Application of lecture-and-team-based learning in stomatology: in-class and online.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to evaluate stomatological students' learning efficacy and their attitude towards Lecture-Team-Based Learning (LTBL) on topics regarding the design of removable partial dentures via in-class, online, and both in combination. METHODS: Students from seven distinct grades participated in the course in their fourth academic year (Years 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021). Students of Years 2015-2019 attended in-class LTBL, students of Year 2020 attended online LTBL, and students of Year 2021 attended the combination mode. The scores of three examinations were compared, namely, individual readiness assessment test, team readiness assurance test, and individual application test. Visual Analog Scales (VAS) were used for students to self-assess their mastery of prosthodontics knowledge before and after the course. Anonymous questionnaires were delivered to evaluate their satisfaction with LTBL via a Likert scale. RESULTS: In each academic year, the three exam scores were significantly improved as the course progressed and VAS-post scores were significantly higher than VAS-pre scores. The three examination and VAS scores of students in Year 2020 were significantly lower than those in Years 2019 and 2021. Students were highly satisfied with the LTBL course based on the three parameters of knowledge acquisition, teamwork, and classroom atmosphere. CONCLUSION: Students were highly satisfied with the LTBL course and their learning performance was improved as the course progressed both in-class and online. Online LTBL could be adopted when students have to study online, while in-class LTBL could perform better when combined with video records of an online LTBL course.

Comparative analysis of stress distribution in residual roots with different canal morphologies: evaluating CAD/CAM glass fiber and other post-core materials.

BACKGROUND: The selection of post-core material holds significant importance in endodontically treated teeth, influencing stress distribution in the dental structure after restoration. The use of computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) glass fiber post-core possesses a better adaptation for different root canal morphologies, but whether this results in a more favorable stress distribution has not been clearly established. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study employed finite element analysis to establish three models of post-core crown restoration with normal, oversized, and dumbbell-shaped root canals. The three models were restored using three different materials: CAD/CAM glass fiber post-core (CGF), prefabricated glass fiber post and resin core (PGF), and cobalt-chromium integrated metal post-core (Co-Cr), followed by zirconia crown restoration. A static load was applied and the maximum equivalent von Mises stress, maximum principal stress, stress distribution plots, and the peak of maximum displacement were calculated for dentin, post-core, crown, and the cement acting as the interface between the post-core and the dentin. RESULTS: In dentin of three different root canal morphology, it was observed that PGF exhibited the lowest von Mises stresses, while Co-Cr exhibited the highest ones under a static load. CGF showed similar stress distribution to that of Co-Cr, but the stresses were more homogeneous and concentrated apically. In oversized and dumbbell-shaped root canal remnants, the equivalent von Mises stress in the cement layer using CGF was significantly lower than that of PGF. CONCLUSIONS: In oversized root canals and dumbbell-shaped root canals, CGF has shown good performance for restoration of endodontically treated teeth. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: This study provides a theoretical basis for clinicians to select post-core materials for residual roots with different root canal morphologies and should help to reduce the occurrence of complications such as root fracture and post-core debonding.

Associations of Various Physical Activities with Mortality and Life Expectancy are Mediated by Telomere Length.

