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BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE We examined functional outcomes of mechanical thrombectomy (MT) procedures following anterior circulation large vessel occlusion (ACLVO)-related acute ischemic strokes (AIS). Results were based on admission non-contrast computed tomography (NCCT) studies, using the Alberta Stroke Program Early Computed Tomography Score (ASPECTS) as standard metric. METHODS Qualifying subjects were consecutive patients (N = 327) at a single center undergoing MT for ACLVO-related AIS. Each was grouped according to ASPECTS status on admission, determined from NCCT images by two physicians. Primary clinical endpoint was functional independence, assessed via modified Rankin Scale (mRS) at 90 days. Secondary endpoints were vessel recanalization (ie, modified Thrombolysis in Cerebral Infarction [mTICI] score), symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH), and mortality. RESULTS In this study population (mean age, 63.6 ± 12.5 years; women, 29.3%; median baseline National Institute of Health Stroke Scale [NIHSS] score, 15.2 ± 4.5), patients were stratified by ASPECTS tier at presentation, either 0–5 (n = 43) or 6–10 (n = 284). Multivariate logistic regression showed a relation between ASPECTS values ≤ 5 and lesser chance of 90-day functional improvement (OR = 1.40, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.00-5.80; p = 0.049), once adjusted for age, baseline NIHSS score, diabetes mellitus, atrial fibrillation/flutter, current/prior alcohol intake, HbA1c concentration, D-dimer level, occlusion of internal carotid artery (ICA), occlusion of ICA and middle cerebral artery (ICA + MCA), numbers of device passes, and successful recanalization. CONCLUSIONS ASPECTS values ≤ 5 correspond with worse long-term functional improvement (mRS scores > 2) in patients undergoing MT for ACLVO-related AIS. Other independent determinants of functional outcomes after MT are age, baseline NIHSS score, HbA1c concentration, and successful recanalization.

Cerebral fat embolism (CFE) is a rare but critical disease in a clinical setting. Considering that manifestations and CT findings of CFE tend to be atypical, this condition is very difficult to diagnose. The purpose of this article was to assess the value of susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI) in the diagnosis of CFE.Our patient was an 80-year-old woman who developed hypoxemia, quadriplegia, and progressive confusion after fracture of the right femoral neck and right superior ramus of pubis within 24 hours.T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (T2 W MRI), fluid-attenuated inversion recovery sequences, and diffusion-weighted imaging showed numerous hyperintense foci in the subcortex and white matter of both cerebral hemispheres, some of which were confluent and SWI showed multiple symmetrical punctate microhemorrhages in both hemispheres. Base on the history and MRI findings, the patient was diagnosed with CFE.The patient received anticoagulation and lipid-lowering therapy.The patient regained consciousness, and her muscle strength in the limbs gradually recovered. One year after discharge, the patient could independently walk on her own.This case report shows the characteristics of CFE on SWI, which can help clinicians in diagnosing which can help clinicians in diagnosing CFE.

During the last decade, the problem of suicide has become more serious in individuals with depression. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is an effective treatment for major depressive disorder (MDD). This study aims to investigate the efficacy of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based neuronavigation-guided daily high-dose rTMS for rapidly improving suicidal ideation in treatment-naive patients with MDD. In the present 1-week double-blind study, 42 treatment-naive patients with MDD with suicidal ideation were randomly assigned to the treatment of escitalopram oxalate tablets (10 mg/d) in combination with either active (n = 21) or sham (n = 21) rTMS. The TMS coil was positioned over a specified target location (-44, 40, and 29) in left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex based on MRI data. The severity of suicidal ideation was measured by the Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation (BSI). The 24-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD-24) and Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) were utilized to assess the severity of depression. The Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, Continuous Performance Test, and Stroop Color-Word Test were adopted to assess executive function. In contrast to the sham group, the active rTMS group showed a significantly greater BSI score reduction at the third day and the seventh day (P < 0.001). Moreover, the active rTMS group showed a significantly greater HAMD (P < 0.001) and MADRS (P < 0.001) score reduction at the seventh day in comparison to the sham group. The present findings suggested that the neuronavigation-guided high-dose rTMS may be a novel method to rapidly reduce suicidal ideation and mitigate depressive symptoms.

