Objective: Negative symptoms in schizophrenia indicate a poor prognosis. However, the mechanisms underlying the development of negative symptoms remain unclear. This study investigated the relationship between negative symptoms in schizophrenia and frontal alpha asymmetry (FAA). Methods: The study used a 32-channel electroencephalography to acquire alpha power in 4 target-paired sites in each patient. Regional alpha asymmetry was calculated based on the alpha power using EEGLAB Frontal Alpha Asymmetry Toolbox. Results: Sixty schizophrenia patients with predominant negative symptoms (PNS), 72 stabilized schizophrenia (SS) patients, and 73 healthy control (HC) participants were enrolled in this study. No significant differences were observed in FAA between the PNS and SS groups, although both groups exhibited reduced P3-P4 alpha asymmetry compared to HCs. A positive correlation was found between F7-F8 alpha asymmetry and illness duration. Additionally, a predictive model based on P3-P4 alpha asymmetry scores was able to differentiate schizophrenia patients from HCs, achieving a sensitivity of 71.2% and a specificity of 72.6%. Conclusion This study highlighted that parietal alpha asymmetry could serve as a valuable diagnostic tool for schizophrenia.

Objective: Negative symptoms in schizophrenia indicate a poor prognosis. However, the mechanisms underlying the development of negative symptoms remain unclear. This study investigated the relationship between negative symptoms in schizophrenia and frontal alpha asymmetry (FAA). Methods: The study used a 32-channel electroencephalography to acquire alpha power in 4 target-paired sites in each patient. Regional alpha asymmetry was calculated based on the alpha power using EEGLAB Frontal Alpha Asymmetry Toolbox. Results: Sixty schizophrenia patients with predominant negative symptoms (PNS), 72 stabilized schizophrenia (SS) patients, and 73 healthy control (HC) participants were enrolled in this study. No significant differences were observed in FAA between the PNS and SS groups, although both groups exhibited reduced P3-P4 alpha asymmetry compared to HCs. A positive correlation was found between F7-F8 alpha asymmetry and illness duration. Additionally, a predictive model based on P3-P4 alpha asymmetry scores was able to differentiate schizophrenia patients from HCs, achieving a sensitivity of 71.2% and a specificity of 72.6%. Conclusion This study highlighted that parietal alpha asymmetry could serve as a valuable diagnostic tool for schizophrenia.

Objective: Negative symptoms in schizophrenia indicate a poor prognosis. However, the mechanisms underlying the development of negative symptoms remain unclear. This study investigated the relationship between negative symptoms in schizophrenia and frontal alpha asymmetry (FAA). Methods: The study used a 32-channel electroencephalography to acquire alpha power in 4 target-paired sites in each patient. Regional alpha asymmetry was calculated based on the alpha power using EEGLAB Frontal Alpha Asymmetry Toolbox. Results: Sixty schizophrenia patients with predominant negative symptoms (PNS), 72 stabilized schizophrenia (SS) patients, and 73 healthy control (HC) participants were enrolled in this study. No significant differences were observed in FAA between the PNS and SS groups, although both groups exhibited reduced P3-P4 alpha asymmetry compared to HCs. A positive correlation was found between F7-F8 alpha asymmetry and illness duration. Additionally, a predictive model based on P3-P4 alpha asymmetry scores was able to differentiate schizophrenia patients from HCs, achieving a sensitivity of 71.2% and a specificity of 72.6%. Conclusion This study highlighted that parietal alpha asymmetry could serve as a valuable diagnostic tool for schizophrenia.

Objective: Negative symptoms in schizophrenia indicate a poor prognosis. However, the mechanisms underlying the development of negative symptoms remain unclear. This study investigated the relationship between negative symptoms in schizophrenia and frontal alpha asymmetry (FAA). Methods: The study used a 32-channel electroencephalography to acquire alpha power in 4 target-paired sites in each patient. Regional alpha asymmetry was calculated based on the alpha power using EEGLAB Frontal Alpha Asymmetry Toolbox. Results: Sixty schizophrenia patients with predominant negative symptoms (PNS), 72 stabilized schizophrenia (SS) patients, and 73 healthy control (HC) participants were enrolled in this study. No significant differences were observed in FAA between the PNS and SS groups, although both groups exhibited reduced P3-P4 alpha asymmetry compared to HCs. A positive correlation was found between F7-F8 alpha asymmetry and illness duration. Additionally, a predictive model based on P3-P4 alpha asymmetry scores was able to differentiate schizophrenia patients from HCs, achieving a sensitivity of 71.2% and a specificity of 72.6%. Conclusion This study highlighted that parietal alpha asymmetry could serve as a valuable diagnostic tool for schizophrenia.

