Deciphering language disturbances in schizophrenia: A study using fine-tuned language models.

This research presents two stable language metrics, namely Successful Prediction Rate (SPR) and Disfluency (DF), to objectively quantify the linguistic disturbances associated with schizophrenia. These novel language metrics can capture both off-topic responses and incoherence in patients' speech by modeling speech information and fine-tuning techniques. Additionally, these metrics exhibit cultural sensitivity while providing a more comprehensive evaluation of linguistic abnormalities in schizophrenia. This research fine-tuned the ELECTRA Pretrained Language Model on a 750 MB text corpus obtained from major Chinese mental health forums. The effectiveness of the fine-tuned language model is verified on a group comprising 38 individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia and 25 meticulously matched healthy controls. The study explores the association between the fine-tuned language model and the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) items. The results demonstrate that SPR is higher in healthy controls, indicating better language understanding by the pre-trained language model. Conversely, DF is higher in individuals with schizophrenia, indicating more inconsistent language structure. The relationship between linguistic features and P2 (conceptual disorganization) reveals that patients with positive P2 exhibit lower SPR and higher DF. Binary logistic regression using the combined SPR and DF features achieves 84.5 % accuracy in classifying P2, exceeding the performance of traditional features by 20.5 %. Moreover, the proposed linguistic features outperform traditional linguistic features in discriminating FTD (formal thought disorder), as demonstrated by multivariate linear regression analysis.

MXene-BN-Introduced Artificial SEI to Inhibit Dendrite Growth of Lithium Metal Batteries.

Lithiophilic substrates have been shown to improve the electrochemical performance of lithium metal anodes. The MXene-BN/Cu 3D current collector was prepared by a filtration method. The artificial solid electrolyte interface (SEI) layer composed of Li3N and LiF was formed on the surface of MXene-BN/Cu during the Li deposition process. Volume changes can be effectively relieved by this special 3D structure. The artificial SEI film reduced the critical dendrite growth length, inhibited Li dendrite growth, and stabilized the electrochemical cycle. MXene-BN/Cu exhibited highly reversible cycling properties during lithium metal deposition with a high Coulombic efficiency of ∼ 98.0% over 500 cycles. Furthermore, LiBH4 was produced during the Li deposition process. This study presents a promising strategy for developing dendrite-free Li anodes for use in lithium metal batteries.

The Effect of Social Cognitive Interaction Training on Schizophrenia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Comparison with Conventional Treatment.

Background: Existing antipsychotic medications may alleviate the majority of patients' symptoms, but they have no discernible impact on improving social function and quality of life. Psychotherapy is required for the treatment of schizophrenia. However, contemporary psychotherapy technology intervention techniques are limited to a single intervention, and there is a lack of holistic and complete intervention approaches. Social cognition and interaction training is a comprehensive therapy strategy that has been employed in clinical practice; however, the therapeutic efficacy has been inconsistently reported. As a result, we included controlled clinical trials for meta-analysis in order to carefully assess the efficacy of this therapy. Methods: This meta-analysis searched all RCT literatures related to social cognitive interaction training (SCIT) published before April 2022 and assessed the effect of this method in the treatment of schizophrenia. The data in the literatures were combined, and the standardized mean difference (SMD) and mean difference (MD) with 95% confidence interval (95% CI) were calculated to predict the negative symptom score, positive symptom score, PANSS score, and social function score of the patients after treatment. Results: 14 RCT studies including 1167 inpatients with schizophrenia were included in this study using a retrospective observational study method, including 590 patients treated with SCIT and 577 patients treated with treatment as usual (TAU). The pooled analysis showed that patients after SCIT had lower negative symptom scores (SMD = -1.66, 95% CI (-2.32, -1.00), P < 0.0001), lower positive symptom scores (MD = -4.03, 95% CI (-7.69, -0.36), P = 0.03), lower PANSS total scores (MD = -6.33, 95% CI (-12.43, -0.23), P = 0.02), and higher social functioning scores (SMD = 0.77, 95% CI (0.34, 1.20), P < 0.001) than those after TAU. Conclusion: Our findings support that SCIT is helpful to improve the relief of symptoms and the improvement of social function in patients with schizophrenia, providing a basis for the application of SCIT in hospitalized patients and community patients, and can guide the treatment and intervention of patients with schizophrenia.

