Effects of virtual reality-based cognitive training for adolescents with depressive episodes: A pilot randomized controlled study.

Cognitive impairment is a common symptom in depression, yet few intervention strategies target adolescents. This study investigated the effects of an attention and working memory cognitive training system based on virtual reality (VRCT) in adolescents with mild to moderate depressive episodes. Adolescents with depression were randomized into a VR training group (VRG, n = 47) or a waitlist control group (WT, n = 46). The VR training consisted of three 10-min tasks per session, conducted three sessions per week for 20 sessions over 7 weeks. Forty-four healthy adolescents participated as a comparison group for baseline cognitive assessment. Cognitive functions and depressive symptoms were assessed using the Das-Naglieri cognitive assessment system, driven by the Planning, Attention, Simultaneous, and Successive (PASS) processing theory, and the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale-24 at pre- and post-intervention. Baseline results indicated significantly lower cognitive scores in patients compared to healthy adolescents. Post-intervention, the VRG demonstrated significant improvements in all four cognitive scales (effect sizes 0.56 to 0.76) and a significant reduction in depressive symptoms compared to the WT. These findings suggest that VRCT holds potential for improving cognitive impairments and alleviating depressive symptoms in adolescents with depression. Further large-scale and follow-up studies are necessary to confirm long-term benefits.

An Unprecedented [BO2]-Based Deep-Ultraviolet Transparent Nonlinear Optical Crystal by Superhalogen Substitution.

Solid-state structures with the superhalogen [BO2]- have thus far only been observed with a few compounds whose syntheses require high reaction temperatures and complicated procedures, while their optical properties remain almost completely unexplored. Herein, we report a facile, energy-efficient synthesis of the first [BO2]-based deep-ultraviolet (deep-UV) transparent oxide K9[B4O5(OH)4]3(CO3)(BO2) ⋅ 7H2O (KBCOB). Detailed structural characterization and analysis confirm that KBCOB possesses a rare four-in-one three-dimensional quasi-honeycomb framework, with three π-conjugated anions ([BO2]-, [BO3]3-, and [CO3]2-) and one non-π-conjugated anion ([BO4]5-) in the one crystal. The evolution from the traditional halogenated nonlinear optical (NLO) analogues to KBCOB by superhalogen [BO2]- substitution confers deep-UV transparency (<190 nm), a large second-harmonic generation response (1.0×KH2PO4 @ 1064 nm), and a 15-fold increase in birefringence. This study affords a new route to the facile synthesis of functional [BO2]-based oxides, paving the way for the development of next-generation high-performing deep-UV NLO materials.

Ultrashort Phase-Matching Wavelength and Strong Second-Harmonic Generation in Deep-UV-Transparent Oxyfluorides by Covalency Reduction.

The development of urgently-needed ultraviolet (UV)/deep-UV nonlinear optical (NLO) materials has been hindered by contradictory requirements of the microstructure, in particular the need for a strong second-harmonic generation (SHG) response as well as a short phase-matching (PM) wavelength. We herein employ a "de-covalency" band gap engineering strategy to adjust the optical linearity and nonlinearity. This has been achieved by assembling two types of transition-metal (TM) polyhedra ([TaO2 F4 ] and [TaF7 ]), affording the first tantalum-based deep-UV-transparent NLO materials, A5 Ta3 OF18 (A = K (KTOF), Rb (RTOF)). Experimental and theoretical studies reveal that the highly ionic bonds and strong electropositivity of tantalum in the two oxyfluorides induce record short PM wavelengths (238 (KTOF) and 240 (RTOF) nm) for d0 -TM-centered oxides, in addition to strong SHG responses (2.8 × KH2 PO4 (KTOF) and 2.6 × KH2 PO4 (RTOF)), and sufficient birefringences (0.092 (KTOF) and 0.085 (RTOF) at 546 nm). These results not only broaden the available strategies for achieving deep-UV NLO materials by exploiting the currently neglected d0 -TMs, but also push the shortest PM wavelength into the short-wavelength UV region.

Wall shear stress and its role in atherosclerosis.

