Characterizing Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) using alpha-band activity in resting-state electroencephalogram (EEG) combined with MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery (MCCB).

BACKGROUND: The diagnosis of major depressive disorder (MDD) is commonly based on the subjective evaluation by experienced psychiatrists using clinical scales. Hence, it is particularly important to find more objective biomarkers to aid in diagnosis and further treatment. Alpha-band activity (7-13 Hz) is the most prominent component in resting electroencephalogram (EEG), which is also thought to be a potential biomarker. Recent studies have shown the existence of multiple sub-oscillations within the alpha band, with distinct neural underpinnings. However, the specific contribution of these alpha sub-oscillations to the diagnosis and treatment of MDD remains unclear. METHODS: In this study, we recorded the resting-state EEG from MDD and HC populations in both open and closed-eye state conditions. We also assessed cognitive processing using the MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery (MCCB). RESULTS: We found that the MDD group showed significantly higher power in the high alpha range (10.5-11.5 Hz) and lower power in the low alpha range (7-8.5 Hz) compared to the HC group. Notably, high alpha power in the MDD group is negatively correlated with working memory performance in MCCB, whereas no such correlation was found in the HC group. Furthermore, using five established classification algorithms, we discovered that combining alpha oscillations with MCCB scores as features yielded the highest classification accuracy compared to using EEG or MCCB scores alone. CONCLUSIONS: Our results demonstrate the potential of sub-oscillations within the alpha frequency band as a potential distinct biomarker. When combined with psychological scales, they may provide guidance relevant for the diagnosis and treatment of MDD.

Create your own path: social cerebellum in sequence-based self-guided navigation.

Spatial trajectory planning and execution in a social context play a vital role in our daily lives. To study this process, participants completed a goal-directed task involving either observing a sequence of preferred goals and self-planning a trajectory (Self Sequencing) or observing and reproducing the entire trajectory taken by others (Other Sequencing). The results indicated that in the observation phase, witnessing entire trajectories created by others (Other Sequencing) recruited cerebellar mentalizing areas (Crus 2 and 1) and cortical mentalizing areas in the precuneus, ventral and dorsal medial prefrontal cortex and temporo-parietal junction more than merely observing several goals (Self Sequencing). In the production phase, generating a trajectory by oneself (Self Sequencing) activated Crus 1 more than merely reproducing the observed trajectories from others (Other Sequencing). Additionally, self-guided observation and planning (Self Sequencing) activated the cerebellar lobules IV and VIII more than Other Sequencing. Control conditions involving non-social objects and non-sequential conditions where the trajectory did not have to be (re)produced revealed no differences with the main Self and Other Sequencing conditions, suggesting limited social and sequential specificity. These findings provide insights into the neural mechanisms underlying trajectory observation and production by the self or others during social navigation.

A review of the clinical efficacy of FDA-approved antibody‒drug conjugates in human cancers.

While strategies such as chemotherapy and immunotherapy have become the first-line standard therapies for patients with advanced or metastatic cancer, acquired resistance is still inevitable in most cases. The introduction of antibody‒drug conjugates (ADCs) provides a novel alternative. ADCs are a new class of anticancer drugs comprising the coupling of antitumor mAbs with cytotoxic drugs. Compared with chemotherapeutic drugs, ADCs have the advantages of good tolerance, accurate target recognition, and small effects on noncancerous cells. ADCs occupy an increasingly important position in the therapeutic field. Currently, there are 13 Food and Drug Administration (FDA)‒approved ADCs and more than 100 ADC drugs at different stages of clinical trials. This review briefly describes the efficacy and safety of FDA-approved ADCs, and discusses the related problems and challenges to provide a reference for clinical work.

One step too far: social cerebellum in norm-violating navigation.

Social norms are pivotal in guiding social interactions. The current study investigated the potential contribution of the posterior cerebellum, a critical region involved in perceiving and comprehending the sequential dynamics of social actions, in detecting actions that either conform to or deviate from social norms. Participants engaged in a goal-directed task in which they observed others navigating towards a goal. The trajectories demonstrated either norm-violating (trespassing forbidden zones) or norm-following behaviors (avoiding forbidden zones). Results revealed that observing social norm-violating behaviors engaged the bilateral posterior cerebellar Crus 2 and the right temporoparietal junction (TPJ) from the mentalizing network, and the parahippocampal gyrus (PHG) to a greater extent than observing norm-following behaviors. These mentalizing regions were also activated when comparing social sequences against non-social and non-sequential control conditions. Reproducing norm-violating social trajectories observed earlier, activated the left cerebellar Crus 2 and the right PHG compared to reproducing norm-following trajectories. These findings illuminate the neural mechanisms in the cerebellum associated with detecting norm transgressions during social navigation, emphasizing the role of the posterior cerebellum in detecting and signaling deviations from anticipated sequences.

