[Preliminary observation of wearable balance diagnosis and treatment system in evaluating dynamic and static balance function in patients with vestibular vertigo]

A newly developed wearable balance diagnosis and treatment system was studied to evaluate the indexes of the abnormal balance function in patients with vestibular vertigo. A cross-sectional study was carried out. A total of 30 patients diagnosed with non-acute vestibular vertigo in the outpatient department of Eye, Ear, Nose and Throat Hospital Affiliated to Fudan University from July 2022 to May 2023 were selected as the vertigo group, including 13 males and 17 females, and aged (45.7±13.9) years. Meanwhile, 20 healthy controls (8 males and 12 females) were included as the control group, with a mean age of (43.6±8.0) years. The static balance and limits of stability (LOS) function of all subjects were assessed with wearable balance diagnosis and treatment system developed under the leadership of Eye & ENT Hospital of Fudan University. In the static balance test, the ratio of eyes open with cushions to eyes open without cushions in the vertigo group was less than that of the control group[1.20% (0.92%, 1.53%) vs 1.49% (1.22%, 1.81%), P=0.008], indicating that patients with non-acute vestibular vertigo may compensate static balance ability earlier. In vertigo group, the directional control in 8 directions, the maximum excursion in anterior, posterior, right anterior and right posterior directions, the endpoint excursion in the posterior, right posterior, and left posterior directions were all smaller than those of the control group (all P<0.05). The reaction time in the left posterior direction of vertigo group was longer than that of the control group (all P<0.05). Those results indicated that the directional control, maximum excursion and endpoint excursion of LOS could be considered as important reference indexes for dynamic balance function.

DNA Repair Genetics and the Risk of Radiation Pneumonitis in Patients With Lung Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

AIMS

ERCC1 rs11615 and ERCC2 rs238406 single nuclear polymorphism (SNPs) are known for their association with treatment outcome, likely related to radiosensitivity of both tumor and normal tissue in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer. This study aimed to review the effect of 1) these ERCC1/2 SNPs and 2) other SNPs of DNA repair genes on radiation pneumonitis (RP) in patients with lung cancer.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

SNPs of our interest included ERCC1 rs11615 and ERCC2 rs238406 and other genes of DNA repair pathways that are functional and biologically active. DNA repair SNPs reported by at least two independent studies were pooled for meta-analysis. The study endpoint was radiation pneumonitis (RP) after radiotherapy. Recessive, dominant, homozygous, heterozygous, and allelic genotype models were used where appropriate.

RESULTS

A total of 16 studies (3080 patients) were identified from the systematic review and 12 studies (2090 patients) on 11 SNPs were included in the meta-analysis. The SNPs were ATM rs189037, ATM rs373759, NEIL1 rs4462560, NEIL1 rs7402844, APE1 rs1130409, XRCC3 rs861539, ERCC1 rs11615, ERCC1 rs3212986, ERCC2 rs238406, ERCC2 rs13181, and XRCC1 rs25487. ERCC1 rs11615 (236 patients) and ERCC2 rs238406 (254 patients) were not significantly associated with RP. Using the allelic model, the G allele for NEIL1 gene was significantly associated with a reduced odds of developing symptomatic (grade ≥2) RP compared to the C allele for rs7402844 (OR 0.70, 95% CI: 0.49, 0.99, P = 0.04). Similarly, the T allele for APE1 gene was significantly associated with a reduced odds of developing symptomatic (grade ≥2) RP compared to the G allele for rs1130409 (OR 0.59, 95% CI: 0.43, 0.81, P = 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Genetic variation in the DNA repair pathway genes may play a significant role in the risk of developing radiation pneumonitis in patients with lung cancer. Further studies are needed on genotypic features of DNA repair pathway genes and their association with treatment sensitivity, as such knowledge may guide personalized radiation dose prescription.

Association between traumatic events with suicidality among adolescents: A large-scale cross-sectional study of 260,423 participants

Traumatic events have significant negative impacts throughout one's life. We aimed to comprehensively examine the early associations between traumatic events and suicidality among adolescents. In a cross-sectional sample of 260,423 adolescents in Deyang, China in September 2021, we assessed individual traumatic events, cumulative types, and patterns, alongside suicide risk scores and ideation, attempts, or plans. Linear and Poisson regression models adjusted for demographic confounders evaluated the association. Robust associations existed between interpersonal violence-related traumatic events and higher suicidality, with physical abuse demonstrating the strongest correlation. Moreover, suicide risk scores displayed a clear trend, indicating a progressively stronger association with suicidality as cumulative traumatic event types increased. Four distinct traumatic patterns emerged, including low traumas, high physical abuse, high death/serious injuries of a loved one, and multiple traumas, with the latter showing the strongest association with suicidality. Notably, the stratified analysis showed these associations were more pronounced in females, urban residents, only children, left-behind children, and those aged 13-15, while weaker in participants from families with intact parental relationships and middle socioeconomic status. Understanding the role of demographic factors and traumatic patterns in identifying at-risk youth can enable early detection and targeted interventions for suicide-related concerns.

The protective influence of family support on anxiety, depressive symptoms, and suicidal ideation among elderly Chinese nursing home residents: A study of serial mediation

In light of the aging demographic in China, heightened attention is warranted for the mental well-being of elderly individuals. Nevertheless, the prevalence of suicidal ideation among older residents in Chinese nursing homes and the nuanced impact of family support on this phenomenon, mediated by anxiety and depressive symptoms, remain unclear. A cohort of 506 Chinese elderly adults participated in the study. Psychosocial traits were assessed using the Perceived Social Support from Family scale (PSS-Fa) for family support, the 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale (GAD-7) for anxiety symptoms, the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) for depressive symptoms, and suicidal ideation. A structural equation model (SEM) was employed to execute a serial mediation model. The analysis of 506 elderly adults revealed that 8.1% reported varying levels of suicidal ideation within Chinese nursing homes. The pathway from family support to anxiety symptoms (standardized beta = -0.025, P = .241), family support to depressive symptoms (standardized beta = -0.072, P < .05), and family support to suicidal ideation (standardized beta = -0.082, P < .05) were explored. Additionally, pathways from anxiety symptoms to suicidal ideation (standardized beta = 0.364, P < .001), anxiety symptoms to depressive symptoms (standardized beta = 0.647, P < .001), and depressive symptoms to suicidal ideation (standardized beta = 0.369, P < .001) were examined. This study elucidated the underlying mechanisms connecting family support to suicidal ideation, with depressive symptoms partially mediating this association. Additionally, our discoveries shed light on the partial mediation of anxiety symptoms by depressive factors when it came to the realm of suicidal ideation.

Cytomegalovirus Infection and Alzheimer's Disease: A Meta-Analysis

BACKGROUND

Evidence on the association of cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection with Alzheimer's disease (AD) is scarce and the results are inconsistent.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the association of CMV infection with the risk of AD.

METHODS

Observational studies on the relationship between CMV infection and AD were identified from PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library until September 30, 2022. The quality of included studies was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Random-effect meta-analysis was performed using a generic inverse-variance method, followed by sensitivity analyses and subgroup analyses based on study designs, regions, adjustments, and population types.

RESULTS

Our search yielded 870 articles, of which 200 were duplicates and 663 did not meet the inclusion criteria, and finally yielded seven studies with 6,772 participants. No strong evidence was observed in the summary analysis for the association of CMV infection and risk of AD (odds ratio [OR] = 1.33; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.88, 2.03, I2 =69.9%). However, subgroup analysis showed that an increased risk of AD was detected in East Asians (OR = 2.39; 95% CI: 1.63, 3.50, I2 = 0.00%), cohort studies (OR = 1.99; 95% CI: 1.35, 2.94, I2 = 28.20%), and studies with confounder adjustment (OR = 2.05; 95% CI: 1.52, 2.77, I2 = 0.00%).

CONCLUSIONS

This meta-analysis provides evidence to support the heterogeneity of the associations between CMV infection and AD. Future studies with larger sample sizes and multi-ethnic populations are necessary.

