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Abstract Background Low concentrations of S100B have neurotrophic effects and can promote nerve growth and repair, which plays an essential role in the pathophysiological and histopathological alterations of major depressive disorder (MDD) during disease development. Studies have shown that plasma S100B levels are altered in patients with MDD. In this study, we investigated whether the plasma S100B levels in MDD differ between genders. Methods We studied 235 healthy controls (HCs) (90 males and 145 females) and 185 MDD patients (65 males and 120 females). Plasma S100B levels were detected via multifactor assay. The Mahalanobis distance method was used to detect the outliers of plasma S100B levels in the HC and MDD groups. The Kolmogorov–Smirnov test was used to test the normality of six groups of S100B samples. The Mann–Whitney test and Scheirer-Ray-Hare test were used for the comparison of S100B between diagnoses and genders, and the presence of a relationship between plasma S100B levels and demographic details or clinical traits was assessed using Spearman correlation analysis. Results All individuals in the HC group had plasma S100B levels that were significantly greater than those in the MDD group. In the MDD group, males presented significantly higher plasma S100B levels than females. In the male group, the plasma S100B levels in the HC group were significantly higher than those in the MDD group, while in the female group, no significant difference was found between the HC and MDD groups. In the male MDD subgroup, there was a positive correlation between plasma S100B levels and years of education. In the female MDD subgroup, there were negative correlations between plasma S100B levels and age and suicidal ideation. Conclusions In summary, plasma S100B levels vary with gender and are decreased in MDD patients, which may be related to pathological alterations in glial cells.

Abstract Nearly a quarter of bipolar disorder (BD) patients were misdiagnosed as major depressive disorder (MDD) patients, which cannot be corrected until mania/hypomania develops. It is important to recognize these obstacles so that the appropriate treatment can be initiated. Thus, we sought to distinguish patients with BD from MDD, especially to identify misdiagnosed BD before mania/hypomania, and further explore potential trait features that allow accurate differential diagnosis independent of state matters. Functional magnetic resonance imaging scans were performed at baseline on 92 MDD patients and 48 BD patients. The MDD patients were then followed up for more than two years. After follow-up, 23 patients transformed into BD (tBD), and 69 patients whose diagnoses remained unchanged were eligible for unipolar depression (UD). A support vector machine classifier was trained on the amygdala-based functional connectivity (FC) of 48 BD and 50 UD patients using a novel region-based feature selection. Then, the classifier was tested on the dataset, encompassing tBD and the remaining UD. It performed well for known BD and UD and can also distinguish tBD from UD with an accuracy of 81%, sensitivity of 82.6%, specificity of 79%, and AUC of 74.6%, respectively. Feature selection results revealed that ten regions within the cortico-limbic neural circuit contributed most to classification. Furthermore, in the FC comparisons among diseases, BD and tBD shared almost overlapped FC patterns in the cortico-limbic neural circuit, and both of them presented pronounced differences in most regions within the circuit compared with UD. The FC values of the most discriminating brain regions had no prominent correlations with the severity of depression, anxiety, and mania/hypomania (FDR correction). It suggests that BD possesses some trait features in the cortico-limbic neural circuit, rendering it dichotomized by the classifier based on known-diagnosis data.

