Three Scales of Mental Health-Related Stigma: Additional Evidence on its Psychometric Properties in the Portuguese Population.

Introduction: The aim of this study was to provide additional evidence on the psychometric properties in the Portuguese population of three stigma scales: Mental Health Knowledge Schedule (MAKS), Scaling Community Attitudes Toward the Mentally Ill 12 (CAMI-12), and Reported and Intended Behaviour Scale (RIBS).

Methods: A total of 3556 participants were recruited and completed the three scales online. The study includes confirmatory factor analysis, internal consistency analysis, test-retest reliability, convergent validity, and known-groups validity tests.

Hypometabolism and atrophy patterns associated with Niemann-Pick type C.

Background: Niemann-Pick disease type C (NP-C) is a rare genetic lysosomal lipid storage disorder characterized by progressive neurological impairment. Early diagnosis is critical for initiating treatment with miglustat, which can decelerate disease progression. In this study, we evaluated a cohort of 22 NP-C patients who underwent MRI, [F]FDG PET, and clinical assessment at baseline.

Neuroprotective effect of small extracellular vesicle-mediated targeting of AMPKα2 in cerebral ischemia.

Background And Aims: Smoking is a known risk factor for stroke. However, the 'stroke paradox' refers to the observation that stroke patients who smoke often have higher survival rates and better outcomes compared to non-smokers. In this sense, several studies have demonstrated that nicotine (3-[(2S)-1-methylpyrrolidin-2-yl]pyridine) exerts neuroprotective effects.

Influence of asymmetric microchannels in the structure and function of engineered neuronal circuits.

Understanding the intricate structure-function relationships of neuronal circuits is crucial for unraveling how the brain achieves efficient information transfer. In specific brain regions, like the hippocampus, neurons are organized in layers and form unidirectional connectivity, which is thought to help ensure controlled signal flow and information processing. In recent years, researchers have tried emulating these structural principles by providing cultured neurons with asymmetric environmental cues, namely microfluidics' microchannels, which promote directed axonal growth.

Absence of MCJ/DnaJC15 promotes brown adipose tissue thermogenesis.

Obesity poses a global health challenge, demanding a deeper understanding of adipose tissue (AT) and its mitochondria. This study describes the role of the mitochondrial protein Methylation-controlled J protein (MCJ/DnaJC15) in orchestrating brown adipose tissue (BAT) thermogenesis. Here we show how MCJ expression decreases during obesity, as evident in human and mouse adipose tissue samples.