Atherosclerosis (AS) is the major form of cardiovascular disease and the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in countries around the world. Atherosclerosis combines the interactions of systemic risk factors, haemodynamic factors, and biological factors, in which biomechanical and biochemical cues strongly regulate the process of atherosclerosis. The development of atherosclerosis is directly related to hemodynamic disorders and is the most important parameter in the biomechanics of atherosclerosis. The complex blood flow in arteries forms rich WSS vectorial features, including the newly proposed WSS topological skeleton to identify and classify the WSS fixed points and manifolds in complex vascular geometries. The onset of plaque usually occurs in the low WSS area, and the plaque development alters the local WSS topography. low WSS promotes atherosclerosis, while high WSS prevents atherosclerosis. Upon further progression of plaques, high WSS is associated with the formation of vulnerable plaque phenotype. Different types of shear stress can lead to focal differences in plaque composition and to spatial variations in the susceptibility to plaque rupture, atherosclerosis progression and thrombus formation. WSS can potentially gain insight into the initial lesions of AS and the vulnerable phenotype that gradually develops over time. The characteristics of WSS are studied through computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling. With the continuous improvement of computer performance-cost ratio, WSS as one of the effective parameters for early diagnosis of atherosclerosis has become a reality and will be worth actively promoting in clinical practice. The research on the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis based on WSS is gradually an academic consensus. This article will comprehensively review the systemic risk factors, hemodynamics and biological factors involved in the formation of atherosclerosis, and combine the application of CFD in hemodynamics, focusing on the mechanism of WSS and the complex interactions between WSS and plaque biological factors. It is expected to lay a foundation for revealing the pathophysiological mechanisms related to abnormal WSS in the progression and transformation of human atherosclerotic plaques.

[Research progress in targeting autophagy of traditional Chinese medicine and natural compounds to regulate atherosclerosis].

Atherosclerosis(AS) is the common pathological basis of many ischemic cardiovascular diseases, and its formation process involves various aspects such as vascular endothelial injury and platelet activation. Vascular endothelial injury is the initiating factor of AS plaque. Monocytes are recruited to differentiate into macrophages at the damaged endothelial cells, which absorb oxidized low-density lipoprotein(ox-LDL) and slowly transform into foam cells. Smooth muscle cells(SMCs) proliferate and migrate continuously. As the only cell producing interstitial collagen fibers in the fibrous cap, SMCs largely determine whether the plaque ruptured or not. The amplifying inflammatory response during the formation of AS recruits platelets to adhere to the damaged area of vascular endothelium and stimulates excessive platelet aggregation. Autophagy activity is associated with vascular lesions and abnormal platelet activation, and excessive autophagy is considered to be a negative factor for plaque stability. Therefore, precise regulation of different types of vascular autophagy and platelet autophagy to treat AS may provide a new therapeutic perspective for the prevention and treatment of atherosclerotic ischemic cardiovascular disease. Currently, treatment strategies for AS still focus on lowering lipid levels with high-intensity statins, which often cause significant side effects. Therefore, the development of safer and more effective drugs and treatment modes is the focus of current research. Traditional Chinese medicine and natural compounds have the potential to treat AS by targeted autophagy, and have been playing an increasingly important role in the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases in China. This paper summarizes the experimental studies on different vascular cell types and platelet autophagy in AS, and sums up the published research results on targeted autophagy of traditional Chinese medicine and natural plant compounds to regulate AS, providing new ideas for further research.

Abnormal dynamic functional connectivity of hippocampal subregions associated with working memory impairment in melancholic depression.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have demonstrated structural and functional changes of the hippocampus in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). However, no studies have analyzed the dynamic functional connectivity (dFC) of hippocampal subregions in melancholic MDD. We aimed to reveal the patterns for dFC variability in hippocampus subregions - including the bilateral rostral and caudal areas and its associations with cognitive impairment in melancholic MDD. METHODS: Forty-two treatment-naive MDD patients with melancholic features and 55 demographically matched healthy controls were included. The sliding-window analysis was used to evaluate whole-brain dFC for each hippocampal subregions seed. We assessed between-group differences in the dFC variability values of each hippocampal subregion in the whole brain and cognitive performance on the MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery (MCCB). Finally, association analysis was conducted to investigate their relationships. RESULTS: Patients with melancholic MDD showed decreased dFC variability between the left rostral hippocampus and left anterior lobe of cerebellum compared with healthy controls (voxel p < 0.005, cluster p < 0.0125, GRF corrected), and poorer cognitive scores in working memory, verbal learning, visual learning, and social cognition (all p < 0.05). Association analysis showed that working memory was positively correlated with the dFC variability values of the left rostral hippocampus-left anterior lobe of the cerebellum (r = 0.338, p = 0.029) in melancholic MDD. CONCLUSIONS: These findings confirmed the distinct dynamic functional pathway of hippocampal subregions in patients with melancholic MDD, and suggested that the dysfunction of hippocampus-cerebellum connectivity may be underlying the neural substrate of working memory impairment in melancholic MDD.

