Circulating retinol and 25(OH)D contents and their association with symptoms in children with chronic tic disorders.

The present study measured serum levels of vitamin A (VA) and vitamin D (VD) in children with chronic tic disorders (CTD) and investigated their potential association with CTD and comorbidity of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and the association of their co-insufficiencies or deficiencies with CTD symptoms. A total of 176 children (131 boys and 45 girls, median age of 9 years) with CTD were recruited as the CTD group. During the same period, 154 healthy children were selected as the healthy control (HC) cohort. Circulating retinol and 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) levels were measured for all participants using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and tandem mass spectrometry. The Yale Global Tic Severity Scale (YGTSS) was employed for the assessment of tic status and CTD impairment. The Swanson, Nolan, and Pelham Rating Scale (SNAP-IV) and the Children's Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (CY-BOCS) were used to evaluate comorbidity symptoms. CTD pediatric participants exhibited markedly diminished circulating retinol and 25(OH)D levels compared to HCs. Moreover, VA and VD deficiencies and their co-insufficiencies/deficiencies were more prevalent in CTD participants than HCs. Circulating 25(OH)D levels were inversely proportional to the YGTSS motor tic scores. YGTSS scores in CTD children with only VA or VD insufficiency or deficiency or with VA and VD co-insufficiency/deficiency did not differ from those in CTD children with normal VA and VD. CTD children with comorbid ADHD displayed reduced circulating retinol and 25(OH)D concentrations and elevated prevalence of VD deficiency compared to CTD participants without comorbid ADHD. Lower serum retinol content was intricately linked to the presence of elevated CTD and comorbid ADHD. VA and VD deficiencies and their co-insufficiencies/deficiencies were markedly enhanced in CTD pediatric participants compared to HCs. Lower VA concentration was linked to the presence of enhanced CTD and comorbid ADHD. Therefore, children with CTD, especially with comorbid ADHD, may be at a higher risk of VA or VD deficiency, which may prompt the clinicians to consider whether blood tests for VA and VD in CTD children would be helpful for clinical care.

Steering Metal-Organic Network Structures through Conformations and Configurations on Surfaces.

Molecular adsorption conformations and arrangement configurations on surfaces are important structural aspects of surface stereochemistry, but their roles in steering the structures of metal-organic networks (MONs) remain vague and unexplored. In this study, we constructed MONs by the coordination self-assembly of isocyanides on Cu(111) and Ag(111) surfaces and demonstrated that the MON structures can be steered by surface stereochemistry, including the adsorption conformations of the isocyanide molecules and the arrangement configurations of the coordination nodes and subunits. The coordination self-assembly of 1,4-phenylene diisocyanobenzene afforded a honeycomb MON consisting of 3-fold (isocyano)3-Cu motifs on a Cu(111) surface. In contrast, geometrically different chevron-shaped 1,3-phenylene diisocyanobenzene (m-DICB) failed to generate a MON, which is ascribable to its standing conformation on the Cu(111) surface. However, m-DICB was adsorbed in a flat conformation on a Ag(111) surface, which has a larger lattice constant than a Cu(111) surface, and smoothly underwent coordination self-assembly to form a MON consisting of (isocyano)3-Ag motifs. Interestingly, only C3-Ag nodes with heterotactic configurations could grow into larger subunits; those subunits with heterotactic configurations further grew into Sierpinski triangle fractals (up to fourth order), while subunits with homotactic configurations afforded a triangular MON.