Objective: Negative symptoms in schizophrenia indicate a poor prognosis. However, the mechanisms underlying the development of negative symptoms remain unclear. This study investigated the relationship between negative symptoms in schizophrenia and frontal alpha asymmetry (FAA). Methods: The study used a 32-channel electroencephalography to acquire alpha power in 4 target-paired sites in each patient. Regional alpha asymmetry was calculated based on the alpha power using EEGLAB Frontal Alpha Asymmetry Toolbox. Results: Sixty schizophrenia patients with predominant negative symptoms (PNS), 72 stabilized schizophrenia (SS) patients, and 73 healthy control (HC) participants were enrolled in this study. No significant differences were observed in FAA between the PNS and SS groups, although both groups exhibited reduced P3-P4 alpha asymmetry compared to HCs. A positive correlation was found between F7-F8 alpha asymmetry and illness duration. Additionally, a predictive model based on P3-P4 alpha asymmetry scores was able to differentiate schizophrenia patients from HCs, achieving a sensitivity of 71.2% and a specificity of 72.6%. Conclusion This study highlighted that parietal alpha asymmetry could serve as a valuable diagnostic tool for schizophrenia.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the gastrointestinal tract, which increases the incidence of colorectal cancer (CRC). In the pathophysiology of IBD, ubiquitination/deubiquitination plays a critical regulatory function. Josephin domain containing 2 (JOSD2), a deubiquitinating enzyme, controls cell proliferation and carcinogenesis. However, its role in IBD remains unknown. Colitis mice model developed by dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) or colon tissues from individuals with ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease showed a significant upregulation of JOSD2 expression in the macrophages. JOSD2 deficiency exacerbated the phenotypes of DSS-induced colitis by enhancing colon inflammation. DSS-challenged mice with myeloid-specific JOSD2 deletion developed severe colitis after bone marrow transplantation. Mechanistically, JOSD2 binds to the C-terminal of inosine-5'-monophosphate dehydrogenase 2 (IMPDH2) and preferentially cleaves K63-linked polyubiquitin chains at the K134 site, suppressing IMPDH2 activity and preventing activation of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) and inflammation in macrophages. It was also shown that JOSD2 knockout significantly exacerbated increased azoxymethane (AOM)/DSS-induced CRC, and AAV6-mediated JOSD2 overexpression in macrophages prevented the development of colitis in mice. These outcomes reveal a novel role for JOSD2 in colitis through deubiquitinating IMPDH2, suggesting that targeting JOSD2 is a potential strategy for treating IBD.

Long-term hypertension causes excessive vascular remodeling and leads to adverse cardiovascular events. Balance of ubiquitination and deubiquitination has been linked to several chronic conditions, including pathological vascular remodeling. In this study, we discovered that the expression of ubiquitin-specific protease 25 (USP25) is significantly up-regulated in angiotensin II (Ang II)-challenged mouse aorta. Knockout of Usp25 augments Ang II-induced vascular injury such as fibrosis and endothelial to mesenchymal transition (EndMT). Mechanistically, we found that USP25 interacts directly with Forkhead box O3 (FOXO3) and removes the K63-linked ubiquitin chain on the K258 site of FOXO3. We also showed that this USP25-mediated deubiquitination of FOXO3 increases its binding to light chain 3 beta isoform and autophagosomic-lysosomal degradation of FOXO3. In addition, we further validated the biological function of USP25 by overexpressing USP25 in the mouse aorta with AAV9 vectors. Our studies identified FOXO3 as a new substrate of USP25 and showed that USP25 may be a potential therapeutic target for excessive vascular remodeling-associated diseases.

