Medical procedures are inherently invasive and carry the risk of inducing pain to the mind and body.Recently,efforts have been made to alleviate the discomfort associated with invasive medical procedures through the u...Medical procedures are inherently invasive and carry the risk of inducing pain to the mind and body.Recently,efforts have been made to alleviate the discomfort associated with invasive medical procedures through the use of virtual reality(VR)technology.VR has been demonstrated to be an effective treatment for pain associated with medical procedures,as well as for chronic pain conditions for which no effective treatment has been established.The precise mechanism by which the diversion from reality facilitated by VR contributes to the diminution of pain and anxiety has yet to be elucidated.However,the provision of positive images through VR-based visual stimulation may enhance the functionality of brain networks.The salience network is diminished,while the default mode network is enhanced.Additionally,the medial prefrontal cortex may establish a stronger connection with the default mode network,which could result in a reduction of pain and anxiety.Further research into the potential of VR technology to alleviate pain could lead to a reduction in the number of individuals who overdose on painkillers and contribute to positive change in the medical field.展开更多
BACKGROUND Currently,adolescent depression is one of the most significant public health concerns,markedly influencing emotional,cognitive,and social maturation.Despite advancements in distinguish the neurobiological s...BACKGROUND Currently,adolescent depression is one of the most significant public health concerns,markedly influencing emotional,cognitive,and social maturation.Despite advancements in distinguish the neurobiological substrates underlying depression,the intricate patterns of disrupted brain network connectivity in adolescents warrant further exploration.AIM To elucidate the neural correlates of adolescent depression by examining brain network connectivity using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging(rs-fMRI).METHODS The study cohort comprised 74 depressed adolescents and 59 healthy controls aged 12 to 17 years.Participants underwent rs-fMRI to evaluate functional connectivity within and across critical brain networks,including the visual,default mode network(DMN),dorsal attention,salience,somatomotor,and frontoparietal control networks.RESULTS Analyses revealed pronounced functional disparities within key neural circuits among adolescents with depression.The results demonstrated existence of hemispheric asymmetries characterized by enhanced activity in the left visual network,which contrasted the diminished activity in the right hemisphere.The DMN facilitated increased activity within the left prefrontal cortex and reduced engagement in the right hemisphere,implicating disrupted self-referential and emotional processing mechanisms.Additionally,an overactive right dorsal attention network and a hypoactive salience network were identified,underscoring significant abnormalities in attentional and emotional regulation in adolescent depression.CONCLUSION The findings from this study underscore distinct neural connectivity disruptions in adolescent depression,underscoring the critical role of specific neurobiological markers for precise early diagnosis of adolescent depression.The observed functional asymmetries and network-specific deviations elucidate the complex neurobiological architecture of adolescent depression,supporting the development of targeted therapeutic strategies.展开更多
Background The heterogeneity of depression limits the treatment outcomes of intermittent theta burst stimulation(iTBS)and hinders the identification of predictive factors.This study investigated functional network con...Background The heterogeneity of depression limits the treatment outcomes of intermittent theta burst stimulation(iTBS)and hinders the identification of predictive factors.This study investigated functional network connectivity and predictors of iTBS treatment outcomes in adolescents and young adults with depression.Aim This study aimed to identify default mode network(DMN)-based connectivity patterns associated with varying iTBS treatment outcomes in depression.Methods Data from a randomised controlled trial of iTBS in depression(n=82)were analysed using a data-driven approach to classify homogeneous subgroups based on the DMN.Connectivity subgroups were compared on depressive symptoms and cognitive function at pretreatment and post-treatment.Furthermore,the predictive significance of baseline inflammatory cytokines on post-treatment outcomes was evaluated.Results Two distinct subgroups were identified.Subgroup 1 exhibited high heterogeneity and greater centrality in the posterior cingulate cortex and retrosplenial cortex,while subgroup 2 showed more homogeneous connectivity patterns and greater centrality in the temporoparietal junction and posterior inferior parietal lobule.No main effect for subgroup,treatment or subgroup×treatment interaction was revealed in the improvement of depressive symptoms.A significant subgroup×treatment interaction related to symbol coding improvement was detected(F=5.22,p=0.026).Within subgroup 1,the active group showed significantly greater improvement in symbol coding compared with the sham group(t=2.30,p=0.028),while baseline levels of interleukin-6 and C-reactive protein emerged as significant indicators for predicting improvements in symbolic coding(R2=0.35,RMSE(root-mean-square error)=5.72,p=0.013).Subgroup 2 showed no significant findings in terms of cognitive improvement or inflammatory cytokines predictions.展开更多
