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Lan Gao,1,&ast; Rui Yang,2,&ast; Hong-Zhen Fan,1 Lei-Lei Wang,1 Yan-Li Zhao,1 Shu-Ping Tan,1 Chun-Ling Xiao,1 Shuang-Jiang Zhou1 1Beijing HuiLongGuan Hospital, Peking University HuiLongGuan Clinical Medical School, Beijing, People’s Republic of China; 2Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, People’s Republic of China&ast;These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Chun-Ling Xiao; Shuang-Jiang Zhou, Beijing HuiLongGuan Hospital, Peking University HuiLongGuan Clinical Medical School, Beijing, 10096, People’s Republic of China, Email xiaocl2002@163.com; zhoushuangjiang@126.comPurpose: To explore the correlation between aggressive behavior and impulsive and aggressive personality traits in inpatients with schizophrenia.Methods: In total, 367 inpatients with schizophrenia were divided into two groups: the aggressive group and the non-aggressive group. We assessed inpatients’ psychotic symptoms as well as their aggressive and impulsive personality traits using the Positive and Negative Symptom Scale, the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale, and the Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire.Results: Compared with the scores of inpatients in the non-aggressive group, the total Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire, subscale, and Barratt Impulsiveness Scale behavioral factor scores in those in the aggressive group were higher (p < 0.05). The results of logistic regression analysis suggested that a high Positive and Negative Symptom Scale positive factor score (odds ratio = 1.07) and a high Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire physical aggression score (odds ratio = 1.02) were risk factors for aggressive behavior.Conclusion: Hospitalized patients with schizophrenia with more severe positive symptoms and aggressive traits may be more prone to aggressive behavior.Keywords: schizophrenia, aggressive behavior, impulsivity trait, aggressive trait, stable patients

Background: Although hundreds of studies have been conducted, our understanding of the pathogenesis, indications for surgical intervention, and disease markers of Takayasu arteritis (TAK) are still limited. Collection of biological specimens, clinical data and imaging data will facilitate translational research and clinical studies. In this study, we aim to introduce the design and protocol for the Beijing Hospital Takayasu Arteritis (BeTA) Biobank. Methods: Based in the Department of Vascular Surgery of Beijing Hospital and Beijing Hospital Clinical Biological Sample Management Center, the BeTA Biobank is composed of clinical data and sample data from patients with TAK requiring surgical treatment. All clinical data of participants are collected, including demographic characteristics, laboratory tests, imaging results, operation information, perioperative complications, follow-up data, etc. Both blood samples including plasma, serum and cells, and vascular tissues or perivascular adipose tissue are collected and stored. These samples will promote the establishment of a multiomic database for TAK and help to identify disease markers and to explore potential targets for specific future drugs for TAK.

IntroductionPrevious studies have shown that in addition to having impairments in facial emotion recognition, patients with schizophrenia also show a lack of facial expression. Although negative symptoms such as decreased facial activity are common symptoms of schizophrenia, the related factors remain inconclusive. Therefore, this study compared healthy controls to explore the characteristics of facial muscle activity intensity in patients with schizophrenia and its relationship with negative symptoms.MethodsThis observational and cross-sectional study conducted in a psychiatric hospital in China included a total of 135 patients with schizophrenia and 134 healthy controls. The negative symptoms of schizophrenia were evaluated using the Brief Negative Symptom Scale. The intensity of facial muscle activity under positive, neutral, and negative emotional stimuli conditions was automatically collected by a computer, including 17 values (F01-F17) that represent different facial muscle activities. Statistical tests were performed to analyze facial muscle activity indexes, to explore an objective and quantitative method to evaluate the negative symptoms of schizophrenia.ResultsThe facial muscle activity intensity of the schizophrenia group at F02 (outer eyebrow), F04 (upper eyelid), F07 (nose), F10 (dimple), F12 (lower jaw 1), F14 (lip 2), and F17 (blink) was lower than that of the healthy controls (p < 0.05). Under positive, neutral, and negative emotional stimuli conditions, the facial muscle activity intensity of F16 (lower jaw 2) was positively correlated with negative symptoms (p < 0.05).ConclusionOur study indicated that patients with schizophrenia show defects in facial muscle activity and that is associated with negative symptoms.