Gene polymorphisms in interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-8 (IL-8), and interleukin-10 (IL-10) may affect the predisposition of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), but the results of the so far published studies remain controversial. The authors conducted this meta-analysis to assess relationships between IL-6/IL-8/IL-10 polymorphisms and predisposition of AD by pooling the findings of so far published studies. A comprehensive search of Pubmed, Embase, Web of Science, and CNKI was endorsed by the authors to identify the already published studies. Forty-five studies were found to be eligible for meta-analyses. The pooled meta-analyses results showed that genotypic frequencies of IL-6 − 174 G/C, IL-6 − 572 G/C and IL-10 − 1082 A/G polymorphisms among patients with AD and controls differed significantly. Moreover, genotypic frequencies of IL-6 − 174 G/C, IL-6 − 572 G/C, and IL-8 − 251 A/T polymorphisms among patients with AD and controls in Asians also differed significantly. But no such genotypic frequencies’ differences were observed for IL-10 − 819 C/T and 592 C/A polymorphisms. This meta-analysis suggests that IL-6 − 174 G/C, IL-6 − 572 G/C, and IL-10 − 1082 A/G polymorphisms may affect the predisposition of AD in overall population. Moreover, IL-6 − 174 G/C, IL-6 − 572 G/C, and IL-8 − 251 A/T polymorphisms may affect the predisposition of AD in Asians.

Mood disorders, also often referred to as affective disorders, are a group of psychiatric illnesses that severely impact mood and its related functions. The high medical expenditures have placed a significant financial burden on patients and their families. Aromatherapy is an alternative and complementary treatment that utilizes essential oils (EOs) or volatile oils (VOs) to achieve major therapeutic goals. In general, EOs are volatile chemicals that enter the body primarily through skin absorption and/or nasal inhalation. In addition, they can work through oral administration. Inhalation aromatherapy has shown unique advantages for treating mood disorders, especially depression, anxiety and mental disorders such as sleep disorder, which have been validated over the last decade through clinical and animal studies. Accumulating evidence has shown that EOs or VOs can bypass the blood-brain barrier to target brain tissue through the nasal-brain pathway. Subsequently, they act on the cerebral cortex, thalamus, and limbic system in the brain to improve symptoms of anxiety, depression and improve sleep quality. Here, we review the natural aromatic plants' volatiles or essential oils used commonly as adjuncts to manage mood disorders and illustrate the mechanisms of inhalation aromatherapy, and mainly summarized the application of transnasal inhalation aromatherapy in depression, anxiety, and sleep disorders. We conclude that aromatherapy does not cause side-effects, which is vastly different from commonly used psychotropic drugs. Inhalation aromatherapy

ObjectiveTo quantitatively evaluate the impaired perfusion status of patients with symptomatic internal carotid artery (ICA) steno-occlusive disease and to explore the risk factors of impaired perfusion with computed tomography perfusion (CTP).MethodsThe clinical and imaging data of 187 patients with ICA steno-occlusive disease were retrospectively analyzed. The ICA stenosis rate was divided into Grades I–IV (70–79%; 80–89%; 90–99%; 100%), and the circle of Willis was classified as four types (types I–IV). According to the literature, the value of cerebral blood flow/cerebral blood volume (CBF/CBV) of 7.55/min was used as cut-off to predict symptomatic patients. All patients were categorized into two groups: those with impaired perfusion [n = 99 (52.9%)] and those without impaired perfusion [n = 88 (47.1%)]. Symmetrical bilateral internal watershed areas were selected as the regions of interest (ROIs). Statistical analysis was made on the status of impaired perfusion and the risk factors of impaired perfusion.ResultsUnivariate analysis revealed that systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), mean arterial pressure (MAP), types of the circle of Willis, and clinical features at admission differed between the two groups (patients with or without impaired perfusion) (p < 0.05). Multiple logistic stepwise regression analysis showed that MAP [odds ratio (OR) = 0.946, 95% confidential interval (CI) = 0.917–0.974, p < 0.001] and type IV (type I vs. IV: OR = 4.987, 95% CI = 1.955–12.723, p = 0.001) at admission were independently associated with impaired perfusion in the internal watershed areas.ConclusionMAP and the type of circle of Willis at admission are independent risk factors associated with the impaired perfusion in patients with ICA steno-occlusive disease.

