Evaluation of the effects of health education interventions for hypertensive patients based on the health belief model

BACKGROUND Hypertension is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease and stroke,and its prevalence is increasing worldwide.Health education interventions based on the health belief model(HBM)can improve the knowledge,attitudes,and behaviors of patients with hypertension and help them control their blood pressure.AIM To evaluate the effects of health education interventions based on the HBM in patients with hypertension in China.METHODS Between 2021 and 2023,140 patients with hypertension were randomly assigned to either the intervention or control group.The intervention group received health education based on the HBM,including lectures,brochures,videos,and counseling sessions,whereas the control group received routine care.Outcomes were measured at baseline,three months,and six months after the intervention and included blood pressure,medication adherence,self-efficacy,and perceived benefits,barriers,susceptibility,and severity.RESULTS The intervention group had significantly lower systolic blood pressure[mean difference(MD):-8.2 mmHg,P<0.001]and diastolic blood pressure(MD:-5.1 mmHg,P=0.002)compared to the control group at six months.The intervention group also had higher medication adherence(MD:1.8,P<0.001),self-efficacy(MD:12.4,P<0.001),perceived benefits(MD:3.2,P<0.001),lower perceived barriers(MD:-2.6,P=0.001),higher perceived susceptibility(MD:2.8,P=0.002),and higher perceived severity(MD:3.1,P<0.001)than the control group at six months.CONCLUSION Health education interventions based on the HBM effectively improve blood pressure control and health beliefs in patients with hypertension and should be implemented in clinical practice and community settings.

Clinicopathological features,psychological status,and prognosis of 33 patients with occult breast cancer

BACKGROUND Occult breast cancer(OBC)has traditionally been considered to be a carcinoma of unknown primary origin with a favorable prognosis and can be treated as stage II-III breast cancer.Due to the small number of cases and limited clinical experience,treatments vary greatly around the world and no standardized treatment has yet been established.AIM To investigate the clinicopathological features,psychological status and prognostic features of patients with OBC.METHODS The clinicopathological data of 33 OBC patients diagnosed and treated in the Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University and Xuzhou Central Hospital from November 2015 to November 2022 were retrospectively analyzed.The psychological status of OBC patients was evaluated by the Self-rating Anxiety Scale and Self-rating Depression Scale.Patients’emotions,stress perception and psychological resilience were evaluated by the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule,the Chinese Perceived Stress Scale,and the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale(CD-RISC),respectively.Patient survival was calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method,and survival curves were plotted for analysis with the log-rank test.Univariate and multivariate survival analyses were performed using the Cox regression model.RESULTS The 33 OBC patients included 32 females and 1 male.Of the 33 patients,30(91%)had axillary tumors,3(9%)had a neck mass as the primary symptom;18(54.5%)had estrogen receptor-positive tumors,17(51.5%)had progesterone receptor-positive tumors,and 18(54.5%)had Her-2-positive tumors;24(72.7%)received surgical treatment,including 18 patients who underwent modified radical mastectomy,1 patient who underwent breast-conserving surgery plus axillary lymph node dissection(ALND),and 5 patients who underwent ALND alone;12 patients received preoperative neoadjuvant therapy.All 30 patients developed anxiety and depression,with low positive affect scores and high negative affect scores,accompanied by a high stress level and poor psychological resilience.There were no differences in the psychological status of patients according to age,body mass index,or menopausal status.The overall survival and disease-free survival(DFS)of all the patients were 83.3%and 55.7%,respectively.Univariate analysis demonstrated that the initial tumor site(P=0.021)and node stage(P=0.020)were factors that may affect patient prognosis.The 5-year DFS rate of OBC patients who received radiotherapy was greater(P<0.001),while the use of different surgical methods(P=0.687)had no statistically significant effect on patient outcomes.Multivariate analysis revealed that radiotherapy(P=0.031)was an independent prognostic factor.Receiving radiotherapy had a significant effect on the CD-RISC score(P=0.02).CONCLUSION OBC is a rare breast disease whose diagnosis and treatment are currently controversial.There was no significant difference in the efficacy of other less invasive surgical procedures compared to those of modified radical mastectomy.In addition,radiotherapy can significantly improve patient outcomes.We should pay attention to the psychological state of patients while they receive antitumor therapy.