Serum Levels of Vitamin A and Vitamin D and Their Association With Symptoms in Children With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

Objective: To measure levels of vitamin A (VA) and vitamin D (VD) and the symptomatic association of their co-deficiencies on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in Chinese children (6-9 years). Methods: Eighty-two children (69 boys and 13 girls; mean age = 7.1 ± 0.9 years at the time of the diagnosis) with ADHD were recruited as ADHD group. A total of 106 healthy children were recruited as the healthy control (HC) group. Serum levels of retinol and 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) of all children were evaluated using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and HPLC-tandem mass spectrometry. The Swanson, Nolan, and Pelham IV Rating Scale (SNAP-IV) was employed to assess the clinical symptoms of ADHD. Results: Children suffering from ADHD had significantly reduced serum levels of retinol and 25(OH)D compared with those of HCs, and the prevalence of VA deficiency and VD deficiency were higher in children suffering from ADHD. Serum concentrations of 25(OH)D and retinol were linked closely with the presence or absence of ADHD after adjustment for age, body mass index, season of blood sampling, and sun exposure. Serum concentrations of 25(OH)D and retinol showed a negative correlation with the total scores of SNAP-IV. Children with ADHD as well as VA and VD co-deficiency had increased SNAP-IV total scores and ADHD inattention subscale scores. Conclusion: VA deficiency and VD deficiency in children with ADHD were increased in comparison with that in HCs. VA and VD co-deficiency associated with ADHD symptom severity. Attention should be paid to regular testing of VA levels and VD levels. However, the mechanism of VA and VD in ADHD needs to be further studied. Interventional studies on VA and VD supplementation are recommended to further verify the relationship between VA and VD co-deficiency and ADHD.

A Developmental Profile of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder in China Using the Griffiths Mental Development Scales.

The purpose of this study was to profile the mental development of children aged 18 to 96 months with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) using the Chinese version of the Griffiths Mental Development Scales (GMDS), and to explore the relationships between developmental levels and ASD severity, the sex of the child and the age of ASD diagnosis. Children with ASD (n = 398; 337 boys, 61 girls) were recruited and ASD severity evaluated using the Autism Behavior Checklist and the Childhood Autism Rating Scale, while the GMDS was used to evaluate the children's mental development. Study participants were divided into groups according to GMDS general and subscale quotients, ASD severity, sex, and age. The majority of groups divided according to the GMDS quotients exhibited an unbalanced distribution in respect of the six domains of the GMDS and there were significant differences within the six subscale quotients. Autism severity, sex and age had significant effects on the overall level of development of autistic children. The quotients recorded for the children with more severe ASD were significantly lower than those for the children with less severe ASD. A markedly higher proportion of developmental delay was recorded for girls than boys in relation to the performance subscale. The locomotor quotient decreased in line with age at diagnosis, while autism severity and age had significant effects on the general and subscale quotients and sex had a significant effect on performance quotient. Children with ASD exhibit an uneven cognitive development profile, and their overall developmental levels are affected by autism severity, sex and age. Specific cognitive domains differ according to sex in children with ASD. Locomotor skills tend to decrease according to the age at diagnosis for autistic children aged 18 to 84 months. Autism severity and age are also associated with the level of functioning in different cognitive areas. These findings contribute to define the cognitive developmental profiles of children with ASD.

[Intelligence structure and clinical features of school-age children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and specific learning disorder].

OBJECTIVE: To study the intelligence structure and clinical features of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and specific learning disorder (SLD). METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed on 88 school-age children with ADHD. According to the presence or absence of SLD, they were divided into two groups: simple ADHD group with 45 children and ADHD+SLD group with 43 children. Intelligence structure and clinical features were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: Compared with the simple ADHD group, the ADHD+SLD group had significantly lower verbal intelligence quotient (VIQ), performance intelligence quotient (PIQ), and full intelligence quotient (FIQ) (P<0.05), significantly lower scores of VIQ factors (including information, similarities, arithmetic, and recitation) (P<0.05), and significantly lower scores of PIQ factors (including picture completion, picture arrangement, block design, and object assembly) (P<0.05). The development of SLD was negatively correlated with FIQ, VIQ, and PIQ. It was also negatively correlated with the scores of intelligence structure factors (including information, similarities, arithmetic, recitation, picture completion, picture arrangement, block design, and object assembly) (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Children with ADHD and SLD have poorer FIQ, VIQ, and PIQ than those with ADHD alone, which mainly manifests as the weak abilities of most intelligence structure factors. It is necessary to pay attention to the management and intervention of SLD in school-age children with ADHD.

