Cost-effectiveness of early intervention in psychosis in low- and middle-income countries: economic evaluation from São Paulo, Brazil

AIMS

The effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of early intervention for psychosis (EIP) services are well established in high-income countries but not in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Despite the scarcity of local evidence, several EIP services have been implemented in LMICs. Local evaluations are warranted before adopting speciality models of care in LMICs. We aimed to estimate the cost-effectiveness of implementing EIP services in Brazil.

METHODS

A model-based economic evaluation of EIP services was conducted from the Brazilian healthcare system perspective. A Markov model was developed using a cohort study conducted in São Paulo. Cost data were retrieved from local sources. The outcome of interest was the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) measured as the incremental costs over the incremental quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs). Sensitivity analyses were performed to test the robustness of the results.

RESULTS

The study included 357 participants (38% female), with a mean (SD) age of 26 (7.38) years. According to the model, implementing EIP services in Brazil would result in a mean incremental cost of 4,478 Brazilian reals (R$) and a mean incremental benefit of 0.29 QALYs. The resulting ICER of R$ 15,495 (US dollar [USD] 7,640 adjusted for purchase power parity [PPP]) per QALY can be considered cost-effective at a willingness-to-pay threshold of 1 Gross domestic product (GDP) per capita (R$ 18,254; USD 9,000 PPP adjusted). The model results were robust to sensitivity analyses.

CONCLUSIONS

This study supports the economic advantages of implementing EIP services in Brazil. Although cultural adaptations are required, these data suggest EIP services might be cost-effective even in less-resourced countries.

Hydrochar drives reduction in bioavailability of heavy metals during composting via promoting humification and microbial community evolution

This study presented the effects of hydrochar on humification, heavy metals (HMs) bioavailability and bacterial community succession during composting. Results indicated that hydrochar addition led to elevated composting temperature, 7.3% increase in humic acid (HA), and 52.9% increase in ratio of humic acid to fulvic acid. The diethylene triamine pentacetic acid extractable Zn, Cu, Pb, and Ni were reduced by 19.2%, 36.3%, 37.8%, and 27.1%, respectively, in hydrochar-involved composting system. Furthermore, main mechanisms driving the reduced HMs bioavailability by hydrochar addition were revealed. The addition of hydrochar significantly modified the microbial community structure. Correlation analysis and microbial analysis demonstrated that relative abundance of bacterial groups connected with humification and HMs passivation were increased. Consequently, the HA formation was promoted and the HMs bioavailability were reduced through bacterial bioremediation and HA complexation. This study demonstrates the addition of hydrochar as a promising strategy to mitigate the HMs bioavailability during composting.

[Incidence and case fatality rates of cardiovascular diseases in urban and rural community-dwelling populations in eastern, central and western regions of China]

Objective: To evaluate the incidence and case fatality rate of cardiovascular disease (CVD) among populations in urban and rural communities in eastern, central and western regions of China. Methods: The present study was based on the data of the Prospective Urban and Rural Epidemiology (PURE)-China cohort, which enrolled participants who had at least one follow-up visit and complete information on age and sex. Information on baseline demographics, cardiovascular risk factors, and prevention and treatment for CVD were collected. CVD and mortality events were documented using the standardized case report form of the PURE Global Study to assess the incidence and case fatality rate of CVD among populations in urban and rural communities in eastern, central and western China. Results: This study included a total of 47 262 community-dwelling participants (age: (51.1±9.6) years; female, n=27 529, 58.2%) from 115 urban and rural communities in 12 provinces across the eastern, central, and western regions of China. Over a follow-up period of 11.9 (9.5, 12.6) years, 2 686 deaths and 5 873 cardiovascular events were documented. The incidence of CVD was 11.90 (95%CI: 11.60-12.21)/1 000 person-years. A significant difference in CVD incidence was observed across regions (Ptrend<0.001), which was highest in the western provinces (13.99 (95%CI: 13.33-14.65)/1 000 person-years), intermediate in the eastern provinces (11.92 (95%CI: 11.52-12.33)/1 000 person-years), and lowest in the central provinces (8.87 (95%CI: 8.25-9.50)/1 000 person-years). The 1-year case fatality rate of CVD demonstrated an increasing trend from eastern to western regions (eastern: 10.20% (95%CI: 6.95-14.73); central: 13.50% (95%CI: 9.90-18.14); western: 18.62% (95%CI: 14.95-22.94); Ptrend<0.001). Moreover, the incidence of major CVD was consistently higher in rural areas compared with urban areas across eastern (P<0.001), central (P=0.01) and western (P<0.001)_regions, respectively. The 1-year case fatality rate in rural areas was also significantly higher compared with that in urban areas in both eastern (P<0.001) and western regions (P=0.02). Conclusions: The incidence and case fatality rate of CVD were high among middle-aged population in China, especially those in western regions with low socioeconomic levels and in rural areas.

[Clinicopathological analysis of gonadal differentiation of sex development disorder]

