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Biomedical subjects

Xiao-ming Shen

Publications and source records attributed to Xiao-ming Shen.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

[The efficacy of early intervention for infants and toddlers with hearing loss].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the efficacy of early intervention on language, pronunciation and cognitive developments of infants and toddlers with hearing loss and to build up an early intervention model. METHODS: Fifty-six children with moderate to profound sensorineural hearing loss aged 10 months to 2 years were divided into two groups. 20 children, aged 10 months to 2 years, received early intervention services after wearing hearing aids for 6 - 18 months, and 36 children, aged 11 months to 2 years, didn't receive any intervention. The type and degree of hearing loss were measured by a series of auditory tests. Language and cognitive developments of the children with hearing loss and 28 age, and sex-matched children with normal hearing, aged 10 to 23 months, were evaluated by the Gesell developmental schedules. The results were expressed as developmental quotient (DQ). Pronunciation test in mandarin Chinese was adopted to evaluate the speech development of the 56 children with hearing loss. RESULTS: (1) The language DQ according the Gesell developmental schedules of the children with hearing loss who received early intervention was (92.25 +/- 17.32), significantly higher than those children with hearing loss who didn't receive intervention (70.44 +/- 29.99, P = 0.00), whish was significantly lower than that of the normal hearing children (P = 0.00). However, there was no significant difference in language DQ between the children who received early intervention and the normal hearing children. There was no significant correlation between the degree of hearing loss and language DQ in the children who received early intervention (P = 0.27). (2) The personal-social developmental quotient (DQ) of the children who received intervention was (101.40 +/- 7.66), significantly higher than that of the children who didn't receive intervention (83.94 +/- 22.09, P = 0.00), that were significantly lower than that of the children with normal hearing (P = 0.00). However, there were no significant difference in the personal-social DQ between the children who received early intervention and the children with normal hearing. No significant differences in the gross motor ability, fine motor ability and adaptive ability were observed between the two groups of children with hearing loss and normal hearing children. (3) The consonant pronunciation of the children with moderate to severe hearing loss who received early intervention was normal. Among those children only one case with profound hearing loss had/d/error. The consonant pronunciation of the children with moderate hearing loss who didn't receive early intervention of those was normal. One case with moderate-severe hearing loss and one case with severe hearing loss had/d/errors. Six cases with profound hearing loss had/d, m/errors. The tone of the children with moderate to severe hearing loss who received early intervention was normal. Three cases with profound hearing loss exhibited tone errors. Among the children who didn't receive early intervention, tone errors were found in two cases with moderate hearing loss, one case with moderate-severe hearing loss, one case with severe hearing loss, and twelve cases with profound hearing loss showed. CONCLUSION: The language, pronunciation and cognitive developments of the children who don't receive early intervention are significantly lower than those of the children with normal hearing. Early intervention can significantly improve the language, speech and cognitive abilities of children with hearing loss.

Child, Preschool↗
PubMed2006

[Status and influencing factors of mercury exposure in neonates and their mothers in Zhoushan].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the status of mercury exposure of neonates and their mothers in Zhoushan City, and analyze the related influencing factors. METHODS: From Aug to Sep, 2004, 408 neonate-mother pairs were cluster sampled at the Third People's Hospital in Dinghai region, Zhoushan City, and a further investigation for the neurobehavioral development of these children was followed up in a year. The contains of mercury of 14 kinds of fish, 5 pieces of each kind bought in markets of Dinghai region were detected. RESULTS: The geometric mean of cord-blood Hg was 27.81 nmol/L (5.58 microg/L), while that of hair Hg of mothers was 1246.56 microg/kg. 69.9% of pregnant women had surpassed the RfD (reference dose, 0.1 microg/kg/day) for Hg intake. There was a strong correlation between hair and cord blood Hg levels (r = 0.821). The factors influencing cord-blood Hg levels were fish dinners, dwelling time, and fathers smoking or not, while those of hair Hg were fish dinners and dwelling time. The correlation between fish dinners and the cord blood Hg as well as hair Hg were of significance (r = 0.539, 0.481 respectively), the Hg levels were higher in more fish dinners (H = 119.805, 94.384 respectively). The mean fish Hg level at Dinghai region was low (< 0.1 mg/kg), and no samples were higher than 0.5 mg/L. Two samples of cutlassfish and dried eel contained higher Hg than the others, belonging to a middle level (0.1-0.5 mg/kg). CONCLUSIONS: Hg levels in neonates and pregnant women were generally below those considered hazardous, but the safety margin was narrow for some women and supporting efforts should be made to reduce mercury exposure. The main resource of Hg was from eating fish, and it is necessary to investigate the Hg levels in large samples, as to developing the fish advisories for susceptible people.

