Scaling of Berry-curvature monopole dominated large linear positive magnetoresistance.

The linear positive magnetoresistance (LPMR) is a widely observed phenomenon in topological materials, which is promising for potential applications on topological spintronics. However, its mechanism remains ambiguous yet, and the effect is thus uncontrollable. Here, we report a quantitative scaling model that correlates the LPMR with the Berry curvature, based on a ferromagnetic Weyl semimetal CoS2 that bears the largest LPMR of over 500% at 2 K and 9 T, among known magnetic topological semimetals. In this system, masses of Weyl nodes existing near the Fermi level, revealed by theoretical calculations, serve as Berry-curvature monopoles and low-effective-mass carriers. Based on the Weyl picture, we propose a relation [Formula: see text], with B being the applied magnetic field and [Formula: see text] the average Berry curvature near the Fermi surface, and further introduce temperature factor to both MR/B slope (MR per unit field) and anomalous Hall conductivity, which establishes the connection between the model and experimental measurements. A clear picture of the linearly slowing down of carriers, i.e., the LPMR effect, is demonstrated under the cooperation of the k-space Berry curvature and real-space magnetic field. Our study not only provides experimental evidence of Berry curvature-induced LPMR but also promotes the common understanding and functional designing of the large Berry-curvature MR in topological Dirac/Weyl systems for magnetic sensing or information storage.

Association between gut microbiota and male infertility: a two-sample Mendelian randomization study.

Previous research has confirmed the significant association between gut microbiota (GM) and male infertility (MI), but the causality between them remains unclear. This study aims to investigate the causal relationship between GM and MI using Mendelian randomization (MR) and provide supplementary information for the optimization of future randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Instrumental variables for 211 GM taxa were obtained from genome-wide association studies (GWAS), and inverse variance weighted (IVW) method was used as the main analysis method for two-sample MR analysis to assess the impact of GM on the risk of MI. Four methods were used to test for horizontal pleiotropy and heterogeneity of MR results to ensure the reliability of the MR findings. A total of 50 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) closely related to GM were included, and ultimately identified 1 family and 4 general are causally associated with MI. Among them, Anaerotruncus (OR = 1.96, 95% CI 1.31-3.40, P = 0.016) is significantly associated with increased MI risk. Furthermore, we used four MR methods to evaluate the causality, and the results supported these findings. The leave-one-out analysis showed stable results with no instrumental variables exerting strong influence on the results. The causal direction indicated a positive effect, and the effects of heterogeneity and horizontal pleiotropy on the estimation of causal effect were minimized. We confirmed a causal relationship between GM taxa and MI, providing new insights into the mechanisms underlying GM-mediated MI.

Prostatitis No.1 traditional chinese medicine significantly exhibited anti-inflammation role on prostatitis through miR-205-5p/YES1.

Prostatitis is one common male disease with a high prevalence. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been used as an alternative method for the treatment. However, the molecular mechanism of Prostatitis No.1 Traditional Chinese Medicine (P1TCM) on prostatitis is still unclear. For this purpose, the rat models were constructed and treated with PITCM of control, model, low (10 g/kg/d), medium (20 g/kg/d), and high (40 g/kg/d), as well as the transfections of medium dosage+NC mimic, and medium dosage+miR-205-5p mimic, medium dosage+NC mimic+pc-NC, medium dosage+miR-205-5p mimic+pc-NC, and medium dosage+miR-205-5p mimic+pc-v-YES-1 Yamaguchi sarcoma viral oncogene homolog 1 (YES1). Real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) and western blotting analyses were carried out to evaluate the expression of miR-205-5p and YES1, respectively. The levels of interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) were assessed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The targeting role of miR-205-5p on YES1 was predicted by StarBase and verified by a dual-luciferase reporter gene assay. Results showed that the optimal treatment of P1TCM relieved the damage of prostate tissue, decreased the immunity and inflammation factors, and reduced the expression level of miR-205-5p in prostate tissue and serum. miR-205-5p mimics significantly relieved tissue damage and reduced immunity and inflammatory functions. miR-205-5p targeted YES1. YES1 was significantly upregulated in medium dosage treatment compared with Control, while downregulated compared with the Model. YES1 was also upregulated in prostatitis patients. The pc-YES1 reversed the function of the miR-205-5p mimic. In conclusion, P1TCM significantly relieved the tissue damage and reduced prostate patients' inflammatory functions through miR-205-5p/YES1, which might be essential for clinical studies.