Objective: To investigate pathological features and differential diagnosis in the gonads with disorder of sex development. Methods: Thirty-six cases of clinically diagnosed hermaphroditism with gonadal biopsy in the Department of Pathology, the Seventh Medical Center of People's Liberation Army General Hospital from April 2007 to July 2021, were collected. All biopsy pathological sections were reviewed, and the gonadal cases with abnormal pathological morphology were screened out. The clinical and imaging data and karyotype of these cases were reviewed. Additional immunohistochemical staining was performed and relevant literature was reviewed. Results: Seven cases of ovotesticular disorder of sex development (OTDSD) were identified, which were characterized by the presence of testicular and ovarian differentiation in the same individual. All patients were under 15 years old and presented with abnormal appearance of external genitalia, and the ratio of male to female was 2∶5. Ultrasonography showed testicular structure in all female patients and cryptorchidism in all male patients. The most common karyotype was 46, XX. One case with undifferentiated gonadal tissue (UGT) and one case with streak gonads were screened out. UGT germ cells were neither in seminiferous tubules nor in follicles, but randomly distributed in an ovarial-type interstitial background, sometimes accompanied by immature sex cords. Streak gonads resembled UGT without germ cells. FOXL2 was positive in granulosa cells, but negative in Sertoli cells. SOX9 expression was opposite. OCT4 was weakly positively/negatively expressed in oocytes and positively expressed in the germ nuclei of UGT. Conclusions: Four differentiation patterns need to be identified in the gonadal biopsy: ovarian differentiation, testicular differentiation, undifferentiated gonadal tissue and streak gonad. The positive expression of SOX9 indicates testicular differentiation, while the positive expression of FOXL2 confirms ovarian differentiation, and the expression of both markers in the same tissue indicates ovotestis differentiation. It is very important to identify UGT, because that has a high probability of developing into gonadoblastoma in the future.

Research on gesture recognition algorithm based on MME-P3D

A Multiscale-Motion Embedding Pseudo-3D (MME-P3D) gesture recognition algorithm has been proposed to tackle the issues of excessive parameters and high computational complexity encountered by existing gesture recognition algorithms deployed in mobile and embedded devices. The algorithm initially takes into account the characteristics of gesture motion information, integrating the channel attention (CE) mechanism into the pseudo-3D (P3D) module, thereby constructing a P3D-C feature extraction network that can efficiently extract spatio-temporal feature information while reducing the complexity of the algorithmic model. To further enhance the understanding and learning of the global gesture movement's dynamic information, a Multiscale Motion Embedding (MME) mechanism is subsequently designed. The experimental findings reveal that the MME-P3D model achieves recognition accuracies reaching up to 91.12% and 83.06% on the self-constructed conference gesture dataset and the publicly available Chalearn 2013 dataset, respectively. In comparison with the conventional 3D convolutional neural network, the MME-P3D model demonstrates a significant advantage in terms of parameter count and computational requirements, which are reduced by as much as 82% and 83%, respectively. This effectively addresses the limitations of the original algorithms, making them more suitable for deployment on embedded and mobile devices and providing a more effective means for the practical application of hand gesture recognition technology.

Risk Factors for Hypoglycemia Among Neonates: A Prospective Cohort Study Among Pregnant People With Gestational Diabetes Mellitus

OBJECTIVE

Neonatal hypoglycemia (NH) is the most frequent complication in neonates born to pregnant people with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and an important cause of brain damage and death of neonates. We explored the risk factors for NH in neonates of pregnant people with GDM.

METHODS

A prospective cohort study was conducted involving 322 pregnant people with GDM at the Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Centre. Maternal sociodemographic, clinical, and biochemical data, as well as general characteristics of neonates, were collected to analyze their associations with NH in neonates of pregnant people with GDM.

RESULTS

The incidence of NH among neonates of pregnant people with GDM was 19.57% (63/322). After adjustment for confounders, the factors significantly associated with an increased risk of NH were cesarean delivery (relative risk [RR] = 3.44; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.83-6.45), red blood cell (RBC) count (RR = 2.19; 95% CI, 1.22-3.96), and 1-hour postprandial glucose (RR = 2.35; 95% CI, 1.23-4.46) during pregnancy, whereas later gestational age (RR = 0.58; 95% CI, 0.42-0.80) and multiparity (RR = 0.32; 95% CI, 0.16-0.66) were associated with a reduced risk of NH.

CONCLUSION

Cesarean delivery, maternal 1-hour glucose of the oral glucose tolerance test, and increased RBC count of pregnant people with GDM are independent risk factors for NH, while later gestational age and multiparity are protective factors.

Creating new littoral zones in a shallow lake to forward-restore an aquatic food web

Current rates of habitat loss require science-based predictions on how to restore or newly create lost habitat types. In aquatic ecosystems, littoral zones are key habitats for food web functioning, but they are often replaced by unnatural steep shorelines for water safety. To reverse this trend, knowledge is needed on how to successfully (re)create littoral zones. We quantified the response of an aquatic food web to the large-scale creation of new heterogeneous littoral habitats in shallow lake Markermeer, the Netherlands. Lake Markermeer was formed by dike construction in a former estuary, which created a heavily modified homogeneous 70,000 ha turbid lake lacking littoral habitat. Fish and bird populations declined over the last decades, but classical restoration via return to former marine conditions would compromise water safety and the large spatial scale prohibited biodiversity offsets. Therefore, an innovative "forward-looking restoration" approach was adopted: a 1000 ha archipelago called "Marker Wadden" was constructed without using a historic reference situation to return to. This aimed bottom-up stimulation of the aquatic food web by adding missing gradual land-water transitions and sheltered waters to the lake. After four years, new sheltered shorelines had become vegetated if they were constructed from nutrient-rich sediments. Exposed and sandy shorelines remained free of vegetation. Zooplankton community diversity increased in sheltered waters due to bottom-up processes, which increased food availability for higher trophic levels, including young fish. The creation of sheltered waters increased macroinvertebrate densities threefold, with sediment type determining the community composition. The archipelago became new nursery habitat for 13 of the 24 fish species known to occur in the lake, with up to 10-fold higher abundances under sheltered conditions. We conclude that modifying abiotic conditions can stimulate multiple trophic levels in aquatic food webs simultaneously, even in heavily modified ecosystems. This provides proof-of-principle for the forward-looking restoration approach.

