-
Molecular Psychiatry Dec 2023Leading professional health bodies have called for the wider adoption of Patient Reported Outcome Measures, such as quality of life, in research and clinical practice as...
Leading professional health bodies have called for the wider adoption of Patient Reported Outcome Measures, such as quality of life, in research and clinical practice as a means for understanding why the global burden of depression continues to climb despite increased rates of treatment use. Here, we examined whether anhedonia-an often recalcitrant and impairing symptom of depression-along with its neural correlates, was associated with longitudinal changes in patient-reported quality of life among individuals seeking treatment for mood disorders. We recruited 112 participants, including n = 80 individuals with mood disorders (58 unipolar, 22 bipolar) and n = 32 healthy controls (63.4% female). We assessed anhedonia severity along with two electroencephalographic markers of neural reward responsiveness (scalp-level 'Reward Positivity' amplitude and source-localized reward-related activation in the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex), and assessed quality of life at baseline, 3- and 6-month follow-up. Anhedonia emerged as a robust correlate of quality of life cross-sectionally and longitudinally among individuals with mood disorders. Furthermore, increased neural reward responsiveness at baseline was associated with greater improvements in quality of life over time, and this improvement was mediated by longitudinal improvements in anhedonia severity. Finally, differences in quality of life observed between individuals with unipolar and bipolar mood disorders were mediated by differences in anhedonia severity. Our findings indicate that anhedonia and its reward-related neural correlates are linked to variability in quality of life over time in individuals with mood disorders. Treatments capable of improving anhedonia and normalizing brain reward function may be necessary for improving broader health outcomes for individuals seeking treatment for depression.ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01976975.
Topics: Adult; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Anhedonia; Bipolar Disorder; Cross-Sectional Studies; Depression; Electroencephalography; Gyrus Cinguli; Longitudinal Studies; Mood Disorders; Prospective Studies; Quality of Life; Reward
PubMed: 37402852
DOI: 10.1038/s41380-023-02165-1 -
Nature Communications Jul 2023Changes in the abundance and diversity of neural cell types, and their connectivity, shape brain composition and provide the substrate for behavioral evolution. Although...
Changes in the abundance and diversity of neural cell types, and their connectivity, shape brain composition and provide the substrate for behavioral evolution. Although investment in sensory brain regions is understood to be largely driven by the relative ecological importance of particular sensory modalities, how selective pressures impact the elaboration of integrative brain centers has been more difficult to pinpoint. Here, we provide evidence of extensive, mosaic expansion of an integration brain center among closely related species, which is not explained by changes in sites of primary sensory input. By building new datasets of neural traits among a tribe of diverse Neotropical butterflies, the Heliconiini, we detected several major evolutionary expansions of the mushroom bodies, central brain structures pivotal for insect learning and memory. The genus Heliconius, which exhibits a unique dietary innovation, pollen-feeding, and derived foraging behaviors reliant on spatial memory, shows the most extreme enlargement. This expansion is primarily associated with increased visual processing areas and coincides with increased precision of visual processing, and enhanced long term memory. These results demonstrate that selection for behavioral innovation and enhanced cognitive ability occurred through expansion and localized specialization in integrative brain centers.
Topics: Animals; Butterflies; Brain; Learning; Insecta; Mushroom Bodies
PubMed: 37419890
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-39618-8 -
Overcoming ethical and legal obstacles to data linkage in health research: stakeholder perspectives.International Journal of Population... 2023Data linkage for health research purposes enables the answering of countless new research questions, is said to be cost effective and less intrusive than other means of...
INTRODUCTION
Data linkage for health research purposes enables the answering of countless new research questions, is said to be cost effective and less intrusive than other means of data collection. Nevertheless, health researchers are currently dealing with a complicated, fragmented, and inconsistent regulatory landscape with regard to the processing of data, and progress in health research is hindered.
AIM
We designed a qualitative study to assess what different stakeholders perceive as ethical and legal obstacles to data linkage for health research purposes, and how these obstacles could be overcome.
METHODS
Two focus groups and eighteen semi-structured in-depth interviews were held to collect opinions and insights of various stakeholders. An inductive thematic analysis approach was used to identify overarching themes.
RESULTS
This study showed that the ambiguity regarding the 'correct' interpretation of the law, the fragmentation of policies governing the processing of personal health data, and the demandingness of legal requirements are experienced as causes for the impediment of data linkage for research purposes by the participating stakeholders. To remove or reduce these obstacles authoritative interpretations of the laws and regulations governing data linkage should be issued. The participants furthermore encouraged the harmonisation of data linkage policies, as well as promoting trust and transparency and the enhancement of technical and organisational measures. Lastly, there is a demand for legislative and regulatory modifications amongst the participants.