Maturity Stage Discrimination of Camellia oleifera Fruit Using Visible and Near-Infrared Hyperspectral Imaging.

The maturity of Camellia oleifera fruit is one of the most important indicators to optimize the harvest day, which, in turn, results in a high yield and good quality of the produced Camellia oil. A hyperspectral imaging (HSI) system in the range of visible and near-infrared (400-1000 nm) was employed to assess the maturity stages of Camellia oleifera fruit. Hyperspectral images of 1000 samples, which were collected at five different maturity stages, were acquired. The spectrum of each sample was extracted from the identified region of interest (ROI) in each hyperspectral image. Spectral principal component analysis (PCA) revealed that the first three PCs showed potential for discriminating samples at different maturity stages. Two classification models, including partial least-squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) and principal component analysis discriminant analysis (PCA-DA), based on the raw or pre-processed full spectra, were developed, and performances were compared. Using a PLS-DA model, based on second-order (2nd) derivative pre-processed spectra, achieved the highest results of correct classification rates (CCRs) of 99.2%, 98.4%, and 97.6% in the calibration, cross-validation, and prediction sets, respectively. Key wavelengths selected by PC loadings, two-dimensional correlation spectroscopy (2D-COS), and the uninformative variable elimination and successive projections algorithm (UVE+SPA) were applied as inputs of the PLS-DA model, while UVE-SPA-PLS-DA built the optimal model with the highest CCR of 81.2% in terms of the prediction set. In a confusion matrix of the optimal simplified model, satisfactory sensitivity, specificity, and precision were acquired. Misclassification was likely to occur between samples at maturity stages two, three, and four. Overall, an HSI with effective selected variables, coupled with PLS-DA, could provide an accurate method and a reference simple system by which to rapidly discriminate the maturity stages of Camellia oleifera fruit samples.

Wide bandgaps and strong SHG responses of hetero-oxyfluorides by dual-fluorination-directed bandgap engineering.

A wide bandgap is an essential requirement for a nonlinear optical (NLO) material. However, it is very challenging to simultaneously engineer a wide bandgap and a strong second-harmonic generation (SHG) response, particularly in NLO materials containing second-order Jahn-Teller (SOJT) distorted units. Herein, we employ a bandgap engineering strategy that involves the dual fluorination of two different types of SOJT distorted units to realize remarkably wide bandgaps in the first examples of 5d0-transition metal (TM) fluoroiodates. Crystalline A2WO2F3(IO2F2) (A = Rb (RWOFI) and Cs (CWOFI)) exhibit the largest bandgaps yet observed in d0-TM iodates (4.42 (RWOFI) and 4.29 eV (CWOFI)), strong phase-matching SHG responses of 3.8 (RWOFI) and 3.5 (CWOFI) × KH2PO4, and wide optical transparency windows. Computational studies have shown that the excellent optical responses result from synergism involving the two fluorinated SOJT distorted units ([WO3F3]3- and [IO2F2]-). This work provides not only an efficient strategy for bandgap modulation of NLO materials, but also affords insight into the relationship between the electronic structure of the various fluorinated SOJT distorted units and the optical properties of crystalline materials.

The prevalence and characteristics of MCCB cognitive impairment in unmedicated patients with bipolar II depression and major depressive disorder.

