Gender Difference in Event Related Potentials to Masked Emotional Stimuli in the Oddball Task

Objective

We investigated gender differences in event-related potential (ERP) responses to subliminally presented threat-related stimuli.

Methods

Twenty-four participants were presented with threat-related and neutral pictures for a very brief period of time (17 ms). To explore gender differences in ERP responses to subliminally presented stimuli, we examined six ERP components [P1, N170, N250, P300, Early Posterior Negativity (EPN) and Late Positive Potential (LPP)].

Results

The result revealed that only female participants showed significant increases in the N170 and the EPN in response to subliminally presented threat-related stimuli compared to neutral stimuli.

Conclusion

Our results suggest that female participants exhibit greater cortical processing of subliminally presented threat-related stimuli than male participants.     

新月菱形藻胞外多糖抗病毒活性研究

目的阐明新月菱形藻胞外多糖(exopolysaccharidesofNitzschiaclosterium,EPN)及其硫酸酯(sulfatedexopolysaccharidesofNitzschiaclosteriumSEPN)的体内抗流感病毒活性。方法以流感病毒亚甲型小鼠肺炎适应株(FM1)对小鼠鼻吸入法造模,EPN和SEPN对染毒小鼠灌胃,以对小鼠肺指数抑制率作为体内抗病毒活性指标,同时观察小鼠的胸腺和脾脏指数;以MTT法检测EPN和SEPN对小鼠淋巴细胞增值和对NK细胞杀伤的促进作用。结果EPN和SEPN都显示出体内抗流感病毒作用,其中,中剂量组(100mg·kg-1)作用最为显著。与同等剂量的EPN相比,SEPN对FM1病毒表现出更为显著的体内抗病毒活性。EPN和SEPN均能不同程度地提高染毒小鼠的胸腺指数和脾脏指数,显著地促进小鼠淋巴细胞的增值反应,提升小鼠NK细胞的杀伤活性。结论新月菱形藻胞外多糖及其硫酸酯可能通过促进淋巴细胞增值,增强NK细胞的杀伤活力实现对FM1病毒的抑制作用。其中SEPN还通过自身携带的负电荷与病毒颗粒的正电荷相互作用阻止病毒进入宿主细胞从而抑制其复制来发挥抗病毒作用。     

人胚胎RPE细胞在微孔聚酰胺纳米纤维膜和蚀刻多孔聚酯膜上生长的比较研究

目的: 比较观察人胚胎视网膜色素上皮(RPE)细胞在微孔聚酰胺纳米纤维膜(EPN)和蚀刻多孔聚酯膜(EPP)上的生长情况,为理想Bruch’s 膜替代物的研究奠定实验基础。方法: 人胚胎RPE细胞培养在底分别为EPN(EPN组)、EPP(EPP组)的Transwell 小室以及常规Transwell小室(对照组)。在第2,4,8 h和第1,4,8天分别评估3组细胞的贴壁和增殖情况。对比观察细胞生长形态及两种替代物的表面结构;免疫荧光染色观察RPE细胞ZO-1的表达。通过组织病理切片观察EPN和EPP植入21天龄(P21) RCS大鼠视网膜下间隙2周后的生物学反应。结果: 接种8 h(密度为4×10⁵/cm²)后,EPN组, EPP组和对照组RPE细胞贴壁生长数量分别为1.23×10⁵/cm²,1.70×10⁵/cm²和1.64×10⁵/cm²,其中EPN组细胞数量明显少于EPP组及对照组(P<0.05);以2.5×10⁵/cm²的密度接种后第1天,EPN组细胞密度明显低于EPP组和对照组(P<0.05),但在接种后第8天,EPN组细胞数量显著多于EPP组和对照组(P<0.05)。EPN 和EPP均支持RPE 单细胞层形成,前者纤维排列类似Bruch’s 膜内胶原层;与对照组比,EPN和EPP组RPE细胞均呈现较强的ZO-1表达,较好地保持了原代RPE细胞表型;EPP和EPN植入视网膜下间隙后出现纤维包裹和光感受器层破坏、丢失,但在移植物附近未见明显毒性或排斥等其他异常反应。结论: EPN和EPP均支持人胚胎RPE细胞生长,二者植入P21 RCS大鼠视网膜下间隙后存在大体生物相容性。EPN的纤维排列与Bruch’s膜内胶原层相近,可能是一种具有广阔发展前途的Bruch’s 膜替代物。     

