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Deciphering signaling mechanisms critical for the extended pluripotent stem cell (EPSC) state and primed pluripotency is necessary for understanding embryonic development. Here, a membrane protein, podocalyxin-like protein 1 (PODXL) as being essential for extended and primed pluripotency, is identified. Alteration of PODXL expression levels affects self-renewal, protein expression of c-MYC and telomerase, and induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) and EPSC colony formation. PODXL is the first membrane protein reported to regulate de novo cholesterol biosynthesis, and human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) are more sensitive to cholesterol depletion than fibroblasts. The addition of exogenous cholesterol fully restores PODXL knockdown-mediated loss of pluripotency. PODXL affects lipid raft dynamics via the regulation of cholesterol. PODXL recruits the RAC1/CDC42/actin network to regulate SREBP1 and SREBP2 maturation and lipid raft dynamics. Single-cell RNA sequencing reveals PODXL overexpression enhanced chimerism between human cells in mouse host embryos (hEPSCs 57%). Interestingly, in the human-mouse chimeras, laminin and collagen signaling-related pathways are dominant in PODXL overexpressing cells. It is concluded that cholesterol regulation via PODXL signaling is critical for ESC/EPSC.

Objective To determine the prevalence of traumatic experience (TE) among patients in psychiatric settings in Hong Kong and the associations between TE and levels of distress and anxiety and depressive symptoms. Methods 129 patients who have received inpatient psychiatric services were recruited. Their lifetime TE was assessed using the Life Event Checklist (LEC), and TE in psychiatric settings using the Psychiatric Experiences Questionnaire (PEQ). Their level of distress symptoms was assessed using the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R), and the level of anxiety and depressive symptoms using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Results The prevalence of direct and indirect TE was 84.5%, as was the prevalence of TE in psychiatric settings. Common TE in psychiatric settings included witnessing another patient being taken down (61.2%), being put in restraints of any kind (41.1%), and witnessing another patient being physically assaulted by another patient (36.4%). TE in psychiatric settings associated with high prevalence of severe or extreme distress 1 week after the event included being forced to take medication against their will (52.2%), being threatened with physical violence (52.2%), and experiencing a physical assault (50.0%). Lifetime TE (the total number of LEC items reported) was associated with severity of distress and anxiety and depressive symptoms, whereas TE in psychiatric settings (the total number of PEQ items reported) was associated with severity of distress only. The total number of LEC items reported is the only predictor of levels of distress and anxiety and depressive symptoms. Conclusions Lifetime TE and TE in psychiatric settings are common among patients with SMI. Trauma-informed care is suggested for mental health services.

Infertility is one of the important problems in the modern world. Male infertility is characterized by several clinical manifestations, including low sperm production (oligozoospermia), reduced sperm motility (asthenozoospermia), and abnormal sperm morphology (teratozoospermia). WDR4, known as Wuho, controls fertility in Drosophila. However, it is unclear whether WDR4 is associated with clinical manifestations of male fertility in human. Here, we attempted to determine the physiological functions of WDR4 gene. Two cohorts were applied to address this question. The first cohort was the general population from Taiwan Biobank. Genomic profiles from 68,948 individuals and 87 common physiological traits were applied for phenome-wide association studies (PheWAS). The second cohort comprised patients with male infertility from Wan Fang Hospital, Taipei Medical University. In total, 81 male participants were recruited for the genetic association study. Clinical records including gender, age, total testosterone, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), total sperm number, sperm motility, and sperm morphology were collected. In the first cohort, results from PheWAS exhibited no associations between WDR4 genetic variants and 87 common physiological traits. In the second cohort, a total of four tagging single-nucleotide polymorphisms (tSNPs) from WDR4 gene (rs2298666, rs465663, rs2248490, and rs3746939) were selected for genotyping. We found that SNP rs465663 solely associated with asthenozoospermia. Functional annotations through the GTEx portal revealed the correlation between TT or TC genotype and low expression of WDR4. Furthermore, we used mouse embryonic fibroblasts cells from mwdr4 heterozygous (+/‒) mice for functional validation by western blotting. Indeed, low expression of WDR4 contributed to ROS-induced DNA fragmentation. In conclusion, our results suggest a critical role of WDR4 gene variant as well as protein expression in asthenozoospermia.

