Mobility, bacterial hosts, and risks of antibiotic resistome in submicron bioaerosols from a full-scale wastewater treatment plant.

Antibiotic resistome could be loaded by bioaerosols and escape from wastewater or sludge to atmosphere environments. However, until recently, their profile, mobility, bacterial hosts, and risks in submicron bioaerosols (PM1.0) remain unclear. Here, metagenomic sequencing and assembly were employed to conduct an investigation of antibiotic resistome associated with PM1.0 within and around a full-scale wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). More subtypes of antibiotic resistant genes (ARGs) with higher total abundance were found along the upwind-downwind-WWTP transect. ARGs in WWTP-PM1.0 were mainly mediated by plasmids and transposases were the most prevalent mobile genetic elements (MGEs) co-occurring with ARGs. A contig-based analysis indicated that very small proportions (15.32%-19.74%) of ARGs in WWTP-PM1.0 were flanked by MGEs. Proteobacteria was the most dominant host of ARGs. A total of 28 kinds of potential pathogens, such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli, carried multiple ARG types. Compared to upwind, WWTP and corresponding downwind were characterized by higher PM1.0 resistome risk. This study emphasizes the vital role of WWTPs in discharging PM1.0-loaded ARGs and antibiotic resistant pathogens to air, and indicates the need for active safeguard procedures, such as that employees wear masks and work clothes, covering the main emission sites, and collecting and destroying of bioaerosols.

Structurally colored aramid fabric construction and its application as a recyclable photonic catalyst.

Structural colors can be used in fabric coloring due to their bright color and non-fading properties. However, it is still a challenge to construct structural color on high crystallinity, smooth surfaced and yellow colored aramid fabrics. Herein, for the first time, photonic crystals (PCs) with structural color were constructed on aramid fabrics by introducing dopamine to modify aramid fabrics and synthesizing monodisperse high refractive index zinc sulfide nanoparticles (ZnS). The influence of the PC coatings on the structural color, mechanical properties, and thermal stability of the structurally colored aramid fabrics or fibers was further investigated. Moreover, due to the excellent catalytic properties of ZnS and the slow photon effects of PCs, the structurally colored fabrics showed good photocatalytic properties, which will be beneficial in reusing the catalysts, which is crucial to their application in the coloring of fabrics but also facilitates the recycling of waste PC coated aramid fabrics.

A comparison of functional and radiological outcome of combine compression antegrade intertrochanteric nail (InterTan) and proximal femoral nail anti-rotation II (PFNA-II) in elderly patients with intertrochanteric fractures.

Objective: To compare the functional and radiological outcome of combine compression interlocking intramedullary nail (InterTan) and proximal femoral nail anti-rotation II (PFNA-II) in the treatment of elderly patients with intertrochanteric fractures. Methods: As a retrospective cohort study, records of 88 patients with intertrochanteric fractures treated in our hospital from January 1st, 2019 to July 31st, 2021 were retrospectively reviewed. According to treatment records, it included 45 patients treated with InterTan (Group-A) and 43 patients treated with PFNA-II (Group-B). The operation safety and functional rehabilitation of the two groups were compared and analyzed. Results: This study included 88 patients with intertrochanteric fractures (mean [SD] age, 68.72 [0.10] years at baseline), of whom 52 (59.09%) were males and 36 (40.91%) were females. Operation time and intraoperative blood loss in Group-B were less than Group-A, while fracture healing time was shorter in Group-A. The fracture separation distance was measured four weeks after the operation. The widening rate of the fracture line in Group-A was lower than Group-B (4.4% vs.18.6%; P<0.05). The incidence of complications in Group-A was lower than Group-B (4.4% vs.18.6%; P<0.05). At three, six and twelve months after the operation, the Harris hip score of the two groups was higher than at discharge (P<0.05), with no significant difference between groups (P>0.05). Conclusions: We found no significant difference in the functional outcome in elderly patients with intertrochanteric fractures treated with InterTan and PFNA-II. Early fracture healing and reduced complication rate however has been noted with InterTan.

Cholecystectomy is associated with dysglycaemia: Cross-sectional and prospective analyses.

