Article 1952Brain Science**
December 29, 2023day
Science Times
nature：How many scents can you smell?The unsolved mystery of the sense of smell
*: Academic Latitude and Economics.
Each olfactory neuron expresses only a single receptor, but a single olfactory receptor binds to a group of odor molecules, and one odor molecule can activate multiple olfactory receptors. Thus, through the "combinatorial encoding" of olfactory receptors and odor molecules, we can theoretically distinguish trillions of odors. Recently, scientists from Columbia University's Zuckerman Institute have proposed a new mechanism with RNA molecules as the protagonist for the first time, using a variety of cutting-edge single-cell genomics technologies.
The study found that RNA molecules play a more complex role in determining olfactory receptor expression than previously thought, and RNA can even influence the structure of the genome so that cells can concentrate on expressing one olfactory receptor gene while turning off all other olfactory receptor genes.
PLOS Biology: Smelling women's tears can reduce aggressive behavior in men
*: Biological world.
Recently, researchers at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel found that women's tears contain chemicals that prevent male aggression, and smelling women's tears can lead to a decrease in brain activity associated with male aggression, thereby reducing their aggressive behavior.
The results of the experiment showed that after men smelled women's emotional tears, their retaliation-seeking aggression in the game decreased by more than 40%. Functional imaging showed that two areas of the brain associated with attack – the prefrontal cortex and anterior insula – became more active when men were provoked during play, but in the same case, they became less active when men smelled emotional tears.
Cancer cell: ALK inhibitors enhance ALK expression and neuroblastoma cells against ALKSensitivity of CAR-T cells
*：bioartmed
Neuroblastoma is the most common extracranial solid tumor in children, accounting for 12% to 15% of childhood cancer-related deaths. Recently, Roberto Chiarle's team from Boston Children's Hospital at Harvard Medical School in the United States found that CAR-T cells (ALKCAR-TS) can effectively destroy neuroblastoma with high ALK expression without other toxicity.
For neuroblastoma with low ALK expression, the use of ALK inhibitors can inhibit tumor growth while promoting increased ALK expression on tumor cells, thereby enhancing ALKKilling function of CAR-TS on tumors. Therefore, a combination of ALK inhibitors and ALKCAR-TS can achieve dual targeting of neuroblastoma-driven oncogenes, which is an effective strategy.
Journal of Affective Disorders: Neural Associations of Cognitive Function and Anhedonia in Adolescent Melancholic-Depressive Disorder—A Near-Infrared Brain Functional Imaging Study
*: Shanxi Provincial Key Laboratory of AI Diagnosis and Treatment of Mental Disorders.
Among the many symptoms of adolescent melancholic MDD, cognitive function plays an important role in the assessment of efficacy** and prognosis. As a non-invasive brain functional imaging technique, functional near-infrared spectroscopy (FNIRS) can objectively record cerebral blood flow characteristics, and is widely used in the diagnosis and ** of mental disorders. A recent study aimed to compare the cognitive function characteristics and potential cerebral blood flow activation in adolescent melancholic and non-melancholic MDD patients, and to find the neural association between cognitive function and anhedonia in adolescent melancholic MDD patients.
Compared with non-melancholic MDD patients, the frontotemporal hemodynamic decline of adolescent melancholic MDD patients is manifested in more brain regions, and their cognitive function is closely related to anhedonia, and the medial prefrontal cerebral blood flow changes have a partial mediating role between anhedonia symptoms and attention, which suggests that we should pay more attention to the monitoring of cognitive function in adolescent melancholic MDD patients throughout the course of the disease, and also provides new ideas for the diagnosis and treatment of cognitive function in this population.
Acta psychiatr scand: an effective drug for the maintenance of bipolar disorder**
*: The spirit of big talk.
For the maintenance of bipolar disorder**, pharmacological versus psychological** is generally considered the best option. However, the recommendations of clinical practice guidelines may be influenced by a variety of methodological limitations. A recent study aimed to provide an alternative perspective on the effectiveness of maintenance medications for bipolar disorder through patient self-report and for providing an alternative perspective on the effectiveness of maintenance for common bipolar disorder. Studies have provided real data on the effectiveness and effectiveness of medications for bipolar disorder. These natural data suggest that patients with type BP-II have a clear preference for lamotrigine, and while it appears to be slightly more effective than lithium, it is significantly less severe, thus clearly identifying lamotrigine as the drug of choice for **bp-II. For BP-I patients, lithium is slightly better than lamotrigine in terms of effectiveness, but the *** rate is also higher.
The Lancet Psychiatry: Childhood BMI, Adolescent Depression, and Physical Dissatisfaction
*: The Lancet
Depressive symptoms in adolescence are a major concern worldwide because of their prevalence and associated with an increased risk of suicidal behavior. A recent study found that higher BMI in childhood may lead to an increased risk of depressive symptoms in adolescence. Commentary notes that research provides room for interventions for adolescent depression, suggesting that the focus should not be solely on childhood obesity and weight management. Interventions that focus on developing a positive body image and body satisfaction from childhood may reduce the risk of depressive symptoms, especially for girls.
EMNLP: Is GPT creative?
*: Brain & Language.
If humans are capable of creativity, can language models like GPT be creative?Recently, a study constructed a divergent association test (DAT)-based creativity assessment for language models. The study found that while it is true that smaller models cannot reach human levels, some of the most advanced models have reached or even exceeded the human average, such as the most powerful GPT-4, which has exceeded 961% of humanity.
4 factors that influence the establishment of a relationship of trust
*: Words of the First Master's Heart.
Trust is an important part of a happy and healthy relationship. However, trusting someone can be complicated – requiring us to consider our own feelings, our partner's behavior, and the broader context of the relationship. A recent review identified four main factors that influence trust in relationships. These four factors simplify the process of building trust and provide a framework.
The authors point out that most people want to trust others, and general trust tends to be high. The second influencing factor is a trustworthy partner who is both capable and cooperative. The third influencing factor is the dynamics of the relationship itself, in particular the degree of interdependence, the balance of power, and the conflict of interests between partners. The fourth influencing factor is the social context, and when building a trusting relationship with a partner, it is also important to consider how your friends, family, and culture may strengthen or weaken the trusting relationship between you.
Reviewer: Simon