Comparison Of The Children Neuropsychological And Behavior Scale And The Griffiths Mental Development Scales When Assessing The Development Of Children With Autism.

BACKGROUND: The newly revised Children Neuropsychological and Behavior Scale (CNBS-R2016) is a diagnostic assessment tool widely used in China to assess the developmental level of children aged 0 to 6 years. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the effectiveness of developmental assessment in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) by the CNBS-R2016 was consistent with that of the Griffiths Mental Development Scales for China (GDS-C). METHODS: In total, 139 children with ASD were recruited in this study. The Autism Behavior Checklist (ABC) and the Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS) were used to measure ASD severity. All subjects were evaluated with both the CNBS-R2016 and GDS-C. To determine the consistency between the CNBS-R2016 and GDS-C, Pearson correlation coefficients and Bland-Altman plots were computed. The GDS-C was used as a reference assessment, and the performance of the CNBS-R2016 was analyzed with receiver operating curves. RESULTS: No significant difference was found between the proportions of developmental delays detected by the CNBS-R2016 subscales and the corresponding GDS-C subscales. The CNBS-R2016 Communication Warning Behavior subscale quotients and the total ABC and CARS scores were significantly and positively correlated. The general and subscale quotients of the CNBS-R2016 and the corresponding quotient of the GDS-C were also significantly and positively correlated. The area under all the curves of the CNBS-R2016 was above 0.8 according to the results of the GDS-C (general or subscale quotient <70 indicates a developmental delay), and Bland-Altman plots showed no systemic bias between the two scales. CONCLUSION: The CNBS-R2016 and GDS-C tests showed good consistency in the developmental assessment of children with ASD. In addition, the CNBS-R2016 allows the simultaneous assessment of autism symptoms and the developmental level. Therefore, the CNBS-R2016 is worthy of clinical application in children aged 0-6 years.

On-surface synthesis of 2D COFs on Cu(111) via the formation of thermodynamically stable organometallic networks as the template.

Template-directed polymerization is an effective approach used to afford regular 2D covalent organic frameworks (COFs), thus the regularity of the template is crucial for the quality of the resulting 2D COFs. For the Ullmann reactions on Cu(111), aryl iodides and bromides are activated at low temperature to form organometallic C-Cu-C structures, which lead to kinetic trapping and irregular organometallic networks. Therefore, the subsequent annealing step can only afford irregular 2D COFs. In this manuscript, the molecule 4,4''-dibromo-5'-(4-chlorophenyl)-1,1':3',1''-terphenyl incorporated two Br terminals and one Cl terminal has been used to demonstrate different reactivities of a C-Cl bond and a C-Br bond via the hierarchical activation of the C-Br bond and the C-Cl bond on Cu(111). At room temperature, zigzag, armchair, and ring-like organometallic chains formed due to the activation of the C-Br bond to generate a C-Cu-C structure while C-Cl remained intact, illustrating that the C-Cl bond is more stable than C-Br. Further annealing at 433 K activated the C-Cl bond to produce regular organometallic networks as the thermodynamic product. Using the simpler molecule 1,3,5-tris(4-chlorophenyl)benzene as the precursor, the self-assembly of the intact molecules was observed on Cu(111) at 300 K without activation of the C-Cl bond. After annealing at 433 K, similar thermodynamically stable organometallic networks formed directly, which were used as a template to generate regular 2D COFs upon further annealing at 510 K.

Diverse supramolecular structures self-assembled by a simple aryl chloride on Ag(111) and Cu(111).

Diverse self-assembled structures were obtained on Cu(111) and Ag(111) surfaces by using a simple and small 4,4''-dichloro-1,1':4',1''-terphenyl molecule. Surprisingly, a complicated supramolecular self-assembled vortex structure, composed of 15 molecules in a large unit, was realized through the collaboration of hydrogen bonding and halogen bonding.

[Serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D in children with tic disorders].