Local Disorder-Induced Elevation of Intrinsic Anomalous Hall Conductance in an Electron-Doped Magnetic Weyl Semimetal.

Topological materials are expected to show distinct transport signatures owing to their unique band-inversion characteristic and band-crossing points. However, the intentional modulation of such topological responses through experimentally feasible means has yet to be explored in depth. Here, an unusual elevation of the anomalous Hall effect (AHE) is obtained in electron (Ni)-doped magnetic Weyl semimetals Co_{3-x}Ni_{x}Sn_{2}S_{2}, showing peak values in the anomalous Hall-conductivity, Hall-angle, and Hall-factor at a relatively low doping level of x=0.11. The separation of intrinsic and extrinsic contributions using the TYJ scaling model indicates that such a significant enhancement is dominated by the intrinsic mechanism of the electronic Berry curvature. Theoretical calculations reveal that compared with the Fermi-level shifting from electron filling, a usually overlooked effect of doping, that is, local disorder, imposes a striking effect on broadening of the bands and narrowing of the inverted gap, thus resulting in an elevation of the integrated Berry curvature. Our results not only realize an enhancement of the AHE in a magnetic Weyl semimetal, but also provide a practical design principle for modulating the bands and transport properties in topological materials by exploiting the local disorder effect from doping.

The effect of naringenin on the pharmacokinetics of ibrutinib in rat: A drug-drug interaction study.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of naringenin on the pharmacokinetics of ibrutinib in rats. A simple and sensitive quantitation method based on ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-Q-Exactive Orbitrap tandem mass spectrometry was developed and validated for the determination of ibrutinib in rat plasma. The samples were extracted using ethyl acetate containing 1% triethylamine and separated on a Waters Acquity UPLC BEH C18 column with acetonitrile and water containing 0.1% formic acid as mobile phase. The assay showed good linearity over the concentration range of 1-1000 ng/mL with coefficient of correlation >0.995. The LLOQ was 1 ng/mL. The assay showed acceptable precision (RSD < 8.65%), accuracy (RE within ±15%), extraction recovery (>78.25%) and negligible matrix effects. The validated method has been successfully applied to the pharmacokinetic study of ibrutinib in rats after oral administration of ibrutinib with or without coadministration of naringenin. Our results demonstrated that naringenin could significantly affect the pharmacokinetics of ibrutinib, including prolonging its half-life, increase the area under the concentration-time curve and reducing its clearance time. This study indicated that there is potential for drug-drug interactions between naringenin and ibrutinib, and coadministration of ibrutinib with naringenin or naringenin-containing herbal medicines should be avoided in the clinic.

[Efficacy and safety of № I Empirical Prescription for Chronic Prostatitis in the treatment of type ⠢ refractory chronic prostatitis].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficiency and safety of № I Empirical Prescription for Chronic Prostatitis (№ I EPCP) in the treatment of type Ⅲ refractory chronic prostatitis. METHODS: We randomly assigned 53 cases of type Ⅲ refractory chronic prostatitis with damp-heat and blood stasis to an experimental and a control group to receive № I EPCP at 1 dose per day and saw palmetto extract at 160 mg bid), respectively, all for 8 weeks. Before and after 4 and 8 weeks of treatment, we obtained The National Institute of Health Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index (NIH-CPSI) scores, Traditional Chinese Medicine Syndrome Scores (TCMSS), maximum urinary flow rate (Qmax), average urinary flow rate (Qavg), Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD) scores and Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAMA) scores, and compared them between the two groups of patients. RESULTS: Totally 48 of the patients completed the medication and follow-up, 25 in the experimental and 23 in the control group. Compared with the baseline, the NIH-CPSI scores after 8 weeks of treatment were significantly decreased in the experimental (27.82 ± 7.25 vs 15.46 ± 4.77, P <0.05) and the control group (25.98 ± 6.47 vs 21.06 ± 5.74, P <0.05), and so were the TCMSSs (24.64 ± 9.82 vs 16.42 ± 6.33 and 9.15 ± 3.74, P <0.05, and 23.67 ± 8.73 vs 18.55 ± 5.92 and 13.48 ± 4.45, P <0.05); the Qmax at 8 weeks were dramatically increased in the experimental group (ï¼»18.45 ± 7.81ï¼½ vs ï¼»23.44 ± 8.73ï¼½ ml/s, P <0.05) and the control (ï¼»17.58 ± 6.92ï¼½ vs ï¼»21.26 ± 8.32ï¼½ ml/s, P <0.05), and so was the Qavg (ï¼»11.27 ± 5.33ï¼½ vs ï¼»16.51 ± 7.36ï¼½ ml/s, P <0.05 and ï¼»10.66 ± 5.82ï¼½ vs ï¼»13.44 ± 6.16ï¼½ ml/s, P <0.05); the HAMD scores were remarkably reduced in the experimental group (22.74 ± 6.37 vs 17.62 ± 5.71 and 12.54 ± 5.22, P <0.05) and the control (23.55 ± 7.14 vs 22.34 ± 6.88 and 21.62 ± 5.63, P <0.05), and so were the HAMA scores (21.37 ± 7.15 vs 18.42 ± 6.35 and 14.63 ± 7.11, P <0.05 and 20.54 ± 6.77 vs 19.87 ± 6.24 and 19.42 ± 7.04, P <0.05). No obvious adverse reactions were observed in either of the two groups during the medication. CONCLUSIONS: № I EPCP deserves promotion and clinical application for its definite effectiveness and safety in the treatment of type Ⅲ refractory chronic prostatitis with damp-heat and blood stasis.

