Psychosocial moderators of polygenic risk scores of inflammatory biomarkers in relation to GrimAge

GrimAge acceleration has previously predicted age-related morbidities and mortality. In the current study, we sought to examine how GrimAge is associated with genetic predisposition for systemic inflammation and whether psychosocial factors moderate this association. Military veterans from the National Health and Resilience in Veterans study, which surveyed a nationally representative sample of European American male veterans, provided saliva samples for genotyping (N = 1135). We derived polygenic risk scores (PRS) from the UK Biobank as markers of genetic predisposition to inflammation. Results revealed that PRS for three inflammatory PRS markers-HDL (lower), apolipoprotein B (lower), and gamma-glutamyl transferase (higher)-were associated with accelerated GrimAge. Additionally, these PRS interacted with a range of potentially modifiable psychosocial variables, such as exercise and gratitude, previously identified as associated with accelerated GrimAge. Using gene enrichment, we identified anti-inflammatory and antihistamine drugs that perturbate pathways of genes highly represented in the inflammatory PRS, laying the groundwork for future work to evaluate the potential of these drugs in mitigating epigenetic aging.

Learn how to interpret and use intracranial EEG findings

Epilepsy surgery is the therapy of choice for many patients with drug-resistant focal epilepsy. Recognizing and describing ictal and interictal patterns with intracranial electroencephalography (EEG) recordings is important in order to most efficiently leverage advantages of this technique to accurately delineate the seizure-onset zone before undergoing surgery. In this seminar in epileptology, we address learning objective "1.4.11 Recognize and describe ictal and interictal patterns with intracranial recordings" of the International League against Epilepsy curriculum for epileptologists. We will review principal considerations of the implantation planning, summarize the literature for the most relevant ictal and interictal EEG patterns within and beyond the Berger frequency spectrum, review invasive stimulation for seizure and functional mapping, discuss caveats in the interpretation of intracranial EEG findings, provide an overview on special considerations in children and in subdural grids/strips, and review available quantitative/signal analysis approaches. To be as practically oriented as possible, we will provide a mini atlas of the most frequent EEG patterns, highlight pearls for its not infrequently challenging interpretation, and conclude with two illustrative case examples. This article shall serve as a useful learning resource for trainees in clinical neurophysiology/epileptology by providing a basic understanding on the concepts of invasive intracranial EEG.

Targeted density electrode placement achieves high concordance with traditional high-density EEG for electrical source imaging in epilepsy

OBJECTIVE

High-density (HD) electroencephalography (EEG) is increasingly used in presurgical epilepsy evaluation, but it is demanding in time and resources. To overcome these issues, we compared EEG source imaging (ESI) solutions with a targeted density and HD-EEG montage.

METHODS

HD-EEGs from patients undergoing presurgical evaluation were analyzed. A low-density recording was created by selecting the 25 electrodes of a standard montage from the 83 electrodes of the HD-EEG and adding 8-11 electrodes around the electrode with the highest amplitude interictal epileptiform discharges. The ESI solution from this "targeted" montage was compared to that from the HD-EEG using the distance between peak vertices, sublobar concordance and a qualitative similarity measure.

RESULTS

Fifty-eight foci of forty-three patients were included. The median distance between the peak vertices of the two montages was 13.2 mm, irrespective of focus' location. Tangential generators (n = 5/58) showed a higher distance than radial generators (p = 0.04). We found sublobar concordance in 54/58 of the foci (93%). Map similarity, assessed by an epileptologist, had a median score of 4/5.

CONCLUSIONS

ESI solutions obtained from a targeted density montage show high concordance with those calculated from HD-EEG.

SIGNIFICANCE

Requiring significantly fewer electrodes, targeted density EEG allows obtaining similar ESI solutions as traditional HD-EEG montage.