Hypocretin (also called orexin) regulates various functions, such as sleep-wake rhythms, attention, cognition, and energy balance, which show significant changes in schizophrenia (SCZ). We aimed to identify alterations in the hypocretin system in SCZ patients. We measured plasma hypocretin-1 levels in SCZ patients and healthy controls and found significantly decreased plasma hypocretin-1 levels in SCZ patients, which was mainly due to a significant decrease in female SCZ patients compared with female controls. In addition, we measured postmortem hypothalamic hypocretin-1-immunoreactivity (ir), ventricular cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) hypocretin-1 levels, and hypocretin receptor (Hcrt-R) mRNA expression in the superior frontal gyrus (SFG) in SCZ patients and controls We observed a significant decrease in the amount of hypothalamic hypocretin-1 ir in SCZ patients, which was due to decreased amounts in female but not male patients. Moreover, Hcrt-R2 mRNA in the SFG was decreased in female SCZ patients compared with female controls, while male SCZ patients showed a trend of increased Hcrt-R1 mRNA and Hcrt-R2 mRNA expression compared with male controls. We conclude that central hypocretin neurotransmission is decreased in SCZ patients, especially female patients, and this is reflected in the plasma.

The aim of this study was to assess the association between serum growth differentiation factor-15(GDF-15) and 3-month depression after acute ischemic stroke.In this single-center prospective study, patients with first-ever acute ischemic stroke between March 2017 and November 2018 were included. Neurological and neuropsychological evaluations were conducted during the 3-month follow-up. The predictive value of GDF-15 to predict the post-stroke depression (PSD) within 3 months, was compared with other known predictors.The median level of GDF-15 in 310 stroke patients was 1285(IQR, 846-1934) ng/l. During the 3-month follow-up, 76 patients were defined as depression (24.5%; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 17.9%-29.3%), and GDF-15 levels in those patients were nearly more than 1 time greater as compared with patients who were free of depression (P 0.001). Using the ROC curves, GDF-15 serum level at 1660 ng/l predicted the PSD with the highest sensitivity and specificity [67.1% and 77.4%, respectively; AUC=0.78, 95%CI: 0.72-0.84; P 0.001]. Interestingly, When GDF-15 was added to the model containing established significant risk factors, AUROC (standard error) was increased from 0.81(0.029) to 0.88(0.020). A significant difference in the AUC between the established risk factors alone and the addition of GDF-15 was observed (difference, 0.07[0.009]; P = 0.001). In a multivariate model using the elevated levels of GDF-15 (≥cut-off=1660 ng/l) vs. normal (cut-off) together with the other significant clinical variables, the marker displayed predictive information (PSD: OR = 4.11 [95% CI, 2.05-6.32]; P 0.001]).In summary, GDF-15 serum levels at admission are associated with depression later developed in patients with ischemic stroke.

BackgroundReversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome (RCVS) is a rare secondary headache disorder. It may have possibly fatal consequences but its pathophysiological basis is still debated. Herein, we presented a rare case of postpartum patient with spontaneous intracranial hypotension (SIH) suffered RCVS. Case presentationA 29-year-old nulliparous female underwent SIH as a result of painless labor and the clinical symptom of postural headache was relieved with a conservative treatment. Two days later, she suffered new-onset thunderclap headache with cortical blindness and generalized seizure; meanwhile, arterial pressure was higher than the normal value. MRI scan found FLAIR hyperintensities in the right cerebellum, left caudate nucleus and bilateral frontotemporal parietal occipital lobes with predominant vasogenic edema. Simultaneously, MR angiography revealed segmental vasoconstriction involving arteries of anterior and posterior cerebral circulations. Taken together, these findings were in accordance with the diagnostic criteria of RCVS and the abnormal MRI hypersignals were mostly consistent with posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES). On day 10, she recovered completely and previous abnormal signals disappeared markedly with the treatment of bed rest, high-dose fluids, non-steroidal drug, calcium channel blocker and antiepileptic drug.ConclusionsRCVS can occur in postpartum patients with SIH, and PRES may also encounter in these cases. A heightened awareness of the disease accompanied by typical clinical and imaging features are associated with an early diagnosis and a better prognosis.