Introduction: Community mental health services in Hong Kong follow a multi-disciplinary case management model. We investigated whether at-risk patients received higher intensity care and whether risk stratification concorded between personalised care programmes and integrated community centres of mental wellness. Methods: Records of all patients in North Lantau and Mongkok districts who received case management services (from personalised care programmes and/or integrated community centres of mental wellness) between 1 April 2014 and 30 June 2015 were reviewed. Patients' levels of risk, demographic data, and clinical characteristics were analysed. Results: Identified at-risk patients received high-intensity care from personalised care programmes and integrated community centres of mental wellness. Case management was coordinated between the Hospital Authority and non-government organisations. However, risk stratification did not correlate with assessment rating scores of psychopathology or psychosocial functioning. Assessment rating scales appear unsuitable to provide any optimal cut-off scores for risk stratification. Conclusions: Risk stratification should be a structured clinical judgement based on comprehensive and accurate information of protective and risk factors, rather than relying on cut-off scores of assessment rating scales.

The brain is highly enriched in the long-chain omega-3 (n-3) PUFA DHA. Due to the limited capacity for local DHA synthesis in the brain, it relies on a continual supply from the circulation to replenish metabolized DHA. Previous studies investigating brain DHA turnover and metabolism have relied on isotope tracers to determine brain fatty acid kinetics; however, this approach is cumbersome and costly. We applied natural abundance carbon isotope ratio analysis via high-precision gas chromatography combustion isotope ratio mass spectrometry, without the use of labeled tracers, to determine the half-life of brain DHA in mice following a dietary switch experiment. Mice fed diets containing either α-linolenic acid (ALA) or DHA as the sole dietary n-3 PUFA were switched onto diets containing ALA, DHA, or ALA + DHA at 6 weeks of age, while control mice were maintained on their respective background diet. We measured brain DHA carbon isotope ratios (reported as δ(13)C(DHA) signatures) over a 168-day time course. Brain δ(13)C(DHA) signatures of control mice maintained on background diets over the time course were stable (P > 0.05). Brain δ(13)C(DHA) signatures of mice switched to the DHA or ALA + DHA diet from the ALA diet changed over time, yielding brain incorporation half-lives of 40 and 34 days, respectively. These half-lives determined by natural abundance carbon isotope ratio analysis were consistent with estimates from kinetic isotope tracer studies. Our results demonstrate the feasibility of natural abundance carbon isotope ratio analysis in the study of fatty acid metabolism without the use of isotopically labeled fatty acid tracers.

Wuho known as WDR4 encodes a highly conserved WD40-repeat protein, which has known homologues of WDR4 in human and mouse. Wuho-FEN1 interaction may have a critical role in the growth and development, and in the maintenance of genome stability. However, how Wuho gene deletion contributes to cell growth inhibition and apoptosis is still unknown. We utilized CAGGCre-ER transgenic mice have a tamoxifen-inducible cre-mediated recombination cassette to prepare primary mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) with Wuho deficiency. We have demonstrated that Wuho deficiency would induces γH2AX protein level elevation, heterochromatin relaxation and DNA damage down-stream sequences, including p53 activation, caspase-mediated apoptotic pathway, and p21-mediated G2/M cell cycle arrest.

