Selective disrupted gray matter volume covariance of amygdala subregions in schizophrenia.

Objective: Although extensive structural and functional abnormalities have been reported in schizophrenia, the gray matter volume (GMV) covariance of the amygdala remain unknown. The amygdala contains several subregions with different connection patterns and functions, but it is unclear whether the GMV covariance of these subregions are selectively affected in schizophrenia. Methods: To address this issue, we compared the GMV covariance of each amygdala subregion between 807 schizophrenia patients and 845 healthy controls from 11 centers. The amygdala was segmented into nine subregions using FreeSurfer (v7.1.1), including the lateral (La), basal (Ba), accessory-basal (AB), anterior-amygdaloid-area (AAA), central (Ce), medial (Me), cortical (Co), corticoamygdaloid-transition (CAT), and paralaminar (PL) nucleus. We developed an operational combat harmonization model for 11 centers, subsequently employing a voxel-wise general linear model to investigate the differences in GMV covariance between schizophrenia patients and healthy controls across these subregions and the entire brain, while adjusting for age, sex and TIV. Results: Our findings revealed that five amygdala subregions of schizophrenia patients, including bilateral AAA, CAT, and right Ba, demonstrated significantly increased GMV covariance with the hippocampus, striatum, orbitofrontal cortex, and so on (permutation test, P< 0.05, corrected). These findings could be replicated in most centers. Rigorous correlation analysis failed to identify relationships between the altered GMV covariance with positive and negative symptom scale, duration of illness, and antipsychotic medication measure. Conclusion: Our research is the first to discover selectively impaired GMV covariance patterns of amygdala subregion in a large multicenter sample size of patients with schizophrenia.

Association of anhedonia with brain-derived neurotrophic factor and interleukin-10 in major depressive disorder.

BACKGROUND: Anhedonia, a core symptom of major depressive disorder (MDD), manifests in two forms: anticipatory and consummatory, reflecting a diminished capacity to anticipate or enjoy pleasurable activities. Prior studies suggest that brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and interleukin-10 (IL-10) may play key roles in the emergence of anhedonia in MDD. The specific relationships between these biomarkers and the two forms of anhedonia remain unclear. This study investigated the potential links between BDNF, IL-10, and both forms of anhedonia in MDD patients. METHODS: This study included 43 participants diagnosed with MDD and 58 healthy controls. It involved detailed assessments of depression and anxiety levels, anticipatory and consummatory pleasure, cognitive functions, and a broad spectrum of plasma biomarkers, such as C-reactive protein, various interleukins, and BDNF. Using partial correlation, variables related to pleasant experiences were identified. Stepwise multiple linear regression analysis was applied to pinpoint the independent predictors of anhedonia in the MDD group. RESULTS: Demographically, both groups were comparable in terms of age, sex, body mass index, educational year, and marital status. Individuals with MDD displayed markedly reduced levels of anticipatory and consummatory pleasure, higher anxiety, and depression scores compared to healthy controls. Additionally, cognitive performance was notably poorer in the MDD group. These patients also had lower plasma diamine oxidase levels. Analysis linked anhedonia to impaired delayed memory. Regression results identified IL-10 and BDNF as independent predictors of anticipatory and consummatory anhedonia, respectively. CONCLUSION: These findings demonstrate that anticipatory and consummatory anhedonia are influenced by independent factors, thereby providing critical insights into the distinct neuroimmunological mechanisms that underlie various forms of anhedonia. Clinicl Trial Registration Number: NCT03790085.

The different association between fat mass distribution and intake of three major nutrients in pre- and postmenopausal women.