BACKGROUND Group cognitive behavioral therapy(GCBT)is increasingly being used to treat obsessive-compulsive disorder(OCD)because of its high efficiency,economy,and interaction among group members.However,the changes i...BACKGROUND Group cognitive behavioral therapy(GCBT)is increasingly being used to treat obsessive-compulsive disorder(OCD)because of its high efficiency,economy,and interaction among group members.However,the changes in network functional connectivity(FC)in patients with OCD with GCBT remain unclear.AIM To investigate inter-and intra-network resting-state FC(rs-FC)abnormalities before and after GCBT in unmedicated patients with OCD and validate the efficacy of GCBT.METHODS Overall,33 individuals with OCD and 26 healthy controls underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging.The patients were rescanned 12 weeks after GCBT.Four cognition-related networks-default mode network(DMN),dorsal attention network(DAN),salience network(SAN),and frontoparietal network(FPN)-were selected to examine FC abnormalities within and between OCD networks before and after GCBT.Neuropsychological assessments including memory,executive function,speech,attention,and visuospatial ability were reassessed following GCBT.Pearson’s correlations were used to analyze the relationship between aberrant FC in cognition-related networks and altered neuropsychological assessments in patients.RESULTS Rs-FC within the DMN and DAN decreased significantly.Additionally,rs-FC between the DMN-DAN,DMNFPN,DMN-SAN,and DAN-SAN also decreased.Significant improvements were observed in cognitive functions,such as memory,executive function,attention,and visuospatial ability.Furthermore,reduced rs-FC within the DMN correlated with visuospatial ability and executive function;DAN positively correlated with Shape Trails Test(STT)-A test elapsed time;DMN-DAN negatively correlated with Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure(Rey-O)mimicry time and the three elapsed times of the tower of Hanoi;DMN-SAN negatively correlated with Rey-O imitation time and positively correlated with STT-A test elapsed time;and DMN-FPN negatively correlated with Auditory Word Learning Test N1 and N4 scores.CONCLUSION Decreased rs-FC within the DMN and DAN,which correlated with executive function post-treatment,has potential as a neuroimaging marker to predict treatment response to GCBT in patients with OCD.展开更多
This study investigates the determinants that drive the volatility of the credit default swaps(CDS)of BRICIT(Brazil,Russia,India,China,Indonesia,and Turkey)nations as a proxy measure for sovereign risk.On the existenc...This study investigates the determinants that drive the volatility of the credit default swaps(CDS)of BRICIT(Brazil,Russia,India,China,Indonesia,and Turkey)nations as a proxy measure for sovereign risk.On the existence of cointegration,an unrestricted error correction model integrated with the autoregressive distributed lag(ARDL)model is applied to measure the short-run and long-run dynamics empirically.The study utilizes the Bayesian global vector autoregression methodology for cross-border spillover estimation.The study also suggests a strategy for policymakers for quadrant categorization to mitigate risk arising from cross-border spillover.The result of ARDL indicates that the global macroeconomic variables affect the BRICIT CDS more than domestic macroeconomic determinants,with Indian CDS being the most sensitive to Fed tapering.Notably,China’s CDS is the most sensitive to shocks,with the CDS volatility primarily driven by China’s geopolitical risk.Russian CDS is more sensitive to real effective exchange rates due to severe ruble depreciation than crude oil,despite Russia being a major oil exporter.The quadrant categorization indicates that the Indonesian stock market index is most interconnected with BRICIT CDS,while the Turkish long-term interest rates send the highest intensity spillover across BRICIT nations.展开更多
Background: Era of contraception, abortions, [20th, 21st centuries] implemented as family welfare schemes witnessed, increased global incidence of cancer, tumors, neoplasm and mortality. Objectives: Altruistic associa...Background: Era of contraception, abortions, [20th, 21st centuries] implemented as family welfare schemes witnessed, increased global incidence of cancer, tumors, neoplasm and mortality. Objectives: Altruistic association of contraception [if any], with increasing cancer, tumor was sought after. Methods: In 2012, retrospective analysis of, prevalence of cancer, tumor in 350 patients of 20 - 35 years, 35 - 50 years, >50 years age groups, from data collected by convenient, stratified random sampling, from different geographical locations, between 2002-2012 and its association with presence, absence of contraception, abortion was undertaken;simultaneously, serum estrogen levels obtained from 105 patients, were also analyzed. From 1983-2012 clinical practice, 212 patients treated for different types of neoplasm namely breast cancer, prostate cancer, cancer cervix and benign prostatic hyperplasia were randomly allotted to the above 3 age groups and the data were analyzed for association with contraception status and possible significance. Results: 6 fold increase in cancer incidence was seen in contraceptive users among >50 years with a p value of <0.0005. Contraception was associated with 4 - 7 fold increase in tumor prevalence among >35 - >50 years with a p value of <0.0005. Endogenous estrogen had decreased to ~5-8 pg in 61% of contraceptive users with a p value of <0.0005;after hysterectomy endogenous estrogen values up to ~0.4 pg were seen. Cholesterol deprived diet, due to decreased synthesis of endogenous estrogen:androgen also was associated with 50% increase in tumor, cancer in youth without contraception. Estrogen receptors were positive in well differentiated cancers of breast, associated with reduced levels of endogenous estrogen among contraceptive users, suggesting estrogen receptor positivity could be a compensatory phenomenon;anaplastic tumors did not exhibit estrogen receptor positivity. 10 - 20 fold increase in breast cancer was seen among 20 - >50 years, in contraceptive users with a p value of <0.0005;20 - 30 fold increase in prostate cancer was seen among 35 - >50 years, in contraceptive users with a p value of <0.0005;cancer of the cervix had increased 20 - 40 fold, among 20 - 70 years, in contraceptive users with a p value of <0.0005. Conclusion: Concept is acquired contraception preventing traversal of normal path by germ cells with resultant smashed destruction of germ cells, consequent reduced endogenous estrogen:androgen surveillance, leading to agonizing faults of cellular genomic repertoire, uncontrolled multiplication preceded by no differentiation of cell cycle, metabolism, resulting in soaringly high incidence of cancers including breast, prostate and uterine cervix in both life partners. Increased estrogen receptors:androgen receptors in breast, prostate well differentiated cancers respectively are, probably a compensatory rise, secondary to the sudden artificially acquired contraception resulting in significant reduction of endogenous germ cell hormones in contraceptive users. Contraception reversal with chemotherapy, radiation therapy, surgery achieves arrest of progression of cancer, reduces incidence, prevalence of neoplasm, as a cause-effect phenomenon and not castration or anti estrogen:antiandrogens which will perpetuate, promote neoplastic diseases by decreasing endogenous estrogen:androgen.展开更多