BACKGROUND: Cognitive impairment has been acknowledged as a core clinical manifestation of bipolar disorder (BD) as well as major depressive disorder (MDD). Determining the prevalence and characteristics of cognitive impairment is important for clinical interventions. This study investigated the prevalence and characteristics of cognitive impairment based on the Measurement and Treatment Research to Improve Cognition Schizophrenia Consensus Cognitive Battery (MCCB) in both BD and MDD. METHOD: One hundred and forty-nine BD II depression, 147 MDD, and 124 demographically matched healthy controls (HC) underwent MCCB cognitive assessment. The prevalence of MCCB cognitive impairment and group difference comparisons were performed. Additionally, association analysis was performed to investigate the relationship between cognitive performance and clinical variables. RESULTS: Compared to the HC group, both BD II depression and MDD groups had a significantly reduced performance for all MCCB cognitive domains (all p < 0.05). The numerical scores for visual learning were lower in the BD II depression group compared to the MDD group. 32.89% of the BD II depression patients had clinically significant impairment (>1.5 SD below the normal mean) in two or more MCCB domains compared to 23.13% for MDD patients. CONCLUSIONS: A high percent of patients in the BD II depression and MDD group exhibited MCCB cognitive impairments with clinical significance. Cognitive impairments were more common in BD II depression patients compared to MDD patients, particularly for visual learning. These findings suggest that clinicians should be aware of the severe cognitive impairment in mood disorders and establish effective cognitive screening and intervention strategies.

Mitochondrial Transplantation: A Unique Treatment Strategy.

ABSTRACT: Mitochondrial transplantation (MT) refers to the process of introducing isolated mitochondria into a damaged area of the heart or other organs. In the past decade, this technique has been continuously updated as the fundamental research on the repair of damaged cells or tissues. In particular, in the field of heart protection from ischemia-reperfusion injury, the MT therapy has been developed to the clinical trial stage. Generally speaking, the goal of therapeutic intervention is to replace damaged mitochondria or increase the transfer of mitochondria between cells so as to improve mitochondrial dysfunction. In this review, we summarized the studies on MT conducted at different time nodes and outlined a range of different methods for delivering mitochondria into the target site. Finally, we described the applications of MT in different diseases and discussed the clinical studies of human MT currently in progress and the problems that need to be overcome. We hope to provide new ideas for the treatment of mitochondrial defect-related diseases.

Ultrawide Bandgap and Outstanding Second-Harmonic Generation Response by a Fluorine-Enrichment Strategy at a Transition-Metal Oxyfluoride Nonlinear Optical Material.

The development of nonlinear optical (NLO) materials has been hindered by competing microstructure requirements: the need to simultaneously engineer a large hyperpolarizability (a large second-harmonic generation (SHG)) and a wide HOMO-LUMO gap (a wide band gap). Herein, a non-centrosymmetric transition-metal (TM) oxyfluoride K5 (NbOF4 )(NbF7 )2 (KNOF) with an extremely high F/O ratio is constructed in high yield. KNOF exhibits an extremely wide band gap (5.88 eV) and a strong powder SHG response (4.0×KH2 PO4 )-both being the largest values for TM-centered oxyfluorides-as well as a birefringence sufficient for applications. The dominant roles of the partially fluorinated [NbO2 F4 ] and totally fluorinated [NbF7 ] groups in achieving the enlarged band gap in KNOF have been clarified by first-principles calculations. Our results suggest that maximizing the fluorine content of oxyfluorides may unlock the promise of short-wavelength-transparent materials with exceptional NLO performance.

Associations between executive function impairment and biochemical abnormalities in depressed adolescents with non-suicidal self-injury.

