Quantitative Relaxometry Assessment of Brain Microstructural Abnormality of Preschool Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder With Synthetic Magnetic Resonance Imaging.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to perform an assessment of brain microstructure in children with autism aged 2 to 5 years using relaxation times acquired by synthetic magnetic resonance imaging. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-four children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) (ASD group) and 17 children with global developmental delay (GDD) (GDD group) were enrolled, and synthetic magnetic resonance imaging was performed to obtain T1 and T2 relaxation times. The differences in brain relaxation times between the 2 groups of children were compared, and the correlation between significantly changed T1/T2 and clinical neuropsychological scores in the ASD group was analyzed. RESULTS: Compared with the GDD group, shortened T1 relaxation times in the ASD group were distributed in the genu of corpus callosum (GCC) ( P = 0.003), splenium of corpus callosum ( P = 0.002), and right thalamus (TH) ( P = 0.014), whereas shortened T2 relaxation times in the ASD group were distributed in GCC ( P = 0.011), left parietal white matter ( P = 0.035), and bilateral TH (right, P = 0.014; left, P = 0.016). In the ASD group, the T2 of the left parietal white matter is positively correlated with gross motor (developmental quotient [DQ] 2) and personal-social behavior (DQ5), respectively ( r = 0.377, P = 0.028; r = 0.392, P = 0.022); the T2 of the GCC was positively correlated with DQ5 ( r = 0.404, P = 0.018); and the T2 of the left TH is positively correlated with DQ2 and DQ5, respectively ( r = 0.433, P = 0.009; r = 0.377, P = 0.028). All significantly changed relaxation values were not significantly correlated with Childhood Autism Rating Scale scores. CONCLUSIONS: The shortened relaxometry times in the brain of children with ASD may be associated with the increased myelin content and decreased water content in the brain of children with ASD in comparison with GDD, contributing the understanding of the pathophysiology of ASD. Therefore, the T1 and T2 relaxometry may be used as promising imaging markers for ASD diagnosis.

[Antitumor effects of nobiletin on Heps and its mechanism].

AIM: To study the inhibitory effect and mechanism of nobiletin on Heps tumor bearing mice. METHODS: Models of Heps tumor bearing mice were established. The inhibitory rates of tumor growth were calculated, the apoptosis morphology of tumor tissue was observed. The T lymphocyte transformation capacity was tested by MTT assay, the TNFalpha and IL-2 production were measured by LDH kits. RESULTS: Nobiletin could significantly inhibit Heps tumor growth. The inhibitory rates were 42.14% - 65.09% (P < 0.01). The morphology of tumor tissues in nobiletin group had typical characters of necrosis and apoptosis through transmission electron microscope. Nobiletin could stimulate T lymphocyte transformation and the production of TNFalpha and IL-2. CONCLUSION: Nobiletin has obvious antitumor effect on Heps, the main mechanism is to enhance the cellular immune function and induce apoptosis of tumor tissue.

[Using King's Goal Attainment Theory to facilitate drug compliance in a psychiatric patient].

This paper describes a schizophrenic patient who failed to comply with his drug regimen and was repeatedly admitted to hospital. Using King's Goal Attainment Theory as guidance, it was found that the patient's main problem was medication noncompliance. We developed an individual nursing care plan that met the patient's needs, including helping him to understand the importance of medication compliance, the relationship between disease and medication-control, and the symptoms of disease recurrence. The result showed that King's Goal Attainment Theory benefited both patients and families when it was applied to drug therapy and medication compliance. From this experience, we are able to demonstrate that using King's Goal Attainment Theory to design nursing care plans and interventions for schizophrenic patients who are repeatedly admitted to hospital because of medication noncompliance is very effective. In addition, it can also assist patients to control their conditions, decrease frequency of the disease recurrence and hospital readmission, and maintain their socialized functions.