Mandy H Chan,1 Patrick WL Leung,2 Ting-pong Ho,3 Se-fong Hung,4 Chi-chiu Lee,5 Chun-pan Tang,5 Ka-chai Cheung,2 Fung-yee Ching,2 Fefe HK Chan,6 Lu-hua Chen,2 Merce Garcia-Barcelo,7 Pak-chung Sham3 1Department of Clinical Psychology, Kowloon Hospital, Hospital Authority, 2Department of Psychology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, 3Department of Psychiatry, University of Hong Kong, 4Department of Psychiatry, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, 5Department of Psychiatry, Kwai Chung Hospital, Hospital Authority, 6Department of Clinical Psychology, Alice Ho Mui Ling Nethersole Hospital, Hospital Authority, 7Department of Surgery, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People’s Republic of China Background: Methylphenidate (MPH) has been found to be an effective medication for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). However, there are neither consistent nor sufficient findings on whether psychiatric comorbidities and associated cognitive functions of ADHD are related to treatment response to MPH in ADHD children.Objectives: This study investigated whether psychiatric comorbidities, IQ, and neurocognitive deficits are related to treatment response to MPH in ADHD children. In some ways, it is preferable to have a drug that the effectiveness of which to a disorder is not affected by its associated cognitive functions and psychiatric comorbidities. On the other hand, it is likely that the baseline symptom severity of ADHD is associated with the effectiveness of MPH treatment on the symptoms post treatment.Methods: A total of 149 Chinese boys (aged 6–12years) with ADHD, combined type, and normal IQ participated in this study. Assessment of ADHD symptom severity was conducted pre and post MPH treatment, while assessment of psychiatric comorbidities, IQ, and neurocognitive deficits was performed in a non-medicated condition. Treatment response was defined as the ADHD symptom severity post MPH treatment.Results: Results indicated that MPH treatment was effective, significantly improving the ADHD condition. Yet, comorbid disorders, IQ, and neurocognitive deficits were not related to MPH treatment response on ADHD symptoms. These findings indicated that the effectiveness of MPH was not affected by psychiatric comorbidities and associated cognitive functions of ADHD. Instead, as expected, it was the baseline symptom severity that was mainly related to the treatment response, ie, the milder the baseline condition, the better the treatment response.Conclusion: The current findings positively endorse the widespread clinical use of MPH for treating ADHD. It improves the behavioral symptoms of ADHD regardless of varying psychiatric comorbidities, IQ, and neurocognitive deficits. Keywords: ADHD, psychiatric comorbidities, cognitive functions, treatment response, methylphenidate

We report four cases of fatal pulmonary embolism confirmed by autopsy among inpatients in a Hong Kong psychiatric hospital from 2010 to 2014. None of the four patients had a medical or premorbid condition associated with vascular thromboembolism or causing prolonged immobilisation. Only two patients were taking long-term antipsychotic medication, but all were physically restrained shortly before the event.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are widely considered to be an attractive cell source for regenerative therapies, but maintaining multipotency and self-renewal in cultured MSCs is especially challenging. Hence, the development and mechanistic description of strategies that help promote multipotency in MSCs will be vital to future clinical use. Here, using an array of techniques and approaches, including cell biology, RT-quantitative PCR, immunoblotting, immunofluorescence, flow cytometry, and ChIP assays, we show that the extracellular domain of epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) (EpEX) significantly increases the levels of pluripotency factors through a signaling cascade that includes epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), and Lin-28 homolog A (LIN28) and enhances the proliferation of human bone marrow MSCs. Moreover, we found that EpEX-induced LIN28 expression reduces the expression of the microRNA LET7 and up-regulates that of the transcription factor high-mobility group AT-hook 2 (HMGA2), which activates the transcription of pluripotency factors. Surprisingly, we found that EpEX treatment also enhances osteogenesis of MSCs under differentiation conditions, as evidenced by increases in osteogenic markers, including Runt-related transcription factor 2 (RUNX2). Taken together, our results indicate that EpEX stimulates EGFR signaling and thereby context-dependently controls MSC states and activities, promoting cell proliferation and multipotency under maintenance conditions and osteogenesis under differentiation conditions.