BACKGROUND: H protons magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) has been used to detect the biochemical metabolism changes and the mechanism of executive dysfunction in major depressive disorder (MDD). While, finding information associated with non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) among adolescents with MDD is challenging. The present study aimed to examine the executive function and biochemical metabolism alterations, as well as to elucidate their associations in depressed adolescents with NSSI. METHODS: A total of 86 adolescents with MDD (40 with NSSI, and 46 without NSSI) and 28 healthy controls were recruited in the current study. The executive function was assessed by Digital symbol test (DST), Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST), Trail Making Test, part B (TMT-B), and Verbal fluency (VF). Bilateral metabolite levels of the prefrontal cortex (PFC), anterior cingulated cortex (ACC), lenticular nucleus (LN) of basal ganglia and thalamus were obtained by 1H-MRS at 3.0 T, and then the ratios of N-acetyl aspartate (NAA) and choline-containing compounds (Cho) to creatine (Cr) were determined, respectively. Finally, association analysis was conducted to investigate their relationships. RESULTS: The depressed adolescents with NSSI showed significantly lower VF scores than those without NSSI and healthy controls. We also found significantly higher NAA/Cr ratios in the right thalamus, while significantly lower Cho/Cr ratios in the right thalamus of NSSI group than the MDD without NSSI group and healthy controls. And NSSI group also showed lower NAA/Cr ratio in the right LN than the MDD without NSSI group. For MDD with NSSI, the NAA/Cr ratios of the left thalamus were positively correlated with the time of TMTB and the Cho/Cr ratios of the left ACC were positively correlated with the VF scores. CONCLUSIONS: Depressed adolescents with NSSI may have executive dysfunction and NAA and Cho metabolism abnormalities in the thalamus. And the NAA/Cr ratios of the right LN could distinguish NSSI from depressed adolescents. Further, the executive dysfunction may be associated with the abnormal NAA metabolism in the left thalamus and ACC.

A Lanthanum Ammonium Sulfate Double Salt with a Strong SHG Response and Wide Deep-UV Transparency.

The targeted synthesis of deep-ultraviolet (deep-UV) nonlinear optical (NLO) materials, especially those with non-π-conjugated sulfates, has experienced considerable difficulties due to the need to reconcile the oft-competing requirements for deep-UV transparency and strong second-harmonic generation (SHG). We report herein the designed synthesis of the first rare-earth metal-based deep-UV sulfate La(NH4 )(SO4 )2 by a double-salt strategy involving introduction of complementary cations, together with optical studies that reveal a short-wavelength deep-UV absorption edge (below 190 nm) and the strongest SHG response among deep-UV NLO sulfates (2.4×KDP). Theoretical calculations and crystal structure analysis suggest that the excellent balance between SHG response and deep-UV transparency can be attributed to a synergistic interaction of the hetero-cations La3+ and [NH4 ]+ , which optimize alignment of the [SO4 ] tetrahedra and highly polarizable [LaO8 ] polyhedra.

A Congruent-Melting Mid-Infrared Nonlinear Optical Vanadate Exhibiting Strong Second-Harmonic Generation.

Study of mid-infrared (mid-IR) nonlinear optical (NLO) materials is hindered by the competing requirements of optimized second-harmonic generation (SHG) coefficient dij and laser-induced damage threshold (LIDT) as well as the harsh synthetic conditions. Herein, we report facile hydrothermal synthesis of a polar NLO vanadate Cs4 V8 O22 (CVO) featuring a quasi-rigid honeycomb-layered structure with [VO4 ] and [VO5 ] polyhedra aligned parallel. CVO possesses a wide IR-transparent window, high LIDT, and congruent-melting behavior. It has very strong phase-matchable SHG intensities in metal vanadate family (12.0 × KDP @ 1064 nm and 2.2 × AGS @ 2100 nm). First-principles calculations suggest that the exceptional SHG responses of CVO largely originate from virtual electronic transitions within [V4 O11 ]∞ layer; the excellent optical transmittance of CVO arises from the special characteristics of vibrational phonons resulting from the layered structure.

Giant Second-Harmonic Generation Response and Large Band Gap in the Partially Fluorinated Mid-Infrared Oxide RbTeMo2O8F.

Strong second-harmonic generation (SHG) and a wide band gap are two crucial but often conflicting parameters that must be optimized for practical nonlinear optical (NLO) materials. We report herein the first d0-transition-metal (TM) tellurite with half of the d0-TM-octahedra partially fluorinated, namely, quinary RbTeMo2O8F, which exhibits giant SHG responses (27 times that of KH2PO4 (KDP) and 2.2 times that of KTiOPO4 (KTP) with 1064 and 2100 nm laser radiation, respectively), the largest SHG values among all reported metal tellurites. RbTeMo2O8F also possesses a large band gap (3.63 eV), a wide optical transparency window (0.34-5.40 µm), and a significant birefringence (Δn = 0.263 at 546 nm). Theoretical calculations and crystal structure analysis demonstrate that the outstanding SHG responses can be definitively attributed to the uniform alignment of the polarized [MoO5F]/[MoO6] octahedra and the seesaw-like [TeO4], and the consequent favorable summative polarization of the three distinct SHG-active polyhedra, both induced by partial fluorine substitution on the [MoO6] octahedra.