CONCLUSIONS
To overcome the obstacles in data linkage for scientific research purposes, perhaps we should shift the focus from adapting the current laws and regulations governing data linkage, or even designing completely new laws, towards creating a more thorough understanding of the law and making better use of the flexibilities within the existing legislation. Important steps in achieving this shift could be clarification of the legal provisions governing data linkage by issuing authoritative interpretations, as well as the strengthening of ethical-legal oversight bodies.
PubMed: 38414541
DOI: 10.23889/ijpds.v8i1.2151 -
RSC Advances Apr 2024A difficult issue in chemistry and materials science is to create metal compounds with well-defined components. Metal nanoclusters, particularly those of coinage groups... (Review)
Review
A difficult issue in chemistry and materials science is to create metal compounds with well-defined components. Metal nanoclusters, particularly those of coinage groups (Cu, Ag, and Au), have received considerable research interest in recent years owing to the availability of atomic-level precision joint experimental and theoretical methods, thus revealing the mechanisms in diverse nano-catalysts and functional materials. The textile sector significantly contributes to wastewater containing pollutants such as dyes and chemical substances. Textile and fabric manufacturing account for about 7 × 10 tons of wastewater annually. Approximately one thousand tons of dyes used in textile processing and finishing has been recorded as being discharged into natural streams and water bodies. Owing to the widespread environmental concerns, research has been conducted to develop absorbents that are capable of removing contaminants and heavy metals from water bodies using low-cost technology. Considering this idea, we reviewed coinage metal nanoclusters for azo and cationic dye degradation. Fluorometric and colorimetric techniques are used for dye degradation using coinage metal nanoclusters. Few reports are available on dye degradation using silver nanoclusters; and some of them are discussed in detailed herein to demonstrate the synergistic effect of gold and silver in dye degradation. Mostly, the Rhodamine B dye is degraded using coinage metals. Silver nanoclusters take less time for degradation than gold and copper nanoclusters. Mostly, HO is used for degradation in gold nanoclusters. Still, all coinage metal nanoclusters have been used for the degradation due to suitable HOMO-LUMO gap, and the adsorption of a dye onto the surface of the catalyst results in the exchange of electrons and holes, which leads to the oxidation and reduction of the adsorbed dye molecule. Compared to other coinage metal nanoclusters, Ag/g-CN nanoclusters displayed an excellent degradation rate constant with the dye Rhodamine B (0.0332 min). The behavior of doping transition metals in coinage metal nanoclusters is also reviewed herein. In addition, we discuss the mechanistic grounds for degradation, the fate of metal nanoclusters, anti-bacterial activity of nanoclusters, toxicity of dyes, and sensing of dyes.
PubMed: 38595712
DOI: 10.1039/d4ra00931b -
Annual Review of Physical Chemistry Jun 2024The discovery of more than 200 gas-phase chemical compounds in interstellar space has led to the speculation that this nonterrestrial synthesis may play a role in the... (Review)
Review
The discovery of more than 200 gas-phase chemical compounds in interstellar space has led to the speculation that this nonterrestrial synthesis may play a role in the origin of life. These identifications were possible because of laboratory spectroscopy, which provides the molecular fingerprints for astronomical observations. Interstellar chemistry produces a wide range of small, organic molecules in dense clouds, such as NHCOCH, CHOCH, CHCOOCH, and CH(OH)CHO. Carbon (C) is also carried in the fullerenes C and C, which can preserve C-C bonds from circumstellar environments for future synthesis. Elusive phosphorus has now been found in molecular clouds, the sites of star formation, in the molecules PO and PN. Such clouds can collapse into solar systems, although the chemical/physical processing of the emerging planetary disk is uncertain. The presence of molecule-rich interstellar starting material, as well as the link to planetary bodies such as meteorites and comets, suggests that astrochemical processes set a prebiotic foundation.
PubMed: 38382568
DOI: 10.1146/annurev-physchem-090722-010849 -
Cellular Oncology (Dordrecht) Feb 2024Ovarian cancer (OC) is the leading cause of death from gynecological malignancies, and its etiology and pathogenesis are currently unclear. Recent studies have found...
PURPOSE
Ovarian cancer (OC) is the leading cause of death from gynecological malignancies, and its etiology and pathogenesis are currently unclear. Recent studies have found that PUF60 overexpressed in various cancers. However, the exact function of PUF60 in global RNA processing and its role in OC has been unclear.
METHODS
The expression of PUF60 and its relationship with clinical characteristics were analyzed by multiple database analysis and immunohistochemistry. Phenotypic effects of PUF60 on ovarian cancer cell proliferation and metastasis were examined by in vitro cell proliferation assay, migration assay, and in vivo xenograft models and lung metastasis models. RNA immunoprecipitation, seahorse analyses, RNA stability assay were used to study the effect of PUF60 on the stability of oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS)-related genes in OC.
RESULTS
We report PUF60 is highly expressed in OC with frequent amplification of up to 33.9% and its upregulation predicts a poor prognosis. PUF60 promotes the proliferation and migration of OC cells both in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, we demonstrated that silencing of PUF60 enhanced the stability of mRNA transcripts involved in OXPHOS and decreased the formation of processing bodies (P-bodies), ultimately elevating the OXPHOS level.