Cholecystectomy has been reported to be associated with increased risk of diabetes in cross-sectional studies. In the current study, we performed both cross-sectional and prospective analyses to examine the association between cholecystectomy and dysglycaemia in Chinese community-dwelling adults. A total of 1612 participants (n = 1564 without cholecystectomy and n = 48 with cholecystectomy) were evaluated for glycaemic status (according to the World Health Organization (WHO) 1999 criteria) and then followed up over ~3.2 years. Percent changes (Δ) in fasting blood glucose and HbA1c from baseline at the follow-up visit were calculated to define glycaemic control as stable (-10% ≤ Δ < 10%), improved (Δ < -10%), or worsened (Δ ≥ 10%). The baseline cross-sectional analyses indicated that cholecystectomy was associated with an increased risk of both prediabetes and diabetes, while the prospective analysis indicated that cholecystectomy was also associated with a greater risk of deterioration in glycaemic control (ΔFPG ≥10% and ΔHbA1c ≥10%) (P < 0.05 for each, both before and after adjusting for potential confounding covariates). These observations suggest that individuals in the Chinese community-dwelling population who have undergone cholecystectomy are at increased risk of dysglycaemia. Further studies are warranted to both delineate the underlying mechanisms and to clarify whether more intense surveillance for future development of diabetes is needed in this group.

Serum bile acid response to oral glucose is attenuated in patients with early type 2 diabetes and correlates with 2-hour plasma glucose in individuals without diabetes.

AIM: To determine the serum bile acid (BA) response to 75-g oral glucose in individuals without diabetes, and whether this is attenuated in patients with 'early' type 2 diabetes (T2D) and related to the glycaemic response at 2 hours in either group. METHODS: Forty newly diagnosed, treatment-naïve Han Chinese T2D subjects and 40 age-, gender-, and body mass index-matched controls without T2D ingested a 75-g glucose drink after an overnight fast. Plasma glucose and serum concentrations of total and individual BAs, fibroblast growth factor-19 (FGF-19), total glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), and insulin, were measured before and 2 hours after oral glucose. RESULTS: Fasting total BA levels were higher in T2D than control subjects (P < .05). At 2 hours, the BA profile exhibited a shift from baseline in both groups, with increases in conjugated BAs and/or decreases in unconjugated BAs. There were increases in total BA and FGF-19 levels in control (both P < .05), but not T2D, subjects. Plasma glucose concentrations at 2 hours related inversely to serum total BA levels in control subjects (r = -0.42, P = .006). Total GLP-1 and the insulin/glucose ratio were increased at 2 hours in both groups, and the magnitude of the increase was greater in control subjects. CONCLUSIONS: The serum BA response to a 75-g oral glucose load is attenuated in patients with 'early' T2D, as is the secretion of FGF-19 and GLP-1, while in individuals without T2D it correlates with 2-hour plasma glucose levels. These observations support a role for BAs in the regulation of postprandial glucose metabolism.

Neobavaisoflavone protects osteoblasts from dexamethasone-induced oxidative stress by upregulating the CRNDE-mediated Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway.

Neobavaisoflavone (NBIF) is a flavonoid, which has a variety of pharmacological activities. However, the mechanism of NBIF in the treatment of osteoporosis still needs further exploration. The differentiation of osteoblast MC-3T3-E1 cells after treatment was observed by Alizarin red staining. Cell counting kit-8 and flow cytometry were used to detect viability, apoptosis, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels of treated MC-3T3-E1 cells, respectively. Malondialdehyde (MDA), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) were tested by ELISA kits. The expressions of lncRNA MALAT1, MEG3, CRNDE, Runx2, osteocalcin (OCN), osteopontin (OPN), collagen I (col-I), nuclear Nrf2, cytoplasm Nrf2, heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) and quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1) in treated MC-3T3-E1 cells were examined by Quantitative real-time PCR or Western blot. Dexamethasone (Dex) inhibited the viability of MC-3T3-E1 cells, while the appropriate amount of NBIF had no significantly effect on cell viability. Dex downregulated CRNDE expression, whereas NBIF upregulated CRNDE. Overexpressed CRNDE and NBIF reversed the inhibitory effects of Dex on cell viability, differentiation and levels of SOD, GSH-Px, Runx2, OCN, OPN, col-I, nuclear Nrf2, HO-1 and NQO1 while reversing the promoting effect of Dex on apoptosis and the levels of ROS, MDA, LDH and cytoplasm Nrf2 in MC-3T3-E1 cells, respectively, but shCRNDE further reversed the effects of NBIF in MC-3T3-E1 cells. NBIF protected osteoblasts from Dex-induced oxidative stress by upregulating the CRNDE-mediated Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway.