miR-181b promotes angiogenesis and neurological function recovery after ischemic stroke

Promotion of new blood vessel formation is a new strategy for treating ischemic stroke.Non-coding miRNAs have been recently considered potential therapeutic targets for ischemic stroke.miR-181b has been shown to promote angiogenesis in hypoxia and traumatic brain injury model,while its effect on ischemic stroke remains elusive.In this study,we found that overexpression of miR-181b in brain microvascular endothelial cells subjected to oxygen-glucose deprivation in vitro restored cell prolife ration and enhanced angiogenesis.In rat models of focal cerebral ischemia,ove rexpression of miR-181b reduced infarction volume,promoted angiogenesis in ischemic penumbra,and improved neurological function.We further investigated the molecular mechanism by which miR-181b participates in angiogenesis after ischemic stroke and found that miR-181b directly bound to the 3’-UTR of phosphatase and tensin homolog(PTEN) mRNA to induce PTEN downregulation,leading to activation of the protein kinase B(Akt) pathway,upregulated expression of vascular endothelial growth facto rs,down-regulated expression of endostatin,and promoted angiogenesis.Taken togethe r,these results indicate that exogenous miR-181b exhibits neuroprotective effects on ischemic stro ke through activating the PTEN/Akt signal pathway and promoting angiogenesis.

HOX transcript antisense intergenic RNA represses E-cadherin expression by binding to EZH2 in gastric cancer

AIM To clarify the mechanisms of HOX transcript antisense intergenic RNA(HOTAIR) in gastric cancer(GC) migration and invasion.METHODS Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction(qp CR) was used to detect the expression level of HOTAIR in GC tissues. The correlation of its expression with clinicopathological features was analyzed. Area under receiver operating characteristic curve(AUCROC) was constructed to evaluate the diagnostic value of HOTAIR. Wound-healing assay and Transwell assay were performed to detect the biological effects of HOTAIR in GC cells. qp CR,western blot and immunohistochemistry were used to evaluate the m RNA and protein expression of E-cadherin. RNAbinding protein immunoprecipitation was used for the analysis of EZH2 interactions with HOTAIR. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assay was performed to investigate direct interactions between EZH2 and E-cadherin.RESULTS The expression of HOTAIR was up-regulated in GC tumorous tissues compared with the para-tumorous tissues(p < 0.001). Its over-expression was correlated with tumor-node-metastasis(TNM) stage(p = 0.024),tumor invasion(p = 0.018),lymph node metastasis(p = 0.023),and poor prognosis(p < 0.001). Multivariate Cox regression analysis confirmed expression of HOTAIR as an independent predictor of overall survival(p = 0.033),together with TNM stage(p = 0.002) and lymph node metastasis(p = 0.002). The AUCROC was up to 0.709(95%CI: 0.623-0.785,p < 0.001). Knockdown of HOTAIR by si RNA in GC cells suppressed the migration and invasion of GC cells. Significantly negative correlation between HOTAIR and E-cadherin was found in GC tissues and cell lines,and HOTAIR contributed to the regulation of E-cadherin through binding to EZH2 with the E-cadherin promoter. CONCLUSION HOTAIR may play a pivotal role in tumor cell migration and invasion. It can be used as a potential diagnostic and prognostic biomarker for GC.

Effects of small interfering RNA targeting heparanase-1 combined with heparin on invasiveness of mouse hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines

Background and Objective:Heparanase-1 (HPA-1) can promote angiogenesis and metastasis of malignant tumors and plays an important role in the genesis and development of tumors.This study was to explore the effects of specific small interfering RNA (siRNA) targeting HPA-1 combined with heparin on invasiveness of mouse hepatocellular carcinoma cells.Methods:The expression of HPA-1 in Hca-F, Hca-P, and Hepa1-6 cells, which have high, low, and no metastatic potential, respectively, was analyzed by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), Western blot analysis and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).After transfection with two specific siRNAs targeting HPA-1, siRNA-1 and siRNA-2, and treatment with heparin, invasiveness of Hca-F cells was observed by Matrigel invasion assay.Results:HPA-1 was negative in Hepa1-6 cells while positive in both Hca-F and Hca-P cells.The expression levels of both HPA-1 mRNA and protein were obviously higher in Hca-F cells than in Hca-P cells.HPA-1 proteins could be secreted into culture supernatant of Hca-F and Hca-P cells, and the amount of secreted HPA-1 detected by Western blot analysis was larger in Hca-F cells than in Hca-P cells (1.34±0.02 vs.0.60±0.01, P<0.001), which was consistent with the results of ELISA.Both siRNA-1 and siRNA-2 downregulated the expression of HPA-1 and the siRNA-2 did more efficiently.The number of invasive Hca-F cells treated with siRNA-2 or heparin alone was larger than that of Hca-F cells treated with combination of them (9±1 vs.4±1, P=0.013; 15±2 vs.4±1, P=0.008), but smaller than that of untreated Hca-F cells (9±1 vs.22±2, P=0.006; 15±2 vs.22±2, P=0.026).Conclusion:The combined application of specific siRNA targeting HPA-1 and heparin is more effective in inhibiting the invasiveness of mouse hepatoma cells.

Dual effects of 8-Br-cAMP on differentiation and apoptosis of human esophageal cancer cell line Eca-109

AIM: To investigate the effects of 8-Br-cAMP on differentiation and apoptosis of human esophageal cancer cell line Eca-109, and the related gene expression.METHODS: The cultured Eca-109 cells were divided into four groups: E1 group (co-cultured with 8-Br-cAMP for 24 h); E2 group (co-cultured with 8-Br-cAMP for 48 h); C1 group (treated without 8-Br-cAMP for 24 h); and C2 group (treated without 8-Br-cAMP for 48 h). The same concentration of cell suspension of each group was dropped separately onto the slides and nitrocellulose membranes (NCM). The biotin-labeled cDNA probes for c-myc, wild-type (wt) p53, bcl-2 and iNOS were prepared for in situ hybridization. The expressions of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), p38 kinase, FAS, FasL and caspase-3 were detected using immunocytochemistry, and the NOS activity and the ratio of differentiated cells/proliferating cells were examined by cytochemistry. Immunocytochemistry, cytochemistry,and in situ hybridization were separately carried out on both slides and NCM specimens for each group. In addition, TUNEL was used to detect the cell apoptosis rate in each group.RESULTS: The apoptotic rate of E2 group was significantly higher compared to E1 group, while there was no difference in the ratio of differentiated cells/ proliferating cells between E1 and E2 groups. The signals of wt p53 and iNOS were markedly stronger, while the signals of c-myc and EGFR were obviously weaker in E1 group than those in C1 group (P＜0.05). Moreover, the signals of wt p53, iNOS, p38 kinase, caspase-3 and NOS activity were significantly stronger, whereas, the signals of bcl-2, c-myc and Fas/FasL were markedly weaker in E2 group than those in C2 group (P＜0.05). CONCLUSION: The differentiation and apoptosis of human esophageal cancer cell Eca-109 can be induced after 24- and 48-h treatment with 8-BrcAMP, respectively. Upregulation of wt p53, iNOS and downregulation of c-myc may be associated with differentiation and apoptosis of Eca-109 cells.Furthermore, upregulation of FasL, p38 kinase and caspase-3 as well as downregulation of bcl-2, and Fas may be involved in the apoptosis of Eca-109 cells.

The Care Dependency Scale: psychometric testing of the Chinese version

Objective： To determine the validity and reliability of the Chinese version of the Care Dependency Scale （CDS） for proxy assessments by nurses in Chinese nursing homes. The CDS is an excellent tool for measuring care dependency in many countries. The Chinese version of the CDS contributes additional data regarding the scale＇s use. Methods： This was a cross-sectional study of 184 older adults; 128 were re-evaluated after 2 weeks. Cronbach＇s alpha, the mean inter-item correlation, the inter-rater reliability and the test-retest reliability were used to analyze the reliability of the CDS. A factor analysis was carried out to find common di- mensions between the CDS versions. Results： The alpha coefficient of the CDS was 0.95. The subsequent inter-rater and test-retest reliabilities were analyzed in terms of the Kappa values, which were between 0.84 and 0.89; 0.83 and 0.92, respectively. Three factors were identified in the factor analysis. Conclusions： The CDS is a suitable tool for assessing care dependency among elderly Chinese residents in nursing homes.