Background: Patients requiring valve replacement at a younger age, for rheumatic heart disease was apparently increasing after the new age practice of contraception. Methods: In 2012, data of patients referred to tert...Background: Patients requiring valve replacement at a younger age, for rheumatic heart disease was apparently increasing after the new age practice of contraception. Methods: In 2012, data of patients referred to tertiary care hospital from two cardiology screening camps conducted in the community, were analyzed for the severity of presentation of rheumatic heart disease and associated contraception status by dividing into the three age groups—20 - 35 years, 36 - 50 years, >51 years;~400 patients attended the camps;31 female and 2 male patients were referred to the tertiary care hospital for further evaluation and categorized treatment, including valve replacement surgeries;among the 33 referred patients, belonging to the three age groups, the data were analyzed for [if any] correlation of contraception status with severe rheumatic heart disease. 8 randomly chosen males, of the 3 age groups, from a different community, whose life partners had undergone sterilization, were assessed for their serum testosterone levels. Results: Among 20 - 35 years, 7 female patients with contraception required valve replacement surgeries [p 51 years, 3 female and 2 male patients without contraception received medical treatment only展开更多
presented The conceptions of abstract default reasoning frameworks （ADRFs） and D-consequence relations are Based on representation properties of D-consequence relations, it proves that any cumulative nonmonotonic co...presented The conceptions of abstract default reasoning frameworks （ADRFs） and D-consequence relations are Based on representation properties of D-consequence relations, it proves that any cumulative nonmonotonic consequence relation with the connective-free form can be represented by ADRFs.展开更多
Background: In spite of advanced technologies and drug discoveries, morbidity and mortality were undoubtedly increasing in the era of contraception and abortion. Aims: Altruistic correlation of increasing morbidity, m...Background: In spite of advanced technologies and drug discoveries, morbidity and mortality were undoubtedly increasing in the era of contraception and abortion. Aims: Altruistic correlation of increasing morbidity, mortality, with contraception, abortion was planned for. Methods: In 2012, a retrospective analysis of prevalence of mortality in 350 patients of 20 - 35 years, 35 - 50 years and >50 years from data collected between 2003 and 2012 by convenient, stratified random sampling, from community, hospital, and its association with contraception and abortion status was undertaken;simultaneously, serum estrogen levels obtained from 105 patients were analyzed. In 2014, randomly chosen 8 males, of the 3 age groups, from a different community, whose life partners had undergone sterilization, were assessed for their serum testosterone levels. Results: Contraception users exhibited 3 - 4 fold increased mortality [p 50 years [p < 0.0005]. Endogenous estrogen was reduced in 75% [p < 0.0005] of contraceptive users. Plasma testosterone was reduced in males observing contraception, to less than 50% of normal, e.g. 1.3 ng/ml;66.6% contraception users aged 20 - 35 years had reduced [p < 0.0005] testosterone;100% of male contraception users aged 36 - 70 years showed reduced testosterone [p < 0.0005]. Conclusion: The “withered tree akin host” concept is contraception, abortion, with smashed fragmentation of germ cells. Reduced endogenous estrogen, androgen [dried up, destroyed life factors] result in deranged cell metabolism, cell cycle, and defaulted genomic repertoire, leading to failure of all established pharmacological therapeutics, including advanced technologies which yield gratifying results in non contracepted people today and in every one, before the era of contraception;subsets of people, host with contraception, with destroyed life factors, behave helplessly, concerning therapeutic applications, compared with subsets of people, host without contraception, with intact genomic repertoire, God ordained Life factors, make a remarkable recovery. Contraception reversal replants the germ cells [germ cells destruction stops], hormones rejuvenate to 79.9% of age normal, and diseases abate with recovery.展开更多
In the relevance-theoretic framework,translation is an act of communication carried out between two cultures through the medium of language,which involves the cognition of three parts;the original writer,the translato...In the relevance-theoretic framework,translation is an act of communication carried out between two cultures through the medium of language,which involves the cognition of three parts;the original writer,the translator,and the target reader.Since it is a culture-specific phenomenon and the cognitive environment of the original writer and the target reader are different,cultural default often results in misreading or incoherent understanding in cross-cultural communication.展开更多
The purpose of this paper is to come up with factors in loan loss provisioning practices on commercial banks that reflect on collectability of defaulted loans. The need for this research is due to failures in the loan...The purpose of this paper is to come up with factors in loan loss provisioning practices on commercial banks that reflect on collectability of defaulted loans. The need for this research is due to failures in the loan loss provisioning practices which resulted in loan loss provisions （LLP） not reflecting on collectability of the defaulted loans. As a consequence, the banks do not capture their loss expectations and do not continuously reassess their loss expectations as the conditions affecting their borrowers may change. Henceforth, in their financial reporting, the banks do not represent relevantly and faithfully their true underlying credit risks conditions. When the banks do not represent relevantly and faithfully their true underlying risk conditions, they contradict the objectives of useful financial reporting. The results showed that among explanatory variables, bad debt recoveries as a factor in loan loss provisioning practices that reflect on collectability of defaulted loans was rejected. Bad debt recoveries was a biased variable and inconsistent estimator. In context of perceived credit risks as the basis to make credit judgments, an estimate of bad debt recoveries had not fulfilled the criteria. On the other hand, non-performing loans （NPL） as a factor in loan loss provisioning practices was not rejected.展开更多