OBJECTIVES: Physical activity (PA) and telomeres both contribute to healthy aging and longevity. To investigate the optimal dosage of various PA for longevity and the role of telomere length in PA and mortality. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: A total of 333,865 adults (mean age of 56 years) from the UK Biobank were analyzed. METHODS: Walking, moderate PA (MPA), and vigorous PA (VPA) were self-reported via questionnaire, and leukocyte telomere length (LTL) was measured. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to predict all-cause mortality risk. A flexible parametric Royston-Parmar survival model was used to estimate life expectancy. RESULTS: During a median follow-up of 13.8 years, 19,789 deaths were recorded. Compared with the no-walking group, 90 to 720 minutes/week of walking was similarly associated with 27% to 31% of lower mortality and about 6 years of additional life expectancy. We observed nearly major benefits for mortality and life expectancy among those meeting the PA guidelines [151-300 minutes/wk for MPA: hazard ratio (HR) 0.80, 95% CI 0.75-0.85, 3.40-3.42 additional life years; 76-150 minutes/wk for VPA: HR 0.78, 95% CI 0.75-0.82, 2.61 years (2.33-2.89)] vs the no-PA group. Similar benefits were also observed at 76-150 and 301-375 minutes/wk of MPA (18%-19% lower mortality, 3.20-3.42 gained years) or 151-300 minutes/wk of VPA (20%-26% lower mortality, 2.41-2.61 gained years). The associations between MPA, VPA, and mortality risk were slightly mediated by LTL (≈1% mediation proportion, both P < .001). CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Our study suggests a more flexible range of PA than the current PA guidelines, which could gain similar benefits and is easier to achieve: 90 to 720 minutes/wk of walking, 75 to 375 minutes/wk of MPA, and 75 to 300 minutes/wk of VPA. Telomeres might be a potential mechanism by which PA promotes longevity.

Angelica sinensis polysaccharides ameliorated 5-Fluorouracil-induced damage of early B cell progenitors by alleviating oxidative stress of IL-7 producing mesenchymal stem and progenitor cells.

B-lymphocytopenia among myelosuppression is the most intractable side effect of chemotherapy. Here, we investigated ways to alleviate 5-fluorouracil-caused stress hematopoietic impairment. We found that intraperitoneally injected ASP (Angelica sinensis polysaccharides) (100 mg/kg per day), one main active ingredient of Angelica sinensis, for consecutive 7 days, significantly recovered mouse bone marrow pro-B and pre-B cells, reversed the capacity of CFU-PreB colony forming, thus alleviating B cell reduction in the spleen and peripheral blood, as well as ameliorating immunoglobin from spleen and serum. The mechanism is related to the protective effects of ASP on IL-7 producing cells, including perivascular Leptin+ and CXCL12+ mesenchymal stem and progenitor cells (MSPCs), thus promoting IL-7 production, and activating IL-7R-mediated STAT5, PI3K-AKT signaling, including survival signals and EBF1, PAX5 transcription factor expression. Additionally, ASP's IL-7 promoting effect was demonstrated to be associated with maintaining osteogenesis/adipogenesis balance of MSPCs via the NRF2 antioxidant pathway. Collectively, our findings indicate that ASP reverse stress B-lymphocytopenia via improving Nrf2 signaling, promoting IL-7 production in MSPCs, and subsequently maintaining survival, proliferation, and differentiation of B cell progenitors, which may represent a promising therapeutic strategy.

A straightforward synthesis and physicochemical properties of chiral phosphorus-doped coronenes.

Novel N,P-fused coronene derivatives have been successfully designed and achieved in one step using a three-fold Bischler-Napieralski cyclization as the key step. The unique structure, and tunable photophysical and electronic properties make them promising candidates for emissive and electron-transport materials.

Shenkang protects renal function in diabetic rats by preserving nephrin expression.

BACKGROUND: Shenkang injection has been used clinically to lower creatinine levels. This study explored the mechanism of Shenkang injection on protecting kidney function from hyperglycemia-mediated damage. METHODS: This study utilized a STreptoZotocin (STZ)-induced rat model of diabetes. In total, 60 rats were randomized into either the control group (n = 15) injected with vehicle or treatment group (n = 45) injected with STZ to induce hyperglycemia. Eight weeks after diabetes onset, diabetic rats were further randomized to receive different treatments for 4 consecutive weeks, including vehicle (diabetic nephropathy group, n = 15), Shenkang (n = 15), or Valsartan (n = 15). At 12 weeks, a series of urine and blood measures were examined and damage to the kidney tissue was examined using histology. Expression of nephrin and transforming growth factor-ß1 (TGF-ß1) were characterized using immunohistochemistry and Western blot. RESULTS: Compared to the control group, rats in the diabetic nephropathy group showed significant kidney damage demonstrated by high kidneyindex, high levels of urinary albumin, albumin/creatinine ratio (ACR), blood urea nitrogen as well as histological evidence. Shenkang injection significantly improved kidney function in the diabetic rats by decreasing kidney index, ACR, and serum creatinine. Shenkang treatment also mitigated kidney damage, improved nephrin expression, and decreased TGF-ß1 expression in the kidneys. CONCLUSIONS: Shenkang treatment protected renal function in diabetic rats by increasing nephrin expression, which protects diabetic rats from hyperglycemia-mediated kidney damage.

