Career choice and influential factors among medical students majoring in psychiatry in China.

BACKGROUND: The undergraduate program of psychiatry has been widely established in recent years to improve the education and recruitment of psychiatrists in China. We aim to investigate the career choice of medical students majoring in psychiatry in China and the influential factors. METHOD: This multicenter study was conducted in 26 medical schools in China from May to October of 2019. Participants included 4610 medical students majoring in psychiatry and 3857 medical students majoring in clinical medicine. Multivariable logistic regression was used to investigate the influential factors of students' choices of psychiatry at matriculation and as a career. RESULTS: 44.08% of psychiatry majored students gave psychiatry as a first choice at matriculation, and 56.67% of them would choose psychiatry as a career, which was in sharp contrast to the proportion of clinical medicine majored students who would choose psychiatry as a career (0.69%). Personal interest (59.61%), suggestions from family members (27.96%), and experiencing mental problems (23.19%) were main reasons for choosing psychiatry major at matriculation. Personal interest (odds ratio [OR] = 2.12, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.87-2.40), experiencing a psychiatry clerkship (OR = 1.99, 95% CI = 1.28-3.08), being female (OR = 1.50, 95% CI = 1.30-1.68), experiencing mental problems (OR = 1.33, 95% CI = 1.28-1.56), and suggestions from family members (OR = 1.25, 95% CI = 1.08-1.46) correlated positively with students' choice of psychiatry as career. Students who lacked psychiatry knowledge (OR = 0.49, 95% CI = 0.29-0.85) or chose psychiatry because of lower admission scores (OR = 0.80, 95% CI = 0.63-0.97) were less likely to choose psychiatry as a career. CONCLUSION: More than half of psychiatry majored medical school students planned to choose psychiatry as their career, whereas very few students in the clinic medicine major would make this choice. Increasing students' interest in psychiatry, strengthening psychiatry clerkships, and popularizing psychiatric knowledge are modifiable factors to increase the psychiatry career intention. The extent to which medical students' attitudes toward psychiatry can be changed through medical school education and greater exposure to psychiatry will need further investigation.

Experiencing earthquake in the first trimester of the fetal life increases subsequent diabetes risk in the adulthood: a cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the long-term effect of prenatal exposure to earthquake stress on diabetes risk in the adulthood. METHODS: This study included employees of Tangshan Kailuan Mining Group between July 29, 1976 and April 28, 1977. The exposure group included subjects who experienced the Tangshan Earthquake during their prenatal period and who had lived in Tangshan since birth. The non-exposure group included subjects who were born 1-1.9 years after the earthquake and who had lived in Tangshan since birth. A questionnaire was designed that included sociodemographic information, conditions during pregnancy, and earthquake experience. Anthropometric measurements including height and weight, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference were made. Fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and lipid profiles were also determined. RESULTS: Totally 947 subjects were included with 397 subjects in the exposed group and 550 subjects in the non-exposed group. The diabetes rate is significant different in these four groups(χ2 =8.045, P = 0.045). Moreover, 11.8, 7.5 and 8.0% of the subjects who were exposed to earthquake in the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd trimester of pregnancy had diabetes. 5.1% of the subjects had diabetes in non-exposure group. Our multivariate analysis showed that 1st trimester (OR 2.481, 95%CI 1.02, 6.034; P = 0.045) and loss of family members during earthquake (OR 2.452, 95%CI 1.293, 4.653; P = 0.006) were associated with significantly increased risk of diabetes. CONCLUSIONS: Exposure to earthquake during the first trimester of pregnancy and experience of family member loss in the earthquake significantly increased the subsequent risk of diabetes in the middle age (36-39 years of age). Our data suggest that earthquake experience in the early pregnancy has a longer-term effect on diabetes risk during adulthood.

Evaluation of childhood traumatic experience as a risk factor for alcohol use disorder in adulthood.