BackgroundAt present, there is no established biomarker for the diagnosis of depression. Meanwhile, studies show that acoustic features convey emotional information. Therefore, this study explored differences in acoustic characteristics between depressed patients and healthy individuals to investigate whether these characteristics can identify depression.MethodsParticipants included 71 patients diagnosed with depression from a regional hospital in Beijing, China, and 62 normal controls from within the greater community. We assessed the clinical symptoms of depression of all participants using the Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD), Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA), and Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), and recorded the voice of each participant as they read positive, neutral, and negative texts. OpenSMILE was used to analyze their voice acoustics and extract acoustic characteristics from the recordings.ResultsThere were significant differences between the depression and control groups in all acoustic characteristics (p < 0.05). Several mel-frequency cepstral coefficients (MFCCs), including MFCC2, MFCC3, MFCC8, and MFCC9, differed significantly between different emotion tasks; MFCC4 and MFCC7 correlated positively with PHQ-9 scores, and correlations were stable in all emotion tasks. The zero-crossing rate in positive emotion correlated positively with HAMA total score and HAMA somatic anxiety score (r = 0.31, r = 0.34, respectively), and MFCC9 of neutral emotion correlated negatively with HAMD anxiety/somatization scores (r = −0.34). Linear regression showed that the MFCC7-negative was predictive on the PHQ-9 score (β = 0.90, p = 0.01) and MFCC9-neutral was predictive on HAMD anxiety/somatization score (β = −0.45, p = 0.049). Logistic regression showed a superior discriminant effect, with a discrimination accuracy of 89.66%.ConclusionThe acoustic expression of emotion among patients with depression differs from that of normal controls. Some acoustic characteristics are related to the severity of depressive symptoms and may be objective biomarkers of depression. A systematic method of assessing vocal acoustic characteristics could provide an accurate and discreet means of screening for depression; this method may be used instead of—or in conjunction with—traditional screening methods, as it is not subject to the limitations associated with self-reported assessments wherein subjects may be inclined to provide socially acceptable responses rather than being truthful.

Background: Scarce literature has yet to characterize the tactile discrimination capability as well as the underlying mechanism of tactile deficits in psychotic disorder. In particular, very little is known regarding the tactile perception acuity in schizophrenia.Methods: A total of 131 clinically stable patients with schizophrenia (SCZ) and 79 healthy control (HC) volunteers were enrolled in the study. All the participants were tested on a tactile stimulus device which could quantify the tactile discrimination capability with right index finger scanned over the angles via the passive finger-movement apparatus. The MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery (MCCB) was adapted to assess the neurocognition of the participants. Correlation analysis and multivariate linear regression analysis were performed to investigate the relationship between tactile perception performance and neurocognitive function.Results: It was discovered that there existed a significant deficits in the tactile passive perception acuity (i.e., tactile angle discrimination threshold) in patients with schizophrenia compared with their healthy controls (F (3, 206) = 11.458, P = 0.001,partial η2 = 0.053). The MCCB total score and its six domains were significantly lower in SCZ patients than those in HCs (all p < 0.001). In the SCZ group, the composite score of the MCCB (r = −0.312, P < 0.001) and domains of neurocognition including speed of processing (r = −0.191, P = 0.031), attention/vigilance (r = −0.177, P = 0.047), working memory (r = −0.316, P < 0.001), verbal learning (r = − 0.332, P < 0.001), visual learning (r = −0.260, P = 0.004), and reasoning and problem solving (r = −0.209, P = 0.018) showed significant negative correlations with the tactile angle discrimination threshold. Multivariate linear regression analysis revealed that neurocognition impairment, especially the decline of working memory (B = −0.312, P < 0.001),underpin the tactile perception discrimination deficits in patients with SCZ.Conclusion: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to unravel the deficits of tactile passive perception acuity and its underlying neurocognition basis in patients with SCZ. This finding adds novel evidence to the subtle variation in haptic discrimination skills in schizophrenia which contributes to a more comprehensive understanding of the sensory profiles of this disorder.

The pathogenesis and etiology of schizophrenia (SCZ) remains unclear. Accumulating studies showed that complex interrelationships between brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and an imbalanced redox system has a crucial role in the psychopathology of SCZ. However, the influence of the interrelationships of BDNF and superoxide dismutase (SOD) on cognitive impairment and clinical symptomatology in drug-naive first-episode (DNFE) SCZ patients has not been studied thoroughly. Serum BDNF levels, plasma total SOD, manganese-SOD (Mn-SOD), copper/zinc-containing SOD (CuZn-SOD) activities, and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were measured in 327 DNFE patients with SCZ and 391 healthy controls. Cognitive functions were measured using the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological status (RBANS) and clinical symptoms were evaluated by the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). Compared with the controls, the DNFE patients had increased activities of total SOD and CuZn-SOD, and reduced levels of BDNF and MDA. BDNF levels were positively correlated with CuZn-SOD activity in patients. In addition, we found that elevated Mn-SOD and CuZn-SOD activities were related to PANSS depression factor. Moreover, an interactive effect of BDNF levels and Mn-SOD activity was associated with attentional index score in the patients. Therefore, our findings suggested that interrelationships between BDNF and antioxidant mechanisms might underlie the pathological mechanisms of cognitive impairments and symptomatology in the DNFE patients with SCZ.