Comparisons in phytochemical components and in vitro digestion properties of corresponding peels, flesh and seeds separated from two blueberry cultivars.

Highbush blueberries (HB) and rabbiteye blueberries (RB) were separated into peels, flesh, and seeds to assess the compositions of nutriment, anthocyanins, soluble sugars and fatty acids, and the in vitro digesting abilities. Total phenolics contents (TPC) of 51-56 mg GAE/g DW were found in blueberry peels. Compared with HB peels, RB peels showed much higher TPC, but only contained 35 phenolics and lacked peonidin-3-O-rutinoside. Glucose, fructose, and sucrose were all present in HB and RB, but RB flesh had a higher acid-sugar ratio. Unsaturated fatty acid concentrations in HB and RB seeds were comparable (26.65 and 26.43 mg/g, respectively). However, HB seeds have 35 fatty acids, but RB seeds lacked cis-4,7,10,13,16,19-docosahexaenoic acid and cis-10-pentadecenoic acid. The in vitro digestion test showed that the whole fruit/peels/flesh of RB had a higher recovery and bioavailability index of phenolics and anthocyanins. Therefore, the reuse of blueberry pomace needs to be emphasized. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10068-023-01326-w.

Clinical efficacy of stromal vascular fraction gel in the treatment of mature striae distensae.

BACKGROUND: Striae Distensae (SD) is a common dermatological lesion. The mechanism of formation is unclear, the prevailing theory is mechanical pulling of the skin and hormonal changes. Traditional SD treatment methods include topical drugs, photoelectric therapy, stripping and others, but each has limitations. Stromal vascular fraction gel (SVF-gel) is a filler physically prepared from granular fat, enriched with adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) and extracellular matrix (ECM). A good effect in the treatment of neck lines, wounds, acne, and other aspects. SD formation and treatment goals are comparable to those of neck lines. In this study, SVF-gel filling will be used to treat mature SD, and its effectiveness and safety will be discussed in detail. METHODS: From December 2019 to June 2022, recruit patients who want to treat SD caused by obesity or pregnancy among those who have "autologous fat aspiration" to change their body shape. Preoperatively, the area to be treated for SD was marked, autologous fat aspiration was performed, and the aspirated fat was prepared as SVF-gel and filled into the preoperatively marked SD. All patients had preoperative and postoperative follow-up with planar photographs and VISIA skin analyzer photographs to assess surgical results and safety from subjective and objective perspectives. RESULTS: A total of 36 patients were enrolled, with 31 of them successfully followed up on. The mean Global Aesthetic Improvement Scale (GAIS) score six months after surgery was 1.87 ± 0.03. At six months postoperatively, the overall patient satisfaction rate was 90%. The depth, area, and color of SD improved six months after surgery, and no serious complications occurred in any of the patients. CONCLUSIONS: SVF-gel is a safe and effective method of improving mature SD and can be used as a clinical treatment option.

U-type soft tissue lifting: A new composited technique for reversing lower eyelid and midfacial aging.

BACKGROUND: Facial rejuvenation is becoming more and more popular, particularly among middle-aged persons. There are currently many techniques for improving the aforementioned situations, but each has its drawbacks. Our study aimed to discuss the treatment effect of a composited technique for reversing both lower eyelid and midface aging. METHODS: The patient's face was designed and measured before surgery. During surgery, a traditional lower blepharoplasty incision was made. The layer between the orbital septum and the orbicularis oculi muscle was separated to approximately 4-5 mm below the infraorbital, then the orbital septum and orbicularis retaining ligament were found to be released. A self-made suspension curving needle subconsciously passed through the brim of the superficial cheek fat pad via the "U-type" path and raised them to the proper location. Then sutured them to the infraorbital rim periosteum, as well as the suborbicularis oculi fat (SOOF) and the orbital septum fat. Secured the outside canthus to keep the lower lid position stable. RESULTS: From February 2020 to November 2022, 106 patients underwent the new surgical procedure and were successfully followed up for 20 ± 6.5 months postoperatively. The mean GAIS score was 2.42 ± 0.78, patient satisfaction rate was 95%. All of the Barton grades were decreased. The nasal base level suspension points were elevated to a level of 5 ± 2 mm. 3D measurement data revealed significant improvements. CONCLUSIONS: The composited technique is a safe and effective way to reverse the aging of the lower eyelid and midface.