China↗
PubMed2006

[Effect of zinc deficiency on the protein expression of vitamin D receptor and calcium binding protein in growth-stage rats duodenal mucosa].

OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of zinc deficiency on the protein expression of vitamin D receptor (VDR) and calcium binding protein (CaBP) in growth-term rats duodenal mucosa and to clarify the mechanism of zinc deficiency affecting the calcium absorption by gene transcription. METHODS: Thirty weaning male rats were randomly divided into three groups: zinc deficiency (ZD), paired-fed (PF) and zinc adequation (ZA). The ZA group received a diet containing 29.5 microg/g diet ad libitum; the ZD group received a diet containing less than 0.4 microg zinc/g diet ad libitum. To eliminate the effect of zinc deficiency on appetite, the PF group received a zinc-adequate diet restricted to the quantity of food consumed the previous day by the ZD rats. After 15 days feeding, duodenal mucosa was taken to measure expression of the protein of VDR and of CaBP by immunohistochemistry and Western-blotting. RESULTS: Immunohistochemistry demonstrated that the intestinal mucosal expression of both VDR protein and CaBP protein in ZD rats significantly decreased. Analysis of the photographs showed that the number of cells expressed VDR protein in ZD rats was significantly less than that of the PF and ZA rats (P < 0.001). The number of cells which expressed VDR protein in ZD, PF, and ZA groups was 52, 162, and 220, and the number of cells which expressed CaBP protein was 169, 240 and 280 (F = 132 and 22, P < 0.001). Western-blotting showed similar results. CONCLUSIONS: Zinc deficiency, by changing the activity of VDR, changes the protein expression of VDR, and thus affects the transcription of the target gene CaBP, resulting in the absorption of calcium that causes allo-osteogenesis.

Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena↗
PubMed2006

[Development of children's self-regulation competence and its relationship with behavioral problems].

OBJECTIVE: To study the development of self-regulation competence and its relationship with behavioral problems in Chinese children with the method of questionnaire assessment. METHODS: The subjects of the study consisted of 18 to 36 months old toddlers and 3 to 6 years old children. Self-regulation competence in this study included effortful control and self-regulation development. Effortful control is the concept described in Rothbart theory. Attentional focus and inhibitory control were two components in effortful control, which mainly reflect the positive control of emotion and behavior. The Early Childhood Behavior Questionnaire (ECBQ) and Children's Behavior Questionnaire (CBQ) were adopted to assess the attentional focus and inhibitory control of effortful control and impulsivity in children at different ages. Achenbach's Children Behavioral Checklist was used to measure behavioral problems in three to five years old children. RESULTS: Totally 114 18 to 36 months old toddlers and 443 3 to 6 years old children were enrolled in data analysis. (1) The internal consistency of attentional focus in ECBQ and CBQ, alpha (Cronbach) value was respectively 0.89 and 0.75. The internal consistency of inhibitory control, alpha value was respectively 0.84 and 0.78. The alpha value of self-regulation development was respectively 0.84 and 0.94. (2) In 18 to 36 months old toddlers, there was no significant difference between genders in effortful control and self-regulation development. In 3 to 6 years old children, the score of girls' effortful control was higher than the score of boys' effortful control, the scores of girls' self-regulation development factor except regulation motion were significantly higher than boys (t = 4.27 and 11.14, P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). (3) The self-regulation competence including attentional focus, inhibitory control and all the factors in self-regulation development was significantly higher with age in three to six years old children (F = 2.9-10.16, P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). Children in this period already had some regulation skills. The development of regulation competence and regulation skill was not on the same step. Some were fast and some were slow. (4) The scores of attention focus and inhibitory control had significantly positive correlation with the general score of self-regulation development, the coefficient of partial correlation analysis was 0.52 and 0.64, respectively (P < 0.001). (5) The impulsivity had no significant correlation with self-regulation competence in 18 to 36 months old toddlers. The scores of impulsivity and behavioral problems scores had significantly negative correlation with attentional focus, inhibitory control and self-regulation development in 3-to-6 years old children. The coefficients were at low level, none was beyond -0.30 (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Effortful control or self-regulation had sex differences, girls had higher competence than boys, except motivation of self-regulation. But such sex differences did not show significant difference in children younger than three years of age in this study. This phenomenon is consistent with the development of self-regulation reported by Kopp. Child self-regulation competence increases with age. Generally speaking, the lower self-regulation competent, the higher impulsivity and behavioral problems, but the correlation was at a low level. For assessment and prediction of occurrence of behavioral problems, self-regulation competence should be combined with the other influential factors.