[Relationship between the FSHR Thr307Ala-Asn680Ser gene polymorphism and male infertility: A meta-analysis].

OBJECTIVE: To assess the association of the FSHR Thr307Ala-Asn680Ser gene polymorphism with male infertility. METHODS: We searched Pubmed, EMBASE, Web of Science, CNKI, and WANFANG databases for literature on the correlation of the FSHR Thr307Ala-Asn680Ser gene polymorphism with male infertility published from 2005 to the present time. According to the inclusion criteria, we included 12 epidemiological case-control studies and subjected them to a comprehensive analysis with the Stata11.0 software. RESULTS: A total of 2 893 male infertility patients and 3 312 controls were involved in the 12 studies. The Thr307Ala (rs6165) gene polymorphism was shown to be a risk factor for male infertility among the three comparison models (homozygous comparison model, hybrid comparison model and dominant comparison model), with the pooled odds ratios (OR) of 1.26 (95% CI: 1.03－1.54, P = 0.023), 1.18 (95% CI: 1.03－1.36, P = 0.018), and 1.20 (95% CI: 1.05－1.37, P = 0.006), respectively. And the Asn680Ser(rs6166) polymorphism was a risk factor for male infertility in the homozygous comparison and recessive comparison models, with the pooled ORs of 1.24, (95% CI: 1.05－1.45, P = 0.009) and 1.20 (95% CI: 1.04－1.39, P = 0.013), respectively. Layered meta-analysis showed that in the homozygous comparison model, the Thr307Ala-Asn680Ser polymorphism is a risk factor for male infertility in the white population, with the OR of 1.37 (95% CI: 1.03－1.82, P = 0.003) and 1.21 (95% CI: 1.00－1.47, P = 0.048), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: In the homozygous model (GG vs AA), the FSHRThr307Ala-Asn680Ser gene polymorphism might be a protective factor against male infertility.

Smoking and Its Determinants in Chinese Internal Migrants: Nationally Representative Cross-Sectional Data Analyses.