Ginsenoside Rg5 Improves Sleep by Regulating Energy Metabolism in Sleep-Deprived Rats.

Sleep deprivation (SD) has become a universal social problem. There is a causal relationship between SD and energy metabolism disorder. Phytochemicals have been demonstrated to have excellent sleep-promoting effects, and studies have shown that ginsenoside Rg5 (Rg5) exerts sedative and hypnotic effects. The present study aimed to investigate the role of Rg5 in regulating energy metabolism and explore the potential mechanism of improving sleep. Sleep-deprived rats were randomly divided into a control group (Ctrl), SD model group (SD), Rg5 group (GRg5), and melatonin group (MT). Sleep-deprived model rats were generated by housing rats in an SD box for 4 weeks. The Ctrl and SD groups were given equal volumes of saline. The Rg5 groups were given 25[Formula: see text]mg/kg Rg5 or 50[Formula: see text]mg/kg Rg5, and the MT group was given 0.27[Formula: see text]g/kg MT. A Western blot analysis and ELISA were used to detect the metabolic levels, mitochondrial functional proteins, AMPK pathway proteins, clock-related proteins, adenosine receptors, and neurotransmitter receptors. The results showed that Rg5 corrected abnormal glucose and lipid metabolism as well as improved ATP levels. In addition, Rg5 alleviated mitochondrial structural damage and improved the expression of proteins involved in mitochondrial biosynthesis, fission, and fusion. Moreover, Rg5 improved the expression of AMPK/PGC-1/Nrf-1 pathway proteins, regulated mitochondrial biological functions, and affected the rhythm characteristics of circadian clock-related proteins. Further, Rg5 improved the expression of A1R and A[Formula: see text]R as well as regulated the expression levels of GABAA1[Formula: see text] and mGluR5 to improve sleep in SD rats.

Effectiveness of Platelet-Rich Plasma in the Treatment of Androgenic Alopecia: A Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Androgenetic alopecia (AGA) is a common yet difficult-to-treat condition, which is an important psychosocial problem. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy has been considered as a promising treatment for AGA. However, the current evidence on the efficacy of PRP for treating AGA is still controversial. This study evaluated the efficacy of PRP monotherapy in the treatment of AGA. METHODS: We searched PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library and Web of Science to collect randomized controlled trials on use of PRP in AGA for a meta-analysis. RESULTS: Ten trials with a total 555 treatment units were identified. The hair density in PRP group was significantly higher than control group [MD = 25.09, 95%CI: 9.03-41.15, p = 0.002], but there was no significant difference in hair diameter between two groups [SMD = 0.57, 95%CI: - 0.23 to 1.38, p = 0.16]. Subgroup analyses indicated that hair density was significantly higher among the male-only trials than in the mixed-sex samples (p = 0.02). In addition, neither the split-head design nor the year of publication affected hair density (p = 0.05, p = 0.06). However, hair density was significantly higher in trials with a sample size less than 30 (p = 0.0004). CONCLUSIONS: PRP treatment increased hair density in participants with AGA, but not hair diameter. In terms of hair density, PRP elicits stronger effects in male patients. There was a trend toward differed treatment effect by gender with PRP injection, which warrants further investigation. Especially in the case of female. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE III: This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors https://www.springer.com/00266 .

A Functional Atlas of the Cerebellum Based on NeuroSynth Task Coordinates.

Although the human cerebellum has a surface that is about 80% of that of the cerebral cortex and has about four times as many neurons, its functional organization is still very much uncharted. Despite recent attempts to provide resting-state and task-based parcellations of the cerebellum, these two approaches lead to large discrepancies. This article describes a comprehensive task-based functional parcellation of the human cerebellum based on a large-scale functional database, NeuroSynth, involving an unprecedented diversity of tasks, which were reliably associated with ontological key terms referring to psychological functions. Involving over 44,500 participants from this database, we present a parcellation that exhibits replicability with earlier resting-state parcellations across cerebellar and neocortical structures. The functional parcellation of the cerebellum confirms the major networks revealed in prior work, including sensorimotor, directed (dorsal) attention, divided (ventral) attention, executive control, mentalizing (default mode) networks, tiny patches of a limbic network, and also a unilateral language network (but not the visual network), and the association of these networks with underlying ontological key terms confirms their major functionality. The networks are revealed at locations that are roughly similar to prior resting-state cerebellar parcellations, although they are less symmetric and more fragmented across the two hemispheres. This functional parcellation of the human cerebellum and associated key terms can provide a useful guide in designing studies to test specific functional hypotheses and provide a reference for interpreting the results.

