Risk Factors for Anxiety in Major Depressive Disorder Patients

Li-Min Xin,Lin Chen,Zhen-Peng Ji,Suo-Yuan Zhang,Jun Wang,Yan-Hong Liu,Da-Fang Chen,Fu-De Yang,Gang Wang,Yi-Ru Fang,Zheng Lu,Hai-Chen Yang,Jian Hu,Zhi-Yu Chen,Yi Huang,Jing Sun,Xiao-Ping Wang,Hui-Chun 대한정신약물학회 2015 CLINICAL PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY AND NEUROSCIENCE Vol.13 No.3

Objective: To analyze the sociodemographic and clinical factors related to anxiety in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). Methods: This study involved a secondary analysis of data obtained from the Diagnostic Assessment Service for People with Bipolar Disorders in China (DASP), which was initiated by the Chinese Society of Psychiatry (CSP) and conducted from September 1, 2010 to February 28, 2011. Based on the presence or absence of anxiety-related characteristics, 1,178 MDD patients were classified as suffering from anxious depression (n=915) or non-anxious depression (n=263), respectively. Results: Compared with the non-anxious group, the anxious-depression group had an older age at onset (t=−4.39, p<0.001), were older (t=−4.69, p<0.001), reported more lifetime depressive episodes (z=−3.24, p=0.001), were more likely to experience seasonal depressive episodes (χ2=6.896, p=0.009) and depressive episodes following stressful life events (χ2=59.350, p <0.001), and were more likely to have a family history of psychiatric disorders (χ2=6.091, p=0.014). Their positive and total scores on the Mood Disorder Questionnaire (MDQ) and the 32-item Hypomania Checklist (HCL-32) (p<0.05) were also lower. The logistic regression analysis indicated that age (odds ratio [OR]=1.03, p<0.001), a lower total MDQ score (OR=0.94, p=0.011), depressive episodes following stressful life events (OR=3.04, p<0.001), and seasonal depressive episodes (OR=1.75, p=0.039) were significantly associated with anxious depression. Conclusion: These findings indicate that older age, fewer subclinical bipolar features, an increased number of depressive episodes following stressful life events, and seasonal depressive episodes may be risk factors for anxiety-related characteristics in patients with MDD.

A heat shock protein 70 protects the green peach aphid (Myzus persicae) against high-temperature stress

Chen Nan,Tan Jia-Yu,Wang Ying,Qi Ming-Hui,Peng Jiang-Nan,Chen De-Xin,Liu Su,Li Mao-Ye 한국응용곤충학회 2022 Journal of Asia-Pacific Entomology Vol.25 No.4

Heat shock proteins (HSPs) are encoded by Hsp genes and are important in insect tolerance to heat stress. The green peach aphid, Myzus persicae, is an important agricultural pest. The functions of Hsp genes in the thermal tolerance of M. persicae are unknown. This study identified an Hsp70 gene (MpHsp70a) and analyzed its role in protection against high-temperature stress. MpHsp70a encoded a protein consisting of 659 amino acid residues. The protein had three signature motifs of the HSP70 family and was predicted to be localized in the cytoplasm. The highest expression level of MpHsp70a was in adults, and differences in the mRNA levels between apterous and alate adults were not significant. Exposure to high temperatures (30, 35 and 40 ◦ C) for one hour and treatment with 40 ◦ C for different times (0.5, 1 and 2 h) all resulted in a greatly elevated expression level of MpHsp70a, suggesting that the gene is heat-inducible. The transcriptional level of MpHsp70a was suppressed by injection with double-stranded RNA (dsRNA), and knockdown of MpHsp70a significantly increased the suscep tibility of apterous adults to 40 ◦ C. These results indicate that MpHsp70a is required for tolerance to hightemperature stress in M. persicae. Our findings highlight the molecular mechanism underlying Hsp70-mediated thermal adaptation in M. persicae.