INTRODUCTION: Migrants often face multiple risk factors for smoking initiation. Former studies that have explored the smoking habits of Chinese migrants have provided inconsistent findings and lacked nationally representative samples. METHODS: Using data from the 2012 Migrant Dynamics Monitoring Survey in China published by the National Population and Family Planning Commission, this study explored current smoking rates and its determinants among migrants in China. RESULTS: The smoking rates of men (46.9%, 46.3%-47.3%) and women (1.8%, 1.7%-1.9%) differed significantly. Although the overall smoking rates in migrants was slightly lower than in the general population, the rates in certain subgroups were much higher. Among men, the three leading associated factors were the following: higher smoking rates among the divorced or widowed (odds ratio [OR] = 1.53, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.34-1.74); lower smoking rates among those with an educational level of senior high school or above (OR = 0.73, 95% CI: 0.71-0.76), and higher smoking rates in the migrant-receiving area (OR = 1.29, 95% CI: 1.18-1.42). Among women, smoking rates were also higher in the migrant-receiving area (OR = 1.78, 95% CI: 1.34-2.34), when monthly income was more than 3000 Renminbi (OR = 1.65, 95% CI: 1.43-1.90), and among those with an educational level of senior high school or above (OR = 0.65, 95% CI: 0.56-0.75). The social integration of migrants, the duration of stay, and working hours had weaker associations with smoking risk. CONCLUSIONS: The sociodemographic features, work pressure, and migration-related features were sex-dependent determinants of smoking rates. These factors need to be considered when planning tobacco control interventions among migrants. IMPLICATIONS: Our study was the first to analyze a nationally representative Chinese migrant sample with respect to smoking, its differential rates across various subgroups, and its determinants. Our results provided overall levels of migrant smoking rates. The findings also demonstrated the influences of sex, other sociodemographic variables, migration-related factors, work pressure, and social integration on the smoking habits of migrants. These results provide a database of information for developing and improving tobacco control interventions in migrants.

Influencing factors associated with the mode of birth among childbearing women in Hunan Province: a cross-sectional study in China.

BACKGROUND: An unnecessary Caesarean section (CS) can cause increased maternal and perinatal morbidity and other adverse short- and long-term outcomes. However, countries worldwide have witnessed an increasing trend toward the use of CS. Our objectives were to explore the influencing factors associated with the mode of birth among childbearing women in Hunan Province and to provide evidence and suggestions for the improvement and further understanding of vaginal birth (VB) in China. METHODS: A total of 977 childbearing women (375 pregnant women and 602 mothers of infants) were enrolled in this study using a two-stage cluster sampling method, and a self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data relating to the mode of birth. A t-test and χ (2)-test were used to analyse the differences between groups, and logistic regression analysis was used to explore the factors that influenced the mode of birth. RESULTS: The VB ratio was 46.2 %, while the CS ratio was 53.8 % in Hunan Province. Among women whose preference was VB, only 69.4 % gave birth by VB. Among women whose preference was CS, 98.1 % gave birth by CS. The top four reasons for preferring CS were a lack of confidence in VB (37.3 %), an abnormality in the prenatal examination (36.6 %), the notion that the baby would suffer fewer risks (34.8 %) and the fear of pain from VB (32.7 %). Age, prenatal examination, and doctors' suggestion were significantly associated with women's mode of birth preference, while place of household registration, husband's preference, prenatal examination and doctors' suggestion had a significant influence on women who changed their choice from VB to CS. CONCLUSIONS: The percentage of CS in Hunan was extremely high. Medical factors, such as abnormalities in prenatal examinations, and non-medical factors, such as a lack of confidence in VB, the fear of pain during VB, the desire to select the time of birth and healthy birth systems, should be seriously considered. Targeted health promotion interventions should be implemented to improve the performance of VB.

[Kangle Decoction for erectile dysfunction with liver-qi stagnation and kidney deficiency].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the clinical efficacy of Kangle Decoction in the treatment of erectile dysfunction (ED) with liver-qi stagnation and kidney deficiency. METHODS: A total of 79 ED patients with liver-qi stagnation and kidney deficiency were randomly assigned to an experimental group (aged ï¼»36.62±8.05ï¼½ yr and with a disease course of ï¼»18.15±6.41ï¼½ mo) and a control group (aged ï¼»37.44±8.10ï¼½ yr and with a disease course of ï¼»17.51±6.79ï¼½ mo), the former treated orally with Kangle Decoction at 0.5 dose bid while the latter with Cialis at 10 mg qd alt, both for 8 weeks. Before treatment, after 4 and 8 weeks of medication, and at 4 weeks after drug withdrawal, we obtained the scores of the patients in the International Index of Erectile Function-5 (IIEF-5), Erectile Dysfunction Inventory of Treatment Satisfaction (EDITS), and Short-Form Psychological and Interpersonal Relationship Scales (SF-PAIRS), and compared the indexes between the two groups of patients. RESULTS: The IIEF-5 score was dramatically increased in both the treatment and control groups after 4 weeks (13.40±2.42 and 16.00±2.68) and 8 weeks of medication (18.60±3.50 and 18.59±3.80) and at 4 weeks after drug withdrawal (17.00±3.05 and 13.95±2.61) as compared with the baseline (10.78±2.28 and 10.77±2.33) (P<0.05 ), even higher in the treatment than in the control group after drug withdrawal (P<0.05 ). The EDITS scores in the treatment and control groups were (28.88±3.31 and 28.90±3.31) after 4 weeks of intervention, (29.68±3.30 and 29.13±3.32) after 8 weeks of intervention, and (29.20±2.92 and 26.82±3.23) at 4 weeks after drug withdrawal, all significantly higher in the former than in the latter group after drug withdrawal (P<0.05 ). The sexual self-confidence score (SSCS), sexual spontaneity score (SSS), and sexual time-concern score (STCS) were all improved in the treatment and control groups after medication as compared with the baseline (P<0.05 ), even higher in the former than in the latter group after drug withdrawal (P<0.05 ). CONCLUSIONS: Kangle Decoction has a definite efficacy in the treatment of ED with liver-qi stagnation and kidney deficiency, with few adverse reactions and long-term post-withdrawal effect, and therefore deserves a wide clinical application.