Age Factors↗
PubMed2006

[Clinical characteristics and speech therapy of lingua-apical articulation disorder].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the clinical characteristics and speech therapy of 62 children with lingua-apical articulation disorder. METHODS: Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT), Gesell development scales (Gesell), Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Preschool Children (WPPSI) and speech test were performed for 62 children at the ages of 3 to 8 years with lingua-apical articulation disorder. PPVT was used to measure receptive vocabulary skills. GESELL and WPPSI were utilized to represent cognitive and non-verbal ability. The speech test was adopted to assess the speech development. The children received speech therapy and auxiliary oral-motor functional training once or twice a week. Firstly the target sound was identified according to the speech development milestone, then the method of speech localization was used to clarify the correct articulation placement and manner. It was needed to change food character and administer oral-motor functional training for children with oral motor dysfunction. RESULTS: The 62 cases with the apical articulation disorder were classified into four groups. The combined pattern of the articulation disorder was the most common (40 cases, 64.5%), the next was apico-dental disorder (15 cases, 24.2%). The third was palatal disorder (4 cases, 6.5%) and the last one was the linguo-alveolar disorder (3 cases, 4.8%). The substitution errors of velar were the most common (95.2%), the next was omission errors (30.6%) and the last was absence of aspiration (12.9%). Oral motor dysfunction was found in some children with problems such as disordered joint movement of tongue and head, unstable jaw, weak tongue strength and poor coordination of tongue movement. Some children had feeding problems such as preference of eating soft food, keeping food in mouths, eating slowly, and poor chewing. After 5 to 18 times of therapy, the effective rate of speech therapy reached 82.3%. CONCLUSION: The lingua-apical articulation disorders can be classified into four groups. The combined pattern of the articulation errors is the most common one. Most of the apical sounds are replaced by velar sounds. The speech localization method is very useful in the therapy of apical articulation disorder. For children with feeding problems and oral motor dysfunction, it is needed to improve food texture and administer oral motor skill training.

Articulation Disorders↗
PubMed2006

[Effects of nuclear factor-kappaB on ventilator induced lung biotrauma by higher tidal volume and its interaction with pro-inflammatory cytokines].

