Cyanidin-3-O-glucoside alleviates ethanol-induced liver injury by promoting mitophagy in a Gao-binge mouse model of alcohol-associated liver disease.

BACKGROUND: Alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD) is a leading cause of liver disease-related deaths worldwide. Unfortunately, approved medications for the treatment of this condition are quite limited. One promising candidate is the anthocyanin, Cyanidin-3-O-glucoside (C3G), which has been reported to protect mice against hepatic lipid accumulation, as well as fibrosis in different animal models. However, the specific effects and mechanisms of C3G on ALD remain to be investigated. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH: In this report, a Gao-binge mouse model of ALD was used to investigate the effects of C3G on ethanol-induced liver injury. The mechanisms of these C3G effects were assessed using AML12 hepatocytes. RESULTS: C3G administration ameliorated ethanol-induced liver injury by suppressing hepatic oxidative stress, as well as through reducing hepatic lipid accumulation and inflammation. Mechanistically, C3G activated the AMPK pathway and enhanced mitophagy to eliminate damaged mitochondria, thus reducing mitochondria-derived reactive oxidative species in ethanol-challenged hepatocytes. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study indicate that mitophagy plays a potentially important role underlying the hepatoprotective action of C3G, as demonstrated in a Gao-binge mouse model of ALD. Accordingly, C3G may serve as a promising, new therapeutic drug candidate for use in ALD.

Construction of a pH- and viscosity-switchable near-infrared fluorescent probe and its imaging application.

Viscosity is a parameter used to measure the fluidity of liquids and a key indicator in evaluating the states of body fluid in biological tissues and lesions. Most traditional detection methods have many drawbacks such as a short emission wavelength and interference by background fluorescence. Inspired by the multiple double bond structure of retinal, a novel pH and viscosity dual-response fluorescent probe (Rh-TR) was constructed in this study. Rh-TR exhibited two emission signals centered at 510 and 660 nm. As the pH of the phosphate-buffered saline increased, the fluorescence at 510 nm increased by about 124-fold, while the change in fluorescence at 660 nm was not obvious. When detecting the change in viscosity using the probe, the fluorescence at 510 nm decreased by about 85 %, while the fluorescence at 660 nm increased by over 20-fold. The probe also showed high selectivity and little toxicity. As demonstrated by the biological imaging experiment, the probe successfully imaged changes in the pH and viscosity of cells and in a live animal model of zebrafish. Considering the unique structure of Rh-TR with retinal and its pH- and viscosity-switchable spectral property, the probe may find further application in detecting viscosity-related diseases and industrial detection.

Increased GABA signaling in liver macrophage promotes HBV replication in HBV-carrier mice.

Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) signals in various non-neuronal cells including hepatocytes and some immune cells. Studies, including ours, show that type A GABA receptors (GABAARs)-mediated signaling occurs in macrophages regulating tissue-specific functions. Our recent study reveals that activation of GABAARs in liver macrophages promotes their M2-like polarization and increases HBV replication in mice. This short article briefly summarizes the GABA signaling system in macrophages and discusses potential mechanisms by which GABA signaling promotes HBV replication.

Estimation of soil health in the semi­arid regions of northwestern Iran using digital elevation model and remote sensing data.

Nowadays, neglecting soil conservation issues is one of the most critical factors in reducing soil health (SH). In this regard, to facilitate the estimation of the SH in northwestern Iran, 292 soil samples were taken from a depth of 0-30 cm of this area, and a wide range of soil properties were determined. Then, soil health indices (SHIs) were calculated. Simultaneously, the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), surface water capacity index (SWCI), and a digital elevation model (DEM) were obtained from satellite data. Finally, multiple linear regression (MLR) relationships between these parameters and SHIs were calculated. In this study, there was a highest significant positive correlation (P < 0.01) between IHI-LTDS and SWCI (0.71**), DEM (0.76**), and NDVI (0.73**). The MLR, with both the whole total (TDS) and minimal (MDS) dataset methods, which includes the aforementioned indices, strongly described the spatial variability of the Integrated Soil Health Index (IHI) (R2 = 0.78, AIC = - 416, RMSE = 0.05, and ρc = 0.76). According to the results of this study, it can be said that the development of SH estimation models using remote sensing extracted parameters can be one of the effective ways to reduce the cost and time of soil sampling in extensive areas.