BACKGROUND: We aimed to investigate the effect of early-age (prenatal, infant, and childhood) trauma on adulthood alcohol use disorder. METHODS: A total number of 1534 subjects who were born and live in the city of Tangshan were selected. The subjects were divided into three age groups. General demographic data, conditions of the mothers during pregnancy, and condition of the babies at birth, were collected. The diagnosis of alcohol use disorder was based on Structured Clinical Interviews for DSM-IV Axis Disorders (patient version) (SCID). The childhood trauma questionnaire short form (CTQ-SF) [1] and the Lifetime of Experience Questionnaire (LTE-Q) [2] were used to evaluate stress in childhood and adulthood, respectively. RESULTS: Only male subjects were diagnosed with lifelong alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence. There was no statistically significant difference in the prevalence of lifetime alcohol use disorder (X2 = 4.480, P = 0.345), current alcohol abuse, and current alcohol dependence among the three groups (X2abuse = 2.177, X2depedence = 2.198, P > 0.05). However, higher prevalence of lifetime alcohol use disorders was found in group with higher scores of CTQ (X2 = 9.315, P = 0.009), emotional abuse (X2 = 8.025, P = 0.018), physical abuse (X2 = 20.4080, P < 0.001), but not in the group with higher scores of emotional neglect (X2 = 1.226, P = 0.542), sexual abuse (X2 = 2.779, P = 0.249), physical neglect (X2 = 3.978, P = 0.137), LTE-Q (X2 = 5.415, P = 0.067), and PSQI (X2 = 5.238, P = 0.073). Protective factor for alcohol abuse for men was identified to be heavy drinking (OR = 0.085, 95%CI: 0.011-0.661), and the risk factors for alcohol abuse were identified to be frequent drinking (OR = 2.736, 95%CI: 1.500, 4.988), and consumption of low liquor (OR = 2.563, 95%CI: 1.387, 4.734). Risk factors for alcohol dependence in males were identified to be consumption of low liquor (OR = 5.501, 95%CI: 2.004, 15.103), frequent drinking (OR = 2.680, 95%CI: 1.164, 6.170), and childhood physical abuse (OR = 2.310, 95% CI: 1.026, 5.201). CONCLUSION: Traumatic experience during infant and prenatal periods does not have a strong statistical correlation with alcohol use disorders for male adults. However, subjects with high CTQ scores, experience of emotional abuse and physical abuse show a statistically higher prevalence of lifetime alcohol use disorders. Several risk factors including consumption of low liquor, frequent drinking, and childhood physical abuse contribute to alcohol dependence in male adults.

The Taxonomic Status of Spermophilus in the Plague Area of Dingbian County, Shaanxi Province, China.

This study was conducted to define the taxonomic status of Spermophilus in the plague area of Dingbian County in Shaanxi Province, China, through the two-factor variance analysis of morphological characteristics, DNA barcoding, and chromosome karyotype analysis. The Spermophilus samples collected from Dingbian and Zhengxiang Baiqi Counties exhibited significant differences in their morphological measurements. All Spermophilus samples form two distinct branches in neighbor-joining (NJ) tree. One branch included the Spermophilus samples collected from Inner Mongolia, and the other branch included samples collected from the plague foci of Shaanxi Province and the Ningxia Region. The Spermophilus samples collected from Dingbian County had a chromosome number of 2n = 38 in 84.40% of all their cells. The Spermophilus species collected from the plague area of Dingbian County was categorized as Spermophilus alashanicus (S.alashamicus). The findings reported in this study are epidemiologically significant for monitoring plague in this region of west-central China.

Low SOX17 expression: prognostic significance in de novo acute myeloid leukemia with normal cytogenetics.

BACKGROUND: Aberrant expression of SRY-box containing gene 17 (SOX17) has been observed in several solid tumors. However, little is known about SOX17 expression in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The purpose of this study was to investigate the alteration of SOX17 expression and to explore its clinical significance in AML. METHODS: Real-time quantitative PCR (RQ-PCR) was performed to analyze the status of SO1X17 expression in 103 patients with de novo AML and 26 normal controls. The clinical relevance of SOX17 expression was analyzed in AML. RESULTS: SOX17 level in AML was significantly down-regulated compared to controls (p<0.001). Receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) curve analysis revealed that an area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.834 (95% CI 0.765-0.903; p<0.0001) or 0.789 (95% CI 0.690-0.888, p<0.001) in discriminating all patients or cytogenetically normal patients from controls, respectively. The cohort of AML patients was divided into two groups according to the cut-off value of 0.017 (60% sensitivity and 100% specificity, respectively). Cytogenetically normal patients with low SOX17 expression had significantly shorter OS than those with high SOX17 expression (median 4 vs. 25 months, respectively, p=0.035). Multivariate analysis confirmed low SOX17 expression as an independent risk factor. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicated that low SOX17 level may define an important risk factor in AML with normal cyotgenetics.

