Schools In Guangzhou Research Articles

Subjective Social Mobility among Migrant Children in China.

Little scholarly attention has been paid to the relationship between children’s subjective social mobility and their “social ecology”. Children’s subjective social mobility is about how they perceive their future social position compared to their parents’. Social ecology refers to the influential multi-layered surrounding factors, including family, school, and community. We analyzed data from structured questionnaires completed by 2221 migrant children (1296 boys and 925 girls, with a mean age of 11.7 years) from three private schools in Guangzhou and Foshan, China. The findings indicate that participants anticipated a significant improvement in their future social status. Of the factors influencing this belief, community integration has the most significant impact (TE = 0.246), followed by school integration (TE = 0.220) and family socioeconomic status (TE = 0.053). We also found that children’s self-concept plays a role in their perceptions of social mobility. Based on the study results, we propose recommendations to provide migrant children additional protection and enhance their living environment.

Association Between Ideal Cardiovascular Health and Executive Function in Chinese Primary School Children.

Aims: Little information exists on the associations of cardiovascular health, a new metric proposed by the American Heart Association, and executive function, particularly in children. We aimed to explore this topic.Methods: We studied 3,798 children aged 6–12 years from 5 schools in Guangzhou, China. The executive function of children was evaluated using parent reports of the Behavioral Rating Inventory of Executive Function, which included 2 composite indexes and 8 subscale scores. We calculated the number of ideal cardiovascular health (range: 0–7) based on smoking, body mass index, physical activity (PA), diet, blood pressure, cholesterol, and glucose. A generalized linear mixed model was used to assess the association of the number of ideal cardiovascular health metrics and executive function.Results: Compared with children exhibiting 1–3 ideal cardiovascular health metrics, decreases of 1.37–2.63 points (indicating better performance) in metacognition index and its 5 subscale indexes (initiate, working memory, plan/organize, organization of materials, and monitor) were observed in children who attained 5 or 6–7 ideal metrics (all p for trend <0.001). Ideal diet and ideal PA were independently associated with lower indexes of behavioral regulation and metacognition.Conclusions: The number of ideal cardiovascular health was positively associated with performance of executive function in children.

Intrapersonal and Interpersonal Sources of Resilience: Mechanisms of the Relationship Between Bullying Victimization and Mental Health Among Migrant Children in China

Compared with their non-migrant peers, migrant children in China face major risks and challenges that may cause them to develop behavioral and psychological problems. Nevertheless, research has seldom addressed their victimization by bullies and its association with their mental health outcomes, much less the roles of intrapersonal and interpersonal sources of resilience in that relationship. In response, this study was designed to examine how bullying victimization both directly and indirectly influences migrant children’s mental health through intrapersonal and interpersonal sources of resilience. Data were collected from a school-based multistage random sample of 1,132 migrant children in Grades 4–9 (mean age = 11.88 years, range = 8–17 years; boys = 55.6%) attending public schools in Nanjing and private schools in Guangzhou, China. Structural equation modeling performed with Amos 25.0 revealed that both intrapersonal and interpersonal sources of resilience mediated the effect of bullying victimization on migrant children’s mental health, albeit intrapersonal sources demonstrated a slightly stronger mediation effect. The results thus suggest that social workers and educators should provide effective prevention and intervention strategies that promote intrapersonal and interpersonal sources of resilience among migrant children in China.