[Study on Mulberry Anthocyanins Induced Autophagy and Apoptosis of Human Gastric Cancer SGC-7901 Cell Autophagy].

Objective: To observe the effect and mechanism of mulberry anthocyanins on autophagy and apoptosis in SGC-7901 cells. Methods: MTT assay was used to detected mulberry anthocyanins on proliferation of SGC-7901 cells; flow cytometry analysis was used to detected the influence of mulberry anthocyanins on cell apoptosis; Hoechst 33342 / PI live cell staining was used to observe the morphological changes of apoptotic nuclei; transmission electron microscope( TEM) was used to observe the ultrastructural changes of the SGC-7901 cells. Expression of LC3,Beclin1,BAX,BCL-2 and Caspase-8 in SGC-7901 cells were detected by Western blot. Results: Mulberry anthocyanins can inhibit the proliferation of SGC-7901 cells, and mulberry anthocyanins can induce cells apoptosis by the results of flow cytometry and Hoechst33342 / PI double staining. TEM observation results indicated that mulberry anthocyanins intervented SGC-7901 cells induced autophagy. The result of Western blot confirmed that mulberry anthocyanins can increase the ratio of LC3-Ⅱ /LC3-Ⅰ,BAX / BCL-2 ratio and the expression of Caspase-8,Beclin1 of SGC-7901 cells. Conclusion: Mulberry anthocyanins can inhibit the proliferation of human gastric cancer SGC-7901 cells, inducing cell apoptosis and autophagy. The mechanism probably relate to the up-regulating the ratio of BAX / BCL-2 and increasing the expression of Beclin1 and Caspase-8.

The effect of prenatal education curriculum on mother's prenatal examination utilization, delivery mode and recovery status: a cross-sectional survey in China.

OBJECTIVES: To examine the participation, implementation, and effect of the prenatal education curriculum provided by hospitals in China, and to provide evidence for the improvement of prenatal education. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in the hospitals in Hunan Province, China. Mothers aged 20-45 years who had given birth between 1 May 2011 and 1 May 2012 and not diagnosed with pregnancy-related complications were invited to participate in the study. A self-administered, structured questionnaire was used to examine the effect of prenatal education curriculum on prenatal examination utilization, delivery mode, and recovery status from delivery. RESULTS: Among the total 604 respondents, only 175 (29.1 %) surveyed mothers participated in prenatal education curriculum provided by hospitals during their latest delivery. These mothers had a higher rate of attending all the required prenatal examinations (57.9 vs. 48.3 %), and a higher rate of recovering very well and well (80 vs. 73.7 %) from the latest delivery, than those who did not participate in prenatal education curriculum (P < 0.05). However, there was no statistical difference in the delivery mode between mothers who participated and those who did not participate in the prenatal education curriculum provided by hospitals. CONCLUSIONS: Prenatal education is indispensable for the improvement of maternal and child health, and thus should be advocated. In China, a standard and convenient specification prenatal education curriculum provided by hospitals and their doctors is appropriated for providing prenatal education to pregnant women.