Construction of a novel chitosan-based macromolecular nanoprobe for specific fluorescent detection of H2S in live animals.

H2S is one of the signal molecules in live organisms and a poisonous gas, which is closely related to our life. The traditional synthetic small molecular organic probes often have the disadvantages of low biocompatibility. In this paper, a fluorescent nanoprobe for detecting H2S in live organisms was constructed based on chitosan. The structure of CH-CN was characterized by infrared spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), XRD and scanning electron microscope (SEM). In the presence of Na2S, the fluorescence intensity at 560 nm was significantly enhanced, and showed high selectivity and sensitivity toward H2S. Based on the good fluorescence response of CH-CN, the probe was also successfully applied to H2S imaging in HepG2 cells and zebrafish. These experimental results indicate that the probe has lower cytotoxicity and excellent stability. The present research shows a typical example of construction of chitosan-based macromolecular fluorescent materials and their bio-imaging application.

The hepatic GABAergic system promotes liver macrophage M2 polarization and mediates HBV replication in mice.

Macrophages display functional phenotypic plasticity. Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection induces polarizations of liver macrophages either to M1-like pro-inflammatory phenotype or to M2-like anti-inflammatory phenotype. Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) signaling exists in various non-neuronal cells including hepatocytes and some immune cells. Here we report that macrophages express functional GABAergic signaling components and activation of type A GABA receptors (GABAARs) promotes M2-polarization thus advancing HBV replication. Notably, intraperitoneal injection of GABA or the GABAAR agonist muscimol increased HBV replication in HBV-carrier mice that were generated by hydrodynamical injection of adeno-associated virus/HBV1.2 plasmids (pAAV/HBV1.2). The GABA-augmented HBV replication in HBV-carrier mice was significantly reduced by the GABAAR inhibitor picrotoxin although picrotoxin had no significant effect on serum HBsAg levels in control HBV-carrier mice. Depletion of liver macrophages by liposomal clodronate treatment also significantly reduced the GABA-augmented HBV replication. Yet adoptive transfer of liver macrophages isolated from GABA-treated donor HBV-carrier mice into the liposomal clodronate-pretreated recipient HBV-carrier mice restored HBV replication. Moreover, GABA or muscimol treatment increased the expression of "M2" cytokines in macrophages, but had no direct effect on HBV replication in the HepG2.2.15 cells, HBV1.3-transfected Huh7, HepG2, or HepaRG cells, or HBV-infected Huh7-NTCP cells. Taken together, these results suggest that increasing GABA signaling in the liver promotes HBV replication in HBV-carrier mice by suppressing the immunity of liver macrophages, but not by increasing the susceptibility of hepatocytes to HBV infection. Our study shows that a previously unknown GABAergic system in liver macrophage has an essential role in HBV replication.

Development of a novel chitosan-based two-photon fluorescent nanoprobe with enhanced stability for the specific detection of endogenous H2O2.

Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) acts as an important reactive oxygen species (ROS) and maintains the redox equilibrium in organisms. Imbalance of H2O2 concentration is associated with the development of many diseases. Traditional small molecular based fluorescent probes often show drawbacks of cytotoxicity and easily metabolic clearance. Herein, a chitosan-based two-photon fluorescent nanoprobe (DC-BI) was constructed and applied for H2O2 detection in live organisms. DC-BI was composed by chitosan nanoparticles and a two-photon fluorophore of naphthalimide analogues (BI) with H2O2-responsive property. The structure of DC-BI was characterized by NMR, FTIR, XPS, XRD, DLS and MLS analyses. As study shown, the nanoprobe DC-BI exhibited improved distribution stability and smaller cytotoxicity. In the presence of H2O2, both the absorption and emission spectra show dramatic changes, the fluorescence intensity at 580 nm obviously enhanced. Furthermore, fluorescence imaging results indicate that DC-BI is capable of imaging endogenous H2O2 in cells and zebrafish. The design and development of chitosan-based nanoprobe DC-BI has provided a general example of nanoprobe construction with excellent distribution stability, two-photon property, and biocompatibility.