Angelica sinensis polysaccharides alleviate the oxidative burden on hematopoietic cells by restoring 5-fluorouracil-induced oxidative damage in perivascular mesenchymal progenitor cells.

CONTEXT: 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU)-injured stromal cells may cause chronic bone marrow suppression; however, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. Angelica sinensis polysaccharide (ASP), the main biologically active ingredient of the Chinese herb, Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels (Apiaceae), may enrich the blood and promote antioxidation. OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the protective antioxidative effects of ASP on perivascular mesenchymal progenitors (PMPs) and their interactions with hematopoietic cells. MATERIALS AND METHODS: PMPs were dissociated from C57BL/6 mouse femur and tibia and were subsequently divided into the control, ASP (0.1 g/L), 5-FU (0.025 g/L), and 5-FU + ASP (pre-treatment with 0.1 g/L ASP for 6 h, together with 0.025 g/L 5-FU) then cultured for 48 h. Hematopoietic cells were co-cultured on these feeder layers for 24 h. Cell proliferation, senescence, apoptosis, and oxidative indices were detected, along with stromal osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation potentials. Intercellular and intracellular signaling was analyzed by real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting. RESULTS: ASP ameliorated the reactive oxygen species production/scavenge balance in PMPs; improved osteogenic differentiation; increased SCF, CXCL12, VLA-4/VCAM-1, ICAM-1/LFA1, and TPO/MPL, Ang-1/Tie-2 gene expression. Further, the ASP-treated feeder layer alleviated hematopoietic cells senescence (from 21.9 ± 1.47 to 12.1 ± 1.13); decreased P53, P21, p-GSK-3ß, ß-catenin and cyclin-D1 protein expression, and increased glycogen synthase kinase (GSK)-3ß protein expression in co-cultured hematopoietic cells. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: ASP delayed oxidative stress-induced premature senescence of 5-FU-treated feeder co-cultured hematopoietic cells via down-regulation of overactivated Wnt/ß-catenin signaling. These findings provide a new strategy for alleviating myelosuppressive stress.

Modality-specific sensory and decisional carryover effects in duration perception.

BACKGROUND: The brain uses recent history when forming perceptual decisions. This results in carryover effects in perception. Although separate sensory and decisional carryover effects have been shown in many perceptual tasks, their existence and nature in temporal processing are unclear. Here, we investigated whether and how previous stimuli and previous choices affect subsequent duration perception, in vision and audition. RESULTS: In a series of three experiments, participants were asked to classify visual or auditory stimuli into "shorter" or "longer" duration categories. In experiment 1, visual and auditory stimuli were presented in separate blocks. Results showed that current duration estimates were repelled away from the previous trial's stimulus duration, but attracted towards the previous choice, in both vision and audition. In experiment 2, visual and auditory stimuli were pseudorandomly presented in one block. We found that sensory and decisional carryover effects occurred only when previous and current stimuli were from the same modality. Experiment 3 further investigated the stimulus dependence of carryover effects within each modality. In this experiment, visual stimuli with different shape topologies (or auditory stimuli with different audio frequencies) were pseudorandomly presented in one visual (or auditory) block. Results demonstrated sensory carryover (within each modality) despite task-irrelevant differences in visual shape topology or audio frequency. By contrast, decisional carryover was reduced (but still present) across different visual topologies and completely absent across different audio frequencies. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that serial dependence in duration perception is modality-specific. Moreover, repulsive sensory carryover effects generalize within each modality, whereas attractive decisional carryover effects are contingent on contextual details.