BACKGROUND: Obesity, characterized by excessive body fat accumulation, is associated with various chronic health conditions. Body fat plays a crucial role in health outcomes, and nutrient intake is a contributing factor. Menopause further influences body fat, but the precise relationships between nutrients and fat mass distribution in pre- and post-menopausal women are unclear. METHODS: Data from 4751 adult women aged ≥18 years old (3855 pre-menopausal, 896 post-menopausal) with completed information were obtained from the National Health and Examination Survey (NHANES) from 2011 to 2018. Multivariate linear regression models were used to examine the associations between protein, carbohydrate, fat intake and total percent fat (TPF), android percent fat (APF), gynoid percent fat (GPF), android to gynoid ratio (A/G), subcutaneous adipose tissue mass (SAT), visceral adipose tissue mass (VAT). Subgroup analyses, stratified by menopausal status, were also conducted. Additionally, we employed smoothing curve fitting techniques to investigate potential non-linear relationships between fat mass distribution and nutrient intake. RESULTS: Compared with pre-menopausal women, post-menopausal women had higher body fat, BMI, and metabolic indicators but lower nutrient intake (All p<0.05). In the overall analysis, we found significant correlations between nutrient intake and fat mass. Specifically, protein intake was negatively correlated with TPF (ß = -0.017, 95% CI: -0.030, -0.005), APF (ß = -0.028, 95% CI: -0.044, -0.012), GPF (ß = -0.019, 95% CI: -0.030, -0.008), while fat intake showed positive correlations with these measures (SAT: ß = 2.769, 95% CI: 0.860, 4.678). Carbohydrate intake exhibited mixed associations. Notably, body fat mass-nutrient intake correlations differed by menopausal status. Generally speaking, protein intake showed negative correlations with body fat distribution in pre-menopausal women but positive correlations in post-menopausal women. Carbohydrate intake revealed significant negative associations with abdominal and visceral fat in post-menopausal women, while fat intake was consistently positive across all fat distribution indices, especially impacting visceral fat in post-menopausal women. CONCLUSION: Dietary intake plays a crucial role in body fat distribution, with menopausal status significantly influencing the impact of nutrients on specific fat distribution metrics. The study emphasizes the need for dietary guidelines to consider the nutritional needs and health challenges unique to women at different life stages, particularly concerning menopausal status, to effectively manage obesity.

Plasma Apo-E mediated corticospinal tract abnormalities and suicidality in patients with major depressive disorder.

This study aims to explore the link between Apo-E, brain white matter, and suicide in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) to investigate the potential neuroimmune mechanisms of Apo-E that may lead to suicide. Thirty-nine patients with MDD (22 patients with suicidality) and 57 age, gender, and education-matched healthy controls participated in this study, provided plasma Apo-E samples, and underwent diffusion tensor imaging scans. Plasma Apo-E levels and white matter microstructure were analyzed among the MDD with suicidality, MDD without suicidality, and HC groups using analysis of variance with post hoc Bonferroni correction and tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) with threshold-free cluster enhancement correction. Mediation analysis investigated the relationship between Apo-E, brain white matter, and suicidality in MDD. The MDD with suicidality subgroup had higher depressive and suicide scores, longer disease course, and lower plasma Apo-E levels than MDD without suicidality. TBSS revealed that the MDD non-suicide subgroup showed significantly increased mean diffusivity in the left corticospinal tract and body of the left corpus callosum, as well as increased axial diffusivity in the left anterior corona radiata and the right posterior thalamic radiation compared to the suicidal MDD group. The main finding was that the increased MD of the left corticospinal tract contributed to the elevated suicide score, with Apo-E mediating the effect. Preliminary result that Apo-E's mediating role between the left corticospinal tract and the suicide factor suggests the neuroimmune mechanism of suicide in MDD. The study was registered on ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03790085).

Efficacy of transcranial alternating current stimulation for schizophrenia treatment: A systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) is an innovative noninvasive technique in brain stimulation that involves applying a low-intensity electrical current to the scalp. And increasing evidence has revealed its potential in schizophrenia treatment. OBJECTIVE: This systematic review aimed to evaluate the efficacy of tACS as a novel neurostimulation technique for improving cognitive impairment and alleviating psychotic symptoms in schizophrenia. Additionally, this review attempted to explore the impact of stimulation parameters on the effectiveness of tACS treatment. METHODS: A systematic literature search was conducted across five databases, including Web of Science, Embase, PubMed, CENTRAL, and PsycINFO, to identify studies investigating the use of tACS in schizophrenia. Only studies that involved the experimental use of tACS in patients with schizophrenia were included in this review. RESULTS: Nineteen studies were included in this review. The most frequently used current intensities were 2 mA and 1 mA, and the most commonly used frequencies were alpha (10 Hz), theta (4.5 Hz and 6 Hz), and gamma (40 Hz). Some studies showed that tACS may have a potential therapeutic effect by improving cognitive functions in various cognitive domains and/or ameliorating negative symptoms, hallucinations, and delusions in patients with schizophrenia, while others showed no significant change. These studies also implicated that tACS treatment is safe and well tolerated. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, this systematic review suggests that tACS has promise as a novel, effective, and adjunctive treatment approach for treating schizophrenia. Future research is needed to determine the optimal parameters of tACS for treating this complex disorder.