Event-related potentials of self-face recognition in children with pervasive developmental disorders

Patients with pervasive developmental disorders (PDD) often have difficulty reading facial expressions and deciphering their implied meaning. We focused on semantic encoding related to face cognition to investigate event-related potentials (ERPs) to the subject's own face and familiar faces in children with and without PDD. Eight children with PDD (seven boys and one girl; aged 10.8+/-2.9 years; one left-handed) and nine age-matched typically developing children (four boys and five girls; aged 11.3+/-2.3 years; one left-handed) participated in this study. The stimuli consisted of three face images (self, familiar, and unfamiliar faces), one scrambled face image, and one object image (e.g., cup) with gray scale. We confirmed three major components: N170 and early posterior negativity (EPN) in the occipito-temporal regions (T5 and T6) and P300 in the parietal region (Pz). An enhanced N170 was observed as a face-specific response in all subjects. However, semantic encoding of each face might be unrelated to N170 because the amplitude and latency were not significantly different among the face conditions. On the other hand, an additional component after N170, EPN which was calculated in each subtracted waveform (self vs. familiar and familiar vs. unfamiliar), indicated self-awareness and familiarity with respect to face cognition in the control adults and children. Furthermore, the P300 amplitude in the control adults was significantly greater in the self-face condition than in the familiar-face condition. However, no significant differences in the EPN and P300 components were observed among the self-, familiar-, and unfamiliar-face conditions in the PDD children. The results suggest a deficit of semantic encoding of faces in children with PDD, which may be implicated in their delay in social communication.     

A mannose-specific C-type lectin from Fenneropenaeus merguiensis exhibited antimicrobial activity to mediate shrimp innate immunity

Being one type of pattern recognition receptors (PRRs), lectins exhibit a crucial role in the defense mechanism of invertebrates which are deficient in an adaptive immune system. A new C-type lectin called FmLC3 was isolated from hepatopancreas of Fenneropenaeus merguiensis by cloning approaches, RT-PCR and 5′ and 3′ RACE (rapid amplification of cDNA ends). A full-length cDNA of FmLC3 contains 607 bp with one open reading frame of 480 bp, encoding a 159-amino acids peptide. The predicted primary structure of FmLC3 is composed of a signal peptide, a carbohydrate recognition domain with an EPN motif and one Ca²⁺ binding site-2, including a double-loop region assisted by two conserved disulfide linkages. FmLC3 had a molecular mass of 17.96 kDa and pI of 4.92. In normal or unchallenged shrimp, the mRNA expression of FmLC3 was detected only in hepatopancreas whilst its native proteins were found in hemolymph, heart, stomach and intestine but not in the expressed tissue, indicating that after being synthesized in hepatopancreas, FmLC3 would be secreted to other tissues. The significant up-regulation of FmLC3 was manifested in shrimp challenged with Vibrio harveyi or white spot syndrome virus. After knockdown with gene-specific double-stranded RNA and following by co-pathogenic inoculation, the FmLC3 expression was severely suppressed with coherence of increasing in cumulative mortality and reduction of the median lethal time. Recombinant FmLC3 (rFmLC3) had agglutinating activity towards diverse bacterial strains in a Ca²⁺-dependent manner. Its activity was inhibited by lipopolysaccharide and mannose, implying that FmLC3 was mannose-binding C-type lectin. Moreover, rFmLC3 could bind directly to various microbial strains with Ca²⁺-requirement. Otherwise, rFmLC3 exhibited the antimicrobial activity by inhibiting effectively the microbial growth in vitro. All these results signified that FmLC3 might act as PRR to recognize with a broad specificity for diverse pathogens, and contribute in shrimp immune response via the agglutination, binding and antimicrobial activity.     