Acetaminophen (APAP) is the primary cause of drug-induced acute liver failure. Ovarian tumor deubiquitinase 6A (OTUD6A), a recently discovered deubiquitinase of the OTU family, has been primarily studied in tumor contexts. However, its role in APAP-induced liver injury (AILI) remains unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the involvement of OTUD6A in the pathogenesis of AILI. Our findings demonstrated a substantial upregulation of OTUD6A in both the liver tissue and isolated hepatocytes of mice following APAP stimulation. OTUD6A knockout exacerbated APAP-induced inflammation, hepatocyte necrosis, and liver injury, whereas OTUD6A overexpression alleviated these pathologies. Mechanistically, OTUD6A directly interacted with the enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) and selectively removed K48-linked polyubiquitin chains from EZH2, enhancing its stability. This resulted in increased protein levels of EZH2 and H3K27me3, as well as reduced endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and cell death in hepatocytes. Collectively, our research uncovers a novel role for OTUD6A in mitigating APAP-induced liver injury by promoting EZH2 stabilization.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of manual acupuncture on endometrial blood flow parameters by three-dimensional (3D) power Doppler ultrasound in women undergoing in vitro fertilization embryo transfer (IVF-ET). METHODS: Seventy patients undergoing IVF-ET were equally randomized into traditional or sham acupuncture treatment group for totally 4 days (from the day of oocyte aspiration to the day of embryo transfer) of treatment by random envelope method at the Reproductive Medicine Center and Outpatient Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medicine College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology from January 2013 to December 2015. Patients in the traditional acupuncture group accepted traditional acupuncture methods with manual acupuncture, and Zhongji (CV3), Qihai (CV 6), Sanyinjiao (SP6), Taichong (LR 3), Tianshu (ST 25), Guilai (ST 29) and Zusanli (ST 36) were chosen. Patients at the sham acupuncture group accepted shallow acupuncture methods at 4 non-meridian points at each shoulder and upper arm. Outcome measures included endometrial ultrasonic indices such as vascularization index (VI), flow index (FI) and vascularization flow index (VFI), endometrial thickness and volume, subendometrial VI (sVI), subendometrial FI (sFI), subendometrial VFI (sVFI), implantation rate, clinical pregnancy rate, abortion rate, live birth rate and number of live births. RESULTS: Finally, 34 patients in the traditional acupuncture group and 35 in the sham acupuncture group completed this trial. VI, FI and VFI of the traditional acupuncture group were significantly higher than those in the sham acupuncture group (P<0.05). No significant differences were found in endometrial thickness, endometrial volume, sVI, sFI, sVFI, implantation rate, clinical pregnancy rate, abortion rate, live birth rate and number of live births (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS Manual acupuncture performed after oocyte aspiration and before transplantation improved the endometrial blood flow parameters VI, RI and VFI in women who underwent IVF-ET, instead of sVI, sFI and sVFI. Therefore, acupuncture might be beneficial in women undergoing IVF-ET by increasing endometrial blood flow and endometrial receptivity. (Registration No. ChiCTR2100053354).
Pregnancy ; Humans ; Female ; Fertilization in Vitro/methods* ; Single-Blind Method ; Embryo Transfer ; Pregnancy Rate ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Endometrium/blood supply*

Objective To investigate the infection status and changing trend of hepatitis C virus(HCV)infection in hospitalized patients in medical institutions,and provide reference for formulating HCV infection prevention and control strategies.Methods HCV infection surveillance results from cross-sectional survey data reported to China Healthcare-associated Infection(HAI)Surveillance System in 2020 were summarized and analyzed,HCV positive was serum anti-HCV positive or HCV RNA positive,survey result was compared with the survey results from 2003.Results In 2020,1 071 368 inpatients in 1 573 hospitals were surveyed,738 535 of whom underwent HCV test,4 014 patients were infected with HCV,with a detection rate of 68.93％and a HCV positive rate of 0.54％.The positive rate of HCV in male and female patients were 0.60％and 0.48％,respectively,with a statistically sig-nificant difference(x2=47.18,P＜0.001).The HCV positive rate in the 50-＜60 age group was the highest(0.76％),followed by the 40-＜50 age group(0.71％).Difference among all age groups was statistically signifi-cant(x2=696.74,P＜0.001).In 2003,91 113 inpatients were surveyed.35 145 of whom underwent HCV test,resulting in a detection rate of 38.57％;775 patients were infected with HCV,with a positive rate of 2.21％.In 2020,HCV positive rates in hospitals of different scales were 0.46％-0.63％,with the highest in hospital with bed numbers ranging 600-899.Patients'HCV positive rates in hospitals of different scales was statistically signifi-cant(X2=35.34,P＜0.001).In 2020,12 provinces/municipalities had over 10 000 patients underwent HCV-rela-ted test,and HCV positive rates ranged 0.19％-0.81％,with the highest rate from Hainan Province.HCV posi-tive rates in different departments were 0.06％-0.82％,with the lowest positive rate in the department of pedia-trics and the highest in the department of internal medicine.In 2003 and 2020,HCV positive rates in the depart-ment of infectious diseases were the highest,being 7.95％and 3.48％,respectively.Followed by departments of orthopedics(7.72％),gastroenterology(3.77％),nephrology(3.57％)and general intensive care unit(ICU,3.10％)in 2003,as well as departments of gastroenterology(1.35％),nephrology(1.18％),endocrinology(0.91％),and general intensive care unit(ICU,0.79％)in 2020.Conclusion Compared with 2003,HCV positive rate decreased significantly in 2020.HCV infected patients were mainly from the department of infectious diseases,followed by departments of gastroenterology,nephrology and general ICU.HCV infection positive rate varies with gender,age,and region.