Comparison of brain network between schizophrenia and bipolar disorder: A multimodal MRI analysis of comparative studies.

OBJECTIVE: Cognitive impairment is a shared symptom of Schizophrenia (SCZ) and bipolar disorder (BP), but the underlying neural mechanisms for both remain unclear. We aimed to identify abnormalities in the structural and functional brain network of patients with SCZ and BP. METHODS: The study included 69 patients with SCZ, 40 with BP, and 63 healthy controls (HC). After neurocognitive function assessment, resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging and diffusion tensor imaging were acquired respectively. We compared the network of structural connectivity (SC) and functional connectivity (FC) among the three groups and performed graph theoretical analyses. The SC-FC coupling was calculated, and the correlations between the cognitive function scores and network properties were ascertained. RESULTS: The BP group showed significantly higher indicators in subnetworks and graph theory analysis than SCZ and HC. Several brain regions, such as the inferior parietal lobe, exhibited differences among all pairwise comparisons and showed significant correlations with cognitive scores in both SCZ and BP. SC-FC coupling did not significantly differ between the three groups but showed close associations with clinical performance. Interestingly, the direction of correlations between the network properties and cognition tends to present the opposite between SCZ and BP, especially regarding the working memory, attention, and language sections. CONCLUSIONS: The FC and SC network of the SCZ group appeared more inefficient and disconnected than BP. The network demonstrated to be closely but differently associated with cognitive function at both local and global levels, indicating the potentially separated pathologies of cognition deficits in SCZ and BP.

Changes of anhedonia and cognitive symptoms in first episode of depression and recurrent depression, an analysis of data from NSSD.

BACKGROUND: Anhedonia and cognitive impairment are core features of major depressive disorder (MDD), and are essential to the treatment and prognosis. Here, we aimed to investigate anhedonia and its cognitive correlates between first episode of depression (FED) and recurrent depression (RD), which was part of the National Survey on Symptomatology of Depression. METHODS: In this study, 1400 drug naïve FED patients and 487 on medicine RD patients were included. Differences of anhedonia, cognitive symptoms and other clinical characteristics between groups were compared via Student's t-test, or the chi-square test as appropriate. Partial correlation analysis was used to analyze the correlations between anhedonia and cognitive symptoms after adjusting for potential confounders. A stepwise logistic regression analysis was performed to identify relapse risk factors among symptomatic variables, demographic factors, clinical characteristics and medication use. RESULTS: Compared to FED, RD patients displayed more comprehensive depressive, impaired cognitive and anhedonia symptoms. Cognitive symptoms were significantly related with the anhedonia symptoms with varying aspects. Patients taking emotional stabilizers displayed more abnormal cognitive symptoms, followed by benzodiazepines, and finally SSRIs, SNRIs and TCAs. The effect of drug use on anhedonia is not as extensive as that of cognitive symptoms. CONCLUSION: Collectively, the results of this investigation advance the knowledge on changes in anhedonia and cognitive symptoms in MDD. LIMITATIONS: As this is a cross sectional study, it is difficult to draw any causal conclusions between cognitive impairment and anhedonia in MDD, and to ascertain the worse cognitive performances identified here were induced by current drug use.

Multiple exposures to sevoflurane across postnatal development may cause cognitive deficits in older age.