Schizophrenia is a severe mental disorder characterized by impaired perception, delusions, thought disorder, abnormal emotion regulation, altered motor function, and impaired drive. The default mode network （DMN）, s...Schizophrenia is a severe mental disorder characterized by impaired perception, delusions, thought disorder, abnormal emotion regulation, altered motor function, and impaired drive. The default mode network （DMN）, since it was first proposed in 2001, has become a central research theme in neuropsychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia. In this review, first we define the DMN and describe its functional activity, functional and anatomical connectivity, heritability, and inverse correlation with the task positive network. Second, we review empirical studies of the anatomical and functional DMN, and anti-correlation between DMN and the task positive network in schizophrenia. Finally, we review preliminary evidence about the relationship between antipsychotic medications and regulation of the DMN, review the role of DMN as a treatment biomarker for this disease, and consider the DMN effects of individualized therapies for schizophrenia.展开更多
Mood disorders/psychosis have been associated with dysfunctions in the default mode network(DMN).However,the relative contributions of DMN regions to state and trait disturbances in pediatric bipolar disorder(PBD)rema...Mood disorders/psychosis have been associated with dysfunctions in the default mode network(DMN).However,the relative contributions of DMN regions to state and trait disturbances in pediatric bipolar disorder(PBD)remain unclear.The aim of this study was to investigate the possible mechanisms of PBD through brain imaging and explore the influence of psychotic symptoms on functional alterations in PBD patients.Twenty-nine psychotic and 26 non-psychotic PBD patients,as well as 19 age-and sex-matched healthy controls underwent a restingstate functional MRI scan and the data were analyzed by independent component analysis.The DMN component from the fMRI data was extracted for each participant.Spearman's rank correlation analysis was performed between aberrant connectivity and clinical measurements.The results demonstrated that psychotic PBD was characterized by aberrant DMN connectivity in the anterior cingulate cortex/medial prefrontal cortex,bilateral caudate nucleus,bilateral angular gyri,and left middle temporal gyrus,while non-psychotic PBD was not,suggesting further impairment with the development of psychosis.In summary,we demonstrated unique impairment in DMN functional connectivity in the psychotic PBD group.These specific neuroanatomical abnormalities may shed light on the underlying pathophysiology and presentation of PBD.展开更多
Numerous studies have shown abnormal brain functional connectivity in individuals with Alzheimer’s disease(AD)or amnestic mild cognitive impairment(aMCI).However,most studies examined traditional resting state functi...Numerous studies have shown abnormal brain functional connectivity in individuals with Alzheimer’s disease(AD)or amnestic mild cognitive impairment(aMCI).However,most studies examined traditional resting state functional connections,ignoring the instantaneous connection mode of the whole brain.In this case-control study,we used a new method called dynamic functional connectivity(DFC)to look for abnormalities in patients with AD and aMCI.We calculated dynamic functional connectivity strength from functional magnetic resonance imaging data for each participant,and then used a support vector machine to classify AD patients and normal controls.Finally,we highlighted brain regions and brain networks that made the largest contributions to the classification.We found differences in dynamic function connectivity strength in the left precuneus,default mode network,and dorsal attention network among normal controls,aMCI patients,and AD patients.These abnormalities are potential imaging markers for the early diagnosis of AD.展开更多
Neuroimaging techniques such as functional magnetic resonance imaging and positron emission tomography have provided an unprecedented neurobiological perspective for research on personality traits. Evidence from task-...Neuroimaging techniques such as functional magnetic resonance imaging and positron emission tomography have provided an unprecedented neurobiological perspective for research on personality traits. Evidence from task-related neuroimaging has shown that extraversion is associated with activations in regions of the anterior cingulate cortex, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, middle temporal gyrus and the amygdala. Currently, resting-state neuroimaging is being widely used in cognitive neuroscience. Initial exploration of extraversion has revealed correlations with the medial prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, insular cortex, and the precuneus. Recent research work has indicated that the long-range temporal dependence of the resting-state spontaneous oscillation has high test-retest reliability. Moreover, the long-range temporal dependence of the resting-state networks is highly correlated with personality traits, and this can be used for the prediction of extraversion. As the long-range temporal dependence reflects real-time information updating in individuals, this method may provide a new approach to research on personality traits.展开更多
文摘Medical procedures are inherently invasive and carry the risk of inducing pain to the mind and body.Recently,efforts have been made to alleviate the discomfort associated with invasive medical procedures through the use of virtual reality(VR)technology.VR has been demonstrated to be an effective treatment for pain associated with medical procedures,as well as for chronic pain conditions for which no effective treatment has been established.The precise mechanism by which the diversion from reality facilitated by VR contributes to the diminution of pain and anxiety has yet to be elucidated.However,the provision of positive images through VR-based visual stimulation may enhance the functionality of brain networks.The salience network is diminished,while the default mode network is enhanced.Additionally,the medial prefrontal cortex may establish a stronger connection with the default mode network,which could result in a reduction of pain and anxiety.Further research into the potential of VR technology to alleviate pain could lead to a reduction in the number of individuals who overdose on painkillers and contribute to positive change in the medical field.