Short-course Versus Long-course Preoperative Radiotherapy plus Delayed Surgery in the Treatment of Rectal Cancer: a Meta-analysis

Liu, Shi-Xin,Zhou, Zhi-Rui,Chen, Ling-Xiao,Yang, Yong-Jing,Hu, Zhi-De,Zhang, Tian-Song Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2015 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.16 No.14

Background: Short-course preoperative radiation (SCRT) with delayed surgery was found to increase pathologic complete response (pCR) rates in several trials. However, there was no clear answer on whether SCRT or long-course chemo-radiotherapy (LCRT) is more effective. Therefore we conducted this meta-analysis to evaluate the safety and efficacy of SCRT versus LCRT, both with delayed surgery, for treatment of rectal cancer. Materials and Methods: The literature was searched from PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, Cochrane Library and clinicaltrials.gov up to November, 2014. Quality of the randomized controlled trials (RCTs) was evaluated according to the Cochrane's risk of bias tool of RCT. The Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) system was used to rate the level of evidence. Review Manager 5.3 was employed for statistical analysis. Pooled risk ratios (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. Results: Three RCTs, with a total of 357 rectal cancer patients, were included in this systematic review. Metaanalysis results demonstrated there were no significantly differences in sphincter preservation rate, local recurrence rate, grade 3~4 acute toxicity, R0 resection rate and downstaging rate. Compared with SCRT, LCRT was associated with significant increase in the pCR rate [RR=0.49, 95%CI (0.31, 0.78), P=0.003]. Conclusions: In terms of sphincter preservation rate, local recurrence rate, grade 3~4 acute toxicity, R0 resection rate and downstaging rate, SCRT with delayed surgery is as effective as LCRT with delayed surgery for management of rectal cancer. LCRT significantly increased pCR rate compared with SCRT. Due to risk of bias and imprecision, further multi-center large sample RCTs were needed to confirm this conclusion.

The SH2 domain is crucial for function of Fyn in neuronal migration and cortical lamination

( Xi Lu ),( Xin De Hu ),( Ling Zhen Song ),( Lei An ),( Ming Hui Duan ),( Shu Lin Chen ),( Shan Ting Zhao ) 생화학분자생물학회(구 한국생화학분자생물학회) 2015 BMB Reports Vol.48 No.2

Neurons in the developing brain form the cortical plate (CP) in an inside-out manner, in which the late-born neurons are located more superficially than the early-born neurons. Fyn, a member of the Src family kinases, plays an important role in neuronal migration by binding to many substrates. However, the role of the Src-homology 2 (SH2) domain in function of Fyn in neuronal migration remains poorly understood. Here, we demonstrate that the SH2 domain is essential for the action of Fyn in neuronal migration and cortical lamination. A point mutation in the Fyn SH2 domain (FynR176A) impaired neuronal migration and their final location in the cerebral cortex, by inducing neuronal aggregation and branching. Thus, we provide the first evidence of the Fyn SH2 domain contributing to neuronal migration and neuronal morphogenesis. [BMB Reports 2015; 48(2): 97-102]

In Vivo Evaluation of Curcumin-loaded Nanoparticles in a A549 Xenograft Mice Model

Yin, Hai-Tao,Zhang, De-Geng,Wu, Xiao-Li,Huang, Xin-En,Chen, Gang Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2013 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.14 No.1

Curcumin (Cum) has been reported to have potential chemo-preventive and chemotherapeutic activity through influencing various processes, inducing cell cycle arrest, differentiation and apoptosis in a series of cancers. However, the poor solubility of Cum limits its further applications in the treatment of cancer. We have previously reported Cum-loaded nanoparticles (Cum-NPs) prepared with amphilic methoxy poly(ethylene glycol)-polycaprolactone (mPEG-PCL) block copolymers. The current study demonstrated superior antitumor efficacy of Cum-NPs over free Cum in the treatment of lung cancer. In vivo evaluation further demonstrated superior anticancer effects of Cum-NPs by delaying tumor growth compared to free Cum in an established A549 transplanted mice model. Moreover, Cum-NPs showed little toxicity to normal tissues including bone marrow, liver and kidney at a therapeutic dose. These results suggest that Cum-NPs are effective to inhibit the growth of human lung cancer with little toxicity to normal tissues, and could provide a clinically useful therapeutic regimen. They thus merit more research to evaluate the feasibility of clinical application.