Reduction of mobile genetic elements determines the removal of antibiotic resistance genes during pig manure composting after thermal pretreatment

Animal manure is a primary repository of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and mobile genetic elements (MGEs). This work explored the efficiency of ARGs and MGEs removal during pig manure composting after thermal pretreatment (TPC) and the underlying mechanisms. TPC resulted in a decrease of 94.7% and 92.3% in the relative abundance of ARGs and MGEs which was 48.9% and 76.6% lower than control, respectively. Network analysis indicated that reductions of ARGs and MGEs in TPC were relevant to decrease in the amount and abundance of bacterial hosts. Furthermore, total ARGs abundance in TPC was correlated with that of intI1 and Tn916/1545 (P < 0.001). Redundancy analysis supported a leading role of MGEs in ARGs dynamics in TPC. Reduction of MGEs rather than bacterial hosts contributed mainly to ARGs removal in TPC, as revealed by structural equation modeling. In conclusion, TPC was an effective method to treat animal manure containing ARGs.

A global optimization generation method of stitching dental panorama with anti-perspective transformation

To address the limitation of narrow field-of-view in local oral cavity images that fail to capture large-area targets at once, this paper designs a method for generating natural dental panoramas based on oral endoscopic imaging that consists of two main stages: the anti-perspective transformation feature extraction and the coarse-to-fine global optimization matching. In the first stage, we increase the number of matched pairs and improve the robustness of the algorithm to viewpoint transformation by normalizing the anti-affine transformation region extracted from the Gaussian scale space and using log-polar coordinates to compute the gradient histogram of the octagonal region to obtain the set of perspective transformation resistant feature points. In the second stage, we design a coarse-to-fine global optimization matching strategy. Initially, we incorporate motion smoothing constraints and improve the Fast Library for Approximate Nearest Neighbors (FLANN) algorithm by utilizing neighborhood information for coarse matching. Then, we eliminate mismatches via homography-guided Random Sample Consensus (RANSAC) and further refine the matching using the Levenberg-Marquardt (L-M) algorithm to reduce cumulative errors and achieve global optimization. Finally, multi-band blending is used to eliminate the ghosting due to unalignment and make the image transition more natural. Experiments show that the visual effect of dental panoramas generated by the proposed method is significantly better than that of other methods, addressing the problems of sparse splicing discontinuities caused by sparse keypoints, ghosting due to parallax, and distortion caused by the accumulation of errors in multi-image splicing in oral endoscopic image stitching.

Shared and unique effects of ApoEε4 and pathogenic gene mutation on cognition and imaging in preclinical familial Alzheimer's disease

BACKGROUND

Neuropsychology and imaging changes have been reported in the preclinical stage of familial Alzheimer's disease (FAD). This study investigated the effects of APOEε4 and known pathogenic gene mutation on different cognitive domains and circuit imaging markers in preclinical FAD.

METHODS

One hundred thirty-nine asymptomatic subjects in FAD families, including 26 APOEε4 carriers, 17 APP and 20 PS1 mutation carriers, and 76 control subjects, went through a series of neuropsychological tests and MRI scanning. Test scores and imaging measures including volumes, diffusion indices, and functional connectivity (FC) of frontostriatal and hippocampus to posterior cingulate cortex pathways were compared between groups and analyzed for correlation.

RESULTS

Compared with controls, the APOEε4 group showed increased hippocampal volume and decreased FC of fronto-caudate pathway. The APP group showed increased recall scores in auditory verbal learning test, decreased fiber number, and increased radial diffusivity and FC of frontostriatal pathway. All three genetic groups showed decreased fractional anisotropy of hippocampus to posterior cingulate cortex pathway. These neuropsychological and imaging measures were able to discriminate genetic groups from controls, with areas under the curve from 0.733 to 0.837. Circuit imaging measures are differentially associated with scores in various cognitive scales in control and genetic groups.

CONCLUSIONS

There are neuropsychological and imaging changes in the preclinical stage of FAD, some of which are shared by APOEε4 and known pathogenic gene mutation, while some are unique to different genetic groups. These findings are helpful for the early identification of Alzheimer's disease and for developing generalized and individualized prevention and intervention strategies.

Costing analysis to introduce a contrast-enhanced mammography service to replace an existing breast MRI service for local staging of breast cancer

AIM

To assess the cost impact of switching from contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (CE-MRI) to contrast-enhanced spectral mammography (CESM) for loco-regional staging of breast cancer from a public healthcare perspective.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The CE-MRI cost was obtained from the NHS reference cost. The CESM cost was calculated using a bottom-up approach including use of the machine, pump injector, contrast medium, image storage, and time allocation for staff reporting and cannulation. The cost of upgrading existing machines to CESM or purchasing new mammographic machines was obtained via national procurement. Other costs were obtained from local pharmacy, published unit cost data, or estimated based on surveys.

RESULTS

For large health boards in Scotland (≥500 cancers diagnosed per annum), the cost savings of switching from CE-MRI to CESM range from £64,069 to £81,570. For small health boards (<500 cancers diagnosed per annum), the cost savings of switching from CE-MRI to CESM range from £6,453 to £23,953. The cost savings are most sensitive to the number of tests conducted per year, and whether the existing mammography machine can be upgraded to CESM or not.

CONCLUSION

Switching from CE-MRI to CESM for loco-regional staging of breast cancer is likely to be cost saving for both large and small health boards in Scotland. Further research is urgently needed to confirm the non-inferiority of CESM to CE-MRI as a locoregional staging technique. The input data of this analysis can be updated when such results become available.

