Aim: The duration of untreated psychosis (DUP) is an important prognostic indicator of schizophrenia. We explored the effects of patient personality and family relationships on delayed schizophrenia treatment.Methods: We prospectively included data from 169 patients diagnosed with firstepisode schizophrenia. Personality traits were investigated using the Big Five Inventory (BFI-10) and family relationship was assessed employing the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scale-III (FACES-III). We explored patient clinical characteristics using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) and the Social and Occupational Functioning Scale (SOFAS). The DUP was defined as the time between the first appearance of psychotic symptoms and commencement of adequate antipsychotic treatment. Subjects were divided into two groups by the 3-month median DUP cutoff. Results:The average and median DUPs were 12 and 3 months, respectively. A longer DUP was associated with older age, a higher PANSS score, and a lower SOFAS score.The frequency of suicide attempts tended to be higher in the delayed treatment group (P = .055). The delayed treatment group scored significantly higher in conscientiousness factor of the BFI-10 and scored significantly lower family cohesion and adaptability factors of the FACES-III. Logistic regression showed that a longer DUP was significantly associated with higher-level conscientiousness on the BFI-10 and poorer family cohesion on the FACES-III. Conclusion:Treatment delay was associated with reduced family cohesion and higher patient conscientiousness, suggesting that the family plays a crucial role in terms of patient access to mental health services when early psychotic symptoms appear.

Objective: To investigate the effects of dietary habits on general and abdominal obesity in community-dwelling patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorder according to sex. Methods: A total of 270 patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorder registered at mental health welfare centers and rehabilitation facilities were recruited. General obesity was defined as a body mass index ≥ 30 kg/m 2 , and abdominal obesity was defined as a waist circumstance ≥ 90 cm in men and ≥ 85 cm in women. Dietary habits were evaluated using dietary guidelines published by the Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare. Demographic and clinical characteristics along with dietary habits and information related to obesity were collected. Factors related to obesity were evaluated separately by sex. Results: Dietary habits differed according to sex, in that scores for healthy eating habits were lower in men than in women. In men, the prevalences of general and abdominal obesity were 17.0% and 37.3%, respectively. In women, the prevalences of general and abdominal obesity were 23.1% and 38.5%, respectively. Regression analysis showed that the scores of regular eating habits were negatively associated with general and abdominal obesity in men, and the scores of healthy eating habits were negatively associated with general and abdominal obesity in women. Conclusion: Among patients with schizophrenia, regular eating habits might reduce the risk of obesity in men, and healthy eating habits might reduce the risk of obesity in women. Nutrition education should be provided to community-dwelling patients with schizophrenia to prevent obesity in this population.

Carbon-coated Si/carbon nanotube/graphene oxide (C-Si/CNT/GO) microspheres with a robust core–shell composite structure were successfully fabricated by efficient and scalable spray-drying and chemical vapor deposition (CVD) for application as a lithium-ion battery (LIB) anode. The amphiphilic GO nanoparticles facilitated the uniform dispersion of Si nanoparticles by suppressing the CNT aggregation in the Si/CNT/GO microspheres, efficiently forming a robust Si/CNT/GO microsphere composite structure. The surface of the Si/CNT/GO microsphere composite was coated with carbon using CH4 via CVD to enhance its cycling performance. The four building block components, namely, Si nanoparticles, CNTs, and GO nanoparticles as the core and the carbon-coating layers as the shell, provided high electrochemical capacity, excellent electrical conductivity, efficient buffer space for the volume expansion of the Si nanoparticles, and high structural stability during lithiation/delithiation. The C-Si/CNT/GO composite anode also exhibited excellent electrochemical performance with high specific capacity (2921 mAh g–1 at 100 mA g–1), long cycle life (1542 mAh g–1 at 200 mA g–1 after 100 cycles), and high charge/discharge rate (1506 mAh g–1 at 6 A g–1). This approach for fabricating core–shell structured Si-based composite anodes with excellent electrochemical performance will provide a significant breakthrough for developing next-generation LIBs.

Background The Community Assessment of Psychic Experiences-Positive 15-items scale (CAPE-15) is another brief, valid screening tool used to identify people at high risk of psychosis in the community. This study examined the reliability and validity of the Korean version of the CAPE-15 in university students. Methods This study had two stages: initial screening with self-report questionnaires including the CAPE-15, and semi-structured interviews to investigate the instrument’s diagnostic validity. The initial screening involved 1,749 college students. The modified Korean version of Prodromal Questionnaire-16 item (mKPQ-16) was also administered. The criteria for ultra-high risk (UHR) of psychosis in the Comprehensive Assessment of At-Risk Mental States (CAARMS) were the gold standard for diagnosis. Results Twelve of the interviewed subjects met the CAARMS criteria for UHR of psychosis. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was highest (0.936) for the CAPE-15 distress score (p<0.001). The use of 6 as the cutoff for the CAPE-15 distress score resulted in the best balance of sensitivity (91.7%) and specificity (85.2%), with a favorable positive predictive value of 32.4%. The coefficients of correlation between the CAPE-15 and mKPQ-16 were significant. Discussion This study showed that the CAPE-15 is a good screening instrument for use in community and school settings. In particular, the better validity of the CAPE-15 suggests that it is a promising alternative to other brief self-report screening tools that are currently used to detect UHR. This validation of a questionnaire with a small number of items may make it feasible to screen large numbers of young adults in the community and shorten the duration of untreated psychosis through prompt early intervention.

Cerebral Palsy is a genetic term referring to abnormalities of motor control caused by damage to a child' s brain early in the course of development. Due to the impairment of balanced perioral muscle development, the prevalence of malocclusions in patients with cerebral palsy such as maxillary protrusion is high. But most clinicians may feel uncomfortable to treatment of these problems. Here a case report about mitigation of maxillary anterior teeth protruded in patient with cerebral palsy. 8y 4m old boy who have cerebral palsy visited our dental hospital. He showed severely protrusive maxillary anterior teeth with mouthbreathing and could not close his mouth. He and his mother wanted to improve dental and facial esthetic problem. Specially designed or modified intraoral fixed appliance and rubber elastic chain was used in the therapy. Treatment carried out for 8 months and we could observe maxillary incisor angle was improved and mouth breathing habit was stopped. In conclusion, modified fixed appliance therapy for the patients with cerebral palsy might be useful. Continuous rehabilitation training of lips should be followed after treatment to correct imbalance of muscle tone.