Brain-wide activation involved in 15 mA transcranial alternating current stimulation in patients with first-episode major depressive disorder.

Background: Although 15 mA transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) has a therapeutic effect on depression, the activations of brain structures in humans accounting for this tACS configuration remain largely unknown. Aims: To investigate which intracranial brain structures are engaged in the tACS at 77.5 Hz and 15 mA, delivered via the forehead and the mastoid electrodes in the human brain. Methods: Actual human head models were built using the magnetic resonance imagings of eight outpatient volunteers with drug-naïve, first-episode major depressive disorder and then used to perform the electric field distributions with SimNIBS software. Results: The electric field distributions of the sagittal, coronal and axial planes showed that the bilateral frontal lobes, bilateral temporal lobes, hippocampus, cingulate, hypothalamus, thalamus, amygdala, cerebellum and brainstem were visibly stimulated by the 15 mA tACS procedure. Conclusions: Brain-wide activation, including the cortex, subcortical structures, cerebellum and brainstem, is involved in the 15 mA tACS intervention for first-episode major depressive disorder. Our results indicate that the simultaneous involvement of multiple brain regions is a possible mechanism for its effectiveness in reducing depressive symptoms.

Naringenin nanoparticles targeting cyclin B1 suppress the progression of rheumatoid arthritis-associated lung cancer by inhibiting fibroblast-to-myofibroblast transition.

There is growing evidence of an elevated risk of lung cancer in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. The poor prognosis of rheumatoid arthritis-associated lung cancer and the lack of therapeutic options pose an even greater challenge to the clinical management of patients. This study aimed to identify potential molecular targets associated with the progression of rheumatoid arthritis-associated lung cancer and examine the efficacy of naringenin nanoparticles targeting cyclin B1. Mendelian randomizatio analysis revealed that rheumatoid arthritis has a positive correlation with the risk of lung cancer. Cyclin B1 was significantly upregulated in patients with rheumatoid arthritis-associated lung cancer and was significantly overexpressed in synovial tissue fibroblasts. Furthermore, the overexpression of cyclin B1 in rheumatoid arthritis fibroblast-like synoviocytes, which promotes their proliferation and fibroblast-to-myofibroblast transition, can significantly contribute to the growth and infiltration of lung cancer cells. Importantly, our prepared naringenin nanoparticles targeting cyclin B1 effectively attenuated proliferation and fibroblast-to-myofibroblast transition by blocking cells at the G2/M phase. In vivo experiments, naringenin nanoparticles targeting cyclin B1 significantly alleviated the development of collagen-induced arthritis and lung orthotopic tumors. Collectively, our results reveal that naringenin nanoparticles targeting cyclin B1 can suppress the progression of rheumatoid arthritis-associated lung cancer by inhibiting fibroblast-to-myofibroblast transition. These findings provide new insights into the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis-associated lung cancer therapy.

Bibliometric analysis of traditional Chinese exercises in stroke rehabilitation from 2003 to 2022 using CiteSpace.

Background: A comprehensive analysis was conducted on the relevant literature pertaining to the application of traditional Chinese exercises in stroke rehabilitation over the past 20 years. Additionally, a scientific knowledge map was created to elucidate the current research status, investigate its development process and research trends, and offer novel research perspectives for future studies. Methods: The data is sourced from the WOS Core Collection, and CiteSpace software is used to analyze the relevant literature on traditional Chinese exercises in stroke rehabilitation. The analysis began with the selection of publications, countries, institutions, highly cited authors, and co-cited references to summarize the current research status of traditional exercises in stroke rehabilitation. Second, keywords were employed to identify research hotspots, and keyword clustering time zone diagrams were chosen to track the research development process. Finally, burst keywords were employed to explore the research frontiers and trends in this field. Results: In total, 937 documents were retrieved, and the annual publication volume consistently and sustainably increased. China and the USA emerged as significant contributors. The Chinese University of Hong Kong had the highest publication count, with ADA L from the University of Sydney being a highly cited author. Initially, keywords focused on cardiac output, blood flow, pressure, and performance. Over time, the focus shifted to heart failure, muscle strength, mortality, and exercise capacity. Current trends encompass outcome, impact, virtual reality, and anxiety. Conclusion: Integrating key elements of traditional exercise approaches with the specific attributes of movement disorders during the stroke recovery phase is essential. Therefore, enhancing the stroke rehabilitation training program and exploring novel avenues for traditional exercise-based interventions are critical.