Long-term changes in serum levels of lipoproteins in children and adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder affecting approximately 5% of children worldwide. The causal mechanisms of ADHD remain unclear as the aetiology of this disorder seems to be multifactorial. One research field addresses the impact on lipid metabolism and particularly serum lipid fractions on the development of ADHD symptoms. This post hoc analysis aimed to investigate long-term changes in serum levels of lipoproteins in children and adolescents with ADHD and controls. Data of German children and adolescents from the nationwide and representative "Kinder- und Jugendgesundheitssurvey (KiGGS)" study were analysed at baseline and at a ten-year follow-up. At the two time points, participants in the control group were compared with those in the ADHD group, both before and after propensity score matching. Differences in total cholesterol, low-density lipoproteins (LDL), high-density lipoproteins (HDL) and triglycerides were assessed between matched children with and without ADHD. In addition, subgroups with versus without methylphenidate use were compared at both time points. At baseline before matching, there were no significant differences for lipid parameters between participants in the ADHD group (n = 1,219) and the control group (n = 9,741): total cholesterol (Exp(ß) = 0.999, 95%-CI 0.911-1.094, p = .979), LDL (Exp(ß) = 0.967, 95%-CI 0.872-1.071, p = .525), HDL (Exp(ß) = 1.095, 95%-CI 0.899-1.331, p = .366) and triglycerides (Exp(ß) = 1.038, 95%-CI 0.948-1.133, p = .412). Propensity score matching confirmed the non-significant differences between the ADHD and non-ADHD group at baseline. At the 10-year follow-up, n = 571 participants fulfilled complete inclusion criteria, among them 268 subjects were classified as ADHD. The two groups did not significantly differ in lipid fractions, neither cross-sectionally nor with regard to long-term changes. There was also no significant difference between methylphenidate subgroups. In this sample of children and adolescents we could not reveal any significant associations between serum lipid fractions and the diagnosis of ADHD, neither cross-sectionally nor longitudinally; even when methylphenidate use was considered. Thus, further studies using larger sample sizes are required to investigate putative long-term changes in serum lipid fractions related to ADHD.

Childhood Maltreatment and Mental Health Problems: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Quasi-Experimental Studies.

OBJECTIVE: Childhood maltreatment is associated with mental health problems, but the extent to which this relationship is causal remains unclear. To strengthen causal inference, the authors conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of quasi-experimental studies examining the relationship between childhood maltreatment and mental health problems. METHODS: A search of PubMed, PsycINFO, and Embase was conducted for peer-reviewed, English-language articles from database inception until January 1, 2022. Studies were included if they examined the association between childhood maltreatment and mental health problems using a quasi-experimental method (e.g., twin/sibling differences design, children of twins design, adoption design, fixed-effects design, random-intercept cross-lagged panel model, natural experiment, propensity score matching, or inverse probability weighting). RESULTS: Thirty-four quasi-experimental studies were identified, comprising 54,646 independent participants. Before quasi-experimental adjustment for confounding, childhood maltreatment was moderately associated with mental health problems (Cohen's d=0.56, 95% CI=0.41, 0.71). After quasi-experimental adjustment, a small association between childhood maltreatment and mental health problems remained (Cohen's d=0.31, 95% CI=0.24, 0.37). This adjusted association between childhood maltreatment and mental health was consistent across different quasi-experimental methods, and generalized across different psychiatric disorders. CONCLUSIONS: These findings are consistent with a small, causal contribution of childhood maltreatment to mental health problems. Furthermore, the findings suggest that part of the overall risk of mental health problems in individuals exposed to maltreatment is due to wider genetic and environmental risk factors. Therefore, preventing childhood maltreatment and addressing wider psychiatric risk factors in individuals exposed to maltreatment could help to prevent psychopathology.

mtDNA Maintenance and Alterations in the Pathogenesis of Neurodegenerative Diseases.