Real-time electron clustering in an event-driven hybrid pixel detector

Event-driven hybrid pixel detectors with nanosecond time resolution have opened up novel pathways in modern ultrafast electron microscopy, for example in hyperspectral electron-energy loss spectroscopy or free-electron quantum optics. However, the impinging electrons typically excite more than one pixel of the device, and an efficient algorithm is therefore needed to convert the measured pixel hits to real single-electron events. Here we present a robust clustering algorithm that is fast enough to find clusters in a continuous stream of raw data in real time. Each tuple of position and arrival time from the detector is continuously compared to a buffer of previous hits until the probability of a merger with an old event becomes irrelevant. In this way, the computation time becomes independent of the density of electron arrival and the algorithm does not break the operation chain. We showcase the performance of the algorithm with a 'timepix' camera in two regimes of electron microscopy, in continuous beam emission and laser-triggered femtosecond mode.

Altered Functional Connectivity Strength in Distinct Brain Networks of Children With Early-Onset Schizophrenia

BACKGROUND

Schizophrenia is regarded as a brain network or connectome disorder that is associated with neurodevelopment. Children with early-onset schizophrenia (EOS) provide an opportunity to evaluate the neuropathology of schizophrenia at a very early stage without potential confounding factors. But dysfunction in brain networks of schizophrenia is inconsistent.

PURPOSE

To identify abnormal functional connectivity (FC) in EOS patients and relationships with clinical symptoms, we aimed to reveal neuroimaging phenotypes of EOS.

STUDY TYPE

Prospective, cross-sectional.

POPULATION

Twenty-six female/22 male patients (age:14.3 ± 3.45 years) with first-episode EOS, 27 female/22 male age- and gender-matched healthy controls (HC) (age:14.1 ± 4.32).

FIELD STRENGTH/SEQUENCE

3-T, resting-state (rs) gradient-echo echo-planar imaging and three-dimensional magnetization-prepared rapid gradient-echo imaging.

ASSESSMENT

Intelligence quotient (IQ) was measured by the Wechsler Intelligence Scale-Fourth edition for Children (WISC-IV). The clinical symptoms were evaluated by the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). FC strength (FCS) from rs functional MRI (rsfMRI) was used to investigate functional integrity of global brain regions. In addition, associations between regionally altered FCS and clinical symptoms in EOS patients were examined.

STATISTICAL TESTS

Two-sample t-test controlling for sample size, diagnostic method, brain volume algorithm, and age of the subjects, Bonferroni correction, Pearson's correlation analysis. A P-value <0.05 with a minimum cluster size of 50 voxels was considered statistically significant.

RESULTS

Compared with HC, EOS patients had significantly lower total IQ scores (IQ:91.5 ± 16.1), increased FCS in the bilateral precuneus, left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, left thalamus, and left parahippocampus (paraHIP), and decreased FCS in the right cerebellum posterior lobe and right superior temporal gyrus. The PANSS total score of EOS patients (PANSS total score:74.30 ± 7.23) was found to be positively correlated to FCS in the left paraHIP (r = 0.45).

DATA CONCLUSION

Our study revealed that disrupted FC of brain hubs illustrate multiple abnormalities in brain networks in EOS patients.

EVIDENCE LEVEL

1 TECHNICAL EFFICACY STAGE: 2.

Predictive value of total ischaemic time and T1 mapping after emergency percutaneous coronary intervention in acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction

AIM

To investigate the predictive value of ischaemic time and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMRI) T1 mapping in acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total of 127 patients with STEMI treated by primary PCI were studied. All patients underwent CMRI with native T1 and extracellular volume (ECV) measurement, 61 of whom also had 4-month follow-up data. The total ischaemic (symptom onset to balloon, S2B) time expressed in minutes was recorded. CMRI cine, T1 mapping, and late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) images were analysed to evaluate left ventricular (LV) function, T1 value, ECV, and myocardial infract (MI) scar characteristics, respectively. The correlation between S2B time and T1 mapping was evaluated. The predictive values of S2B time and T1 mapping for large final infarct size were estimated.

RESULTS

The incidence of microvascular obstruction (MVO) increased with the prolongation of ischaemia time. Regardless of MVO or not, ECV in myocardial infarction (ECVMI) was significantly correlated with S2B time (r=0.61, p<0.001), while native T1 in MI (T1MI) was not (r=-0.19, p=0.029). In the 4-month follow-up, native T1MI was improved (1385.1 ± 90.4 versus 1288.6 ± 74 ms, p<0.001). Furthermore, ECVMI was independently associated with final larger infarct size (AUC = 0.89, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.81-0.98, p<0.001) in multivariable regression analysis.

CONCLUSION

ECVMI was correlated with total ischaemic time and was an independent predictor of final larger infarct size.

[Current status and update of infantile hemangioma in diagnosis and therapy]

Infantile hemangiomas (IHs) are benign vascular tumors commonly observed in children. It is important to familiar with the characteristic features of hemangioma before diagnosis. Lesions located special position including periorbital and beard region, segmental hemangioma related PHACE syndrome and LUMBAR syndrome, hepatic hemangioma and related possible risks should be recognized. Early evaluation and assessment of risk grades should be done as early as possible before proliferation phase, so as to choosing the optimal treatment opportunity and scheme. β-blockers are the mainstay of therapy for moderate-to-high risk hemangiomas nowadays. Early initiation of treatment can prevent adverse complications and achieve the best outcome. During the diagnosis and treatment of infantile hemangioma, it emphasizes updating of the concept of naming and classification, treatment timing control and therapeutic scheme selection. Standardized clinical diagnosis and treatment should be promoted currently.

First Dark Matter Search Results from the LUX-ZEPLIN (LZ) Experiment

The LUX-ZEPLIN experiment is a dark matter detector centered on a dual-phase xenon time projection chamber operating at the Sanford Underground Research Facility in Lead, South Dakota, USA. This Letter reports results from LUX-ZEPLIN's first search for weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs) with an exposure of 60 live days using a fiducial mass of 5.5 t. A profile-likelihood ratio analysis shows the data to be consistent with a background-only hypothesis, setting new limits on spin-independent WIMP-nucleon, spin-dependent WIMP-neutron, and spin-dependent WIMP-proton cross sections for WIMP masses above 9  GeV/c^{2}. The most stringent limit is set for spin-independent scattering at 36  GeV/c^{2}, rejecting cross sections above 9.2×10^{-48}  cm at the 90% confidence level.

Ameliorative patterns of grey matter in patients with first-episode and treatment-naïve schizophrenia

BACKGROUND

Grey matter (GM) reduction is a consistent observation in established late stages of schizophrenia, but patients in the untreated early stages of illness display an increase as well as a decrease in GM distribution relative to healthy controls (HC). The relative excess of GM may indicate putative compensatory responses, though to date its relevance is unclear.

METHODS

343 first-episode treatment-naïve patients with schizophrenia (FES) and 342 HC were recruited. Multivariate source-based morphometry was performed to identify covarying 'networks' of grey matter concentration (GMC). Neurocognitive scores using the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB) and symptom burden using the Positive and Negative Symptoms Scale (PANSS) were obtained. Bivariate linear relationships between GMC and cognition/symptoms were studied.

RESULTS

Compared to healthy subjects, FES had prominently lower GMC in two components; the first consists of the anterior insula, inferior frontal gyrus, anterior cingulate and the second component with the superior temporal gyrus, precuneus, inferior/superior parietal lobule, cuneus, and lingual gyrus. Higher GMC was seen in adjacent areas of the middle and superior temporal gyrus, middle frontal gyrus, inferior parietal cortex and putamen. Greater GMC of this component was associated with lower duration of untreated psychosis, less severe positive symptoms and better performance on cognitive tests.

CONCLUSIONS

In untreated stages of schizophrenia, both a distributed lower and higher GMC is observable. While the higher GMC is relatively modest, it occurs across frontoparietal, temporal and subcortical regions in association with reduced illness burden suggesting a compensatory role for higher GMC in the early stages of schizophrenia.