Effect of School-Based Family Health Education via Social Media on Children’s Myopia and Parents’ Awareness

Myopia is a common cause of vision loss, and its prevalence is increasing globally. To evaluate the effects of school-based family health education via WeChat in raising parents' awareness of myopia prevention and behavior and in controlling the development of myopia in children. A single-masked cluster randomized clinical trial of children was conducted from October 1, 2018, to December 31, 2020, among grade 1 students from 12 primary schools in Guangzhou, China. The 12 primary schools were randomly selected in 2 districts and randomized to the intervention and control groups. All grade 1 students were invited to participate, and 688 students were included in the intervention group and 752 in the control group. Weekly health education via the social media platform WeChat was provided to the parents in the intervention group. Data include results of eye examinations of children and questionnaires completed by parents. The primary outcome was the 2-year cumulative incidence rate of myopia. Myopia was defined as a spherical equivalent (SE) refractive error (sphere of +0.5 cylinder) of at least -0.50 diopters (D). The secondary outcomes were the 2-year changes in the axis length and SE refraction, parental awareness, children's screen time, outdoor activities, and learning tools during COVID-19. Among the 1525 children included at baseline (835 boys [54.8%]; mean [SD] age, 6.3 [0.5] years), 1244 competed the final assessment; the 2-year cumulative incidence rate of myopia was 106 of 544 (19.5%) in the intervention group and 171 of 700 (24.4%) in the control group (difference, 4.9% [95% CI, 0.3%-9.5%]; P = .04). The mean myopic shift in SE refraction in the intervention group (-0.82 D) was lower than that in the control group (-0.96 D; difference, -0.14 [95% CI, -0.22 to -0.06] D; P < .001). No difference in change in axial length was detected (difference, 0.02 [95% CI, -0.06 to 0.09] mm; P = .70). School-based weekly family health education via WeChat resulted in a small decrease in the 2-year cumulative incidence rate of myopia with a difference in SE of less than 0.25 D not accompanied by any axial length differences. Whether these findings extrapolate elsewhere in the world or are clinically relevant in the short or long term remain to be determined. Chinese Clinical Trial Registry Identifier: ChiCTR1900022236.

Rates of Myopia Development in Young Chinese Schoolchildren During the Outbreak of COVID-19

During the outbreak of COVID-19, outdoor activities were limited and digital learning increased. Concerns have arisen regarding the impact of these environmental changes on the development of myopia. To investigate changes in the development of myopia in young Chinese schoolchildren during the outbreak of COVID-19. In this observational study, 2 groups of students from 12 primary schools in Guangzhou, China, were prospectively enrolled and monitored from grade 2 to grade 3. Comparisons between the exposure and nonexposure groups were made to evaluate any association between environmental changes during the COVID-19 outbreak period and development of myopia. The exposure group received complete eye examinations in November and December 2019 and November and December 2020. The nonexposure group received examinations in November and December 2018 and November and December 2019. Changes in cycloplegic spherical equivalent refraction (SER), axial length (AL) elongation, and myopia incidence from grade 2 to grade 3. Among the 2679 eligible students in grade 2 (mean [SD] age, 7.76 [0.32] years; 1422 [53.1%] male), 2114 (1060 in the nonexposure group and 1054 in the exposure group) were reexamined in grade 3. Compared with the period from November and December 2018 to November and December 2019, the shift of SER, AL elongation, and myopia incidence from grade 2 to grade 3 from November and December 2019 to November and December 2020 was 0.36 D greater (95% CI, 0.32-0.41; P < .001), 0.08 mm faster (95% CI, 0.06-0.10; P < .001), and 7.9% higher (95% CI, 5.1%-10.6%; P < .001), respectively. In grade 3 students, the prevalence of myopia increased from 13.3% (141 of 1060 students) in November and December 2019 to 20.8% (219 of 1054 students) in November and December 2020 (difference [95% CI], 7.5% [4.3-10.7]; P < .001); the proportion of children without myopia and with SER greater than -0.50 D and less than or equal to +0.50 D increased from 31.1% (286 of 919 students) to 49.0% (409 of 835 students) (difference [95% CI], 17.9% [13.3-22.4]; P < .001). In this study, development of myopia increased during the COVID-19 outbreak period in young schoolchildren in China. Consequently, myopia prevalence and the proportion of children without myopia who were at risk of developing myopia increased. Future studies are needed to investigate long-term changes in myopia development after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Self-Control, Consideration of Future Consequences, and Internet Addiction among Chinese Adolescents: The Moderating Effect of Deviant Peer Affiliation.