Development and application of a prioritization and rehabilitation decision support tool for uncontrolled waste disposal sites in developing countries

The uncontrolled dumping of solid waste is widespread in many developing countries with most of all generated wastes being indiscriminately disposed of in an unsanitary manner that entails significant environmental and public health risks. It is imperative to prioritize dumpsites based on their relative risks so that the necessary control and remedial measures can be undertaken. This research aimed to formulate a pragmatic prioritization and rehabilitation decision tool that can be utilized in low- and middle-income countries to guide decision makers in prioritizing dumpsites for remediation and in identifying the most suitable rehabilitation option for municipal as well as construction and demolition waste. The established prioritization model presents an integrated, risk-based approach to developing a decision-making tool for dumpsite prioritization and rehabilitation. The rehabilitation tool drew on a decision tree module to develop the appropriate remedial measures required for each site. The model proved to be effective in prioritizing uncontrolled solid waste disposal sites in Lebanon and for adopting control and remedial measures that can considerably improve decision-making. The improper disposal of solid waste adversely affects public health and the environment in, to a greater or lesser extent, almost all low- and middle-income countries. Considering that it is unfeasible to remediate all uncontrolled solid waste disposal sites at once, the proposed model facilitates the evaluation process by prioritizing sites for closure and remediation based on their relative risks. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2023;19:436-445. © 2022 SETAC.

Imaging synaptic density in depression

Major depressive disorder is a prevalent and heterogeneous disorder with treatment resistance in at least 50% of individuals. Most of the initial studies focused on the monoamine system; however, recently other mechanisms have come under investigation. Specific to the current issue, studies show synaptic involvement in depression. Other articles in this issue report on reductions in synaptic density, dendritic spines, boutons and glia associated with stress and depression. Importantly, it appears that some drugs (e.g., ketamine) may lead to rapid synaptic restoration or synaptogenesis. Direct evidence for this comes from preclinical work. However, neuroimaging studies, such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography (PET), have become useful in assessing these changes in vivo. Here, we describe the use of neuroimaging techniques in the evaluation of synaptic alterations associated with depression in humans, as well as measurement of synaptic restoration after administration of ketamine. Although more research is desired, use of these techniques widen our understanding of depression and move us further along the path to targeted and effective treatment for depression.

A framework for reconstructing transmission networks in infectious diseases

In this paper, we propose a general framework for the reconstruction of the underlying cross-regional transmission network contributing to the spread of an infectious disease. We employ an autoregressive model that allows to decompose the mean number of infections into three components that describe: intra-locality infections, inter-locality infections, and infections from other sources such as travelers arriving to a country from abroad. This model is commonly used in the identification of spatiotemporal patterns in seasonal infectious diseases and thus in forecasting infection counts. However, our contribution lies in identifying the inter-locality term as a time-evolving network, and rather than using the model for forecasting, we focus on the network properties without any assumption on seasonality or recurrence of the disease. The topology of the network is then studied to get insight into the disease dynamics. Building on this, and particularly on the centrality of the nodes of the identified network, a strategy for intervention and disease control is devised.

Land Use Planning to Reduce Flood Risk: Opportunities, Challenges and Uncertainties in Developing Countries

Land use planning for flood risk reduction has been significantly addressed in literature. However, a clear methodology for flood mitigation oriented land-use planning and its implementation, particularly in developing countries like Lebanon, is still missing. Knowledge on land use planning is still in its earliest stages in Lebanon. A lack of hazard-informed land use planning coupled to random land cover pattern evolution characterize the country. In response, this study focuses on the opportunities, challenges and uncertainties resulting from the integration of land use planning into efficient Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR). For this purpose, GIS-based analyses were first conducted on the current land use/land cover (LU/LC) of the Assi floodplain. Then, the areas land cover was retraced and its evolution after several flood occurrences was assessed. Subsequently, a flood hazard-informed LU/LC plan was proposed. The latter is mainly based on the spatial allocation of land-uses with respect to different flood hazard levels. This approach resulted in the production of a land use planning matrix for flood risk reduction. The matrix approach can serve as a tool for designing sustainable and resilient land cover patterns in other similar contexts while simultaneously providing robust contributions to decision-making and risk communication.

Ketamine Normalizes the Structural Alterations of Inferior Frontal Gyrus in Depression

Background

Ketamine is a novel fast-acting antidepressant. Acute ketamine treatment can reverse microstructure deficits and normalize functional alterations in the brain, but little is known about the impacts of ketamine on brain volumes in individuals with depression.

Methods

We used 3 T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and tensorbased morphological methods to investigate the regional volume differences for 29 healthy control (HC) subjects and 21 subjects with major depressive disorder (MDD), including 10 subjects with comorbid post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). All the subjects participated in MRI scanning before and 24 h post intravenous ketamine infusion. The effects of acute ketamine administration on HC, MDD, and MDD/PTSD groups were examined separately by whole-brain voxel-wise t-tests.