Memantine, an N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor antagonist, is a well-established treatment option for moderate-to-severe cognitive impairment related to Alzheimer disease. Recently, growing evidence has indicated memantine might also be effective in treatment of affective disorders. The common drug-induced adverse events of memantine include confusion, dizziness, drowsiness, headache, insomnia, and agitation. Herein, we presented a case of a 73-year-old female patient with vascular neurocognitive disorder, who developed a manic episode after taking memantine.

This study aimed to investigate the alterations of causal connectivity between the brain regions in Adolescent-onset schizophrenia (AOS) patients. Thirty-two first-episode drug-naïve AOS patients and 27 healthy controls (HC) were recruited for resting-state functional MRI scanning. The brain region with the between-group difference in regional homogeneity (ReHo) values was chosen as a seed to perform the Granger causality analysis (GCA) and further detect the alterations of causal connectivity in AOS. AOS patients exhibited increased ReHo values in left superior temporal gyrus (STG) compared with HCs. Significantly decreased values of outgoing Granger causality from left STG to right superior frontal gyrus and right angular gyrus were observed in GC mapping for AOS. Significantly stronger causal outflow from left STG to right insula and stronger causal inflow from right middle occipital gyrus (MOG) to left STG were also observed in AOS patients. Based on assessments of the two strengthened causal connectivity of the left STG with insula and MOG, a discriminant model could identify all patients from controls with 94.9% accuracy. This study indicated that alterations of directional connections in left STG may play an important role in the pathogenesis of AOS and serve as potential biomarkers for the disease.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSES Procalcitonin has been suggested as a new risk factor in atherosclerotic disease. However, whether procalcitonin levels are associated with the risk of carotid atherosclerosis remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between procalcitonin levels and carotid atherosclerosis among patients with first-ever acute ischemic stroke. METHODS Two hundred and thirty consecutive patients were prospectively enrolled in this study. Serum procalcitonin concentrations were measured at admission for all patients. We also performed ultrasound examination to detect the mean carotid intima-media thickness, presence of carotid-wall thickening, plaque and significant stenosis. Multiple regression analysis was used to estimate the association between procalcitonin levels and carotid atherosclerosis. RESULTS The median procalcitonin concentration was 0.051 µg/L (interquartile range, 0.036-0.080 µg/L). Of the 230 patients, 102 (44.3%) had carotid-wall thickening, 113 (49.1%) had plaque and 77 (33.5%) had significant stenosis. After adjusting for all potential confounders by multiple logistic regression analysis, patients with procalcitonin levels in the fourth quartile, compared with the first quartile, were more likely to have carotid-wall thickening [odds ratio 2.288, 95% confidence intervals 1.042-5.021, P = 0.039] and significant stenosis [odds ratio 3.871, 95% confidence intervals 1.690-8.867, P = 0.003]. Furthermore, the linear regression analysis revealed a significant positive correlation between procalcitonin levels and the mean carotid intima-media thickness (β = 0.162, P = 0.012). CONCLUSIONS Higher procalcitonin concentrations at admission might be associated with carotid-wall thickening and significant stenosis in ischemic stroke patients.

Background Nonconvulsive status epilepticus (NCSE) is a state of ongoing seizure activity without convulsions. The heterogeneous and subtle clinical features of NCSE make diagnosis and treatment challenging. Here, we report a patient with NCSE who showed a main presenting symptom of acute visual impairment, which is a rare and atypical clinical symptom of NCSE. Case presentation A 62-year-old man was admitted to the neurology department after complaining of an inability to see in the right eye for 2 days and progressive headache. He had a history of poststroke epilepsy and vascular dementia. Physical examination revealed right visual field hemianopia, visual neglect and cognitive impairment. T2 and diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging showed high signal intensity in the left temporal, parietal and occipital lobes. Electroencephalography monitoring was performed, which found continuous sharp wave discharges, especially in the regions of the left temporal, parietal and occipital lobes. These findings were most consistent with the diagnosis of NCSE. Thus, a treatment of intravenous pumping of diazepam and an oral antiepileptic drug was added immediately. After that, the visual loss in the patient recovered quickly, and electroencephalography did not find epileptiform waves. On day 11, a follow-up MRI was performed, which showed that the abnormal signals of the left temporal, parietal and occipital lobes were markedly attenuated, and the patient returned to his premorbid state with a modified Rankin Scale score of 3. Conclusions Acute visual impairment can be seen in NCSE, and it can be reversed by administering effective antiepileptic treatment. Meanwhile, transient peri-ictal MRI abnormalities can be observed in NCSE.