Accumulating studies have shown that high-frequency (HF) repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) may improve cognitive dysfunction of the patients with schizophrenia (SCZ), but with inconsistent results. The present study aims to assess the efficacy of different frequencies of neuronavigated rTMS in ameliorating cognitive impairments and alleviating the psychotic symptoms. A total of 120 patients were randomly assigned to 3 groups: 20 Hz rTMS (n = 40), 10 Hz rTMS (n = 40), or sham stimulation (n = 40) for 8 weeks, and then followed up at week 32. The Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS) was performed to assess the cognitive functions of the patients at baseline, at the end of week 8, and week 32 follow-up. Psychotic symptoms were assessed with the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) at baseline and at the end of week 2, week 4, week 6, week 8, and week 32 follow-up. Our results demonstrated that 20 Hz rTMS treatment produced an effective therapeutic benefit on immediate memory of patients with chronic SCZ at week 8, but not in the 10 Hz group. Interestingly, both 10 Hz and 20 Hz rTMS treatments produced delayed effects on cognitive functions at the 6-month follow-up. Moreover, in both 10 Hz rTMS and 20 Hz rTMS, the improvements in RBANS total score were positively correlated with the reduction of PANSS positive subscore at the 6-month follow-up. Stepwise regression analysis identified that the visuospatial/constructional index, immediate memory index, and prolactin at baseline were predictors for the improvement of cognitive impairments in the patients. Our results suggest that add-on HF rTMS could be an effective treatment for cognitive impairments in patients with chronic SCZ, with a delayed effect. Trial registration: clinicaltrials.gov identifier—NCT03774927.

Cognitive impairment is a central aspect of schizophrenia (SCZ) that occurs at the onset of the disease and is related to poor social function and outcome in patients with SCZ. Recent literatures have revealed repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) to be one of the efficient medical interventions for cognitive impairments. However, no study has been conducted to investigate the treatment effectiveness of 20 Hz rTMS with neuronavigation system administered to the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) in patients with schizophrenia. In this randomized, double-blind and sham-controlled study, 56 patients were enrolled in 20 Hz rTMS (n = 28) or sham stimulation (n = 28) over left DLPFC for 8 weeks. The Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS) was performed to measure the cognitive function at baseline and after 8 weeks of rTMS treatment. The positive and negative syndrome scales (PANSS) was performed to assess the clinical symptoms at baseline, after 2-week treatment, 4-week treatment, 6-week treatment, and 8-week treatment. Totally, 15 subjects (seven in active group and eight in sham group) dropped out during the trial and the main findings were from completed 41 patients. At 2 weeks, 4 weeks, and 6 weeks, there were no significant differences in PANSS total score and subscores between the sham and treatment groups. At 8 weeks, the 20 Hz rTMS significantly increased the immediate memory score compared with the sham. Furthermore, the improvement in the immediate memory score was correlated with the decrease in the excitement factor score of the patients with SCZ. Our results suggest that 20 Hz rTMS appears to be an effective treatment for improving the cognitive performance and reducing the clinical symptoms of patients with SCZ.

Multiple lines of evidence indicate that patients with chronic schizophrenia (SCZ) display executive dysfunction across the illness course. However, the potential molecular pathophysiologic mechanisms remain poorly elucidated. Neurodevelopmental changes caused by alterations of inflammatory mediators and neurotrophins have been shown to occur in the earliest stages of SCZ, and be associated with executive dysfunction (ED) in SCZ. Therefore, the current study was to investigate whether the interplay between BDNF and inflammatory mediators was involved in the disruption of executive function of long-term hospitalized patients with chronic SCZ. Serum cytokines and BDNF levels were measured in 112 long-term hospitalized patients with chronic SCZ and 44 healthy normal controls. Executive functions were assessed by verbal fluency tests (VFT), the Stroop word-color test (Stroop), and the Wisconsin card sorting tests (WCST).The results showed that the patients had higher IL-2, IL-6, IL-8, but lower TNF-α and BDNF compared to control subjects. In the patient group, BDNF was positively associated with IL-2 and IL-8 levels, while lower BDNF levels were correlated with ED measured by VFT and WCST tests. Multiple stepwise regression analyses confirmed that BDNF × IL-8 and BDNF × TNF-α were factors influencing the total score of VFT, while BDNF × IL-8 and BDNF × TNF-α were recognized as influencing factors for WCST scores. Our results suggest complex interactions between BDNF and cytokines were involved in the pathophysiology of executive function impairments in patients with SCZ.