Backgrounds: Suicidal ideation (SI) is one of the most serious consequences of major depressive disorder (MDD). Understanding the unique mechanism of MDD with SI (MDD + S) is crucial for treatment development. While abundant research has studied MDD, past studies have not reached a consensus on the mechanism of MDD + S. The study aimed to investigate the abnormalities of the gray matter volumes (GMVs) and plasma IL-6 level in MDD + S to further reveal the mechanism of MDD + S. Methods: We tested the plasma IL-6 level using Luminex multifactor assays and collected the Structural Magnetic Resonance Imaging (SMRI) data from 34 healthy controls (HCs), 36 MDD patients without SI (MDD − S) and 34 MDD + S patients. We performed a partial correlation between the GMVs of the brain regions with significant differences and plasma IL-6 level with age, sex, medication, scores of HAMD-17 and HAMA as the covariates. Results: Compared with HCs and MDD − S, MDD + S had significantly decreased GMVs in the left cerebellum Crus I/II and significantly increased plasma IL-6 level; compared with HCs, both the MDD + S and MDD − S had significantly decreased GMVs in right precentral and postcentral gyri. No significant correlation was found between the GMVs and the plasma IL-6 level in the MDD + S and MDD − S, respectively. While the GMVs of the right precentral and postcentral gyri negatively correlated with the level of IL-6 in the whole MDD (r = −0.28, P = 0.03). The GMVs of the left cerebellum Crus I/II (r = −0.47, P = 0.02), and the right precentral and postcentral gyri (r = −0.42, P = 0.04) negatively correlated with the level of IL-6 in HCs. Conclusion: The altered GMVs and the plasma IL-6 level may provide a scientific basis to understand the pathophysiological mechanisms of MDD + S.

Background: Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a severe mental disorder characterized by reduced gray matter volume (GMV). To date, the pathogenesis of MDD remains unclear, but neurotrophic factors play an essential role in the pathophysiological alterations of MDD during disease development. In particular, plasma glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) has been suggested as a potential biomarker that may be associated with disease activity and neurological progression in MDD. Our study investigated whether plasma GDNF levels in MDD patients and healthy controls (HCs) are correlated with GMV alterations. Methods: We studied 54 MDD patients and 48 HCs. The effect of different diagnoses on whole-brain GMV was investigated using ANOVA (Analysis of Variance). The threshold of significance was p

BackgroundMajor depressive disorder (MDD) has a high disability rate and brings a large disease burden to patients and the country. Significant sex differences exist in both the epidemiological and clinical features in MDD. The effect of sex on brain function in MDD is not clear now. Regional homogeneity (ReHo) and ALFF are widely used research method in the study of brain function. This research aimed to use ReHo and ALFF to explore gender differences in brain function images in MDD.MethodsEighty first-episode drug-naive patients (47 women and 30 men) with MDD and 85 age, education matched healthy volunteers (47 women and 31 men) were recruited in our study and participated in resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging scans. ReHo and ALFF were used to assess brain activity, two-way ANOVA and post hoc analysis was conducted to explore the sex difference in MDD. Correlation analysis was used to explore the relationship between abnormal brain functioning and clinical symptoms.ResultsWe observed sex-specific patterns and diagnostic differences in MDD Patients, further post hoc comparisons indicated that women with MDD showed decreased ALFF value in the right superior occipital gyrus and decreased ReHo value in the left calcarine and left dorsolateral superior frontal gyrus compared with HC females and men with MDD. Men with MDD showed decreased ReHo value in the right median cingulate gyrus compared with HC males and increased ReHo value in the left dorsolateral superior frontal gyrus compared with HC males, we also found that HC males showed higher ReHo value in the right median cingulate gyrus than HC females.ConclusionsMen and women do have sex differences in brain function, the occipital lobe, calcarine, DLPFC, and DCG were the main different brain regions found between male and female in MDD, which may be the biomarker brain regions that can help diagnose and treat MDD in men and women.

Schizophrenia (SZ), bipolar disorder (BD), and major depressive disorder (MDD) share etiological and pathophysiological characteristics. Although neuroimaging studies have reported hippocampal alterations in SZ, BD, and MDD, little is known about how different hippocampal subregions are affected in these conditions because such subregions, namely, the cornu ammonis (CA), dentate gyrus (DG), and subiculum (SUB), have different structural foundations and perform different functions. Here, we hypothesize that different hippocampal subregions may reflect some intrinsic features among the major psychiatric disorders, such as SZ, BD, and MDD. By investigating resting functional connectivity (FC) of each hippocampal subregion among 117 SZ, 103 BD, 96 MDD, and 159 healthy controls, we found similarly and distinctly changed FC of hippocampal subregions in the three disorders. The abnormal functions of middle frontal gyrus might be the core feature of the psychopathological mechanisms of SZ, BD, and MDD. Anterior cingulate cortex and inferior orbital frontal gyrus might be the shared abnormalities of SZ and BD, and inferior orbital frontal gyrus is also positively correlated with depression and anxiety symptoms in SZ and BD. Caudate might be the unique feature of SZ and showed a positive correlation with the cognitive function in SZ. Middle temporal gyrus and supplemental motor area are the differentiating features of BD. Our study provides evidence for the different functions of different hippocampal subregions in psychiatric pathology.