Effect on T cell subsets and function of isletβ cells of levemir combined with acarbose in elder patients with early-onset type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Objective:To discuss the effect of the combined therapy of levemir and acarbose on T cell subsets and function of isletβ cells in elder patients with early-onset type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. Methods:According to the number parity of entry sequence, 100 cases of elder patients with early-onset type 2 Diabetes Mellitus are divided into the control group and the observation group of 50 cases. The control group was treated with novolin and acarbose, the observation group was given subcutaneous injection of levemir and acarbose treatment. Compare the T cell subsets and function of isletβ cells in two group of patients before the treatment (T0), treatment for 4 weeks (T1) ,treatment for 8 weeks (T2).Results:(1) The levels of T0, T1, T2CD3+, CD4+, CD4+/CD8+ were increased in both groups, and CD8+ decreased. Among them, the levels of T1, T2CD3+, CD4+, CD4+/CD8+ of the observation group were obviously higher than the control group, the level of CD8+ was lowly than the control group, the difference was statistically significant;(2) In the stage of T0, T1, T2, the levels of FPG, HbA1c, HOMA-IR were showed a downward trend, the levels of FIns, HOMA-B were increased. In these two groups, the levels of T1, T2FPG, HbA1c, HOMA-IR of the observation group were lower than the control group, and the levels of FIns, HOMA-B were higher than the control group, the difference was statistically significant;(3) In the control group occurred 3 cases of hypoglycemia, and the incidence of adverse reactions was 6%. However, in the observation group no occurred adverse reactions, the difference was statistically significant.Conclusions:The combined therapy of levemir and acarbose in elder patients with early-onset type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, It helps to improve immune function, protect the isletβ-cell function.

Study on promoting quantum mechanics-teaching modernization by information technology

Quantum mechanics, one of the important theories of modern physics, is fairly esoteric and abstract. Based on the characteristics of the quantum mechanics course, the article studies the modernization of quantum mechan-ics teaching in four aspects: the modernization of the teaching idea, Computer-Aided Instruc-tion, the development of Information technology software and the establishment of three-di-mensional digital curriculum teaching resource library.

Mapping and Quantitative Trait Loci Analysis of Verticillium Wilt Resistance Genes in Cotton

Verticillium wilt is one of the most serious constraints to cotton production in almost all of the cotton-growing countries. In this study, ＂XinLuZaol＂ （XLZl）, a susceptible cultivar Gossypium hirsutum L. and ＂Hai7124＂ （H7124）, a resistant line G. barbadense, and their F2：3 families were used to map and study the disease index induced by verticillium wilt. A total of 430 SSR loci were mapped into 41 linkage groups; the map spanned 3 745.9 cM and the average distance between adjacent loci was 8.71 cM. Four and five quantitative trait loci （QTLs） were detected based on the disease index investigated on July 22 and August 24 in 2004, respectively. These nine QTLs explained 10.63-28.83% of the phenotypic variance, six of them were located on the D sub-genome. Two QTLs located in the same marker intervals may partly explain the significant correlation of the two traits. QTLs explaining large phenotypic variation were identified in this study, which may be quite useful in cotton anti-disease breeding.

Clinical characteristics,molecular epidemiology and antimicrobial susceptibility of pertussis among children in southern China