Considerable evidence indicates that the semiautonomous organelles mitochondria play key roles in the progression of many neurodegenerative disorders. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) encodes components of the OXPHOS complex but mutated mtDNA accumulates in cells with aging, which mirrors the increased prevalence of neurodegenerative diseases. This accumulation stems not only from the misreplication of mtDNA and the highly oxidative environment but also from defective mitophagy after fission. In this review, we focus on several pivotal mitochondrial proteins related to mtDNA maintenance (such as ATAD3A and TFAM), mtDNA alterations including mtDNA mutations, mtDNA elimination, and mtDNA release-activated inflammation to understand the crucial role played by mtDNA in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and Huntington's disease. Our work outlines novel therapeutic strategies for targeting mtDNA.

Genetic nurture versus genetic transmission of risk for ADHD traits in the Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort Study.

Identifying mechanisms underlying the intergenerational transmission of risk for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) traits can inform interventions and provide insights into the role of parents in shaping their children's outcomes. We investigated whether genetic transmission and genetic nurture (environmentally mediated effects) underlie associations between polygenic scores indexing parental risk and protective factors and their offspring's ADHD traits. This birth cohort study included 19,506 genotyped mother-father-offspring trios from the Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort Study. Polygenic scores were calculated for parental factors previously associated with ADHD, including psychopathology, substance use, neuroticism, educational attainment, and cognitive performance. Mothers reported on their 8-year-old children's ADHD traits (n = 9,454 children) using the Parent/Teacher Rating Scale for Disruptive Behaviour Disorders. We found that associations between ADHD maternal and paternal polygenic scores and child ADHD traits decreased significantly when adjusting for the child polygenic score (pΔß = 9.95 × 10-17 for maternal and pΔß = 1.48 × 10-14 for paternal estimates), suggesting genetic transmission of ADHD risk. Similar patterns suggesting genetic transmission of risk were observed for smoking, educational attainment, and cognition. The maternal polygenic score for neuroticism remained associated with children's ADHD ratings even after adjusting for the child polygenic score, indicating genetic nurture. There was no robust evidence of genetic nurture for other parental factors. Our findings indicate that the intergenerational transmission of risk for ADHD traits is largely explained by the transmission of genetic variants from parents to offspring rather than by genetic nurture. Observational associations between parental factors and childhood ADHD outcomes should not be interpreted as evidence for predominantly environmentally mediated effects.

Angelica sinensis polysaccharides prevents hematopoietic regression in D-Galactose-Induced aging model via attenuation of oxidative stress in hematopoietic microenvironment.

BACKGROUND: Extrinsic molecular mechanisms that regulate hematopoietic stem/progenitor cell (HSPC) aging are still poorly understood, and a potential protective medication needs to be explored. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The senescent parameters of hematopoietic cells and bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) including cell cycle analysis, senescence-associated SA-ß-gal staining and signals, hematopoietic factors and cellular junction were analyzed in femur and tibia of rats. Furthermore, Sca-1+ HSPCs and BMSCs co-culture system was established to evaluate the direct effects of BMSC feeder layer to HSPCs. Oxidative DNA damage indicators in Sca-1+ HSCs and senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) of BMSCs, gap junction intercellular communication between BMSCs, osteogenesis/adipogenisis differentiation balance of BMSCs were detected. RESULTS: In the D-gal pre-administrated rats, ASP treatment rescued senescence of hematopoietic cells and BMSCs, reserved CFU-GEMM; also, ASP treatment attenuated stromal oxidative load, ameliorated SCF, CXCL12, and GM-CSF production, increased Connexin-43 (Cx43) expression. BMSCs and Sca-1+ HSPCs co-cultivation demonstrated that ASP treatment prevented oxidative DNA damage response in co-cultured Sca-1+ HSPCs induced by D-gal pre-administration of feeder layer and the underlying mechanism may be related to ASP ameliorating feeder layer dysfunction due to D-gal induced senescence via inhibiting secretion of IL-1, IL-6, TNF-α, and RANTES, enhancing Cx43-mediated intercellular communication, improving Runx2 expression whereas decreasing PPARγ expression in BMSCs. CONCLUSION: The antioxidant property of ASP may provide a stroma-mediated potential therapeutic strategy for HSPC aging.