BackgroundInsomnia is considered one of the manifestations of sleep disorders, and its intensity is linked to the treatment effect or suicidal thoughts. Major depressive disorder (MDD) is classified into various subtypes due to heterogeneous symptoms. Melancholic MDD has been considered one of the most common subtypes with special sleep features. However, the brain functional mechanisms in melancholic MDD with insomnia remain unclear.Materials and methodsMelancholic MDD and healthy controls (HCs, n = 46) were recruited for the study. Patients were divided into patients with melancholic MDD with low insomnia (mMDD-LI, n = 23) and patients with melancholic MDD with high insomnia (mMDD-HI, n = 30), according to the sleep disturbance subscale of the 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale. The dynamic amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation was employed to investigate the alterations of brain activity among the three groups. Then, the correlations between abnormal dALFF values of brain regions and the severity of symptoms were investigated.ResultsLower dALFF values were found in the mMDD-HI group in the right middle temporal gyrus (MTG)/superior temporal gyrus (STG) than in the mMDD-LI (p = 0.014) and HC groups (p < 0.001). Melancholic MDD groups showed decreased dALFF values than HC in the right middle occipital gyri (MOG)/superior occipital gyri (SOG), the right cuneus, the bilateral lingual gyrus, and the bilateral calcarine (p < 0.05). Lower dALFF values than HC in the left MOG/SOG and the left cuneus in melancholic MDD groups were found, but no significant difference was found between the mMDD-LI group and HC group (p = 0.079). Positive correlations between the dALFF values in the right MTG/STG and HAMD-SD scores (the sleep disturbance subscale of the HAMD-17) in the mMDD-HI group (r = 0.41, p = 0.042) were found. In the pooled melancholic MDD, the dALFF values in the right MOG/SOG and the right cuneus (r = 0.338, p = 0.019), the left MOG/SOG and the left cuneus (r = 0.299, p = 0.039), and the bilateral lingual gyrus and the bilateral calcarine (r = 0.288, p = 0.047) were positively correlated with adjusted HAMD scores.ConclusionThe occipital cortex may be related to depressive symptoms in melancholic MDD. Importantly, the right MTG/STG may play a critical role in patients with melancholic MDD with more severe insomnia.

ObjectiveBipolar disorder (BD) has a higher lifetime rate of suicide attempts (SA) than other psychiatric disorders. Furthermore, BD patients with SA (BD + S) are prone to a worse quality of life. However, the pathophysiology of BD + S is poorly understood. To further reveal the potential mechanisms of BD + S, abnormalities in peripheral plasma inflammatory cytokines and brain white matter (WM) in BD + S, as well as the correlation between them are investigated.MethodsWe tested the levels of TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 in peripheral plasma and collected the diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) data from 14 BD + S, 24 BD patients without SA (BD-S), and 26 healthy controls (HCs). The three groups were matched by age and gender. The levels of TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 were detected by Luminex multifactor detection technology, and the fractional anisotropy (FA) values were employed to depict the alterations of WM. Partial correlation analyses were conducted to detect correlations between levels of TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 and changes of WM, and the relationships between severity of clinical symptoms, including scores of HAMD-17 and YMRS, and cytokine levels or FA values in all groups.ResultsFor plasma inflammatory cytokines, there was no significant difference in their levels except for IL-6 among the three groups. Post-hoc analyses revealed that increased IL-6 level was only detected in BD + S (p < 0.05, Bonferroni correction). For DTI, BD + S showed specifically decreased FA in the bilateral middle cerebellar peduncle and the left superior corona radiata compared to BD-S and HCs (p < 0.05, Bonferroni correction). Additionally, both BD + S and BD-S groups revealed decreased FA in the bilateral body and genu of corpus callosum (CC) compared to HCs (p < 0.05, Bonferroni correction). No significant correlation between plasma inflammatory cytokines and WM integrity was found. In the BD + S group, we found negative correlation between the scores of YMRS and FA values of the left middle cerebellar peduncle (r = −0.74, p = 0.035).ConclusionThe inflammation and impaired WM integrity may provide a scientific basis to understand the potential mechanisms of BD + S.