Improved Measurement of the Evolution of the Reactor Antineutrino Flux and Spectrum at Daya Bay

Reactor neutrino experiments play a crucial role in advancing our knowledge of neutrinos. In this Letter, the evolution of the flux and spectrum as a function of the reactor isotopic content is reported in terms of the inverse-beta-decay yield at Daya Bay with 1958 days of data and improved systematic uncertainties. These measurements are compared with two signature model predictions: the Huber-Mueller model based on the conversion method and the SM2018 model based on the summation method. The measured average flux and spectrum, as well as the flux evolution with the ^{239}Pu isotopic fraction, are inconsistent with the predictions of the Huber-Mueller model. In contrast, the SM2018 model is shown to agree with the average flux and its evolution but fails to describe the energy spectrum. Altering the predicted inverse-beta-decay spectrum from ^{239}Pu fission does not improve the agreement with the measurement for either model. The models can be brought into better agreement with the measurements if either the predicted spectrum due to ^{235}U fission is changed or the predicted ^{235}U, ^{238}U, ^{239}Pu, and ^{241}Pu spectra are changed in equal measure.

Non-invasive brain stimulation for treating catatonia: a systematic review

Background

Non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) techniques offer new therapeutic options for modifying pathological neuroplasticity and have been proven to be beneficial in the treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders.

Objective

This study aimed to investigate the role of NIBS in treating catatonia.

Materials and methods

We conducted a systematic search to identify meta-analyses or systematic reviews on electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) and studies on the effects of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on patients with catatonia from the PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, China National Knowledge Internet, Wanfang, and China Science and Technology Journal databases from inception until 31 July 2022. The methodological quality of the included studies was assessed with the AMSTAR2 or Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal tools. Paired t-tests and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests were used to compare changes in catatonia symptom scores after rTMS or tDCS.

Results

A total of 13 systematic reviews and one meta-analysis on ECT, two systematic reviews and 12 case reports on rTMS, and seven studies of 14 cases applying tDCS were identified. Systematic reviews of ECT consistently described improvement in catatonia symptoms across catatonia types and patient age groups. After treatment with rTMS (t = 4.489, p = 0.006) and tDCS (z = -3.065, p = 0.002), patients exhibited significant improvement.

Conclusion

ECT, rTMS, and tDCS were effective in treating catatonia. Early intervention with NIBS techniques may help improve catatonia symptoms in patients with schizophrenia. It may be advantageous to use rTMS or tDCS to maintain this improvement. NIBS techniques may thus represent a promising treatment for catatonia, but additional high-quality randomized controlled trials are needed.

Precision Measurement of Reactor Antineutrino Oscillation at Kilometer-Scale Baselines by Daya Bay

We present a new determination of the smallest neutrino mixing angle θ_{13} and the mass-squared difference Δm_{32}^{2} using a final sample of 5.55×10^{6} inverse beta-decay (IBD) candidates with the final-state neutron captured on gadolinium. This sample is selected from the complete dataset obtained by the Daya Bay reactor neutrino experiment in 3158 days of operation. Compared to the previous Daya Bay results, selection of IBD candidates has been optimized, energy calibration refined, and treatment of backgrounds further improved. The resulting oscillation parameters are sin^{2}2θ_{13}=0.0851±0.0024, Δm_{32}^{2}=(2.466±0.060)×10^{-3}  eV^{2} for the normal mass ordering or Δm_{32}^{2}=-(2.571±0.060)×10^{-3}  eV^{2} for the inverted mass ordering.

Translational landscape in human early neural fate determination

Gene expression regulation in eukaryotes is a multi-level process, including transcription, mRNA translation and protein turnover. Many studies have reported sophisticated transcriptional regulation during neural development, but the global translational dynamics are still ambiguous. Here, we differentiate human embryonic stem cells (ESCs) into neural progenitor cells (NPCs) with high efficiency and perform ribosome sequencing and RNA sequencing on both ESCs and NPCs. Data analysis reveals that translational controls engage in many crucial pathways and contribute significantly to regulation of neural fate determination. Furthermore, we show that the sequence characteristics of the untranslated region (UTR) might regulate translation efficiency. Specifically, genes with short 5'UTR and intense Kozak sequence are associated with high translation efficiency in human ESCs, whereas genes with long 3'UTR are related to high translation efficiency in NPCs. In addition, we have identified four biasedly used codons (GAC, GAT, AGA and AGG) and dozens of short open reading frames during neural progenitor differentiation. Thus, our study reveals the translational landscape during early human neural differentiation and provides insights into the regulation of cell fate determination at the translational level.

Altered MRI Diffusion Properties of the White Matter Tracts Connecting Frontal and Thalamic Brain Regions in First-Episode, Drug-Naïve Patients With Postpartum Depression

BACKGROUND

Although progress has been made in exploring postpartum depression (PPD), the involvement of cerebral structure connectivity in PPD patients keeps unclear.

PURPOSE

To explore structural connectivity alternations in mothers with PPD, diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and automated fiber quantification (AFQ) were used to calculate brain white matter microstructure properties.

STUDY TYPE

Cross-sectional.

POPULATION

A total of 51 women with first-episode, treatment-näive PPD, and 49 matched healthy postpartum women (HPW) controls.

FIELD STRENGTH

A 3.0 T; single-shot echo-planar imaging sequence.

ASSESSMENT

DTI measurements of fractional anisotropy (FA), axial diffusivity (AD), radial diffusivity (RD) and mean diffusivity (MD) were obtained for 18 specific white matter tracts. The relationship between PDD symptoms, hormone levels, and postpartum days was also investigated.

STATISTICAL TESTS

Two sample t test and Pearson's correlation analysis. The analysis was performed by using a permutation-based multiple-comparison correction approach, with the threshold of P < 0.05 (family wise error corrected [FWE-corrected]) separately across the four different outcome measures.

RESULTS

Women with PPD showed significantly increased FA and AD in right anterior thalamic radiation (ATR) tract and significantly increased FA and significantly reduced RD in the cingulum tract, compared to women without PPD. The RD values of right cingulum were significantly positively correlated with postpartum days in HPW (r = 0.39). There were no significant relationships between brain measures and hormone levels in either patients or controls.

DATA CONCLUSIONS

DTI measures have revealed altered integrity in the white matter of the cortical-thalamic circuits in women with PPD compared to HPW. Damage to these circuits may be a structural basis for the impaired emotional regulation and blunted mother-infant bonding in mothers with PPD and a potential target for the development of new treatments.

EVIDENCE LEVEL

2 TECHNICAL EFFICACY: Stage 3.

Dynamic changes in protein concentrations of keratins in crop milk and related gene expression in pigeon crops during different incubation and chick rearing stages

1. The objective of this study was to examine the keratin composition of crop milk, the variation of epithelial thickness and keratin (K) gene expression in samples from young pigeon during incubation and chick rearing.2. Crop milk was collected from 1-, 3- and 5-day-old squab crops for keratin content analysis. Results showed that K4 accounted for the highest proportion of all detected keratins.3. In total, 42 pairs of adult pigeons were allocated to seven groups according to different stages to collect crop samples. Gene expression studies showed that the K3 gene expression was maximised at rearing Day 15 (15) and R1 in males and females, respectively. K6a gene level was the greatest at R15 in females, whereas it peaked at incubation Day 4 (I4) in males. The K12, K13, K23 and K80 gene levels were inhibited at the peak period of crop milk formation in comparison with I4. In females, K cochleal expression peaked at I10, whereas it was the greatest at R25 in males. K4 and K14 gene expression was the highest at I10 in females, while K4 and K14 were minimised at I17 and R7 in males, respectively. Gene expressions of K5, K8, K19 and K20 in males and K19 in females were maximised at R1. The K5, K20 and K75 gene levels in females peaked at R7. K75 and K8 expressions in males and females reached a maximum value at R25 and I17, respectively.4. The epithelial thickness of male and female crops reached their greatest levels at R1 and had the highest correlation with K19.5. These results emphasised the importance of keratinisation in crop milk formation, and different keratins probably play various roles during this period. The K19 was probably a marker for pigeon crop epithelium development. The sex of the parent pigeon affected keratin gene expression profiles.