BACKGROUND: The aim of the study was to determine the effects of repeated anesthesia exposure across postnatal development. METHODS: Seventy-two newborn Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into Sev group and Con-aged group. Sev groups were exposed to 2.6% sevoflurane for 2 h on postnatal day (P) 7, P14, and P21; the Con groups only received carrier gas for 2 h. Learning and memory were evaluated using the MWM test at P31 (juvenile), P91 (adult), and 18 months postnatally (aged). The relative expression of APP and Mapt mRNA was detected by RT-PCR, while Aß, tau, and P-tau protein levels were analyzed by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: After repeated inhalation of sevoflurane, MWM test performance was significantly decreased in the Sev-aged group compared to the Con-aged group (P > 0.05). The relative expression of APP and Mapt mRNA was not significantly different between groups in each growth period (P > 0.05). The tau expression in the juvenile hippocampal CA1, CA3, and dentate gyrus regions increased markedly in the Sev group, while P-tau only increased in the hippocampal CA3 region in the Sev-adult group. The expression of tau, P-tau, and Aß in the hippocampal regions was upregulated in the Sev-aged group. CONCLUSIONS: Multiple exposures to sevoflurane across postnatal development can induce or aggravate cognitive impairment in old age. IMPACT: Whether multiple sevoflurane exposures across postnatal development cause cognitive impairment in childhood, adulthood, or old age, as well as the relationship between sevoflurane and the hippocampal Aß, tau, and P-tau proteins, remains unknown. This study's results demonstrate that multiple exposures to sevoflurane across postnatal development do not appear to affect cognitive function in childhood and adulthood; however, multiple exposures may lead to a cognitive function deficit in old age. The underlying mechanism may involve overexpression of the tau, P-tau, and Aß proteins in the hippocampus.

Risk perception of COVID-19 among college students in China: Latent profile analysis.

Background: The outbreak of the new coronavirus-2019 (COVID-19) has had a significant impact on people's mental and physical health. Meanwhile, people's perceptions of risk may influence their emotional states and preventative behavior during an epidemic. Previous research have revealed the diversity and uniqueness of risk perception, and college students may have a different perspective on risk perception. The objective of this study was to describe the subtypes of risk perception for COVID-19 among college students in China, identify the subtypes' traits, and investigate their affecting variables. Methods: College students from 10 Chinese provinces participated in a cross-sectional study (n = 2,000) that from January 16 to 30, 2022. The latent profiles and influencing factors for risk perception were investigated using latent profile analysis, one-way analysis of variance, and multinomial logistical regression. Results: The sample group of this survey was 1,946 students, and the response rate was 97.3%. The best model was suggested to consist of three profiles: "neutral risk perception" (20.3%), "perception seriously without susceptible" (52.8%), and "low risk perception" (26.9%). Risk perception of COVID-19 was positively associated with attention to negation information (r = 0.372, p < 0.01), anxiety (r = 0.232, p < 0.01), and depression (r = 0.241, p < 0.01), and negatively associated with perceived social support (r = -0.151, p < 0.01). Logistic-regressions analyses mainly revealed that the risk perception of three profiles related to having chronic diseases (OR = 2.704, p < 0.01), medical major (OR = 0.595, p < 0.01; OR = 0.614, p < 0.05), without having COVID-19 confirmed cases around (OR = 0.539, p < 0.01), attention to negative information (OR = 1.073, p < 0.001; OR = 1.092, p < 0.001), and perceived social support (OR = 0.0.975, p < 0.01). Conclusions: The level of risk perception for COVID-19 among Chinese college students was unsatisfactory, and the risk perception of COVID-19 had significant group characteristics and heterogeneity. Colleges and public health practitioners could have a theoretical and empirical basis to implement risk perception intervention efforts by identifying latent subgroups during the COVID-19 epidemic.

Differences in inflammatory marker profiles and cognitive functioning between deficit and nondeficit schizophrenia.