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the changes of nuclear factor (NF)-kappaB activation in lung tissues and expression of cytokines in homogenate from lung tissues in infant rabbits with mechanical ventilation (MV) caused lung injury. METHODS: Forty-five general grade healthy infant rabbits were randomly divided into 3 groups: (1) CONTROL: with no MV (NMV, n = 9); (2): Conventional MV (CMV, n = 9): V(T) = 8 ml/kg; (3): MV with large tidal volume (V(T)) (LMV, n = 9), V(T) = 24 ml/kg. NF-kappaB activity in nuclear protein from lung tissues was measured with electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA); quantity of IkappaBalpha in cellular plasma from lung tissues was analyzed with Western blotting method; TNF-alpha and IL-8 mRNA and their concentrations in homogenate were measured from lung tissues with RT-PCR and ELISA, respectively. RESULTS: At all time points NF-kappaB activity was higher in LMV than that in CMV and NMV groups (P < 0.01). Quantity of IkappaBalpha decreased progressively in LMV with time (P < 0.01) as compared to CMV and NMV. The expressions of TNF-alpha and IL-8 and their protein quantity in lung tissues significantly increased in LMV after ventilation compared to that in CMV and NMV (P < 0.01). The expression level of TNF-alpha reached its peak at 4 hrs and IL-8 at 6 hrs after ventilation then TNF-alpha decreased significantly at 6 hrs after ventilation. Pathological examination of the lung tissues showed that as MV extended over the time in LMV, alveolar structures were severely destroyed and large number of WBC infiltrated in both alveolar sacs and pulmonary interstitia with RBC leakage. However, there was less lung injury in CMV and no obvious injury in NMV. CONCLUSIONS: IkappaBalpha degradation and NF-kappaB activation were involved in modulating the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines in lung tissues during the occurrence of lung injury caused by injuring MV.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

[Feasibility of the programme of focusing on early childhood development in impoverished rural areas in China].

OBJECTIVE: To study the feasibility of the programme "Focusing on early childhood development" in impoverished rural areas in China. METHODS: A questionnaire survey was conducted among 100 mothers, about half with junior middle school education, 18% with grade-school education, and 29% being illiterate, of children aged under two years in 7 villages in Changfeng County, Anhui Province, a native impoverished county, to understand their knowledge and attitudes about child healthcare. Then these mothers were randomly divided into 2 equal groups: experimental group, receiving face-to-face guidance in the practice of early healthcare for children at home with a pamphlet developed by WHO as teaching material; and control group without receiving guidance. Two months later the mothers received the second session of guidance. Six months after the same questionnaire survey was conducted among the 100 mothers to investigate the changes in knowledge and practice and Gesell development test was made to observe the changes in mental development. Two-days' training on the technique of early child healthcare in the form of reading, videotape presenting, and exercise, was given to 29 village doctors. Questionnaire survey was conducted among them before and 1 month after the training to understand the changes of their knowledge and attitudes towards early child healthcare. RESULTS: After the guidance the knowledge and fostering skills in terms of early child healthcare were improved significantly among the mothers of the experimental group in comparison with the mothers of the control group (P < 0.01). After the training most of the village doctors managed put the knowledge they had learned into practice, however, the percentage of those who lacked confidence in the smooth implementation of the programme remained unchanged (38% vs. 41%). Before the experiment the abilities in different fields were not significantly different between the children in these 2 groups. Six months after the implementation of the programme the abilities in fine motion, speech, and interpersonal communication were improved significantly among the children of the experimental group (all P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Economic, simple, and effective, the programme "Focusing on early childhood development" is suitable for the impoverished rural areas in China.

Child Development↗
PubMed2005

[Effect of carbamazepine and valproate on bone metabolism in children with epilepsy].