基金Supported by the Medical Research Project of the Chongqing Municipal Health Commission,No.2024WSJK110.
文摘BACKGROUND Currently,adolescent depression is one of the most significant public health concerns,markedly influencing emotional,cognitive,and social maturation.Despite advancements in distinguish the neurobiological substrates underlying depression,the intricate patterns of disrupted brain network connectivity in adolescents warrant further exploration.AIM To elucidate the neural correlates of adolescent depression by examining brain network connectivity using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging(rs-fMRI).METHODS The study cohort comprised 74 depressed adolescents and 59 healthy controls aged 12 to 17 years.Participants underwent rs-fMRI to evaluate functional connectivity within and across critical brain networks,including the visual,default mode network(DMN),dorsal attention,salience,somatomotor,and frontoparietal control networks.RESULTS Analyses revealed pronounced functional disparities within key neural circuits among adolescents with depression.The results demonstrated existence of hemispheric asymmetries characterized by enhanced activity in the left visual network,which contrasted the diminished activity in the right hemisphere.The DMN facilitated increased activity within the left prefrontal cortex and reduced engagement in the right hemisphere,implicating disrupted self-referential and emotional processing mechanisms.Additionally,an overactive right dorsal attention network and a hypoactive salience network were identified,underscoring significant abnormalities in attentional and emotional regulation in adolescent depression.CONCLUSION The findings from this study underscore distinct neural connectivity disruptions in adolescent depression,underscoring the critical role of specific neurobiological markers for precise early diagnosis of adolescent depression.The observed functional asymmetries and network-specific deviations elucidate the complex neurobiological architecture of adolescent depression,supporting the development of targeted therapeutic strategies.
基金supported by the Guangzhou Municipal Key Discipline in Medicine(2021-2023)the Guangzhou High-level Clinical Key Specialty,the Guangzhou Research-oriented Hospital,the Innovative Clinical Technique of Guangzhou(2024-2026)+6 种基金the Guangdong Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation(grant number 2022A1515011567,2020A1515110565)the Guangzhou Science,Technology Planning Project(grant number 202201010714,202103000032)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(grant number 82471546)the Guangdong College Students Innovation and Entrepreneurship Training Project(grant number S202310570038)the Guangzhou Health Science and Technology Project(grant number 20231A010038)the Guangzhou Traditional Chinese Medicine and Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine Technology Project(grant number:20232A010013)the Science and Technology Plan Project of Guangzhou(2023A03J0842).
文摘Background The heterogeneity of depression limits the treatment outcomes of intermittent theta burst stimulation(iTBS)and hinders the identification of predictive factors.This study investigated functional network connectivity and predictors of iTBS treatment outcomes in adolescents and young adults with depression.Aim This study aimed to identify default mode network(DMN)-based connectivity patterns associated with varying iTBS treatment outcomes in depression.Methods Data from a randomised controlled trial of iTBS in depression(n=82)were analysed using a data-driven approach to classify homogeneous subgroups based on the DMN.Connectivity subgroups were compared on depressive symptoms and cognitive function at pretreatment and post-treatment.Furthermore,the predictive significance of baseline inflammatory cytokines on post-treatment outcomes was evaluated.Results Two distinct subgroups were identified.Subgroup 1 exhibited high heterogeneity and greater centrality in the posterior cingulate cortex and retrosplenial cortex,while subgroup 2 showed more homogeneous connectivity patterns and greater centrality in the temporoparietal junction and posterior inferior parietal lobule.No main effect for subgroup,treatment or subgroup×treatment interaction was revealed in the improvement of depressive symptoms.A significant subgroup×treatment interaction related to symbol coding improvement was detected(F=5.22,p=0.026).Within subgroup 1,the active group showed significantly greater improvement in symbol coding compared with the sham group(t=2.30,p=0.028),while baseline levels of interleukin-6 and C-reactive protein emerged as significant indicators for predicting improvements in symbolic coding(R2=0.35,RMSE(root-mean-square error)=5.72,p=0.013).Subgroup 2 showed no significant findings in terms of cognitive improvement or inflammatory cytokines predictions.