[Investigation of health literacy and enterprise provided health service utilization among migrants in construction site].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate health literacy and enterprise provided health service utilization among migrants in construction sites and explore the influencing factors of enterprise provided health service utilization. METHODS: All 652 migrants in 10 construction sites in Xi'an and Tongchuan were selected using stratified cluster sampling method, and health literacy level, occupational health awareness and enterprise provided health service utilization of migrants were investigated in 2013 April to June.Score and pass rate was used to describe status of health literacy and occupational health awareness of migrants. Chi-square was used to analyze the difference of occupational health awareness and enterprise provided health service utilization between migrants of different levels of health literacy. And logistic regression was used to analyze the influencing factors of enterprise provided health service utilization. RESULTS: Average score of health literacy among migrants in construction site was (3.75 ± 2.17) (9 score totally). Migrants who knew enterprise should provide health training, physical examination, safety training, occupational protection and pay health insurance for workers accounted for 28.2% (174/616), 43.5% (268/616), 52.8% (325/616), 54.9% (338/616) and 37.7% (230/616) respectively, and the percentage of migrants who thought there were noise and dust in their working environment were 46.4% (201/627) and 44.8% (281/627) respectively.61.1% (373/610) received none of health training, occupational training, physical examination and first-aid kit, and only 0.8% (5/610) had utilized all of the above health service in workplace. And logistic regression showed that migrants whose health literacy score was higher than 5 had 1.819 times probability to utilize enterprise provided health service (OR = 1.82, 95%CI:1.13-2.92) , and migrants who were educated for more than 13 years had 3.812 times probability to utilize enterprise provided health service than those who were educated for less than 6 years (OR = 3.81, 95%CI:1.75-8.31) .However, occupational health awareness had no significant influence to the utility of enterprise provided health service utilization in logistic regression (χ(2) = 3.50, P = 0.061). CONCLUSION: Occupational health awareness and enterprise provided health service utilization were both low among migrants in construction site, level of health literacy and school years were the main factors that influence enterprise provided health service utilization.

[Sertraline hydrochloride combined with four-spot caressing for primary premature ejaculation].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical effectiveness of sertraline hydrochloride combined with four-spot caress in the treatment of primary premature ejaculation (PE). METHODS: We randomly assigned 90 primary PE patients to three groups of equal number. The patients in group A (aged [28.1 ± 5.2] yr and with a disease course of [3.1 ± 1.9] yr) were treated with oral sertraline hydrochloride at 50 mg qd, those in B (aged [27.8 ± 4.1] yr and with a disease course of [3.2 ± 2.0] yr) by four-spot caressing (caressing the tongue, breasts, and vulva prior to intercourse), and those in C (aged [27.1 ± 4.7] yr and with a disease course of [3.1 ± 2.0] yr) by the combination of oral sertraline hydrochloride and four-spot caressing, all for 12 weeks. Before and after 4, 8, and 12 weeks of treatment, we obtained the intravaginal ejaculatory latency time (IELT) and Chinese Index of Sexual Function for Premature Ejaculation-5 (CIPE-5) scores and compared them among the three groups of patients. RESULTS: The IELT was dramatically prolonged in groups A, B, and C after 4 weeks ([1.08 ± 0.29], [0.93 ± 0.28] and [1.21 ± 0.27] min), 8 weeks ([1.43 ± 0.30], [1.20 ± 0.33] and [1.72 ± 0.42] min) and 12 weeks of treatment ([2.12 ± 0.63], [1.90 ± 0.65] and [2.67 ± 0.82] min) as compared with the baseline ([0.63 ?0.14] , [0.60 ?0.14] and [0.62 ?0.11] min) (P < 0.05), even longer in group C than in A and B (P < 0.05). The CIPE-5 scores were markedly improved in groups A, B and C after 4 weeks ([15.17 ± 1.74], [14.57 ± 1.94] and [15.60 ± 1.63] min), 8 weeks ([17.13 ± 1.63], [16.37 ± 1.97] and [18.00 ± 1.05] min) and 12 weeks of intervention ([18.93 ± 1.57], [18.53 ± 1.67] and [20.00 ± 1.46] min ) as compared with the baseline ([12.57 ± 2.05], [13.20 ± 2.51] and [13.07 ± 2.01] min) (P < 0.05), even higher in group C than in A and B (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Sertraline hydrochloride combined with four-spot caressing, with its definite efficacy and rare adverse reactions, deserves wide clinical application in the treatment of primary PE.

Relationships of health literacy, health behavior, and health status regarding infectious respiratory diseases: application of a skill-based measure.