Background Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is characterized with inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity, while Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is characterized with impaired social communication and interaction, restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior and activities. Phenotypically, both appear to be quite different. However, clinically it has been found that 20–50% ADHD children meet diagnostic criteria for ASD, while 30–80% ASD children meet diagnostic criteria for ADHD. These rates of comorbidity between the two disorders imply that they may share underlying etiologies. Although recent evidence has suggested a genetic overlap between ADHD and ASD, little progress has been made so far to identify the specific genes involved. The shank synaptic scaffold proteins, which are encoded by SHANK genes and located at the post-synaptic density of glutamatergic synapses, have been reported to be associated with a number of psychiatric disorders, including ADHD and ASD, separately. The aim of the current study is to investigate whether there is a genetic overlap between ADHD and ASD in SHANK genes. Methods In the present study, only male children with Chinese ethnicity, aged between 6 to 12 years, were included. 298 ADHD family trios (including ADHD children without ASD and their biological fathers and mothers), 134 ASD children without ADHD, and 109 children with both ASD and ADHD were recruited from public hospitals in Hong Kong. 232 normal control children were recruited from local primary schools. A number of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from SHANK2 and SHANK3 were selected for genotyping. After quality control, 14 SNPs from SHANK2 and 7 SNPs from SHANK3 were included for data analyses. For ADHD family trios’ data, we constructed ADHD cases and matched pseudo-control, which were based on transmitted and un-transmitted parental alleles using the Haplotype-Relative-Risk (HRR) principle. The pseudo-control supplemented the normal control to increase the statistical power. Likewise, ASD children with or without ADHD were also paired with samples of normal control and pseudo-control for association analysis. PLINK and KGG were used for statistical association analyses at SNP-level and gene-level, respectively. Results When association analysis was done between ADHD children without ASD and samples of normal control and pseudo-control, the T allele of rs7106631 of SHANK2 significantly decreased the ADHD risk (p=0.001, OR=0.70). When allele frequencies’ comparisons were conducted between ASD children with or without ADHD and samples of normal control and pseudo-control, the same protective effect of rs7106631 T allele was identified with OR=0.74 (p=0.011). Further association analysis conducted between all clinical children (i.e., ADHD children without ASD & ASD children with or without ADHD) and samples of normal control and pseudo-control yielded more significant results for rs7106631 (p=0.0003, OR=0.72). Additionally, significant associations were found for other SHANK2 SNPs, namely, rs7113016 (p=0.027), rs1073294 (p=0.008), rs11236616 (p=0.003), rs10899158 (p=0.048), and rs9888288 (p=0.004). However, no significant result was detected for SNPs of SHANK3. Subsequent gene-level analysis based on whole dataset suggested the significant role of SHANK2 in both ADHD and ASD (gene-level p=0.003). Discussion Consistent with previous findings in Western populations, this current study provides additional evidence for the significant association of SHANK2 with ASD from a Chinese population. A new finding rarely reported in previous studies is the association of SHANK2 with ADHD. This implies a shared genetic susceptibility between ADHD and ASD. Both disorders do share a number of characteristics, including male preponderance, increased level of oxidative stress, and abnormal neuronal connectivity, reflecting potentially common underlying neurodevelopmental abnormality. Speculatively, the identification of SHANK2 from this current candidate gene study as associating to both ADHD and ASD may provide the common genetic etiology to explain their shared characteristics and higher-than-chance comorbidity. Further studies examining the functional abnormalities of the identified gene, SHANK2, are warranted in the future.

Many studies currently researching marine invertebrates to determine the therapeutic potential of their bioactive materials have been showing very promising results. The crown-of-thorns starfish Acanthaster planci, an Echinodermata of the class Asteroidea, is infamous as the unique venomous starfish and as a destroyer of coral reefs. Starfish possesses many useful pharmacological and biological characteristics. In this study, A. planci was extracted with 70% ethanol and lyophilized to obtain an ethanol fraction. The ethanol fraction was dissolved with water and defatted with petroleum ether to obtain a non-polar fraction. The residual solution was successively partitioned with ethylacetate and butanol to obtain an ethylacetate fraction and butanol fraction, respectively. Four fractions were used to examine the antioxidant and anticancer properties. The ethanol fraction of A. planci contained the highest antioxidant effects such as ABTS, DPPH, Fe(2+) chelating activity and reducing power when compared with four fractions. Among the four fractions, the butanol fraction was especially shown to inhibit human malignant melanoma A375.S2 cells' proliferation, which is involved in the apoptotic progression. This fraction could induce apoptosis and even necrosis in A375.S2 cells as evidenced by double staining with an Annexin V-FITC and PI assay and DNA fragmentation analysis. These results indicated that the starfish A. planci is a good resource for obtaining the biologically active substances for antioxidant and anticancer effects.