This study aims to characterize the gut microbiota in depressed patients with bipolar disorder (BD) compared with healthy controls (HCs), to examine the effects of quetiapine treatment on the microbiota, and to explore the potential of microbiota as a biomarker for BD diagnosis and treatment outcome. Analysis of 16S‐ribosomal RNA gene sequences reveals that gut microbial composition and diversity are significantly different between BD patients and HCs. Phylum Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes are the predominant bacterial communities in BD patients and HCs, respectively. Lower levels of butyrate‐producing bacteria are observed in untreated patients. Microbial composition changes following quetiapine treatment in BD patients. Notably, 30 microbial markers are identified on a random forest model and achieve an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.81 between untreated patients and HCs. Ten microbial markers are identified with the AUC of 0.93 between responder and nonresponder patients. This study characterizes the gut microbiota in BD and is the first to evaluate microbial changes following quetiapine monotherapy. Gut microbiota‐based biomarkers may be helpful in BD diagnosis and predicting treatment outcome, which need further validations.

Background The pathogenesis of major depressive disorder (MDD) is complicated and equivocal. Previous studies have found an incidence of abnormal changes of neural networks, with plentiful evidence pointing the finger of suspicion firmly at the default mode network (DMN) and cortico-limbic networks. The aim of the present study was to use the approach of functional connectivity strength (FCS) to directly investigate the features of spontaneous brain activity in the case of first-episode, drug-naive adult patients with MDD at rest. Methods Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans were performed on 23 first-episode drug-naive major depressive disorder (MDD) patients and 20 healthy controls (HCs). In this study, using graph-theory approaches(FCS), we computed the characteristics of brain connectivity. Simultaneously, we used a series of validated test procedures to evaluate the patients' cognitive function. Subsequently, the results were compared with the peak of FCS value and a correlation analysis was conducted. Results Compared with the HCs group, MDD patients showed significantly decreased FCS in bilateral posterior cingulate cortex (PCC)/precuneus and bilateral prefrontal cortex(PFC) and increased FCS in right posterior central gyrus, left thalamus and left temporal lobe. These brain regions belongs to the default-mode network and cortico-limbic networks. Finally, the correlation analyses showed the negative correlation of the FCS values in the left posterior cingulate cortex (PCC)/precuneus and Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAMA, r = −0.472, p = .023), Stroop Color Word Test-A(SCWT-A, r = −0.451, p = .031), Stroop Color Word Test-B(SCWT-B, r = −0.588, p = .003).Meanwhile, there was negative correlation between the FCS values in the left thalamus and SCWT-A(r = −0.473, p = .023), SCWT-B(r = −0.465, p = .025), SCWTC(r = −0.524, p = .010).In addition, the FCS values in the right PCC has negative correlation with Montgomery Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) (r = −0.433, p = .039). Conclusions DMN is an important node of MDD. FCS within the default mode network and cortico-limbic networks in patients with major depressive disorder has been changed in the early stage of MDD. FCS can provide favourable and additional evidence in the investigation of brain pathophysiology and therapy in depression.

End‐stage liver fibrosis frequently progresses to portal vein thrombosis, formation of oesophageal varices, hepatic encephalopathy, ascites, hepatocellular carcinoma and liver failure. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), when transplanted in vivo, migrate into fibrogenic livers and then differentiate into hepatocyte‐like cells or fuse with hepatocytes to protect liver function. Moreover, they can produce various growth factors and cytokines with anti‐inflammatory effects to reverse the fibrotic state of the liver. In addition, only a small number of MSCs migrate to the injured tissue after cell transplantation; consequently, multiple studies have investigated effective strategies to improve the survival rate and activity of MSCs for the treatment of liver fibrosis. In this review, we intend to arrange and analyse the current evidence related to MSC transplantation in liver fibrosis, to summarize the detailed mechanisms of MSC transplantation for the reversal of liver fibrosis and to discuss new strategies for this treatment. Finally, and most importantly, we will identify the current problems with MSC‐based therapies to repair liver fibrosis that must be addressed in order to develop safer and more effective routes for MSC transplantation. In this way, it will soon be possible to significantly improve the therapeutic effects of MSC transplantation for liver regeneration, as well as enhance the quality of life and prolong the survival time of patients with liver fibrosis.

