Using hierarchical drift diffusion models to elucidate computational mechanisms of reduced reward sensitivity in adolescent major depressive disorder.

Background: Anhedonia-a core symptom of major depressive disorder (MDD)-is closely related to diminished reward sensitivity. Nonetheless, the psychopathological and computational mechanism underlying anhedonia in young patients with MDD remains unclear. Therefore, this study aims to investigate reward sensitivity in adolescents and young adults with MDD using computational modelling.

Range adaptation in schizophrenia: A one-year longitudinal study.

Range adaptation refers to the representation of a stimulus value based on its relative position in the range of pre-experienced values. Altered range adaptation in value representation may be related to motivation and pleasure (MAP) deficit in schizophrenia (SCZ). This follow-up study examined the relationship between range adaptation performance and MAP symptoms in SCZ patients.

Caregiver-child interaction as an effective tool for identifying autism spectrum disorder: evidence from EEG analysis.

Background: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder that affects individuals across their lifespan. Early diagnosis and intervention are crucial for improving outcomes. However, current diagnostic methods are often time-consuming, and costly, making them inaccessible to many families.

Self-reported sensory responsiveness patterns in typically-developing and early-onset schizophrenia adolescents: Its relationship with schizotypal and autistic traits.

Altered behavioural responses to sensory stimuli, including both hypo- and hyper-reactivity, have been found in individuals with schizophrenia. However, how specific sensory responsiveness patterns are associated with symptomatology of schizophrenia remains largely unknown. The present study aimed to examine sensory responsiveness in typically-developing (TD) adolescents (n = 98) and adolescents with early-onset schizophrenia (EOS) (n = 29) and investigate the relationship between schizotypal traits and sensory responsiveness patterns.

Revisiting the overlap between autistic and schizotypal traits in the non-clinical population using meta-analysis and network analysis.

The present study aimed to explore the relationship between autistic and schizotypal traits in the non-clinical population. We first conducted a meta-analysis to quantify the correlation between self-reported autistic traits and the three dimensions of schizotypal traits (positive, negative and disorganization). The strongest correlation was found between autistic traits and negative schizotypal traits (r = 0.

Childhood trauma is not a confounder of the overlap between autistic and schizotypal traits: A study in a non-clinical adult sample.

Childhood trauma has been shown to be a robust risk factor for mental disorders, and may exacerbate schizotypal traits or contribute to autistic trait severity. However, little is known whether childhood trauma confounds the overlap between schizotypal traits and autistic traits. This study examined whether childhood trauma acts as a confounding variable in the overlap between autistic and schizotypal traits in a large non-clinical adult sample.

The involvement of homocysteine in stress-induced Aβ precursor protein misprocessing and related cognitive decline in rats.

Chronic stress is a risk factor in the development of cognitive decline and even Alzheimer's disease (AD), although its underlying mechanism is not fully understood. Our previous data demonstrated that the level of homocysteine (Hcy) was significantly elevated in the plasma of stressed animals, which suggests the possibility that Hcy is a link between stress and cognitive decline. To test this hypothesis, we compared the cognitive function, plasma concentrations of Hcy, and the brain beta-amyloid (Aβ) level between rats with or without chronic unexpected mild stress (CUMS).

Diet-induced elevation of circulating HSP70 may trigger cell adhesion and promote the development of atherosclerosis in rats.

Although accumulating evidence indicates that heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) could be secreted into plasma and its levels have been found to have an ambiguous association with atherosclerosis, our knowledge for the exact role of circulating HSP70 in the development of atherosclerosis is still limited. In the present study, we report an adhesion-promoting effect of exogenous HSP70 and evaluate the potential involvement of elevated circulating HSP70 in the development of atherosclerosis. Time-dependent elevation of plasma HSP70 was found in diet-induced atherosclerotic rats, whose effect was investigated through further in vitro experiments.

Broad autism phenotype features of Chinese parents with autistic children and their associations with severity of social impairment in probands.

Background: Parents of children with autism have higher rates of broad autism phenotype (BAP) features than parents of typically developing children (TDC) in Western countries. This study was designed to examine the rate of BAP features in parents of children with autism and the relationship between parental BAP and the social impairment of their children in a Chinese sample.

Methods: A total of 299 families with autistic children and 274 families with TDC participated in this study.

NGFI-B targets mitochondria and induces cardiomyocyte apoptosis in restraint-stressed rats by mediating energy metabolism disorder.

NGFI-B/Nur77/TR3, originally identified as an immediate-early gene rapidly induced by serum and growth factors, is a member of the steroid hormone nuclear receptor superfamily with no identified endogenous ligand. NGFI-B induces apoptosis in a number of cell lineages exposed to proapoptotic stimuli by directly targeting the mitochondria, inducing cytochrome c release. The present study was designed to determine the role of NGFI-B in cardiomyocytes of restraint-stressed rats.

[Preparation of human antibodies to TNF-alpha using ribosome display technology].

Aim: To prepare distinct human McAbs to TNF-alpha with high neutralizing potency using ribosome display technology.

Methods: The immunoglobulin heavy and light chain variable (VH, VL) genes were prepared from the peripheral blood lymphocytes in three arthritis patients by PCR. The genes encoding VH/K fragments were prepared by randomly combining VH and VL genes by SOE PCR.

[Proteomics analysis on stressed myocardium injury-related proteins].

Aim: To probe the related proteins to stress-induced myocardium injury.

Methods: After establishment of a myocardium injury model induced by restraint stress in rats, myocardium proteins of restraint stress-treated and untreated rats were extracted, and the two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (2-DE) maps of the extracted proteins were established by using the immobilized pH gradient (IPG) and SDS-PAGE two-dimensional electrophoresis respectively. The alterative protein spots were analyzed by Image Master 3.

Proteomic analysis of mitochondrial proteins in cardiomyocytes from chronic stressed rat.

Chronic restraint stress induces cardiac dysfunction as well as cardiomyocyte injury including severe ultrastructural alteration and cell death, but its mechanism and molecular basis remain unclear. Mitochondria play a key role in regulating cell life. For exploring mitochondrial proteins which correlate with stress-induced injury, two-dimensional electrophoresis and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) were applied.

[Study on mitochondrial membrane mechanism of rat heart injury induced by constrainting stress].

Objective: To investigate the effect of constrainting stress on biological characters and function of mitochondrial membrane in rat heart and to explore the possible mitochondrial membrane mechanism underlying stress-induced heart injury.

Method: Stress animal model was established. After constrained for different times, all rats were killed and several indexes were examined.

[Effect of homocysteine on injury of cardiomyocytes and its signal transduction mechanism].

Aim: To observe the injured effect of homocysteine (HCY) on cardiomyocytes and investigate its signal transduction mechanism as well as the key regulatory link.

Methods: Cardiomyocytes were isolated from neonatal Wistar rats. After incubation with HCY, the survival rate of cardiomyocytes was determined by trypan blue stained assay, while the apoptosis rate was measured by TUNEL and FCM.