Genome-Wide Identification of the CER Gene Family and Significant Features in Climate Adaptation of Castanea mollissima.

The plant cuticle is the outermost layer of the aerial organs and an important barrier against biotic and abiotic stresses. The climate varies greatly between the north and south of China, with large differences in temperature and humidity, but Chinese chestnut is found in both regions. This study investigated the relationship between the wax layer of chestnut leaves and environmental adaptation. Firstly, semi-thin sections were used to verify that there is a significant difference in the thickness of the epicuticular wax layer between wild chestnut leaves in northwest and southeast China. Secondly, a whole-genome selective sweep was used to resequence wild chestnut samples from two typical regional populations, and significant genetic divergence was identified between the two populations in the CmCER1-1, CmCER1-5 and CmCER3 genes. Thirty-four CER genes were identified in the whole chestnut genome, and a series of predictive analyses were performed on the identified CmCER genes. The expression patterns of CmCER genes were classified into three trends-upregulation, upregulation followed by downregulation and continuous downregulation-when chestnut seedlings were treated with drought stress. Analysis of cultivars from two resource beds in Beijing and Liyang showed that the wax layer of the northern variety was thicker than that of the southern variety. For the Y-2 (Castanea mollissima genome sequencing material) cultivar, there were significant differences in the expression of CmCER1-1, CmCER1-5 and CmCER3 between the southern variety and the northern one-year-grafted variety. Therefore, this study suggests that the CER family genes play a role in environmental adaptations in chestnut, laying the foundation for further exploration of CmCER genes. It also demonstrates the importance of studying the adaptation of Chinese chestnut wax biosynthesis to the southern and northern environments.

Advances in surface modification of tantalum and porous tantalum for rapid osseointegration: A thematic review.

After bone defects reach a certain size, the body can no longer repair them. Tantalum, including its porous form, has attracted increasing attention due to good bioactivity, biocompatibility, and biomechanical properties. After a metal material is implanted into the body as a medical intervention, a series of interactions occurs between the material's surface and the microenvironment. The interaction between cells and the surface of the implant mainly depends on the surface morphology and chemical composition of the implant's surface. In this context, appropriate modification of the surface of tantalum can guide the biological behavior of cells, promote the potential of materials, and facilitate bone integration. Substantial progress has been made in tantalum surface modification technologies, especially nano-modification technology. This paper systematically reviews the progress in research on tantalum surface modification for the first time, including physicochemical properties, biological performance, and surface modification technologies of tantalum and porous tantalum.

PEEK in Fixed Dental Prostheses: Application and Adhesion Improvement.

Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) has been widely applied in fixed dental prostheses, comprising crowns, fixed partial dentures, and post-and-core. PEEK's excellent mechanical properties facilitate better stress distribution than conventional materials, protecting the abutment teeth. However, the stiffness of PEEK is not sufficient, which can be improved via fiber reinforcement. PEEK is biocompatible. It is nonmutagenic, noncytotoxic, and nonallergenic. However, the chemical stability of PEEK is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, PEEK is nondegradable and intraoral corrosion is minimized. On the other hand, the inert surface makes adhesive bonding difficult. Numerous strategies for improving the adhesive properties of PEEK have been explored, including acid etching, plasma treatment, airborne particle abrasion, laser treatment, and adhesive systems.

Mesenchymal Stem Cell Therapy: A Potential Treatment Targeting Pathological Manifestations of Traumatic Brain Injury.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) makes up a large proportion of acute brain injuries and is a major cause of disability globally. Its complicated etiology and pathogenesis mainly include primary injury and secondary injury over time, which can cause cognitive deficits, physical disabilities, mood changes, and impaired verbal communication. Recently, mesenchymal stromal cell- (MSC-) based therapy has shown significant therapeutic potential to target TBI-induced pathological processes, such as oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, apoptosis, and mitochondrial dysfunction. In this review, we discuss the main pathological processes of TBI and summarize the underlying mechanisms of MSC-based TBI treatment. We also discuss research progress in the field of MSC therapy in TBI as well as major shortcomings and the great potential shown.