Investigating Medical Cost and Mortality Among Psychiatric Patients Involuntary Admissions: A Nationwide Propensity Score-Matched Study

Pei-Ying Tseng,Xin-Yu Xie,Ching-Chi Hsu,Sarina Hui-Lin Chien,Jen-De Chen,Jong-Yi Wang 대한신경정신의학회 2022 PSYCHIATRY INVESTIGATION Vol.19 No.7

Objective Involuntary admission to psychiatric inpatient care can protect both patients with severe mental illnesses and individuals around them. This study analyzed annual healthcare costs per person for involuntary psychiatric admission and examined categories of mental disorders and other factors associated with mortality.Methods This retrospective cohort study collected 1 million randomly sampled beneficiaries from the National Health Insurance Database for 2002–2013. It identified and matched 181 patients with involuntary psychiatric admissions (research group) with 724 patients with voluntary psychiatric admissions (control group) through 1:4 propensity-score matching for sex, age, comorbidities, mental disorder category, and index year of diagnosis.Results Mean life expectancy of patients with involuntary psychiatric admissions was 33.13 years less than the general population. Average annual healthcare costs per person for involuntary psychiatric admissions were 3.94 times higher compared with voluntary admissions. The general linear model demonstrated that average annual medical costs per person per compulsory hospitalization were 5.8 times that of voluntary hospitalization. Survival analysis using the Cox proportional hazards model found no significant association between type of psychiatric admission (involuntary or voluntary) and death.Conclusion This study revealed no significant difference in mortality between involuntary and voluntary psychiatric admissions, indicating involuntary treatment’s effectiveness.

Calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II is involved in the transmission and regulation of nociception in naïve and morphine-tolerant rat nucleus accumbens

Kai Wen Xi,De Duo Chen,Xin Geng,Yan Bian,Min Xin Wang,Hui Bian 대한통증학회 2023 The Korean Journal of Pain Vol.36 No.2

Background: Synaptic plasticity contributes to nociceptive signal transmission and modulation, with calcium/ calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMK II) playing a fundamental role in neural plasticity. This research was conducted to investigate the role of CaMK II in the transmission and regulation of nociceptive information within the nucleus accumbens (NAc) of naïve and morphine-tolerant rats. Methods: Randall Selitto and hot-plate tests were utilized to measure the hindpaw withdrawal latencies (HWLs) in response to noxious mechanical and thermal stimuli. To induce chronic morphine tolerance, rats received intraperitoneal morphine injection twice per day for seven days. CaMK II expression and activity were assessed using western blotting. Results: Intra-NAc microinjection of autocamtide-2-related inhibitory peptide (AIP) induced an increase in HWLs in naïve rats in response to noxious thermal and mechanical stimuli. Moreover, the expression of the phosphorylated CaMK II (p-CaMK II) was significantly decreased as determined by western blotting. Chronic intraperitoneal injection of morphine resulted in significant morphine tolerance in rats on Day 7, and an increase of p-CaMK II expression in NAc in morphine-tolerant rats was observed. Furthermore, intra-NAc administration of AIP elicited significant antinociceptive responses in morphine-tolerant rats. In addition, compared with naïve rats, AIP induced stronger thermal antinociceptive effects of the same dose in rats exhibiting morphine tolerance. Conclusions: This study shows that CaMK II in the NAc is involved in the transmission and regulation of nociception in naïve and morphine-tolerant rats.