Background: Bipolar disorder is a chronic and highly recurrent mental disorder that can be classified as bipolar type I (BD I) and bipolar type II (BD II). BD II is sometimes taken as a milder form of BD I or even doubted as an independent subtype. However, the fact that symptoms and severity differ in patients with BD I and BD II suggests different pathophysiologies and underlying neurobiological mechanisms. In this study, we aimed to explore the shared and unique functional abnormalities between subtypes. Methods: The dynamic amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (dALFF) was performed to compare 31 patients with BD I, 32 with BD II, and 79 healthy controls (HCs). Global dALFF was calculated using sliding-window analysis. Group differences in dALFF among the 3 groups were compared using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA), with covariates of age, sex, years of education, and mean FD, and Bonferroni correction was applied for post hoc analysis. Pearson and Spearman's correlations were conducted between clusters with significant differences and clinical features in the BD I and BD II groups, after which false error rate (FDR) was used for correction. Results: We found a significant decrease in dALFF values in BD patients compared with HCs in the following brain regions: the bilateral-side inferior frontal gyrus (including the triangular, orbital, and opercular parts), inferior temporal gyrus, the medial part of the superior frontal gyrus, middle frontal gyrus, anterior cingulum, insula gyrus, lingual gyrus, calcarine gyrus, precuneus gyrus, cuneus gyrus, left-side precentral gyrus, postcentral gyrus, inferior parietal gyrus, superior temporal pole gyrus, middle temporal gyrus, middle occipital gyrus, superior occipital gyrus and right-side fusiform gyrus, parahippocampal gyrus, hippocampus, middle cingulum, orbital part of the medial frontal gyrus and superior frontal gyrus. Unique alterations in BD I were observed in the right-side supramarginal gyrus and postcentral gyrus. In addition, dALFF values in BD II were significantly higher than those in BD I in the right superior temporal gyrus and middle temporal gyrus. The variables of dALFF correlated with clinical characteristics differently according to the subtypes, but no correlations survived after FDR correction. Limitations: Our study was cross-sectional. Most of our patients were on medication, and the sample was limited. Conclusions: Our findings demonstrated neurobiological characteristics of BD subtypes, providing evidence for BD II as an independent existence, which could be the underlying explanation for the specific symptoms and/or severity and point to potential biomarkers for the differential diagnosis of bipolar subtypes.

The morphology and mesoporosity of zeolite are two vital properties to determine its performance in diverse applications involving adsorption and catalysis; while it remains a big challenge for the synthesis and regulation of zeolites with exceptional morphology/porosity only through inorganic-ions-based modification. Herein, by simply optimizing the alkali metal type (K+ or Na+), as well as alkali/water ratio and crystallization temperature, the zeolite ZSM-5 mesocrystals with diverse mesostructures are simply and controllably prepared via fine-tuning the crystallization mechanism in an organotemplate-free, ions-mediated seed-assisted system. Moreover, the impacts of these key parameters on the evolution of seed crystals, the development and assembly behavior of aluminosilicate species and the solution-phase process during zeolite crystallization are investigated by means of directional etching in NH4F or NaOH solutions. Except for the morphology/mesoporosity modulation, their physical and chemical properties, such as particle size, microporosity, Si/Al ratio and acidity, can be well maintained at a similar level. As such, the p/o-xylene adsorption and catalytic performance of o-xylene isomerization are used to exhaustively evaluate the synergistically enhanced catalytic activity and shape selectivity of the obtained products. This work demonstrates the possibility of effectively constructing novel zeolite mesostructures by simply altering parameters on simple ions-controlled crystallization and provides good models to inspect the impacts of mesoporosity or morphology on their catalytic performances.

