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Schizophrenia is a debilitating psychiatric disorder affecting approximately 1% of the population worldwide. Disturbances in the homocysteine metabolism are an important factor in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. In this research, a novel validated liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) quantification procedure was developed to investigate three significant compounds of homocysteine metabolism: homocysteine, cysteine, and methionine in patients with schizophrenia and healthy controls. Sample preparation involved a reduction with dithiothreitol followed by protein precipitation, and the chromatographic runtime was 2 min. The LC-MS/MS method was validated according to CLSI C62-A and the Chinese Guidance for Liquid Chromatography and Mass Spectrometry Clinical Application. The performance of the method was excellent with a coefficient of variation for precision in the range of 0.5-6.9%, an accuracy of 90.4-101.6%. In addition, the practical applicability of the method was demonstrated by applying it in the routine sample analysis for a schizophrenic patient. Increased homocysteine levels and decreased cysteine levels were observed in the patient with schizophrenia. These results indicate that the activity of the transsulfuration pathway may play a key role in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia.

BackgroundLong-term excessive use of morphine leads to addictive diseases and affects cognitive function. Cognitive performance is associated with genetic characteristics.MiR-124 plays a critical regulatory role in neurogenesis, synaptic development, brain plasticity, and the use of addictive substances. As a scaffold protein, IQGAP1 affects learning and memory dose-dependent. However, the role of miR-124 and its target protein as potential addiction biomarkers and the impact on cognitive function have not been fully explored.MethodA total of 40 patients with morphine dependence and 40 cases of healthy people were recruited. We collected basic and clinical information about the two groups. The Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7), Patient Health Questionnaire-9(PHQ-9), Montreal Cognition Assessment Scale (MoCA), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) were used to assess the severity of depression, anxiety, depressive symptoms, cognitive dysfunction, and sleep quality.ResultsCompared to the control group, the morphine-dependent group had higher GAD-7, PHQ-9, PSQI scores, and more elevated miR-124 levels but lower MOCA scores and IQGAP1 levels. MiR-124, IQGAP1, the average intake last year were related to OASI scores.MiR-124, IQGAP1, PHQ-9 were associated with MOCA scores. In the multiple regression model, the levels of miR-124 and IQGAP1 were independent factors influencing the severity of morphine dependence. The level of miR-124 was an independent factor influencing the severity of cognitive impairment in patients with morphine dependence. In addition, the luciferase report confirmed that IQGAP1 mRNA is the direct target of miR-124.ConclusionMiR-124 and its target protein IQGAP1 are involved in the regulation of addiction and cognitive function in patients with morphine dependence.

Crowd innovation space ecosystem (CISE) can realize the combination of innovation and entrepreneurship and that of incubation and investment. Based on synergetics, this paper defines the agent interactions and subsystem synergy of the CISE, explores the co-evolution mechanism of the CISE and the development trend of the agents in the CISE through simulation experiments, and studies the impact of synergy on the operation scale of the CISE through empirical analysis. The research findings reveal the following: (1) The synergy between financial support and entrepreneurial services affects the evolution and development of the CISE, and the synergy has a positive impact on the operating scale of the CISE. (2) The CISE should focus on improving the quality of financial support and the efficiency of entrepreneurial services, ensuring the coordinated development of financial support and entrepreneurial service, optimizing internal operating mechanisms, and achieving high-quality development. (3) Small and micro startups can rely on the CISE, with the help of entrepreneurial services provided by MMS service platforms and financial support provided by financial institutions, to optimize the external environment, integrate resource endowments, and enhance core values, thereby promoting business model innovation and sustainable development.