OBJECTIVE: To examine serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels in children with tic disorders (TD) and to explore the relationship between vitamin D level and TD. METHODS: One hundred and thirty-two children who were diagnosed with TD between November 2016 and May 2017 were enrolled as the TD group, including 8 cases of Tourette syndrome, 32 cases of chronic TD, and 92 cases of transient TD. One hundred and forty-four healthy children served as the control group. Peripheral venous blood samples were collected from each child. Serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D were measured using HPLC-MS/MS. The categories of vitamin D status based on serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D level included: normal (>30 ng/mL), insufficiency (10-30 ng/mL) and deficiency (<10 ng/mL). RESULTS: Mean serum level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D in the TD group was significantly lower than that in the control group (P<0.01). The rate of vitamin D insufficiency or deficiency in the TD group was significantly higher than in the control group (P<0.01). Mean serum level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D in the transient tic group was higher than in the TS group (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Vitamin D insufficiency or deficiency might be associated with the development of TD, and the level of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D might be related to the classification of TD.

On-Surface Heck Reaction of Aryl Bromides with Alkene on Au(111) with Palladium as Catalyst.

The on-surface Heck reaction of aryl bromides with terminal alkene has been achieved for the first time. With palladium as the catalyst, cross-coupling of porphyrin-derived aryl bromides with terminal alkene proceeds with high selectivity on an Au(111) surface, as determined by scanning tunneling microscopy at the single molecular level. Density functional theory calculations suggest that the on-surface Heck reaction proceeds via debromination of aryl bromide, addition to the C═C bond, and elimination of hydrogen, ultimately affording the cross-coupling product.

Dehydrogenative homocoupling of tetrafluorobenzene on Pd(111) via para-selective C-H activation.

Aryl homocoupling reactions via meta- and ortho-selective C-H activation have been achieved on surfaces, but the highly important para-selective C-H activation has not been reported yet. Combined with scanning tunneling microscopy, time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry and density functional theory, here we describe dehydrogenative homocoupling of tetrafluorobenzene on Pd(111) via para-selective C-H activation to form perfluorinated oligo(p-phenylene)s.

Ullmann Reaction of Aryl Chlorides on Various Surfaces and the Application in Stepwise Growth of 2D Covalent Organic Frameworks.

On-surface Ullmann coupling reaction of aryl chlorides has been achieved on Cu(111), Ag(111), and Au(111), and the mechanism has been investigated on the single molecule level using scanning tunneling microscopy and density functional theory. The different reactivity of the aryl halides was utilized to design a stepwise on-surface synthesis, which affords a zigzag template and then converts to 2D porous networks.

Enhanced wettability performance of ultrathin ZnO nanotubes by coupling morphology and size effects.

In this work, we report on the detailed characterization and mechanism analysis of the improved wettability performance of a new type of ZnO nanostructure, the ultrathin ZnO nanotube, whose growth is induced by screw-dislocation. The newly discovered enhanced wettability properties are suggested to be caused by coupling the morphology and size effects of the nanostructured surface. These ultrathin nanotubes with low density and small dimension form a wet-hair-like hierarchical morphology, which shows a further improved superhydrophobic property with an 8.6 ± 1.6° larger contact angle than that of ZnO nanorods due to the morphology effect. In addition, owing to the large surface to volume ratio and increased effective UV-irradiated area of the ultrathin tubular structure, the ZnO nanotubes exhibit ∼5 times faster superhydrophobicity to superhydrophilicity conversion speed than nanorods under 254 nm UV illumination. Furthermore, UV light with a wavelength of 254 nm exhibits ∼40 times faster wettability conversion speed for nanotubes than that of 365 nm, which is suggested to be a result of the band gap shift at the nanoscale. The combined advantages of enhanced superhydrophobicity, improved sensitivity, and faster conversion speed by coupling morphology and size effects of these ZnO nanotubes should give them broad applications in self-cleaning surfaces and wettability switches.