Wet-plate culture studies of Penicillium sp. PT95 and Q1 for mass production of sclerotia.

Penicillium sp. PT95 and Q1 strains were able to form abundant orange, sand-shaped sclerotia in which carotenoids were accumulated. To determine the potential availability of the wet-plate method for mass production of sclerotia, nine kinds of liquid media were used culture the PT95 and Q1 strains. The results of the wet-plate culture showed that on 25% glycerol nitrate broth medium, the growth of both strains was relatively slow, and no sclerotia were found. Q1 strain cultured on Czapek's yeast extract broth medium could not form sclerotia. On other media, both strains could form sclerotia. For PT95 strain, the highest sclerotial biomass (380 mg plate(-1) ) and carotenoids yield (20.88 µg plate(-1) ) could be obtained on Czapek's yeast extract broth and Georgiou's liquid medium, respectively. For Q1 strain, malt extract broth medium gave the highest sclerotial biomass (340 mg plate(-1) ) and omitting iron Joham's liquid medium gave the highest carotenoids yield (18.29 µg plate(-1) ). The results from this study suggest the potential usage of wet-plate method in the mass production of sclerotia of the PT95 and Q1 strains.

Effect of copper-induced oxidative stress on sclerotial differentiation and antioxidants contents of Penicillium thomii Q1.

Penicillium thomii Q1 strain was able to form abundant orange, sand-shaped sclerotia in which carotenoids were accumulated. The aim of this work was to determine the effects of copper-induced oxidative stress on the sclerotial differentiation, biosynthesis of some endogenous antioxidants, and the activities of some antioxidative enzymes of Q1 strain. The results showed that the oxidative stress induced by copper was clearly dependent on the CuSO4 concentrations in media, and characterized by the initiation of lipid peroxidation. Under the copper-induced oxidative stress conditions, the time of exudates initiation, sclerotial initiation and sclerotial maturation of Q1 strain were advanced in 1-2 days. The analytical results of sclerotial biomass, carotenoids, and ascorbate contents showed that copper-induced oxidative stress favored the sclerotial differentiation and biosynthesis of carotenoids and ascorbate. The oxidative stress induced by a lower amount of CuSO4 in media could enhance significantly the superoxide dismutase and catalase activities of Q1 strain.

[Effect of adjuvant therapy with Dingguier umbilical paste on intestinal flora of diarrhea infants and its action characteristics].

The applicator therapy is a unique method to treat infant diarrhea in traditional Chinese medicines and widely applied in clinical practice. Currently, many researchers have proved the rationality of the therapy based on the traditional Chinese medicine mechanism and on the data from clinical practice, but its action mechanism is uncertain at present. In this study, with the assistance of pediatric practitioners, the automated ribosomal intergenic-spacer analysis (ARISA) was adopted to study the effect of the adjuvant therapy with Dingguier umbilical paste on intestinal flora of diarrhea infants, in which Dingguier umbilical paste served as the adjuvant therapy in oral traditional Chinese medicines and fecal samples of infants with different diarrhea symptoms were collected and used as the study materials. The results showed that the adjuvant therapy had a significant effect on the shift of intestinal flora, which was associated with the decrease in the similarity difference to the normal control group and the increase in the number of operational taxonomic units (OTUs) shared with the normal control group. Additionally, adjuvant therapy with Dingguier umbilical paste also showed long action duration and increased OTUs number. These results indicated that Dingguier umbilical paste has the effect in restoring the micro-ecosystem of unbalanced intestinal bacteria. Intestinal flora may be one of major targets for the applicator therapy for the infant diarrhea, but not for the single oral traditional Chinese medicine for infant diarrhea.

Cognitive impairment in patients with bipolar disorder alone versus those with bipolar disorder comorbid with borderline personality disorder.