A weakly supervised learning-based segmentation network for dental diseases

With the development of deep learning, medical image segmentation has become a promising technique for computer-aided medical diagnosis. However, the supervised training of the algorithm relies on a large amount of labeled data, and the private dataset bias generally exists in previous research, which seriously affects the algorithm's performance. In order to alleviate this problem and improve the robustness and generalization of the model, this paper proposes an end-to-end weakly supervised semantic segmentation network to learn and infer mappings. Firstly, an attention compensation mechanism (ACM) aggregating the class activation map (CAM) is designed to learn complementarily. Then the conditional random field (CRF) is introduced to prune the foreground and background regions. Finally, the obtained high-confidence regions are used as pseudo labels for the segmentation branch to train and optimize using a joint loss function. Our model achieves a Mean Intersection over Union (MIoU) score of 62.84% in the segmentation task, which is an effective improvement of 11.18% compared to the previous network for segmenting dental diseases. Moreover, we further verify that our model has higher robustness to dataset bias by improved localization mechanism (CAM). The research shows that our proposed approach improves the accuracy and robustness of dental disease identification.

[Survival and prognosis analysis of patients with Hodgkin lymphoma treated with standard treatment paradigm]

Objective: To analyze the survival and prognosis of Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) patients receiving standard first-line therapy. Methods: Data of clinical characteristics and treatment outcomes of patients with HL diagnosed in Cancer Hospital Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (CHCAMS) from January 1st, 2000 to December 31st, 2018 who received standard first-line treatment were retrospectively analyzed and compared with that of HL patients who received treatment in the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database in the United States during the same period. Factors associated with freedom from progression (FFP) of patients in CHCAMS were analyzed. Treatment and survival data of patients with relapsed/refractory HL (r/rHL) who had failed the standard first-line treatment during the corresponding period in CHCAMS were collected to analyze the outcomes of salvage therapy. Results: A total of 764 HL patients in CHCAMS were included in this study. The median age was 30 years (range, 14-83 years), with 424 males and 340 females. By February 26th, 2022, the patients were followed-up for a median time of 111 months(range, 0.3-262.0 months). Lymphoma-specific survival (LSS) rate and overall survival (OS) rate at 10 years for HL patients in CHCAMS was 91.7% (95%CI: 89.5%-93.9%) and 87.1% (95%CI: 84.5%-89.8%), respectively. LSS and OS rate at 10 years for HL patients from SEER database was 86.8% (95%CI: 86.3%-87.2%) and 79.0% (95%CI: 78.5%-79.5%), respectively. The unadjusted LSS and OS rate for patients in CHCAMS were higher than those for patients from SEER database (both P<0.001). No significant difference was observed in LSS and OS rate (both P>0.05) between the two groups after adjustment. European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer staging system (early-stage unfavorable: HR=2.35, 95%CI: 1.13-4.89, P=0.023; advanced stage: HR=5.44, 95%CI: 2.62-11.30, P<0.001) and serum β2 microglobulin (HR=1.67, 95%CI: 1.08-2.58, P=0.021) were influencing factors of FFP for patients in CHCAMS. The complete remission rate, median progression-free survival (PFS), 5-year PFS rate and 5-year OS rate for the 116 patients with r/rHL was 37.9% (95%CI: 29.6%-47.0%), 15.0 months (95%CI: 9.9-20.1 months), 29.9% (95%CI: 20.9%-38.9%) and 62.9% (95%CI: 54.1%-71.7%), respectively. Conclusions: The outcomes of HL patients receiving standard first-line treatment are excellent. However, the therapeutic effect of HL patients who incurrs disease progression or relapse after standard first-line treatment is not satisfying.

Identification of a PRDM1-regulated T cell network to regulate T cell driving plaque inflammation in human and mouse atherosclerosis

 

T cells have a prominent role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis, although their exact function remains elusive. Here, we pursued a network-driven approach to identify T cell-associated gene programs driving the transition from low- to high-risk human plaques.

In this study 43 human carotid arterial plaques were collected and stratified based on absence (low-risk) or presence (high-risk) of intraplaque haemorrhage (IPH). Lesion RNA was subjected to microarray gene expression analysis and analysed by Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis (WGCNA). We identified a co-expressed gene cluster displaying a strong T cell signalling signature in high- versus low-risk plaque, which was tightly connected to subnetworks of angiogenesis and interferon-signalling. WGCNA-based Bayesian network inference, cell-type deconvolution and single-cell gene expression revealed that this T cell-associated gene program was likely linked to effector-memory cytotoxic CD8+ T cells, underpinning the central role of T cells in plaque destabilization. Gene regulatory analysis identified cytotoxic T cell-related transcription factors, like PRDM1, regulating this plaque T cell gene program. Moreover, we demonstrated in LDL receptor knockout mice with T cell-specific Prdm1 deficiency, that lack of Prdm1 in T cells resulted in larger, more advanced plaques.

In conclusion, our study reveals a PRDM1-regulated T cell footprint in high- versus low-risk human atherosclerotic lesions and murine atherosclerotic plaque development, thereby identifying this network as a potential target for intervention in adverse T cell responses.

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding sources: Public grant(s) – EU funding. Main funding source(s): The European Research Area Network on Cardiovascular Diseases (ERA-CVD and Dutch Heart Foundation)

[Safety of an inactivated 2019-nCoV vaccine (Vero) in adults aged 60 years and older]