Results

Our data showed smaller volume of inferior frontal gyrus (IFG, opercular part) in MDD and MDD/PTSD subjects compared to HC, and a significant correlation between opercular IFG volume and depressive severity in MDD subjects only. Ketamine administration normalized the structural alterations of opercular IFG in both MDD and MDD/PTSD groups, and significantly improved depressive and PTSD symptoms. Twenty-four hours after a single ketamine infusion, there were two clusters of voxels with volume changes in MDD subjects, including significantly increased volumes of opercular IFG. No significant structural alterations were found in the MDD/PTSD or HC groups.

Conclusion

These findings provide direct evidence that acute ketamine administration can normalize structural alterations associated with depression and highlight the importance of IFG in the guidance of future therapeutic targets.

On the use of remote sensing to map the proliferation of aquaculture ponds and to investigate their effect on local climate, perspectives from the Claise watershed, France

Ponds, as landscape features, are known to regulate climate. Since ponds proliferate or recede due to natural or anthropogenic factors, a variation of pond numbers implies a variation of their climatic effect. Accordingly, this study investigates the impact of ponds on the local climate of the French Claise watershed. The latter was chosen because it contains a pond dense zone and a pondless zone. This repartition makes the Claise an adequate context to reveal the climatic impact of ponds even in the same landscape. To study the pond-climate effect, the parallel evolution of pond numbers variation and subsequent climatic impact must be tracked. Therefore, the remote sensing-derived Normalized Difference Water Index (NDWI) was extracted from LANDSAT images with different acquisition dates to track changes in pond numbers with time. When compared with a pond map established from aerial photography interpretation, the LANDSAT NDWI map revealed an accuracy of 85.74% for pond count and 75% for pond spatial allocation. This validation showed that NDWI is suitable for mapping the proliferation of ponds through time. In order to study the parallel evolution of the climatic effect, the land surface temperature (LST) index was extracted for each LANDSAT map. LST maps revealed that as a result of pond number variation, surface temperatures varied accordingly. A comparison of air temperatures between the ponded zone and pondless zones also revealed that pond zones had lower air temperatures than their direct surroundings. Accordingly, ponds were shown to buffer local microclimates even within the same landscape.

Reorganization of brain connectivity in obesity

Global brain connectivity (GBC) identifies regions of the brain, termed "hubs," which are densely connected and metabolically costly, and have a wide influence on brain function. Since obesity is associated with central and peripheral metabolic dysfunction we sought to determine if GBC is altered in obesity. Two independent fMRI data sets were subjected to GBC analyses. The first data set was acquired while participants (n = 15 healthy weight and 15 obese) tasted milkshake and the second with participants at rest (n = 33 healthy weight and 28 obese). In the resting state and during milkshake consumption GBC is consistently decreased in the ventromedial and ventrolateral prefrontal cortex, insula and caudate nucleus, and increased in brain regions belonging to the dorsal attention network including premotor areas, superior parietal lobule, and visual cortex. During milkshake consumption, but not at rest, additional decreases in GBC are observed in feeding-related circuitry including the insula, amygdala, anterior hippocampus, hypothalamus, midbrain, brainstem and somatomotor cortex. Additionally, GBC differences were not accounted for by age. These results demonstrate that obesity is associated with decreased GBC in prefrontal and feeding circuits and increased GBC in the dorsal attention network. We therefore conclude that global brain organization is altered in obesity to favor networks important for external orientation over those monitoring homeostatic state and guiding feeding decisions. Furthermore, since prefrontal decreases are also observed at rest in obese individuals future work should evaluate whether these changes are associated with neurocognitive impairments frequently observed in obesity and diabetes. Hum Brain Mapp 38:1403-1420, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Retained surfactant catheter and pneumothorax in a premature neonate

Surfactant catheters are used to administer exogenous surfactant as a preventive and therapeutic measure for surfactant deficiency in premature neonates. We describe the case of a retained surfactant catheter in a 700 g premature neonate with associated pneumothorax.

In vivo ketamine-induced changes in [¹¹C]ABP688 binding to metabotropic glutamate receptor subtype 5

BACKGROUND

At subanesthetic doses, ketamine, an N-methyl-D-aspartate glutamate receptor antagonist, increases glutamate release. We imaged the acute effect of ketamine on brain metabotropic glutamatergic receptor subtype 5 with a high-affinity positron emission tomography (PET) ligand [(11)C]ABP688 (E)-3-[2-(6-methyl-2-pyridinyl)ethynyl]-2-cyclohexen-1-one-O-(methyl-11C)oxime, a negative allosteric modulator of the metabotropic glutamatergic receptor subtype 5.