Ion Channel Dysfunction in Astrocytes in Neurodegenerative Diseases.

Astrocytes play an important role in the central nervous system (CNS). Ion channels in these cells not only function in ion transport, and maintain water/ion metabolism homeostasis, but also participate in physiological processes of neurons and glial cells by regulating signaling pathways. Increasing evidence indicates the ion channel proteins of astrocytes, such as aquaporins (AQPs), transient receptor potential (TRP) channels, adenosine triphosphate (ATP)-sensitive potassium (K-ATP) channels, and P2X7 receptors (P2X7R), are strongly associated with oxidative stress, neuroinflammation and characteristic proteins in neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), Huntington's disease (HD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Since ion channel protein dysfunction is a significant pathological feature of astrocytes in neurodegenerative diseases, we discuss these critical proteins and their signaling pathways in order to understand the underlying molecular mechanisms, which may yield new therapeutic targets for neurodegenerative disorders.

Dysregulation profile (DP) as a transdiagnostic psychopathological factor in clinically referred children - comparisons between disorders and latent structure.

BACKGROUND: Dysregulation Profile (DP) describes the psychopathological construct of concurrent impairments in the ability to regulate emotion, behaviour, and cognition measured by the Child Behaviour Checklist (CBCL). Such transdiagnostic dimensions of psychopathology play an important role in addition to core symptoms of psychiatric diagnosis in clinical practice. Evaluation of DP in children with different mental disorders may improve our understanding and treatment of both contents. METHODS: 911 clinically referred children between 6 and 18 years were investigated. The sample consisted of five 'pure' disorders groups, that is, tic disorder (TIC), anxiety disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, depression, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and two comorbid disorder group, that is, ADHD + TIC and ADHD + oppositional defiant disorder (ODD). DP level and latent structure were compared across groups. RESULTS: The rate of severe/abnormal dysregulation rates varied from 15% to 44% when the 210 cut-off was used, and 5% to 18% when stringent cut-off was used (i.e. ≥70 on all DP-subscales). The most affected population were children with comorbid ADHD with ODD/TIC, while least were those with TIC only. Five different latent phenotypes of DP were found. CONCLUSION: DP above clinical cut-off level widely exists in clinically referred children in parallel to core symptoms of their diagnosis, especially among children with comorbidities. During clinical assessment it would be worth to clarify the role of DP-related problems within the general psychosocial impairment of the patient to improve a personalized approach.

Correlation between mental health problems with bullying behaviors among primary and middle school students / 中国学校卫生

Objective@#To analyze epidemiological characteristics of campus bullying among primary and middle school students in central China to explore its relation with mental health problems, and to provide a reference for the campus bullying prevention.@*Methods@#Stratified cluster sampling method was used to select primary and middle school 10 581 students from Anyang, Nanyang and Xinxiang cities of Henan Province, Middle School Students Mental Health Scale and the Self designed Scale of Adolescent Bullying Behavior were used to analyze the relationship between mental health problems with campus bullying behavior.@*Results@#The total report rate of bullying penetrator was 12.5% among students in the three cities. Among primary and middle school students with mental health problems such as hostility, interpersonal stress, academic pressure and emotional imbalance, the detection rate of bullying behavior was 24.2%, 20.3%, 19.4% and 20.1%, respectively. The results of multivariate analysis showed that hostility symptoms ( OR =3.78, 95% CI =1.71-8.32), interpersonal stress ( OR =3.50, 95% CI = 1.62 -7.57), academic pressure ( OR = 1.62 , 95% CI =1.21-2.16) and emotional imbalance ( OR =2.80, 95% CI =1.41-5.56) showed a significant impact on campus bullying ( P <0.05).@*Conclusion@#Mental health problems of primary and middle school students are closely related to the occurrence of bullying behavior. It is necessary to pay attention to the mental health education of bullies and intervene bullying behaviors from the source.