Precise Nursing of Six Patients Who Underwent Second Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation.

This study aimed to summarize the experience of precise nursing in 6 patients who experienced failed allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantations (allo-HSCTs) that underwent second allo-HSCT salvage treatment. The key points of nursing care included strictly implementing infection prevention and control measures to prevent secondary infections, precise symptom management to improve the graft survival rate of patients, formulating reasonable nutrition programs to meet their requirements, and paying attention to the psychological care of patients to enhance their self-confidence in overcoming diseases. The patients developed different degrees of complications in the process of transplantation. During the transplantation, 2 patients had oral mucositis, 2 had hemorrhagic cystitis, 3 had a perianal infection, and one had lower gastrointestinal bleeding. After careful treatment and nursing, the neutrophils transplanted in the 6 patients were alive at a median of 16.5 (13-20) days after the second allo-HSCT, and the patients were successfully transferred out of the laminar flow chamber.

A neural cell adhesion molecule from oyster Crassostrea gigas: Molecular identification and immune functional characterization.

Neural cell adhesion molecules (NCAMs) are large cell-surface glycoproteins playing important roles in cell-cell and cell-extracellular matrix interactions in nervous system. Recent study identified a homologue of NCAM (CgNCAM) from the Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas. Its ORF was of 2634 bp which encodes a protein (877 amino acids) consisting of five immunoglobulin domains and two fibronectin type III domains. CgNCAM transcripts were broadly distributed in oyster tissues especially in mantle, labial palp and haemolymph. CgNCAM showed up-regulated expression in haemocytes of oysters after Vibrio splendidus and Staphylococcus aureus stimulation. The recombinant CgNCAM protein (rCgNCAM) was able to bind manose, lipopolysaccharide and glucan, as well as different microbes including Gram-negative bacteria and fungi. rCgNCAM displayed bacterial agglutination and hemagglutination activity. CgNCAM improved the phagocytosis of haemocytes towards V. splendidus by regulating the expression of CgIntegrin, CgRho J and CgMAPKK. Moreover, CgNCAM was involved in the extracellular trap establishment of haemocytes after V. splendidus stimulation. The results collectively indicated that CgNCAM acted as a recognition receptor executing multiple immune functions to recognize and eliminate invading microorganisms in innate immunity of oysters.

Revolutionizing Porous Liquids: Stabilization and Structural Engineering Achieved by a Surface Deposition Strategy.

Facile approaches capable of constructing stable and structurally diverse porous liquids (PLs) that can deliver high-performance applications are a long-standing, captivating, and challenging research area that requires significant attention. Herein, a facile surface deposition strategy is demonstrated to afford diverse type III-PLs possessing ultra-stable dispersion, external structure modification, and enhanced performance in gas storage and transformation by leveraging the expeditious and uniform precipitation of selected metal salts. The Ag(I) species-modified zeolite nanosheets are deployed as the porous host to construct type III-PLs with ionic liquids (ILs) containing bromide anion , leading to stable dispersion driven by the formation of AgBr nanoparticles. The as-afforded type-III PLs display promising performance in CO2 capture/conversion and ethylene/ethane separation. Property and performance of the as-produced PLs can be tuned by the cation structure of the ILs, which can be harnessed to achieve polarity reversal of the porous host via ionic exchange. The surface deposition procedure can be further extended to produce PLs from Ba(II)-functionalized zeolite and ILs containing [SO4 ]2- anion driven by the formation of BaSO4 salts. The as-produced PLs are featured by well-maintained crystallinity of the porous host, good fluidity and stability, enhanced gas uptake capacity, and attractive performance in small gas molecule utilization.

Periodic Characteristics of Hepatitis Virus Infections From 2013 to 2020 and Their Association With Meteorological Factors in Guangdong, China: Surveillance Study.

