The role of causal knowledge in the evolution of traditional technology

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Prefrontal deep projection neurons enable cognitive flexibility via persistent feedback monitoring

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Diminished social interaction incentive contributes to social deficits in mouse models of autism spectrum disorder

One of the core symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is impaired social interaction. Currently, no pharmacotherapies exist for this symptom due to complex biological underpinnings and distinct genetic models which fail to represent the broad disease spectrum. One convincing hypothesis explaining social deficits in human ASD patients is amotivation, however it is unknown whether mouse models of ASD represent this condition. Here we used two highly trusted ASD mouse models (male Shank3‐deficient [Shank3^+/ΔC] mice modeling the monogenic etiology of ASD, and inbred BTBR mice [both male and female] modeling the idiopathic and highly polygenic pathology for ASD) to evaluate the level of motivation to engage in a social interaction. In the behavioral paradigms utilized, a social stimulus was placed in the open arm of the elevated plus maze (EPM), or the light compartment of the light‐dark box (LDB). To engage in a social interaction, mice were thus required to endure innately aversive conditions (open areas, height, and/or light). In the modified EPM paradigm, both Shank3^+/ΔC and BTBR mice demonstrated decreased open‐arm engagement with a social stimulus but not a novel object, suggesting reduced incentive to engage in a social interaction in these models. However, these deficits were not expressed under the less severe aversive pressures of the LDB. Collectively, we show that ASD mouse models exhibit diminished social interaction incentive, and provide a new investigation strategy facilitating the study of the neurobiological mechanisms underlying social reward and motivation deficits in neuropsychiatric disorders.     

腔隙性脑梗死伴脑白质病变患者血清miR-146a和NSE水平与MoCA评分的关系研究

摘要 目的：研究腔隙性脑梗死（LI）伴脑白质病变（WML）患者血清miR-146a和神经元特异性烯纯化酶（NSE）水平与蒙特利尔认知评估量表（MoCA）评分的关系。方法：纳入我院从2017年3月～2019年3月收治的LI伴WML患者108例进行研究,记作LI伴WML组。另取同期收治的单纯WML患者与单纯LI患者各100例,分别记作WML组与LI组,再取同期于我院进行体检的健康人员100例作为对照组。比较四组人员的血清miR-146a和NSE水平、MoCA评分,并作相关性分析。结果：LI伴WML组、WML组、LI组血清miR-146a相对表达量均低于对照组,而LI伴WML组血清miR-146a相对表达量又显著低于WML组、LI组（均P＜0.05）;LI伴WML组、WML组、LI组血清NSE水平均显著高于对照组,且LI伴WML组血清NSE水平均显著高于WML组、LI组（均P＜0.05）。LI伴WML组MoCA总分显著低于WML组与LI组,且WML组与LI组MoCA总分显著低于对照组（均P＜0.05）。经Pearson相关性分析可得：LI伴WML组患者血清miR-146a相对表达量与MoCA总分呈正相关关系（P＜0.05）,而血清NSE水平与MoCA总分呈负相关关系（P＜0.05）。结论：LI伴WML患者的血清miR-146a水平存在明显低表达,而NSE水平存在明显高表达,并与MoCA评分相关,两者可能在认知功能损伤的发生、发展过程中起着至关重要的作用。     

Comparison of forest above‐ground biomass from dynamic global vegetation models with spatially explicit remotely sensed observation‐based estimates