Elevated serum levels of Interleukin-3 (IL-3), a major component of the cytokines, have been observed in chronic and medicated patients with schizophrenia, but this elevation may reflect either or both medication and illness chronicity effects. Thus, we compared serum IL-3 levels in first-episode drug-naive (FEDN) to chronic medicated patients with schizophrenia and examined the association of IL-3 with their psychopathological symptoms. Serum IL-3 levels were assessed in 55 FEDN patients, 52 chronic medicated patients and 43 healthy controls. Schizophrenia symptomatology was assessed with the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). Serum IL-3 levels were measured by sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). We found significantly lower IL-3 levels in FEDN patients than both chronic patients and healthy controls (both p

The pathophysiology of cognitive deficits in schizophrenia may involve the neuroinflammation mediated by cytokines. This study examined the IL-18 levels, the cognitive function, and their association in schizophrenia. We recruited 70 chronic patients and 75 normal controls and examined the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS) and IL-18 levels. Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) was assessed in chronic patients. IL-18 levels were increased in chronic patients as compared to normal controls (p

Previous studies have shown that the functional 511C/T polymorphism in the IL-1beta-gene may be implicated in the susceptibility for schizophrenia. Moreover, recent studies suggested that IL-1 participates in the progression of lung disease in smokers, which are overrepresented in schizophrenia. We aimed to investigate the possible relationship between the IL-1beta-511C/T polymorphism and smoking behavior in schizophrenia versus healthy controls in a Chinese population. The IL-1beta-511C/T polymorphism was genotyped in 638 male patients with chronic schizophrenia (smoker/never-smoker = 486/152) and 469 male controls (smoker/never-smoker = 243/226). The cigarettes smoked per day, the Heaviness of Smoking Index (HSI) and the Fagerstrom Test for nicotine dependence (FTND) were assessed. Patients were also rated on the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). The results showed no significant differences in genotype and allele distribution between patients and controls, and between smokers and never-smokers in either the patient or control group. However, in patients, smokers with the C/C genotype had significantly higher HSI (p

In this double-blind, randomized controlled study, we assessed the therapeutic effects of high-frequency left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) on negative symptoms of schizophrenia. For the study, 117 patients with prominent negative symptoms were randomized to a 20-day course of either active rTMS applied to the left DLPFC (n = 78) or sham rTMS (n = 39). The primary outcome measures were the Positive and Negative Symptom Scale (PANSS) and the Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms (SANS). Secondary outcomes included the Clinical Global Impressions Scale (CGI) and the Udvalg for Kliniske Under sogelser (UKU) Side Effect Rating Scale. We found that treatment with high-frequency rTMS for 6 weeks significantly improved negative symptoms in the active group as compared to the sham group. However, active rTMS was not correlated with significant improvement in the CGI severity of illness scale (CGI-S). The improvement of negative symptoms persisted to the 24-week follow-up assessment. These results indicate that there is a lasting beneficial effect of rTMS on negative symptoms in absence of decrease in CGI scores. We conclude that rTMS may serve as a relatively noninvasive treatment that alleviates negative symptoms in patients with schizophrenia.

Short form of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale is often needed to quickly estimate intelligence for time-saving or screening in clinical practice. The present study aims to examine the psychometric properties of Chinese version of the four-subtest index-based short form (SF4) of WAIS-IV (FS) and to confirm its clinical application. 1,757 adults from the WAIS-IV Chinese version standardization sample and 239 mixed clinical samples including patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder (SCH), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and mild or moderate intellectual disability (ID) were used. Demographic data were collected and intelligence was assessed with WAIS-IV. The SF4 split-half reliability, test-retest stability coefficients and corrected SF4-FS correlations were good to excellent. The result of the Bland-Altman plot showed that the difference fell within 2SD was 95% and indicated a random error. The sensitivity, specificity positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) of the stepwise screening were good. There was an interaction (p.001) between the IQ level (≥111) and gender on the accuracy of SF4, SF4 might get underestimated on females with the IQ level (≥111) than on males. In conclusion, SF4 is a valid and reliable instrument for use in the clinic, and its clinical application, stepwise screening and influencing factors in clinical use are discussed herein.