[Surveillance on the health status regarding vector-borne disease among people living in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area (1997 - 2009)].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the impact on the health status of population in the area where the 'Three Gorges Reservoir Water Storage Project' had been operated and to provide references for the development of related disease control strategies. METHODS: In the Three Gorges Reservoir Area, 17 towns/streets in nine counties were chosen as surveillance points. Data on surveillance program would include infectious diseases, birth, death, biological agents etc. METHODS: related to time and spatial analysis and the comparison on pre- and post-water storage were used to analyze and describe the long-term changing trend of meteorological index, distribution of biological agent and diseases, and human health status. Relationships between number of infectious diseases and media biological density and meteorological parameters were also analyzed. RESULTS: When the water storage program came into being in 2003, the indoor (2.22%) and outdoor (2.76%) densities of rats were significantly lower than pre-water storage period (indoor 4.38% vs. outdoor 4.43%) and the annual average density of mosquito (35.09 mosquitoes per room and per hour) was also lower than before (54.24 mosquitoes per room and per hour). The incidence rates of encephalitis B, malaria, leptospirosis, and hemorrhagic fever had reduces 22.88%, 84.85%, 95.03% and 81.82% than before. The incidence rates of malaria, leptospirosis, and hemorrhagic fever were all below 0.4/100 000 and the incidence of encephalitis B was below 2/100 000. The average infant mortality was 11.83‰. The annual infant mortalities, after adjusted by missing report numbers, were between 13.07‰ and 23.88‰ which were lower than the national annual average level. The thirteen year standard mortalities were 3.77‰ - 5.12‰, with the total rate lower than the national average level in the same years. CONCLUSION: In 2003, the incidence rates of malaria, encephalitis B, leptospirosis, epidemic hemorrhagic fever kept going down in the surveillance sites in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area, and the overall population's health status was well enough to show that there was no negative impact on the health status of population living in the area after the water storage project was inplemented.

[Study on the characteristics of major mosquito-borne infectious diseases in Three Gorges Reservoir Area from 1997 to 2008].

OBJECTIVE: Characteristics and tendency of mosquito and major mosquito-borne diseases (including epidemic encephalitis B and malaria) were analyzed in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area from 1997 to 2008. METHODS: Information on surveillance data related to mosquito-borne infectious diseases and on mosquito density and category, from 1997 to 2008 was collected from Health Surveillance System in Three Gorges Reservoir Area. Data regarding meteorological factors and construction of Three Gorges Reservoir was also collected. Pearson and Poisson models were used. RESULTS: From 1997 to 2008, in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area, the incidence rates of epidemic encephalitis B and malaria were decreasing. Positive correlations were shown between indoor and outdoor mosquito density as well with temperature with coefficient as 0.281 and 0.355 respectively. Correlations of mosquito-borne diseases with indoor and outdoor mosquito density were positive, with correlation coefficient as 0.340 and 0.328 respectively. CONCLUSION: There seemed lack of evidence to prove that negative influences had occurred on the incidence of mosquito-borne infectious diseases or the mosquito density after the Three Gorges Reservoir water storage came into being in 2003, however, long-time surveillance program needs to be carried out to gather information on this issue.

[Study on the health status and affecting factors among people living in the surveillance sites of three Gorges Reservoir Areas, in 2007].

OBJECTIVE: To understand the health status and potential impact resulted in the second stage of Three Gorges Reservoir Areas sluicing. METHODS: Data were collected on deaths, prevalence rates of infectious and endemic diseases, as well as on vector surveillance through the project entitled 'Three Gorges Population Health Survey System'. RESULTS: The main causes of death in the population living in the Three Gorges Reservoir Areas would include: circulatory system diseases, tumors, respiratory system diseases, injuries/poison and digestive system diseases. The number of deaths caused by the above said five kind of diseases accounted for 90.94% of the total number of deaths. The prevalence rates on Water-born diseases related to the sluicing of reservoir and zoonosis-borne diseases related to the changes of vectors were still low. The indoor and outdoor densities of rodents were 3.11% and 3.16%, both were higher than that in 2006 but lower than the average numbers in the five years prior to the sluicing. The constituent ratio of Apodemus agrarius had constantly risen since 2006. The density of mosquitoes found in livestock barns and human households was higher than that in 2006 but lower than the average number of the five-year studies prior to the sluicing. CONCLUSION: Environment change after the sluicing of the Three Gorges Reservoir Areas did not seem to have obvious impact on the health status of the people living in the areas. However, to strengthen the surveillance on the biological features of the vectors which might have related to the transmission of diseases would be highly recommended.

