Morphological Profiling of Schizophrenia: Cluster Analysis of MRI-Based Cortical Thickness Data.

The diagnosis of schizophrenia is thought to embrace several distinct subgroups. The manifold entities in a single clinical patient group increase the variance of biological measures, deflate the group-level estimates of causal factors, and mask the presence of treatment effects. However, reliable neurobiological boundaries to differentiate these subgroups remain elusive. Since cortical thinning is a well-established feature in schizophrenia, we investigated if individuals (patients and healthy controls) with similar patterns of regional cortical thickness form naturally occurring morphological subtypes. K-means algorithm clustering was applied to regional cortical thickness values obtained from 256 structural MRI scans (179 patients with schizophrenia and 77 healthy controls [HCs]). GAP statistics revealed three clusters with distinct regional thickness patterns. The specific patterns of cortical thinning, clinical characteristics, and cognitive function of each clustered subgroup were assessed. The three clusters based on thickness patterns comprised of a morphologically impoverished subgroup (25% patients, 1% HCs), an intermediate subgroup (47% patients, 46% HCs), and an intact subgroup (28% patients, 53% HCs). The differences of clinical features among three clusters pertained to age-of-onset, N-back performance, duration exposure to treatment, total burden of positive symptoms, and severity of delusions. Particularly, the morphologically impoverished group had deficits in N-back performance and less severe positive symptom burden. The data-driven neuroimaging approach illustrates the occurrence of morphologically separable subgroups in schizophrenia, with distinct clinical characteristics. We infer that the anatomical heterogeneity of schizophrenia arises from both pathological deviance and physiological variance. We advocate using MRI-guided stratification for clinical trials as well as case-control investigations in schizophrenia.

[Assessment of the air quality improment of cleaning and disinfection on central air-conditioning ventilation system].

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effect of air quality of cleaning and disinfection on central air-conditioning ventilation systems. METHOD: 102 air-conditioning ventilation systems in 46 public facilities were sampled and investigated based on Hygienic assessment criterion of cleaning and disinfection of public central air-conditioning systems. RESULTS: Median dust volume decreased from 41.8 g/m2 to 0.4 g/m2, and the percentage of pipes meeting the national standard for dust decreased from 17.3% (13/60) to 100% (62/62). In the dust, median aerobic bacterial count decreased from 14 cfu/cm2 to 1 cfu/cm2. Median aerobic fungus count decreased from 10 cfu/cm2 to 0 cfu/cm2. The percentage of pipes with bacterial and fungus counts meeting the national standard increased from 92.4% (171/185) and 82.2% (152/185) to 99.4% (165/166) and 100% (166/166), respectively. In the ventilation air, median aerobic bacterial count decreased from 756 cfu/m3 to 229 cfu/m3. Median aerobic fungus count decreased from 382 cfu/m3 to 120 cfu/m3. The percentage of pipes meeting the national standard for ventilation air increased from 33.3% (81/243) and 62.1% (151/243) to 79.8% (292/366) and 87.7% (242/276), respectively. But PM10 rose from 0.060 mg/m3 to 0.068 mg/m3, and the percentage of pipes meeting the national standard for PM10 increased from 74.2% (13/60) to 90.2% (46/51). CONCLUSION: The cleaning and disinfection of central air-conditioning ventilation systems could have a beneficial effect of air quality.

[Health damage of indoor air pollution by decoration on residents].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the health damage of indoor air pollution on residents by detecting the major indoor air pollutants and surveying the health indexes of residents. METHODS: 159 decorated houses were divided into 2 groups by whether the concentration of formaldehyde exceeded national standard. To analyze the health damage of formaldehyde and TVOC on residents, respectively. RESULTS: The concentrations of formaldehyde of the over standard group and the corresponding under standard group were (0.170 +/- 0.075) mg/m3 and (0.064 +/- 0.022) mg/m3, the concentrations of TVOC of the over standard group and the corresponding under standard group were (2.033 +/- 1.161) mg/m3 and (0.271 +/- 0.142) mg/m3. The incidence of the fatigue, nausea, eye symptoms, symptoms of nose, throat dessication, skin dessication, skin itching sensation and red swelling of the skin of the over standard group was significantly increased than that of the corresponding under standard group (P < 0.05). The incidence of the nausea, skin itching sensation and breathe hard of the TVOC over standard group was significantly increased than that of the corresponding under standard group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Formaldehyde or TVOC will cause severe health damage.