The 48-basepair (48-bp) variable number tandem repeat (VNTR) polymorphism in exon 3 of the dopamine receptor D4 gene (DRD4) is implicated in the etiology of attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). In particular, ADHD in European-ancestry population is associated with an increased prevalence of the 7-repeat (7R) allele of the exon 3 VNTR. However, it is intriguing to note that the 7R allele has been found to be of very low prevalence in the Chinese general population. In a previous case-control study, our research team had found that the 7R allele was similarly absent in Chinese ADHD children in Hong Kong. Instead, there was an increased prevalence of the 2R allele in Chinese ADHD children. Interestingly, in Asian samples, the 2R allele had been found to be an evolutionary derivative of the 7R allele with equivalent biochemical functionality. So, the finding of an association between ADHD and 2R allele in Chinese population does not exactly contradict the original 7R allele finding in European-ancestry population. However, given the potential pitfall of population stratification in the previous case-control design, this current study tested the 2R allele and ADHD association using a methodologically more rigorous family-based approach on 33 Chinese ADHD probands who had favorable clinical responses to stimulant medication (methylphenidate). Haplotype Relative Risk (HRR) analysis and Transmission Disequilibrium Test (TDT) both showed a significant preferential transmission of the 2R allele from the biological parents to ADHD probands (pone-tailed = 0.038, OR = 2.04; pone-tailed = 0.048, OR = 2.29, respectively). A second hypothesis speculates that it is the deviation, including 7R and 2R alleles, from the conserved ancestral 4R allele which confers risk to ADHD. Thus, a preferential transmission of non-4R alleles, against the 4R allele, from biological parents to their ADHD probands is predicted. Both HRR analysis and TDT confirmed such prediction (pone-tailed = 0.029, OR = 2.07; pone-tailed = 0.032, OR = 2.43, respectively). This study re-confirmed the original finding of a previous study that in Chinese population, the 2R allele of the DRD4 exon 3 VNTR was related to ADHD. This endorses the general thesis that DRD4 exon 3 VNTR polymorphism is related to ADHD, despite that the exact length or number of repeats of the associated alleles varies across ethnicity. This in turn supports the dopamine dysregulation theory of ADHD.

This study reports on a cytotoxic toxin derived from the venom of the crown-of-thorns starfish Acanthaster planci (CAV). The protein toxin was isolated through both ion-exchange and gel-filtration chromatography, and characterized by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and mass spectrum analyzes. The CAV was identified as plancitoxin I protein. The mechanistic role of the CAV toxin was explored in human malignant melanoma A375.S2 cell death. The results indicated that after incubation with CAV toxin, cells significantly decreased in A375.S2 cell viability and increased in the lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) level in a dose-dependent manner. The assays indicated that CAV toxin promoted reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, induced nitric oxide (NO) formation, lost mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm) and induced inter-nucleosomal DNA fragmentation in A375.S2 cells. The molecular cytotoxicity of the CAV toxin was tested through evaluation of the apoptosis/necrosis ratio by double staining with annexin V-FITC and a propidium iodide (PI) assay. The results suggested that CAV toxin induced a cytotoxic effect in A375.S2 cells via the apoptotic procedure, and may be associated with the regulation of the p38 pathways. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Language: en

Kwai Chung Hospital has undergone the deinstitutionalisation process with a number of projects, beginning with a pilot to test the case management model and psycho-education for the care of people with chronic mental illness, followed by a RCT (randomised control trial) study which confirmed the efficacy of case management, and the Intervention for Frequent Readmitters project which confirmed the efficacy of assertive community treatment for a group of patients who had problems living in the community. Since 2010, the hospital has adopted the recovery movement that involves shifting its paradigm, altering its environment, training staff, and developing recovery practices and peer support for the betterment of living for the people it serves.

The cytotoxic effects of the crown-ofthorns starfish Acanthaster planci spine venom (ASV) in five cell lines, including human neuroblastoma (SHSY5Y), human hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2), human melanoma (A375.S2), human skin fibroblast (CCD-966SK) and mouse macrophage-like cell (RAW 264.7) were assayed. The results indicated that ASV showed cytotoxic effects depending on dose in these five cell lines. Specifically, ASV significantly inhibited the proliferation of human melanoma cell line A375.S2 at 10 μg/mL, indicating A. planci spine venom could be utilized as potential chemotherapeutic agent in the treatment of cancer. The cytotoxicity of ASV to human melanoma cell line A375.S2 was relatively well retained at temperature less than 40°C, and sharply lost at temperature more than 80°C. The cytotoxicity of ASV also sharply lost at extreme pH environments (pH 2 and 12). The cytotoxicity of ASV was attenuated when treated with Cu2+ and anti-oxidant N-acetylcysteine. After SDS-PAGE analysis, ASV showed the major protein components ranging from 10 kDa to 37 kDa.