Sleep deprivation from mid-gestation leads to impaired of motor coordination in young offspring mice with microglia activation in the cerebellar vermis.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of mid-pregnancy sleep deprivation (SD) in C57BL/6 J mice on the motor coordination of the offspring and to explore the potential mechanism of microglia activation in the cerebellar vermis of the offspring involved in the induction of impaired motor coordination development. METHODS: C57BL/6 J pregnant mice were randomly divided into the SD and control groups. SD was implemented by the multi-platform method from first day of the middle pregnancy (gestation day 8, GD8). At postnatal day 21 (PND21), we measured the development of motor behavior and collected cerebellar vermis tissues to observe the activation of microglia by H&E staining, the expression of microglia-specific markers ionized calcium-binding adaptor molecule-1 (Iba-1) and cluster of differentiation 68 (CD68) by immunohistochemical, and interleukin-4 (IL-4), interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-10 (IL-10), and tumor necrosis factor -α (TNF-α) by real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR). RESULTS: In the offspring of SD group, comparing to the control group, the total time of passage and the reverse crawl distance in the balance beam test, and the frequency of falls from the suspension cord was increased; with lower max rotational speed and shorter duration in the rotarod experiment. Further, we found that the microglia of cerebellar vermis tissues emerged an amoeba-like activation. The mean gray value of Iba-1 was lower, the density of positive cells of CD68 and the expression levels of IL-6 and TNF-α were increased. CONCLUSIONS: The motor coordination of offspring is impaired, accompanying a SD from mid-pregnancy, and the cerebellar vermis showed microglia activation and pro-inflammatory response. It suggested the adverse effects of SD from mid-gestation on the development of motor coordination through the inflammatory response in the cerebellar vermis of the offspring.

Molecular regulation of oil gland development and biosynthesis of essential oils in Citrus spp.

Secretory structures in terrestrial plants serve as reservoirs for a variety of secondary metabolites. Among these, the secretory cavity of the Rutaceae family is notable for containing essential oils with a wide range of applications. However, the molecular basis underlying secretory cavity development is unknown. Here, we reveal a molecular framework for Citrus oil gland formation. Using genetic mapping and genome editing, we demonstrated that this process requires LATE MERISTEM IDENTITY1 (LMI1), a key regulator of leaf serration. A conserved GCC box element of the LMI1 promoter recruits DORNROSCHEN-like (DRNL) for transcriptional activation. This DRNL-LMI1 cascade triggers MYC5 activation, facilitating the development of oil glands and the biosynthesis of essential oils. Our findings spotlight cis-regulatory divergence within leaf shape genes, propelling novel functional tissue formation.

Clinical Interviewing: An Essential but Neglected Method of Medicine.

Clinical interviewing is the basic method to understand how a person feels and what are the presenting complaints, obtain medical history, evaluate personal attitudes and behavior related to health and disease, give the patient information about diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment, and establish a bond between patient and physician that is crucial for shared decision making and self-management. However, the value of this basic skill is threatened by time pressures and emphasis on technology. Current health care trends privilege expensive tests and procedures and tag the time devoted to interaction with the patient as lacking cost-effectiveness. Instead, the time spent to inquire about problems and life setting may actually help to avoid further testing, procedures, and referrals. Moreover, the dialogue between patient and physician is an essential instrument to increase patient's motivation to engage in healthy behavior. The aim of this paper was to provide an overview of clinical interviewing and its optimal use in relation to style, flow and hypothesis testing, clinical domains, modifications according to settings and goals, and teaching. This review points to the primacy of interviewing in the clinical process. The quality of interviewing determines the quality of data that are collected and, eventually, of assessment and treatment. Thus, interviewing deserves more attention in educational training and more space in clinical encounters than it is currently receiving.

Biomimetic Bouligand chiral fibers array enables strong and superelastic ceramic aerogels.