Comparison of staged LLIF combined with posterior instrumented fusion with posterior instrumented fusion alone for the treatment of adult degenerative lumbar scoliosis with sagittal imbalance.

BACKGROUND: To retrospectively compare the clinical and radiological outcomes of staged lateral lumbar interbody fusion (LLIF) combined with posterior instrumented fusion(PIF)with PIF alone for the treatment of adult degenerative lumbar scoliosis (ADLS) with sagittal imbalance. METHODS: ADLS patients with sagittal imbalance underwent corrective surgery were included and divided into staged group (underwent multilevel LLIF in the first-stage and PIF in the second-stage) and control group (PIF alone). The clinical and radiological outcomes were evaluated and compared between the two groups. RESULTS: Forty-five patients with an average age of 69.7±6.3 years were enrolled, including 25 in the staged group and 20 in the control group. Compared with preoperative values, patients in both groups achieved significant improvement in terms of ODI, VAS back, VAS leg and spinopelvic parameters after surgery, which were maintained well during the follow-up period. Compared with control group, total operative time in the staged group was longer, but the amounts of blood loss and blood transfusion were reduced. The average posterior fixation segments were 6.20±1.78 in the staged group and 8.25±1.16 in the control group (P<0.01), respectively. Posterior column osteotomy (PCO) was performed in 9 patients (36%) in the staged group, while PCO and/or pedicle subtraction osteotomy were performed in 15 patients (75%) in the control group (P<0.01). There was no difference in complications between the two groups. CONCLUSION: Both surgical strategies were effective for the treatment of ADLS with sagittal imbalance. However, staged treatment was less invasive, which reduced the number of posterior fixation segments and osteotomy requirement.

Social Support Reduces the Risk of Unfavorable Parenting Styles for Suicidal Behaviors in Early Adolescents.

OBJECTIVE: Depression and perceived stress are important risk factors for suicidal behaviors among adolescents. The current study examined the joint effects of parenting styles on suicidal ideation (SI) and attempt (SA) in early adolescents while considering relevant individual factors, and evaluated whether social support can offset the risk. METHODS: The present study was part of a large cohort study aiming at tracing the mental health and risk behaviors in adolescents, and we utilized baseline data collected from 645 4th grade students with complete assessment of suicidal behaviors, social support, parental bonding, depression, and perceived stress. Participants' mean age was 9.97 years (SD = 0.38) with 53.02% boys. Logistic regression was performed to analyze the associations between independent variables and youth suicidal behaviors. RESULTS: 16.28% students reported to have SI and 4.96% had SA. Depression (SI: OR = 3.66-3.89; SA: OR = 3.98-4.50), father's low care and high authoritarian (LCHA) (SI: OR = 3.04; SA: OR = 2.43), and low acceptance and high authoritarian (LAHA) (SI: OR = 3.58; SA: OR = 4.77) parenting styles were strong risk factors, while overall social support (SI: OR = 0.98; SA: OR = 0.97) was a protective factor of SI and SA for early adolescents. Perceived stress (OR = 1.07-1.08) and mother's LCHA parenting style (OR = 2.03) were risk factors of SI. Overall, a family with LCHA parenting (OR = 2.82) or LAHA parenting (OR = 3.35-3.72) regardless parental gender had increased risk for SI and SA. CONCLUSION: Family and social factors are important to consider in suicidal prevention and interventions among early adolescents, in addition to assessing individual risk factors. HighlightsSuicidal ideations (16.28%) and attempts (4.96%) were prevalent in early adolescents at elementary schools. Depression status remains a significant risk factor for both SI and SA in early adolescents.Unfavorable parenting styles (LCHA or LAHA) increased the risk of SI and SA, especially received from father.Overall social support had independent protective effect on suicidal behaviors, when taking aforementioned individual and family risk factors into account.

Construction of a unique two-photon fluorescent probe and the application for endogenous CO detection in live organisms.