基金Supported by the Pharmaceutical Science and Technology Project of Zhejiang Province,No.2023RC266the Natural Science Foundation of Ningbo,No.202003N4266.
文摘BACKGROUND Group cognitive behavioral therapy(GCBT)is increasingly being used to treat obsessive-compulsive disorder(OCD)because of its high efficiency,economy,and interaction among group members.However,the changes in network functional connectivity(FC)in patients with OCD with GCBT remain unclear.AIM To investigate inter-and intra-network resting-state FC(rs-FC)abnormalities before and after GCBT in unmedicated patients with OCD and validate the efficacy of GCBT.METHODS Overall,33 individuals with OCD and 26 healthy controls underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging.The patients were rescanned 12 weeks after GCBT.Four cognition-related networks-default mode network(DMN),dorsal attention network(DAN),salience network(SAN),and frontoparietal network(FPN)-were selected to examine FC abnormalities within and between OCD networks before and after GCBT.Neuropsychological assessments including memory,executive function,speech,attention,and visuospatial ability were reassessed following GCBT.Pearson’s correlations were used to analyze the relationship between aberrant FC in cognition-related networks and altered neuropsychological assessments in patients.RESULTS Rs-FC within the DMN and DAN decreased significantly.Additionally,rs-FC between the DMN-DAN,DMNFPN,DMN-SAN,and DAN-SAN also decreased.Significant improvements were observed in cognitive functions,such as memory,executive function,attention,and visuospatial ability.Furthermore,reduced rs-FC within the DMN correlated with visuospatial ability and executive function;DAN positively correlated with Shape Trails Test(STT)-A test elapsed time;DMN-DAN negatively correlated with Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure(Rey-O)mimicry time and the three elapsed times of the tower of Hanoi;DMN-SAN negatively correlated with Rey-O imitation time and positively correlated with STT-A test elapsed time;and DMN-FPN negatively correlated with Auditory Word Learning Test N1 and N4 scores.CONCLUSION Decreased rs-FC within the DMN and DAN,which correlated with executive function post-treatment,has potential as a neuroimaging marker to predict treatment response to GCBT in patients with OCD.
文摘This study investigates the determinants that drive the volatility of the credit default swaps(CDS)of BRICIT(Brazil,Russia,India,China,Indonesia,and Turkey)nations as a proxy measure for sovereign risk.On the existence of cointegration,an unrestricted error correction model integrated with the autoregressive distributed lag(ARDL)model is applied to measure the short-run and long-run dynamics empirically.The study utilizes the Bayesian global vector autoregression methodology for cross-border spillover estimation.The study also suggests a strategy for policymakers for quadrant categorization to mitigate risk arising from cross-border spillover.The result of ARDL indicates that the global macroeconomic variables affect the BRICIT CDS more than domestic macroeconomic determinants,with Indian CDS being the most sensitive to Fed tapering.Notably,China’s CDS is the most sensitive to shocks,with the CDS volatility primarily driven by China’s geopolitical risk.Russian CDS is more sensitive to real effective exchange rates due to severe ruble depreciation than crude oil,despite Russia being a major oil exporter.The quadrant categorization indicates that the Indonesian stock market index is most interconnected with BRICIT CDS,while the Turkish long-term interest rates send the highest intensity spillover across BRICIT nations.
文摘Background: Era of contraception, abortions, [20th, 21st centuries] implemented as family welfare schemes witnessed, increased global incidence of cancer, tumors, neoplasm and mortality. Objectives: Altruistic association of contraception [if any], with increasing cancer, tumor was sought after. Methods: In 2012, retrospective analysis of, prevalence of cancer, tumor in 350 patients of 20 - 35 years, 35 - 50 years, >50 years age groups, from data collected by convenient, stratified random sampling, from different geographical locations, between 2002-2012 and its association with presence, absence of contraception, abortion was undertaken;simultaneously, serum estrogen levels obtained from 105 patients, were also analyzed. From 1983-2012 clinical practice, 212 patients treated for different types of neoplasm namely breast cancer, prostate cancer, cancer cervix and benign prostatic hyperplasia were randomly allotted to the above 3 age groups and the data were analyzed for association with contraception status and possible significance. Results: 6 fold increase in cancer incidence was seen in contraceptive users among >50 years with a p value of <0.0005. Contraception was associated with 4 - 7 fold increase in tumor prevalence among >35 - >50 years with a p value of <0.0005. Endogenous estrogen had decreased to ~5-8 pg in 61% of contraceptive users with a p value of <0.0005;after hysterectomy endogenous estrogen values up to ~0.4 pg were seen. Cholesterol deprived diet, due to decreased synthesis of endogenous estrogen:androgen also was associated with 50% increase in tumor, cancer in youth without contraception. Estrogen receptors were positive in well differentiated cancers of breast, associated with reduced levels of endogenous estrogen among contraceptive users, suggesting estrogen receptor positivity could be a compensatory phenomenon;anaplastic tumors did not exhibit estrogen receptor positivity. 10 - 20 fold increase in breast cancer was seen among 20 - >50 years, in contraceptive users with a p value of <0.0005;20 - 30 fold increase in prostate cancer was seen among 35 - >50 years, in contraceptive users with a p value of <0.0005;cancer of the cervix had increased 20 - 40 fold, among 20 - 70 years, in contraceptive users with a p value of <0.0005. Conclusion: Concept is acquired contraception preventing traversal of normal path by germ cells with resultant smashed destruction of germ cells, consequent reduced endogenous estrogen:androgen surveillance, leading to agonizing faults of cellular genomic repertoire, uncontrolled multiplication preceded by no differentiation of cell cycle, metabolism, resulting in soaringly high incidence of cancers including breast, prostate and uterine cervix in both life partners. Increased estrogen receptors:androgen receptors in breast, prostate well differentiated cancers respectively are, probably a compensatory rise, secondary to the sudden artificially acquired contraception resulting in significant reduction of endogenous germ cell hormones in contraceptive users. Contraception reversal with chemotherapy, radiation therapy, surgery achieves arrest of progression of cancer, reduces incidence, prevalence of neoplasm, as a cause-effect phenomenon and not castration or anti estrogen:antiandrogens which will perpetuate, promote neoplastic diseases by decreasing endogenous estrogen:androgen.