OBJECTIVE: To assess bone health in epileptic children who have been treated with carbamazepine (CBZ) or valproate (VPA) by using quantitative ultrasound (QUS) and determining the biochemical indices of bone metabolism, and to provide a proposal to improve quality of life of epileptic children. METHODS: Ninety-two epileptic children who had been treated with CBZ or VPA for more than two years were evaluated for bone mineral density (BMD) at the mid-shaft tibia and the distal third of the radius. Biochemical indices of bone metabolism including urine deoxypyridinoline (DPD) and serum osteocalcin (OC), and daily calcium intake were also evaluated. Thirty-five age-matched healthy children were used as controls. Reduced BMD was defined as speed of sound (SOS) Z scores of the mid-shaft tibia and (or) the distal third of the radius less than -0.7. RESULTS: BMD was reduced in epileptic children significantly when compared to the controls (P < 0.05). In addition, a negative correlation was found between the duration of anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs) use and BMD (r(s) = -0.21 - -0.31, P < 0.05), the lowest BMD was observed in those who had been treated for the longest time. The serum values of OC in epileptic children were significantly reduced relative to the controls (P < 0.01), children who took VPA had the lowest value of OC. However, the urine values of DPD showed no significant difference between epileptic and healthy children (P > 0.05); children who took CBZ had the highest value of DPD. Thirty-two epileptic children (35%) and five (14%) sex- and age-matched healthy children had reduced BMD, significant difference was found between them (P < 0.05). Moreover, epileptic children with reduced BMD seemed to have higher body mass index (BMI) (P < 0.05), take less daily calcium intake (P < 0.01), and had longer duration of AEDs (P < 0.01). The two risk factors of having reduced BMD in epileptic children were those who had been treated with AEDs for more than five years and higher BMI, while the protective factor was daily calcium intake. CONCLUSIONS: Long-term use of CBZ or VPA is associated with bone metabolism abnormalities, which include reduced BMD and decreased bone turnover (mainly decreased bone formation). Long-term anti-epileptic therapy is an important factor for impaired bone health in epileptic children, and that low calcium intake and high BMI could be two aggravating factors. QUS is a useful method to evaluate BMD of epileptic children who are on long-term anti-epileptic therapy, and to recognize the status of bone health, in helping to promote bone health and improve quality of life in epileptic children by the use of calcium and vitamin D supplementation.

Amino Acids↗
PubMed2005

[Anxiety state and its related factors in Shanghai high school students].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the anxiety state in high school students and related factors in order to get reasonable suggestions for prevention. METHODS: The mental health test (MHT) for high school students, and the living environmental and parental style were used in this study. RESULTS: MHT served as an assessment scale of anxiety. The efficiency sample was 3,050, aged 11 to 18 years old. The level of total anxiety and its each contents was low to moderate (0.24 to 0.54). The percentage of moderate to high of total anxiety was 16.7%, the percentage of moderate to high of each anxiety aspects were 8.8%-21.8%. The mostly high aspects were self-blame, schooling anxiety, social anxiety and over sensitiveness. In general, the girls' anxiety level was higher than boys', but the boys' lonely feeling was higher than the girls'. The total score of anxiety was decreased with age. Except of the over sensitiveness, the decrease tendency of each anxiety contents was significant in boys. For girls, the lonely feeling was deceased and the over sensitiveness increased with age. The age of fifteen seems as a significant changing age. The related disadvantage factors of students' anxiety were: the low education level, the parents' anxiety and depression characters, the authoritarian or neglecting parental style, the often contradiction parental styles between mother and father, parents often quarrel, the experience of often being scalded and physical punishment, lacking in care of others when in difficulties. CONCLUSIONS: The schooling pressure should be decreased to an appropriate level. The students' self-confidence and social ability should be emphasized. Good family environments and the support outside the family should be quite important for adolescents' mental health, these factors might decrease the adolescents' anxiety.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2004

