The objective of this study was to obtain fundamental knowledge about in vitro culture systems to enhance the proliferation and differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in collagen sponge reinforced by the incorporation of poly(glycolic acid) (PGA) fiber. A collagen solution with PGA fiber homogeneously localized at PGA:collagen weight ratios of 0.67, 1.25, 2.5, and 5 was freezedried, followed by cross-linking of combined dehydrothermal, glutaraldehyde, and ultraviolet treatment. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that collagen sponges exhibited homogeneous and interconnected pore structures with an average size of 180 microm, irrespective of PGA fiber incorporation. When rat MSCs were seeded into collagen sponge with or without PGA fiber incorporation, more attached cells were observed in collagen sponge incorporating PGA fiber than in collagen sponge without PGA fiber incorporation, irrespective of the PGA:collagen ratio. The proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of MSCs in PGA-reinforced sponge at a weight ratio of 5 were greatly influenced by the culture method and growth conditions. Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and osteocalcin content of MSCs cultured in PGA-reinforced sponge by the perfusion method became maximum at a flow rate of 0.2 mL/min, although they increased with culture time period. It may be concluded that appropriate perfusion conditions enable MSCs to positively improve the extent of proliferation and differentiation.

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Background: The ICD-11 classifies posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and complex PTSD (CPTSD) as two distinct diagnoses. Few studies have tested the validity of ICD-11 CPTSD in non-Western settings, particularly in Asia. Objective: This study assessed the factorial, concurrent, and discriminant validity of CPTSD symptoms with four samples of young adults from mainland China, Hong Kong, Japan, and Taiwan. Method: Young adults aged 18-24 years were recruited by convenience sampling and provided their data anonymously online. Study measures included the International Trauma Questionnaire (ITQ) to measure PTSD and CPTSD, and measures of childhood adversity, depression, anxiety, age, and sex. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was performed for each sample to evaluate the validity of two CPTSD measurement models. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was used to determine the multivariate associations between study variables for the full sample. Results: A total of 1,346 young adults completed the survey. CFA showed both models of CPTSD examined fit the data well across all four samples. SEM findings showed that number of childhood adversities significantly associated with both PTSD and CPTSD factors; depression significantly associated with CPTSD factors but not PTSD, whereas anxiety significantly associated with both. Conclusions: Study findings provide evidence for PTSD and CPTSD as separate and valid diagnoses in Asia. More cross-cultural comparisons are needed to understand whether risks for either condition differ by geographical or sociocultural norms.

ObjectivesWe investigated the association between breastfeeding duration during the first half year of life and the risk of early childhood caries from the age of 30 to 66 months in Japan.DesignObservational study of a longitudinal survey.SettingA secondary data analysis of the Japanese Longitudinal Survey of Babies in the 21st Century.Participants43 383 infants at the age of 6 months.Outcome measuresEarly childhood caries—defined as a child's visit to a dentist for treatment of dental caries during the past 12 months—was ascertained from the caregiver from the age of 30 months in the survey. We estimated the risk of dental caries each year according to duration of breast feeding using logistic regression analyses. We controlled for a set of biological factors (birth weight, sex, parity and maternal age at delivery) and socioeconomic factors (maternal educational attainment and smoking status, marital status at delivery, family income and region of birth and residence).ResultsWe found that infants who had been breast fed for at least 6 or 7 months, both exclusively and partially, were at elevated risk of dental caries at the age of 30 months compared with those who had been exclusively formula fed. Adjusted ORs were 1.78 (95% CI, (1.45 to 2.17)) for the exclusively breastfed group and 1.39 (1.14 to 1.70) for the partially breastfed group. However, the associations became attenuated through the follow-up period and were no longer statistically significant beyond the age of 42 months for the partially breastfed group and beyond the age of 54 months for the exclusively breastfed group.ConclusionsWe found an association between breast feeding for at least 6 or 7 months and elevated risk of dental caries at age 30 months. However, the association became attenuated as children grew older.

People with severe mental illness (SMI) have considerable unmet physical health needs and an increased risk of early mortality. This cross-sectional survey utilized the Physical Health Attitude Scale (PHASe) to examine the attitudes, practices, and training needs of nurses towards physical health care of people with SMI in three Asian countries (Hong Kong, Japan, Qatar). Cross-country differences were explored and linear regression was used to investigate if nurses’ attitudes and confidence were associated with their level of involvement in physical health care. A total of 481 questionnaires were returned. Hong Kong nurses were less involved in physical health care than those from Japan and Qatar. Nurses’ attitudes and confidence were significant predictors of their participation in managing physical health. Compared with western countries, more nurses in this study felt that mental illness was a barrier to improving physical health. Three-quarters reported that they needed additional training in promoting cardiometabolic health. The perceived need for additional training in physical health care was held by Mental Health Nurses (MHN) irrespective of their type of nursing registration and nationality. Nurse educators and service providers should reconsider the physical health care training requirements of nurses working in mental health settings in order to improve the physical health of people with SMI.