Auditory event-related potentials, neurocognition, and global functioning in drug naïve first-episode schizophrenia and bipolar disorder

BACKGROUND

Deficits in event-related potential (ERP) including duration mismatch negativity (MMN) and P3a have been demonstrated widely in chronic schizophrenia (SZ) but inconsistent findings were reported in first-episode patients. Psychotropic medications and diagnosis might contribute to different findings on MMN/P3a ERP in first-episode patients. The present study examined MMN and P3a in first episode drug naïve SZ and bipolar disorder (BPD) patients and explored the relationships among ERPs, neurocognition and global functioning.

METHODS

Twenty SZ, 24 BPD and 49 age and sex-matched healthy controls were enrolled in this study. Data of clinical symptoms [Positive and Negative Symptoms Scale (PANSS), Young Manic Rating Scale (YMRS), Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD)], neurocognition [Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS), Cattell's Culture Fair Intelligence Test (CCFT), Delay Matching to Sample (DMS), Rapid Visual Information Processing (RVP)], and functioning [Functioning Assessment Short Test (FAST)] were collected. P3a and MMN were elicited using a passive auditory oddball paradigm.

RESULTS

Significant MMN and P3a deficits and impaired neurocognition were found in both SZ and BPD patients. In SZ, MMN was significantly correlated with FAST (r = 0.48) and CCFT (r = -0.31). In BPD, MMN was significantly correlated with DMS (r = -0.54). For P3a, RVP and FAST scores were significant predictors in SZ, whereas RVP, WAIS and FAST were significant predictors in BPD.

CONCLUSIONS

The present study found deficits in MMN, P3a, neurocognition in drug naïve SZ and BPD patients. These deficits appeared to link with levels of higher-order cognition and functioning.

Abnormal dynamics of resting-state functional activity and couplings in postpartum depression with and without anxiety

Postpartum depression (PPD) and PPD comorbid with anxiety (PPD-A) are highly prevalent and severe mental health problems in postnatal women. PPD and PPD-A share similar pathopsychological features, leading to ongoing debates regarding the diagnostic and neurobiological uniqueness. This paper aims to delineate common and disorder-specific neural underpinnings and potential treatment targets for PPD and PPD-A by characterizing functional dynamics with resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging in 138 participants (45 first-episode, treatment-naïve PPD; 31 PDD-A patients; and 62 healthy postnatal women [HPW]). PPD-A group showed specifically increased dynamic amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation in the subgenual anterior cingulate cortex (sgACC) and increased dynamic functional connectivity (dFC) between the sgACC and superior temporal sulcus. PPD group exhibited specifically increased static FC (sFC) between the sgACC and ventral anterior insula. Common disrupted sFC between the sgACC and middle temporal gyrus was found in both PPD and PPD-A patients. Interestingly, dynamic changes in dFC between the sgACC and superior temporal gyrus could differentiate PPD, PPD-A, and HPW. Our study presents initial evidence on specifically abnormal functional dynamics of limbic, emotion regulation, and social cognition systems in patients with PDD and PPD-A, which may facilitate understanding neurophysiological mechanisms, diagnosis, and treatment for PPD and PPD-A.

[Direct intraoperative two-step distraction and reduction for basilar invagination with atlantoaxial dislocation]

Objective: To assess the clinical impact of direct two-step distraction reduction (TSDR) for basilar invagination (BI) with atlantoaxial dislocation (AAD). Methods: Retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of patients who underwent TSDR and occipitocervical fusion in West China Hospital between October 2013 and March 2021. Depending on whether the preoperative decrease was greater than 50% on preoperative hyperextension X-rays, the patients were split into two groups. The neurological function [Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA) score], atlantodens interval (ADI), the distance of odontoid process beyond McRae Line (ML) and Wackenheim Line (WL), cervicomedullary angle (CMA), O-C₂ angle (OC2A), and complications incidence were compared between two groups preoperatively and postoperatively. Results: There were 12 men and 23 women among the 35 patients with BI and AAD, and the age ranged from 28 to 71 years, with an mean age of (52.0±13.4) years. In the preoperative reduction ≥50% group, there were 4 males and 9 females with an average age of (54.0±13.8) years; in the preoperative reduction <50% group, there were 8 males and 14 females with a mean age of (50.9±13.4) years. All the patients were followed-up for a mean time of (23.3±13.4) months. There was no significant difference in age, gender, bleeding, length of hospital stay and follow-up time between the two groups (all P>0.05). The JOA score, ADI, WL, ML and CMA of 35 patients were significantly improved when compared with those before operation (all P<0.05). The reduction degree of ADI, ML and WL was more than 80% in 31 cases (88.57%), 30 cases (85.71%) and 31 cases (88.57%), respectively. There was no significant difference in postoperative ADI, ML and WL between the two groups (all P>0.05). All patients had no incision infection, no loosening or breakage of the internal fixators. Dysphagia occurred in 3 patients, non-fusion happened in 1 patient, but no instability in X-ray of cervical dynamic position was found, no loosening or displacement occurred in internal fixators, and partial spontaneous fusion occurred between atlantoaxial lateral mass joints. Conclusions: For BI with AAD without atlantoaxial bony connection or serious atlantoaxial facet joint inclination, TSDR could obtain satisfactory reduction degree. The reduction degree on preoperative hyperextension X-ray doesn't affect the degree of intraoperative reduction.

Automated Digital Interventions and Smoking Cessation: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis Relating Efficiency to a Psychological Theory of Intervention Perspective

Background

Smoking remains a highly significant preventable global public health problem. In this context, digital interventions offer great advantages in terms of a lack of biological side effects, possibility of automatic delivery, and consequent human resource savings relative to traditional interventions. Such interventions have been studied in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) but have not been systematically reviewed with the inclusion of text-based and multiplatform-based interventions. In addition, this area has not been evaluated from the perspective of the psychological theoretical basis of intervention.

Objective

The aim of this paper is to assess the efficiency of digital interventions in RCT studies of smoking cessation and to evaluate the effectiveness of the strategies used for digital interventions.

Methods

An electronic search of RCTs was conducted using PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library by June 30, 2021. Eligible studies had to compare automated digital intervention (ADI) to the use of a self-help guideline or no intervention. Participants were current smokers (aged 16 years or older). As the main outcome, abstinence after endpoint was extracted from the studies. Systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted to assess the efficiency of ADIs. Metaregressions were conducted to assess the relationship between intervention theory and effectiveness.

Results

A total of 19 trials (15,472 participants) were included in the analysis. The overall abstinence rate (95% CI) at the endpoint was 17.8% (17.0-18.7). The overall risk ratio of the intervention group compared to the controls at the endpoint was 17.8% (17.0-18.7). Cochrane risk-of-bias tool for randomized trials (ROB 2) suggested that most of the studies had a low risk of bias (56.3%). Psychological theory–related constructs or predictors, which refer to other theory-based concepts (rather than only behavioral theory) such as craving or anxiety, are associated with effectiveness.

Conclusions

This study found that ADI had a clear positive effect compared to self-help guidelines or to no intervention, and effectiveness was associated with theory-related constructs or predictors. ADIs should be promoted by policy makers and clinical practitioners to address the huge gap between the need for smoking cessation and availability of traditional treatment resources. Possible increases in ADI efficiency may be achieved by optimally integrating psychotherapeutic theories and techniques.