Objective: To analyze the safety of an inactivated 2019-nCoV vaccine (Vero cell) in adults aged 60 years and older. Methods: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical study was conducted in May 2020 The eligible residents aged 60 and above were recruited in Renqiu city, Hebei Province. A total of 422 subjects (phase Ⅰ/Ⅱ:72/350) were enrolled. Two doses of the trial vaccine or placebo were randomly administered according to a 0 and 28-day immunization schedule. Subjects were randomly divided into two groups in Phase Ⅰ. Within each group, participants received vaccine or placebo in a ratio of 2∶1. Subjects were randomly divided into four groups in phase Ⅱ to receive low-dose, medium-dose, high-dose vaccine and placebo, respectively, in a ratio of 2∶2∶2∶1. A combination of regular follow-up and active reporting was used to observe adverse reactions within 28 days after vaccination, and compare the incidence rate of adverse reactions in the trial and control groups. Results: 422 subjects were (66.45±4.70) years old, and 48.82% were male (206/422). There were 100, 124, 124 and 74 patients enrolled into the low-dose, medium-dose, high-dose vaccine groups and the placebo group, respectively. One person without the vaccination was removed, and 421 participants who received at least one dose of vaccine were included in the safety analysis. Within 28 days after the first or second dose, a total of 20.67% (87/421) subjects had adverse reactions (both solicitation and non-solicitation). About 76 patients suffered grade 1 adverse reactions [18.05% (76/421)] and 22 patients suffered grade 2 adverse reactions [5.23% (22/421)]. No grade 3 or above adverse reactions occurred. A total of 19.71% (83/421) subjects had solicited adverse reactions. The most common grade 1 adverse reaction was injection site pain, followed by fever and fatigue. The most common grade 2 adverse reactions were fever and fatigue, followed by muscle pain and injection site redness. A total of 2.61% (11/421) subjects had unsolicited adverse reactions. A total of 1.66% (7/421) subjects had serious adverse events after vaccination, and no serious vaccine-related adverse events were reported. Conclusions: The inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine is safe for people aged 60 years and above.

Foliar application of biosynthetic nano-selenium alleviates the toxicity of Cd, Pb, and Hg in Brassica chinensis by inhibiting heavy metal adsorption and improving antioxidant system in plant

Biosynthetic nano-selenium (bio-SeNP), as a plant growth regulator, has better bioavailability and lower toxicity than selenite and selenate. This study investigated the beneficial role of bio-SeNP in mitigating the adverse effects of multiple heavy metals (HMs, e.g., Cd, Pb, and Hg) on growth and yield of pak choi (Brassica chinensis) grown in slightly or heavily polluted (SP or HP) soil by regulating metabolic and antioxidant systems. The results revealed that foliar application of bio-SeNP (5, 10, 20 mg L^-1 Se) at the 6-leaf stage greatly reduced the levels of Cd, Pb, and Hg in shoots and roots of pak choi. Application of 5 mg L^-1 bio-SeNP significantly (p < 0.05) decreased the translocation factor (TF) of Cd, Pb, and Hg from root to shoot by 9.83%, 44.21%, and 46.99% for SP soil, 24.17%, 56.00%, and 39.36% for HP soil, respectively. Meanwhile, all bio-SeNP treatments led to a significant improvement in plants growth by enhancing the antioxidant defense system (e.g., AsA-GSH) and promoting chlorophyll synthesis as well as suppressed the lipid peroxidation products contents (MDA) in shoots. Moreover, the enhanced levels of mineral nutrient elements (e.g., Ca, Mg, Fe, or Zn) and organic selenium (e.g., selenocystine, Se-methylselenocysteine, and selenomethionine) in the edible shoots of bio-SeNP-treated pak choi plant under multiple HMs stress indicated the positive impacts of bio-SeNP on the improvement of shoot quality and nutritional values. Collectively, our results indicated that bio-SeNP play an important role in the management of multiple HMs-induced adverse effects on pak choi. Foliar application of bio-SeNP at appropriate concentration (≤ 5 mg L^-1 Se) can be considered as a promising agronomic measure for safety leafy vegetable production in multiple HMs polluted soils when bio-SeNP application.

Artificial Intelligence-Based Prediction of Individual Differences in Psychological Occupational Therapy Intervention Guided by the Realization of Occupational Values

As the competition between enterprises intensifies, employees have witnessed a decline of psychological health year by year and severe anxiety and depression. To ensure the normal work of employees, it is important to implement psychological occupational therapy intervention (POTI). The previous studies on corporate occupational values focus on the behavioral variables and attitude variables related to occupations. The research paradigm does not suit a specific group of employees. Therefore, this paper explores the individual differences in POTI guided by the realization of occupational values. For a specific group of employees, the correlations of the psychological problems with job attitude, job involvement, and psychological health level were reasoned logically, a theoretical model was established, and the full-model map was plotted to illustrate the influence of the realization of occupational values over POTI. Then, the evaluation data on the psychological intervention effect of 2,800 employees were explored based on multikernel learning, and an individual difference prediction model was constructed through multikernel learning. Finally, the predicted results of different groups of employees were compared, revealing the effectiveness of our algorithm.

Phosphorylated Tau 181 Serum Levels Predict Alzheimer’s Disease in the Preclinical Stage

Background

There is an urgent need for cost-effective, easy-to-measure biomarkers to identify subjects who will develop Alzheimer’s disease (AD), especially at the pre-symptomatic stage. This stage can be determined in autosomal dominant AD (ADAD) which offers the opportunity to observe the dynamic biomarker changes during the life-course of AD stages. This study aimed to investigate serum biomarkers during different AD stages and potential novel protein biomarkers of presymptomatic AD.

Methods

In the first stage, 32 individuals [20 mutation carriers including 10 with AD, and 10 with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and 12 healthy controls] from ADAD families were analyzed. All subjects underwent a complete clinical evaluation and a comprehensive neuropsychological battery. Serum samples were collected from all subjects, and antibody arrays were used to analyze 170 proteins in these samples. The most promising biomarkers were identified during this screening and were then measured in serum samples of 12 subjects with pre-MCI and 20 controls.

Results

The serum levels of 13 proteins were significantly different in patients with AD or MCI compared to controls. Of the 13 proteins, cathepsin D, immunoglobulin E, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9), von Willebrand factor (vWF), haptoglobin, and phosphorylated Tau-181 (p-Tau181) correlated with all cognitive measures (R² = −0.69–0.76). The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve of these seven proteins were 0.71–0.93 for the classification of AD and 0.57–0.95 for the classification of MCI. Higher levels of p-Tau181 were found in the serum of pre-MCI subjects than in the serum of controls. The p-Tau181 serum level might detect AD before symptoms occur (area under the curve 0.85, sensitivity 75%, specificity 81.67%).

