ABSTRACT
Objective:To ulteriorly explore the differences of psychotic symptoms and neurocognitive between patients with first-episode deficit subtype of schizophrenia (FDS) and patients with first-episode nondeficit subtype of schizophrenia (FNDS).Methods:From January 2021 to September 2021, a total of 88 first-episode treatment-naive schizophrenia were recruited from the Mental Health Center of West China Hospital and divided into FDS group( n=44) and FNDS group( n=44) according to the schedule for the deficit syndrome (SDS), and 44 healthy subjects were included as healthy control group (HC group, n=44). Positive and negative syndrome scale (PANSS) was used to assess psychotic symptoms of patients and Wechsler adult intelligence scale, trail making test and logic memory test were used to evaluate intelligence quotient and neurocognitive function of all subjects.SPSS 22.0 was used for statistical analysis, and independent samples t-test and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used to compare variables that met normal distribution, while the Mann-Whitney U test and Kruskal-Wallis H test were used to compare variables that did not meet normal distribution. Results:(1) There were significant differences in psychotic symptoms between the FDS group and the FNDS group.Compared with the FNDS group, the FDS group had higher total score of PANSS ((95.95±16.82) vs (88.39±16.29)), negative symptoms ((27.57±7.52) vs (16.57±5.76)) and anergastic reaction ((13.43±3.82) vs (7.00(5.00, 9.00)), and lower positive symptoms scores ((21.95±6.88) vs (25.41±6.07)), activation ((8.00(5.00, 9.00) vs (9.27±3.47)), depression ((5.50(4.00, 9.00) vs (8.00(6.00, 12.00)) and supplementary item ((13.60±4.17) vs (17.30±5.39))(all P<0.05). (2) There were differences in neurocognitive functions between FDS group and FNDS group, and which in FDS and FNDS group were worse than that in HC group.Spatial memory (block design test: (23.70±11.05) vs (31.72±11.49)) and information processing speed (digit symbol test: (38.38±15.85) vs (47.97±14.99)) of FDS group were significantly lower than those of FNDS group(both P<0.05). Intelligence quotient, information processing speed and spatial memory of FDS group and FNDS group were lower than those of HC group(all P<0.05). Conclusion:FDS patients has more severe negative symptoms and anergastic reaction, and exit worse information processing speed and spatial memory dysfunction than FNDS patients.This unique pattern of impairment suggests that information processing speed and spatial memory may be important classification indicators for differentiating the deficit subtype of schizophrenia in the early stage.
ABSTRACT
Single-cell sequencing is a technique that analyzes DNA and RNA sequences on the cellular level with next generation sequencing. The ultra high resolution of single-cell sequencing provides new perspectives and opens new frontiers for our understanding of many areas of life sciences, including forensic genome. This paper summarizes the recent advancements in single-cell sequencing and the prospect of its forensic application.
Subject(s)
Humans , DNA , Forensic Genetics , High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing , Sequence Analysis, DNA/methodsABSTRACT
Objective: To prepare curcumin nanocrystalline (Cur-NC) self-stabilized Pickering emulsion (Cur-NCSPE). Methods: Cur-NCSPE was prepared by high pressure homogenization. The influences of homogenization pressure on Cur-NC size and drug content on Cur-NCSPE formation were studied. The morphology and structure of emulsion droplets were observed by optical microscope and scanning electron microscope. Furthermore, the stability and in vitro release properties of Cur-NCSPE were evaluated. Results: The particle size of Cur-NC was slightly changed when homogeneous pressure was greater than 100 MPa. With the increase of Cur, the amount of Cur-NC on the surface of oil droplets increases, and the particle size decreases. When the amount of drug added can completely cover the surface of oil droplets, increasing the amount of drug had little effect on the particle size. Cur-NCSPE was more stable than Cur-NC and Cur, and the in vitro release rate of Cur-NCSPE was significantly higher than that of Cur-NC and Cur coarse power. Conclusion: The Cur-NCSPE is prepared successfully, which is expected to provide a novel oral administration technology platform for the poorly soluble drugs.
ABSTRACT
Epigenetics is the study of heritable changes in gene expression other than changes in the underlying DNA sequence. Such changes include DNA methylation, histone modification, chromatin remodeling, genomic imprinting, X chromosome inactivation and non-coding RNA regulation. Recent progresses on epigenetics open new possibilities in tackling these challenging problems in forensic science, including identification of fetal paternity testing in embryonic period, determination of the necessary allele in paternity testing, discrimination of identical twins, origination analysis of micro tissue, verification of forged DNA. This review focuses on epigenetics concept and its latest application in the field of paternity testing, age estimation, discrimination between the twins, identification of tissue of origin, and estimation of postmortem interval.
Subject(s)
Humans , Alleles , DNA Methylation , Epigenesis, Genetic , Epigenomics , Forensic Sciences , Gene Expression , Genomic Imprinting , Twins, MonozygoticABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>Allgrove syndrome is a rare autosomal recessive disorder characterized by the triad of adrenal insufficiency, achalasia and alacrima and many cases have multi-systems disorder: endocrine, gastrointestinal tract, eyes and nervous system. This syndrome is also known as achalasia-addisonianism-alacrima syndrome or triple A syndrome. Allgrove syndrome is now known to be caused by mutations of AAAS gene encoding the aladin protein. In the present paper, we report a Chinese mainland girl with Allgrove syndrome with mutations in the AAAS gene.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>The patient was a 7-year-old girl complained of coma and dark skin; she was treated as Addison disease for 2 years and had vomiting for 9 months before the second admission. Gene analysis was performed after extracting genomic DNA by amplification and sequencing of the specific fragments of AAA gene.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The patient was confirmed to have adrenal insufficiency at the age of 5 years and 6 months. During the second hospitalization, she was found to have a remarkable brisk reflexion, bilateral optic nerve atrophy, alacrima and achalasia besides ACTH resistance. The girl was born to consanguineous parents. Based on these findings, she was diagnosed as having Allgrove syndrome. Mutation analysis revealed a novel homozygous deletion of a single G, c.771delG, in exon 8 of the AAAS gene. This frame shift mutation was predicted to create a premature stop codon at locus 290, p.R258GfsX33, leading to a truncated and non-functioning aladin protein. Both the parents were heterozygous for the mutation.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The clinical manifestations and AAAS gene mutations analysis confirmed the diagnosis of Allgrove syndrome. Gene analysis indicated that this syndrome is an autosomal recessive inherent disorder. ALADIN is significant for the normal cell function. When compared with reported cases, it seems that there are no remarkable relation between gene mutation loci and clinical manifestations in Allgrove syndrome.</p>