Gaps in our current understanding and quantification of biomass carbon stocks, particularly in tropics, lead to large uncertainty in future projections of the terrestrial carbon balance. We use the recently published GlobBiomass data set of forest above‐ground biomass (AGB) density for the year 2010, obtained from multiple remote sensing and in situ observations at 100 m spatial resolution to evaluate AGB estimated by nine dynamic global vegetation models (DGVMs). The global total forest AGB of the nine DGVMs is 365 ± 66 Pg C, the spread corresponding to the standard deviation between models, compared to 275 Pg C with an uncertainty of ~13.5% from GlobBiomass. Model‐data discrepancy in total forest AGB can be attributed to their discrepancies in the AGB density and/or forest area. While DGVMs represent the global spatial gradients of AGB density reasonably well, they only have modest ability to reproduce the regional spatial gradients of AGB density at scales below 1000 km. The 95th percentile of AGB density (AGB₉₅) in tropics can be considered as the potential maximum of AGB density which can be reached for a given annual precipitation. GlobBiomass data show local deficits of AGB density compared to the AGB₉₅, particularly in transitional and/or wet regions in tropics. We hypothesize that local human disturbances cause more AGB density deficits from GlobBiomass than from DGVMs, which rarely represent human disturbances. We then analyse empirical relationships between AGB density deficits and forest cover changes, population density, burned areas and livestock density. Regression analysis indicated that more than 40% of the spatial variance of AGB density deficits in South America and Africa can be explained; in Southeast Asia, these factors explain only ~25%. This result suggests TRENDY v6 DGVMs tend to underestimate biomass loss from diverse and widespread anthropogenic disturbances, and as a result overestimate turnover time in AGB.     

Polydatin ameliorates chemotherapy-induced cognitive impairment (chemobrain) by inhibiting oxidative stress,inflammatory response,and apoptosis in rats

ABSTRACT

Most breast cancer survivors receiving chemotherapy have severe cognitive impairment, often referred to as “chemobrain.” Polydatin (PLD) is known to have many biological activities. Thus, this study aimed to determine whether symptoms of chemobrain can be prevented or relieved by PLD. The chemobrain models were established by intraperitoneal injection of doxorubicin (DOX, 2 mg/kg) in rats once a week for 4 weeks (DOX group and DOX+PLD group). In the PLD group and DOX+PLD group, PLD (50 mg/kg) was administered orally to rats every day. We found that PLD treatment significantly protected against DOX-induced learning and memory impairment, restored hippocampal histopathological architecture. Furthermore, PLD suppressed DOX-induced oxidative stress through up-regulating Nrf2, inhibited inflammatory response by activating the NF-κB pathway, and reduced hippocampal apoptosis. Therefore, the present study indicated that PLD offered neuroprotection against DOX-induced chemobrain. PLD may assist in preventing chemobrain after chemotherapy in patients with cancers.     

系统生物学在认知功能障碍研究中的应用

认知功能障碍可导致患者日常生活能力、社会适应能力明显下降,严重影响患者的生活质量。根据近年来众多研究显示,认知功能障碍的发生发展与基因、蛋白质、微生物等内环境因素的失调和紊乱有关。基于系统生物学的研究,梳理了近年来国内外研究学者在代谢组学、蛋白质组学、基因组学和肠道微生物组学层面对认知功能障碍的研究,并对系统生物学在认知功能障碍中的应用前景进行了展望,以期为认知功能障碍相关研究提供参考。     

Assessment of risk factors for postoperative cognitive dysfunction after coronary artery bypass surgery: a single-center retrospective cohort study

Aim: To find out risk factors for postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), and to provide basis for clinical prevention of POCD. A total of 88 patients who underwent CABG were surveyed with Telephone Questionnaire (TICS-M) for their cognitive impairment after 3, 7, 21, 90, 180 days post-surgery. The occurrence of POCD was diagnosed by Neuropsychological Battery which included Vocabular Learning Test (VLT), Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST), Trail Making Test (TMT) and Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT). The preoperative, intraoperative and postoperative risk factors were assessed by the χ² or t test. Multivariate analysis was used to study the correlation between the risk factors and the occurrence of POCD. Age, aortic plaque, carotid artery stenosis, cerebrovascular disease, anesthesia time, the rate of decline in intraoperative hemoglobin concentration (ΔHb) and systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) score on postoperative day 2 had statistically significant (P<0.05) influence on the occurrence of POCD. Aortic plaque, carotid artery stenosis, anesthesia time and SIRS score (odds ratio (OR) value > 1, P<0.05) are the risk factors for POCD. The incidence of day-21 and -180 POCD was approximately 26.1 and 22.7%, respectively.