Although a large number of studies have indicated that self-control was an important predictive factor for adolescent internet addiction, the moderating and mediating mechanisms underlying this relationship remain unclear. To address this research gap, the present study, according to social learning theory and the organism–environment interaction theory, tested whether consideration of future consequences mediated the relation between self-control and adolescent internet addiction and whether deviant peer affiliation moderated the relationship between consideration of future consequences and internet addiction. Using longitudinal tracking (two-time points and the interval is 6 months). Three middle schools in Guangzhou were randomly selected. The participants were 1182 students ranging in age from 12 to 15 years (average age: 14.16, SD = 1.29) from three middle schools in Guangzhou (651 boys and 531 girls) in Guangdong Province. Results showed that consideration of future consequences mediated the relationship between self-control and internet addiction. Furthermore, the relationship between future consequence consideration and internet addiction was moderated by deviant peer affiliation. These findings highlighted the potential mediating role of consideration of future consequences in linking self-control to adolescent internet addiction. We also found high deviant peer affiliation weakens the protective effect of future consequence consideration on Internet addiction. This study may provide support for adolescent Internet addiction prevention and have some educational implications.

Associations of physical activity and screen time with emotional and behavioral problems in children

Objective To investigate the associations of moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity (MVPA) and screen time (ST) with emotional and behavioral problems in children and to provide evidence for related intervention measures. Methods In March 2017, a total of 4 922 children aged 6-12 years from 5 primary schools in Guangzhou were enrolled using stratified random cluster sampling method. Questionnaires were used to assess children's socio-demographic information, MVPA, ST and emotional and behavioral problems. The associations of MVPA and ST with behavioral problems were explored by using generalized linear mixed models. Results Students with MVPA≥60 min per day accounted for 37.5%, and with ST≤2 h per day accounted for 87.7%. Children who were physically active showed lower scores for total difficulties, hyperactivity, and peer problems and higher score for prosocial than inactive peers(t=2.80, 2.47, 2.56, -1.97, all P Conclusion MVPA and ST are independently related to children's emotional and behavioral problems, and the risks of emotional and behavioral problems increased in children with insufficient MVPA and longer ST.

Understanding textual meaning-making in Chinese high school EFL learners’ writing

Abstract The present study examines the ways Chinese high school EFL learners organize information in their writing. A class of 50 students at grade 9 from a local high school in Guangzhou, China, were recruited as participants. The students’ writing at grade 9 was collected as a corpus, comprising ten writing tasks from different text types. In order to gain a holistic understanding of the organization of information in student writing, the analytical framework of Theme at three levels – that is, clause, paragraph, and text – from Derewianka and Jones (2010) was adopted. Findings show that the students have varying degrees of control over information organization at different levels. In particular, the students are not proficient in organizing information at the paragraph level. Findings also show that registerial differences affect the organization of information. The study provides relevant pedagogical implications and recommendations for this group of learners.

Association of sedentary behaviors with visual acuity among primary school students: a cohort study