Ceramic aerogels are often used when thermal insulation materials are desired; however, they are still plagued by poor mechanical stability under thermal shock. Here, inspired by the dactyl clubs of mantis shrimp found in nature, which form by directed assembly into hierarchical, chiral and Bouligand (twisted plywood) structure exhibiting superior mechanical properties, we present a compositional and structural engineering strategy to develop strong, superelastic and fatigue resistance ceramic aerogels with chiral fibers array resembling Bouligand architecture. Benefiting from the stress dissipation, crack torsion and mechanical reinforcement of micro-/nano-scale Bouligand array, the tensile strength of these aerogels (170.38 MPa) is between one and two orders of magnitude greater than that of state-of-the-art nanofibrous aerogels. In addition, the developed aerogels feature low density and thermal conductivity, good compressive properties with rapid recovery from 80 % strain, and thermal stability up to 1200 °C, making them ideal for thermal insulation applications.

Bilateral upper limb robot-assisted rehabilitation improves upper limb motor function in stroke patients: a study based on quantitative EEG.

BACKGROUND: Upper limb dysfunction after stroke seriously affects quality of life. Bilateral training has proven helpful in recovery of upper limb motor function in these patients. However, studies evaluating the effectiveness of bilateral upper limb robot-assisted training on improving motor function and quality of life in stroke patients are lacking. Quantitative electroencephalography (EEG) is non-invasive, simple, and monitors cerebral cortical activity, which can be used to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions. In this study, EEG was used to evaluate the effect of end-drive bilateral upper extremity robot-assisted training on upper extremity functional recovery in stroke patients. METHODS: 24 stroke patients with hemiplegia were randomly divided into a conventional training (CT, n = 12) group or a bilateral upper limb robot-assisted training (BRT, n = 12) group. All patients received 60 min of routine rehabilitation treatment including rolling, transferring, sitting, standing, walking, etc., per day, 6 days a week, for three consecutive weeks. The BRT group added 30 min of bilateral upper limb robot-assisted training per day, while the CT group added 30 min of upper limb training (routine occupational therapy) per day, 6 days a week, for 3  weeks. The primary outcome index to evaluate upper limb motor function was the Fugl-Meyer functional score upper limb component (FMA-UE), with the secondary outcome of activities of daily living (ADL), assessed by the modified Barthel index (MBI) score. Quantitative EEG was used to evaluate functional brain connectivity as well as alpha and beta power current source densities of the brain. RESULTS: Significant (p < 0.05) within-group differences were found in FMA-UE and MBI scores for both groups after treatment. A between-group comparison indicated the MBI score of the BRT group was significantly different from that of the CT group, whereas the FMA-UE score was not significantly different from that of the CT group after treatment. The differences of FMA-UE and MBI scores before and after treatment in the BRT group were significantly different as compared to the CT group. In addition, beta rhythm power spectrum energy was higher in the BRT group than in the CT group after treatment. Functional connectivity in the BRT group, under alpha and beta rhythms, was significantly increased in both the bilateral frontal and limbic lobes as compared to the CT group. CONCLUSIONS: BRT outperformed CT in improving ADL in stroke patients within three months, and BRT facilitates the recovery of upper limb function by enhancing functional connectivity of the bilateral cerebral hemispheres.

Muscle-targeted nanoparticles strengthen the effects of small-molecule inhibitors in ameliorating sarcopenia.

Background: Sarcopenia is an aging-related degeneration of muscle mass and strength. Small-molecule inhibitor SW033291 has been shown to attenuate muscle atrophy. Targeted nanodrug-delivery systems can improve the efficacy of small-molecule inhibitors. Methods: The skeletal muscle cell-targeted nanoparticle was called AP@SW033291, which consisted of SW033291, modular peptide ASSLNIAGGRRRRRG and PEG-DSPE. Nanoparticles were featured with particle size, fluorescence emission spectra and targeting ability. We also investigated their effects on muscle mass and function. Results: The size of AP@SW033291 was 125.7 nm and it demonstrated targeting effects on skeletal muscle; thus, it could improve muscle mass and muscle function. Conclusion: Nanoparticle AP@SW033291 could become a potential strategy to strengthen the treatment effects of small-molecule inhibitors in sarcopenia.