BACKGROUND: In the past few decades, liver disease has gradually become one of the major causes of death and illness worldwide. Hepatitis is one of the most common liver diseases in China. There have been intermittent and epidemic outbreaks of hepatitis worldwide, with a tendency toward cyclical recurrences. This periodicity poses challenges to epidemic prevention and control. OBJECTIVE: In this study, we aimed to investigate the relationship between the periodic characteristics of the hepatitis epidemic and local meteorological elements in Guangdong, China, which is a representative province with the largest population and gross domestic product in China. METHODS: Time series data sets from January 2013 to December 2020 for 4 notifiable infectious diseases caused by hepatitis viruses (ie, hepatitis A, B, C, and E viruses) and monthly data of meteorological elements (ie, temperature, precipitation, and humidity) were used in this study. Power spectrum analysis was conducted on time series data, and correlation and regression analyses were performed to assess the relationship between the epidemics and meteorological elements. RESULTS: The 4 hepatitis epidemics showed clear periodic phenomena in the 8-year data set in connection with meteorological elements. Based on the correlation analysis, temperature demonstrated the strongest correlation with hepatitis A, B, and C epidemics, while humidity was most significantly associated with the hepatitis E epidemic. Regression analysis revealed a positive and significant coefficient between temperature and hepatitis A, B, and C epidemics in Guangdong, while humidity had a strong and significant association with the hepatitis E epidemic, and its relationship with temperature was relatively weak. CONCLUSIONS: These findings provide a better understanding of the mechanisms underlying different hepatitis epidemics and their connection to meteorological factors. This understanding can help guide local governments in predicting and preparing for future epidemics based on weather patterns and potentially aid in the development of effective prevention measures and policies.

Harnessing the Hybridization of a Metal-Organic Framework and Superbase-Derived Ionic Liquid for High-Performance Direct Air Capture of CO2.

Direct air capture (DAC) of CO2 has emerged as the most promising "negative carbon emission" technologies. Despite being state-of-the-art, sorbents deploying alkali hydroxides/amine solutions or amine-modified materials still suffer from unsolved high energy consumption and stability issues. In this work, composite sorbents are crafted by hybridizing a robust metal-organic framework (Ni-MOF) with superbase-derived ionic liquid (SIL), possessing well maintained crystallinity and chemical structures. The low-pressure (0.4 mbar) volumetric CO2 capture assessment and a fixed-bed breakthrough examination with 400 ppm CO2 gas flow reveal high-performance DAC of CO2 (CO2 uptake capacity of up to 0.58 mmol g-1 at 298 K) and exceptional cycling stability. Operando spectroscopy analysis reveals the rapid (400 ppm) CO2 capture kinetics and energy-efficient/fast CO2 releasing behaviors. The theoretical calculation and small-angle X-ray scattering demonstrate that the confinement effect of the MOF cavity enhances the interaction strength of reactive sites in SIL with CO2 , indicating great efficacy of the hybridization. The achievements in this study showcase the exceptional capabilities of SIL-derived sorbents in carbon capture from ambient air in terms of rapid carbon capture kinetics, facile CO2 releasing, and good cycling performance.

A Novel Process for One-Step Separation and Cyclodextrin Inclusion of Ginsenoside Rg5 from Ginseng Stem-Leaf Saponins (GSLS): Preparation, Characterization, and Evaluation of Storage Stability and Bioactivity.

BACKGROUND: Ginsenoside Rg5 has been proven to possess numerous health benefits. However, Rg5 is difficult to prepare using the current methods, and the poor stability and solubility of Rg5 are intractable properties that limit its application. We try to establish and optimize a new method for preparing Rg5. METHODS: Different amino acids acted as catalysts, and reaction conditions were investigated to transform Rg5 in GSLS. Different CDs and reaction conditions were investigated for the preparation of CD-Rg5 based on yield and purity; ESI-MS, FT-IR, XRD and SEM analyses were used to prove the formation of the CD-Rg5 inclusion complex. Both the stability and bioactivity of ß-CD-Rg5 were investigated. RESULTS: The content of Rg5 reached 140.8 mg/g after transformation of GSLS using Asp as a catalyst. The yield of ß-CD-Rg5 reached a maximum of 12% and a purity of 92.5%. The results showed that the ß-CD-Rg5 inclusion complex can improve its stability of Rg5 against light and temperature. Antioxidant activity analyses against DPPH, ABTS+, and Fe2+ chelation showed enhanced antioxidant activity of the ß-CD-Rg5 inclusion complex. CONCLUSIONS: A novel and effective strategy for the separation of Rg5 from ginseng stem-leaf saponins (GSLS) was developed to improve the stability, solubility, and bioactivity of Rg5.

High-Performance CO2 Capture from Air by Harnessing the Power of CaO- and Superbase-Ionic-Liquid-Engineered Sorbents.