BackgroundAbnormalities of functional and structural connectivity in the amygdala-prefrontal circuit which involved with emotion processing have been implicated in adults with major depressive disorder (MDD). Adolescent MDD may have severer dysfunction of emotion processing than adult MDD. In this study, we used resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) to examine the potential functional and structural connectivity abnormalities within amygdala-prefrontal circuit in first-episode medication-naïve adolescents with MDD.MethodsRs-fMRI and DTI data were acquired from 36 first-episode medication-naïve MDD adolescents and 37 healthy controls (HC). Functional connectivity between amygdala and the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and fractional anisotropy (FA) values of the uncinate fasciculus (UF) which connecting amygdala and PFC were compared between the MDD and HC groups. The correlation between the FA value of UF and the strength of the functional connectivity in the PFC showing significant differences between the two groups was identified.ResultsCompared with the HC group, decreased functional connectivity between left amygdala and left ventral PFC was detected in the adolescent MDD group. FA values were significant lower in the left UF within the adolescent MDD group compared to the HC group. There was no significant correlation between the UF and FA, and the strength of functional connectivity within the adolescent MDD group.ConclusionsFirst-episode medication-naïve adolescent MDD showed decreased functional and structural connectivity in the amygdala-prefrontal circuit. These findings suggest that both functional and structural abnormalities of the amygdala-prefrontal circuit may present in the early onset of adolescent MDD and play an important role in the neuropathophysiology of adolescent MDD.

Finding neural features of suicide attempts (SA) in major depressive disorder (MDD) may be helpful in preventing suicidal behavior. The ventral and medial prefrontal cortex (PFC), as well as the amygdala form a circuit implicated in emotion regulation and the pathogenesis of MDD. The aim of this study was to identify whether patients with MDD who had a history of SA show structural and functional connectivity abnormalities in the amygdala and PFC relative to MDD patients without a history of SA. We measured gray matter volume in the amygdala and PFC and amygdala-PFC functional connectivity using structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in 158 participants [38 MDD patients with a history of SA, 60 MDD patients without a history of SA, and 60 healthy control (HC)]. MDD patients with a history of SA had decreased gray matter volume in the right and left amygdala (F = 30.270, P = 0.000), ventral/medial/dorsal PFC (F = 15.349, P = 0.000), and diminished functional connectivity between the bilateral amygdala and ventral and medial PFC regions (F = 22.467, P = 0.000), compared with individuals who had MDD without a history of SA, and the HC group. These findings provide evidence that the amygdala and PFC may be closely related to the pathogenesis of suicidal behavior in MDD and implicate the amygdala-ventral/medial PFC circuit as a potential target for suicide intervention.

Herein we report the synthesis, characterization data and photophysical properties of iridium(III) complexes having N-alkylated salicylaldimine and 2-phenylpyridine ligands. The structures of novel iridium complexes were assigned by 1H and 13C NMR, 1H–1H COSY, NOESY, HMQC, HMBC, HRMS, IR and XRD analysis. For further information, we obtained photophysical properties in solution and crystalline states. Keywords: Iridium, Phosphorescence, NMR data, X-ray analysis