[Parental education to reduce blood lead levels in children with mild and moderate lead poisoning: a randomized controlled study].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of parental education on reducing lead exposure of children by examining the changes in blood lead levels of children whose parents receiving or not receiving educational intervention. METHODS: Two hundred children with confirmed blood lead levels beyond 100 microg/L were selected. They were randomized into two groups, 107 children in study group and 93 in control. At the beginning of the study, parents of both study and control groups were called for interview to complete KABP questionnaire and lead study questionnaire. The study group was provided with interventional measures while control group was not contacted until the end of study. Intervention of parental education was undertaken by means of a TV program, a set of slides and a brochure, and focused on the questions regarding harmful effects of lead poisoning, the sources of environmental lead and prevention of this preventable disease. Tests for blood lead level were repeated for both study and control groups 3 months after the determination of the initial blood lead level. RESULTS: All the relevant knowledge of health effect, lead sources and prevention of childhood lead poisoning of participating parents of study group were improved significantly (chi(2) = 14.06, 13.07, 10.08, 28.26, P < 0.01) after educational intervention while parents control group also were significantly improved in the sub-catalogs of concept and prevention (chi(2) = 7.69, 8.64, P < 0.01), but not the health effect and sources of childhood lead poisoning. Children and parents' behavior in study group was improved accordingly and significantly. Less children ate popcorn (chi(2) = 4.08, P < 0.05), less children drank tap-water in the morning (chi(2) = 23.04, P < 0.01), more kids washed their hands before eating (chi(2) = 5.82, P < 0.05), less kids played on road side (chi(2) = 9.60, P < 0.01), and more parents changed their coat or took shower or washed hands before going home after work (chi(2) = 4.00, P < 0.05). But in the control group only the number of kids playing on road side was decreased significantly (chi(2) = 9.60, P < 0.01). A general decline in blood lead levels was detected in both groups with statistical significance at P < 0.01. However, the decrease in blood lead levels was more remarkable in the study group. There was average reduction of 55 microg/L (35%) in blood lead levels for study group (t = 4.979, P < 0.01) and an almost 33 microg/L (20%) for control (t = 3.398, P < 0.01). The reduction in blood lead level was 22 microg/L greater in study group (t = 3.531, P < 0.01). The study also showed that the effectiveness of the educational interventions depended upon various aspects. Fourteen variables were included in the stepwise multiple regression equation of blood lead level changes. Such as parents' occupational exposure to lead, the improvement of knowledge about prevention of childhood lead poisoning, the chang of habit of snacks intake, parents' education levels, the change of attitude of parents for the childhood lead poisoning, etc. CONCLUSION: Educating parents is proved to be an effective approach for children with mild and moderate lead poisoning.

Child↗
PubMed2003

[Sensitivity of distortion product otoacoustic emissions and auditory brain-stem response in neonatal hearing screening, a comparative study].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the sensitivity of distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAE) and auditory brain-stem response (ABR) in neonatal hearing screening. METHODS: DPOAE and ABR were conducted on 99 neonates (198 ears) at risk of hearing impairment as initial screening tests. One month later rescreening tests were conducted: DPOAE was conducted again on those ears failing this test during the initial screening test and ABR was conducted again on the ears failing this test during the initial screening test Those ears failing the DPOAE and ABR tests during the rescreening tests were examined with electric otoscope, diagnostic ABR, etc. to get confirmed diagnosis. RESULTS: 54 ears (27%) failed the DPOAE test during the initial screening and 14 out of the 54 ears (14/198, 7%) still failed the DPOAE test during the rescreening. 26 ears (12%) failed the ABR test during the initial screening and 9 out of the 16 ears (9/198, 4.5%) still failed this test during the rescreening. Two babies were confirmed as with severe sensorineural hearing loss, one unilateral and one bilateral. The sensitivity was 97% for DPOAE and 99% for ABR. CONCLUSION: ABR is a little bit more sensitive then DPOAE in neonatal hearing screening. Two-stage testing procedure increases the sensitivity of neonatal hearing screening.

Evoked Potentials, Auditory, Brain Stem↗
PubMed2003

[Hearing screening for high-risk newborns].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the morbidity of congenital hearing impairment among high-risk newborns and the relevant pathogenic factors. METHODS: Initial screening of hearing by otoacoustic emission (OAE) was conducted among 208 high-risk newborns, 130 males and 78 females after they were born and the second screening was conducted by OAE was conducted 42 days after those with positive results were examined by auditary brainstem response (ABR). RESULTS: All of the 208 newborns received the initial screening with a screening rate of 100%, and 130 newborns received the second screening with a screening rate of 62.5%. The positive rates in the initial screening and second screening were 34.61% and 7.14% respectively. Six newborns were examined by ABR and 2 of them were diagnoses as with hearing impairment with a prevalence rate of 1.78%. The factors, such as sex, age, and Apgar score affected the initial screening results. CONCLUSION: The most proper time for initial hearing screening is around the 42nd day after birth. High-risk newborns should receive regular test even though they pass the initial screening. A special follow-up system should be constructed for the high-risk newborns.

Evoked Potentials, Auditory, Brain Stem↗