Deficit schizophrenia (DS) patient is a homogenous subtype of schizophrenia that includes primary and enduring negative symptoms. This study aimed to compare the differences in cognitive functioning and plasma levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) and inflammatory cytokines among DS patients, nondeficit schizophrenia (NDS) patients, and healthy controls (HCs). A total of 141 schizophrenia patients and 67 HCs were included in this study. The schizophrenia patients were divided into DS (N= 51) and NDS (N=90) groups based on the Proxy for the Deficit Syndrome Scale (PDS). The Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) and the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS) were used to evaluate the clinical symptoms and cognitive performances, respectively. The plasma level of CRP, IL-1ß, Il-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-12, IL-17, TNF-α, and IFN-γ were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs). Our results showed that DS patients had the worst cognitive performance, especially in the immediate memory, attention, and language dimensions, compared to the NDS and HC groups. Compared to the HCs group, DS patients had higher levels of CRP, IL-1ß, IL-6, IL-8, IFN-γ, and total proinflammatory cytokines, and NDS patients had higher levels of IL-1ß, IFN-γ, and proinflammatory cytokines. We also found that CRP levels were significantly increased in DS patients compared to NDS patients. Moreover, stepwise logistic regression analysis revealed that CRP is an independent risk factor for DS. Sex stratification analysis showed significant differences in almost all cytokines in female samples but not in male samples. The significant differences in cognitive performance and inflammatory components among groups suggest that deficit syndrome is an independent endophenotype of schizophrenia patients with unique immune-inflammatory features, but may have sex characteristics.

Efficacy and Safety of Remimazolam Besylate Combined with Alfentanil in Painless Gastroscopy: A Randomized, Single-Blind, Parallel Controlled Study.

Background: The efficacy and adverse reactions of remimazolam besylate (RB) in combination with alfentanil in patients with painless gastroscopy remain unclear. Objective: The aim of the study is to observe the efficacy and adverse reactions of RB in combination with alfentanil in patients with painless gastroscopy RB. Methods: All patients were randomly divided into two groups: RB combined with the alfentanil group (research group) and propofol combined with the alfentanil group (control group). After full oxygen inhalation and electrocardiographic monitoring, the research group was given 10 µg/Kg alfentanil + RB 0.2 mg/kg intravenously, and the control group was given 10 µg/Kg alfentanil + propofol 1.5 mg/kg. If there is a clinical need, the research group was given 2.5 mg/additional RB, whereas the control group was treated with an additional 0.5 mg/kg propofol. Main outcome measures were as follows: The vital endpoints including diachronic changes in heart rate (HR), blood pressure (BP), respiratory rate (RR), blood oxygen saturation (SPO2), end-expiratory carbon dioxide (etCO2), IPI, modified observer's assessment of alert/sedation (MOAA/S), time-related endpoints, perioperative adverse events, endoscopy, and anesthesiologist satisfaction, and 24-hour follow-up of adverse reactions, IPI scores, and satisfaction were recorded. Results: The HR and BP of the patients in the research group and the control group decreased, with a greater decrease in the control group, and the difference was statistically significant (p < 0.05). The values of RR, PETCO2, and IPI in the research group and the control group decreased to the lowest at 2-3 min but the decrease in the control group was more significant. Furthermore, there was no significant difference in the time from the completion of administration to 4 minutes of IPI and the total examination time, but the awakening time in the research group was slightly longer than that in the control group, and the difference was statistically significant (p < 0.05). The incidences of respiratory depression and hypotension during the operation were shown to be markedly smaller in the investigation relative to the control team, and the difference was statistically significant (p < 0.05), whereas the occurrence of cough, movements, and singultus was more common in the investigations, and the difference was statistically significant (p < 0.05). The results of the 24-hour follow-up showed that the adverse reactions such as nausea, dizziness, fatigue, abdominal pain, and abdominal distension were much less frequent in the study team, and the difference was statistically significant (p < 0.05), and the patient satisfaction was higher than in the control group, and the difference was statistically significant (p < 0.05). The regression results showed that age, sedative, and total dose of analgesia had significant effects on the results, and the covariance coefficient of sedative was 1.57 of IPI score in the research group higher than that of the control group. Conclusions: RB combined with alfentanil can provide safe and effective sedation for patients undergoing painless gastroscopy. Compared with propofol, RB and alfentanil for injection can avoid large hemodynamic fluctuations and deep sedation, and have fewer adverse reactions. However, the cases involved in this study are all from a single-center data, which requires further multicenter research and conformation.

