Study progress, recreational activities, and loneliness in young adult carers: a national student survey.

BACKGROUND: Young adults (18-25 years) with informal care responsibilities have received limited attention in the research literature, and little is known on how caring responsibilities are related to functioning across different life domains. In the present study we examine associations between care responsibilities and study progress, recreational life, and loneliness in young adults in higher education. METHODS: A national survey was conducted among Norwegian students in higher education (the SHoT2018-study). The response rate was 30.8%. The current sample is a subsample of the respondents, including young adults 18 to 25 years old, comprising 40.205 participants (70.2% women, mean age 22.0 years, SD = 1.7). Participants reported whether they had regular care responsibility for someone with physical or mental illness, disabilities, or substance misuse. They also answered questions on study progress, number of hours studying, physical exercise, involvement in organized volunteer student activities, number of close friends, and feelings of loneliness. Data were analyzed by Chi-square tests and logistic regression analyses, adjusting for age, sex, and chronic illness. RESULTS: Compared to students without care responsibility, young adult carers (n = 2228, 5.5% of study sample) were more likely to report delayed study progress (OR 1.20, p < .001), higher average number of failed exams (e.g., having failed three times or more, OR 1.31, p = .002), more feelings of loneliness (OR 1.26, p < .001), and slightly fewer friends. Those with limited care responsibility (≤ 1 h daily) were more likely to participate in organized volunteer student activities, whereas students with 2 h or more of caring per day were less likely to participate in leisure student activities. Both study progress and feelings of loneliness were related to care responsibility in a response-dose pattern, with worse outcomes for those with 2 h or more of daily caring responsibility. All comparisons were adjusted for age, sex, and chronic illness. CONCLUSIONS: Study progress, recreational activities, and loneliness among young adults are associated with informal caring responsibilities. Professionals in the educational system as well as health personnel should be sensitized to the needs of young adult carers and necessary support made available.

[Associations between students' social background, mode of instruction and learning outcomes during the pandemic]. / Zusammenhänge zwischen sozialer Herkunft, Unterrichtsform und Learning Outcomes während der Pandemie.

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to widespread school closures, which have been associated with massive changes in teaching and learning and student learning outcomes. While initial performance studies have examined learning losses due to the school closures, there are few findings to date that provide evidence on key predictors of the development of other student outcomes (stress experience, learning gain, learning time) during the school closures. This study approaches these questions by retrospectively predicting student self-assessments in these student outcomes for the periods before and during school closures by social background (academic household, language spoken at home) and instructional design (open vs. traditional). The multilevel regression models presented are motivated by theories of educational inequality and concepts of open instruction. In addition, the hypotheses tested are based on recent survey studies on COVID-19 and school. Results calculated on the basis of data from N = 1566 upper secondary school students show higher values in the retrospectively assessed stress experience of students without German as their native language than for children with German as their native language during school closures. With regard to the retrospectively self-assessed learning gain and learning time, however, there are no correlations with social background (beyond the differences in the baseline values before COVID). With respect to the relations between open instruction and student outcomes, it appears that students from traditional instruction report statistically significant higher learning time during school closures than students in open instruction. Students in open instruction, however, do not rate their learning gain to be lower than traditionally taught students despite less learning time.