Comparison of clinical efficacy of suprapatellar and infrapatellar intramedullary nailing in treating tibial shaft fractures.

OBJECTIVES: To compare clinical efficacies of suprapatellar and infrapatellar intramedullary nailing approaches in treating tibial shaft fractures. METHODS: Patients (n=110) admitted with tibial shaft fractures in our hospital from January 2017 to June 2020, who underwent procedures with internal fixation intramedullary nails, were retrospectively divided into suprapatellar and infrapatellar approach groups (n = 55 each) based on the surgical method used for fracture repair. The clinical and functional outcomes of the knee were assessed six months after the surgery. RESULTS: Six months after the operation, the pooled value for excellent and good efficacy rates in the suprapatellar approach group, as indicated by Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) Knee scoring system, was 90.91%, which was significantly higher than that in the infrapatellar approach group (76.36%). The degree of pain (visual analogue scale (VAS) score) of the patients in the suprapatellar approach group was over 2-fold lower than in the infrapatellar approach group (P < 0.001).The Lysholm knee score, range of motion (ROM), SF-36p, and SF-36M scores in the suprapatellar approach group were significantly higher than those in the infrapatellar approach group (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Suprapatellar approach had significantly higher clinical efficiency than infrapatellar approach, and can significantly reduce the degree of pain, promote the recovery of patients with knee joint involvement, improve the physical and psychological well-being, reduce the number of cases of postoperative delayed healing.

Down-regulation of miR-3068-3p enhances kcnip4-regulated A-type potassium current to protect against glutamate-induced excitotoxicity.

The main cause of excitotoxic neuronal death in ischemic stroke is the massive release of glutamate. Recently, microRNAs (miRNAs) have been found to play an essential role in stroke pathology, although the molecular mechanisms remain to be investigated. Here, to identify potential candidate miRNAs involved in excitotoxicity, we treated rat primary cortical neurons with glutamate and found that miR-3068-3p, a novel miRNA, was up-regulated. We hypothesized that restoring miR-3068-3p expression might influence the neuronal injury outcomes. The inhibition of miR-3068-3p, using tough decoy lentiviruses, significantly attenuated the effects of glutamate on neuronal viability and intracellular calcium overload. To unravel the mechanisms, we employed bioinformatics analysis and RNA sequencing to identify downstream target genes. Additional luciferase assays and western blots validated kcnip4, a Kv4-mediated A-type potassium current (IA ) regulator, as a direct target of miR-3068-3p. The inhibition of miR-3068-3p increased kcnip4 expression and vice versa. In addition, the knockdown of kcnip4 by shRNA abolished the protective effect of miR-3068-3p, and over-expressing kcnip4 alone was sufficient to play a neuroprotective role in excitotoxicity. Moreover the inhibition of miR-3068-3p enhanced the IA density, and the pharmacological inhibition of IA abrogated the protective role of miR-3068-3p inhibition and kcnip4 over-expression. Therefore, we conclude that inhibition of miR-3068-3p protects against excitotoxicity via its target gene, kcnip4, and kcnip4-regulated IA . Our data suggest that the miR-3068-3p/kcnip4 axis may serve as a novel target for the treatment of ischemic stroke.

Neurofunctional Differences Related to Methamphetamine and Sexual Cues in Men With Shorter and Longer Term Abstinence Methamphetamine Dependence.

BACKGROUND: Stimulant use and sexual behaviors have been linked in behavioral and epidemiological studies. Although methamphetamine-related neurofunctional differences have been investigated, few studies have examined neural responses to drug and sexual cues with respect to shorter or longer term methamphetamine abstinence in individuals with methamphetamine dependence. METHODS: Forty-nine men with shorter term methamphetamine abstinence, 50 men with longer term methamphetamine abstinence, and 47 non-drug-using healthy comparison men completed a functional magnetic resonance imaging cue-reactivity task consisting of methamphetamine, sexual, and neutral visual cues. RESULTS: Region-of-interest analyses revealed greater methamphetamine cue-related activation in shorter term methamphetamine abstinence and longer term methamphetamine abstinence individuals relative to healthy comparison men in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex. A significant interaction of group and condition in the anterior insula was found. Relative to healthy comparison participants, both shorter term methamphetamine abstinence and longer term methamphetamine abstinence groups displayed greater sexual cue-related anterior insula activation relative to methamphetamine cues and neutral cues, but there were no differences between shorter term methamphetamine abstinence and longer term methamphetamine abstinence groups in anterior insula responses. Subsequent whole-brain analyses indicated a group-by-condition interaction with longer term methamphetamine abstinence participants showing greater sexual-related activation in the left superior frontal cortex relative to healthy comparison men. Shorter term methamphetamine abstinence participants showed greater superior frontal cortex activation to sexual relative to neutral cues, and longer term methamphetamine abstinence participants showed greater superior frontal cortex activation to sexual relative to neutral and methamphetamine cues. CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest that abstinence from methamphetamine may alter how individuals respond to drug and sexual cues and thus may influence drug use and sexual behaviors. Given the use of methamphetamine for sexual purposes and responses to natural vs drug rewards for addiction recovery, the findings may have particular clinical relevance.

