Effect of exogenous methanol on glycolate oxidase and photorespiratory intermediates in cotton.

Application of methanol (MeOH) inhibits photorespiration and enhances growth and yield in C3 plants. However, the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms are not clear. In this study, we investigated the effects of foliar application of MeOH (30%, v/v) on glycolate oxidase (GO) activity and photorespiratory intermediates in cotton leaves in a field experiment.

Cortical surface area correlates with STON2 gene Ser307Pro polymorphism in first-episode treatment-naïve patients with schizophrenia.

Background: Evidence shows that STON2 gene is associated with synaptic function and schizophrenia. This study aims to explore the relationship between two functional polymorphisms (Ser307Pro and Ala851Ser) of STON2 gene and the cortical surface area in first-episode treatment-naïve patients with schizophrenia and healthy controls.

Methodology/principal Findings: Magnetic resonance imaging of the whole cortical surface area, which was computed by an automated surface-based technique (FreeSurfer), was obtained from 74 first-episode treatment-naïve patients with schizophrenia and 55 healthy controls.

[Relationship between body mass index and volume ratio of brain gray matter in patients with first-episode schizophrenia].

Objective: To analyze the relationship between psychotic symptoms and body mass index (BMI) and brain mass index in patients with first-episode schizophrenia.

Methods: We identified 97 patients with first-episode and drug-free schizophrenia and compared their BMI and scare MRI results with 97 healthy participants.

Results: There were no statistically significant differences in BMI, volume of white matter and volume of grey matter between the patients with schizophrenia and healthy participants.

[Association study of NOS1 gene polymorphisms and schizophrenia].

Objective: To assess the association between nitric oxide synthase 1 (NOS1) gene polymorphisms and schizophrenia.

Methods: Twenty eight tag single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of NOS1 in 382 schizophrenic patients and 448 healthy individuals sampled from Chinese Han population were analyzed by a Illumina GoldenGate Genotyping Assay.

Results: One SNP (rs1520811) was found to be associated with schizophrenia, which however becomes negative after Bonferroni correction (P>0.

[Genome-wide association study with memory measures as a quantitative trait locus for schizophrenia].

Objective: To assess the association between gene polymorphisms and memory function through a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of schizophrenia and control group. Memory cognition was used as a quantitative trait (QT).

Methods: Ninty-eight subjects with chronic schizophrenia and 60 matched controls were genotyped with HumanHap660 Bead Array.

Detection of metabolites in the white matter of frontal lobes and hippocampus with proton in first-episode treatment-naïve schizophrenia patients.

Aim: This study aimed to investigate the changes of the metabolites in the white matter of frontal lobes and hippocampus in schizophrenia by using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy ((1) H-MRS).

Methods: Sixty-three first-episode treatment-naïve schizophrenia (FES) patients and 63 age-, gender- and education level-matched healthy controls were recruited. The relative levels of metabolites including N-acetylaspartate (NAA), choline-containing compounds (Cho), (Cr) and myo-inositol (MI) were detected with (1) H-MRS, and the laterality index (Li) was calculated.