Trial Registration

PROSPERO CRD42021256593; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=256593

[Clinical significance of autoantibodies against ubiquitin carboxyl hydrolase L1 epitopes in the screening and diagnosis of Sjögren syndrome]

Objective: To study the clinical significance of autoantibodies against different ubiquitin carboxyl hydrolase L1 (UCH-L1) epitopes in Sjogren syndrome (SS). Methods: The serum levels of different UCH-L1 epitope autoantibodies in 98 SS patients [SS group, 17 males and 81 females, aged (49.1±12.3) years] in the Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University and Peking University People's Hospital from January 2017 to January 2020 and 37 healthy controls [control group, 6 males and 31 females, aged (46.3±5.8) years] were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Three potential epitopes of UCH-L1 protein were analyzed and synthesized and anti-UCH-L1^203-214 and anti-UCH-L1^58-69 antibodies were studied between the two groups. The levels of the two anti-UCH-L1 antibodies in the two groups were compared. The correlation between the levels of UCH-L1 antibodies and clinical data of SS patients were analyzed by Pearson correlation analysis. Results: The serum levels of anti-UCH-L1^203-214 and anti-UCH-L1^58-69 antibody in SS patients were significantly higher than those in healthy controls (HCs) (anti-UCH-L1^203-214: 108.2±54.3 vs 78.9±25.8, P<0.001, anti-UCH-L1^58-69: 86.8±33.3 vs 60.4±21.5, P<0.001). The positive rates of anti-UCH-L1^203-214 and anti-UCH-L1^58-69 antibodies in serums of SS patients were 27.6 % (27/98) and 25.5% (25/98), and those in HCs were 2.7%(1/37) and 5.4 %(2/37), respectively. In SS patients with positive serum anti-UCH-L1^58-69 antibody, the levels of IgG, γ globulin and rheumatoid factor (RF) and anti-SS-related antigen B (anti-SSB) antibody positive rate were all significantly higher than those in patients with negative antibody (all P<0.05). In SS patients with negative antinuclear antibody (ANA), anti-RNA binding protein (anti-RNP) antibody, anti-SS-related antigen A (anti-SSA) antibody and anti-SSB antibody, the positive rates of anti-UCH-L1^203-214 antibody was 32.1%(9/28), 27.2%(25/92), 36.4%(12/33), 28.6%(18/63), respectively; and the positive rates of anti-UCH-L1^58-69 antibody was 21.4%(6/28), 30.4%(28/92), 30.3%(10/33), 20.6%(13/63), respectively. The level of serum anti-UCH-L1^203-214 antibody in SS patients was positively correlated with the IgA level (r=0.21, P=0.024). The level of anti-UCH-L1^58-69 antibody in SS patients was positively correlated with the levels of γ-globulin, IgG and RF (r=0.35, 0.33, 0.32, all P<0.01). Conclusion: Autoantibodies against UCH-L1 epitopes are correlated with some clinical parameters of SS patients, which is of promising significance in the screening and diagnosis of SS.

Postpartum depression and major depressive disorder: the same or not? Evidence from resting-state functional MRI

Background

Although postpartum depression (PPD) and non-peripartum major depressive disorder (MDD) occurring within and outside the postpartum period share many clinical characteristics, whether PPD and MDD are the same or not remains controversial.

Methods

The current study was devoted to identify the shared and different neural circuits between PPD and MDD by resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data from 77 participants (22 first-episodic drug-naïve MDD, 26 drug-naïve PPD, and 29 healthy controls (HC)).

Results

Both the PPD and MDD groups exhibited higher fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (fALFF) in left temporal pole relative to the HC group; the MDD group showed specifically increased degree centrality in the right cerebellum while PPD showed specifically decreased fALFF in the left supplementary motor area and posterior middle temporal gyrus (pMTG_L), and specifically decreased functional connectivities between pMTG and precuneus and between left subgeneual anterior cingulate cortex (sgACC_L) and right sgACC. Moreover, sgACC and left thalamus showed abnormal regional homogeneity of functional activities between any pair of HC, MDD, and PPD.

Conclusions

These results provide initial evidence that PPD and MDD have common and distinct neural circuits, which may facilitate understanding the neurophysiological basis and precision treatment for PPD.

Perceived stress and depressive symptoms among Chinese college students: A moderated mediation model of biorhythm and ego resilience

Objective

To explore whether biological rhythm disturbance mediates the association between perceived stress and depressive symptoms and to investigate whether ego resilience moderates the mediation model.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was carried out using an online self-report questionnaire distributed to college students from September 2021 to October 2021. Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), Perceived Stress Severity (PSS-10), the Biological Rhythms Assessment in Neuropsychiatry (BRIAN), and Ego Resilience (ER-96) were used for investigation. SPSS 23 was used for data analyses. The significance of mediation was determined by the PROCESS macro using a bootstrap approach.

Results

Among the participants, 9.2% (N = 1,282) exhibited significant symptoms of depression. Perceived stress was positively associated with depressive symptoms, and biorhythm partially mediated this relationship. The direct and indirect effects were both moderated by ego resilience. Perceived stress had a greater impact on depressive symptoms and biorhythm for college students with lower ego resilience, and the impact of biorhythm on depressive symptoms was also stronger for those with lower ego resilience. Perceived stress had an impact on depressive symptoms directly and indirectly via the mediation of biorhythm.

Conclusion

Schools and educators should guide college students to identify stress correctly and provide effective suggestions to deal with it. Meanwhile, maintaining a stable biorhythm can protect college students from developing depressive symptoms. Students with low resilience should be given more attention and assistance.

Changes in macular vascular density and retinal thickness in young myopic adults without pathological changes: an OCTA study

OBJECTIVE

The aim of the study was to quantify the macular vascular density and retinal thickness in the eyes of young myopic people with myopia without pathological changes using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

In this cross-sectional study, 160 eyes of 80 myopia subjects without pathological changes were classified into three groups: mild myopia (N=40 eyes), moderate myopia (N=66 eyes), and high myopia (N=54 eyes). Macular vascular density (VD), retinal thickness, area of the foveal avascular zone, the flow area of the outer retina and choriocapillaris (CC) were measured using OCTA. The effects of other confounding factors including axial length, the spherical equivalent, and some systemic factors (blood pressure, height, weight, etc.) were also considered.

RESULTS

As the severity of myopia increases, the CC flow area decreased (p=0.029). The superficial VD in the temporal, superior, nasal, and inferior regions was significantly lower in high myopia group compared to moderate and low myopia groups (all p<0.001). With increasing myopia, a significant reduction of deep VD was found in the superior region of the macula (p=0.007). In the fovea, there was no difference in the superficial or deep VD across groups (p=0.268 and p=0.413, respectively). Parafoveal retinal thickness was thinnest in the high myopia group and thickest in the mild myopia group (all p<0.05). The fovea was thickest in the high myopia group and thinnest in the mild myopia group (p=0.030).

CONCLUSIONS

In young myopic people without pathological changes, superficial VD and retinal thickness decreased with myopia progression, except in the fovea. The CC flow area decreased with increasing myopia.

First Measurement of High-Energy Reactor Antineutrinos at Daya Bay

This Letter reports the first measurement of high-energy reactor antineutrinos at Daya Bay, with nearly 9000 inverse beta decay candidates in the prompt energy region of 8-12 MeV observed over 1958 days of data collection. A multivariate analysis is used to separate 2500 signal events from background statistically. The hypothesis of no reactor antineutrinos with neutrino energy above 10 MeV is rejected with a significance of 6.2 standard deviations. A 29% antineutrino flux deficit in the prompt energy region of 8-11 MeV is observed compared to a recent model prediction. We provide the unfolded antineutrino spectrum above 7 MeV as a data-based reference for other experiments. This result provides the first direct observation of the production of antineutrinos from several high-Q_{β} isotopes in commercial reactors.

[Genetic testing and analysis of 2 cases of trisomy 11 mosaicism]

Trisomy 11 mosaicism is clinically rare, for which making diagnostic and treatment decisions can be challenging. In this study, we used noninvasive prenatal testing, chromosome karyotype analysis, chromosome microarray analysis, copy number variation sequencing and fluorescence in situ hybridization for detecting trisomy 11 mosaicism in two cases and provided them with genetic counseling. In one of the cases, the fetus with confined placental mosaicism trisomy 11 presented with severe growth restriction and a placental mosaic level of 44%, and pregnancy was terminated at 25+3 weeks of gestation. In the other case with true low-level fetal mosaicism of trisomy 11, the pregnancy continued after exclusion of the possibility of uniparental disomy and structural abnormalities and careful prenatal counseling. The newborn was followed up for more than one year, and no abnormality was found. Noninvasive prenatal testing is capable of detecting chromosomal mosaicism but may cause missed diagnosis of true fetal mosaicism. For cases with positive noninvasive prenatal testing but a normal karyotype of the fetus, care should be taken in prenatal counseling and pregnancy management.