EEG Biofeedback Decreases Theta and Beta Power While Increasing Alpha Power in Insomniacs: An Open-Label Study.

Insomnia, often associated with anxiety and depression, is a prevalent sleep disorder. Biofeedback (BFB) treatment can help patients gain voluntary control over physiological events such as by utilizing electroencephalography (EEG) and electromyography (EMG) power. Previous studies have rarely predicted biofeedback efficacy by measuring the changes in relative EEG power; therefore, we investigated the clinical efficacy of biofeedback for insomnia and its potential neural mechanisms. We administered biofeedback to 82 patients with insomnia, of whom 68 completed 10 sessions and 14 completed 20 sessions. The average age of the participants was 49.38 ± 12.78 years, with 26 men and 56 women. Each biofeedback session consisted of 5 min of EMG and 30 min of EEG feedback, with 2 min of data recorded before and after the session. Sessions were conducted every other day, and four scale measures were taken before the first, fifth, and tenth sessions and after the twentieth session. After 20 sessions of biofeedback treatment, scores on the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) were significantly reduced compared with those before treatment (-5.5 ± 1.43,t = -3.85, p = 0.006), and scores on the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II) (-7.15 ± 2.43, t = -2.94, p = 0.012) and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) (STAI-S: -12.36 ± 3.40, t = -3.63, p = 0.003; and STAI-T: -9.86 ± 2.38, t = -4.41, p = 0.001) were significantly lower after treatment than before treatment. Beta and theta power were significantly reduced after treatment, compared with before treatment (F = 6.25, p = 0.014; and F = 11.91, p = 0.001). Alpha power was increased after treatment, compared with before treatment, but the difference was not prominently significant (p > 0.05). EMG activity was significantly decreased after treatment, compared with before treatment (F = 2.11, p = 0.015). Our findings suggest that BFB treatment based on alpha power and prefrontal EMG relieves insomnia as well as anxiety and depression and may be associated with increased alpha power, decreased beta and theta power, and decreased EMG power.

Identification and molecular characterization of a novel member of the genus Totivirus from Areca catechu L.

In previous work, RNA-seq was applied to identify the causal agent of yellow leaf disease (YLD) in areca palm (Areca catechu L.), resulting in the identification of areca palm velarivirus 1 (APV1) associated with YLD. Additionally, RNA-seq revealed a totivirus-like virus in areca palm. This work revealed that the totivirus-like virus is prevalent in asymptomatic areca palms. Therefore, it was tentatively named "areca palm latent totivirus 1" (APLTV1). The complete genome sequence of APLTV1 was determined and found to be 4754 base pairs (bp) in length, containing two ORFs whose encoded proteins share 55% and 69% amino acid (aa) sequence identity with the capsid protein (CP) and RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp), respectively, of Bursera graveolens-associated totivirus 1 (BgAT1). Phylogenetic analysis based on alignment of the CP and RdRp sequences revealed that APLTV1 clustered with other members of the genus Totivirus, suggesting that APLTV1 represents a novel species of the genus Totivirus, family Totiviridae.

