A Pictorial Sexual Knowledge Scale for Male High School Students with Intellectual Disabilities in Taiwan

Sexuality and Disability - The aim of this study was to develop a pictorial scale for use in assessing the sexual knowledge of male high school students with intellectual disabilities studying at...     

The Ethanol Extract from Lonicera japonica Thunb. Regresses Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis in a Methionine- and Choline-Deficient Diet-Fed Animal Model

Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is characterized as fat accumulation in the hepatic tissue associated with various degrees of inflammation and progressive fibrosis. The potent anti-inflammatory and ethnopharmacological properties of Lonicera japonica Thunb. (Caprifoliaceae) make it an excellent source of novel medicinal targets for the treatment of NASH. The aim of the study was to investigate the effects of L. japonica ethanol extract (LJEE) on NASH in mice. C57BL/6J mice were fed with methionine-choline-deficient diet (MCDD) for eight weeks to promote the development of NASH. After development of the model, the mice were administered LJEE once daily via oral gavage at doses of 100, 200, or 300 mg/kg for another four weeks. Simultaneous treatments with LJEE (300 mg/kg/day) resulted in pronounced improvements in liver steatosis, ballooning degeneration, and inflammation. LJEE prevented MCDD-induced plasma level increases in aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase. LJEE significantly reduced hepatic malondialdehyde level and ameliorated hepatic inflammation and fibrosis in MCDD-fed mice, which were associated with down-regulation of cytochrome P450 2E1 suppression of multiple proinflammatory and profibrotic genes. LJEE can prevent hepatic steatosis by reducing hepatic peroxisome acyl-CoA:diacylglycerol acyltransferase 2 expression, as well as by inducing proliferator-activated receptor α expression. In addition, the LJEE treatments caused significant reduction in the phosphorylated form of Jun N-terminal kinase along with an increase in the phosphorylated level of extra cellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2. Our study demonstrated the protective role of LJEE in ameliorating nutritional steatohepatitis.     

Time-average albumin predicts the long-term prognosis of IgA nephropathy patients achieved remission

Objective To clarify the long-term renal prognosis and related risk factors of progression for IgA nephropathy (IgAN) patients who achieved remission under current therapy. To identify the target value of the serum albumin level for Chinese patients with IgAN. Methods The patients with biopsy-proven primary IgAN in Nephrology Department of Renji Hospital in Shanghai were studied．The survival of renal and the relationships between clinical parameters and renal outcome were assessed. Results A total of 369 patients between Jan 2005 and Dec 2010 were included with a median follow-up time of 49.0 (38.0-65.8) months. All the subjects had achieved a complete remission (CR) or partial remission (PR) following six months’ therapy after diagnosis. Progressive renal disease had occurred in 61 cases at the end of follow-up. Three variables had a significant independent effect on renal outcome in patients achieving remission under current therapy regimen for IgAN, including time-average serum creatinine (TA-Scr) [HR(95%CI): 1.03(1.01-1.04)], time-average serum albumin (TA-Alb) [HR(95%CI): 0.83 (0.69-0.99)], and eGFR ratio within one year [HR(95%CI): 0.00(0.00-0.01)]. By multivariate Cox analyses, each 1 g/L drop of TA-Alb was related with 17.2% increase in the risk of renal progression. The ROC curve indicated that combination of serum albumin at baseline and during a long-term had a more significant value in prediction of renal outcome than independent predictor alone. By Kaplan-Meier analyses, patients with TA-Alb﹤38 g/L had a 10.4 fold sincreased risk of progressive disease compared with that of TA-Alb﹥38 g/L. Conclusions IgAN patients with lower eGFR ratio, higher TA-Scr and lower TA-Alb would progress to ESRD more quickly, and serum albumin during follow-up is important for predicting IgAN progression.     

Do miniscrews remain stationary under orthodontic forces?

Miniscrews have been used in recent years for anchorage in orthodontic treatment. However, it is not clear whether the miniscrews are absolutely stationary or move when force is applied. Sixteen adult patients with miniscrews (diameter = 2 mm, length = 17 mm) as the maxillary anchorage were included in this study. Miniscrews were inserted on the maxillary zygomatic buttress as a direct anchorage for en masse anterior retraction. Nickel-titanium closed-coil springs were placed for the retraction 2 weeks after insertion of the miniscrews. Cephalometric radiographs were taken immediately before force application (T1) and 9 months later (T2). The cephalometric tracings at T1 and T2 were superimposed for the overall best fit on the structures of the maxilla, cranial base, and cranial vault to determine any movement of the miniscrews. The miniscrews were also evaluated clinically for their mobility (0: no movement, 1: < or =0.5 mm, 2: 0.5-1.0 mm, 3: >1.0 mm). The mobility of all miniscrews was 0 at T1 and T2. On average, the miniscrews tipped forward significantly, by 0.4 mm at the screw head. The miniscrews were extruded and tipped forward (-1.0 to 1.5 mm) in 7 of the 16 patients. Miniscrews are a stable anchorage but do not remain absolutely stationary throughout orthodontic loading. They might move according to the orthodontic loading in some patients. To prevent miniscrews hitting any vital organs because of displacement, it is recommended that they be placed in a non-tooth-bearing area that has no foramen, major nerves, or blood vessel pathways, or in a tooth-bearing area allowing 2 mm of safety clearance between the miniscrew and dental root.     

Basal sympathetic predominance in periodic limb movements in sleep with obstructive sleep apnea

Because the impact of periodic limb movements in sleep (PLMS) is controversial, no consensus has been reached on the therapeutic strategy for PLMS in obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). To verify the hypothesis that PLMS is related to a negative impact on the cardiovascular system in OSA patients, this study investigated the basal autonomic regulation by heart rate variability (HRV) analysis. Sixty patients with mild‐to‐moderate OSA who underwent polysomnography (PSG) and completed sleep questionnaires were analysed retrospectively and divided into the PLMS group (n = 30) and the non‐PLMS group (n = 30). Epochs without any sleep events or continuous effects were evaluated using HRV analysis. No significant difference was observed in the demographic data, PSG parameters or sleep questionnaires between the PLMS and non‐PLMS groups, except for age. Patients in the PLMS group had significantly lower normalized high frequency (n‐HF), high frequency (HF), square root of the mean of the sum of the squares of difference between adjacent NN intervals (RMSSD) and standard deviation of all normal to normal intervals index (SDNN‐I), but had a higher normalized low frequency (n‐LF) and LF/HF ratio. There was no significant difference in the Epworth Sleepiness Scale, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, the Short‐Form 36 and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale between the two groups. After adjustment for confounding variables, PLMS remained an independent predictor of n‐LF (β = 0.0901, P = 0.0081), LF/HF ratio (β = 0.5351, P = 0.0361), RMSSD (β = ?20.1620, P = 0.0455) and n‐HF (β = ?0.0886, P = 0.0134). In conclusion, PLMS is related independently to basal sympathetic predominance and has a potentially negative impact on the cardiovascular system of OSA patients.