Coupling Perovskite Quantum Dot Pairs in Solution using a Nanoplasmonic Assembly.

Perovskite quantum dots (PQDs) provide a robust solution-based approach to efficient solar cells, bright light emitting devices, and quantum sources of light. Quantifying heterogeneity and understanding coupling between dots is critical for these applications. We use double-nanohole optical trapping to size individual dots and correlate to emission energy shifts from quantum confinement. We were able to assemble a second dot in the trap, which allows us to observe the coupling between dots. We observe a systematic red-shift of 1.1 ± 0.6 meV in the emission wavelength. Theoretical analysis shows that the observed shift is consistent with resonant energy transfer and is unusually large due to moderate-to-large quantum confinement in PQDs. This demonstrates the promise of PQDs for entanglement in quantum information applications. This work enables future in situ control of PQD growth as well as studies of the coupling between small PQD assemblies with quantum information applications in mind.

Correlation of Orexin-A and brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels in metabolic syndrome and cognitive impairment in schizophrenia treated with clozapine.

Orexin-A and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) are implicated in regulating metabolic syndrome (MetS) and cognitive impairment of schizophrenia. However, the associations among them remains unclear. Here, we aimed to investigate the relationship between Orexin-A levels, BDNF, MetS, clinical symptom profile, and cognitive function in schizophrenia patients following long-term clozapine treatment. We measured Orexin-A and BDNF levels in 140 schizophrenia patients with and without MetS. We assessed clinical symptoms on the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale and cognitive function by the assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS), and examined their associations with Orexin-A. Patients with MetS had significantly lower Orexin-A levels and higher coding test, attention span and delayed retention in RBANS (P < 0.05). Correlation analysis showed that Orexin-A was associated with BDNF, TG, HDLC, PANSS active social avoidance and emotional withdrawal significantly. Besides, Orexin-A significantly interacted with BDNF for metabolic and cognitive profiles including waist circumference, delayed retention and list recognition. Logistic regression analysis showed that Orexin-A level (odds ratio [OR] = 0.380, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.151-0.952, P = 0.039) and total illness duration (OR = 0.932, 95% CI: 0.875-0.991, P = 0.025) were predictive variables of MetS. However, there was no significant relationship between Orexin-A and cognitive function after adjustment for age, sex and educational levels. Totally, a lower plasma Orexin-A level seems to be related to metabolic parameters more than cognitive profiles. The interaction of Orexin-A with BDNF may be partly responsible for worse MetS and better cognition of elderly schizophrenia, but the causal relationship needs further clarification.

Discrete Element Modeling of Instability Mechanisms of Unbound Permeable Aggregate Base Materials in Triaxial Compression.

Unbound permeable aggregate base (UPAB) materials with strong load-transmitting skeleton yet adequate inter-connected pores are desired for use in the sponge-city initiative. However, the micro-scale fabric evolution and instability mechanism of macroscopic strength behavior of such UPAB materials still remain unclear. In this study, virtual monotonic triaxial compression tests were conducted by using the discrete element method (DEM) modeling approach on specimens with different gradations quantified by the parameter of gravel-to-sand ratio (G/S). The realistic aggregate particle shape and inter-particle contact behavior were properly considered in the DEM model. The micromechanical mechanisms of the shearing failure of such UPAB materials and their evolution characteristics with G/S values were disclosed from contact force chains, microstructures, and particle motion. It was found that the proportion of rotating particles in the specimens decreased and the proportion of relative sliding between particles increased as the content of fine particles decreased. The plastic yielding of the specimens originated from the failure of contact force chains and the occurrence of the relative motion between particles, while the final instability was manifested by the large-scale relative motion among particles along the failure plane (i.e., changes in the internal particle topology). By comparing the macroscopic strength, microstructure evolution, and particle motion characteristics of the specimens with different G/S values, it was found that the specimens with G/S value of 1.8 performed the best, and that the G/S value of 1.8 could be regarded as the threshold for separating floating dense and skeletal gap type packing structures. The variation of Euler angles of rotating particles was significantly reduced in the particle size range of 4.75 mm to 9.50 mm, indicating that this size range separates most of the particles from rolling and sliding. Since particle rolling and sliding behavior are directly related to shear strength, this validates the rationality of the parameter G/S for controlling and optimizing gradations from the perspective of particle movement. The findings could provide theoretical basis and technical guidance for the effective design and efficient utilization of UPAB materials.