Objective To examine the association of sedentary behaviors with visual acuity among primary school children, and to provide a reference basis for the prevention and control of poor vision. Methods Using stratified random cluster sampling method, a total of 4 969 students in grade 1–4 were selected from 5 primary schools in Guangzhou in 2017, and then were followed up in 2019. A validated questionnaire was used to collect data on children’s sedentary behaviors, including doing homework, watching TV, playing computer/video games, and taking the bus/car between home and school. Visual acuity was measured in the baseline and the follow-up using a 5 m standard logarithmic visual acuity chart. Multiple linear regression and Logistic regression were conducted to analyze the relationship between sedentary behaviors and visual changes. Results The two-year cumulative incidence of poor vision was 48.74%. Homework time was inversely associated with visual acuity of left eye ( β = −0. 012, 95% CI = −0.023–−0.002). Homework time was positively correlated with poor vision ( OR = 1.16, 95% CI = 1.05–1.27). However, total sedentary time, screen time and bus/car time were not statistically associated with changes in visual acuity ( P>0.05). Conclusion Increased homework time was associated with poorer vision in primary school students. Interventions to reduce the academic burden should be taken. 【摘要】 目的 探究小学生静态行为与视力变化的关联性, 为学生视力不良防控工作提供参考依据。 方法 采用分层整群随机抽样的方法, 于 2017 年抽取广州市 5 所小学, 纳入一至四年级学生 4 969 名, 并于 2 年后进行随访。采用经信、效度检验的《广州市小学生体质健康监测系统问卷》收集小学生基线放学后做作业、看电视、用电脑/玩游戏、往返交通等静态行为时间。使用 5 m 标准对数视力表分别测量基线和随访的视力。分别采用多重线性回归和 Logistic 回归分析小学生静态行为与视力变化值以及视力不良的关联性。 结果 2 年期间, 一至四年级学生视力不良的累积发病率为 48.74%。放学后做作业时间与左眼视力变化值呈负相关 ( β = −0.012, 95% CI = −0.023~−0.002)。放学后做作业时长与视力不良的发生正性相关 ( OR = 1.16, 95% CI =1.05~1.27)。静态行为总时长、视屏时间、往返交通时间与视力变化相关均无统计学意义 ( P 值均>0.05)。 结论 静态行为中的放学后做作业时间增加与小学生视力降低相关, 合理减轻课业负担有利于视力保护。

Physical activity, screen exposure and sleep among students during the pandemic of COVID-19

This study aimed to determine the levels of health-related behaviours (physical activity, screen exposure and sleep status) among Chinese students from primary, secondary and high schools during the pandemic of COVID-19, as well as their changes compared with their status before the pandemic. A cross-sectional online survey of 10,933 students was conducted among 10 schools in Guangzhou, China, between 8th and 15th March, 2020. After getting the informed consent from student’s caregivers, an online questionnaire was designed and used to obtain time spending on health-related behaviours during the pandemic of COVID-19, as well as the changes compared with 3 months before the pandemic, which was completed by students themselves or their caregivers. Students were stratified by regions (urban, suburban, exurban), gender (boys and girls), and grades (lower grades of primary school, higher grades of primary schools, secondary schools and high schools). Data were expressed as number and percentages and Chi-square test was used to analyse difference between groups. Overall, the response rate of questionnaire was 95.3% (10,416/10,933). The median age of included students was 13.0 (10.0, 16.0) years and 50.1% (n = 5,219) were boys. 41.4%, 53.6% and 53.7% of total students reported less than 15 min per day in light, moderate and vigorous activities and 58.7% (n = 6,113) reported decreased participation in physical activity compared with the time before pandemic. Over 5 h of screen time spending on online study was reported by 44.6% (n = 4,649) of respondents, particular among high school students (81.0%). 76.9% of students reported increased screen time compared with the time before pandemic. Inadequate sleep was identified among 38.5% of students and the proportion was highest in high school students (56.9%). Our study indicated that, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the school closure exerted tremendous negative effects on school-aged children’s health habits, including less physical activity, longer screen exposure and irregular sleeping pattern.

Strain, School Type, and Delinquent Behavior Among Migrant Adolescents in China

Guided by the general strain theory, this study compared the delinquent behavior of migrant adolescents in different types of schools with their urban counterparts and investigated whether strain indicators mediated the relationship between adolescents’ migration and school status and delinquency. Survey participants were 485 migrant students (126 are in public schools and 359 in migrant schools) and 836 urban students in 32 middle schools in Guangzhou, China. The findings revealed higher levels of delinquency among migrant adolescents in informal migrant schools but less delinquent behavior among those in urban public schools. Several types of strain were positively associated with delinquency among Chinese adolescents. Moreover, strain variables largely accounted for the differences in delinquency between migrant adolescents in migrant schools and urban adolescents. In contrast, migrant adolescents enrolled in public schools committed fewer delinquent behaviors than urban adolescents when controlling for strain measures. Policy implications of this study were discussed.