A free-of-dust pollution extraction method combined-homogenate and ultrasonic cavitation system, namely, homogenate-combined ultrasonic cavitation synergistic extraction (HUCSE), was proposed for the efficient extraction of flavonoids from Cinnamomum camphora leaves. Response surface methodology of Box–Behnken design was employed to optimize the HUCSE process, and the optimum operation conditions attained with an extraction yield of 7.95 ± 0.27 mg/g were ethanol concentration 76%, homogenate/ultrasonic time 25 min, solvent-to-solid ratio 22 mL/g, and ultrasonic power 240 W. A second-order kinetic mathematical methodology was performed to depict the behaviors of HUCSE and heat reflux extraction method. The results suggested that the developed HUCSE is an efficient and green method for the extraction of C. camphora flavonoids or other plant natural products, where the obvious higher parameters of extraction capacity at saturation, second-order extraction rate constant, and original extraction rate were obtained when compared to the heat reflux method. The antioxidant activity assays in vitro showed that the C. camphora flavonoids possessed strong antioxidant activity and are promising to be applied as a natural alternative antioxidant.

A novel in-phase disposition (IPD) SPWM pulse allocation strategy applied to a cascaded H-bridge (CHB) converter is presented in this paper. The reason causing the power of the CHB converter imbalance is analyzed according to the traditional structure, the conception of power imbalance degree is introduced and the principle of the novel in-phase disposition SPWM allocation strategy is deduced in detail. The new pulse allocation scheme can ensure the power balance in 3/4 cycles through interchanging the PWM pulse sequence of the different CHB cell, meanwhile it makes the full advantage of the IPD control strategy, lower the total harmonic distortion (THD) of line voltage compared to a carrier phase shifted (CPS) control strategy, which is verified by theoretical derivation. A seven-level cascaded inverter composed by three H-bridge cells is taken as the exam- ple. The simulation and experiment is performed. The results indicate the validity of the analysis and verify the effectiveness of the proposed SPWM allocation strategy.

Neurophysiological mechanisms of white matter abnormalities in the earlier onset major depressive disorder (eoMDD, onset age ≤25 years old) differ from that in the later onset MDD (loMDD, onset age >25 years old). Myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) is an important factor influencing white matter development. The influence of MOG on white matter in MDD of different age onset need to be explored. We compared MOG plasma concentrations and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) data in 35 first-episode medication-naïve MDD patients (23 eoMDD, 12 loMDD), and 32 healthy controls (HC, 17 younger, 15 older). MOG was significantly higher in eoMDD and lower in loMDD compared with HC. Mean diffusivity (MD) values were significantly increased in inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus (IFOF) in eoMDD, and decreased in loMDD. In both younger and older groups, MOG correlated positively with IFOF MD values. Abnormal MOG has different influence in MDD of different age onset, which is linked to MOG's overly active effect on abnormal white matter in eoMDD and markedly weak effect in loMDD cases. Abnormal MOG would be an important factor in white matter damage in MDD; the influence of MOG differs with onset age.

BACKGROUND:Evidence implicates abnormalities in prefrontal-hippocampus neural circuitry in major depressive disorder (MDD). This study investigates the potential disruptions in prefrontal-hippocampus structural and functional connectivity, as well as their relationship in first-episode medication-naïve adolescents with MDD in order to investigate the early stage of the illness without confounds of illness course and medication exposure. METHODS:Diffusion tensor imaging and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) data were acquired from 26 first-episode medication-naïve MDD adolescents and 31 healthy controls (HC). Fractional anisotropy (FA) values of the fornix and the prefrontal-hippocampus functional connectivity was compared between MDD and HC groups. The correlation between the FA value of fornix and the strength of the functional connectivity in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) region showing significant differences between the two groups was identified. RESULTS:Compared with the HC group, adolescent MDD group had significant lower FA values in the fornix, as well as decreased functional connectivity in four PFC regions. Significant negative correlations were observed between fornix FA values and functional connectivity from hippocampus to PFC within the HC group. There was no significant correlation between the fornix FA and the strength of functional connectivity within the adolescent MDD group. CONCLUSIONS:First-episode medication-naïve adolescent MDD showed decreased structural and functional connectivity as well as deficits of the association between structural and functional connectivity shown in HC in the PFC-hippocampus neural circuitry. These findings suggest that abnormal PFC-hippocampus neural circuitry may present in the early onset of MDD and play an important role in the neuropathophysiology of MDD.