Effect of personalized nursing based on quantitative evaluation strategies on remission of first-episode schizophrenia comparing to usual care: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: The drug control of symptoms is for now the main clinical treatment of schizophrenia, but patients' varying condition and poor compliance can also fluctuate the therapeutic effect. Personalized nursing with a quantitative evaluation strategy (PNQES) may help improve the compliance and symptoms, but there are controversies over the outcomes reported in each specific study; the meta-analysis method aims to resolve the controversies over studies, thus, we conducted this study to pooling the results of controlled clinical studies, and to systematically evaluate the effects of this nursing model. METHODS: The PubMed, Medline, Embase, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, and Wanfang databases were selected and searched for relevant articles for PNQES comparing to usual care. The inclusion criteria were established according to the Participants, Interventions, Comparisons, Outcomes, and Study (PICOS) framework. The Cochrane risk of bias 2.0 tool was used to evaluate the risk of bias of the included articles. The symptom scores, treatment compliance rate, quality of life, and social function indicators of the patients after nursing were quantitatively analyzed with effect sizes of mean difference (MD) or standard mean difference (SMD). RESULTS: The 11 included articles comprised a total of 1,251 patients with experimental group 625 and control group 626. Of all the 11 articles, only 1 had a "low" risk of bias, while the other articles had "some concern of risk;" none of the articles had a "high" risk of bias. The meta-analysis showed that patients who received PNQES had a significantly lower Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) total score after care than patients who received routine care [MD =-9.95, 95% confidence interval (CI): -14.35, -5.55; P<0.00001]. Further, the treatment compliance rate of patients who received PNQES was significantly higher (odds ratio =4.44, 95% CI: 2.17, 9.09; P<0.0001), as was the quality of life (standard MD =2.40, 95% CI: 1.46, 3.34; P<0.00001). Further, the social function deficit score was significantly lower (MD =-2.25, 95% CI: -3.75, -0.76; P=0.003). Subgroup and regression analyses showed that patient age, initial PANSS score, and the quantitative method of disease severity were not the sources of heterogeneity. Different intervention approaches applied may have been the source of heterogeneity. DISCUSSION: The application of PNQES is helpful for improving patients' symptoms and disease outcomes, treatment compliance, social function, and quality of life. It is suggested to be generalized in clinical application.

Divergent Reassortment and Transmission Dynamics of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A(H5N8) Virus in Birds of China During 2021.

Highly pathogenic influenza A(H5N8) viruses had caused several outbreaks among wild bird and poultry populations across the globe, and strikingly, caused human infection, posing serious public health concerns. In this study, we conducted influenza surveillance in China during 2021 to monitor the evolution of influenza viruses in poultry. A total of 35 influenza viruses were obtained in chickens, ducks, and geese, of which 30 H5N8 viruses, 3 H5N1 viruses, and 2 H5N6 viruses. Phylogenetic analysis suggested all of H5N1, H5N6, and H5N8 isolates were derived from clade 2.3.4.4b H5N8 viruses during 2020/21 season, and notably, the internal genes of H5N1 and H5N6 viruses shared different genetic heterogeneity with H5N8 viruses and had been reassorted with wild bird-origin H5N1 viruses from Europe. By contrast, almost all H5N8 viruses exhibited only one phylogenic cluster with wild bird-origin H5N8 viruses in China and Korea, indicating that H5N8 viruses in China were more stable. Besides, we found that Korea is the main output geographic location in the spread of these H5N8 viruses to northern and eastern China, and especially, the co-circulation of H5N8 viruses occurred within China, with central China acted as a seeding population during the H5N8 epidemic. The statistical support was strong for viral migration from wild birds to chickens and ducks, indicating that 2.3.4.4b poultry-origin H5N8 viruses during 2020-2021 were originated from wild birds. Our findings provide novel insights into evolution and transmission dynamics of H5 subtype influenza viruses among poultry after novel H5N8 viruses invaded China for nearly one year.