This study aimed to explain the relationships among health literacy, health behavior, and health status, using a newly developed skills-based measure of health literacy regarding respiratory infectious diseases. This instrument was designed to measure individuals' reading, understanding, and calculating ability, as well as their oral communication and Internet-based information-seeking abilities. A pilot survey was conducted with 489 residents in Beijing, China, to test the reliability and validity of the new measure. Next, a larger study with 3,222 residents in three cities with multistage stratified cluster sampling was implemented to validate a latent variable model (goodness of fit index=0.918, root mean square residual=0.076). In this model higher educational attainment (ß=0.356) and more health knowledge (ß=0.306) were positively and directly associated with greater health literacy skill, while age was negatively associated with it (ß=-0.341). Age (ß=0.201) and health knowledge (ß=0.246) had positive and direct relationship with health behavior, which was, in turn, positively associated with health status (ß=0.209). The results illustrate the complex relationships among these constructs and should be considered when developing respiratory intervention strategies to promote health behavior and health status.

[Analysis of tobacco use and associated factors among migrants in construction sites of Western China].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the behavior of tobacco use among migrants in construction sites and explore the associated factors. METHODS: A total of 652 migrants in 10 construction sites were selected in Xi'an and Tongchuan. Chi-square and logistic regression were used to analyze the influencing factors of tobacco use. RESULTS: The average age of the migrants in the construction site was (38.23 ± 10.61), and males occupied 82.7% (535/647) of the total. The current smoking rate of the migrants was 55.8% (364/652), with 64.3% (344/535) in males and 14.3% (16/112) in females. 82.5% (329/399) smokers wanted to quit smoke, however only 52.7% (210/399) had tried quitting smoking in action, and 8.8%(35/399) quitted smoking successfully. Multivariable regression indicated that the migrants who were at lower age, and sick within 2 weeks, had perceived not difficult to stop smoking and who disagree with the benefits of smoking were more likely to try to quit smoking. CONCLUSION: Migrants in construction sites show their characteristics of old age, low level of health literacy, male-domination, high smoking rate and high intention of quitting smoking. Tobacco control projects should be implemented in construction sites to promote the translation of smoking quitting intention into action.

[Association of health literacy with health management among diabetics].

OBJECTIVE: To understand status of health literacy among diabetics and their health management behaviors, and analyze the relationship of health literacy and health management. METHODS: A two-staged cluster randomized sampling method was used to investigate 1 130 diabetics in Beijing, Ningbo and Xiamen from October to November in 2012. All participants should be diagnosed by primary hospital and above and have lived in the community over six months. Diabetic patients who indicated that they had severely impaired vision or cognitive disorder, or had severe physical deterioration, or did not live in the address provided were excluded. A total of 1 130 questionnaires were sent out and 1 083 eligible questionnaires were taken back, accounting for 96.87%. Multivariate logistic regression was adopted to analyze the association between health literacy and health management behaviors and blood glucose level. RESULTS: Among those participants, 47.7% (517) were men, 52.3% (566) were women, the age was (67.0 ± 9.5). According to diabetes health literacy scores, 73.7% (798/1 083) of them were classified as poor health literacy and 26.1% (283/1 083) as essential health literacy. Health literacy was associated with health management behaviors independently, demonstrating that the probability of utilizing health education, free physical examination, lifestyle guidance, monitoring blood glucose on their own, measuring blood glucose more than once a week and taking hypoglycemic agent regularly among diabetics with essential health literacy were 1.40 (95%CI:1.03-1.91), 1.65 (95%CI: 1.19-2.28), 2.70 (95%CI:1.98-3.69), 2.05 (95%CI:1.34-3.15), 2.56 (95%CI:1.85-3.56) , 1.48 (95%CI:1.07-2.06) times of those in diabetics with poor health literacy (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Health literacy may affect health management behaviors among diabetics. More activities targeted on diabetics with low health literacy were suggested to improve their' health literacy and their skills about diabetes mellitus management.

Determinants of health literacy and health behavior regarding infectious respiratory diseases: a pathway model.