OBJECTIVE The aims of the present study were to explore the occurrence of childhood trauma and importantly to determine the impacts of childhood trauma on psychosocial features in a Chinese sample of young adults. METHODS A survey was carried out in a group of 555 university students by using Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), Self-rating Depression Scale (SDS), Self-rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), Dysfunctional Attitudes Questionnaire (DAS), Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ), and Social Support Rating Scale (SSRS). The moderate-severe cut-off scores for CTQ were used to calculate the prevalence of childhood trauma, and then psychosocial features were compared between individuals with and without childhood trauma. RESULTS A proportion of 18.6% of university students had self-reported childhood trauma exposures. Subjects with childhood trauma reported higher scores of SDS, SAS, DAS, and psychoticism and neuroticism dimensions of EPQ (t=4.311-5.551, p

As an important part of the shipborne missile weapon system, the overall assembly accuracy of the shipborne vertical launcher will affect the initial accuracy of the test missile launch to varying degrees. Therefore, it is of great significance to research on the assembly accuracy of the launching device. Aiming at the geometric error characteristics of the contact surfaces between the assemblies in the launching device, this paper uses small displacement spins to represent the geometric error of the contact surfaces, and proposes a method for calculating the fit error based on the contact state. The research results show that this method can determine the contact state of the launcher assembly, and the influence of the shape error distribution of the contact surface on the precision assembly cannot be ignored.

Rationale: Topiramate is a novel antiepileptic drug that is used as an adjunctive in the treatment of partial and secondary generalized seizures. In recent years, psychiatrists have paid more attention to topiramate as a mood stabilizer and as an agent for treating eating disorders, especially in binge eating disorder (BED) and bulimia nervosa. Patient concerns and diagnoses: Herein, we report a case of topiramate precipitating a manic episode in a bipolar patient comorbid with BED, who complained of emotional instability and binge-eating behaviors. Diagnoses: In this patient, acute manic episode was induced by topiramate treatment at a daily dose of 75 mg for three days. Interventions: The dose of topiramate was decreased to 25 mg per day promptly, and the patient gradually became calm but the BED symptoms recurred, then the dose of topiramate was increased to 50 mg per day again. Meanwhile, the dosage of quetiapine was escalated up to 500 mg per night to stabilize her mood. Outcomes: With a combination of quetiapine 500 mg per night and topiramate 50 mg per day, the emotion and eating problems of this patient concurrently improved. Lessons: These findings indicated that patients with a history of bipolar disorder and comorbid BED have a tendency to develop manic episode when taking topiramate. Careful monitoring of mood alterations after topiramate supplement to mood stabilizers is necessary in this population.

Hierarchical and hollow CuInS2 microspheres are synthesized on the basis of sacrificial templates with solid and hollow CuS microspheres as sacrificial templates, respectively. Transformations from CuS solid microspheres to CuInS2 hierarchical microspheres and CuS hollow microspheres to CuInS2 hollow microspheres can be achieved by a solvothermal process at 180 °C for 24 h with N,N-dimethylformamide as both solvent and reductant. The products are well characterized, and the formation mechanisms are proposed. The as-synthesized products have strong optical absorption from 1000 to 2000 nm in addition to normal absorption from 400 to 800 nm, which has not be reported in the literature. The as-synthesized products exhibit a significant photothermal conversion effect under an irradiation of a 1064 nm laser. At a laser power of 0.05 W·cm–2, up to 30% and 20% enhancement of photothermal conversion is observed in the aqueous suspension containing 0.1 wt % CuInS2 hollow microspheres and hierarchical microspheres, ...

