1.Development and validation of guardianship ability scale for guardians of patients with severe mental disorders: a study on reliability and validity
Xiaoling DUAN ; Zihua PAN ; Shaoling ZHONG ; Yanling LIANG ; Xiao TAN ; Liang ZHOU
Sichuan Mental Health 2024;37(6):549-556
BackgroundThe guardianship ability of guardians of patients with severe mental disorders plays an important role in supporting the patients' recovery and reintegration into society. It is necessary to develop a scientific tool since there is a lack of tools to quantitatively assess the guardianship ability. ObjectiveTo explore and develop an assessment scale for the guardianship ability of guardians of patients with severe mental disorders, so as to provide references for the construction of scientific and reasonable guardianship ability evaluation tools. MethodsA pool of scale items was constructed through a literature review and interviews, followed by two rounds of expert consultation with 15 specialists. 364 guardians of patients with severe mental disorders in Guangzhou were investigated. The scale items were screened and optimized using item analysis and exploratory factor analysis, and the structural validity of the scale was further verified through confirmatory factor analysis. The content validity of the scale was evaluated by item-level content validity index (I-CVI) the average scale-level content validity index (S-CVI/Ave). The reliability of the scale was tested by Cronbach's α coefficient and split-half reliability. ResultsThe guardianship ability scale for guardians of patients with severe mental disorders consists of 25 items, including three dimensions of guardianship willingness, guardianship knowledge and behavior and guardianship self-efficacy. The results of the item analysis showed that all items met the corresponding criteria and were retained. Validity test: the I-CVI ranged from 0.800 to 1.000, and the S-CVI/Ave was 0.964. Factor load of each item on the corresponding factors ranged from 0.596 to 0.976, and the model demonstrated good fit: chi-square degree of freedom ratio (χ2/df) was 2.444, Tucker-Lewis index (TLI) was 0.908, comparative goodness of fit index (CFI) was 0.917, standardized root mean square residual (SRMR) was 0.049, and root mean square residual (RMSEA) was 0.089. Reliability test showed that the total scale had a Cronbach's α coefficient of 0.966, and the split half reliability coefficient was 0.915. ConclusionThe guardianship ability scale for patients with severe mental disorders developed in this study has good reliability and validity, and has certain application value for the assessment of guardianship ability for patients with severe mental disorders. [Funded by Health Science and Technology Project of Guangzhou (number, 20221A011049)]
2.Effects of Bimin Formula (鼻敏方) on the Nasal Mucosa TMEM16A/NF-κB/MUC5AC Signaling Pathway in a Rat Model of Allergic Rhinitis with Lung-Spleen Qi Deficiency
Ningcong XU ; Yiwei HUA ; Xi TAN ; Jinhan WANG ; Zihua LIANG ; Shiqing ZHOU ; Yunying LI ; Wenyong CHEN ; Jiyan XIA ; Qiulan LUO
Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2024;65(8):842-848
ObjectiveTo explore the possible mechanism of Bimin Formula (鼻敏方) in treating lung-spleen qi deficiency syndrome of allergic rhinitis (AR) with high mucin secretion. MethodsThirty-four SD rats were randomly divided into a blank group (8 rats), a model group (8 rats), a low-dose Bimin Formula group (8 rats), and a high-dose Bimin Formula group (10 rats). Except for the blank group, the other groups were subjected to AR lung-spleen qi deficiency rat models induced by smoking, gavage of Ginkgo biloba leaf extract, and ovalbumin. After modeling, rats in the low- and high-dose Bimin Formula groups were given Bimin Formula concentrate (concentration of 2.16 g/ml) by gavage at doses of 1.08 g/100 g and 2.16 g/100 g, respectively, while rats in the model group were given 0.5 ml/100 g of normal saline by gavage, once daily for 28 days; the blank group was not intervened. Behavioral assessments were performed after intervention. ELISA was used to detect the levels of peripheral blood total immunoglobulin E (IgE). HE staining was used to observe the pathological changes of nasal mucosa epithelium in rats, while immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression of transmembrane protein 16A (TMEM16A) and mucin 5AC (MUC5AC) protein in nasal mucosa. Western Blot was used to detect the expression of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) protein, and RT-PCR was used to detect the expression of TMEM16A, MUC5AC, and NF-κB mRNA in nasal mucosa. ResultsHE staining showed that the nasal mucosa epithelial cell structure in the blank group was intact without shedding, swelling, or necrosis; the nasal mucosa epithelial tissue of rats in the model group was thickened and partially shed, with infiltration of eosinophils and lymphocytes visible; the pathological changes in nasal mucosa tissue of rats in the high- and low-dose Bimin Formulagroups were improved, and more improvement was showen in the high-dose group. Compared with those in the blank group, the behavioral scores and peripheral blood total IgE levels of rats in the model group significantly increased, as well as the expression of TMEM16A, MUC5AC, and NF-κB proteins and mRNA in nasal mucosa (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Compared with those in the model group, the behavioral scores and peripheral blood total IgE levels of rats in the high-dose Bimin Formula group decreased, and the expression of TMEM16A, MUC5AC, and NF-κB proteins and mRNA in nasal mucosaalso decreased (P<0.05 or P<0.01); the behavioral scores and peripheral blood total IgE levels of rats in the low-dose Bimin Formula group were reduced, and the expression of TMEM16A and MUC5AC proteins and mRNA in nasal mucosa, as well as the expression of NF-κB protein decreased (P<0.05 or P<0.01), but the difference in NF-κB mRNA expression was not statistically significant (P>0.05). Compared with the low-dose Bimin Formula group, the expression of NF-κB protein in the high-dose group decreased (P<0.01). ConclusionBimin Formula may improve the symptoms and high mucus secretion of AR lung-spleen qi deficiency by regulating the TMEM16A/NF-κB/MUC5AC signaling pathway in nasalmucosa.