Sedentary behavior, physical exercise, and cellphone use time among early adolescents: The moderating but not mediating role of self-control

This cross-sectional study aimed to explore the characteristics of cellphone use in Chinese early adolescents and the moderating and mediating role of self-control in the relationships among sedentary behavior, physical exercise, and cellphone use time. Using convenience sampling, we selected eight middle schools in Guangzhou, China. Two classes in the first grade of each middle school were randomly selected as the survey subjects. A total of 715 early adolescents (ages 11–13) completed surveys about the purpose of using cellphones (i.e., learning, entertainment, and others), cellphone use scenarios (i.e., sitting, standing, and moving), sedentary behavior, physical exercise, cellphone use time, and self-control. The results showed that the mean total daily cellphone use was 36.44 ± 37.42 min/day in early adolescents, who used cellphones mainly for studying, and 91.7% of them were seated when using cellphones. Cellphone use time was positively correlated with sedentary behavior, not correlated with physical exercise, and negatively correlated with self-control. Self-control played a moderating (not mediating) role not only between sedentary behavior and cellphone use time but also between physical exercise and cellphone use time. This study revealed the complex relationships among sedentary behavior, physical exercise, self-control, and cellphone use time. Our findings have significance for preventing the overuse of cellphones among early adolescents.

The associations between sleep situations and mental health among Chinese adolescents: A longitudinal study

ObjectiveFew studies are conducted to explore the longitudinal relationships between sleep situations and mental health among adolecents. This study aimed to explore the sleep situations (ie, sleep habits and sleep problems) among Chinese adolescents and the longitudinal associations between sleep situations and mental disorder symptoms (ie, depressive and anxiety symptoms). MethodsThis longitudinal study included 1957 high school students from ten schools in Guangzhou in January 2019, with 1836 students contributing valid data at a one-year follow-up (retention rate: 93.9%). Data of depressive and anxiety symptoms, sleep habits, and sleep problems were collected using a self-reported questionnaire. ResultsThe current study found that over half of the adolescents did not reach the recommended 8-h sleep-time on weekdays (63.3%). Short sleep duration, especially on weekdays, was significantly associated with subsequent depressive (AOR = 0.86, 95%CI: 0.80–0.92) and anxiety symptoms (AOR = 0.86, 95%CI: 0.77–0.96). In addition, longer weekday-weekend catch-up sleep and more sleep problems were risk factors of depressive and anxiety symptoms. ConclusionsThe health effects of insufficient sleep and suboptimal sleep quality on adolescents should not be neglected. Our longitudinal research showed that adolescents would demonstrate severer depressive and anxiety symptoms if lacking of a healthy sleeping practice. A regular sleep schedule and close attention to adolescents’ mental disorders are highly recommended.

Association between problematic internet use and behavioral/emotional problems among Chinese adolescents: the mediating role of sleep disorders.

