Single-cell RNA-seq reveals the role of YAP1 in prefrontal cortex microglia in depression.

BACKGROUND: Depression is a complex mood disorder whose pathogenesis involves multiple cell types and molecular pathways. The prefrontal cortex, as a key brain region for emotional regulation, plays a crucial role in depression. Microglia, as immune cells of the central nervous system, have been closely linked to the development and progression of depression through their dysfunctional states. This study aims to utilize single-cell RNA-seq technology to reveal the pathogenic mechanism of YAP1 in prefrontal cortex microglia in depression. METHODS: Firstly, we performed cell type identification and differential analysis on normal and depressed prefrontal cortex tissues by mining single-cell RNA-seq datasets from public databases. Focusing on microglia, we conducted sub-clustering, differential gene KEGG enrichment analysis, intercellular interaction analysis, and pseudotime analysis. Additionally, a cross-species analysis was performed to explore the similarities and differences between human and rhesus monkey prefrontal cortex microglia. To validate our findings, we combined bulk RNA-Seq and WGCNA analysis to reveal key genes associated with depression and verified the relationship between YAP1 and depression using clinical samples. RESULTS: Our study found significant changes in the proportion and transcriptional profiles of microglia in depressed prefrontal cortex tissues. Further analysis revealed multiple subpopulations of microglia and their associated differential genes and signaling pathways related to depression. YAP1 was identified as a key molecule contributing to the development of depression and was significantly elevated in depression patients. Moreover, the expression level of YAP1 was positively correlated with HAMD scores, suggesting its potential as a biomarker for predicting the onset of depression. CONCLUSION: This study utilized single-cell RNA-seq technology to reveal the pathogenic mechanism of YAP1 in prefrontal cortex microglia in depression, providing a new perspective for a deeper understanding of the pathophysiology of depression and identifying potential targets for developing novel treatment strategies.

Stacking-induced phonon transport engineering of siligene.

Tunable phonon transport properties of two-dimensional materials are desirable for effective heat management in various application scenarios. Here, we demonstrate by first-principles calculations and Boltzmann transport theory that the lattice thermal conductivity of siligene could be efficiently engineered by forming various stacking configurations. Unlike few-layer graphene, the stacked siligenes are found to be covalently bonded along the out-of-plane direction, which leads to unique dependence of the thermal conductivity on both the stacking order and layer number. Due to the restricted flexural phonon scattering induced by the horizontal reflection symmetry, the AA stacking configuration of bilayer siligene exhibits obviously higher thermal conductivity compared with the AB stacking. In addition, we observe increasing thermal conductivity with the layer number, as evidenced by the reduced phonon scattering phase space and Grüneisen parameter. Interestingly, the Fuchs-Sondheimer model works well for the thickness-dependent thermal conductivity of stacked siligenes.

The TiNI monolayer: a two-dimensional system with promising ferroelastic, topological, and thermoelectric properties.

We demonstrate using first-principles calculations that the TiNI monolayer simultaneously exhibits favorable ferroelastic, topological, and thermoelectric properties. Specifically, we discover a 90° lattice rotation with a moderate switching barrier of 56 meV per atom when a uniaxial tensile strain is applied to the system. Besides, the monolayer is found to be an intrinsic topological insulator with an inverted band structure, as characterized by the Z2 invariant of 1 and the presence of Dirac-like edge states at a critical width of 5.6 nm. Moreover, the thermoelectric ZT value of the system can reach as high as 1.4 at 600 K by fine tuning the carrier concentration. Collectively, these findings make the TiNI monolayer a promising multifunctional material to meet the various application requirements of nanoelectronic devices.

High In-Plane Thermoelectric Performance of Layered Bi4O4SeCl2.

The van der Waals semiconductor Bi4O4SeCl2 has recently attracted great interest due to its extremely small lattice thermal conductivity, which may find possible application in the field of energy conversion. Herein, we accurately predict the thermoelectric transport properties of Bi4O4SeCl2 using first-principles calculations and Boltzmann transport theory, where the carrier relaxation time is obtained by fully considering the electron-phonon coupling. It is found that a maximum p-type ZT value of 3.1 can be reached at 1100 K along the in-plane direction, which originates from increased Seebeck coefficient induced by multivalley band structure, as well as enhanced electrical conductivity caused by relatively stronger intralayer bonding. Besides, it is interesting to note that comparable p- and n-type ZT values can be realized in certain temperature regions, which is very desirable in the fabrication of thermoelectric modules.

Very early onset of coronary artery aneurysm in a 3-month infant with Kawasaki disease: a case report and literature review.

BACKGROUND: Kawasaki disease (KD) is a medium vessel vasculitis, of unknown etiology, typically presenting in children younger than 5 years of age. Prolonged fever (at least five days) is a major clinical criterion of KD, while cardiac involvement may occur in up to 25% of patients, generally in the second week of the disease. CASE PRESENTATION: We describe the case of KD developing in a 3-month infant, with an early occurrence of coronary artery aneurysm after only 3 days of fever, complicated by thrombosis, requiring aggressive treatments. CONCLUSIONS: Time of development of cardiac complications can be different in young infants with KD and both diagnostic criteria and treatment indications should be individualized in this class of age.

The Thermal Stability of Janus Monolayers SnXY (X, Y = O, S, Se): Ab-Initio Molecular Dynamics and Beyond.

In recent years, the Janus monolayers have attracted tremendous attention due to their unique asymmetric structures and intriguing physical properties. However, the thermal stability of such two-dimensional systems is less known. Using the Janus monolayers SnXY (X, Y = O, S, Se) as a prototypical class of examples, we investigate their structure evolutions by performing ab-initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) simulations at a series of temperatures. It is found that the system with higher thermal stability exhibits a smaller difference in the bond length of Sn-X and Sn-Y, which is consistent with the orders obtained by comparing their electron localization functions (ELFs) and atomic displacement parameters (ADPs). In principle, the different thermal stability of these Janus structures is governed by their distinct anharmonicity. On top of these results, we propose a simple rule to quickly predict the maximum temperature up to which the Janus monolayer can stably exist, where the only input is the ADP calculated by the second-order interatomic force constants rather than time-consuming AIMD simulations at various temperatures. Furthermore, our rule can be generalized to predict the thermal stability of other Janus monolayers and similar structures.

[Effect of childhood physical and emotional abuse on psychological health in undergraduate students].

OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of childhood physical and emotional abuse on psychological health in undergraduate students. METHODS: A questionnaire investigation (Bernstein, revised) on childhood abuse history was performed in 1 200 undergraduate students in Xi'an. Their psychological states were assessed by Symptom Check List-90. RESULTS: Six hundred and sixty-eight students (55.7%) had physical and emotional abuse experiences, including humiliation, corporal punishment, beating or activity confinement, before 16 years old. Twenty-one percent of the 1 200 students experienced beating, even serious beating with equipment. The students who experienced serious physical and emotional abuse during childhood were more prone to the development of somatization symptoms, obsession, interpersonal sensitivity, depression, anxiety, hostility, phobic anxiety and paranoia than those students without abuse experiences. CONCLUSIONS: Childhood physical and emotional abuse is common in China and this may adversely affect the psychological health of undergraduate students who have experienced it.