Differential perinatal risk factors in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder by subtype

We compared the attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder(ADHD) combined subtype (ADHD-C) to the ADHD inattentive subtype (ADHD-I) in terms of genetic, perinatal, and developmental risk factors as well as clinical and neuropsychological characteristics. A total of 147 children diagnosed with ADHD between the ages of 6 and 15 years participated in this study. The parents of the children completed the structured diagnostic interview, the ADHD Rating Scale-IV, the Children’s Behavior Checklist, and structured questionnaires on perinatal risk factors, and the children underwent a neuropsychological test and were genotyped. A total of 502 children without ADHD were recruited from the community as a healthy control group. The ADHD-C children showed more severe externalizing symptoms, showed more deficits in a continuous performance test, and were more likely to have comorbid disorders. Maternal stress during pregnancy, postpartum depression, and changes in the primary caretaker during first 3 years were significantly associated with both ADHD-I and ADHD-C. The ADHD-I group was less likely to have received regular prenatal check-ups and more likely to have had postnatal medical illness than the ADHD-C group. There were no significant differences in the genotype frequencies of the dopamine transporter (DAT1) and the serotonin transporter –linked polymorphic region (5-HTTLPR) polymorphisms between ADHD-I and ADHD-C groups. This study shows that the inattentive subtype of ADHD is different from the combined subtype in many parameters including severity of symptoms, comorbidity, neuropsychological characteristics, and environmental risk factors.     

Alterations of the DR5/TRAIL receptor 2 gene in non-small cell lung cancers

Chromosome 8p21-22 is a frequent site of allelic deletions in many types of human tumors, including non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand-receptor 2 (TRAIL-R2) is a cell-surface receptor involved in cell death signaling. The TRAIL-R2 gene recently has been mapped to chromosome 8p21-22. To explore the possibility that the TRAIL-R2 gene might be the relevant gene to the frequent deletion of 8p21-22 in NSCLC, we have analyzed the entire coding region and all splice sites of TRAIL-R2 for the detection of the somatic mutations in a series of 104 NSCLCs. Overall, 11 tumors (10.6%) were found to have TRAIL-R2 gene mutations in the death domain known to be involved in the transduction of an apoptotic signal. Our data indicate that somatic mutation of TRAIL-R2 may play a role in the pathogenesis of some NSCLCs and that the TRAIL-R2 gene is one of the genes relevant to the frequent loss of chromosome 8p21-22 in NSCLC.     

Neuroprotective effects of Alpinia katsumadai against neuronal damage in the gerbil hippocampus induced by transient cerebral ischemia

Alpinia katsumadai, one of the family Zingiberaceae, contains chalcone, flavonoids, diarylheptanoids, monoterpenes, sesquiterpenoids, stilbenes, and labdanes. It has been reported that the extract of Alpinia katsumadai seed (EAKS) has antiinflammatory effects, and enhances antioxidant activities. We observed the neuroprotective effects of EAKS against ischemic damage in gerbils received oral administrations of EAKS (50 mg/kg) once a day for 7 days before transient cerebral ischemia. In the EAKS-treated ischemia group, neuronal nuclei (NeuN, a marker for neurons)-immunoreactive pyramidal neurons were abundant (68.3% of the sham group) in the hippocampal CA1 region (CA1) 4 days after ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) compared to those in the vehicle-treated ischemia group (13.18%). We also observed that EAKS treatment significantly decreased the activation of astrocytes and microglia in the CA1 compared with the vehicle-treated ischemia group 4 days postischemia. In addition, protein levels of GFAP and Iba-1 in the EAKS-treated ischemia group were much lower than those in the vehicle-treated ischemia group 4 days after I/P. Our findings indicate that the repeated supplements of EAKS could protect neurons from an ischemic damage, showing that glial activation is markedly decreased in the ischemic area.     