Long-term antipsychotic treatment for schizophrenia is often associated with the emergence of tardive dyskinesia (TD), which is linked to greater cognitive impairment. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) plays a critical role in cognitive function, and schizophrenia patients with TD have lower BDNF levels than those without TD.This study examines the BDNF levels, the cognitive function, and the association of BDNF with cognitive function in schizophrenia patients with or without TD.We recruited 83 male chronic patients with (n=35) and without TD (n=48) meeting DSM-IV criteria for schizophrenia and 52 male control subjects. We examined the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS) and BDNF levels for all subjects. Positive and Negative Symptom Scale (PANSS) and the Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale (AIMS) were assessed in patients.BDNF levels were lower in patients with than those without TD (p0.05). RBANS total score (p0.01) and subscales of immediate memory, visuospatial/constructional performance, and attention were lower in patients with than those without TD (all p0.05). BDNF levels were positively associated with immediate memory in patients without TD, but negatively in TD patients (both p0.05). Multiple regression analysis confirmed that in either TD or non-TD group, BDNF was an independent contributor to immediate memory (both p0.05).BDNF may be involved in the pathophysiology of TD. While the associations between BDNF and cognition in both TD and non-TD patients suggest a close relationship between BDNF and cognition, the different directions may implicate distinct mechanisms between TD and non-TD patients.

Long-term antipsychotic treatment for schizophrenia is often associated with the emergence of tardive dyskinesia (TD), and TD presence is also accompanied by more severe cognitive impairment. Oxidative stress-induced damage may be involved in the development of TD and contribute to cognitive deficits in schizophrenia. We examined the role of oxidative stress in relation to TD and cognitive deficits in schizophrenia using plasma manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) as a biomarker. We recruited 83 male chronic patients with (n=32) and without TD (n=51) meeting DSM-IV criteria for schizophrenia, and 58 male control subjects. We examined the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS) and MnSOD activity for all subjects. Positive and Negative Symptom Scale (PANSS) and the Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale (AIMS) were assessed in the patients. MnSOD activity was lower in patients with TD than non-TD, and either TD or non-TD group had lower MnSOD levels than controls (all p

Numerous studies have reported P50 gating deficits in schizophrenia, though with mixed results. Moreover, few studies have explored the association between P50 gating deficits and psychopathology in Chinese patients with schizophrenia. In the present study, we investigated the P50 auditory sensory gating patterns and their correlations with clinical symptoms in a large sample of Han Chinese patients with schizophrenia.We assessed P50 sensory gating with a 64-channel electroencephalography system in 133 patients with schizophrenia and 148 healthy controls. The schizophrenia symptomatology was assessed with the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS).Patients with schizophrenia had a significantly higher P50 gating ratio (p0.001), longer S1 latency (p0.05), lower S1 amplitude (p0.01), and lower P50 difference (p0.001) than did controls. No significant correlations were found between the P50 gating measures and the PANSS total score or subscale scores in patients with schizophrenia.These findings suggest that the P50 sensory gating deficits identified in Chinese patients with schizophrenia may not be involved in the psychopathology of the illness.

The present study combined a time-locked paradigm and high-time-resolution event-related potential (ERP) recordings to examine different phases of working memory, including early visual processing and late memory-related processes of encoding, maintenance, and retrieval, in 67 adults with schizophrenia and 46 healthy controls. Alterations in ERP components were correlated with task performance. Patients performed significantly worse in the working memory task than healthy subjects, although all subjects' accuracy exceeded 80%. During encoding, the N1 and P2 component amplitudes were lower while the P300 amplitude was higher in schizophrenic patients compared to healthy controls. There were no differences between groups with respect to the mean amplitudes of the negative slow waves in the early stage (the first 400 ms) of the maintenance phase. However, in the next 500-ms time window, the patients exhibited a more negative deflection in the middle fronto-central region than the control group. Likewise, a similar pattern was observed in the second 500-ms period in the middle fronto-central region, although the effect was marginally significant. There were no differences between groups in the remaining 1000 ms. During retrieval, the P1, N1 and P2 amplitudes were lower while the P300 amplitude and latency were higher in schizophrenic patients. The present results indicate early visual deficits in the working memory task in adults with schizophrenia. Impairments in the maintenance phase were confined to the late rehearsal stage. The increased P300 amplitude at the fronto-central electrode sites along with the poorer behavioral performance suggests that schizophrenic patients have an inefficient working memory system.