Carbon monoxide (CO) is one of the most significant signal molecules and plays an important role in regulating human physiological and pathological processes. In this study, a novel Pd-based complex (Pd-BNP-OH) was developed for endogenous CO detection. The structure and morphology of Pd-BNP-OH was characterized by SEM, XPS, and NMR analyses. When Pd-BNP-OH was reacted with CO, a strong fluorescence enhancement at 510 nm was observed. In addition, Pd-BNP-OH exhibited high stability and selectivity toward CO in PBS buffer. In biological experiments, Pd-BNP-OH exhibited little cytotoxicity in cellular environment, and a bright fluorescence turn on was observed in the presence of exogenous CO and endogenous generated CO. The probe was then applied for CO detection in live zebrafish by both one-photon and two-photon excitation. Significantly, Pd-BNP-OH has excellent two-photon property, controllable structure and high biocompatibility. These features enable the probe to detect endogenously generated carbon monoxide in live organisms successfully.

Construction of a Rational-Designed Multifunctional Platform Based on a Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer Process for Simultaneous Detection of pH and Endogenous Peroxynitrite.

Peroxynitrite (ONOO-), a kind of reactive oxygen species, plays an indispensable role in many physiological processes. The stability and reactivity of ONOO- are significantly affected by the pH of the environment. A novel fluorescent probe RN-NA that can simultaneously respond to ONOO- and pH was proposed and constructed based on a rational-designed multifunctional fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) platform. The RN-NA probe exhibited a remarkably different fluorescence change in response to ONOO- and pH. The fluorescence signals at 525 and 710 nm increased about 4-fold with a pH change from 8.0 to 3.0. The changes in fluorescence at 525 nm are mainly attributed to photo-induced electron transfer, and the fluorescence enhancement at 710 nm was mainly due to acid-induced open-closed circulation. In the presence of ONOO-, the fluorescence at 525 nm increased 5-fold, while the fluorescence at 710 nm was almost completely diminished. Up to 70-fold fluorescence enhancement was observed in the ratiometric channel F525/F710. In the cell imaging experiment, the intracellular pH was adjusted using H+/K+ ionophore and nigericin, and the endogenous ONOO- was generated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and γ-interferon (IFN-γ). The RN-NA probe can respond to cellular pH and endogenous ONOO- with remarkable fluorescence changes in both red/green and ratiometric channels.

Effects of perceived stress and resilience on suicidal behaviors in early adolescents.

Suicidal behaviors are significant public health issues. The aim of the current study is to examine the effects of perceived stress and resilience on suicidal ideation (SI), plan (SP), and attempt (SA) among early adolescents. A longitudinal study was conducted with data collected from 1035 junior high-school students at baseline and 1-year follow-up. Participants were assessed for suicidal behaviors, resilience, and perceived stress. Logistic regression was performed to analyze for the associations between independent variables and suicidal behaviors. 210 (20.3%) of the participants reported to have SI, 59 (5.7%) had SP, and 49 (4.7%) had SA at baseline. Perceived stress was a strong risk factor (p < 0.001) for SI (OR 1.16-1.18), SP (OR 1.20-1.21), and SA (OR 1.12-1.16) while accounting for different dimensions of resilience. Students with persistent high stress during the 1-year follow-up period had significantly increased risk of SI (OR 7.14-9.64), SP (OR 3.92-6.37), and SA (OR 3.76-3.84) than the persistent low-stress group (p < 0.01). Increased perceived stress scale (PSS) (OR 2.89-3.15) and decreased PSS (OR 2.47) also had a higher risk for SI than persistent low PSS group. Moreover, students with high perceived stress who reported to have higher hope and optimism were less likely to show SI (OR 0.90, p = 0.001) and SP (OR 0.87, p = 0.002) at baseline, and the problem-solving and cognitive maturity mature dimension of resilience showed a significant protective effect on SP longitudinally (OR 0.25, p = 0.003). Perceived stress substantially increased the risk for suicidal behaviors, and moderates the protective effect of resilience on suicide. Considering both risk and protective factors of suicidal behaviors is essential in designing future suicide prevention and intervention programs.