文摘Background: Patients requiring valve replacement at a younger age, for rheumatic heart disease was apparently increasing after the new age practice of contraception. Methods: In 2012, data of patients referred to tertiary care hospital from two cardiology screening camps conducted in the community, were analyzed for the severity of presentation of rheumatic heart disease and associated contraception status by dividing into the three age groups—20 - 35 years, 36 - 50 years, >51 years;~400 patients attended the camps;31 female and 2 male patients were referred to the tertiary care hospital for further evaluation and categorized treatment, including valve replacement surgeries;among the 33 referred patients, belonging to the three age groups, the data were analyzed for [if any] correlation of contraception status with severe rheumatic heart disease. 8 randomly chosen males, of the 3 age groups, from a different community, whose life partners had undergone sterilization, were assessed for their serum testosterone levels. Results: Among 20 - 35 years, 7 female patients with contraception required valve replacement surgeries [p 51 years, 3 female and 2 male patients without contraception received medical treatment only
文摘presented The conceptions of abstract default reasoning frameworks （ADRFs） and D-consequence relations are Based on representation properties of D-consequence relations, it proves that any cumulative nonmonotonic consequence relation with the connective-free form can be represented by ADRFs.
文摘Background: In spite of advanced technologies and drug discoveries, morbidity and mortality were undoubtedly increasing in the era of contraception and abortion. Aims: Altruistic correlation of increasing morbidity, mortality, with contraception, abortion was planned for. Methods: In 2012, a retrospective analysis of prevalence of mortality in 350 patients of 20 - 35 years, 35 - 50 years and >50 years from data collected between 2003 and 2012 by convenient, stratified random sampling, from community, hospital, and its association with contraception and abortion status was undertaken;simultaneously, serum estrogen levels obtained from 105 patients were analyzed. In 2014, randomly chosen 8 males, of the 3 age groups, from a different community, whose life partners had undergone sterilization, were assessed for their serum testosterone levels. Results: Contraception users exhibited 3 - 4 fold increased mortality [p 50 years [p < 0.0005]. Endogenous estrogen was reduced in 75% [p < 0.0005] of contraceptive users. Plasma testosterone was reduced in males observing contraception, to less than 50% of normal, e.g. 1.3 ng/ml;66.6% contraception users aged 20 - 35 years had reduced [p < 0.0005] testosterone;100% of male contraception users aged 36 - 70 years showed reduced testosterone [p < 0.0005]. Conclusion: The “withered tree akin host” concept is contraception, abortion, with smashed fragmentation of germ cells. Reduced endogenous estrogen, androgen [dried up, destroyed life factors] result in deranged cell metabolism, cell cycle, and defaulted genomic repertoire, leading to failure of all established pharmacological therapeutics, including advanced technologies which yield gratifying results in non contracepted people today and in every one, before the era of contraception;subsets of people, host with contraception, with destroyed life factors, behave helplessly, concerning therapeutic applications, compared with subsets of people, host without contraception, with intact genomic repertoire, God ordained Life factors, make a remarkable recovery. Contraception reversal replants the germ cells [germ cells destruction stops], hormones rejuvenate to 79.9% of age normal, and diseases abate with recovery.
文摘In the relevance-theoretic framework,translation is an act of communication carried out between two cultures through the medium of language,which involves the cognition of three parts;the original writer,the translator,and the target reader.Since it is a culture-specific phenomenon and the cognitive environment of the original writer and the target reader are different,cultural default often results in misreading or incoherent understanding in cross-cultural communication.