Performance-based assessments of everyday living skills have been shown to be highly correlated with cognitive functioning in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, as well as being predictive of deficits in real-world outcomes such as independent living and employment. In this study, we expand our assessments of impairments in everyday living skills to China, evaluating people with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depression, and comparing their performance to that of healthy controls. Samples of people with schizophrenia (n = 272), bipolar disorder (n = 61), major depression (n = 50), and healthy controls (n = 284) were examined with the Chinese version of the UCSD performance-based assessment, brief version (UPSA-B). Performance was compared across the groups and the association between age, gender, educational attainment, marital status, and UPSA-B scores was evaluated. When the performance on the UPSA was compared across the groups, with education as a covariate, significant effects of both diagnosis (F = 86.3, p

The precipitation characteristics and effect on strengthening mechanism of Cu-rich phases during short-time and long-time aging for Super 304H steels with different Cu content were investigated using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM) and transmission electron microscope (TEM). The results show that the size of Cu-rich phase particles increases, the interspace of Cu-rich phase particles decreases and the density of Cu-rich phases increases with the increase of Cu content during short-time aging (approximately 800 h) at 650 °C for Super 304H steels. During long-time aging (more than 2000 h) at 650 °C, Cu-rich phase precipitates sufficiently and the strengthening effect of Cu-rich phase is preferable in Super 304H steel containing Cu of 4%. The strengthening effect of Cu-rich phase in Super 304H steels containing Cu of 2.2% or 5% is weaker than that with Cu of 4% during long-time aging (more than 2000 h).

The hot compression tests of Super304H austenitic heat resistant steel were carried out at 800–1200°C and 0.005–5 s−1 using a Gleeble 3500 thermal-mechanical simulator, and its deformation behavior was analyzed. The results show that the flow stress of Super304H steel decreases with the decrease of strain rate and the increase of deformation temperature; the hot deformation activation energy of the steel is 485 kJ/mol. The hot deformation equation and the relationship between the peak stress and the deformation temperature and strain rate is obtained. The softening caused by deformation heating cannot be neglected when both the deformation temperature and strain rate are higher.

T122 steel has been used to produce superheater or reheater of ultra supercritical boilers. With the help of chemical phase extraction and microstructure characterization, the performance of aging precipitates of T122 steel, such as M23C6 carbide, Laves phase and MX phase was investigated, the strengthening mechanism of the steel was discussed, and the thermal yield stress of lath substructure, dislocations and precipitates of the steel were calculated. It was found that lath substructure and dislocations dominated the strengthening attribution and precipitation hardening went second to the strengthening attribution.

Hot-compression and hot-tension experiments were conducted on a Gleeble3500 thermal–mechanical simulator, and the microstructure diagram of Super304H austenitic heat-resistant stainless steel as well as its thermoplastic diagram under different deformation conditions was obtained. Based on the dynamic material model theories and Prasad instability criterion, its hot processing maps were developed. The deformation mechanisms of different regions in the maps were analyzed, and corresponding microstructures were investigated. The results show that for Super304H steel, the critical Z value, below which the complete dynamic recrystallization may occur, is about 4.23 × 10 20 . During the hot tension at 0.1 and 1 s −1 , the total elongation and reduction in area increased with the increase of deformation temperature ranging from 800 to 1100 °C. As for the hot working of Super304H austenitic heat-resistant stainless steel, large-strain deformation can be carried out at 1100 °C and at the strain rate above 0.5 s −1 .

Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT), an enzyme involved in the degradation and inactivation of the neurotransmitter dopamine, is associated with the sensory gating phenomenon, protecting the cerebral cortex from information overload. The COMT Val(108/158)Met polymorphism is essential for prefrontal cortex processing capacity and efficiency. The current study was designed to investigate the role of COMT Val(108/158)Met polymorphism in development, sensory gating deficit, and symptoms of schizophrenia in Han Chinese population. P50 gating was determined in 139 schizophrenic patients and 165 healthy controls. Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) was used to assess the clinical symptomatology in 370 schizophrenic subjects. COMT Val(108/158)Met polymorphism was genotyped by PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). No significant differences in COMT allele and genotype distributions were observed between schizophrenic patients and control groups. Although P50 deficits were present in patients, there was no evidence for an association between COMT Val(108/158)Met polymorphism and the P50 biomarker. Moreover, PANSS negative subscore was significantly higher in Val allele carriers than in Met/Met individuals. The present findings suggest that COMT Val(108/158)Met polymorphism may not contribute to the risk of schizophrenia and to the P50 deficits, but may contribute to the negative symptoms of schizophrenia among Han Chinese.