Construction of a novel cell-trappable fluorescent probe for hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and its bio-imaging application.

Fluorescence detection of H2S in living organisms is greatly advantageous because it is nondestructive and can be used for in situ analysis. We have constructed a novel rhodamine analogue dye (Rho630) by extending the conjugated system of rhodamine to create a novel cell-trappable H2S fluorescent probe Rho630-AM-H2S with red light emission. Its application for H2S fluorescence detection in living HeLa cells and zebrafish was investigated. As expected, Rho630-AM-H2S showed a huge fluorescence turn-on response of about 20-fold at 630 nm and good selectivity toward H2S in solution. An MTT assay demonstrated that the probe showed negligible cytotoxicity in the concentrations typically used in fluorescence imaging experiments. Cell imaging experiments revealed that compared with compound 4 without cell-trappable unit modification, Rho630-AM-H2S exhibited remarkably enhanced cell penetration ability, as an enormous fluorescence signal increase was observed at the red channel within 5 min after Rho630-AM-H2S was incubated with HeLa cells. Finally, the probe Rho630-AM-H2S was used to detect H2S in living HeLa cells and zebrafish with great fluorescence enhancement in the red channel. Graphical abstract.

Structural Insights to the Heterotetrameric Interaction between the Vibrio parahaemolyticus PirAvp and PirBvp Toxins and Activation of the Cry-Like Pore-Forming Domain.

Acute hepatopancreatic necrosis disease (AHPND) is a newly emergent penaeid shrimp disease which can cause 70-100% mortality in Penaeus vannamei and Penaeus monodon, and has resulted in enormous economic losses since its appearance. AHPND is caused by the specific strains of Vibrio parahaemolyticus that harbor the pVA1 plasmid and express PirAvp and PirBvp toxins. These two toxins have been reported to form a binary complex. When both are present, they lead to the death of shrimp epithelial cells in the hepatopancreas and cause the typical histological symptoms of AHPND. However, the binding mode of PirAvp and PirBvp has not yet been determined. Here, we used isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) to measure the binding affinity of PirAvp and PirBvp. Since the dissociation constant (Kd = 7.33 ± 1.20 µM) was considered too low to form a sufficiently stable complex for X-ray crystallographic analysis, we used alternative methods to investigate PirAvp-PirBvp interaction, first by using gel filtration to evaluate the molecular weight of the PirAvp/PirBvp complex, and then by using cross-linking and hydrogen-deuterium exchange (HDX) mass spectrometry to further understand the interaction interface between PirAvp and PirBvp. Based on these results, we propose a heterotetrameric interaction model of this binary toxin complex. This model provides insight of how conformational changes might activate the PirBvp N-terminal pore-forming domain and should be helpful for devising effective anti-AHPND strategies in the future.

Sleep apnea may be associated with suicidal ideation in adolescents.

Suicide is a major threat to adolescent health. Sleep problems increase the risk of adolescent suicidal behavior, but the role of sleep-disordered breathing (e.g., sleep apnea) is unclear. We investigated whether sleep apnea had an effect on suicidal ideation that was independent of depression and perceived stress. We examined a series of sleep variables with suicidal ideation in 746 fifth and seventh graders using self-reported questionnaires to assess time in bed, sleep quality, insomnia, and sleep apnea while controlling depression and perceived stress. Overall, 8.8% of students aged 10-14 years reported having recent suicidal ideation, and 33% or 3.8%, depending on the screening criteria, reported having suspected sleep apnea. The sleep variables were all associated with an increased risk of suicidal ideation, but the magnitude of effects was largely attenuated when depression and perceived stress were included in the models. Suspected sleep apnea using daytime sleepiness as a screening criterion was independently associated with suicidal ideation (odds ratio = 2.25, p < 0.05). Suspected sleep apnea was associated with suicidal ideation that was partly independent of depression and stress, which reveals the pertinence of screening for sleep apnea among school students and designing proper prevention strategies for reducing youth suicidal behavior.