Direct air capture (DAC) of CO2 by solid porous materials represents an attractive "negative emission" technology. However, state-of-the-art sorbents based on supported amines still suffer from unsolved high energy consumption and stability issues. Herein, taking clues from the CO2 interaction with superbase-derived ionic liquids (SILs), high-performance and tunable sorbents in DAC of CO2 was developed by harnessing the power of CaO- and SIL-engineered sorbents. Deploying mesoporous silica as the substrate, a thin CaO layer was first introduced to consume the surface-OH groups, and then active sites with different basicities (e. g., triazolate and imidazolate) were introduced as a uniformly distributed thin layer. The as-obtained sorbents displayed high CO2 uptake capacity via volumetric (at 0.4 mbar) and breakthrough test (400 ppm CO2 source), rapid interaction kinetics, facile CO2 releasing, and stable sorption/desorption cycles. Operando diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transformation spectroscopy (DRIFTS) analysis under simulated air atmosphere and solid-state NMR under 13 CO2 atmosphere demonstrated the critical roles of the SIL species in low-concentration CO2 capture. The fundamental insights obtained in this work provide guidance on the development of high-performance sorbents in DAC of CO2 by leveraging the combined advantages of porous solid scaffolds and the unique features of CO2 -philic ionic liquids.

Construction of Boron- and Nitrogen-Enriched Nanoporous π-Conjugated Networks Towards Enhanced Hydrogen Activation.

Boron-enriched scaffolds have demonstrated unique features and promising performance in the field of catalysis towards the activation of small gas molecules. However, there is still a lack of facile approaches capable of achieving high B doping and abundant porous channels in the targeted catalysts. Herein, construction of boron- and nitrogen-enriched nanoporous π-conjugated networks (BN-NCNs) was achieved via a facile ionothermal polymerization procedure with hexaazatriphenylenehexacarbonitrile [HAT(CN)6 ] sodium borohydride as the starting materials. The as-produced BN-NCN scaffolds were featured by high heteroatoms doping (B up to 23 wt. % and N: up to 17 wt. %) and permanent porosity (surface area up to 759 m2 g-1 mainly contributed by micropores). With the unsaturated bonded B species acting as the active Lewis acid sites and defected N species acting as the active Lewis base sites, those BN-NCNs delivered attractive catalytic performance towards H2 activation/dissociation in both gaseous and liquid phase, acting as efficient metal-free heterogeneous frustrated Lewis pairs (FLPs) catalysts in hydrogenation procedures.

Oscillatory biomarkers of autism: evidence from the innate visual fear evoking paradigm.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder with multiple associated deficits in both social and cognitive functioning. Diagnosing ASD usually relies on subjective clinical competencies, and research on objective criteria for diagnosing ASD in the early stage is still in its infancy. A recent animal study showed that the looming-evoked defensive response was impaired in mice with ASD, but whether the effect will be observed in human and contribute to finding a robust clinical neural biomarker remain unclear. Here, to investigate the looming-evoked defense response in humans, electroencephalogram responses toward looming and corresponding control stimuli (far and missing type) were recorded in children with ASD and typical developed (TD) children. Results revealed that alpha-band activity in the posterior brain region was strongly suppressed after looming stimuli in the TD group, but remained unchanged in the ASD group. This method could be a novel, objective way to detect ASD earlier. These findings suggest that further investigation of the neural mechanism underlying innate fear from the oscillatory view could be a helpful direction in the future. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11571-022-09839-6.

Enhancement of the neural response during 40 Hz auditory entrainment in closed-eye state in human prefrontal region.

Gamma-band activity was thought to be related to several high-level cognitive functions, and Gamma ENtrainment Using Sensory stimulation (GENUS, 40 Hz sensory combined visual and auditory stimulation) was found to have positive effects on patients with Alzheimer's dementia. Other studies found, however, that neural responses induced by single 40 Hz auditory stimulation were relatively weak. To address this, we included several new experimental conditions (sounds with sinusoidal or square wave; open-eye and closed-eye state) combined with auditory stimulation with the aim of investigating which of these induces a stronger 40 Hz neural response. We found that when participant´s eyes were closed, sounds with 40 Hz sinusoidal wave induced the strongest 40 Hz neural response in the prefrontal region compared to responses in other conditions. More interestingly, we also found there is a suppression of alpha rhythms with 40 Hz square wave sounds. Our results provide potential new methods when using auditory entrainment, which may result in a better effect in preventing cerebral atrophy and improving cognitive performance. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11571-022-09834-x.