BACKGROUND: Bipolar disorder (BD) is a severe mental illness. BD often coexists with borderline personality disorders, making the condition more complex. AIM: To explore the differences in cognitive impairment between patients with BD and those with BD comorbid with borderline personality disorder. METHODS: Eighty patients with BD and comorbid borderline personality disorder and 80 patients with BD alone were included in groups A and B, respectively, and 80 healthy volunteers were included as controls. Cognitive function in each group was evaluated using the Chinese version of the repeatable battery for the assessment of neuropsychological status (RBANS), the Stroop color-word test, and the Wechsler intelligence scale-revised (WAIS-RC). RESULTS: The indices of the RBANS, Stroop color-word test, and WAIS-RC in groups A and B were significantly lower than those of the control group (P < 0.05). Group A had significantly longer Stroop color-word test times for single-character, single-color, double-character, and double-color, lower scores of immediate memory, visual breadth, verbal function dimensions and total score of the RBANS, as well as lower scores of verbal IQ, performance IQ, and overall IQ of the WAIS-RC compared with group B (P < 0.05). Compared to group B, group A exhibited significantly longer single-character time, single-color time, double-character time, and double-color time in the Stroop color-word test (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The cognitive function of patients with BD complicated with borderline personality disorder is lower than that of patients with BD.

Long-term effects of early stress due to earthquake exposure on depression symptoms in adulthood: a cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the long-term effects of early stress by Tangshan earthquake on symptoms of depression in adulthood. METHOD: A total of 1534 volunteers born and raised in Tangshan were investigated; finally, 1328 subjects were enrolled in the study. They were divided into three groups according to their birth dates: infant exposure, prenatal exposure, and non-exposure. The questionnaires and psychological evaluation of all subjects were completed using a one-on-one psychological test. RESULTS: The rate of depressive symptoms in the prenatal exposure group was the highest, and the lowest in the non-exposure group, with statistical differences among the three groups (P = 0.002). Moreover, the incidences of depressed mood, suicide ideation and work and loss of interest in the prenatal exposure group were significantly higher than those in the infant exposure group and the non-exposure group (P = 0.008, P = 0.001, P = 0.038, respectively). Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that male could be a protective factor for symptoms of depression in adulthood, and earthquake exposure was an important predictor of the incidence of depression symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Fetal or infancy exposure to earthquake might correlate to depression symptoms in adulthood.

Estimated prevalence and sociodemographic correlates of mental disorders in medical students of Hebei Province, China: A cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: In China, the identification rate and treatment rate of mental disorders are low, and there are few surveys on the prevalence of mental disorders among college students using diagnostic tools such as Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI), so the prevalence and treatment of mental disorders among college students are unclear. AIM: To estimate prevalence of mental disorders among medical students in Hebei Province, and provide guidance for improving their mental health. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study based on an Internet-based survey. Three levels of medical students in Hebei Province were randomly selected (by cluster sampling) for screening. Using the information network assessment system, the subjects scanned the 2D code with their mobile phones, clicked to sign the informed consent, and answered a scale. A self-designed general status questionnaire was used to collect information about age, gender, ethnicity, grade, and origin of students. The MINI 5.0. was used to investigate mental disorders. Data analysis was performed with SPSS software. Statistically significant findings were determined using a two-tailed P value of 0.05. RESULTS: A total of 7117 subjects completed the survey between October 11 and November 7, 2021. The estimated prevalence of any mental disorders within 12 mo was 7.4%. Mood disorders were the most common category (4.3%), followed by anxiety disorders (3.9%); 15.0% had been to psychological counseling, while only 5.7% had been to a psychiatric consultation, and only 10% had received drug therapy in the past 12 mo. CONCLUSION: Although the estimated prevalence of mental disorders in medical students is lower than in the general population, the rate of adequate treatment is low. We determined that improving the mental health of medical students is an urgent matter.

Soluble expression and purification of Brucella cell surface protein (BCSP31) of Brucella melitensis and preparation of anti-BCSP31 monoclonal antibodies.

Brucella cell surface protein (BCSP31) is potentially useful for diagnosing brucellosis. We aimed to establish a monoclonal antibody (MAb) against Brucella melitensis BCSP31 and to investigate its distribution in diagnosis. Soluble recombinant BCSP31 was successfully expressed and purified. Two MAbs (1F1 and 1E5) against B. melitensis BCSP31, effective in detecting both recombinant and cellular proteins, were obtained and characterized. The MAbs did not react with Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, or Bacillus aeruginosus, but strongly reacted with BCSP31 and B. melitensis by ELISA and Western blot analysis. We also tested different Brucella species and brucellosis using the prepared anti-BCSP31 MAbs. BCSP31 and anti-BCSP31 MAbs may play important roles in future research in diagnosing brucellosis.

