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We investigated the extent to which methodological concerns explicitly addressed by the designers of the World Mental Health Surveys persist in the results that were obtained using the WMH-CIDI instrument. We compared rates of endorsement of mental illness symptoms in the United States (very high) and Nepal (very low) as they were affected by respondent understanding of the survey, social desirability bias, interview social context and translation-related sources of misunderstanding. The results showed that, although levels of misunderstanding and social desirability were higher in Nepal than in the U.S., these potential methodological concerns had less effect on symptom endorsement in Nepal than in the U.S. In Nepal non-methodological factors related to the socio-cultural context probably had a more substantial impact on observed symptom rates than did the methodological factors. The larger issue is the effect that methodological factors have on the validity of reported rates of disorder.

Traditional sex-based categories are giving way to more expanded notions of gender among young men and women today. Along with feminine and masculine personalities, some individuals combine both for a more androgynous persona, whereas others exhibit few distinctly feminine or masculine characteristics. In a study of 118 gifted college students, the Bem Sex-Role Inventory was used to assess gender identity; personality characteristics were measured with the Overexcitability Questionnaire-Two. Results indicate a stronger relationship between gender identity (masculinity or femininity) and overexcitability (OE) than between sex (female or male) and OE. Males and females were distributed in the gender categories as follows: men tended to be masculine or undifferentiated, whereas women were feminine or androgynous. Androgynous males and females had higher OE scores. Implications for Dabrowski's theory and gifted education are discussed. (Contains 2 tables and 2 figures.)

The complexity of cancer has led to single-target agents exhibiting lower-than-desired clinical efficacy. Drugs with multiple targets provide a feasible option for the treatment of complex tumors. Multitarget anti-angiogenesis agents are among the new generation of anticancer drugs and have shown favorable clinical efficacy. Dianhydrogalactitol (DAG) is a chemotherapeutic agent for chronic myeloid leukemia and lung cancer. Recently, it has been tested in phase II trials of glioblastoma treatment; however, mechanisms of DAG in glioblastoma have not been elucidated. Here we show that DAG could inhibit the migration and invasion of U251 cell line by inhibiting matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP2) expression. Furthermore, DAG could also inhibit tumor angiogenesis in vitro as well as in the zebrafish model. Mechanistic studies reveal that DAG inhibited both VEGFR2 and FGFR1 pathways. Our results suggest that DAG may be a potential multitarget agent that can inhibit tumor migration, invasion, and angiogenesis, and the anti-angiogenic effects may be involved in dual-suppression VEGF/VEGFR2 and FGF2/FGFR1 signal pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Saponin of Schizocapsa plantaginea Hance I (SSPH I).a bioactive saponin found in Schizocapsa plantaginea, exhibits significant anti-proliferation and antimetastasis in lung cancer., Objective: To explore the anti-metastatic effects of SSPH I on non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with emphasis on epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) both i n vitro and in vivo ., Methods: The effects of SSPH I at the concentrations of 0, 0.875,1.75, and 3.5 μM on A549 and PC9 lung cancer cells were evaluated using colony formation assay, CCK-8 assay, transwell assay and wound-healing assay. The actin cytoskeleton reorganization of PC9 and A549 cells was detected using the FITC-phalloidin fluorescence staining assay. The proteins related to EMT (N-cadherin, E-cadherin and vimentin), p- PI3K, p- AKT, p- mTOR and p- ERK1/2 were detected by Western blotting. A mouse model of lung cancer metastasis was established by utilizing 95-D cells, and the mice were treated with SSPH I by gavage., Results: The results suggested that SSPH I significantly inhibited the migration and invasion of NSCLC cells under a non-cytotoxic concentration. Furthermore, SSPH I at a non-toxic concentration of 0.875 μM inhibited F-actin cytoskeleton organization. Importantly, attenuation of EMT was observed in A549 cells with upregulation in the expression of epithelial cell marker E-cadherin and downregulation of the mesenchymal cell markers vimentin as well as Ncadherin. Mechanistic studies revealed that SSPH I inhibited MAPK/ERK1/2 and PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathways., Conclusion: SSPH I inhibited EMT, migration, and invasion of NSCLC cells by suppressing MAPK/ERK1/2 and PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathways, suggesting that the natural compound SSPH I could be used for inhibiting metastasis of NSCLC., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)