METHODS

Two [(11)C]ABP688 PET scans were performed in 10 healthy nonsmoking human volunteers (34 ± 13 years old); the two PET scans were performed on the same day-before (scan 1) and during intravenous ketamine administration (.23 mg/kg over 1 min, then .58 mg/kg over 1 hour; scan 2). The PET data were acquired for 90 min immediately after [(11)C]ABP688 bolus injection. Input functions were obtained through arterial blood sampling with metabolite analysis.

RESULTS

A significant reduction in [(11)C]ABP688 volume of distribution was observed in scan 2 relative to scan 1 of 21.3% ± 21.4%, on average, in the anterior cingulate, medial prefrontal cortex, orbital prefrontal cortex, ventral striatum, parietal lobe, dorsal putamen, dorsal caudate, amygdala, and hippocampus. There was a significant increase in measurements of dissociative state after ketamine initiation (p < .05), which resolved after completion of the scan.

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides first evidence that ketamine administration decreases [(11)C]ABP688 binding in vivo in human subjects. The results suggest that [(11)C]ABP688 binding is sensitive to ketamine-induced effects, although the high individual variation in ketamine response requires further examination.

Morphometric hemispheric asymmetry of orbitofrontal cortex in women with borderline personality disorder: a multi-parameter approach

Functional imaging studies have implicated the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) in the pathophysiology of borderline personality disorder (BPD). To date, however, volume-based magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies have yielded mixed results. We used a surface-based processing approach that allowed us to measure five morphometric cortical features of the OFC, including volumetric (cortical thickness and surface area) and geometric (mean curvature, depth of sulcus, and metric distortion - three indicators of cortical folding) parameters. Participants comprised 25 female BPD patients with no other current psychiatric comorbidity and 25 age- and gender-matched healthy controls who received structural MRI scans. Images were processed using the Freesurfer package. All BPD patients had a history of comorbid psychiatric disorder(s) and were currently on medications. Compared with controls, the BPD group showed reduced cortical thickness, surface area, mean curvature, depth of sulcus, and metric distortion in the right medial OFC. In the left medial OFC, the BPD group had reduced cortical thickness and mean curvature, but increased metric distortion. This study confirmed the utility of surface-based analysis in the study of BPD cortical structures. In addition, we observed extensive structural abnormalities in the medial OFC of female subjects with BPD, findings that were most pronounced in the right OFC, with preliminary data suggesting hemispheric asymmetry.

Spatial soil zinc content distribution from terrain parameters: a GIS-based decision-tree model in Lebanon

Heavy metal contamination has been and continues to be a worldwide phenomenon that has attracted a great deal of attention from governments and regulatory bodies. In this context, our study proposes a regression-tree model to predict the concentration level of zinc in the soils of northern Lebanon (as a case study of Mediterranean landscapes) under a GIS environment. The developed tree-model explained 88% of variance in zinc concentration using pH (100% in relative importance), surroundings of waste areas (90%), proximity to roads (80%), nearness to cities (50%), distance to drainage line (25%), lithology (24%), land cover/use (14%), slope gradient (10%), conductivity (7%), soil type (7%), organic matter (5%), and soil depth (5%). The overall accuracy of the quantitative zinc map produced (at 1:50.000 scale) was estimated to be 78%. The proposed tree model is relatively simple and may also be applied to other areas.

Community integration and associated factors among older adults with schizophrenia

OBJECTIVE

Community integration has been increasingly recognized as an important element in recovery. There is a paucity of data on community integration for older adults with schizophrenia. This study compared community integration for older persons with schizophrenia with their age peers in the community and examined factors associated with community integration in the schizophrenia group.

METHODS

The schizophrenia group consisted of 198 community-dwelling persons aged 55 and older who developed schizophrenia before age 45. A community comparison group (N=113) was recruited by randomly selected block groups. Wong and Solomon's 2002 conceptual framework was used to develop a 12-item community integration scale with four components: independence, psychological integration, physical integration, and social integration. Moos' ecosystem model was used to examine 15 personal and environmental factors associated with community integration.