Additional file 1. Figures of array CGH data.

ObjectiveThis study examined the effectiveness of assertive community treatment (ACT) for a group of psychiatric patients in Hong Kong with frequent hospital admissions.MethodsThe study compared hospitalization and other outcomes among participants of a two-year ACT intervention and a control group who had received treatment as usual two years earlier. The patients were Chinese adult psychiatric patients who had three or more admissions in the 12 months before the study.ResultsSeventy patients were recruited for each group. Although all the outcome measures decreased with time for both groups, repeated-measures analysis of variance indicated that the treatment group had significantly greater reductions in readmission rate, length of stay, and total days between a missed medical appointment and the next service contact.ConclusionsACT was effective in reducing hospitalization and enhancing service contacts for a group of Chinese psychiatric patients with frequent hospital admissions.

BackgroundChildren with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have difficulties with executive function and impulse control which may improve with age.AimsTo map the brain correlates of executive function in ADHD and determine age-related changes in reaction times and brain volumes.MethodAttention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and control groups were compared on the change task measures of response inhibition (stop signal reaction time, SSRT) and shifting (change response reaction time, CRRT). Voxel-wise magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) correlations of reaction times and grey matter volume were determined, along with bivariate correlations of reaction times, brain volumes and age.ResultsIndividuals in the ADHD group had longer SSRTs and CRRTs. Anterior cingulate, striatal and medial temporal volumes highly correlated with SSRT. Striatal and cerebellar volumes strongly correlated with CRRT. Older children had faster reaction times and larger regional brain volumes. In controls, orbitofrontal, medial temporal and cerebellar volumes correlated with CRRT but not SSRT. Neither reaction times nor regional brain volumes were strongly age-dependent.ConclusionsOur evidence supports delayed brain maturation in ADHD and implies that some features of ADHD improve with age.

The crown-of-thorns starfish Acanthaster planci is a venomous starfish whose venom provokes strong cytotoxicity. In the present study, the purified cytotoxic toxin of A. planci venom (CAV) was identified as plancitoxin I protein by mass spectrum analyses. This study aims to investigate the molecular mechanism underlying the cytotoxicity function of plancitoxin I by focusing on the oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress pathway in human melanoma A375.S2 cells. The results indicated that after being treated with CAV toxin, A375.S2 cells significantly decreased viability in a dose-dependent manner. The CAV was found to reduce the cellular antioxidant enzymes such as SOD and CAT, and there was a significant decrease in total thiol level and mtDNA integrity, and it enhanced the lipid peroxidation. In addition, CAV increased cytosolic Ca(2+) concentration, and enhanced the expression of the ER molecular chaperones GRP78 and CHOP in a dose-dependent manner. CAV significantly elevated the activity of caspase-3, -8 and -9, and reduced the ratio of Bcl-2/Bax. The cells exhibited apoptosis were determined by using propidium iodide (PI) staining of DNA fragmentation (sub-G1 peak). In summary, the results demonstrated that plancitoxin I inhibits the proliferation of A375.S2 cells through induction of oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction and ER stress associated apoptosis.

Background: Psychometric properties of the Chinese version of CBCL, TRF, and YSR were understudied. This study aimed at examining their test–retest reliability and criterion validity. Methods: Three Chinese community and clinic samples were recruited in Hong Kong. The parents, teachers, and youths respectively completed the CBCL, TRF, and YSR. Results: The Chinese CBCL, TRF, and YSR were test–retest reliable and valid. However, there was score/case attenuation at retest. CBCL and TRF appeared to screen externalizing and ADHD problems better, while YSR screened internalizing problems better. Conclusions: Clinicians should be cautious about score/case attenuation at retest while using CBCL, TRF, and YSR to chart patients’ progress. They should also recognize their different strengths in screening various disorders.

The crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci) is a venomous starfish. In this study, the extraction of A. planci spine venom (ASV) was performed by phosphate saline buffer, followed by assaying the cytotoxicity on human normal and tumor cells. It was found that human melanoma cells (A375.S2) were the most sensitive to the ASV solution. The cells, after incubation with ASV, significantly appeared to decrease cell viability and increase lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release with a dose-dependent relationship. The extract of spine promoted loss of mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm) and induced inter-nucleosomal DNA fragmentation in human melanoma cells. The cells exhibited apoptosis by using propidium iodide (PI) staining of DNA fragmentation; it was then determined by flow cytometry (sub-G1 peak). The molecular cytotoxicity of ASV was tested through evaluation of the apoptosis/necrosis ratio by double staining with annexin V and PI assay. The A. planci spine venom showed significant antiproliferation. The human melanoma cells revealed apoptosis at low dose (1.25 μg/ml), and necrosis occurred at high dose (5 μg/ml).