Abnormal functional connectivity of the anterior cingulate cortex subregions mediates the association between anhedonia and sleep quality in major depressive disorder.

BACKGROUND: The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) is a crucial region in the pathophysiology of major depressive disorder (MDD). However, the relationship between functional alterations of the ACC subregions, anhedonia and sleep quality remains unclear in MDD patients. METHODS: The resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) of ACC subregions was measured in 41 first-episode medication-naïve MDD patients and 63 healthy controls who underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging. Between-group differences were examined using two-sample t-test. Furthermore, correlation and mediation analyses were carried out to investigate the relationships between the aberrant rsFC of ACC subregions, anhedonia and sleep quality in the patients and controls. RESULTS: Compared to healthy controls, the MDD patients exhibited increased rsFC of ACC subregions to areas of the anterior default mode network (DMN) and showed decreased rsFC of the right subgenual ACC to left precuneus (PCUN), which belongs to the posterior DMN. In MDD group, the sleep quality and consummatory anhedonia are correlated with some rsFC, which involves the angular gyrus (ANG) and superior frontal gyrus (SFG). More importantly, the rsFC between the right perigenual ACC and left SPG mediates the association between anhedonia and sleep quality in MDD. LIMITATIONS: The cross-sectional design and the subjective questionaries for assessment. CONCLUSION: These findings confirm the functional alterations of the ACC subregions and reveal the mediating role of ACC subregions in sleep and reward dysfunction in MDD.

Comorbidity and Treatment in Older Psychiatric In-patients-A Retrospective Study in a Chinese Psychiatric Hospital.

Background: Comorbid somatic diseases increase the death risk and affect the condition, treatment, and prognosis of older psychiatric patients. We investigated the comorbidity and drug treatment in older patients with psychosis. Methods: This retrospective study used data from 3,115 older psychiatric in-patients hospitalized at the Shanghai Mental Health Center Affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, China discharged from 2005 to 2015. Descriptive analyses of patients' age, sex, treatment drugs, diagnoses (based on ICD-10), and time trend were performed. Results: Patients' median age was 56 (range, 50-98) years; 1,824 (58.6%) were female. The top five first-level diagnoses were schizophrenia (F20) (n = 1,818, 58.3%), depressive episode (F32) (n = 457, 14.6%), bipolar affective disorder (F31) (n = 151, 4.8%), manic episode (F30), (n = 143, 4.6%), and vascular dementia (F01) (n = 136, 4.4%). Mental (99.9%), central nervous system (85.2%), digestive system (83.5%), cardiovascular system (72.5%), and anti-infective (59.6%) drugs had the highest prescription rates. The combined use of antidepressants, anti-anxiety, anti-arrhythmic, hormones and endocrine system drugs were significantly higher in female than in male patients, while mood stabilizers and genitourinary system drugs significantly more frequent in men. With increasing age, the F20-F29 patients decreased, while F00-F09 patients increased, with the corresponding changes to prescription in those patients. In comparison to that in 2005-2010, the combined prescriptions for genitourinary and cardiovascular drugs increased between 2011 and 2015, and F00-F09 and F40-F48 older patients doubled, accordingly anti-Alzheimer's disease drugs and antidepressants more than doubled. F30-F39 patients increased by 49.1%, and anti-anxiety drugs, mood stabilizers, etc. increased by ≥50%; F20-F29 older patients decreased by 26.7%, while antipsychotics only increased by 4.4%. Conclusions: This study found the combined drug treatment of somatic diseases, particularly for central nervous, digestive, cardiovascular, respiratory and genitourinary drugs were extremely common among older psychiatric in-patients in China. With increasing age, the F20-F29 patients decreased, while F00-F09 patients increased; the antipsychotics prescriptions decreased, and almost all comorbidity drugs increased. Compared with that in 2005-2010, the older patients with all diagnosis except F20-F29 increased in 2011-2015, and the prescriptions for psychotropic, genitourinary, and cardiovascular drugs increased.

