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BackgroundSensory symptoms linked to tic disorder (TD) are challenging to quantify via self- or parent-reported measures. The current study aimed to develop a novel observer-rated semi-structured interview, namely, the Sensory Phenomenon Assessment Scale (SPAS), to aid clinical evaluation on symptoms of TD among children.MethodsTo test its psychometric properties, tic, premonitory urge (PU), and obsessive–compulsive symptoms (OCS) were also assessed in 223 children via the Yale Global Tic Severity Scale (YGTSS), the Premonitory Urge for Tic Scale (PUTS), and the Children’s Yale–Brown Obsessive–Compulsive Scale (CY-BOCS). Factor analysis and internal consistency test were carried out using data from TD-diagnosed individuals.ResultsGood internal consistency and test–retest reliability were observed. Criterion validity was established by significant correlations between the PUTS, the YGTSS, the CY-BOCS, and scores of the SPAS. Factor analyses supported a single-factor model of the SPAS, in which the five items each showed a factor loading above 0.6.ConclusionThis study demonstrated that the SPAS is reliable and valid and, thus, can serve as a good and concise measure of clinical symptoms among children and adolescents with TD.

Pulmonary fibrosis (PF) is a chronic and progressive disease characterized by fibrosis and interstitial pneumonia. It has similar clinical symptoms to “Fei Bi” and “Fei Wei” as described in the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) classic Jingui Yaolue written by Zhang Zhongjing in the Han Dynasty. This study explored the potential of Maimendong Decoction (MMDD). MMDD consists of Ophiopogon japonicus (L.f) (ophiopogonis), Pinellia ternata (Thunb.) Breit. (pinellia), Panax ginseng C. A. Mey. (ginseng), Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch. (glycyrrhiza), Zizi phus jujuba Mill. (jujuba), and Oryza sativa L. (oryza sativa), with the function of nourishing the lung and stomach, and reducing the effect of reverse qi. It has been used clinically for over two thousand years to treat conditions like “Fei Bi” and “Fei Wei”. Previous research suggests that MMDD and its individual herbal extracts have anti-fibrotic effects. The main focus of MMDD in treating PF is to reduce inflammatory cytokines, inhibit pro-fibrotic factors and oxidative stress, promote differentiation and homing of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells, and enhance cell autophagy activity. This review summarized the clinical applications, mechanisms, and pharmacological effects of MMDD in treating PF based on existing clinical applications and experimental research. It also discussed current issues and prospects, aiming to provide a reference for further research on the mechanism of PF, drug development, and clinical trials.

BackgroundVocal features have been exploited to distinguish depression from healthy controls. While there have been some claims for success, the degree to which changes in vocal features are specific to depression has not been systematically studied. Hence, we examined the performances of vocal features in differentiating depression from bipolar disorder (BD), schizophrenia and healthy controls, as well as pairwise classifications for the three disorders.MethodsWe sampled 32 bipolar disorder patients, 106 depression patients, 114 healthy controls, and 20 schizophrenia patients. We extracted i-vectors from Mel-frequency cepstrum coefficients (MFCCs), and built logistic regression models with ridge regularization and 5-fold cross-validation on the training set, then applied models to the test set. There were seven classification tasks: any disorder versus healthy controls; depression versus healthy controls; BD versus healthy controls; schizophrenia versus healthy controls; depression versus BD; depression versus schizophrenia; BD versus schizophrenia.ResultsThe area under curve (AUC) score for classifying depression and bipolar disorder was 0.5 (F-score = 0.44). For other comparisons, the AUC scores ranged from 0.75 to 0.92, and the F-scores ranged from 0.73 to 0.91. The model performance (AUC) of classifying depression and bipolar disorder was significantly worse than that of classifying bipolar disorder and schizophrenia (corrected p

BackgroundTourette syndrome (TS) is a developmental neuropsychiatric disorder. Behavior therapy, especially habit reversal training (HRT), has gradually become regarded as one of the core therapies for TS. Mindfulness approaches can improve psychological adjustment and reduce stress and anxiety, suggesting potential benefits when incorporated into behavior therapy. To improve the efficacy of HRT, we combined it with mindfulness, an approach named mindfulness-based habitual reversal training (MHRT). The aim of this protocol is to investigate the efficacy and neural mechanisms of MHRT for TS.Methods/designWe will perform a randomized control trial (RCT) to evaluate the efficacy and neural mechanisms of MHRT. The sample will include 160 participants (including 120 patients with TS and 40 healthy controls). The patient sample will be randomly divided into three groups exposed to three different types of training: MHRT, HRT, and psychoeducation and supportive therapy (PST). Participants will be assessed and undergo resting-state fMRI scans at baseline and at the end of the 12-week training. The Yale Global Tic Severity Scale (YGTSS) and Premonitory Urge for Tic Scale (PUTS) will be used to assess the severity of tic symptoms and premonitory urges. The primary outcomes are change scores on the YGTSS and other assessments from baseline and the end of the training. The secondary outcomes are the neural correlates of these trainings among these groups based on graph theory, which is used to characterize brain functional connectivity networks. The default mode network (DMN) and the salience network (SN) will be assessed (which have been associated with mindfulness as well as the generation of tic symptoms) by network parameters, including clustering coefficients and shortest path lengths. Changes in these network parameters will be regarded as the neural correlates of the behavioral training.DiscussionMHRT was newly developed for the treatment of TS. MHRT may lead to greater reductions in tic severity than traditional HRT. Changes in the network parameters of the DMN and SN may show associations with the efficacy of MHRT.Clinical trial registrationhttp://www.chictr.org.cn, ChiCTR2100053077, China.

To reveal the heat source and its formation mechanism of the northern Yadong-Gulu rift (YGR), we analyzed the helium isotope, carbon isotope (δ13CCO2), and CO2/3He and CH4/3He ratios of hot spring gases for tracing the source of volatiles and discussing their geological significance. The results show the following: helium is mainly derived from the crust, and the radioactive decay of the thicker crust and granites provided more 4He to the low helium isotopes; thermal decomposition of carbonate rocks is the main source of CO2; CH4 may be of organic origin. To sum up, the gas geochemical characteristics of hot springs in the northern YGR indicate that the volatiles are mainly derived from the crust. The crust/mantle heat flow ratios (qc/qm) calculated by helium isotopes cover a range of 0.84–1.48, suggesting that the heat is mainly contributed by the crust. The crustal origin gas and heat flow demonstrates that the heat source beneath the northern YGR is formed by the process of interior crust. Combined with geophysical data, we suggest that the stress heat caused by the collision of the Indo-Eurasian plate and the radiant heating of the crust lead to the heat source (partial melting) and provide heat for thermal activities.