Research Progress on Lichongtang in Treatment of Uterine Leiomyoma / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Uterine leiomyoma （UL）， the most common benign tumor of the reproductive system in women of childbearing age， is characterized by clinical symptoms such as increased menstrual flow， prolonged menstrual period， breast tenderness，backache， lower abdominal pain and mass in the lower abdomen. With the continuous progress of modern society， the age of women's marriage and childbirth is gradually pushed back， which to a certain extent has led to an increase in the probability of modern women suffering from UL. Relevant literature shows that the incidence of UL is about 70%， and 25%-50% of the patients have clinical symptoms， seriously endangering women's physical health. The prevention and treatment of UL by modern medicine is currently limited to two aspects： drug control of estrogen and progesterone levels and surgical removal. Traditional Chinese medicine（TCM）has shown obvious advantages in improving the clinical symptoms of UL patients， with very broad application prospects as it can regulate body's Qi and blood on the basis of syndrome differentiation， treatment and overall concepts. Lichongtang， as a famous TCM prescription for replenishing Qi， activating blood and removing blood stasis， was created by ZHANG Xi-chun， a famous Chinese medicine doctor in the Qing dynasty， and recorded in the Records of Tradition Chinese and Western Medicine in Combination. It is widely used in the field of gynecological diseases in clinical practice. Studies have shown that Lichongtang is effective in treating UL. Clinical observations show that Lichongtang can significantly relieve the clinical symptoms of UL patients such as prolonged menstrual period， dysmenorrhea， waist and abdomen swelling and irregular vaginal bleeding， with the characteristics of stable curative effect， high safety， less side effect and low recurrence rate. The experimental results show that Lichongtang has a comprehensive regulatory effect on UL through inhibiting the proliferation of UL cells and inducing apoptosis， reducing serum estrogen and progesterone level， regulating the apoptosis pathway of tumor cells， and promoting the degradation of extracellular matrix（ECM）. After retrieval in PubMed， CNKI and other databases， the authors made a review by summarizing the theories， clinical efficacy and action mechanisms of Lichongtang in the treatment of UL， in order to provide reference for the follow-up in-depth study of pharmacological mechanism of Lichongtang and its further clinical application and promotion.

Study Progress in Anti-tumor Mechanism of Mongolian Medicine / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Presently， tumor has become an important factor threatening human health， and how to cure tumor effectively is still one of the most important problems in the modern medical field. Mongolian medicine has a long history， and is an important component of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM）， with distinctive national characteristics. It has been gradually formed and developed by absorbing Tibetan medicine，Indian medical theory and TCM. It has the advantages of a low toxicity，diverse structures and effect in modulating immune responses，with a important value and application perspectives. This paper focused on literatures from China National Knowledge Infrastructure，WanFang and Pubmed databases in recent years，with Mongolian medicine，anti-tumor and mechanism of action as the key words. The relevant literatures were collected， and the anti-tumor mechanisms of Mongolian medicinal in inhibiting cell proliferation， affecting cell cycle，inducing apoptosis，suppressing tumor invasion and metastasis，controlling angiogenesis and regulating immune status were summarized， in the hope to provide a reference for prevention and treatment of tumors with Mongolian medicine. The survey results showed that the study methods for Mongolian medicine at this stage were mostly simple， with a low overall level and based on in vitro cell level. However，the antitumor mechanism of Mongolian medicine compounds was not deeply studied. The material basis and mechanism of Mongolian medicine shall be further studied by modern medicine and bioscience techniques. Long-term goals and plans shall be established to form their own characteristics and advantages.

Study Progress in Effect of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Preventing and Treating Diabetes by Interfering Intestinal Flora / 中国实验方剂学杂志

With the development of urbanization and the change of lifestyle， people have gradually developed unhealthy living habits， such as high-fat diet and reduced physical activity， which promotes the increasing number of diabetes patients and becomes an escalating public health problem worldwide. Therefore， it is urgent to explore effective measures to prevent and treat diabetes. Recent studies have shown that intestinal flora is closely related to the occurrence and development of diabetes， making it a potential target for the treatment of diabetes. A healthy intestinal environment is an important internal environment for physiological and metabolic activities of the human body. Intestinal flora homeostasis is accompanied by physiological metabolic disorders of the body， such as induced metabolic endotoxemia， bile acid metabolism disorders and reduced production of short chain fatty acid （SCFA）， which leads to low-grade chronic inflammation and insulin resistance in the body that are important pathological processes of diabetes. Traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） has been used in the treatment of diabetes， with a remarkable curative effect. At present， there are extensive studies on the active ingredients of TCM and the compound of TCM for regulating structure of intestinal flora and improving symptoms of diabetes. A large number of studies have shown a dynamic two-way relationship between TCM and intestinal flora. Specifically， intestinal flora can transform TCM into polyphenols， alkaloids， saponins and other active substances with a pharmacological effect， in turn， these active ingredients can reverse the imbalance of intestinal microecology， and the recovery of intestinal flora imbalance can improve the symptoms of diabetes. It can be seen that intestinal flora is a bridge for TCM treatment of diabetes， which may be one of the mechanisms of TCM treatment of diabetes. This paper reviews the active ingredients of TCM and the compound of TCM in the treatment of diabetes， in order to provide reference for the exploration of prevention and treatment of diabetes.