BackgroundStudies that focus on the relationships of problematic Internet use (PIU), sleep disorders, and behavioral/emotional problems were limited. This study aimed to explore (1) the relationship between PIU and behavioral/emotional problems among Chinese adolescents and (2) whether sleep disorders mediate the relationship between PIU and behavioral/emotional problems.MethodsA total of 1,976 adolescents were recruited by cluster sampling from ten secondary schools in Guangzhou between January and April 2019, and 1,956 of them provided valid information (response rate: 98.9% ). Among them, 50.8% were males and the mean age was 13.6±1.5 years, ranging from 11 to 18 years. Data on behavioral/emotional problems, sleep disorders, and PIU were collected using a self-reported questionnaire. Linear regression models and mediation analyses were performed.ResultsOf the participants, 14.5% (284/1,956) reported moderate to severe PIU, and their average score for total difficulties was significantly higher than the score for average users (14.9±5.5 Vs 9.8±4.7). After adjusting for controlled variables, PIU was further proven to be positively related to elevated levels of behavioral/emotional problems (unstandardized β = 0.16, p < 0.05). In addition, sleep disorders partially mediated the forgoing associations.ConclusionsAdolescents with problematic Internet habits were at higher risk of developing behavioral and emotional problems than their normal-use peers, and sleep disorders partially mediated the effect. Close attention and effective guidance for adolescents with PIU and behavioral/emotional problems were recommended for parents and schools.

Associations Among Screen Time, Sleep Duration and Depressive Symptoms Among Chinese Adolescents

ObjectivesRelatively few studies have explored the inter-relationship between screen time (ST), sleep duration and depressive symptoms. The study herein sought to determine (1) the relationships between ST, sleep duration and depressive symptoms among Chinese adolescents; (2) whether sleep duration mediates the relationships between ST and depressive symptoms. Methods1st grade students (n=1,976) from ten high schools in Guangzhou, China were invited through cluster sampling between January and April 2019. Self-reported ST with electronic devices and Internet, sleep duration, and The Center for Epidemiology Scale for Depression (CES-D) score were collected. Generalized mixed linear models and mediation analyses were conducted. ResultsThere were 1,956 self-reported questionnaires received (response rate: 98.99%). Approximately 25% (471/1,929 for Internet use, 399/1,928 for electronic device) of the total sample reported ST >2 hours/day. Approximately 8.9% (169/1,894) reported a CES-D score >28. Longer ST with electronic devices (estimate=0.52, 95%CI: 0.24~0.80), Internet usage (estimate=0.82, 95%CI: 0.53~1.11) were positively associated with depressive symptoms, while less sleep (estimate=-1.85, 95%CI: -2.27~-1.43) was negatively associated with depressive symptoms. There is significant indirect effect of electronic device usage on depressive symptoms through sleep duration (indirect effect=0.08, 95%CI: 0.01~0.15). LimitationsThis study only included school students from Guangzhou. Causal relationship cannot be inferred by this cross-sectional design. ConclusionsST and sleep duration were significantly associated with depressive symptoms severity. The indirect effect of sleep duration suggests a possible mechanism of the association between ST and depressive symptoms. Future interventions to manage depressive symptoms should target sleep time and decrease ST among adolescents.