Highly Tunable, Broadband, and Negative Photoresponse MoS2 Photodetector Driven by Ion-Gel Gate Dielectrics

Revealing the light-matter interaction of molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂) and further improving its tunability facilitate the construction of highly integrated optoelectronics in communication and wearable healthcare, but it still remains a significant challenge. Herein, polyvinylidene fluoride and 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide (PVDF-EMIM-TFSI) ion-gel are employed to replace the oxide to fabricate a MoS₂-based phototransistor. The high capacitance enables a large tunability of the carrier concentration that results in ambipolar transport of MoS₂. It is found that the photoelectrical effect of the MoS₂ ion-gel phototransistor can be greatly tuned by the gate voltage including its photoresponsivity, detectivity, and response wavelength. An abnormal negative photoelectrical effect in both the electron branch and the hole branch is observed which is due to the adsorption/desorption of the C₂F₆NO₄S₂^- ion. By tuning the carrier concentration, the photoresponse can be extended from the visible region to the short infrared region. At 1200 nm, the photoresponse and detectivity can be tuned as large as 0.90 A/W and 1.88 × 10¹¹ Jones, respectively. Ultimately, by combining the tunability of gate voltage and wavelength, it is demonstrated that the photoelectrical effect is dominated by the photogating effect in the hole carrier, while it is coregulated by a photogating and photothermal effect in electron carrier. This study provides new insights for developing a highly tunable broadband photodetector with low consumption.

Mental state, biological rhythm and social support among healthcare workers during the early stages of the COVID-19 epidemic in Wuhan

Background

The COVID-19 pandemic has put the mental health of healthcare workers at risk. However, the potential psychosocial factors underlying mental health problems, such as depression and anxiety, require further investigation. The present study aimed to explore the factors that influence the mental state of healthcare workers.

Methods

A total of 276 healthcare workers completed a set of online self-report questionnaires from February 2 to 5, 2020, in the following order: general information related to the COVID-19 outbreak, Biological Rhythms Interview of Assessment in Neuropsychiatry, Beck Depression Inventory-II, Beck Anxiety Inventory, and Social Support Rating Scale.

Results

Our study revealed that both social support and age moderated the ability of biological rhythm disturbance to exacerbate depression (R² = 0.47; effect size f² = 0.85). Higher levels of social support buffered the amplification of depression associated with increased biological rhythm disturbance in all age groups, and especially in younger individuals (mean age = 26.57, se = 0.04). Depressive symptoms were predicted by both social and sleeping rhythms, whereas anxiety symptoms were predicted only by social rhythm. Married individuals had lower biological rhythm disturbance ratings and higher social support ratings. Females also reported higher ratings in social support.

Conclusions

Our study suggests that biological rhythm intervention along with social support can reduce the negative effect of biological rhythm disturbance on mood disorders, especially in younger people. We also provide evidence for the ability of social support to buffer stress in a major health crisis and demonstrate the effects of marital status and sex, which provide a different perspective for studying mental crisis management.

[Clinical and molecular pathological features of bronchopulmonary large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma]

Objective: To investigate the clinical manifestations, imaging, pathological and molecular features of bronchopulmonary large-cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (LCNEC). Methods: The clinical data of 216 LCNEC patients in the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from 2011 to 2021 were analyzed retrospectively. The clinical manifestations, tumor location and size, characteristics of CT images, immunohistochemical and molecular pathological features were analyzed and compared with 115 cases of mixed small cell carcinoma (M-SCLC) diagnosed in the same period. Results: Among the 216 LCNEC patients, there were 190 males and 26 females, with a median age of 65 years. The first symptoms of the patients were mainly cough (106 cases, 49.1%) and bloody sputum (48 cases, 22.2%). The median tumor length were 4.7cm, including 55 cases of nodular type (25.5%) and 161 cases of mass-forming type (74.5%). CT imaging results showed that LCNEC lesions had soft tissue density, and the proportion of slight enhancement lesions was significantly lower than that in M-SCLC group (52.3% vs 74.8%, P<0.001). In contrast, the proportion of necrosis (87.0% vs 58.3%, P<0.001) and calcification (26.9% vs 2.6%, P<0.001) in LCNEC patients was significantly higher than that in M-SCLC group. Immunohistochemical results showed that the positive rate of CK in LCNEC was significantly higher than that in M-SCLC (99.0 % vs 90.5%, P<0.05), while the positive rate of TTF-1 was significantly lower than that in M-SCLC (51.6% vs 67.0%, P<0.05). In LCNEC group, the proportion of patients with Ki-67 positive index between 50% and 80% was significantly higher than that of M-SCLC (41.2% vs 25.2%), while the proportion between 80% and 100% was lower than that of M-SCLC (51.9% vs 72.2%). There was no significant difference in the positive rates of CD56 (91.7% vs 94.6%, P=0.336), Syn (83.8% vs 84.7%, P=0.838) and CgA (54.8% vs 50.0%, P=0.632) in both tumor types. Molecular pathology results showed that frequent mutatios were TP53 (54.5%), RB1 (36.4%), KEAP1 (18.2%), MYC(18.2%), and PTEN (14.3%), and the rate of tumor mutation burden which is more than 25 mutation/Mb was 27.3%. Conclusions: LCNEC lacks specific clinical manifestations. CT imaging is powerful in distinguishing LCNEC from M-SCLC. LCNEC contains a specific mutation spectrum. Pathology combined with immunohistochemical staining is still the gold standard for LCNEC diagnosis, and the differentiation from M-SCLC mainly depends on cell size and nuclear chromatin pattern with light microscopy.

Joint Determination of Reactor Antineutrino Spectra from ^{235}U and ^{239}Pu Fission by Daya Bay and PROSPECT

A joint determination of the reactor antineutrino spectra resulting from the fission of ^{235}U and ^{239}Pu has been carried out by the Daya Bay and PROSPECT Collaborations. This Letter reports the level of consistency of ^{235}U spectrum measurements from the two experiments and presents new results from a joint analysis of both data sets. The measurements are found to be consistent. The combined analysis reduces the degeneracy between the dominant ^{235}U and ^{239}Pu isotopes and improves the uncertainty of the ^{235}U spectral shape to about 3%. The ^{235}U and ^{239}Pu antineutrino energy spectra are unfolded from the jointly deconvolved reactor spectra using the Wiener-SVD unfolding method, providing a data-based reference for other reactor antineutrino experiments and other applications. This is the first measurement of the ^{235}U and ^{239}Pu spectra based on the combination of experiments at low- and highly enriched uranium reactors.

Alterations in CRY2 and PER3 gene expression associated with thalamic-limbic community structural abnormalities in patients with bipolar depression or unipolar depression

Objectives The current study aimed to identify shared and distinct brain structure abnormalities and their relationships with the expression of circadian genes in patients with bipolar or unipolar depression. Method A total of 93 subjects participated in this study, including 32 patients with bipolar depression (BDP), 26 patients with unipolar depression (UDP) and 35 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. Brain structural magnetic resonance imaging scans were obtained, and optimized voxel-based morphometry was used to explore group differences in regional gray matter volume (GMV). The mRNA expression levels of circadian genes in peripheral blood were measured using reverse transcription quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Results Our results showed that the GMV in brain regions in the thalamus-limbic pathways had significantly increased in the BDP patients compared to controls, while the increased GMV in UDP patients compared to controls was limited to the thalamus. The mRNA expression levels of circadian-related genes decreased significantly in patients with BDP, but increased in patients with UDP, compared to controls. In addition, the GMV in the right thalamus in the patients with UDP was positively associated with mRNA levels of CRY2, while the GMV in the right hippocampus in the patients with BDP was negatively associated with mRNA levels of PER3. Conclusion Our study suggested that patients with BDP or MDD shared GMV abnormalities in the right thalamus. The PER3 and CRY2 genes might be critical to right hippocampal dysfunction in BDP and right thalamic dysfunction in UDP, respectively. The result provided potentially important molecular targets for the treatment of mood disorders.

