Plasma-derived from human umbilical cord blood restores ovarian function and improves serum reproductive hormones levels in mice with premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) through cytokines and growth factors.

Premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) patients experience a decline in ovarian function and a reduction in serum reproductive hormones, leading to a significant impact on the outcomes of assisted reproductive technology. Despite the absence of an effective clinical treatment to restore fertility in POI patients, recent research has indicated that cord blood plasma (CBP) derived from human umbilical cord blood (hUCB) may offer therapeutic benefits for various degenerative diseases. The primary aim of this study is to explore approaches for enhancing ovarian function and serum reproductive hormones through the administration of CBP in a murine model.

The effects of childhood trauma on personality in unaffected first-degree relatives of patients with major depressive disorder.

Abstrac: OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to preliminarily and exploratorily examine the associations between childhood trauma (CT), its subtypes, and personality traits among unaffected first-degree relatives (FDR, children, or siblings) of patients with major depressive disorder (MDD).

Methods: The study sample included three subgroups: MDD patients (N = 85), Patients' FDRs (N = 35), and healthy control individuals (HC, N = 89). The Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) was used to assess childhood trauma and the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire was used to assess personality traits.

The effect of increased family finance and dual-parental absence since infancy on Children's cognitive Abilities.

Existing research suggests that parental absence per se does not have a main effect on children's cognitive development. However, this body of research is confounded by decreased family finance resulted from parental absence. Further insights on children's cognitive development can be gained by studying situations where parental absence actually leads to higher family finance.

Different aspects of cognitive function in adult patients with moyamoya disease and its clinical subtypes.

Objective: Although a few reports suggested that cognitive function impairment could be found in adult patients with moyamoya disease (MMD), there were still many aspects that are unclear. The aim of our study was to assess the cognitive function of adult patients with MMD and its clinical subtypes.

Methods: 49 patients with MMD and 23 healthy controls were asked to take cognitive function tests.

The Neglect of Left-Behind Children in China: A Meta-Analysis.

Objective: To evaluate the neglect of left-behind children (LBC) in China.

Method: Children separated from one or both parents for at least 6 months. Trauma of separation.

The attenuated visual scanpaths of patients with schizophrenia whilst recognizing emotional facial expressions are worsened in natural social scenes.

Alteration of visual scanpaths under emotional facial expression in schizophrenia patients has been described in recent years; however, it is not clear whether such results are different when they transfer to faces in natural social scenes. The present study was designed to investigate the effects of emotional faces in natural social scenes on the gaze patterns of patients with schizophrenia, compared to gaze at isolated faces. A novel theme identification task was used where participants selected a positive, neutral or negative word to describe an emotional picture.

Altered resting-state functional connectivity of the insula in individuals with clinical high-risk and patients with first-episode schizophrenia.

Objectives: Abnormalities in insular functional connectivity have been implicated in many clinical features of schizophrenia. The aim of this study was to determine to what degree such abnormalities occur in individuals with clinical high risk for psychosis (CHR), and whether which is associated with symptom severity.

Methods: Resting-state fMRI data were collected from 47 healthy controls, 24 CHR individuals and 19 patients with first-episode schizophrenia.

The effect of left-behind phenomenon and physical neglect on behavioral problems of children.

Objective: Left-behind children have a high incidence of behavioral problems in some Eastern countries, especially China. We sought to assess the combined effects of physical neglect, a major embodiment of the left-behind phenomenon, and the trauma of being left behind on subsequent behavioral problems.

Method: 776 children (including 600 left-behind children) aged 12-16 years were chosen by cluster sampling in rural China.

Impact of childhood trauma on sensory gating in patients with first-episode schizophrenia.

Background: Childhood trauma (CT) has been found to contribute to the onset of schizophrenia and auditory sensory gating deficit is a leading endophenotype for schizophrenia. However, the association between the CT and sensory gating in first-episode schizophrenia remains elusive.

Methods: Fifty-six patients and 49 age and sex-matched healthy controls were assessed using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-Short Form (CTQ-SF) for CT and Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) for symptoms severity.

Targeting the mTOR pathway in breast cancer.

Mechanistic target of rapamycin controls cell growth, metabolism, and aging in response to nutrients, cellular energy stage, and growth factors. In cancers including breast cancer, mechanistic target of rapamycin is frequently upregulated. Blocking mechanistic target of rapamycin with rapamycin, first-generation and second-generation mechanistic target of rapamycin inhibitors, called rapalogs, have shown potent reduction of breast cancer tumor growth in preclinical models and clinical trials.

Ischemic injury underlies the pathogenesis of aristolochic acid-induced acute kidney injury.

Aristolochic acid nephropathy (AAN) is a progressive tubulointerstitial renal disease caused by aristolochic acid intake. To determine the contribution of renal ischemia to the pathogenesis of AAN, we characterized changes in the expression of angiogenic factors and vasoactive substances, and then we evaluated the expression of a marker of hypoxia in an acute AAN rat model. Rats were orally administrated either a decoction of Aristolochiae manshuriensis that contained 20 mg/kg of aristolochic acid-I or an equal volume of distilled water (control group) once daily for 4 days or 7 days.

Cytotoxicity of phenanthrenes extracted from Aristolochia contorta in human proximal tubular epithelial cell line.

Background/aims: Aristolochic acid nephropathy, a progressive tubulointerstitial renal disease, is predominantly a result of aristolochic acid I (AA-I) intoxication. However, other unidentified phytotoxins have indeed been postulated as the cause of this unique interstitial nephropathy. The purpose of this study was to investigate the cytotoxicity of other phenanthrene derivatives extracted from Aristolochia contorta in the human proximal tubular epithelial cell line HK-2.