Integration of hypnotherapy with brief cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) for treatment of depression.

The current study was planned to assess how the integration of brief cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) with hypnotherapy can be productive for a client's quick progress in treatment. It illustrates the effectiveness of two methods of treatment integrated to make better prognosis in the treatment of a depressed Pakistani housewife aged 25 years, who had been suffering for a year. The sessions included hypnotic induction, teaching self-hypnosis with positive suggestions, mood monitoring, use of imagery and relaxation techniques along with specific strategies of brief CBT. Predominant feature of her clinical presentation was the belief of being unloved, and the negative thoughts of being devalued by the husband. Hypnotherapy contributed to achieving remarkable therapeutic progress in a relatively short time. At initial presentation, the depressive symptoms were extremely high as demonstrated by psychological assessment tests and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). Subsequent test results indicated that she had returned to normal level of functioning (81-90) as assessed through the Global Assessment of Functioning Scale (GAFS). At the time of reporting the case, she was in the follow-up phase. The case highlights the value of hypnosis as a tool of empowerment especially important to diminish depression when used as an adjunct with cognitive behaviour therapy.

Effect of Huanglian Wendantang in Treatment of Metabolic Syndrome / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Metabolic syndrome (MS) is a pathological condition characterized by central obesity, insulin resistance, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia. With the increase of poor dietary habits and lifestyles in modern society, especially the poor living habits of sedentariness and less movement, the prevalence of MS has increased year by year. According to relevant data, the number of MS patients worldwide will reach about 2.568 billion by 2040, which will seriously endanger human life and health. Huanglian Wendantang, as a famous traditional Chinese medicine prescription for clearing away heat and drying dampness, regulating Qi and resolving phlegm, and benefiting the stomach and gall, has been proved to have significant pharmacological effects in lowering blood fat, reducing blood sugar and resisting inflammation by modern pharmacological studies, and widely used in the treatment of metabolic diseases, cardiovascular diseases and other systemic diseases. In recent years, a large number of studies have proved that Huanglian Wendantang has a significant effect on MS. In terms of clinical efficacy, it could significantly improve the pathological state of obesity, dyslipidemia, abnormal glucose metabolism and hypertension in MS patients. Meanwhile, it could also interfere with the inflammatory state, prethrombotic state, abnormal vascular regulation and other potential risk factors in the body, with a high safety and fewer side effects. In terms of experimental study, it could enhance the insulin sensitivity, and improve the insulin resistance of MS animal models and cell models through interventions in insulin signal transduction, inflammatory response, and antioxidant stress. By retrieving PubMed, CNKI, Weipu, Wanfang and other databases, the author summarized the study reports of Huanglian Wendantang on MS in recent years in three aspects: theoretical study, clinical efficacy study and experimental mechanism study, in the expectation of provide some scientific references for in-depth study of the mechanism of Huanglian Wendantang in treating MS and the development and clinical promotion of the prescription.

[Present situation, challenge and strategy of acupuncture standardization in China].