Trapping Alkaline Earth Rydberg Atoms Optical Tweezer Arrays

Neutral atom qubits with Rydberg-mediated interactions are a leading platform for developing large-scale coherent quantum systems. In the majority of experiments to date, the Rydberg states are not trapped by the same potential that confines ground state atoms, resulting in atom loss and constraints on the achievable interaction time. In this Letter, we demonstrate that the Rydberg states of an alkaline earth atom, ytterbium, can be stably trapped by the same red-detuned optical tweezer that also confines the ground state, by leveraging the polarizability of the Yb^{+} ion core. Using the previously unobserved ^{3}S_{1} series, we demonstrate trapped Rydberg atom lifetimes exceeding 100  μs, and observe no evidence of auto- or photoionization from the trap light for these states. We measure a coherence time of T_{2}=59  μs between two Rydberg levels, exceeding the 28  μs lifetime of untrapped Rydberg atoms under the same conditions. These results are promising for extending the interaction time of Rydberg atom arrays for quantum simulation and computing, and are vital to capitalize on the extended Rydberg lifetimes in circular states or cryogenic environments.

Effects of Stress in Adaptation to Undergraduate Life on Psychiatric Morbidity: Mediating Effects of Early Trauma and Adverse Family Factors

PURPOSE

University students experience high levels of stress, and the prevalence of depression is higher than in the general population. The reason is not clear. More effective interventions and better prevention are needed.

METHODS

We did annual cross-sectional surveys of Chinese undergraduates 2014-2018 (mean age 18.7 [SD 2.1], N = 39,573). We measured adaptation to university life using the Adolescent Self-rating Life Events Checklist (ASLEC) and common mental disorders using standardized self-report instruments. Regression analyses identified associations between childhood maltreatment, current family problems, stress in adaptation to undergraduate life, and psychiatric morbidity. Mediation analyses further tested relationships between these factors.

RESULTS

Childhood maltreatment, current family problems, stress in adaptation, and psychiatric morbidity were all significantly associated with each other. The strongest association between childhood experiences and psychiatric morbidity was for sexual abuse and depression (OR = 3.39, 95%CI: 2.38-4.83, p < 0.001) and between stress from adaptation and somatic disorder (OR = 4.54, 95%CI: 3.62-5.68, p < 0.001). Associations between childhood maltreatment and stress from university life were partly mediated by psychiatric morbidity. Associations between family problems and psychiatric morbidity were mediated by stress from university life.

CONCLUSIONS

Stress from adaptation to university life and pressures from academic study exert stronger effects on psychiatric morbidity among students than childhood traumatic experiences and current family problems, although these factors are closely interrelated. Mental health services for students should focus on adaptation to university life and pressures from academic study as well as external factors of childhood trauma and family problems.

Gray matter volume alterations in subjects with overweight and obesity: Evidence from a voxel-based meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Obesity is a multi-systemic disease with complex etiology. And consistent evidence indicated obesity or overweight subjects render brain structure changes. Increasing evidence indicates these subjects have shown widespread structural brain gray matter volume (GMV) changes. However, results from other neuroimaging studies have been inconsistent. Consequently, the question remains whether body mass index (BMI), a gold standard to define obesity/overweight, is associated with brain structural changes.

METHODS

This study will apply an updated meta-analysis of voxel-based GMV studies to compare GMV changes in overweight and obese subjects. Online databases were used to build on relevant studies published before May 2022. The updated Seed-based d Mapping with Permutation of Subject Images (SDM-PSI) explores GMV changes in individuals with overweight and obesity and further examines the correlation between GMV and obesity-related variables, specifically body mass index (BMI).

RESULTS

This research included fourteen studies and provided a whole-brain analysis of GMV distribution in overweight and obese individuals. It revealed lower GMV in brain regions, including the left putamen and right precentral gyrus, in individuals with overweight and obesity compared to lean controls. Further, meta-regression analyses revealed GMV in the left middle occipital gyrus was negatively correlated with the BMI of the whole sample.

CONCLUSION

GMV decreased was reported in reward circuit processing areas and sensorimotor processing areas of individuals with overweight and obesity diagnoses, suggesting an underlying structural basis for reward processing and sensorimotor processing dysregulation in overweight and obese subjects. Our results also suggest that GMV in occipital gyrus, a key region for food visual and gustatory encoding, is negatively associated with BMI. These results provide further evidence for the dysregulated reward circuit in individuals with overweight and obesity.

Altered Functional Connectivity Density and Couplings in Postpartum Depression with and Without Anxiety

Postpartum depression (PPD) is the most common psychological health issue among women, which often comorbids with anxiety (PPD-A). PPD and PPD-A showed highly overlapping clinical symptoms. Identifying disorder-specific neurophysiological markers of PDD and PPD-A is important for better clinical diagnosis and treatments. Here, we performed functional connectivity density (FCD) and resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) analyses in 138 participants (45 unmedicated patients with first-episode PPD, 31 PDD-A patients and 62 healthy postnatal women, respectively). FCD mapping revealed specifically weaker long-range FCD in right lingual gyrus (LG.R) for PPD patients and significantly stronger long-range FCD in left ventral striatum (VS.L) for PPD-A patients. The follow-up rsFC analyses further revealed reduced functional connectivity between dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC) and VS.L in both PPD and PPD-A. PPD showed specific changes of rsFC between LG.R and dmPFC, right angular gyrus and left precentral gyrus, while PPD-A represented specifically abnormal rsFC between VS.L and left ventrolateral prefrontal cortex. Moreover, the altered FCD and rsFC were closely associated with depression and anxiety symptoms load. Taken together, our study is the first to identify common and disorder-specific neural circuit disruptions in PPD and PPD-A, which may facilitate more effective diagnosis and treatments.

Sustained effects of left-behind experience during childhood on mental health in Chinese university undergraduates

Rapid industrialization and urbanization in China have resulted in labor migrants leaving children behind. For left-behind children (LBC), disrupted parental attachment may increase the risk of psychiatric morbidity in adulthood. To investigate psychopathological consequences for university students who were LBC and to estimate the effects of one or both parents being migrants, the duration of left-behind experience, and parental absence during critical periods of growth on psychiatric morbidity. We conducted an annual survey of all freshmen at a Chinese university from 2014 to 2018. The questionnaire collected information on left-behind experiences and psychiatric morbidity using standardized self-report instruments. Regression coefficients derived from logistic regression were used to measure the associations among total time left behind, absence of one parent or both parents, age when left behind and psychopathological consequences. A total of 42,505 students were included. Students who were LBC had more psychopathology, including depression, anxiety, somatoform disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, self-reported suicide attempts and deliberate self-harm, than those who were not. Students for whom one or both parents were migrants showed a greater risk of psychiatric morbidity. The risk of psychiatric morbidity increased with the length of parental absence. Left-behind experience during childhood represents sustained impacts for university students into early adulthood. The higher prevalence of psychiatric morbidity in young adults who experienced the absence of one or both of their parents, especially in their early childhood, suggests that other factors besides attachment, such as protection from other risks, are important and that further research is necessary.

Introduction to DOK2 and its potential role in cancer

Cancer is a complex, multifactorial disease that modern medicine ultimately aims to overcome. Downstream of tyrosine kinase 2 (DOK2) is a well-known tumor suppressor gene, and a member of the downstream protein DOK family of tyrosine kinases. Through a search of original literature indexed in PubMed and other databases, the present review aims to extricate the mechanisms by which DOK2 acts on cancer, thereby identifying more reliable and effective therapeutic targets to promote enhanced methods of cancer prevention and treatment. The review focuses on the role of DOK2 in multiple tumor types in the lungs, intestines, liver, and breast. Additionally, we discuss the potential mechanisms of action of DOK2 and the downstream consequences via the Ras/MPAK/ERK or PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathways.