Rhinovirus remains prevalent in school teenagers during fight against COVID-19 pandemic.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 is now being a disaster, as of November 3, 2020, the World Health Organization have reported 46 million cases and 1.2 million deaths globally.1 Studies have reported that respiratory infectious diseases such as influenza, varicella, herpes zoster, rubella, and measles are suppressed during the fight against the pandemic of COVID-19,2-4 and the respiratory infection.5 However, while schools in Guangzhou have been reopened, we have monitored several outbreaks of unknown fever, and later proved to be human rhinovirus (HRV) infections. We have collected the outbreak data from the field epidemiological investigation, the basic information and clinical characteristics were collected using EXCEL, and all throat swabs were collected during the investigation. All data generated or analyzed during the study were included in this manuscript. The throat swabs were tested for influenza A virus, influenza A (H1) virus, influenza A (H3) virus, influenza A (H1N1) pdm2009 virus, influenza B virus, respiratory syncytial virus, parainfluenza virus (Type Ⅰ, Ⅱ, Ⅲ, and Ⅳ), bocavirus, human metapneumovirus, HRV, adenovirus, human coronavirus (OC43, 229E, HKU-1, and NL63), Legionella, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, and Chlamydia pneumoniae, using the NxTAG Respiratory Pathogen Panel (Luminex, Lot: XK051C-1045) according to the manufacturer's protocol. All the specimens were negative for the viruses listed in the method but the rhinovirus. A total of 61 samples were collected and 17 (27.87%) of which were positive for rhinovirus (Table 1). We next conducted a χ2 test and found that the rate of patients with runny nose was statistically higher in the HRV positive patients than that of in the HRV-negative patients (Table 2). It is worth noting that a 14-year-old girl had recorded with diarrhea. Most “common colds” were caused by HRV, which was reported to be the most common pathogen of upper respiratory tract infection, and also a common copathogen in patients with respiratory tract infection.6 An investigation of 452 children with acute respiratory infection reported that acute respiratory infection in children was mainly infected by HRV (11.28%), and most of the HRV infection occurred was in winter.7 Respiratory virus surveillance studies showed that the positive rate of HRV was 16.4%–35.1%.8-13 During the COVID-19 pandemic, the government had taken all possible means to stop the pandemic, and successfully stopped the COVID-19 pandemic in Guangzhou, and the common respiratory infectious diseases, such as influenza and pneumonia as well.3 As expected, the HRV should be controlled as a respiratory infectious disease; however, the HRV outbreaks are still being reported in Guangzhou. Leung et al.14 came with an analogical conclusion: they found that there were no significant differences in the viral load of the with or without the face masks in patients infected with HRV. A study15 conducted in Shanghai, China, found that the positive rate of HRV among influenza-like illness patients was 6.46%, mainly reported in children under 10 years old, and the HRV-A was the main subtype. Perry Markovich et al.16 reported that the upper respiratory infection (URI) was observed increased in preschool and primary school-age children while they back to school in new school year in Israel. The study showed that the URI cases were more likely to be detected positive for HRV and other viruses than that of the health controls, and the health controls also could be detected positive for HRV, suggests that there are carriers of HRV in healthy adolescents, so the control measures such as lockdown of the city and closure of the public places have lowered the risk of the respiratory infectious diseases, but when the schools reopened, the students gathered together and increased the risk of HRV transmission, which raises the importance of epidemiological surveillance of other respiratory viruses during a pandemic. This study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (81803325), Medical Science and Technology Project of Guangzhou (20191A011064, 20201A011067, and 20201A011062), Guangdong Medical Science and Technology Research Project (A2019379 and A2020399), Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province (2019A1515011407), the Project for Key Medicine Discipline Construction of Guangzhou Municipality (2017-2019-07), and Guangzhou Science and Technology Project (201707010451 and 201804010093). The authors declare that there are no conflict of interests. Concept and design: Di Wu, Jianyun Lu, and Zhangyu Sun. Acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data: Qun Liu and Tiantian Wu. Drafting of the manuscript: Di Wu and Qun Liu. Experiment: Lan Cao and Qing Zeng. Statistical analysis: Di Wu. Supervision: Zhicong Yang.

Aerobic exercise impacts the anterior cingulate cortex in adolescents with subthreshold mood syndromes: a randomized controlled trial study

Aerobic exercise is effective in alleviating mood symptoms while the mechanism is poorly understood. There are limited clinical trials that investigated the effect of exercise on the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), a key brain region involved in mood regulations, in adolescents with subthreshold mood syndromes. This randomized controlled trial (RCT) of aerobic exercise was undertaken in a middle school in Guangzhou, China. Participants were adolescents aged 12–14 with subthreshold mood syndromes including depressive and manic symptoms and were randomly assigned to an aerobic exercise intervention or a psychoeducation control group. Participants in the exercise group received moderate-intensity exercise intervention, consisting of 30 mins running, 4 days per week for 3 months. The primary outcome in this study was structural changes in the ACC from baseline to post intervention. The trial was registered with ClinicalTrial.gov (NCT03300778). Of 56 participants who met the criteria for subthreshold mood syndromes, 39 (41.03% males) had complete MRI data, with 20 and 19 subjects in the exercise and control group, respectively. At baseline, demographic information (e.g., age and sex), clinical symptoms, and the gray matter volume and cortical thickness of ACC were matched between the two groups. After 12 weeks of treatment, participants in the exercise group displayed increased gray matter volume of the left rostral ACC (F1,30 = 5.73, p = 0.02) and increased cortical thickness of the right rostral ACC (F1,30 = 7.83, p = 0.01) when compared with the control group. No significant differences were found for caudal ACC cortical thickness and gray matter volume. Our data demonstrate that 12-week, moderate-intensity aerobic exercise can induce structural changes in the rostral ACC in adolescents with subthreshold mood syndromes.

