Emotion Context Insensitivity is generalized in individuals with major depressive disorder but not in those with subclinical depression.

BACKGROUND: Depressed individuals experience deficits in emotional reactivity. One well-established theory is the Emotion Context Insensitivity (ECI) theory. To better understand impairments in emotional reactivity, we investigated whether the ECI theory is applicable to anticipatory, consummatory, and remembered affect, in both clinical and subclinical depression. METHODS: Participants were divided into four groups: Major Depressive Disorder Group (MDD, N = 60), Control Group for MDD (ControlMDD, N = 50), Subclinical Depression Group (SD, N = 56), and Control Group for SD (ControlSD, N = 56). The Hamilton Depression Rating Scale and the Beck Depression Inventory were used to assess the severity of depression and anhedonia symptoms. The Monetary Incentive Delay Task evaluated participants' affective responses towards monetary stimuli. RESULTS: The MDD group was more insensitive to both monetary reward and loss across most types of affect than was the control group. Compared with the controls, the SD group exhibited lower reactivity in anticipatory positive affect but enhanced reactivity in consummatory positive, anticipatory, and remembered negative affect. LIMITATIONS: Emotional affect was evaluated by subjective ratings, which may lack objectivity. Additionally, laboratory settings and monetary rewards used in this study may cause the results less generalized to daily life and to other types of rewards. CONCLUSION: The pattern of emotional reactivity in the MDD group was partly consistent with the ECI theory, whereas the SD group showed greater arousal and instability of emotional reactions. These different patterns could facilitate the understanding of emotional reactivity and develop further treatments across the course of depression.

Effects of aluminum toxicity on physiological and leaf chlorophyll fluorescent characteristics of rubber tree seedlings.

Aluminum toxicity is common in tropical acid soils. However, its effects on rubber tree growth and latex production are still unclear. Using potted sand culture seedlings of rubber tree, the effects of different aluminum ion concentrations on physiological and chlorophyll (Chl) fluorescence characteristics were investigated. The results showed that the cell membrane permeability, free proline content, and soluble sugar content were significantly increased, while the relative water content, catalase and peroxidase activities, Chl a content, Chl maximum fluorescence yield, maximum photosynthesis efficiency and potential activity of PSII, photochemical quenching coefficient, non-photochemical quenching coefficient and photosynthetic electron transport rate were significantly decreased when the saplings were subjected to AlCl3 treatments with concentration higher than 200 mmol·L-1. When the AlCl3 concentration was lower than 100 mmol·L-1, the aforementioned parameters did not show any significant variation among different treatments for the entire duration of the experiment. These results indicated that the rubber tree could tolerate some degree of aluminum toxicity. The threshold concentration of aluminum toxicity for rubber tree seedlings would be between 100 to 200 mmol·L-1. When this threshold was exceeded, aluminum toxicity would cause irreversible damage to rubber tree seedlings.

[Clinical research on recombinant human Ad-p53 injection combined with cisplatin in treatment of malignant pleural effusion induced by lung cancer].

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: p53 gene is one of cancer suppressor genes and its mutation and deletion induces almost all human cancers. This study was to evaluate the clinical efficacy and toxicity of recombinant human Ad-p53 injection (rAd-p53) combined with cisplatin in treatment of malignant pleural effusion induced by lung cancer. METHODS: A total of 35 cases of malignant pleural effusion were randomly divided into the combined group (n=17) and the single-agent group (n=18). On the basis of systemic treatment (vinorelbine 25 mg/m2, Days 1-8, every 3 weeks), the combined group were given intracavitary administration of rAd-p53 (1x1012 VP) and cisplatin (40 mg/m2) once a week for 4 weeks. The single-agent group were given the same intracavitary administration as the combined group but without rAd-p53 therapy. RESULTS: The total effective rates in the combined group and the single-agent group were 82.35% and 50.00% (P<0.05), respectively. The total modification rates in the combined group and the single-agent group were 64.70% and 33.33% (P<0.05), respectively. The toxicities in the two groups were fever, stethalgia, nausea/vomiting and leukopenia. The toxic reaction in combined group was mainly self-limited fever (P<0.05), which disappeared automatically after 36 h. CONCLUSIONS: rAd-p53 and cisplatin is safe and effective for malignant pleural effusion induced by lung cancer. It is worthy of application in clinical treatment.