Schizophrenia is associated with the inflammation-related pathways, including aberrant cytokines levels. In this study, we examined the association of serum IL-3 levels with psychopahological symtoms in chronic schizophrenia. Serum IL-3 levels were assessed in 42 patients diagnosed with schizophrenia and compared to 43 healthy control subjects matched for age and gender. Schizophrenia symptomatology was assessed with the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), and serum IL-3 levels were measured by sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Our results showed that IL-3 levels were significantly increased in patients with chronic schizophrenia compared to healthy control subjects. Correlation analysis revealed a significant positive correlation between the IL-3 levels and the PANSS general subscore. Moreover, IL-3 levels were significantly positively correlated with depressive subscore. Our results suggested that IL-3 related pathway is associated with psychopathology of schizophrenia patients.

Many lines of findings support the hypothesis of the inflammation-related pathways in the multifactorial pathogenesis of schizophrenia (SZ). Interleukin-10 (IL-10), a potential anti-inflammatory cytokine, was found to be altered in chronic patients with SZ. The aim of this study was to assess the serum levels of IL-10 in first-episode and drug-naive (FEDN) patients with SZ and its relationships with the psychopathological parameters. Serum IL-10 levels were analyzed using established procedures in 128 FEDN patients with SZ and 62 healthy controls. Schizophrenia symptoms were assessed by the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) with cognitive factor derived from the five factor model of the PANSS. Compared to the healthy controls, the patients exhibited a significant decrease in IL-10 levels. Serum IL-10 was inversely correlated with the PANSS negative symptom, as well as with the PANSS cognitive factor subscores in patients. Our results suggested that decreased IL-10 may be implicated in the negative symptom and cognitive impairment at the acute stage of schizophrenia episode.

This study investigated eye movement differences during facial emotion recognition between 101 patients with chronic schizophrenia and 101 controls. Independent of facial emotion, patients with schizophrenia processed facial information inefficiently; they showed significantly more direct fixations that lasted longer to interest areas (IAs), such as the eyes, nose, mouth, and nasion. The total fixation number, mean fixation duration, and total fixation duration were significantly increased in schizophrenia. Additionally, the number of fixations per second to IAs (IA fixation number/s) was significantly lower in schizophrenia. However, no differences were found between the two groups in the proportion of number of fixations to IAs or total fixation number (IA fixation number %). Interestingly, the negative symptoms of patients with schizophrenia negatively correlated with IA fixation number %. Both groups showed significantly greater attention to positive faces. Compared to controls, patients with schizophrenia exhibited significantly more fixations directed to IAs, a higher total fixation number, and lower IA fixation number/s for negative faces. These results indicate that facial processing efficiency is significantly decreased in schizophrenia, but no difference was observed in processing strategy. Patients with schizophrenia may have special deficits in processing negative faces, and negative symptoms may affect visual scanning parameters.

Patients with schizophrenia have prominent abnormality in information processing that can be observed by measures of prepulse inhibition (PPI) of acoustic startle reflex and PPI deficits have been considered as a candidate endophenotypic marker of schizophrenia. However, there has been little information on PPI and related measures in Chinese patients with schizophrenia. The research was to explore the deficits of acoustic startle reflex that might exist in Chinese patients with schizophrenia.Startle response to acoustic stimuli, habituation, and PPI were examined in 31 Chinese patients with first-episode, medication-naïve schizophrenia and 30 age- and sex-matched healthy Chinese controls. At the same day of startle testing, psychopathological symptoms of the patients were assessed with the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS).Compared with healthy controls, patients exhibited the significant reduction in startle response and PPI deficits at 60 milliseconds (ms) intervals (PPI60, P0.05) but not at 30 or 120 ms intervals. Furthermore, there was a relatively strong correlation between PPI60 (P0.05) and scores of positive scale of PANSS in patients with schizophrenia.Our findings confirmed impaired PPI in Chinese patients with schizophrenia and suggested that a relationship between sensorimotor gating deficits and clinical symptoms of patients with schizophrenia might exist.