Background Increasing numbers of pertussis cases have been reported in recent years.The reported cases from Shenzhen Children's Hospital were close to one tenth of all cases in China.The epidemiology of antigenic genotype and antibiotic resistance of circulating strains in children have been unknown in Shenzhen,southern China.The aim of this study was to describe the clinical features and explore the genotypes and antimicrobial susceptibility of circulating Bordetella pertussis among children in Shenzhen.Methods Data of hospitalized children with pertussis in Shenzhen Children's Hospital from August 2015 to April 2017 were collected.The genetic variability of isolates was investigated and Etest was performed for phenotypic susceptibility to erythromycin,azithromycin,clarithromycin,clindamycin,and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole.Results 469 children with pertussis confirmed by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction were hospitalized and strains were isolated from 105 patients.White blood cell count≥20×10^9/L and lymphocyte proportion≥60%were observed in 39.29%of infants younger than 3 months.The two predominant profiles of virulence-associated allelic genes were ptxA1/ptxC1/ptxPl/prnl(48.6%)and ptxA1/ptxC2/ptxP3/prn2(44.8%).Among the isolates,48.6%(51/105)were found resistant to macrolides.Conclusions These findings indicate that leukocytosis is not a sensitive indicator of pertussis.Isolates with the gene profile ptxP3/prn2 were highly circulating in Shenzhen and less resistant to macrolides,different from patterns observed in other parts of China.

Improved Fertility Following Enucleation of Intramural Myomas in Infertile Women

Background：The relationship between intramural myomas and fertility remains unclear.The main debate rests on whether cavity-distorting intramural lnyomas （CDMs） adversely affect fertility more than non-CDMs.We aimed to compare the effects ofenucleating non-CDMs and CDMs on fertility improvement in females with unexplained infertility.Methods：We prospectively recruited 83 women undergoing myomectomy for unexplained infertility with intramural myomas between June 2008 and November 2012 and classified them into non-CDMs group （n =45） and CDMs group （n =38）.We then compared postoperative infertility rates,spontaneous pregnancy rates,pregnancy outcomes,live birth rates,and obstetric complications.For continuous variables,we calculated the mean ± standard deviation,median and interquartile range,and analyzed the data using Student＇s t-test and the Mann-Whitney U-test.For categorical variables,the Pearson＇s Chi-square test,the continuity correction test,and Fisher＇s exact test were used.Results：Patients＇ demographics and myoma characteristics were comparable between the two groups.The overall spontaneous pregnancy rate increased from 0% to 68.42% following myomectomy.The postoperative infertility rate was significantly higher in the non-CDMs group than that in the CDMs group （50.00% vs.23.53%,t =5.579,P =0.018）,whereas the postoperative spontaneous pregnancy rate was significantly lower in the non-CDMs group than that in the CDMs group （47.62% vs.70.59%,t 4.067,P =0.044）.Compared with the enucleation ofnon-CDM,the enucleation of CDM patients was a protective factor for the fertility restoration （risk ratio [RR] =3.717,95% confidence interval [CI]：1.284-10.753,P =0.015）,although postoperative fertility restoration declined with age （RR =1.141,95% CI：1.005-1.295,P =0.041）.Conclusions：Intramural myomas are associated with impaired fertility.Women experiencing unexplained infertility,and possessing intramural myomas,have a better chance of conception following myomectomy,and these benefits are more obvious for younger patients and patients with CDM.

Temporal and Spatial Variations of Microbial Carbon Utilization in Water Bodies from the Dajiuhu Peatland, Central China

To investigate the microbial utilization of organic carbon in peatland ecosystem, water samples were collected from the Dajiuhu Peatland and nearby lakes, central China across the year of 2014. The acridine orange （AO） staining and Biolog Eco microplates were used to numerate microbial counts and determine the carbon utilization of microbial communities. Meanwhile, physicochemical characteristics were measured for subsequent analysis of the correlation between microbial carbon utilization and environmental factors. Results indicated that total microbial counts were between 106107 cells/L. Microbial diversities and carbon utilization rates showed a similar pattern, highest in September and lowest in November. Microbial communities in the peat pore waters preferred to utilize N-bearing carbon sources such as amines and amino acids compared with microbial communities in lakes. The network analysis of microbial utilization of 31 carbon substrates clearly distinguished microbial communities from peat pore waters and those from lakes. Redundancy analysis （RDA） showed the total organic nitrogen content （P=-0.03, F=2.5） and daily average temperature （P=0.034, F=2.4） significantly controlled microbial carbon utilization throughout the sampling period. Our report is the first one to address the temporal and spatial variations of carbon uti- lization of microbial communities which are closely related to the decomposition of organic matter in the Dajiuhu Peatland in context of climate warming.