Evaluating Gyratory Compaction Characteristics of Unbound Permeable Aggregate Base Materials from Meso-Scale Particle Movement Measured by Smart Sensing Technology.

The quality of compaction of unbound aggregate materials with permeable gradation plays a vital role in their field performance; however, there are currently few unanimously accepted techniques or quality control criteria available for ensuring adequate compaction of such materials in either laboratory or field applications. This paper presented testing results of a laboratory gyratory compaction study where the combinations of gyratory parameters were properly designed using the orthogonal array theory. Innovative real-time particle motion sensors were employed to record particle movement characteristics during the compaction process and provide a meso-scale explanation about compaction mechanisms. Particle abrasion and breakage were also quantified from particle shape digitized from the three-dimensional (3D) laser scanner before and after compaction. The optimal combination of gyratory parameters that yields the best compaction performance was determined from the orthogonal testing results with the relative importance of major influencing parameters ranked accordingly. Meso-scale particle movement at the upper center and center side positions of the specimen are promising indicators of compaction quality. The gyratory compaction process can be consistently divided into three distinct stages according to both macro-scale performance indicators and meso-scale particle movement characteristics. A statistically significant bi-linear relationship was found to exist between relative breakage index and maximum abrasion depth, whereas the quality of compaction and the extent of particle breakage appear to be positively correlated, thus necessitating the cost-effective balance between them. The results of this study could provide technical insights and guidance to field compaction of unbound permeable aggregates.

Fermi's Golden Rule for Spontaneous Emission in Absorptive and Amplifying Media.

We demonstrate a fundamental breakdown of the photonic spontaneous emission (SE) formula derived from Fermi's golden rule, in absorptive and amplifying media, where one assumes the SE rate scales with the local photon density of states, an approach often used in more complex, semiclassical nanophotonics simulations. Using a rigorous quantization of the macroscopic Maxwell equations in the presence of arbitrary linear media, we derive a corrected Fermi's golden rule and master equation for a quantum two-level system (TLS) that yields a quantum pumping term and a modified decay rate that is net positive. We show rigorous numerical results of the temporal dynamics of the TLS for an example of two coupled microdisk resonators, forming a gain-loss medium, and demonstrate the clear failure of the commonly adopted formulas based solely on the local density of states.

Efficacy and tolerability of pharmacological interventions on metabolic disturbance induced by atypical antipsychotics in adults: A systematic review and network meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: There have been a few systematic reviews and conventional meta-analyses reporting effect of drugs on metabolic disturbance induced by atypical antipsychotics (AAPs). However, few of them provided sufficient and comprehensive comparisons between pharmacological interventions. AIMS: We aimed to qualitatively compare drugs' effect on AAPs-induced metabolic abnormalities by using network meta-analysis (NMA). METHODS: We searched PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, Cochrane Controlled Register of Trials (CENTRAL), and PsycINFO on March 26, 2019. Of 5889 records identified, 61 randomized clinical trials including 3467 participants were included. We estimated weighted mean difference (WMD) and odds ratio (OR) using NMA. We assessed the risk of bias of individual studies with the Review Manager 5.3. Primary outcomes included change of body weight and body mass index (BMI). Secondary outcomes included change of other cardiometabolic risk factors, acceptability, and tolerability. RESULTS: For body weight, topiramate (WMD -5.4, 95% CI -7.12 to -3.68), zonisamide (-3.44, 95% CI -6.57 to -0.36), metformin (-3.01, 95% CI -4.22 to -1.83), glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) (-3.23, 95% CI -5.47 to -0.96), and nizatidine (-2.14, 95% CI -4.01 to -0.27) were significantly superior to placebo. Results regarding to BMI were similar to that of body weight. With respect to tolerability, only topiramate (OR 24, 95% CI 3.15 to 648) was inferior to placebo. CONCLUSIONS: Considering both efficacy and tolerability, evidence from this NMA indicates zonisamide, metformin, GLP-1RAs, and nizatidine in adults should be the first-line treatment for alleviating AAPs-induced weight gain or elevated BMI.