Conclusions

A total of 13 serum proteins showed significant differences between subjects with AD and MCI and healthy controls. The p-Tau181 serum level might be a broadly available and cost-effective biomarker to identify individuals with preclinical AD and assess the severity of AD.

Identification of CD8+ T cell PRDM1 in high-risk human plaques and its regulatory role in murine lesion development

Funding Acknowledgements

Type of funding sources: Public grant(s) – National budget only. Main funding source(s): Fritz Thyssen Stiftung

T cells have a prominent role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis, although their function in atherosclerotic plaques is only partly understood. In this study, we utilize the advantages of high-throughput techniques and data analytic strategies to compare the inherent biological changes of T cells during plaque transition from a stable, non-haemorrhaged (low-risk) to a rupture-prone, haemorrhaged (high-risk) phenotype.

We classified 43 human carotid arterial lesions into high- and low-risk plaques based on the presence/absence of intraplaque hemorrhages. RNA from these lesions was isolated and microarray gene expression data was obtained and analyzed by Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis. A strong T cell signalling signature was identified in high- versus low-risk plaques, influencing angiogenesis and interferon-related processes. Bayesian network inference, cell type deconvolution and single-cell RNA sequencing analysis revealed that the T cell-associated gene program was linked to effector-memory cytotoxic, CD8+ T cells. This gene program appeared driven by CD8+ T cell-related transcription factors, including RUNX3, IRF7 and most importantly PRDM1. To validate these findings, we demonstrated in a murine model that T cell PRDM1 plays a key role in plaque formation, as atherosclerotic mice with a T cell specific Prdm1 deficiency developed larger and more advanced atherosclerotic plaques compared to control mice.

In conclusion, our study unveils a clear PRDM1-regulated effector-memory cytotoxic CD8+ T cell footprint in plaque development and the shift from low- to high-risk plaques, thereby revealing CD8+ T cells and PRMD1 as potential targets for intervention in adverse T cell responses in human atherosclerotic lesions.

Culture Effects on the Chinese Version Boston Naming Test Performance and the Normative Data in the Native Chinese-Speaking Elders in Mainland China

Background

The Chinese version of Boston Naming Test (BNT-C) is administered in China widely. However, the neuropsychological parameter of BNT-C in native Chinese-speaking elders in mainland China has not been explored systematically. The aim of this study was to explore cultural influences on BNT-C performance and establish norms among native Chinese-speaking elders in Beijing.

Methods

A total of 161 native, Chinese-speaking, cognitively normal elders aged ≥55 years were enrolled from various communities in Beijing. The BNT-C was conducted on all the participants. The internal consistency, participants' familiarity, and naming accuracy were analyzed and compared with data from Chinese areas outside the mainland and from American published previously. The influencing factors and stratified norms for BNT-C were established.

Results

The BNT-C showed good internal consistency (α = 0.738). Strong correlation between naming accuracy and object familiarity was found (r = 0.962, P < 0.001). Participants' familiarity and correct naming rate for many items were notably different between the Chinese-speaking elders and English-speaking elders in America. The difference in some items' correct naming rate also existed between Beijing, Taiwan, and Hongkong. Higher education was associated with higher scores, whereas age and gender had no effect on BNT-C performance. The recommended norms of total naming scores for elders with education ≤ 9 and >9 years were 16 and 23, respectively.

Conclusion

The participants' familiarity with BNT items differed between different cultures, which further affected the naming accuracy and total scores. The education stratified norms established here are helpful for the better application of BNT-C in mainland China.

Electrochemical elimination of Microcystis aeruginosa with boron-doped diamond anode in different electrolyte systems: chemical and biological mechanisms

The chemical and biological mechanisms of electrochemical elimination of Microcystis aeruginosa (M. aeruginosa) using boron-doped diamond (BDD) anode were comparatively explored in three different electrolytes (chloride, sulfate, and phosphate solutions). The most efficient elimination of M. aeruginosa was observed in chloride solution, which was attributed to the greatest total long-lived oxidants from the favorable formation of active chlorine. Moreover, the high permeability of active chlorine resulted in profound intracellular damages to chlorophyll-a, microcystin-LR (MC-LR), superoxide dismutase (SOD) enzyme, and DNA in the chloride system. The change of membrane permeability and degradation of the released MC-LR induced by active chlorine were further confirmed by the increase of extracellular MC-LR in the initial 5 min and a complete decay in the subsequent 15 min, while the change in morphology of algae cells was insignificant from SEM images. In sulfate and phosphate electrolytes, membrane damages were much more pronounced based on lipid peroxidation observation, although changes in cell morphology was found more significant in phosphate system. The higher concentrations of oxidants (·OH, O₃, H₂O₂, S₂O₈^2-) generated in sulfate than in phosphate solution explained the greater efficiency of electrochemical elimination of M. aeruginosa in the sulfate electrolyte in terms of changes of cell density, OD₆₈₀, chlorophyll-a, MC-LR, lipids, SOD enzyme, and DNA.

Mediating effects of gut microbiota in the associations of air pollutants exposure with adverse pregnancy outcomes

BACKGROUND

The aim of this study was to investigate alterations in gut microbiota after exposure to air pollutants during pregnancy and its mediation effect in inducing adverse pregnancy outcomes (APOs).