Role of endogenous glucagon-like peptide-1 enhanced by vildagliptin in the glycaemic and energy expenditure responses to intraduodenal fat infusion in type 2 diabetes.

AIM: To evaluate the effects of the dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitor vildagliptin on glycaemic and energy expenditure responses during intraduodenal fat infusion, as well as the contribution of endogenous glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) signalling, in people with type 2 diabetes (T2DM). METHODS: A total of 15 people with T2DM managed by diet and/or metformin (glycated haemoglobin 49.3 ± 2.1 mmol/mol) were studied on three occasions (two with vildagliptin and one with placebo) in a double-blind, randomized, crossover fashion. On each day, vildagliptin 50 mg or placebo was given orally, followed by intravenous exendin (9-39) 600 pmol/kg/min, on one of the two vildagliptin treatment days, or 0.9% saline over 180 minutes. At between 0 and 120 minutes, a fat emulsion was infused intraduodenally at 2 kcal/min. Energy expenditure, plasma glucose and glucose-regulatory hormones were evaluated. RESULTS: Intraduodenal fat increased plasma GLP-1 and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP), insulin and glucagon, and energy expenditure, and decreased plasma glucose (all P < 0.05). On the two intravenous saline days, plasma glucose and glucagon were lower, plasma intact GLP-1 was higher (all P < 0.05), and energy expenditure tended to be lower after vildagliptin (P = 0.08) than placebo. On the two vildagliptin days, plasma glucose, glucagon and GLP-1 (both total and intact), and energy expenditure were higher during intravenous exendin (9-39) than saline (all P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: In well-controlled T2DM during intraduodenal fat infusion, vildagliptin lowered plasma glucose and glucagon, and tended to decrease energy expenditure, effects that were mediated by endogenous GLP-1.

Tea consumption and risk of diabetes in the Chinese population: a multi-centre, cross-sectional study.

The aim of the present study was to explore the influence of tea consumption on diabetes mellitus in the Chinese population. This multi-centre, cross-sectional study was conducted in eight sites from south, east, north, west and middle regions in China by enrolling 12 017 subjects aged 20-70 years. Socio-demographic and general information was collected by a standardised questionnaire. A standard procedure was used to measure anthropometric characteristics and to obtain blood samples. The diagnosis of diabetes was determined using a standard 75-g oral glucose tolerance test. In the final analysis, 10 825 participants were included and multiple logistic models and interaction effect analysis were applied for assessing the association between tea drinking with diabetes. Compared with non-tea drinkers, the multivariable-adjusted OR for newly diagnosed diabetes were 0·80 (95 % CI 0·67, 0·97), 0·88 (95 % CI 0·71, 1·09) and 0·86 (95 % CI 0·67, 1·11) for daily tea drinkers, occasional tea drinkers and seldom tea drinkers, respectively. Furthermore, drinking tea daily was related to decreased risk of diabetes in females by 32 %, elderly (>45 years) by 24 % and obese (BMI > 30 kg/m2) by 34 %. Moreover, drinking dark tea was associated with reduced risk of diabetes by 45 % (OR 0·55; 95 % CI 0·42, 0·72; P < 0·01). The results imply that drinking tea daily was negatively related to risk of diabetes in female, elderly and obese people. In addition, drinking dark tea was associated with decreased risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus.

The mediating effect of health anxiety in the relationship between functional somatic symptoms and illness behavior in Chinese inpatients with depression.