文摘The purpose of this paper is to come up with factors in loan loss provisioning practices on commercial banks that reflect on collectability of defaulted loans. The need for this research is due to failures in the loan loss provisioning practices which resulted in loan loss provisions （LLP） not reflecting on collectability of the defaulted loans. As a consequence, the banks do not capture their loss expectations and do not continuously reassess their loss expectations as the conditions affecting their borrowers may change. Henceforth, in their financial reporting, the banks do not represent relevantly and faithfully their true underlying credit risks conditions. When the banks do not represent relevantly and faithfully their true underlying risk conditions, they contradict the objectives of useful financial reporting. The results showed that among explanatory variables, bad debt recoveries as a factor in loan loss provisioning practices that reflect on collectability of defaulted loans was rejected. Bad debt recoveries was a biased variable and inconsistent estimator. In context of perceived credit risks as the basis to make credit judgments, an estimate of bad debt recoveries had not fulfilled the criteria. On the other hand, non-performing loans （NPL） as a factor in loan loss provisioning practices was not rejected.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(81271484,81471361,30900486,and 81371480)the National Basic Research Development Program(973 Program)of China(2012CB517904)the Nation Sponsored Study Abroad Program from China Scholarship Council(201506370095)
文摘Schizophrenia is a severe mental disorder characterized by impaired perception, delusions, thought disorder, abnormal emotion regulation, altered motor function, and impaired drive. The default mode network （DMN）, since it was first proposed in 2001, has become a central research theme in neuropsychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia. In this review, first we define the DMN and describe its functional activity, functional and anatomical connectivity, heritability, and inverse correlation with the task positive network. Second, we review empirical studies of the anatomical and functional DMN, and anti-correlation between DMN and the task positive network in schizophrenia. Finally, we review preliminary evidence about the relationship between antipsychotic medications and regulation of the DMN, review the role of DMN as a treatment biomarker for this disease, and consider the DMN effects of individualized therapies for schizophrenia.
基金supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (81171291, 81371531, 81571344, 81871344)the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province, China (BK20161109)+2 种基金the Key Program for Guangming Lu (BWS11J063, and 10z026)the Natural Science Foundation of the Higher Education Institutions of Jiangsu Province, China (18KJB190003)the Postdoctoral Science Foundation of China (2014M552700)
文摘Mood disorders/psychosis have been associated with dysfunctions in the default mode network(DMN).However,the relative contributions of DMN regions to state and trait disturbances in pediatric bipolar disorder(PBD)remain unclear.The aim of this study was to investigate the possible mechanisms of PBD through brain imaging and explore the influence of psychotic symptoms on functional alterations in PBD patients.Twenty-nine psychotic and 26 non-psychotic PBD patients,as well as 19 age-and sex-matched healthy controls underwent a restingstate functional MRI scan and the data were analyzed by independent component analysis.The DMN component from the fMRI data was extracted for each participant.Spearman's rank correlation analysis was performed between aberrant connectivity and clinical measurements.The results demonstrated that psychotic PBD was characterized by aberrant DMN connectivity in the anterior cingulate cortex/medial prefrontal cortex,bilateral caudate nucleus,bilateral angular gyri,and left middle temporal gyrus,while non-psychotic PBD was not,suggesting further impairment with the development of psychosis.In summary,we demonstrated unique impairment in DMN functional connectivity in the psychotic PBD group.These specific neuroanatomical abnormalities may shed light on the underlying pathophysiology and presentation of PBD.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China,No.81471120Fund Projects in Technology of the Foundation Strengthening Program of China,No.2019-JCJQ-JJ-151(both to XZ).
文摘Numerous studies have shown abnormal brain functional connectivity in individuals with Alzheimer’s disease(AD)or amnestic mild cognitive impairment(aMCI).However,most studies examined traditional resting state functional connections,ignoring the instantaneous connection mode of the whole brain.In this case-control study,we used a new method called dynamic functional connectivity(DFC)to look for abnormalities in patients with AD and aMCI.We calculated dynamic functional connectivity strength from functional magnetic resonance imaging data for each participant,and then used a support vector machine to classify AD patients and normal controls.Finally,we highlighted brain regions and brain networks that made the largest contributions to the classification.We found differences in dynamic function connectivity strength in the left precuneus,default mode network,and dorsal attention network among normal controls,aMCI patients,and AD patients.These abnormalities are potential imaging markers for the early diagnosis of AD.
基金supported by grants from the National High Technology Research Development Project (863 Project) of China (2015AA020504)the National Natural Science Foundation of China (31571111 and 31200857)the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities of China (SW1509113)
文摘Neuroimaging techniques such as functional magnetic resonance imaging and positron emission tomography have provided an unprecedented neurobiological perspective for research on personality traits. Evidence from task-related neuroimaging has shown that extraversion is associated with activations in regions of the anterior cingulate cortex, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, middle temporal gyrus and the amygdala. Currently, resting-state neuroimaging is being widely used in cognitive neuroscience. Initial exploration of extraversion has revealed correlations with the medial prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, insular cortex, and the precuneus. Recent research work has indicated that the long-range temporal dependence of the resting-state spontaneous oscillation has high test-retest reliability. Moreover, the long-range temporal dependence of the resting-state networks is highly correlated with personality traits, and this can be used for the prediction of extraversion. As the long-range temporal dependence reflects real-time information updating in individuals, this method may provide a new approach to research on personality traits.