A single-nucleotide polymorphism at the LHPP gene (rs35936514) has been reported in genome-wide association studies to be associated with major depressive disorder (MDD). However, the neural system effects of rs35936514 that mediate the association are unknown. The present work explores whether the LHPP rs35936514 polymorphism moderates brain regional activity in MDD. A total of 160 subjects were studied: a CC group homozygous for the C allele (23 individuals with MDD and 57 controls) and a T-carrier group carrying the high risk T allele (CT/TT genotypes; 22 MDD and 58 controls). All participants underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) scanning. Brain activity was assessed using the amplitudes of low-frequency fluctuations (ALFF). MDD patients showed a significant increased ALFF in the left middle temporal gyrus and occipital cortex. The T-carrier group showed increased ALFF in the left superior temporal gyrus. Significant diagnosis × genotype interaction was noted in the bilateral lingual gyri, bilateral dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC), and left medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) (P

Previous findings suggest that the Papez Circuit may have a role in major depressive disorders. We used atlas-based tract-specific quantification analysis and voxel-based analysis to examine the integrity of white matter tracts involved in mood regulation (including tracts in the Papez Circuit). Diffusion tensor imaging acquired from 35 first-episode, treatment-naive adults with major depressive disorders and 34 healthy adult controls were compared. Our statistical approach compared structural integrity of 11 major white matter tracts between the major depressive disorder and adult controls, as well as illness duration influence in patients. Fractional anisotropy was decreased in the hippocampal cingulum and in the anterior thalamic radiation according to both analytical approaches, all of which were important tracts included in the Papez Circuit. Our results support the role of the Papez Circuit in major depressive disorders with the minimal probability of false positive due to similar findings in both analyses that have complementary advantages. Dysfunction of the Papez Circuit may be a potential marker for studying the pathogenesis of major depressive disorders.

BACKGROUND: Convergent studies suggest that morphological abnormalities of frontal-subcortical circuits which involved with emotional and cognitive processing may contribute to the pathophysiology of major depressive disorder (MDD). Antidepressant treatment which has been reported to reverse the functional abnormalities of frontal-subcortical circuits in MDD may have treating effects to related brain morphological abnormalities. In this study, we used voxel-based morphometry method to investigate whole brain structural abnormalities in single episode, medication-naïve MDD patients. Furthermore, we investigated the effects of an 8 weeks pharmacotherapy with fluoxetine. METHODS: 28 single episode, medication-naïve MDD participants and 28 healthy controls (HC) acquired the baseline high-resolution structural magnetic resonance imaging (sMRI) scan. 24 MDD participants acquired a follow-up sMRI scan after 8 weeks antidepressant treatment. Gray matter volumetric (GMV) difference between groups was examined. RESULTS: Medication-naïve MDD had significantly decreased GMV in the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and left middle frontal gyrus as well as increased GMV in the left thalamus and right insula compared to HC (P

Gas environment detection has become more urgent and significant, for both industrial manufacturing and environment monitoring. Gas sensors based on a catalytically-sensing mechanism are one of the most important types of devices for gas detection, and have been of great interest during the past decades. However, even though many efforts have contributed to this area, some great challenges still remain, such as the development of sensitively and selectively sensing catalysts. In this review, two representative catalysis-based gas sensors, cataluminescent and conductometric sensors, the basis of optical and electric signal acquisition, respectively, are summarized comprehensively. The current challenges have been presented. Recent research progress on the working mechanism, sensing nanomaterials, and applications reported by our group and some other researchers have been discussed systematically. The future trends and prospects of the catalysis-based gas sensors have also been presented.