[Case-control study of pedicle screw fixation combined with vertebroplasty and injured vertebra pedicle fixation in treatment of osteoporotic thoracolumbar burst fractures].

OBJECTIVE: To compare the curative effect of short-segment pedicle screw fixation combined with vertebroplasty and injured vertebra pedicle fixation in treating osteoporotic thoracolumbar burst fractures. METHODS: A retrospective study was performed for 52 patients with thoracolumbar burst fractures from August 2010 to August 2015. Among them, 27 patients(group A) were treated with short-segment pedicle screw fixation combined with vertebroplasty, including 17 males and 10 females, aged from 54 to 68 years old with an average of(61.01±5.41) years, 16 cases were type A3 and 11 cases were type A4 according the new AO typing. Other 25 patients (group B) were treated with short-segment pedicle screw fixation combined with injured vertebra pedicle fixation, including 12 males and 13 females, aged from 55 to 66 years old with an average of (59.28±6.12) years, 18 cases were type A3 and 7 cases were type A4 according the new AO typing. Operation time, intraoperative bleeding volume, complication, image data and clinical effect were compared between two groups. RESULTS: All the patients were followed up for 12 to 15 months with an average of (12.4±2.1)months. There was no significant difference in general data(including gender, age, injured site, preoperative VAS score, Cobb angle, injured vertebral anterior border height) between two groups. There was no significant differences in operation time, intraoperative bleeding volume between two groups. Preoperative, one week after operation and final follow-up, VAS scores were 5.2±0.5, 1.2±0.2, 0.8±0.1 respectively in group A and 5.0±0.6, 2.5±0.4, 1.3±0.2 in group B; injured vertebral anterior border height were (49.4±6.8)%, ( 94.5±1.2)%, ( 94.1±3.7)% respectively in group A and (48.2±7.0)%, ( 94.3±4.1)%, ( 90.0±2.3)% in group B;Cobb angles were (20.4±5.2) °, (2.5±1.8) °, (4.4±1.7)° respectively in group A and (19.8±6.8)°, (2.4±1.7)°, (7.0±1.2)° in group B. At final follow-up, VAS, Cobb angle, injured vertebral anterior border height in two groups were obviously improved(P<0.05). Postoperative at 1 week and final follow-up, VAS score of group A was lower than that of group B(P<0.05);and there was no significant difference in Cobb angle between two groups(P>0.05); there was significant difference in injured vertebral anterior border height between two groups(P<0.05). The complication of internal fixation failure had 1 case in group A and 4 cases in group B. CONCLUSIONS: For the treatment of single osteoporotic thoracolumbar burst fractures, short-segment pedicle screw fixation combined with vertebroplasty is better than combined with injured vertebra pedicle fixation in clinical effect, it can relieve pain, maintain injured vertebral height and sagittal alinement, reduce the complications associated with internal fixation, and be worth spread in clinic.

Construction of a novel near-infrared fluorescent probe with multiple fluorescence emission and its application for SO2 derivative detection in cells and living zebrafish.

Sulfur dioxide (SO2) in biological systems is an important gaseous signal molecule and plays important roles in physiological activities. It can be endogenously produced by enzymes in mitochondria during oxidation of sulphur-containing molecules. Thus, the development of probes for sulfur dioxide detection in biological environment is necessary. Here, a new near-infrared fluorescent probe (Rh-TPA) with multiple fluorescence emission was constructed and applied for SO2 derivative detection. Rh-TPA was constructed via conjugation of a rhodamine analogue with a triphenylamine group. Rh-TPA exhibited a major emission peak at 740 nm and a shoulder peak at 810 nm. After interacting with SO2 derivatives, the conjugated system dissociated into two smaller chromophores with two emission peaks (520 nm and 570 nm) in the visible region. The probe showed negligible cytotoxicity, as demonstrated by the MTT results. Biological imaging application experiments indicated that the probe can be used to image SO2 derivatives in HeLa cells and living zebrafish.

Life Adaptation Skills Training (LAST) for persons with depression: A randomized controlled study.

