking. Lens opacification was detected by microscope every 2 weeks. Amounts of glucose and sorbitol in the lens were quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography 4, 8 and 12 weeks after the treatment. The percentage of lens epithelium undergoing apoptosis was measured by Annexin V-PI staining. The activity of caspase-3 was analyzed by Western-blot. RESULTS: Present study showed that there was significant increase of glucose and sorbitol in the lens in the experiment group, the apoptosis rate and caspase-3 activity of lens epithelium were also gradually increased. Pyruvate treatment decreased the levels of sorbitol, glucose, lens epithelium apoptosis and caspase-3 activity. The progress of cataract was also significantly delayed. CONCLUSIONS: Activation of polyol pathway, possibly through regulation of the activity of caspase-3, can induce apoptosis of the lens epithelium. Pyruvate ingested orally can effectively inhibit diabetic cataractogenesis in rats through inhibit polyol pathway.