This study aimed to investigate the less known activation pattern of T lymphocyte populations and immune checkpoint inhibitors on immunocytes in patients with bipolar II disorder depression (BD) or major depression (MD). A total of 23 patients with BD, 22 patients with MD, and 20 healthy controls (HCs) were recruited. The blood cell count of T lymphocyte subsets and the plasma level of cytokines (IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, TNF-α, and IFN-γ) were selectively investigated. The expression of T-cell immunoglobulin and mucin-domain containing-3 (TIM-3), programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) and its ligands, PD-L1 and PD-L2, on T lymphocytes and monocytes, was detected. In results, blood proportion of cytotoxic T cells significantly decreased in BD patients than in either MD patients or HCs. The plasma level of IL-6 increased in patients with BD and MD. The expression of TIM-3 on cytotoxic T cells significantly increased, whereas the expression of PD-L2 on monocytes significantly decreased in patients with BD than in HCs. These findings extended our knowledge of the immune dysfunction in patients with affective disorders.

Intercellular gap junction (GJ) plays a pivotal role in the proliferation and transformation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). This study was designed to test the hypothesis that expressions of the component proteins of gap junctions, connexins40 and 43 (Cx40 and Cx43), are up-regulated in arteries subjected to balloon injury and that this up-regulation can be suppressed by statin therapy. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) revealed that there were abundant GJ between neointimal SMCs but fewer and smaller GJ after losartan and ramipril treatment. Reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction and Western blot analysis showed the messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) and protein expressions of Cx40 and Cx43 were elevated after injury, and these elevations were suppressed by losartan and ramipril. Immunostaining showed the Cx40 and Cx43 expressions were consistently enhanced in the neointimal area after injury, which was decreased by losartan and ramipril treatment. Balloon injury causes up-regulation of Cx40 and Cx43 in neointimal SMCs. angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) and AT1 antagonist losartan can reduce the proliferation of SMCs, suggesting the rennin-angiotensin system (RAS) system plays an important role in the remodeling of GJ in the VSMCs under pathological conditions. Key words: Vascular smooth muscle cell, gap junction, connexin, balloon angioplasty, statin.

In the current paper, we report the synthesis of spherical and cubic copper sulfide hollow structures, as well as the influence of shape and thickness on the photo-thermal conversion of the as-synthesized products. Copper sulfide hollow structures of different thickness were synthesized base on a sacrificial template strategy using spherical and cubic Cu2O precursors as templates. Optical absorption of the as-synthesized products was investigated with UV-Vis spectrometer. Photo-thermal conversion property was studied with a lab-made evaluation system equipped with an AUT-FSL semiconductor/solid state laser. The results indicate that the as-prepared products exhibited significant absorption in visible light regions. Under the irradiation of laser beam with a wavelength at 635 nm and a power of 0.015 W, the temperature elevations of the aqueous suspensions containing 0.24% mass fraction of spherical and cubic copper sulfide hollow structures were measured to be 5 °C and 6 °C within 60 seconds, respectively. On the contrast, water showed little temperature elevation under the same conditions.

Background Depression is the most widely acknowledged psychological problem among end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients. Depression may be associated with VD deficiency. The aims of this study are to (a) elucidate the prospective association between HsCRP, VD contents and depressive symptoms in the dialyzed population, and (b) find the effect of calcitriol supplementation on depression in dialyzed patients. Methods In this prospective study, 484 dialysis patients (382 hemodialysis [HD] cases and 102 peritoneal dialysis [PD] cases; aged 18–60 years) from two hospitals in southeast China were included. The depression in these patients was evaluated using the Chinese version of Beck’s Depression Inventory (BDI). All subjects answered the BDI-I questionnaire for assessment of depression levels in summer. A cut-off value of 16 was set to include dialysis patients with depression. All patients were divided into two groups depending on the absence (Group1) or presence (Group 2) of depression. The two groups took 0.5 μg/day 1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D orally for one year. BDI Scores were recalculated for all patients. Sociodemographic, clinical data, and serum VD contents were also collected. Results A total of 484 participants (247 men [51.0%] and 237 women [49.0%]) were surveyed. Depressive symptoms were found in 213 (44.0%) patients. The baseline serum VD level (VD2 + VD3) was 17.6 ± 7.7 nmol/L. Patients with depressive symptoms have significantly higher serum HsCRP level and significantly lower serum VD level compared with the control group. After one-year follow-up, the supplementation of 0.5 μg/day calcitriol slightly improved the microinflammatory state such as lowering mean serum HsCRP level and improving serum VD level, but not in significantly enhancing the depressive symptoms. Conclusions Calcitriol supplementation did not significantly enhance the depressive symptoms in our dialyzed population although patients with low levels of serum VD were more depressed. Therefore, more prospective randomized controlled trials are necessary to reveal the exact cause-and-effect relationship between VD status and depressive symptoms or VD status related to some specific subtypes in dialyzed patients.