Emphysematous Pyelonephritis: A Case Report Series of Four Patients with Review of Literature

Emphysematous pyelonephritis (EPN) is an acute necrotizing infection with gas presence in the kidney, perinephric space, and/or urinary collecting system that carries a bad prognosis. Some clinical conditions predispose to this entity, such as diabetes mellitus, urinary tract obstruction, and immune-incompetence. Immediate resuscitation, broad-spectrum antibiotics, percutaneous and surgical drainage, and emergent and delayed nephrectomy are therapeutic options that should be applied in a timely fashion. We report our experience of four patients with EPN. Two of the patients were kidney transplant recipients, one patient had bilateral urolithiasis, and one patient was an elderly patient with debilitated general condition and an abdominal mass that could not be defined. Late transplant nephrectomy was performed in one patient, and three patients were treated conservatively. Three patients died, including the patient who had transplant nephrectomy. One patient who presented with lithiasis showed a remarkable recovery with conservative management. The bacteria involved were E. Coli and a resistant Klebsiella. We conclude that EPN is a life-threatening condition that carries a bad prognosis. Early diagnosis is essential for a positive outcome. Therapeutic measures should be applied immediately after diagnosis. An aggressive approach including nephrectomy may be emergently required.     

Danger and disease: Electrocortical responses to threat- and disgust-eliciting images

Previous research suggests facilitated processing of evolutionarily significant stimuli (e.g., depictions of erotica, mutilation, threat), as reflected by augmented event-related potentials (ERPs), including the early posterior negativity (EPN) and late positive potential (LPP). Evolutionary models suggest that images that evoke disgust should be high in motivational salience, but evidence that the EPN and LPP are enhanced by disgusting images is lacking. Prior studies have employed only a small number of disgusting images that were limited in the types of content depicted. In the current study, participants viewed larger sets of disgusting, threatening, and neutral images with more varied content while electroencephalography (EEG) was recorded. Results showed that disgusting and threatening images elicited equivalent LPPs, which were both significantly increased relative to LPPs elicited by neutral images. EPN amplitudes were augmented for both disgusting and threatening relative to neutral images, though significantly more for disgust. These findings offer initial evidence that the EPN and the LPP are sensitive to disgust-eliciting pictures and that these pictures may receive processing that is at least on par with that of threatening images. Limitations of the current study and implications for future research are discussed.     

性图片加工的事件相关电位研究进展

性图片是一种特殊的情绪图片。高时间分辨率的事件相关电位技术ERP研究结果表明:大脑对性图片的加工在知觉的早期阶段开始和其它情绪图片发生分离;性图片比效价、唤醒度相同的非性图片诱发更大的早期后页负波EPN、P3和PSW波幅。当前对性图片加工的ERP研究结果表明,人脑的神经网络具有对性信息进行优先选择性加工的功能。未来研究应将性图片从其它情绪图片中分离出来,对其加工机制进行专门研究。     

Emotional and movement-related body postures modulate visual processing

Human body postures convey useful information for understanding others’ emotions and intentions. To investigate at which stage of visual processing emotional and movement-related information conveyed by bodies is discriminated, we examined event-related potentials elicited by laterally presented images of bodies with static postures and implied-motion body images with neutral, fearful or happy expressions. At the early stage of visual structural encoding (N190), we found a difference in the sensitivity of the two hemispheres to observed body postures. Specifically, the right hemisphere showed a N190 modulation both for the motion content (i.e. all the observed postures implying body movements elicited greater N190 amplitudes compared with static postures) and for the emotional content (i.e. fearful postures elicited the largest N190 amplitude), while the left hemisphere showed a modulation only for the motion content. In contrast, at a later stage of perceptual representation, reflecting selective attention to salient stimuli, an increased early posterior negativity was observed for fearful stimuli in both hemispheres, suggesting an enhanced processing of motivationally relevant stimuli. The observed modulations, both at the early stage of structural encoding and at the later processing stage, suggest the existence of a specialized perceptual mechanism tuned to emotion- and action-related information conveyed by human body postures.     

Emotional deficits in adult ADHD patients: an ERP study

This study examined general deficits in positive stimuli evaluation in adults with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). We investigated the event-related potentials to positive, negative and neutral pictures in 32 adults with ADHD and 32 control subjects. For this study we measured 21 electrodes placed in accordance with the international 10-20 system and calculated the early posterior negativity (EPN), which physiologically is characterized by more negative values for emotional as compared to neutral stimuli. We found significantly reduced EPN values for the ADHD patients compared to the healthy controls, but only in the positive stimuli condition, without any significant differences in the negative stimuli condition. Our data indicate that ADHD patients show less reactivity to positive visual stimuli which might be relevant in the context of described dysfunctions of the motivational-reward system in ADHD.