RESULTS

Compared with the general community group, the schizophrenia group had significantly lower total community integration scale scores and lower scores on each of the four components. Within the schizophrenia group, regression analysis showed that seven variables were significantly associated with community integration: being female, higher personal income, lower depressive symptoms, lower positive symptoms, lower Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale score, higher CAGE lifetime scores, and greater control of one's life. The model was significant and explained 49% of the variance.

CONCLUSIONS

The data confirmed that older persons with schizophrenia had a lower level of community integration than their age peers in the community and that the model for community integration can identify potentially ameliorable clinical and social variables that may be targets for intervention research.

Presystemic elimination of morphine in anesthetized rabbits. Contribution of the intestine, liver, and lungs

To assess the role of the intestine and the lung in the first-pass uptake of morphine relative to that of the liver, five groups of 6-7 New Zealand rabbits were used. A control group of conscious rabbits received 2 mg/kg of morphine iv. The remaining groups included anesthetized rabbits who received morphine into the aortic cross (2 mg/kg), the jugular vein (2 mg/kg), the portal vein (14 mg/kg), or into the duodenum (20 mg/kg). Multiple blood samples were withdrawn for 3 hr from the abdominal aorta, and morphine and morphine-6-glucuronide were assayed by HPLC. Anesthesia and surgery decreased morphine presystemic clearance from 264 +/- 14 to 194 +/- 12 ml/min/kg (p < 0.05). When morphine was injected into the aortic cross, the area under morphine plasma concentration-time curve (AUCM 0-->infinity) normalized by the dose was 7.81 +/- 0.56 10(-3) kg min/ml, a value that decreased to 5.26 +/- 0.36 (p < 0.05), 2.50 +/- 0.35 (p < 0.05), and 0.87 +/- 0.10 (p < 0.05) 10(-3) kg min/ml when morphine was injected before the lung, liver, or intestine, respectively. The extraction ratio of morphine by the lung, liver, and intestine was 0.33, 0.52, and 0.65, respectively. Compared with the aortic route, the AUCM6G 0-->infinity normalized by the dose ratio tended to be greater (p > 0.05) when morphine was injected into the jugular and portal veins, suggesting that morphine-6-glucuronide is not the major product result of morphine first-pass uptake.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

[Helicobacter pylori gastric infections in children]

OBJECTIVES

Numerous reports have established the association of Helicobacter pylori and recurrent abdominal pain in children. We investigated the clinical, bacteriological and therapeutic features of our patients seen over a 1 year period.

METHODS

We investigated 121 children during 1992 in Hospital Saint Vincent-de-Paul, Paris. At endoscopy, biopsies were taken and sent for histology and bacteriology and urease testing. A decision regarding treatment by amoxicillin and metronidazol was made after positive results of bacteriology and/or histology.

RESULTS

Heliobacter pylori was found in 47 antral biopsies after pathology examination with Giemsa staining alone 16 times, bacterial culture 9 times and both methods 22 times. Abdominal pain was the prominent symptom, occurring in 35.5% of Helicobacter pylori+patients. In 25 of the positive negative patients, a nodular gastritis was observed (53.1%) and in 27.6% of them a weight loss or a delay in weight gain. Few patients became after combined treatment with amoxicillin and metronidazol whereas eradication rates after triple therapy with amoxicillin-metronidazol and H2 antagonist or proton pump blocker were higher.

CONCLUSION

Helicobacter pylori related gastritis is a common cause of abdominal complaints in children. The most common symptom is recurrent abdominal pain. Antral nodularity is a peculiar endoscopic finding in children. Two-drug therapy associating amoxicillin-metronidazol is often ineffective to eradicate the bacteria whereas eradication rates after triple therapy amoxicillin-metronidazol and H2 antagonist or proton pump blocker are higher.

A dynamical adaptive resonance architecture

A set of nonlinear differential equations that describe the dynamics of the ART1 model are presented, along with the motivation for their use. These equations are extensions of those developed by Carpenter and Grossberg (1987). It is shown how these differential equations allow the ART1 model to be realized as a collective nonlinear dynamical system. Specifically, we present an ART1-based neural network model whose description requires no external control features. That is, the dynamics of the model are completely determined by the set of coupled differential equations that comprise the model. It is shown analytically how the parameters of this model can be selected so as to guarantee a behavior equivalent to that of ART1 in both fast and slow learning scenarios. Simulations are performed in which the trajectories of node and weight activities are determined using numerical approximation techniques.