On the base of the overall summarization of the development situation of acupuncture standardization, four kinds of relationships are proposed, which needs to be harmonized in the current acupuncture standardization, i.e. standardization and individualization, China acupuncture and world acupuncture, quantity and quality, as well as internal motivation and the government overall instruction. Through in-depth analysis of the problems and their causes, the solutions and measures are put forward, e.g. paying attention to the study on relevant knowledge on standardization and standard publicity, increasing the inputs on theoretic study, strategy study, methodological study as well as the applicability of standards, accelerating the construction of talent team, cultivating and attracting first-class professionals to participate in the standardization work, integrating institutions, straightening out relations as well as improving management system and operation mechanism of acupuncture standardization.

Mental Health, Academic Self-Efficacy and Study Progress Among College Students - The SHoT Study, Norway.

Student life can be stressful and for some students it may cause mental distress. Besides being a major public health challenge, mental distress can influence academic achievement. The main objectives of the current study were to examine associations of mental distress with academic self-efficacy and study progress. A secondary aim was to examine mental health help seeking for students with mental distress. Data was derived from the Norwegian Students' health and welfare survey 2014 (SHOT 2014) which is the first major survey comprising questions of both mental health, academic self-efficacy and psychosocial factors amongst students. Utilizing these data for a Norwegian region, we found that 749 (31%) of the 2430 Norwegian full-time students under the age of 35 responded to the survey. Symptoms of mental distress were measured using the Hopkins Symptom Checklist (HSCL-25) and academic self-efficacy was measured using a Norwegian version of the General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSE) tailored to the academic setting. Demographic-, social, lifestyle, and study-related variables were included in the analyses. Logistic regression analyses were performed to assess the relationship between mental distress, academic self-efficacy, and academic performance. Seventeen percent reported severe symptoms of psychological distress which is similar to the overall prevalence among students in Norway. Students reporting severe mental distress were four times as likely to report low academic self-efficacy and twice as likely to report delayed study progress compared to students reporting few or moderate symptoms of mental distress. 27% of those reporting severe mental distress had sought professional help whereas 31% had considered seeking help. The study showed that there was a strong association between symptoms of mental distress, academic self-efficacy and study progress. Prospective studies should evaluate whether improved help-seeking and psychological treatment can promote students mental health and ultimately improve academic self-efficacy and study progress.

Review of the compatibility and clinical application about Cheng's Bixie-Fenqing formula / 国际中医中药杂志

In the Qing dynasty Cheng Zhongling based on the Cheng's Bixie-Fenqing formula of Yang Tan, a doctor in the Southern Song dynasty, retained the original Sichuan Bixie and Acorus tatarinowii, and add Phellodendron chinense, and Semen plantaginis to form Cheng's Bixie-Fenqing formula. It had the function of get rid of dampness and heat, and is a classic prescription for stranguria, like the treatment of white turbidity. The author retrieved the related literature of Cheng's Bixie-Fenqing formula in recent years, analyzed the composition and clinical application of Cheng's Bixie-Fenqing formula, and summarized the advantages and disadvantages of the existing researches, providing reference for the further development of Cheng's Bixie-Fenqing formula.

Present situation, challenge and strategy of acupuncture standardization in China / 中国针灸

On the base of the overall summarization of the development situation of acupuncture standardization, four kinds of relationships are proposed, which needs to be harmonized in the current acupuncture standardization, i.e. standardization and individualization, China acupuncture and world acupuncture, quantity and quality, as well as internal motivation and the government overall instruction. Through in-depth analysis of the problems and their causes, the solutions and measures are put forward, e.g. paying attention to the study on relevant knowledge on standardization and standard publicity, increasing the inputs on theoretic study, strategy study, methodological study as well as the applicability of standards, accelerating the construction of talent team, cultivating and attracting first-class professionals to participate in the standardization work, integrating institutions, straightening out relations as well as improving management system and operation mechanism of acupuncture standardization.

Progress on treating of glomerular diseases with adrenocorticotrophic hormone / 中华实用儿科临床杂志

Adrenocorticotrophic hormone(ACTH)is a pituitary neuroimmunoendocrine polypeptide that belongs to the melanocortin system.Glomerular disease is common in children with kidney disease and may progress to renal insufficiency or even renal failure.The application of ACTH in the treatment of glomerular disease is a hot topic.Studies have shown that ACTH has a significant protective effect on podocytes, and plays a role in anti-urine protein and lipid-lowering.ACTH may play these roles through steroid and non- steroid mechanisms.This article reviews the types, mechanism and study progress of ACTH in the treatment of glomerular disease.