Mothering Special Children: Negotiating Gender, Disability, and Special Education in Contemporary China

In this research article, Jinting Wu examines the lived experiences of mothers raising and educating children with disabilities in contemporary China. In the national project of cultivating “quality” citizens, and in the individual pursuit of successful child-rearing, mothers of special children in China are viewed as deficient for conceiving “less-than-perfect” offspring. Drawing on an ethnographic study in a special education school in Guangzhou, Wu explores motherhood's intersections with disability, patriarchy, and state power as the site of social vulnerability and inequality in urban China and highlights the ways special mothers engage in moral experimentation, turning trying circumstances into opportunities to strive and transform. Working hard to be good mothers against many odds, these women are simultaneously the “suffering subjects” and “morally striving subjects,” and their experiences critique as well as shed new light on social justice.

An Exploration of How the Resourcing of Staff and Book Purchasing Affects the Development of China’s Public School Libraries in Guangzhou

ABSTRACTSchool libraries provide invaluable support to national education systems of China. The current status of school libraries in China is generally far from being able to meet the demands of students and teachers. This study explores the factors that prevent the development of public school libraries in Guangzhou, China. A questionnaire and four sets of interview questions were designed to explore the factors which hinder the development of school libraries in 12 districts of Guangzhou. 132 valid responses were collected from primary and middle schools in Guangzhou. School libraries call for considerable improvements, especially from the views of teachers. This research found that lack of sufficient funds and professional personnel prevents school libraries from providing professional information services.

Environmental Contamination Prevalence, Antimicrobial Resistance and Molecular Characteristics of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus and Staphylococcus Epidermidis Isolated from Secondary Schools in Guangzhou, China.

Background: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Staphylococcus epidermidis (MRSE), the most prevalent causes of hospital-associated and community-associated infections, could exist on frequently touched surfaces. This study aims to determine the contamination prevalence and the characteristics of MRSA and MRSE isolated from secondary school environments. Methods: We collected environmental samples from ten secondary schools in Guangzhou city between October 2016 and January 2017. The samples were confirmed for MRSA and MRSE isolates by using biochemical tests and polymerase chain reactions. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed by the Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method. Staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec) typing, toxin gene screening, and multilocus sequence typing (MLST) were performed to further characterize the isolates. Data were analyzed by two-sample proportion tests. Results: A total of 1830 environmental samples were collected. The prevalence of MRSA and MRSE contamination were 1.86% (34/1830) and 5.14% (94/1830), respectively. The proportions of multidrug resistance in both MRSA (58.82%) and MRSE (63.83%) isolates were high. Seven clonal complexes (CC) and 12 sequence types (ST) were identified, with the CC5 (35.29%) and ST45 (25.53%) being the most prevalent. We found that 44.12% of the MRSA isolates were community-acquired and the main type was ST45-SCCmec IV. We found that 5.88% and 32.35% of MRSA isolates were positive to Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL) and toxic shock syndrome toxin-1 (tst) gene, respectively. No MRSE isolate was positive to the toxin genes. Conclusion: Our findings raise potential public health concerns for environmental contamination of MRSA and MRSE in school environments. Surfaces of school environments may potentially provide a source for cross-contamination with these bacteria into the wider community.