BACKGROUND: Health literacy has been defined as the degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process, and understand the basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions. Currently, few studies have validated the causal pathways of determinants of health literacy through the use of statistical modeling. The purpose of the present study was to develop and validate a health literacy model at an individual level that could best explain the determinants of health literacy and the associations between health literacy and health behaviors even health status. METHODS: Skill-based health literacy test and a self-administrated questionnaire survey were conducted among 3222 Chinese adult residents. Path analysis was applied to validate the model. RESULTS: The model explained 38.6% of variance for health literacy, 11.7% for health behavior and 2.3% for health status: (GFI = 0.9990; RMR = 0.0521; χ(2) = 10.2151, P = 0.1159). Education has positive and direct effect on prior knowledge (ß = 0.324) and health literacy (ß = 0.346). Health literacy is also affected by prior knowledge (ß = 0.245) and age (ß = -0.361). Health literacy is a direct influencing factor of health behavior (ß = 0.101). The most important factor of health status is age (ß = 0.107). Health behavior and health status have a positive interaction effect. CONCLUSION: This model explains the determinants of health literacy and the associations between health literacy and health behaviors well. It could be applied to develop intervention strategies to increase individual health literacy, and then to promote health behavior and health status.

[Nutrition label reading and its influence factors research in five cities].

OBJECTIVE: To study reading status of nutrition label of residents in Beijing, Shanghai, Chongqing, Shenzhen and Jinan, and to analyze factors associated with nutrition label reading. METHODS: Two communities were chosed in each city. 200 residents in every community were surveyed by trained doctors and 1993 residents were surveryed totally. The SPSS 16.0 statistical software was used for data analysis. RESULTS: Residents reading nutrition label accounted for 40.54%. The results of multi-variate Logistic regression showed that following factors were significant associated with the effect (P < 0.05), sex, age, nutrition-related knowledge, family number, attitude to nutrition knowledge, understanding of nutrition label, health, frequency of shopping and focus on food. CONCLUSION: The level of reading of nutrition label of the residents is low. It is necessary to implement nutrition and health education aimed at promoting residents' knowledge and reading of food nutrition labeling.

Tong Jing Yi Hao Formula Alleviates Ornidazole-Induced Oligoasthenospermia in Rats by Suppressing ROS/MAPK/HIF-1 Pathway.

BACKGROUND: Tong Jing Yi Hao Formula (TJYHF) is a Traditional Chinese medicine used for oligoasthenospermia (OAS) treatment. However, the role of TJYHF against OAS is unclear. This study was an initial attempt to solve this problem. METHODS: Rats were randomly allocated to normal, ornidazole (Orn), levocarnitine (450 mg/kg), low-dose TJYHF (6.5 g/kg) and high-dose TJYHF (26 g/kg) groups, each consisting of six rats. Oral administration of Orn (400 mg/kg) for 4 weeks was used to induce OAS, followed by oral doses of the respective drugs for an additional 4 weeks. Parameters, including the testicular index, epididymis index, testicular volume, sperm parameters, sex hormone levels, histological changes and markers of oxidative stress, were evaluated to assess the effects of treatment. The potential mechanism involved in the therapeutic effects of TJYHF was studied by evaluating the activity and expression levels of key molecules within the reactive oxygen species (ROS)/mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)/hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF-1) pathway. RESULTS: Compared with healthy rats, the Orn-induced rats demonstrated decreases in testicular index, epididymis index, testicular volume, sperm concentration, total sperm count, percentage of forwarding sperm motility, total sperm motility, testosterone, spermatogenic epithelium, reproductive cell, glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase and glutathione and increases in sperm deoxyribonucleic acid fragmentation index, follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone and malondialdehyde. In the testicles, an enhancement in the ROS level and phosphorylation levels of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2), c-jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38) was observed after Orn challenge. Moreover, the protein expression levels and immunostaining intensity of p38 and HIF-1α increased, indicating the activation of the ROS/MAPK/HIF-1 pathway. All of the aforementioned changes exhibited statistical significance (p < 0.01). Compared with Orn-induced rats, TJYHF effectively rescued the Orn-induced aforementioned disorders. Mechanistically, TJYHF suppressed the ROS level and ERK1/2, JNK and p38 phosphorylation levels. Besides, it reduced the protein expression levels and immunostaining intensity of p38 and HIF-1α, demonstrating the inactivation of the ROS/MAPK/HIF-1 pathway. Notably, the aforementioned enhancements demonstrated statistical significance (p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: TJYHF exerted a beneficial effect on reproductive function in OAS rats through the inhibition of the ROS/MAPK/HIF-1 pathway.