This study aimed to examine verbal and visual-spatial working memory (WM) dysfunction in patients with schizophrenia. We compared 60 patients with schizophrenia with 57 healthy controls (matched for age, educational level, and IQ) on three WM tasks. Patients with schizophrenia performed significantly more poorly than healthy controls on verbal, visual, and spatial WM tests. Moreover, WM deficits were inversely associated with both the positive and negative symptoms of the patients. Taken together, these findings suggest that there are pervasive WM impairments in patients with schizophrenia. In addition, clinical features may play a significant role in the expression of WM deficits.

7 strains of stable cell lines secreting monoclonal antibodies against AAV2 capsids were obtained by immunizing BALB/C mice with highly purified recombinant adeno-associated virus. Among them, the monoclonal antibodies B10 and G4 had neutralizing activity, and their subtypes were IgG1 and IgG2a, respectively. The binding characterizations of the two neutralizing antibodies were studied. Both B10 and G4 showed serotype specific binding activities to rAAV2 virus particles other than AAV1, AAV5, and AAV8, and the binding could not be blocked by heparin. After incubating with the two antibodies separately, rAAV2 viruses could still bind to sensitive cell line BHK-21, suggesting that the binding sites of the two antibodies to rAAV2 located at different positions on viral particle surface from the primary receptor binding sites of AAV2. Western blotting assay showed that B10 could bind to VP1, VP2 and VP3 of rAAV2. However, G4 bound none of them. The results suggested that B10 recognized a linear epitope of AAV2 capsid, whereas G4 probably recognized a conformational epitope on the surface of AAV2 virus particle. The two antibodies with different characteristics provided valuable tools for AAV2 virus particles detection and infection processes.

To prepare the rAAV2/hFIX and evaluate the efficiency of the preparation on gene therapy of hemophilia B model mice.The rAAV-2/hFIX was prepared by "one helper virus-one vector cell line" strategy and transfected both BHK-21 and C2C12 cells in vitro. The hFIX antigen level in cell culture supernatant was assayed. The rAAV-2/hFIX was injected into muscles of hemophilia B model mice and assayed the serum hFIX levels, hFIX clotting activity, bleeding time, 5 min bleeding volume.The hFIX antigen could be detected from 24 h till 120 h after BHK-21 and C2C12 cells were transfected with highest levels at 24 h reaching (51.0 +/- 6.5) ng/10(5) cells and (68.0 +/- 7.2) ng/10(5) cells, respectively. The rAAV2/hFIX injected mice could efficiently express hFIX and peaked at three weeks after injection, then slowly decreased but low level hFIX antigen was still detectable till 10 weeks after injection. There were significant differences between the high, middle and low dose groups of rAAV2/hFIX and the control group (P0.01), the plasma FIX clotting activities in the model mice were improved remarkably, bleeding time was greatly shortened and bleeding in 5 min was decreased. The hFIX expression level and FIX clotting activity of the high dose of rAAV2/hFIX group (1.6 x 10(13) v.g./kg) reached about (387.0 +/- 12.5) ng/ml plasma in contrast with the normal levels of (30.0 +/- 5.5)% at the third week after injection. No rAAV2 vector DNA was detected in the organs except for injected muscle tissue.The rAAV2/hFIX transfected BHK-21 and C2C12 cells could efficiently express hFIX antigen and was of therapeutic effects for the hemophilia B model mice by intramuscularly injection.The results provide the basis for clinical trial of rAAV2 gene therapy for hemophilia B.

To explore the application and the anaesthetic effect of primacaine in anaesthetizing the pulp.162 teeth of pulpitis underwent submucous infiltration anaesthesia via the labial or buccal side (single side anaesthesia). There were 94 teeth of acute pulpitis and 68 teeth of chronic pulpitis among them. Anaesthesia effect were observed.Maxillary, mandibular molars and mandibular premolar were respectively divided into two groups, one underwent submucous infiltration anaesthesia via the labial or buccal and lingual sides (double sides anaesthesia), the other underwent single side anaesthesia. The data was analysed with X(2) test.The effective rate of single side anaesthesia was 72.8%, There was no significant difference between acute and chronic pulpitis(P0.05). For mandibular molar,the effect of double side anaesthesia was better than the single side anaesthesia (P0.05).Primacaine had a good anaesthesia effect when the teeth of pulpitis underwent pulpectomy. In order to get perfect anaesthetic effect, the double side anaesthesia for the mandibular molar was suggested.