This study examined the prevalence and risk of psychiatric disturbances and suicidal behaviours among the peers of suicide attempters and completers. The subjects were selected from high schools with and without history of student suicides in the past 3 years. The psychiatric disturbances (as measured by the YSR and CBCL), suicidal behaviours, drug use, and a wide range of potential risk factors were measured. About a quarter of the peers of suicide completers and attempters were probable psychiatric cases and 15-21% of them reported suicidal acts. The increased risk of psychiatric disturbances and suicidal behaviours were still evident after controlling for age, sex, and potential risk factors. The presence of psychiatric disturbances could not wholly account for the increased odds of suicidal behaviours. Peers of suicide attempters carried a higher risk than peers of suicide completers. The close friends of suicide completers were particularly at risk of internalising problems, whereas the close friends of suicide attempters were at high risk of externalising problems. The peers of suicide completers and attempters represent a high-risk group for psychiatric disturbances and suicidal behaviours. The specific association of different types of psychiatric disturbances in the peers of suicide completers and attempters suggested that different risk mechanisms might be in operation within these peer groups.

Background : The crown-of-thorns starfish Acanthaster planci is a venomous species from Taiwan whose venom provokes strong hemolytic activity. To understand the hemolytic properties of A. planci venom, samples were collected from A. planci spines in the Penghu Islands, dialyzed with distilled water, and lyophilized into A. planci spine venom (ASV) powder. Results : Both crude venom and ASV cause 50% hemolysis at a concentration of 20 μg/mL. The highest hemolytic activity of ASV was measured at pH 7.0-7.4; ASV-dependent hemolysis was sharply reduced when the pH was lower than 3 or greater than 8. There was almost no hemolytic activity when the Cu2+ concentration was increased to 10 mM. Furthermore, incubation at 100°C for 30 to 60 minutes sharply decreased the hemolytic activity of ASV. After treatment with the protease α-chymotrypsin, the glycoside hydrolase cellulase, and the membrane component cholesterin, the hemolytic activity of ASV was significantly inhibited. Conclusions : The results of this study provide fundamental information about A. planci spine venom. The hemolytic activity was affected by pH, temperature, metal ions, EDTA, cholesterin, proteases, and glycoside hydrolases. ASV hemolysis was inhibited by Cu2+, cholesterin, α-chymotrypsin, and cellulose, factors that might prevent the hemolytic activity of venom and provide the medical treatment for sting.

Deficits in facial emotion recognition have been recognised in Chinese patients diagnosed with schizophrenia. This study examined the relationship between chronicity of illness and performance of facial emotion recognition in Chinese with schizophrenia. There were altogether four groups of subjects matched for age and gender composition. The first and second groups comprised medically stable outpatients with first-episode schizophrenia ( n = 50) and their healthy controls ( n = 26). The third and fourth groups were patients with chronic schizophrenic illness ( n = 51) and their controls ( n = 28). The ability to recognise the six prototypical facial emotions was examined using locally validated coloured photographs from the Japanese and Caucasian Facial Expressions of Emotion. Chinese patients with schizophrenia, in both the first-episode and chronic stages, performed significantly worse than their control counterparts on overall facial emotion recognition, ( P 0.001), with specific impairment in identifying surprise, fear and disgust. The level of deficit was similar at the two stages of illness. Findings suggest that impaired recognition of facial emotion did not appear to have worsened over the course of disease progression, suggesting that recognition of facial emotion is a rather stable trait of the illness. The emotion-specific deficit may have implications for understanding the social difficulties in schizophrenia.