Seroprevalence trend of human brucellosis and MLVA genotyping characteristics of Brucella melitensis in Shaanxi Province, China, during 2008-2020.

In this study, a total of 179,907 blood samples from populations with suspected Brucella spp. infections were collected between 2008 and 2020 and analyzed by the Rose Bengal plate test (RBPT) and serum agglutination test (SAT). Moreover, conventional biotyping, B. abortus-melitensis-ovis-suis polymerase chain reaction (AMOS-PCR), and multiple-locus variable-number tandem repeat analysis (MLVA) was applied to characterize the isolated strains. A total of 8103 (4.50%) samples were positive in RBPT, while 7705 (4.28%, 95% confidence interval (CI) 4.19-4.37) samples were positive in SAT. There was a significant difference in seroprevalence for human brucellosis over time, in different areas and different cities (districts) (χ2 = 2 = 32.23, 1984.14, and 3749.51, p < .05). The highest seropositivity (8.22% (4, 965/60393; 95% CI 8.00-8.44) was observed in Yulin City, which borders Inner Mongolia, Ningxia, and Gansu Province, China, regions that have a high incidence of human brucellosis. Moreover, 174 Brucella strains were obtained, including nine with B. melitensis bv. 1, 145 with B. melitensis bv. 3, and 20 with B. melitensis variants. After random selection, 132 B. melitensis were further genotyped using MLVA-16. The 132 strains were sorted into 100 MLVA-16 genotypes (GTs) (GT 1-100), 81 of which were single GTs represented by singular independent strains. The remaining 19 shared GTs involved 51 strains, and each GT included two to seven isolates from the Shaan northern and Guanzhong areas. These data indicated that although sporadic cases were a dominant epidemic characteristic of human brucellosis in this province, more than 38.6% (51/132) outbreaks were also found in the Shaan northern area and Guanzhong areas. The 47 shared MLVA-16 GTs were observed in strains (n = 71) from this study and strains (n = 337) from 19 other provinces of China. These data suggest that strains from the northern provinces are a potential source of human brucellosis cases in Shaanxi Province. It is urgent to strengthen the surveillance and control of the trade and transfer of infected sheep among regions.

Prenatal and postnatal exposure to Tangshan earthquake and CRHR1 gene polymorphism influence risk of sleep disturbance in adulthood.

ABSTRACT: To determine the effect of earthquake on sleep quality of adults who had experienced Tangshan Earthquake either as infants or fetuses and also investigate whether CRHR1 polymorphism influenced sleep quality in subjects exposed to seismic stress.Totally 556 subjects were enrolled in the current study and were divided into 3 groups, those who had experienced Tangshan Earthquake as infants (group I) or fetuses (group II), and those who had not experienced Tangshan Earthquake (group III). Sleep was evaluated using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PQSI). Three single nucleotide polymorphisms of the CRHR1 gene were analyzed.Fifty two (9.4%) subjects had sleep disturbance, including 17 (9.9%) subjects in group I, 24 (13.4%) subjects in group II, and 11 (5.3%) subjects in group III (χ2 = 7.373, P = .025). Moreover, subjects with CRHR1 genotype T/T had a significantly lower rate of sleep disturbance (7.8%) than subjects with genotype C/T and C/C (14.7%; χ2 = 4.845, P  = .028). Furthermore, subjects with rs7209436 genotype C had an approximately 2-fold increase in the risk of sleep disturbance versus those who were not genotype C (OR = 1.978, 95% CI (1.045, 3.744).Prenatal and postnatal exposure to seismic stress significantly increases subsequent risk of sleep disturbance in adulthood.

Changes in the epidemiological characteristics of human brucellosis in Shaanxi Province from 2008 to 2020.