BAKGROUND: To investigate the efficacy of the "Life Adaptation Skills Training (LAST)" program for persons with depression. METHODS: Sixty-eight subjects with depressive disorder were recruited from psychiatric outpatient clinics in Taipei city and were randomly assigned to either an intervention group (N=33), or a control group (N=35). The intervention group received 24-sessions of the LAST program, as well as phone contact mainly related to support for a total of 24 times. The control group only received phone contact 24 times. The primary outcome measure utilized was the World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF-Taiwan version. Secondary outcome measures included the Occupational self-assessment, the Mastery scale, the Social support questionnaire, the Beck anxiety inventory, the Beck depression inventory-II, and the Beck scale for suicide ideation. The mixed-effects linear model was applied to analyze the incremental efficacy of the LAST program, and the partial eta squared (ηp(2)) was used to examine the within- and between- group effect size. RESULTS: The subjects who participated in the LAST program showed significant incremental improvements with moderate to large between-group effect sizes on their level of anxiety (-5.45±2.34, p<0.05; ηp(2)=0.083) and level of suicidal ideation (-3.09±1.11, p<0.01; ηp(2)=0.157) when compared to the control group. The reduction of suicidal ideations had a maintenance effect for three months after the end of intervention (-3.44±1.09, p<0.01), with moderate between-group effect sizes (ηp(2)=0.101). Both groups showed significant improvement on overall QOL, overall health, physical QOL, psychological QOL, level of anxiety, and level of depression. The within-group effect sizes achieved large effects in the intervention group (ηp(2)=0.328-0.544), and were larger than that of the control group. LIMITATIONS: A small sample size in the study, a high dropout rate, lower compliance rates for the intervention group, and lacking of true control group. CONCLUSIONS: The occupation-based LAST program, which focuses on lifestyle rearrangement and coping skills enhancement, could significantly improve the level of anxiety and suicidal ideations for persons with depression.

Examining the validity and reliability of the Taita symptom checklist using Rasch analysis.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: The Taita symptom checklist (TSCL) is a standardized self-rating psychiatric symptom scale for outpatients with mental illness in Taiwan. This study aimed to examine the validity and reliability of the TSCL using Rasch analysis. METHODS: The TSCL was given to 583 healthy people and 479 people with mental illness. Rasch analysis was used to examine the appropriateness of the rating scale, the unidimensionality of the scale, the differential item functioning across sex and diagnosis, and the Rasch cut-off score of the scale. RESULTS: Rasch analysis confirmed that the revised 37 items with a three-point rating scale of the TSCL demonstrated good internal consistency and met criteria for unidimensionality. The person and item reliability indices were high. The TSCL could reliably measure healthy participants and patients with mental illness. Differential item functioning due to sex or psychiatric diagnosis was evident for three items. A Rasch cut-off score for TSCL was produced for detecting participants' psychiatric symptoms based on an eight-level classification. CONCLUSION: The TSCL is a reliable and valid assessment to evaluate the participants' perceived disturbance of psychiatric symptoms based on Rasch analysis.

Psychometric properties of the Mastery Scale-Chinese version: applying classical test theory and Rasch analysis.

AIMS: This study examines the reliability and validity of the Mastery Scale-Chinese version (MS-C) when applied to three groups diagnosed with major depression, schizophrenia, or HIV/AIDS. METHODS: The individuals participating in the study were recruited from outpatient units of a medical center and a municipal hospital in northern Taiwan. The study sample (n = 2009) included 237 patients with depressive disorders, 160 with schizophrenia, and 1612 with HIV/AIDS. The reliability and construct validity of the MS-C was evaluated by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and Rasch analysis. RESULTS: The results of the CFA showed that the MS-C has adequate construct validity with all indices meeting the criteria, except for chi-square values. The Rasch analysis supported the four-point rating scale structure and a unidimensional construct of the MS-C. The DIF analysis showed that all items demonstrated stable measurement properties among the different diagnosis groups (major depression, schizophrenia, HIV/AIDS). CONCLUSION: This study found that MS-C has acceptable psychometric qualities in terms of reliability, construct validity, rating scale performance, and item characteristics when applied to patients with depression, schizophrenia, and HIV/AIDS in Taiwan.