The Genomic Evolution and the Transmission Dynamics of H6N2 Avian Influenza A Viruses in Southern China.

In China, the broad prevalence of H6 subtype influenza viruses, increasingly detected in aquatic birds, promotes their exchange materials with other highly pathogenic human-infecting H5N1, H5N6, and H7N9 influenza viruses. Strikingly, some H6 subtype viruses can infect pigs, dogs, and humans, posing risks to public health. In this study, 9 H6N2 viruses recovered from waterfowl species in the Guangdong province of China in 2018 were isolated and sequenced. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the genome sequences of these H6N2 viruses belonged to Group I, except for the NP gene in Group III. Coalescent analyses demonstrated that the reassortment of NA and NS genes have occurred in two independent clusters, suggesting H6 subtype viruses had been undergoing a complex reassortant. To examine the evolutionary dynamics and the dissemination of the H6 subtype viruses, a Bayesian stochastic search variable selection was performed for results showing higher viral migration rates between closer provinces, including Guangdong, Jiangxi, Guangxi, and Fujian. Notably, the transmission routes of the H6 subtype viruses were concentrated in Jiangxi Province, the most frequent location for input and output transmission and a region containing Poyang Lake, a well-known wintering site for migration birds. We also found that the aquatic birds, especially ducks, were the most common input source of the viral transmission. In addition, we also found that eight positively selected amino acid sites were identified in HA protein. Given their continuous dissemination and the broad prevalence of the H6 subtype influenza viruses, continued surveillance is warranted in the future.

Systematic review and meta-analysis of the effects of group painting therapy on the negative emotions of depressed adolescent patients.

BACKGROUND: There are not many drugs for teen depression, and many antidepressants are not recommended for people under the age of 14 years. Thus, cognitive behavioral therapy, such as art therapy, is widely used in the treatment of adolescent depression. Group painting therapy (GPT) is a psycho-art treatment that allows the artist to engage in the creative process of painting. METHODS: Chinese and English databases were searched with a combination of words, including "Adolescent depression", "Group painting therapy", "Art therapy", and "Depression". A meta-analysis of the literature was carried out using the Cochrane system (RevMan 5.3). RESULTS: Six randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were included in this study, of which 4 (66.66%) adopted the correct random assignment method, and 1 (16.67%) adopted a hidden detailed assignment scheme. One (16.67%) article adopted a blind method to evaluate the results. After GPT, depressed adolescent patients' positive emotion scores improved significantly [mean deviation (MD) =4.62, 95% confidence interval (CI) (3.79, 5.45), P<0.01] as did patients' negative emotion scores [MD =-1.88, 95% CI (-2.29, -1.46), P<0.01]. Patients' cognitive function and executive ability were also significantly improved by GPT. DISCUSSION: The results of our systematic evaluation and meta-analysis confirmed that GPT significantly improves adolescent depression and relieves patients' negative emotions.

3'UTR SL-IV and DB1 Regions Contribute to Japanese Encephalitis Virus Replication and Pathogenicity.

Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV), a mosquito-borne flavivirus that causes fatal neurological disease in humans, is one of the most important emerging pathogens of public health significance. JEV is maintained in an enzootic cycle and causes reproductive failure in pigs. Notably, the shift in JEV genotypes is not fully protected by existing vaccines, so the development of a candidate vaccine is urgently needed. In this study, we compared pathogenicity between Japanese encephalitis virus SA14 and BJB (isolated from humans in the 1970s) strains. We found that the BJB strain was attenuated in mice and that there was no case fatality rate. The growth rate of BJB was higher than SA14 virus in BHK-21 cells. Based on the sequence alignment of the viral genome between the SA14 and BJB virus strains, some mutations at sites 248, 254, 258, and 307 were observed in the 3' untranslated region (3'UTR). The 3'UTR of JEV plays a very important role in the viral life cycle. Furthermore, using a reverse genetic system, we conducted and rescued the parental JEV strain SA14 (T248, A254, and A258) and the mutant virus rSA14-3'UTRmut (T248C, A254G, A258G, and 307G). Through an analysis of the RNA secondary structure model of the 3'UTR, we discovered that the mutations of T248C, A254G, and A258G reduced the apiculus ring and increased the lateral ring significantly in the stem-loop structures IV (SL-IV) structure region of 3'UTR. Moreover, the insertion of 307G added a ring to the dumbbell structure 1 (DB1) structure region. Strikingly, these RNA secondary structure changes in 3'UTR of rSA14-3'UTRmut increased viral negative chain RNA production and enhanced the replication ability of the virus in BHK-21 cells. However, in vivo mouse experiments illustrated that the rSA14-3'UTRmut virus significantly decreased the neurovirulence of JEV. These results affirmed that the JEV SL-IV and DB1 regions play an important role in viral proliferation and pathogenicity. Taken together, we complement the study of RNA element function in the 3'UTR region of JEV by providing a new target for the rational design of live attenuated candidate vaccines and the increase of virus production.

Serological surveillance of H5 and H9 avian influenza A viral infections among pigs in Southern China.

Pigs are susceptible to both human and avian influenza viruses (AIV). Moreover, they are suspected of being the intermediate hosts or mixing vessels of pandemic influenza viruses. Researchers suspect that the influenza viruses are able to undergo reassortment or to adapt to various mammalian hosts while they incubate in pigs. For the present report, we conducted a serological surveillance of pigs in southern China from 2008 to 2012 to establish the prevalence of antibodies against H5N1 and H9N2 AIV. A total of one hundred pig farms from the Guangdong, Zhejiang, Fujian, and Yunnan Provinces were sampled, yielding a total of 3960 serum specimens. The haemagglutination inhibition (HI) tests revealed no evidence of H5 infection when the Clade 2.3.2 virus was used as the antigen, but a 4.6% positive rate of H9 infection was observed when using the Beijing/1/94-like virus as the antigen. The positive sera for H9 infection were further verified with neutralization tests, which confirmed a 3.7% rate of positive sera of H9 infection. In summary, the results imply that the swine populations in southern China had not been affected greatly by the H5N1 avian influenza virus. Nevertheless, these swine H9N2 influenza viruses might pose a threat to human health, and so researchers should continue to carry out swine influenza virus surveillance in China.

Phylogenetic analysis of the E2 gene of classical swine fever virus from the Guangxi Province of southern China.

In this study, suspected classical swine fever (CSF) samples from the Guangxi Province of China were obtained from pigs with acute CSF, aborted fetuses, newborn pigs that died at 1-2 days of age, tonsils of healthy pigs, and leukocytes of immunized sows during 2001-2009. About 92 of 775 samples were found to be positive by RT-PCR, and 41 isolates were obtained. Phylogenetic analysis was performed on the 31 isolates by sequencing the E2 gene, and the isolates were found to cluster into two groups: (1) isolates from aborted fetuses (except GXGZ02), deceased newborn baby pigs, tonsils of healthy pigs, and leukocytes of immunized sows belonged to group 1.1, along with vaccine strain, HCLV, and standard virulent strain, Shimen, of China, and (2) 20 isolates from pigs with acute CSF belonged to group 2.1, 13 of which were clustered into subgroup 2.1b with isolates from other provinces of China, and 7 of which were clustered into subgroup 2.1a with isolates from Italy and Germany.