BACKGROUND: Functional somatic symptoms in depression disorder may cause inappropriate illness behavior hindering the treatment process. Health anxiety may play a role in this relationship, but few studies have examined it. The current study aimed to investigate the role of health anxiety in the relationship between functional somatic symptoms and illness behavior in patients with depression. METHODS: The present study recruited 323 hospitalized patients with depression to complete the Patient Health Questionnaire-15, Whiteley-Index-7, and Scale for the Assessment of Illness Behavior, then constructed a structural equation model to examine whether health anxiety mediated the relationship between functional somatic symptoms and illness behavior. RESULTS: The results showed significant correlations between any two of the three variables of interest. More importantly, health anxiety played a partially mediating role (42.86%) in the relationship between functional somatic symptoms and illness behavior. Further analysis suggested that elderly patients reached higher health anxiety than younger patients when their functional somatic symptoms were mild. CONCLUSIONS: These results highlight that health anxiety may mediate the influence of functional somatic symptoms on illness behavior. The implications of assessing and intervening in health anxiety in patients with depression were discussed.

The prevalence, metabolic disturbances and clinical correlates of recent suicide attempts in Chinese inpatients with major depressive disorder.

BACKGROUND: Metabolic disturbances have been correlated with suicidality, but little is known about the association between suicide risk and metabolic disturbances among individuals with depression. This study was to evaluate the prevalence and clinical correlations, especially cardio-metabolic associated factors of recent suicide attempts in Chinese patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). METHODS: A total of 288 MDD inpatients were recruited. Their clinical and demographic data together with plasma glucose, lipid and thyroid function parameters were collected. Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS), Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) and Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ) were rated for most of the patients. RESULTS: Of these MDD inpatients, 20.14% had attempted suicide during the past 1 month. Compared to those who had not attempted suicide, the suicide attempters had a significantly longer duration of illness, lower low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, lower total cholesterol, and more psychotic symptoms. However, all these significant results did not survive after the bonferroni correction (all p > 0.05). A logistic regression analysis indicated that suicide attempts were associated with the lower total cholesterol and more psychotic symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings support the hypothesis of the association of low plasma cholesterol level and recent suicidal attempts in patients with MDD.

Medical students' experiences with goals of care discussions and their impact on professional identity formation.

CONTEXT: Goals of care (GoC) discussions occur amongst patients, family members and clinicians in order to establish plans of care and are invaluable aspects of end-of-life care. In previous research, medical learners have reported insufficient training and emotional distress about end-of-life decision making, but most studies have focused on postgraduate trainees and have been quantitative or have evaluated specific educational interventions. None have qualitatively explored medical students' experiences with GoC discussions, their perceptions of associated hidden curricula, and the impacts of these on professional identity formation (PIF), the individualised developmental processes by which laypersons evolve to think, act and feel like, and ultimately become, medical professionals. METHODS: Using purposive sampling at one Canadian medical school, individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with 18 medical students to explore their experiences with GoC discussions during their core internal medicine clerkship. Interviews were audiorecorded, transcribed and anonymised. Concurrently with data collection, transcripts were analysed iteratively and inductively using interpretative phenomenological analysis, a qualitative research approach that allows the rich exploration of subjective experiences. RESULTS: Participants reported minimal support and supervision in conducting GoC discussions, which were experienced as ethically challenging, emotionally powerful encounters exemplifying tensions between formal and hidden curricula. Role modelling and institutional culture were key mechanisms through which hidden curricula were transmitted, subverting formal curricula in doing so and contributing to participants' emotional distress. Participants' coping responses were generally negative and included symptoms of burnout, the pursuit of standardisation, rationalisation, compartmentalisation and the adaptation of previously held, more idealised professional identities. CONCLUSIONS: GoC discussions in this study were often led by inexperienced medical students and impacted negatively on their PIF. Through complex emotional processes, they struggled to reconcile earlier concepts of physician identities with newly developing ones and often reluctantly adopted suboptimal professional behaviours and attitudes. Improved education about GoC discussions is necessary for patient care and may represent concrete and specific opportunities to influence students' PIF positively.

Transcriptome analysis of Brassica juncea var. tumida Tsen responses to Plasmodiophora brassicae primed by the biocontrol strain Zhihengliuella aestuarii.