In the present study, surveys of case numbers, constituent ratios, conventional biotyping, and multilocus sequence typing (MLST) were applied to characterize the incidence rate and epidemiological characteristics of human brucellosis in Shaanxi Province, China. A total of 12,215 human brucellosis cases were reported during 2008-2020, for an annual average incidence rate of 2.48/100,000. The most significant change was that the county numbers of reported cases increased from 36 in 2008 to 84 in 2020, with a geographic expansion trend from northern Shaanxi to Guanzhong, and southern Shaanxi regions; the incidence rate declined in previous epidemic northern Shaanxi regions while increasing each year in Guanzhong and southern Shaanxi regions such as Hancheng and Xianyang. The increased incidence was closely related to the development of large-scale small ruminants (goats and sheep) farms in Guanzhong and some southern Shaanxi regions. Another significant feature was that student cases (n = 261) were ranked second among all occupations, accounting for 2.14% of the total number of cases, with the majority due to drinking unsterilized goat milk. Three Brucella species were detected (B. melitensis (bv. 1, 2, 3 and variant), B. abortus bv. 3/6, and B. suis bv. 1) and were mainly distributed in the northern Shaanxi and Guanzhong regions. Three known STs (ST8, ST2, and ST14) were identified based on MLST analysis. The characteristics that had not changed were that B. melitensis strains belonging to the ST8 population were the dominant species and were observed in all nine regions during the examined periods. Strengthened human and animal brucellosis surveillance and restriction of the transfer of infected sheep (goats) as well as students avoiding drinking raw milk are suggested as optimal control strategies.

Selenium Radical Mediated Cascade Cyclization: Concise Synthesis of Selenated Benzofurans (Benzothiophenes).

Presented in this work is a novel methodology for the synthesis of selenated benzofurans (or benzothiophenes) via AgNO2-catalyzed radical cyclization of 2-alkynylanisoles (or 2-alkynylthioanisoles), Se powder, and arylboronic acids. This method enables the construction of a benzofuran (benzothiophene) ring, two C-Se bonds, and a C-O(S) bond as well as the cleavage of a C-O(S) bond in a single step. Preliminary mechanistic studies imply that the AgNO2-catalyzed cyclization proceeds via an aryl selenium radical intermediate.

The prevalence and risk of DSM-IV axis I disorder in adults with early-life earthquake stress: A cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVES: Tangshan earthquake which had a magnitude of 7.8 killed approximately 250,000 people in China in 1976. In the present study, we sought to determine the prevalence and risks of mental disorders in adults who experienced earthquake as an infant or in the prenatal period. METHODS: This cross-sectional cohort study recruited participants based on the urban resident registry of Tangshan, Hebei province, 2013 using a multistage stratified cluster sampling method with selection probabilities proportional to size. We recruited subjects who were born between July 29, 1975 and April 28, 1978 that was one year before and 1.9 years after the occurrence of Tangshan Earthquake, respectively. Current psychiatric diagnoses and lifetime psychiatric diagnoses were obtained through the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis I Disorders Patient Research Version. Unconditional logistic regression analysis was performed to analyze risk factors of mental disorders. RESULTS: Totally1380 subjects were included with 392 subjects exposed to the earthquake in the fetal period, 399 subjects who experienced the earthquake during their infancy, and 589 subjects who had no exposure to the earthquake. Twenty-one (2.7%; current 1.9%) subjects exposed to earthquake were diagnosed with major depressive disorderversus 2.3% (current 1.5%) in the non-exposure group. Five (0.6%; current 0.6%) subjects with exposure to earthquake had bipolar disorder versus 0.9% in the non-exposure group.Thirteen (1.6%; current 1.6%) subjects with exposure to earthquake had schizophreniaversus 0.2% in the non-exposure group (P=0.006). Furthermore, 5.2% (current 3.7%) subjects with exposure to earthquake had anxiety disorders versus 5.7% (current 3.9%) in the non-exposure group. Moreover, 8.1% (current 7.0%)subjects with exposure to earthquake had alcohol use disorders versus 7.1% (current 5.3%) in the non-exposure group. Furthermore, the prevalence of schizophrenia of the prenatal exposure group (2.3%) was significantly higher than the other two groups (χ2 = 10.273, P = 0.006); however, no statistically significant difference was found in the current and lifetime prevalence of other DSM-IV axis I disorders among the three groups (P > 0.05). Our multivariate regression analysis showed that prenatal earthquake stress exposure was not a significant risk of any of the lifetime or current DSD-IV axis I disorders. CONCLUSION: Adults who were exposed to earthquake in the prenatal period had a significantly higher rate of schizophrenia than those who were not exposed or who experienced earthquake in their infancy. No statistically significant difference was found in the current and lifetime prevalence of other DSM-IV axis I disorders between those exposed and those not exposed to earthquake. Furthermore, prenatal earthquake stress exposure was not a significant risk of any of the lifetime or current DSD-IV axis I disorders.