CONCLUSION
Our study unveils a novel function of PUF60 in OC energy metabolism. Thus, PUF60 may serve as a novel target for the treatment of patients with OC.
Topics: Female; Humans; Cell Line, Tumor; Cell Movement; Cell Proliferation; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; Ovarian Neoplasms; Oxidative Phosphorylation; Up-Regulation
PubMed: 37632669
DOI: 10.1007/s13402-023-00859-w -
The Journal of Physiology Mar 2024Many organs are designed to move: the heart pumps each second, the gastrointestinal tract squeezes and churns to digest food, and we contract and relax skeletal muscles...
Many organs are designed to move: the heart pumps each second, the gastrointestinal tract squeezes and churns to digest food, and we contract and relax skeletal muscles to move our bodies. Sensory neurons of the peripheral nervous system detect signals from bodily tissues, including the forces generated by these movements, to control physiology. The processing of these internal signals is called interoception, but this is a broad term that includes a wide variety of both chemical and mechanical sensory processes. Mechanical senses are understudied, but rapid progress has been made in the last decade, thanks in part to the discovery of the mechanosensory PIEZO ion channels (Coste et al., 2010). The role of these mechanosensors within the interoceptive nervous system is the focus of this review. In defining the transduction molecules that govern mechanical interoception, we will have a better grasp of how these signals drive physiology.
PubMed: 38456626
DOI: 10.1113/JP284077 -
Schizophrenia Research. Cognition Jun 2024Deficits in facial identity recognition and its association with poor social functioning are well documented in schizophrenia, but none of these studies have assessed...
Deficits in facial identity recognition and its association with poor social functioning are well documented in schizophrenia, but none of these studies have assessed the role of the body in these processes. Recent research in healthy populations shows that the body is also an important source of information in identity recognition, and the current study aimed to thoroughly examine identity recognition from both faces and bodies in schizophrenia. Sixty-five individuals with schizophrenia and forty-nine healthy controls completed three conditions of an identity matching task in which they attempted to match unidentified persons in unedited photos of faces and bodies, edited photos showing faces only, or edited photos showing bodies only. Results revealed global deficits in identity recognition in individuals with schizophrenia (η = 0.068), but both groups showed better recognition from bodies alone as compared to faces alone (η = 0.573), suggesting that the ability to extract useful information from bodies when identifying persons may remain partially preserved in schizophrenia. Further research is necessary to understand the relationship between face/body processing, identity recognition, and functional outcomes in individuals with schizophrenia-spectrum disorders.
PubMed: 38486791
DOI: 10.1016/j.scog.2024.100307 -
Basal ganglia for beginners: the basic concepts you need to know and their role in movement control.Frontiers in Systems Neuroscience 2023The basal ganglia are a subcortical collection of interacting clusters of cell bodies, and are involved in reward, emotional, and motor circuits. Within all the brain... (Review)
Review
The basal ganglia are a subcortical collection of interacting clusters of cell bodies, and are involved in reward, emotional, and motor circuits. Within all the brain processing necessary to carry out voluntary movement, the basal nuclei are fundamental, as they modulate the activity of the motor regions of the cortex. Despite being much studied, the motor circuit of the basal ganglia is still difficult to understand for many people at all, especially undergraduate and graduate students. This review article seeks to bring the functioning of this circuit with a simple and objective approach, exploring the functional anatomy, neurochemistry, neuronal pathways, related diseases, and interactions with other brain regions to coordinate voluntary movement.
PubMed: 37600831
DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2023.1242929 -
Chemosphere Jun 2024Plastic products have gained global popularity due to their lightweight, excellent ductility, high durability, and portability. However, out of the 8.3 billion tons of... (Review)
Review
Plastic products have gained global popularity due to their lightweight, excellent ductility, high durability, and portability. However, out of the 8.3 billion tons of plastic waste generated by human activities, 80% of plastic waste is discarded due to improper disposal, and then transformed into microplastic pollution under the combined influence of environmental factors and microorganisms. In this comprehensive study, we present a thorough review of recent advancements in research on the source, distribution, and effect of microplastics. More importantly, we conducted deep research on the catalytic degradation technologies of microplastics in water, including advanced oxidation and photocatalytic technologies, and elaborated on the mechanisms of microplastics degradation in water. Besides, various strategies for mitigating microplastic pollution in aquatic ecosystems are discussed, ranging from policy interventions, the initiative for plastic recycling, the development of efficient catalytic materials, and the integration of multiple technological approaches. This review serves as a valuable resource for addressing the challenge of removing microplastic contaminants from water bodies, offering insights into effective and sustainable solutions.
Topics: Microplastics; Oxidation-Reduction; Water Pollutants, Chemical; Plastics; Catalysis; Recycling; Water
PubMed: 38621489
DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2024.141939