To provide preliminary prevalence estimates of common DSM-IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders—4th Edition) disorders in a sample of Hong Kong Chinese adolescents. 541 Chinese adolescents were recruited from Grades 7, 8 and 9 of 28 mainstream high schools in Hong Kong (mean age=13.8 years; SD=1.2). The adolescents and their parents were separately administered the Youth and Parent versions of DISC-IV (Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children-Version 4), respectively. Based upon both symptom and impairment criteria, as required by DSM-IV, the overall prevalence estimate of DSM-IV disorders in our sample of Chinese adolescents was 16.4%. Estimates for such individual disorders/diagnostic groupings as anxiety disorders, depressive disorders, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), conduct disorder (CD), and substance use disorders were 6.9, 1.3, 3.9, 6.8, 1.7, and 1.1%, respectively. These rates were largely compatible with those reported in previous studies with perhaps lower rates of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), depressive disorders, CD, and substance use disorders, but a higher rate of ODD. The rate of ADHD was somewhat higher, but this might reflect the current DSM-IV diagnostic practice. The rate of anxiety disorders was not as high as predicted from some previous questionnaire surveys. The application of an impairment criterion had discernible impacts on prevalence estimates, greater on anxiety and substance use disorders, but smaller on depressive and disruptive behavior disorders. There was a lack of gender difference in rates of ODD and CD. While the findings reported here are broadly compatible with those of other studies, there may be cross-cultural differences in rates of some individual disorders, e.g., GAD, depressive disorders, ODD, CD, and substance use disorders, as well as in gender difference regarding rates of ODD and CD. However, exact comparison between studies is confounded by methodological differences in sample characteristics, measures, and case definition. Standardization of methodology in epidemiological surveys should allow more precise identification of any within- or between-culture variations in prevalence estimation.

Background: Despite the huge youth population, there is a lack of psychiatric diagnostic instruments with reported psychometric properties in Chinese. This study reports the development of the Chinese version of DISC-IV and examines its test–retest reliability. Method: Seventy-eight parents and 79 youths (mean age 13.1 years) attending child psychiatric clinics were interviewed twice using the Chinese DISC-IV (Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children-IV) about 22 days apart. Results: The kappa coefficients were good to excellent for obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) (both youth (Y) and parent (P) versions), major depressive disorder (MDD) (P), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) (P); fair for anxiety disorder (P), oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) (P, Y), MDD (Y); but poor for anxiety disorder (Y) and ADHD (Y). Parent informants had better test–retest reliability than youth informants. Conclusions: The Chinese DISC-IV had comparable test–retest reliability with the original English version.

The DISC Predictive Scales-4.32 (DPS-4.32) were short-forms of the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children-IV (DISC-IV). The psychometric properties of DPS-4.32 were tested on two Chinese samples: a clinic sample of 83 children/youths, and a community sample of 541 youths. Both Parent and Youth DPS-4.32 exhibited good-to-excellent test-retest reliability. Their screening efficiency was examined respectively against DSM-IV diagnoses of the full-length Parent and Youth DISC-IV. Results indicated large AUCs (Area under Receiver—Operating Charateristic Curve), as well as high sensitivity, specificity, and negative predictive values, supporting the capability of DPS-4.32 to differentiate cases from noncases. DPS-4.32 held promise as efficient short-forms of DISC-IV, screening DSM-IV diagnoses. They were also applicable to the Chinese population, demonstrating their cross-cultural applicability.

Background Chromosomal microarray offers superior sensitivity for identification of submicroscopic copy number variants (CNV) and it is advocated to be the first tier genetic testing for patients with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In this regard, diagnostic yield of array comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) for ASD patients is determined in a cohort of Chinese patients in Hong Kong. Methods A combined adult and paediatric cohort of 68 Chinese ASD patients (41 patients in adult group and 27 patients in paediatric group). The genomic DNA extracted from blood samples were analysed by array CGH using NimbleGen CGX-135K oligonucleotide array. Results We identified 15 CNV and eight of them were clinically significant. The overall diagnostic yield was 11.8 %. Five clinically significant CNV were detected in the adult group and three were in the paediatric group, providing diagnostic yields of 12.2 and 11.1 % respectively. The most frequently detected CNV was 16p13.11 duplications which were present in 4 patients (5.9 % of the cohort). Conclusions In this study, a satisfactory diagnostic yield of array CGH was demonstrated in a Chinese ASD patient cohort which supported the clinical usefulness of array CGH as the first line testing of ASD in Hong Kong. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s40169-016-0098-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.