Effects of early trauma and corticotropin-releasing factor receptor 1 gene polymorphism on adult visual spatial memory.

BACKGROUND: The study sought to determine the effects of earthquake on the working memory of adults who experienced earthquake either as infants or fetuses and also investigates whether earthquake exposure and corticotropin-releasing factor receptor 1 (CRHR1) variants rs242924 and rs7209436 interacted with each other in modulating working memory. METHODS: We enrolled subjects who experienced the Tangshan Earthquake as fetuses (group I) or infants (group II), as well as those who did not experience the earthquake (group III). Their working memory was measured using Brief Visuospatial Memory Test-Revised (BVMT-R) and Hopkins Verbal Learning Test-Revised (HVLT-R). Two single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of CRHR1 rs242924 and rs7209436 were analyzed by fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR). RESULTS: The study enrolled 535 subjects, including 172 subjects in group I, 176 subjects group II, and 187 subjects in group III. Both group I and II had significantly lower BVMT-R scores than group III (p < .05). Moreover, no difference was observed in HVLT-R scores among the three groups (p > .05). The allele frequency was 84.7% for AA, 82.8% for TT, 13.6% for AC, and 15.9% for TC. C gene carriers in group II (t = -4.231, p < .01) and group I (t = -3.201, p < .05) had significantly lower visual spatial memory scores than group III. Furthermore, AT gene carriers had significantly lower visual spatial memory scores than C gene carriers in group III (t = 2.215, p < .05). Moreover, there was significant interaction between earthquake exposure and CRHR1 genotype in their effects on visual spatial memory (F = 4.028, p < .05). CONCLUSIONS: Our cross-sectional study has demonstrated that infant or fetus exposure to earthquake impairs visual spatial memory during adulthood and CRHR1 polymorphisms and earthquake exposure may interact with each other to accentuate this impairment.

Intra-abdominal pressure, vertebral column length, and spread of spinal anesthesia in parturients undergoing cesarean section: An observational study.

BACKGROUND: In parturients with increased physiologically intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) and a short stature, a greater cephalad spread of spinal anesthesia is often observed after a fixed amount of plain bupivacaine is administered. Therefore, we designed this prospective study to test whether IAP and vertebral column length (VCL) were predictors of spinal spread in parturients undergoing a cesarean section. METHODS: A total of 113 parturients, all undergoing elective cesarean sections with single-shot spinal anesthesia, were enrolled. The L3-L4 interspace was entered, and 2 mL of 0.5% plain bupivacaine was injected into the subarachnoid space. Upon loss of temperature sensation at the T4 level, IAP was measured through a bladder catheter while the patient was in the supine position with a 10°left lateral tilt. Parturient demographic variables, including age, height, weight, IAP, and VCL were recorded. Linear regressions and multiple regressions were performed to analyze the relationships between parturient variables and the spread of spinal anesthesia. RESULTS: A total of 109 parturients were included in the analysis. Linear regression analysis showed a significant univariate correlation of height, weight, body mass index (BMI), IAP, and VCL with cephalad spread (all P< 0.004). Multiple linear regression analysis showed that IAP and VCL were the key determinants of spinal spread (both P < 0.0001), where as exclusion of age, weight, and height did not change the result (all P> 0.209). CONCLUSIONS: Our data indicated that IAP and VCL were significant predictors of intrathecal spread of plain bupivacaine, and there was a positive association between IAP and abdominal girth in term parturients.

Transition-Metal-Free Highly Chemoselective and Stereoselective Reduction with Se/DMF/H2O System.

A novel metal-free reduction system, in which H2Se (or HSe-) produced in situ from Se/DMF/H2O acts as the active reducing species, has been developed. By using water as an inexpensive, safe, and environmentally friendly surrogate as the hydrogen donor, this new reduction system incorporating Se/DMF/H2O displayed high selectivity and good activity in the reduction of α,ß-unsaturated ketones and alkynes. Therefore, this reduction system has great potential to be a general and practical reduction methodology in organic transformation.