Legumain is a predictor of all-cause mortality and potential therapeutic target in acute myocardial infarction.

The prognostic impact of extracellular matrix (ECM) modulation and its regulatory mechanism post-acute myocardial infarction (AMI), require further clarification. Herein, we explore the predictive role of legumain-which showed the ability in ECM degradation-in an AMI patient cohort and investigate the underlying mechanisms. A total of 212 AMI patients and 323 healthy controls were enrolled in the study. Moreover, AMI was induced in mice by permanent ligation of the left anterior descending artery and fibroblasts were adopted for mechanism analysis. Based on the cut-off value for the receiver-operating characteristics curve, AMI patients were stratified into low (n = 168) and high (n = 44) plasma legumain concentration (PLG) groups. However, PLG was significantly higher in AMI patients than that in the healthy controls (median 5.9 µg/L [interquartile range: 4.2-9.3 µg/L] vs. median 4.4 µg/L [interquartile range: 3.2-6.1 µg/L], P < 0.001). All-cause mortality was significantly higher in the high PLG group compared to that in the low PLG group (median follow-up period, 39.2 months; 31.8% vs. 12.5%; P = 0.002). Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that high PLG was associated with increased all-cause mortality after adjusting for clinical confounders (HR = 3.1, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.4-7.0, P = 0.005). In accordance with the clinical observations, legumain concentration was also increased in peripheral blood, and infarcted cardiac tissue from experimental AMI mice. Pharmacological blockade of legumain with RR-11a, improved cardiac function, decreased cardiac rupture rate, and attenuated left chamber dilation and wall thinning post-AMI. Hence, plasma legumain concentration is of prognostic value in AMI patients. Moreover, legumain aggravates cardiac remodelling through promoting ECM degradation which occurs, at least partially, via activation of the MMP-2 pathway.

Correlations Among mRNA Expression Levels of ATP7A, Serum Ceruloplasmin Levels, and Neuronal Metabolism in Unmedicated Major Depressive Disorder.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have found that elevated copper levels induce oxidation, which correlates with the occurrence of major depressive disorder (MDD). However, the mechanism of abnormal cerebral metabolism of MDD patients remains ambiguous. The main function of the enzyme ATPase copper-transporting alpha (ATP7A) is to transport copper across the membrane to retain copper homeostasis, which is closely associated with the onset of mental disorders and cognitive impairment. However, less is known regarding the association of ATP7A expression in MDD patients. METHODS: A total of 31 MDD patients and 21 healthy controls were recruited in the present study. Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy was used to assess the concentration levels of N-acetylaspartate, choline (Cho), and creatine (Cr) in brain regions of interest, including prefrontal white matter (PWM), anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), thalamus, lentiform nucleus, and cerebellum. The mRNA expression levels of ATP7A were measured using polymerase chain reaction (SYBR Green method). The correlations between mRNA expression levels of ATP7A and/or ceruloplasmin levels and neuronal biochemical metabolite ratio in the brain regions of interest were evaluated. RESULTS: The decline in the mRNA expression levels of ATP7A and the increase in ceruloplasmin levels exhibited a significant correlation in MDD patients. In addition, negative correlations were noted between the decline in mRNA expression levels of ATP7A and the increased Cho/Cr ratios of the left PWM, right PWM, and right ACC in MDD patients. A positive correlation between elevated ceruloplasmin levels and increased Cho/Cr ratio of the left PWM was noted in MDD patients. CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggested that the decline in the mRNA expression levels of ATP7A and the elevated ceruloplasmin levels induced oxidation that led to the disturbance of neuronal metabolism in the brain, which played important roles in the pathophysiology of MDD. The decline in the mRNA expression levels of ATP7A and the elevated ceruloplasmin levels affected neuronal membrane metabolic impairment in the left PWM, right PWM, and right ACC of MDD patients.