Validating the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised in the Korean Population

ObjectiveThis study aimed to examine the validity of the Korean version of the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (K-ADI-R) and determine its efficacy in identifying individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). MethodsData were pooled from several past and ongoing studies as well as clinical records acquired at Seoul National University Bundang Hospital from 2008 to 2017. The K-ADI-R were administered and scored by trained research reliable examiners. Measurements to investigate the validity of the K-ADI-R was through sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive values (PPV), negative predictive values (NPV), and Cohen’s kappa. ResultsA total of 1,271 (age 88.9±62.42 months, male=927) participants were included. The K-ADI-R yielded strong psychometric properties with high sensitivity (86.06–99.27%), specificity (84.75–99.55%), PPV (92.33–99.72%), and NPV (79.43–98.64%). There were significant differences in item scores across the K-ADI-R diagnostic algorithm regardless of age and sex (p<0.001). Agreement between the K-ADI-R and other ASD related measurements ranged between levels of good to excellent. ConclusionDespite language or cultural boundaries, the K-ADI-R demonstrated high levels of sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV within a wide range of participants; hence, suggesting promising usage as a valuable diagnostic instrument for individuals with ASD.     

Brain-computer interface using fMRI: spatial navigation by thoughts

A brain-computer interface (BCI) is a way of conveying an individual's thoughts to control computer or electromechanical hardware. Capitalizing on the ability to characterize brain activity in a reproducible manner, we explored the possibility of using real-time fMRI to interpret the spatial distribution of brain function as BCI commands. Using a high-field (3T) MRI scanner, brain activities associated with four distinct covert functional tasks were detected and subsequently translated into predetermined computer commands for moving four directional cursors. The proposed fMRI-BCI method allowed volunteer subjects to navigate through a simple 2D maze solely through their thought processes.     

Former Foster System Youth: Perspectives on Transitional Supports and Programs

The Journal of Behavioral Health Services & Research - Youth aging out of the foster care system have well-documented challenges when transitioning to adulthood. Multiple transition services...     

Protective effects of Korean red ginseng against radiation-induced apoptosis in human HaCaT keratinocytes

Radiation-induced oral mucositis is a dose-limiting toxic side effect for patients with head and neck cancer. Numerous attempts at improving radiation-induced oral mucositis have not produced a qualified treatment. Ginseng polysaccharide has multiple immunoprotective effects. Our aim was to investigate the effectiveness of Korean red ginseng (KRG) on radiation-induced damage in the human keratinocyte cell line HaCaT and in an in vivo zebrafish model. Radiation inhibited HaCaT cell proliferation and migration in a cell viability assay and wound healing assay, respectively. KRG protected against these effects. KRG attenuated the radiation-induced embryotoxicity in the zebrafish model. Irradiation of HaCaT cells caused apoptosis and changes in mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP). KRG inhibited the radiation-induced apoptosis and intracellular generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and stabilized the radiation-induced loss of MMP. Western blots revealed KRG-mediated reduced expression of ataxia telangiectasia mutated protein (ATM), p53, c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), p38 and cleaved caspase-3, compared with their significant increase after radiation treatment. The collective results suggest that KRG protects HaCaT cells by blocking ROS generation, inhibiting changes in MMP, and inhibiting the caspase, ATM, p38 and JNK pathways.     

Amphiphilic amino acid copolymers as stabilizers for the preparation of nanocrystal dispersion

The recent advance of particle size engineering in nanometer ranges has widened the formulation opportunities of relatively water-insoluble drugs. However, the ‘nanoformulation’ suffers from a lack of systematic understanding about the requirements of polymeric stabilizers. Furthermore, the polymers that can be used for the preparation of nanocrystals are so limited that finding a proper stabilizer for a given formulation is often difficult. In this study, amino acid copolymers whose properties can systematically be tailored are developed, and their morphological and compositional effects are investigated. Copolymers containing lysine (K) as their hydrophilic segments, and phenylalanine (F) or leucine (L) as their hydrophobic segments successfully produce stable nanocrystals (200–300 nm) in water, while copolymers of K and alanine (A) could not generate nanosized particles. Not the morphology but the hydrophobicity of copolymers seems to be a critical parameter in the preparation of drug nanocrystals by wet comminution. The effective stabilization performance of copolymers requires the hydrophobic moiety content to be higher than 15 mol%. Comminution for only 5 min is long enough for nanocrystal preparation, and the crystallinity of drug is found intact after the processing.