Clinical features of MOGAD with brainstem involvement in the initial attack versus NMOSD and MS.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the characteristics of Myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) antibody-associated disorder (MOGAD) with brainstem involvement in the first event (BSIFE) and make comparisons with aquaporin-4-IgG seropositive neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (AQP4-IgG-NMOSD) and multiple sclerosis (MS). METHODS: From 2017 to 2022, this study identified MOG-IgG-positive patients with brainstem or both brainstem and cerebellum lesions in the first episode. As a comparison group, AQP4-IgG-NMOSD (n = 30) and MS (n = 30) patients with BSIFE were enroled. RESULTS: Thirty-five patients (35/146, 24.0%) were the BSIFE of MOGAD. Isolated brainstem episodes occurred in 9 of the 35 (25.7%) MOGAD patients, which was similar to MS (7/30, 23.3%) but was lower than AQP4-IgG-NMOSD (17/30, 56.7%, P = 0.011). Pons (21/35, 60.0%), medulla oblongata (20/35, 57.1%) and middle cerebellar peduncle (MCP, 19/35, 54.3%) were the most frequently affected areas. Intractable nausea (n = 7), vomiting (n = 8) and hiccups (n = 2) happened in MOGAD patients, but EDSS of MOGAD was lower than AQP4-IgG-NMOSD (P = 0.001) at the last follow-up. MOGAD patients with or without BSIFE did not significantly differ in terms of the ARR (P = 0.102), mRS (P = 0.823), or EDSS (P = 0.598) at the most recent follow-up. Specific oligoclonal bands appeared in MOGAD (13/33, 39.4%) and AQP4-IgG-NMOSD (7/24, 29.2%) in addition to MS (20/30, 66.7%). Fourteen MOGAD patients (40.0%) experienced relapse in this study. When the brainstem was involved in the first attack, there was an increased likelihood of a second attack occurring at the same location (OR=12.22, 95%CI 2.79 to 53.59, P = 0.001). If the first and second events were both in the brainstem, the third event was likely to occur at the same location (OR=66.00, 95%CI 3.47 to 1254.57, P = 0.005). Four patients experienced relapses after the MOG-IgG turned negative. CONCLUSION: BSIFE occurred in 24.0% of MOGAD. Pons, medulla oblongata and MCP were the most frequently involved regions. Intractable nausea, vomiting and hiccups occurred in MOGAD and AQP4-IgG-NMOSD, but not MS. The prognosis of MOGAD was better than AQP4-IgG-NMOSD. In contrast to MS, BSIFE may not indicate a worse prognosis for MOGAD. When patients with BSIFE, MOGAD tent to reoccur in the brainstem. Four of the 14 recurring MOGAD patients relapsed after the MOG-IgG test turned negative.

Decreased placental TLR3 is associated with hepatitis B virus vaccine responsiveness in infants born to HBsAg-positive mothers.

Background: Although hepatitis B vaccination has a significant impact on the reduction hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, babies born to hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) positive mothers bear a high risk of being poor responsive to the vaccine with unilluminated mechanism. Toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3) plays a vital role in placental immunity, which affects the immune response of these babies. This study investigated the role of placental TLR3 in the immune responses of babies born to HBsAg-positive mothers to the HBV vaccine. Methods: One hundred pairs of HBsAg-positive mothers and their newborns were recruited. Maternal blood samples were collected before delivery, and placental tissues were collected after delivery. Newborns were administered standard passive and active immunoprophylaxis and followed up until the age of 1. Infant blood samples were collected at 1 year of age. Mothers and infants were tested for HBV serological markers and HBV DNA by electrochemiluminescence immunoassay and fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction. respectively. Placental TLR3 was detected by immunohistochemistry and score in a semi-quantitative fashion, circulating cytokines in infants were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Infants with anti-HBs ≥100 and <100 mIU/mL were classified into the high-responsiveness group and the non- or hypo-responsiveness group. Results: The TLR3 protein was expressed in all placentas. Compared with the high-responsiveness group, the expression of TLR3 in the non- or hypo-responsiveness group was significantly decreased (χ2=10.39, P=0.001). A non-conditional logistic regression model showed that the increased expression of placental TLR3 protein decreased the odds of HBV vaccine non- or hypo-responsiveness in the babies of HBsAg-positive mothers [OR =0.25 (95% CI: 0.11-0.58)], and this association remained significant after accounting for maternal factors, such as HBeAg and HBV DNA, as well as infant cytokines, including IL-6, IL-12, TNF-α, IFN-α, and IFN-γ [OR =0.15 (95% CI: 0.05-0.44)]. Conclusions: Decreased placental TLR3 expression is associated with impaired responsiveness to HBV vaccination in babies born to HBsAg-positive mothers.

Neuroprotective effects of interleukin 10 in spinal cord injury.