Comparative study of the effect of Shugan Shuru Granule on pathology and p53 gene expression in patients with hyperplastic disease of breast.

OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of Shugan Shuru Granule (SSG) on the p53 gene expression in patients with hyperplastic disease of breast (HDB) to indirectly explore the mechanism of SSG's effect on HDB on the molecular pathological level. METHODS: Sixty-six patients with HDB were allocated in the treated group and the control group, with the former treated with SSG and the latter not. All patients underwent breast operation and their diseased mammary tissues were cut out, sectioned, and observed under microscopy with HE staining and immunohistochemical staining, with ABC method adopted to estimate the degree of hyperplasia and p53 gene expression. The severity of HDB was classified into normal, mild, moderate and severe grades (marked as 0 to III), according to the degree of hyperplasia in the mammary gland. RESULTS: Hyperplasia in the control group mostly belonged to grade I-III before treatment, showing overgrowth of gland and proliferation of glandular epithelial cells, which were high columnar shaped, more stratified, with papillary or substantive dysplasia. While in the treated group, most belonged to grade 0-I after SSG treatment, with proliferated gland and dysplasia recovered to normal or disappeared. The positive rate of p53 gene expression in the treated group was 9.09%, and in the control group 39.39%, comparison between the two groups showing significant difference (P < 0.01), the intensity in the former was significantly weaker than that in the latter. CONCLUSION: SSG could not only inhibit the proliferation of mammary duct epithelia and lobuli, but also inhibit the over-expression of P53. Therefore, it could be regarded as an effective remedy for treatment of HDB and prevention of mammary cancer genesis.

Ultrastructural changes in non-specific duodenitis.

AIM: To investigate the ultrastructural and morphological changes of non-specific duodenitis (NSD) in an attempt to grade them according to the extent of the lesions. METHODS: Biopsies were taken from the mucosa of duodenal bulb of 44 patients selected from the patients undergoing upper gastrointestinal endoscopy for epigastric discomforts. From each patient, two pinch biopsies on the same area were obtained from duodenal bulb. One was for scanning electron microscopy and the other was stained with hematoxylin-eosin, Warthin-Starry silver and both were then examined under light microscope. A total of 12 specimens (three from each degree of the normal and I-III of NSD diagnosed and graded by histology) selected from the 44 patients were dehydrated, critical point dried, coated with gold palladium and examined under a JEOL JSM-30 scanning electron microscope (SEM) at 20 kV. RESULTS: According to the ultrastructural morphologic changes, non-specific duodenitis was divided into normal (as control group), mild, moderate and severe degrees according to results of SEM. The normal villi of duodenal bulb were less than 0.2 mm. There were inflammation cells, occasionally red blood cells and macrophages on the mucosal epithelial surface. Erosion and desquamation of epithelium could be seen. Three cases (25%, 3/12) had gastric metaplasia and Helicobacter pylori (H pylori) infection could be found in 5 cases (41.67%, 5/12) in duodenal bulb mucosa. The most distinctive feature was the ulcer-like defect on the surface of epithelial cells. CONCLUSION: Non-specific duodenitis is a separate entity disease caused by different factors. SEM is of value as an aid in the diagnosis of mucosal diseases of duodenum.

Thermodynamic and kinetic size limit of nanowire growth.

The universal models of nucleation thermodynamics and growth kinetics were established for nanowire growth upon metal-catalyst-assisted thermal chemical vapor transport on the basis of vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) mechanism. The thermodynamic and kinetic size limit of nanowire growth was deduced from the proposed model. Theoretical predictions are in agreement with experimental data.