To explore the effect of Xingnaojing on the somatostain and arginine vasopressin in a rat vascular dementia model, a total of 24 male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into three groups: sham group (S), vascular dementia group (VD) and Xingnaojing group (XNJ). The memory was measured by Morris water maze test before operation and before and after Xingnaojing treatment. Treatment was performed for 15 days, and then rats were sacrificed. The contents of somatostain (SS) and arginine vasopressin (AVP) in different brain regions (frontal cortex, temporal lobe, hippocampus, cerebral ganglion and corpora striatum) were determined by radioimmunoassay. When compared with S and XNJ groups, the escape latency was significantly prolonged and the platform crossing dramatically decreased in the VD group (P < 0.01); and the SS content was predominantly decreased in frontal area cortex, temporal lobe, hippocampus, cerebral ganglion and corpora striatum (P < 0.01). The AVP content was reduced, but significant difference was only found in the temporal lobe and corpora striatum (P < 0.05). The abnormal learning and memory in VD animals may be attributed to the decrease of SS and AVP after multiple cerebral infractions. Xingnaojing can predominantly raise the contents of SS and AVP in the brain of VD rats, and consequently improve the spontaneous activity and the ability of learning and memory. Xingnaojing injection should be sealed from light, in ampoule bottles, 10 ml each, and this product is an aromatic drug, used immediately after opening, to prevent evaporation. Key words: Vascular dementia, rat, memory, somatostain, arginine vasopression.

To investigate the protective effects of citalopram on neural cells and its possible mechanism.Rat PC12 cells were induced with 100 mg/L nerve growth factor for 7 d before they were randomly divided into following groups: serum-free group, citalopram treatment groups (20, 40, 60, 80 and 100 micromol/L) and serum group (n = 8). Cell viability was determined by MTT assay. Cell apoptosis rate and cell cycles were examined by flow cytometry. Hoechst 33342 staining was employed for cell morphology observation. Expression of BDNF was checked by Western blot and RT-PCR.Cells treated with 60 micromol/L citalopram showed significantly higher viability than the serum-free group (P0.01). Apoptosis rate of the citalopram treatment group remarkably decreased according to flow cytometry (P0.01) and fewer cells were arrested in G1 phase (P0.01). Hoechst 33258 staining further demonstrated the improved survival of cells (P0.01) and chromosome condensation after citalopram treatment. Western blotting and RT-PCR results both indicated that citalopram treatment could significantly (P0.01) increase BDNF expression.Citalopram has an anti-apoptotic effect on PC12 cells. Up-regulation of BDNF might be one of its nerve protection mechanisms.

Objective: To investigate the effects of Wuling Capsule, a compound traditional Chinese herbal medicine, on hippocampal neurogenesis by examining the expressions of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and connexin 43 (Cx43) in rats with depression induced by chronic unpredictable mild stress (CMS), and thereby to explore its antidepressant mechanism. Methods: Forty-five adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into three groups: control group (n=15), untreated group (n=15) and Wuling group (n=15). All rats except those in the control group were subjected to 3-week CMS to induce depression. At the same time Wuling Capsule was daily added to the diet of the rats in the Wuling group at a dose of 100 mg/kg body weight for 21 days. The degree of depression was determined by sucrose preference test. BDNF expression and neurogenesis were tested by using immunohistochemical staining with BDNF and 5-bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) antibodies; and the mRNA and protein expression levels of Cx43 in hippocampus were examined by semi-quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting. Results: The numbers of BDNF-positive neurons and BrdU-positive particles in dentate gyrus (DG) were significantly decreased in CMS rats as compared with the normal rats, and the same changes were found in Cx43 mRNA and protein expressions. After Wuling Capsule treatment, the depressed behaviors were improved. Moreover, the reduced expression levels of Cx43 mRNA and protein and fewer newborn neurons induced by CMS were recovered to the normal levels. However, BDNF-positive cells remained low in DG. Conclusion: Wuling Capsule can improve the low hippocampal neurogenesis in rats subjected to CMS and the antidepressant effects are related to enhancing the Cx43 expression but not through BDNF mediation.