Mustard clubroot, caused by Plasmodiophora brassicae, is a serious disease that affects Brassica juncea var. tumida Tsen, a mustard plant that is the raw material for a traditional fermented food manufactured in Chongqing, China. In our laboratory, we screened the antagonistic bacteria Zhihengliuella aestuarii against P. brassicae. To better understand the biocontrol mechanism, three transcriptome analyses of B. juncea var. tumida Tsen were conducted using Illumina HiSeq 4000, one from B. juncea only inoculated with P. brassicae (P), one inoculated with P. brassica and the biocontrol agent Z. aestuarii at the same time (P + B), and the other was the control (H), in which P. brassicae was replaced by sterile water. A total of 19.94 Gb was generated by Illumina HiSeq sequencing. The sequence data were de novo assembled, and 107,617 unigenes were obtained. In total, 5629 differentially expressed genes between biocontrol-treated (P + B) and infected (P) samples were assigned to 126 KEGG pathways. Using multiple testing corrections, 20 pathways were significantly enriched with Qvalue ≤ 0.05. The resistance-related genes, involved in the production of pathogenesis-related proteins, pathogen-associated molecular pattern-triggered immunity, and effector-triggered immunity signaling pathways, calcium influx, salicylic acid pathway, reactive oxygen intermediates, and mitogen-activated protein kinase cascades, and cell wall modification, were obtained. The various defense responses induced by the biocontrol strain combatted the P. brassicae infection. The genes and pathways involved in plant resistance were induced by a biocontrol strain. The transcriptome data explained the molecular mechanism of the potential biocontrol strain against P. brassicae. The data will also serve as an important public information platform to study B. juncea var. tumida Tsen and will be useful for breeding mustard plants resistant to P. brassicae.

Gremlin2 Suppression Increases the BMP-2-Induced Osteogenesis of Human Bone Marrow-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells Via the BMP-2/Smad/Runx2 Signaling Pathway.

Osteoblasts are essential for maintaining skeletal architecture and modulating bone microenvironment homeostasis. From numerous associated investigations, the BMP-2 pathway has been well-defined as a vital positive modulator of bone homeostasis. Gremlin2 (Grem2) is a bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) antagonists. However, the effect of Grem2 on the BMP-2-induced osteogenesis of human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hBMSCs) remains ambiguous. This study aimed to analyze the procedure in vitro and in vivo. The differentiation of hBMSCs was assessed by determining the expression levels of several osteoblastic genes, as well as the enzymatic activity and calcification of alkaline phosphatase. We found that Grem2 expression was upregulated by BMP-2 within the range of 0-1 µg/mL, and significant increases were evident at 48, 72, and 96 h after BMP-2 treatment. Si-Grem2 increased the BMP-2-induced osteogenic differentiation of hBMSCs, whereas overexpression of Grem2 had the opposite trend. The result was confirmed using a defective femur model. We also discovered that the BMP-2/Smad/Runx2 pathway played an important role in the process. This study showed that si-Grem2 increased the BMP-2-induced osteogenic differentiation of hBMSCs via the BMP-2/Smad/Runx2 pathway. J. Cell. Biochem. 118: 286-297, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Mental health literacy about schizophrenia and depression: a survey among Chinese caregivers of patients with mental disorder.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the knowledge of schizophrenia and depression among caregivers of patients with mental disorder in China. METHOD: A convenience sample of 402 caregivers at the Department of Psychiatry of a general hospital in China was investigated (response rate 95.7%), using vignettes based investigation methodology. RESULTS: The number of caregivers using the term "depression" to describe the depression vignette was 43.6%, which was significantly higher than the number of caregivers using the term "schizophrenia" to describe the schizophrenia one (28.5%). A high percentage of caregivers believed that "psychiatrist", "psychologist" and "close family members" would be helpful, and the top three most helpful interventions were "becoming more physically active", "getting out and learning more" and "receiving psychotherapy". The number of caregivers endorsed "antipsychotics" and "antidepressants" as helpful for the schizophrenia and the depression vignettes were 82.0 and 80.7%, respectively. Regarding the causes of mental illness, items related to psychosocial factors, including "daily problems" and "work or financial problems", and "weakness of character" were highly rated, with half considered genetic or chemical imbalance causes. CONCLUSION: Caregivers expressed a high knowledge about treatments and interventions of mental disorders. But there are still some areas, particularly regarding the recognition and causes of mental disorders, that are in need of improvement. This is particularly the case for schizophrenia.