METHODS

Participants (n = 916) were enrolled between 2017 and 2018 from a prospective cohort study of pregnant women in Guangzhou, China. The relative abundance of fecal microbiota was profiled using 16SrRNA V4 region sequencing. Exposure to air pollutants in each trimester of pregnancy was assessed using measurements from the nearest monitoring station. APOs including pre-term birth (PTB), post-term birth (POTB), low birth weight (LBW), macrosomia fetus (MF), birth defects (BDs), pathological cesarean section (PCS) and postpartum hemorrhage (PPH)) were determined by referring to reliable clinical records and diagnostic criteria. Univariate analysis, multivariate analysis and mediation analysis were performed to estimate the association among air pollutants, gut microbiota and APOs.

RESULTS

Air pollutants exposure during pregnancy was significantly correlated with the alterations in the gut microbiota, and increased risks of various APOs by 1.07-1.36-fold (P < 0.05). The mediation analyses indicated that alterations in Eggerthella, Phascolarctobacterium and Clostridium partially mediated the effects of air pollutants exposure (PM2.5, PM10, O3, NO2 and SO2) on APOs. The relative abundance of f_Micrococcaceae explained 11.39%, 64.90% and 54.80% of the correlation between SO2, PM2.5, PM10 and POTB, respectively; whereas g_Rothia explained 11.97%, 67.80% and 54.50%, respectively. g_Parabacteroides explained 53.0% of the correlation between PM2.5 and PTB.

CONCLUSIONS

Increased air pollutants exposure during pregnancy may induce adverse pregnancy outcomes via alteration of the gut microbiota.

Good Performance of the Chinese Version of Mini Social Cognition and Emotional Assessment in the Early Diagnosis of Behavioral Variant Frontotemporal Dementia

Social cognition impairment has been recognized as an early and characteristic change in behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD). The Mini Social Cognition and Emotional Assessment (mini-SEA) is a clinical tool to rapidly evaluate social cognition. In this study, we explored the diagnostic value of social cognition by assessing the Chinese version of the mini-SEA and other standard neuropsychological tests in 22 patients with mild bvFTD, 26 patients with mild Alzheimer's disease (AD), including mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and mild dementia, and 30 control subjects. The discriminatory powers of these tests were evaluated and compared using the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC). The mini-SEA scores of the bvFTD patients were significantly lower than those of the controls (Z = –6.850, adjusted P < 0.001) and AD patients (Z = –3.737, adjusted P = 0.001). ROC analysis showed that the mini-SEA had a high discriminatory power for differentiating bvFTD from the controls, with an area under the curve (AUC) value of 0.989 (95% CI = 0.905-1.000, P < 0.001). The AUC value of the mini-SEA for differentiating bvFTD from AD was 0.899 (95% CI = 0.777-0.967, P < 0.001), higher than that of the Auditory Verbal Learning Test Delayed Recall (AUC = 0.793), Boston Naming Test (AUC = 0.685) or Frontal Assessment Battery (AUC = 0.691). The Chinese version of mini-SEA is a good clinical tool for the early diagnosis of bvFTD, and has a high sensitivity and specificity to discriminate bvFTD from AD.

[Targeted killing of CD133+ lung cancer stem cells using paclitaxel-loaded PLGA-PEG nanoparticles with CD133 aptamers]

OBJECTIVE

To construct a polylactic acid-glycolic acid-polyethylene glycol (PLGA-PEG) nanocarrier (N-Pac-CD133) coupled with a CD133 nucleic acid aptamer carrying paclitaxel for eliminating lung cancer stem cells (CSCs).

METHODS

Paclitaxel-loaded N-Pac-CD133 was prepared using the emulsion/solvent evaporation method and characterized. CD133⁺ lung CSCs were separated by magnetic bead separation and identified for their biological behaviors and gene expression profile. The efficiency of paclitaxel-loaded N-Pac-CD133 for targeted killing of lung cancer cells was assessed in vitro. SCID mice were inoculated with A549 cells and received injections of normal saline, empty nanocarrier linked with CD133 aptamer (N-CD133), paclitaxel, paclitaxel-loaded nanocarrier (N-Pac) or paclitaxel-loaded N-Pac-CD133 (n=8, 5 mg/kg paclitaxel) on days 10, 15 and 20, and the tumor weight and body weight of the mice were measured on day 40.

RESULTS

Paclitaxel-loaded N-Pac-CD133 showed a particle size of about 100 nm with a high encapsulation efficiency (>80%) and drug loading rate (>8%), and was capable of sustained drug release within 48 h. The CD133⁺ cell population in lung cancer cells showed the characteristic features of lung CSCs, including faster growth rate (30 days, P=0.001) and high expressions of tumor stem cell markers OV6(P < 0.001), CD133 (P=0.001), OCT3/4 (P=0.002), EpCAM (P=0.04), NANOG (P=0.005) and CD44 (P=0.02). Compared with N-Pac and free paclitaxel, paclitaxel-loaded N-Pac-CD133 showed significantly enhanced targeting ability and cytotoxicity against lung CSCs in vitro (P < 0.001) and significantly reduced the formation of tumor spheres (P < 0.001). In the tumor-bearing mice, paclitaxel-loaded N-Pac-CD133 showed the strongest effects in reducing the tumor mass among all the treatments (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

CD133 aptamer can promote targeted delivery of paclitaxel to allow targeted killing of CD133⁺ lung CSCs. N-Pac-CD133 loaded with paclitaxel may provide an effective treatment for lung cancer by targeting the lung cancer stem cells.

N4-acetyldeoxycytosine DNA modification marks euchromatin regions in Arabidopsis thaliana

BACKGROUND

Direct analogs of chemically modified bases that carry important epigenetic information, such as 5-methylcytosine (m5C)/5-methyldeoxycytosine (5mC), 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (hm5C)/5-hydroxymethyldeoxycytosine (5hmC), and N6-methyladenosine (m6A)/N6-methyldeoxyadenosine (6mA), are detected in both RNA and DNA, respectively. The modified base N4-acetylcytosine (ac4C) is well studied in RNAs, but its presence and epigenetic roles in cellular DNA have not been explored.