Progress on treating of glomerular diseases with adrenocorticotrophic hormone / 中华实用儿科临床杂志

Adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) is a pituitary neuroimmunoendocrine polypeptide that belongs to the melanocortin system.Glomerular disease is common in children with kidney disease and may progress to renal insufficiency or even renal failure.The application of ACTH in the treatment of glomerular disease is a hot topic.Studies have shown that ACTH has a significant protective effect on podocytes,and plays a role in anti-urine protein and lipid-lowering.ACTH may play these roles through steroid and non-steroid mechanisms.This article reviews the types,mechanism and study progress of ACTH in the treatment of glomerular disease.

Review of the compatibility and clinical application about Cheng's Bixie-Fenqing formula / 国际中医中药杂志

In the Qing dynasty Cheng Zhongling based on the Cheng's Bixie-Fenqing formula of Yang Tan, a doctor in the Southern Song dynasty, retained the original Sichuan Bixie and Acorus tatarinowii, and add Phellodendron chinense, and Semen plantaginis to form Cheng's Bixie-Fenqing formula. It had the function of get rid of dampness and heat, and is a classic prescription for stranguria, like the treatment of white turbidity. The author retrieved the related literature of Cheng's Bixie-Fenqing formula in recent years, analyzed the composition and clinical application of Cheng's Bixie-Fenqing formula, and summarized the advantages and disadvantages of the existing researches, providing reference for the further development of Cheng's Bixie-Fenqing formula.

Study progress on antitumor activities of artemisinin and its derivatives / 中国生化药物杂志

The antitumor activities of artemisinin and its derivatives has become a hot topic in recent years.Artemisinin and its derivatives have been reported to exert antitumor effects mainly by blocking the cell cycle, promoting tumor cell apoptosis, inhibiting angiogenesis and so on.Also, their influence on signaling pathways has attracted considerable interest of many scholars.Currently, in order to discover some compounds with better therapeutic potentials, many studies dedicated to the synthesis and development of new artemisinin derivatives.In addition, the effects of artemisinin and its derivatives on multi-drug resistantace in tumor cells also become a trend of the future research.In this paper, we review the research advances in the antitumor activities of artemisinin and its derivatives during the past five years to provide a reference for future study .

Study Advances in Radiosensitizer for Tumor Hypoxia / 中国药师

The improvement of hypoxia of tumor cells can effectively reduce their resistance to radiation and chemotherapy and im-prove the cure rate of the tumor. Recently, the compounds which are used to improve hypoxia of tumor cells and reduce radiation resist-ance are no longer just the original electrophilic radiosensitizers, and many potential targets as radiosensitizer for hypoxia also become research focus. Based on the mechanism of tumor hypoxia, the paper summarized the study progresses in four different radiosensitizers including new targeted agents, electrophilic radiotherapy sensitization agents, biological reductants and natural plant extracts.

Update on the molecular pathogenesis of intrauterine growth retardation / 中华实用儿科临床杂志

The causes of intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) remains a challenge due to the complicated embryonic and fetal growth.More and more researches put their insights into the molecular pathogenesis.In this review,provide recent advances in the molecular pathogenesis of IUGR aimed at further understanding of this vexing medical problem.

Animal Models of Coronary Heart Disease / 世界科学技术-中医药现代化

Coronary heart disease (CHD) is a common kind of cardiovascular disease which does serious harm to human health. It has become the first cause of people's death in many countries and regions. This article analyzed CHD-related animal experiments in recent ten years. It made a review on progress in the establishment of chronic and acute animal models of CHD from the animal selection and model establishment. It can provide guidance for the further research of CHD.