[Clinical effects of negative pressure wound therapy in treating the poor healing of incisions after different abdominal operations]

Objective: To investigate the clinical effects of negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) in treating the poor healing of incisions after different abdominal operations. Methods: The retrospective observational study was conducted. From June 2019 to December 2020, 42 patients with poor healing of incisions after abdominal surgery were admitted to Center of Burns and Trauma of the First Affiliated Hospital of Naval Medical University, including 29 males and 13 females, aged 23-81 years. The disease course of poor healing of abdominal incision was 3-60 d. The preoperative examination of patients was completed after admission, and NPWT was used after debridement. According to the dehiscence level of incision, the negative pressure value of -10.64 to -6.65 kPa was set. The incisions were sutured in the second stage when the incisions had good blood circulation. The cause of abdominal surgery, the dehiscence level and the cause of poor healing of abdominal incision were investigated, and the final healing of abdominal incision and the occurrence of complication were observed. Results: The causes of abdominal operations in this group of patients who ocurred poor healing of abdominal incisions were ranked according to the composition ratio, with the top 4 causes being colon cancer (9 cases, accounting for 21.4%), bile duct disease (8 cases, accounting for 19.0%), liver cancer (5 cases, accounting for 11.9%), and appendicitis (4 cases, accounting for 9.5%). There were 25 cases (59.5%) with dehiscence of abdominal incision in the deep fascia layer, and the other 17 cases (40.5%) with dehiscence of abdominal incision in the superficial fascia layer. The causes of poor healing of abdominal incision were ranked according to the composition ratio, with the top 3 causes being infection (24 cases, accounting for 57.1%), fat liquefaction (11 cases, accounting for 26.2%), and suture reaction (5 cases, accounting for 11.9%). The blood circulation in 40 patients was improved after being treated with NPWT, and the incisions were sutured in the second stage. The incisions healed well when the suture lines were removed in the second to third week. Intestinal fistula and bile leakage developed during the NPWT treatment, respectively in the other 2 patients, in which negative pressure equipment was removed subsequently, and the incisions healed after adequate drainage and conventional dressing changes. Conclusions: NPWT is effective in treating poor healing of abdominal incision after different abdominal surgeries. The clinicians need to comprehensively assess the patient's condition to determine when and how to use NPWT to avoid the occurrence of intestinal fistula, bile leakage, and other complications.

Testing extra-linearity across a psychosis continuum

BACKGROUND

It is unclear whether psychotic experiences (PEs) gradually merge into states of clinical psychosis along a continuum which correspond to a dimensional classification or whether latent classes appear above a certain severity threshold which correspond better to diagnostic categories of psychosis.

METHODS

Annual cross-sectional surveys, 2014-19, among Chinese undergraduates (N = 47,004) measured PEs, depression and etiological risk factors using standardized self-report instruments. We created a psychosis continuum with five levels and tested linear and extra-linear contrasts in associated etiological risk factors, before and after adjustment for depression. We carried out latent class analysis.

RESULTS

Categorical expression of psychosis, including hallucinations and delusions, nuclear symptoms, and nuclear symptoms and depression were found at severe level 5. Etiological risk factors which impacted linearly across the continuum were more common for depression. Child maltreatment impacted extra-linearly on both psychosis and depression. Family history of psychosis impacted linearly on psychosis; male sex and urban birth impacted extra-linearly and were specific for psychosis. Four latent classes were found, but only at level 5. These corresponded to nuclear schizophrenia symptoms, nuclear schizophrenia and depressive symptoms, severe depression, and an unclassified category with moderate prevalence of PEs.

CONCLUSION

Quantitative and qualitative changes in the underlying structure of psychosis were observed at the most severe level along a psychosis continuum, where four latent classes emerged. These corresponded to existing categorical classifications but require confirmation with clinical interview. PEs are non-specific and our findings suggest some are on a continuum with depression, whilst others are on a continuum with non-affective psychosis. Differing patterns of impact from etiological risk factors across the spectrum of psychopathology determine outcome at the most severe level of these continua.

[Assessment of biological activities of exopolysaccharides with different relative molecular masses extracted from Rhizopus nigricans]

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the antioxidant, anti-tumor and immunomodulatory activities of exopolysaccharides with different molecular masses isolated from Rhizopus nigricans.

METHODS

Three polysaccharides with different molecular masses, namely RPS-1, RPS-2 and RPS-3, were separated from the fermentation broth of Rhizopus nigricans by fractional ethanol precipitation, and their capacity for scavenging DPPH, ABTS, and hydroxyl radicals was assessed. Cell counting kit-8 was used to analyze the changes in the viability of MFC, A549 and RAW 264.7 cells following treatments with the 3 polysaccharides; The level of nitric oxide in the supernatant of RAW 264.7 cells was detected using a nitric oxide detection kit, and the apoptosis rate of A549 cells was analyzed with flow cytometry.

RESULTS

All the 3 polysaccharides had good antioxidant activities, and among them RPS-1 with a medium molecular mass exhibited the strongest scavenging capacity for DPPH and ABTS radicals (P < 0.05) while RPS-3 with the lowest molecular mass had the best scavenging activity for hydroxyl radicals (P < 0.01). All the 3 polysaccharides were capable of inhibiting the proliferation of MFC cells and A549 cells, activating the macrophages RAW 264.7 cells, and inducing apoptosis of A549 cells. RPS-2 with the highest molecular mass showed the strongest inhibitory effects against MFC and A549 cells (P > 0.05), and RPS-2 had the strongest activity for inducing apoptosis in A549 cells (P < 0.05). Compared with the other two polysaccharides, RPS-2 more strongly promoted the proliferation of RAW 264.7 cells and enhanced NO release from the cells (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

The 3 polysaccharides all have antioxidant, anti-tumor and immunomodulatory activities, and among them RPS-1 and RPS-3 have better antioxidant activities, and RPS-2 has stronger anti-tumor and immunomodulatory activities.

Impact of urban birth and upbringing on expression of psychosis in a Chinese undergraduate population

BACKGROUND

Urban birth and upbringing show consistent associations with psychotic illness but the key urban exposures remain unknown. Associations with psychotic-like experiences (PEs) are inconsistent. These could be confounded by common mental disorders associated with PEs. Furthermore, associations between PEs and urban exposures may not extrapolate to psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia.

METHODS

Annual cross-sectional surveys among first year Chinese undergraduates 2014-2019 (n = 47,004). Self-reported, hierarchical categorisation of psychosis: from psychoticism, paranoid ideation, schizotypal symptoms, nuclear syndrome using SCL-90-R, to clinical diagnosis of schizophrenia. Depressive symptoms using PHQ 9. Dissociative symptoms and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) measured using PCL-C. Etiological factors of family history and childhood disadvantage. We studied effects of urban birth, urban living and critical times of exposure in childhood on psychosis phenotypes.

RESULTS

Associations with urbanicity were found only after adjustments for depression. Urban birth was associated with paranoia (AOR 1.34, 1.18-1.53), schizotypal symptoms (AOR 1.59, 1.29-1.96), and schizophrenia (AOR 2.07, 1.10-3.87). The same phenotypes showed associations with urban residence > 10 years. Only schizophrenia showed an association with urban exposure birth-3 years (AOR 7.01, 1.90-25.86). Child maltreatment was associated with both psychosis and depression. Urbanicity measured across the total sample did not show any associations with demography, family history of psychosis, or child maltreatment. Sensitivity analysis additionally adjusting for dissociative symptoms and PTSD showed the same pattern of findings.

CONCLUSIONS

Urban birth and urban living showed a hierarchical pattern of increasing associations from paranoid ideation to schizotypal disorder to schizophrenia, confirming that associations for psychotic experiences could be extrapolated to schizophrenia, but only after adjusting for confounding from depression, dissociative symptoms and PTSD. Several etiological factors were the same for psychosis and depression. Future studies of PEs should adjust for confounding from common mental disorders and dissociative symptoms. Effects of urbanicity on psychosis were not explained by demography, family history of mental disorder, or child maltreatment.