Mechanical and Rheological Properties of Isotactic Polypropylene/Bacterial Cellulose Composites

Bo Wang,Hai-Rong Zhang,Chao Huang,Lian Xiong,Jun Luo,Xin-De Chen 한국고분자학회 2017 폴리머 Vol.41 No.3

To improve the mechanical performance of isotactic polypropylene (iPP), the iPP/bacterial cellulose (BC) composites were prepared. The tensile and impact strength of the composites were maximized (38.21MPa and 2.812 KJ/m²) when maleic anhydride grafted polypropylene (MAPP) content was 7 wt%, the tensile modulus was increased with the higher MAPP content and the maximum value was 1858.39 MPa. Compared with pure iPP, the tensile strength, impact strength and tensile modulus increased by 6.32 MPa, 0.75 KJ/m², and 279.68 MPa, respectively. Compared with the control group (the sample which added BC but no MAPP added), the tensile strength, impact strength and tensile modulus increased by 5.61 MPa, 0.692 KJ/m², and 11.24 MPa, respectively. Moreover, the elongation at break of the composites was decreased. Besides, the rheological results and SEM photographs indicated that with the addition of MAPP, the compatibility of the composites was improved greatly, which demonstrated the increase of the mechanical properties of the composites.

Isolation of Cellulose from Wheat Straw and Its Utilization for the Preparation of Carboxymethyl Cellulose

Hailong Li,Hai-Rong Zhang,Lian Xiong,Xuefang Chen,Can Wang,Chao Huang,Xin-De Chen 한국섬유공학회 2019 Fibers and polymers Vol.20 No.5

Cellulose was isolated from wheat straw by the combined pretreatment including dilute acid hydrolysis, ethanolextraction, and alkaline H2O2 delignification. The effects of varying the parameters on carboxymethylation on isolatedcellulose were investigated. Furthermore, the chemical structure of carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) prepared from wheatstraw was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and scanning electron microscopeanalysis. The isolated cellulose is mainly composed of cellulose without hemicellulose and with minors of lignin and ash. The optimal conditions for carboxymethylation were base concentration, 20 %; reaction temperature, 70 oC; reaction time,2 h; mass ratio of etherifying agent to cellulose, 1.75. Under the optimized conditions, CMC with high degree of substitution(0.88) and low viscosity (18 mPa·s) was synthesized. Chemical structural characterization showed the feasibility of thepreparation of CMC from wheat straw. The constituents of wheat straw would be maximally utilized by the proposed method.

Arylazolyl(azinyl)thioacetanilide. Part 9#: Synthesis and Biological Investigation of Thiazolylthioacetamides Derivatives as a Novel Class of Potential Antiviral Agents

Peng Zhan,Xinyong Liu,Liu Wang,Hong Liu,Xuwang Chen,Xiao Li,Xin Jiang,Qiangqiang Zhang,Christophe Pannecouque,Lieve Naesens,Erik De Clercq,Ailin Liu,Guanhua Du 대한약학회 2012 Archives of Pharmacal Research Vol.35 No.6

In continuation of our endeavor to develop new, potent, selective and less toxic antiviral agents, a novel series of 2-(2-amino/chloro-4-(2,4-dibromophenyl) thiazol-5-ylthio)acetamide derivatives was synthesized via an expeditious route and evaluated for their anti-HIV activities against wild-type virus and clinically relevant mutant strains, and for their anti-influenza virus activities against influenza A (H1N1 and H3N2) and influenza B in cellular assays. The selected active compounds were also assayed for their enzymic inhibitory activities. The results showed that some 2-chloro substituted thiazolylthioacetamide derivatives possessed potent activity against wild type HIV-1 and several key mutant strains (E138K, K103N, L100I) of HIV-1 in MT-4 cells with EC50 values in micromolar range. Two 2-amino substituted thiazole derivatives 8a7 and 8a8 displayed significant potency against influenza A/H1N1 in MDCK cells with EC50 values much lower than that of oseltamivir carboxylate, ribavirin, amantadine and rimantadine. Though the mechanism of actions is still unclear, these novel thiazolylthioacetamides might serve as original leads for further pharmacological investigations as potential therapeutic agents against HIV-1 or influenza virus.