Spinal cord injury (SCI) starts with a mechanical and/or bio-chemical insult, followed by a secondary phase, leading progressively to severe collapse of the nerve tissue. Compared to the peripheral nervous system, injured spinal cord is characterized by weak axonal regeneration, which leaves most patients impaired or paralyzed throughout lifetime. Therefore, confining, alleviating, or reducing the expansion of secondary injuries and promoting functional connections between rostral and caudal regions of lesion are the main goals of SCI therapy. Interleukin 10 (IL-10), as a pivotal anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory cytokine, exerts a wide spectrum of positive effects in the treatment of SCI. The mechanisms underlying therapeutic effects mainly include anti-oxidative stress, limiting excessive inflammation, anti-apoptosis, antinociceptive effects, etc. Furthermore, IL-10 displays synergistic effects when combined with cell transplantation or neurotrophic factor, enhancing treatment outcomes. This review lists pleiotropic mechanisms underlying IL-10-mediated neuroprotection after SCI, which may offer fresh perspectives for clinical translation.

Identification of cell death-related biomarkers and immune infiltration in ischemic stroke between male and female patients.

Background: Stroke is the second leading cause of death and the third leading cause of disability worldwide, with ischemic stroke (IS) being the most prevalent. A substantial number of irreversible brain cell death occur in the short term, leading to impairment or death in IS. Limiting the loss of brain cells is the primary therapy target and a significant clinical issue for IS therapy. Our study aims to establish the gender specificity pattern from immune cell infiltration and four kinds of cell-death perspectives to improve IS diagnosis and therapy. Methods: Combining and standardizing two IS datasets (GSE16561 and GSE22255) from the GEO database, we used the CIBERSORT algorithm to investigate and compare the immune cell infiltration in different groups and genders. Then, ferroptosis-related differently expressed genes (FRDEGs), pyroptosis-related DEGs (PRDEGs), anoikis-related DEGs (ARDEGs), and cuproptosis-related DEGs (CRDEGs) between the IS patient group and the healthy control group were identified in men and women, respectively. Machine learning (ML) was finally used to generate the disease prediction model for cell death-related DEGs (CDRDEGs) and to screen biomarkers related to cell death involved in IS. Results: Significant changes were observed in 4 types of immune cells in male IS patients and 10 types in female IS patients compared with healthy controls. In total, 10 FRDEGs, 11 PRDEGs, 3 ARDEGs, and 1 CRDEG were present in male IS patients, while 6 FRDEGs, 16 PRDEGs, 4 ARDEGs, and 1 CRDEG existed in female IS patients. ML techniques indicated that the best diagnostic model for both male and female patients was the support vector machine (SVM) for CDRDEG genes. SVM's feature importance analysis demonstrated that SLC2A3, MMP9, C5AR1, ACSL1, and NLRP3 were the top five feature-important CDRDEGs in male IS patients. Meanwhile, the PDK4, SCL40A1, FAR1, CD163, and CD96 displayed their overwhelming influence on female IS patients. Conclusion: These findings contribute to a better knowledge of immune cell infiltration and their corresponding molecular mechanisms of cell death and offer distinct clinically relevant biological targets for IS patients of different genders.

Evidence of a large current of transcranial alternating current stimulation directly to deep brain regions.

Deep brain regions such as hippocampus, insula, and amygdala are involved in neuropsychiatric disorders, including chronic insomnia and depression. Our recent reports showed that transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) with a current of 15 mA and a frequency of 77.5 Hz, delivered through a montage of the forehead and both mastoids was safe and effective in intervening chronic insomnia and depression over 8 weeks. However, there is no physical evidence to support whether a large alternating current of 15 mA in tACS can send electrical currents to deep brain tissue in awake humans. Here, we directly recorded local field potentials (LFPs) in the hippocampus, insula and amygdala at different current strengths (1 to 15 mA) in 11 adult patients with drug-resistant epilepsy implanted with stereoelectroencephalography (SEEG) electrodes who received tACS at 77.5 Hz from 1 mA to 15 mA at 77.5 Hz for five minutes at each current for a total of 40 min. For the current of 15 mA at 77.5 Hz, additional 55 min were applied to add up a total of 60 min. Linear regression analysis revealed that the average LFPs for the remaining contacts on both sides of the hippocampus, insula, and amygdala of each patient were statistically associated with the given currents in each patient (p < 0.05-0.01), except for the left insula of one subject (p = 0.053). Alternating currents greater than 7 mA were required to produce significant differences in LFPs in the three brain regions compared to LFPs at 0 mA (p < 0.05). The differences remained significant after adjusting for multiple comparisons (p < 0.05). Our study provides direct evidence that the specific tACS procedures are capable of delivering electrical currents to deep brain tissues, opening a realistic avenue for modulating or treating neuropsychiatric disorders associated with hippocampus, insula, and amygdala.

Weak dual generalized inverse of a dual matrix and its applications.

Recently, the dual Moore-Penrose generalized inverse has been applied to study the linear dual equation when the dual Moore-Penrose generalized inverse of the coefficient matrix of the linear dual equation exists. Nevertheless, the dual Moore-Penrose generalized inverse exists only in partially dual matrices. In this paper, to study more general linear dual equation, we introduce the weak dual generalized inverse described by four dual equations, and is a dual Moore-Penrose generalized inverses for it when the latter exists. Any dual matrix has the weak dual generalized inverse and is unique. We obtain some basic properties and characterizations of the weak dual generalized inverse. Also, we investigate relationships among the weak dual generalized inverse, the Moore-Penrose dual generalized inverses and the dual Moore-Penrose generalized inverses, give the equivalent characterization and use some numerical examples to show that the three are different dual generalized inverse. Afterwards, by applying the weak dual generalized inverse we solve two special linear dual equations, one of which is consistent and the other is inconsistent. Neither of the coefficient matrices of the above two linear dual equations has dual Moore-Penrose generalized inverses.

820-nm Transcranial near-infrared stimulation on the left DLPFC relieved anxiety: A randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled study.

OBJECTIVE: Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is a chronic mood disease associated with abnormal brain network connections, including decreased activity in the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). Cortical excitability can be increased with 820-nm transcranial near-infrared stimulation (tNIRS), while transcranial magnetic stimulation with electroencephalography (TMS-EEG) can help evaluate time-varying brain network connectivity. A randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled trial was conducted to assess the efficacy of tNIRS on the left DLPFC and the impact on time-varying brain network connections in GAD patients. METHODS: A total of 36 GAD patients were randomized to receive active or sham tNIRS for 2 weeks. Clinical psychological scales were assessed before, after, and at the 2-, 4-, and 8-week follow-ups. TMS-EEG was performed for 20 min before and immediately after tNIRS treatment. The healthy controls did not receive tNIRS and only had TMS-EEG data collected once in the resting state. RESULTS: The Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA) scores of the active stimulation group decreased post-treatment compared with the sham group (P = 0.021). The HAMA scores of the active stimulation group at the 2-, 4-, and 8-week follow-up assessments were lower than those before treatment (P < 0.05). The time-varying EEG network pattern showed an information outflow from the left DLPFC and the left posterior temporal region after active treatment. CONCLUSION: Herein, 820-nm tNIRS targeting the left DLPFC had significant positive effects on therapy for GAD that lasted at least 2 months. tNIRS may reverse the abnormality of time-varying brain network connections in GAD.

Exploration and Practice of the "One Combination, Two Highlights, Three Combinations, Four in One" Innovative Talents Training Mode in Forensic Medicine.

Talent is one of the basic and strategic supports for building a modern socialist country in all aspects. Since the 1980s, the establishment of forensic medicine major and the cultivation of innovative talents in forensic medicine have become hot topics in higher education in forensic medicine. Over the past 43 years, the forensic medicine team of Shanxi Medical University has adhered to the joint education of public security and colleges, and made collaborative innovation, forming a training mode of "One Combination, Two Highlights, Three Combinations, Four in One" for innovative talents in forensic medicine. It has carried out "5+3/X" integrated reform, and formed a relatively complete talent training innovation mode and management system in teaching, scientific research, identification, major, discipline, team, platform and cultural construction. It has made a historic contribution to China's higher forensic education, accumulated valuable experience for the construction of first-class major and first-class discipline of forensic medicine, and provided strong support for the construction of the national new forensic talent training system. The popularization of this training mode is conducive to the rapid and sustainable development of forensic science, and provides more excellent forensic talents for national building, regional social development and the discipline construction of forensic science.