RESULTS

Here, we demonstrate the existence of N4-acetyldeoxycytosine (4acC) in genomic DNA of Arabidopsis with multiple detection methods. Genome-wide profiling of 4acC modification reveals that 4acC peaks are mostly distributed in euchromatin regions and present in nearly half of the expressed protein-coding genes in Arabidopsis. 4acC is mainly located around transcription start sites and positively correlates with gene expression levels. Imbalance of 5mC does not directly affect 4acC modification. We also characterize the associations of 4acC with 5mC and histone modifications that cooperatively regulate gene expression. Moreover, 4acC is also detected in genomic DNA of rice, maize, mouse, and human by mass spectrometry.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings reveal 4acC as a hitherto unknown DNA modification in higher eukaryotes. We identify potential interactions of this mark with other epigenetic marks in gene expression regulation.

[Clinical characteristics and gene analysis of SYNGAP1-related epilepsy in children]

Objective: To summarize the clinical characteristics of SYNGAP1-related epilepsy in children. Methods: Data of 13 patients with SYNGAP1 gene variants diagnosed with epilepsy at Department of Neurology, Beijing Children's Hospital were collected retrospectively from March 2017 to October 2020 and the patients were followed up. The clinical features, electroencephalogram(EEG), brain imaging, gene results and treatment were summarized. Results: Twelve patients were followed up successfully among the 13 patients with SYNGAP1 variants. The last follow-up age was 5 years and 7 months (3 years and 1 month to 9 years).The onset age of seizures was 2 years (4 months to 3 years). Seizure types included eyelid myoclonia with or without absence (9 cases), myoclonic seizure (5 cases), atypical absence (4 cases), suspicious atonic seizures(4 cases),unclassified fall attack (6 cases), and the frequency of seizures varied from several times to more than 100 times per day. Four cases had the mimic phenotype of myoclonic astatic epilepsy. The seizures of 10 cases could be triggered by eating (5 cases), emotion (5 cases), fever (3 cases), voice (2 cases), fatigue (2 cases), etc. Electroencephalography (10 cases) showed interictal generalized or focal epileptiform discharges (9 cases), and atypical aphasia (4 cases), myoclonic seizure (2 cases) and eyelid myoclonic seizure (1 case) were monitored. Of the 12 cases, 9 were added with valproate, all of which were effective (the frequency of seizures reduced>50%). Five cases received combined levetiracetam, in 3 the treatments were effective. To last follow-up, 3 cases were seizure free from 6 months to 1 year and 1 month, but the remaining 7 cases still had seizures, one or several times per day. All 13 cases had developmental retardation (speech ability impaired mostly), 2 cases were severe, 10 cases were moderate, 1 case was mild. The SYNGAP1 gene variants of 13 patients were all de novo, including 12 variants. Among them, 4 were frameshift variants, 4 were nonsense variants, 2 were missense variants and 2 were splice site variants. Conclusions: Patients with SYNGAP1-related epilepsy have an early onset age and many seizure types. The main seizure type is eyelid myoclonia with or without absence, and other seizure types include myoclonic seizure, atypical absence, unclassified fall attack, etc. Valproate is effective in most patients, but seizures in some patients might be intractable. Most patients have developmental delay (mainly moderate and severe), speech ability impaired mostly.

Interpretation of high perchlorate generated during electrochemical disinfection in presence of chloride at BDD anodes

Perchlorate is a disinfection by-product (DBP) of serious health concern. Herein, the long sought mechanism of high perchlorate production during electrochemical disinfection at boron-doped diamond (BDD) anode in the presence of chloride was elucidated. The generated perchlorate at BDD during electrochemical disinfection (in 10 mM NaCl) in 60 min reached 0.125 mM, which was 830 times higher than the EPA standard. In contrast, perchlorate at PbO₂ and SnO₂ anodes was below the detection limit. Further experiments employing NaClO₃ revealed that the conversion ratio from ClO₃^- to ClO₄^- in 10 h at BDD (98%) was considerably higher than PbO₂ (13%) and SnO₂ (12%). Such significant difference among anodes was fully interpreted with a two-step mechanism. The first step is essential to produce ·ClO₃ by oxidizing ClO₃^- at electrodes. Otherwise, the conversion to perchlorate would be impossible even with excessive ·OH, which was verified with the photocatalysis process. The second step is the perchlorate generation with radical reaction between ·ClO₃ and ·OH, where the primary role of ·OH was substantiated by scavenging test. Interestingly, the capability of perchlorate production was correlated with free ·OH instead of the total amount of ·OH. Despite the similar abilities of electron transfer between anodes and ClO₃^-, much higher free ·OH exists at BDD anode than at PbO₂ and SnO₂ anodes through chronoamperometry experiments and work function characterization, which reasonably provides interpretation of high perchlorate production at BDD anode.

Effects of two-stage microbial inoculation on organic carbon turnover and fungal community succession during co-composting of cattle manure and rice straw

This study explored the effects of single-stage inoculation (SSI) versus two-stage inoculation (TSI) on organic carbon components, product quality and fungal community during co-composting of cattle manure and rice straw. Both inoculation methods accelerated the temperature increase and elevated the composting temperature. TSI resulted in a second fermentation stage and extended the thermophilic stage from 22 to 29 days. Compared with SSI, TSI promoted the degradation degree of cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin by 25.9%, 16.5% and 47.4%, and increased the content of total nutrients and humus carbon by 5.9% and 10.5% in final products, respectively. TSI significantly increased the relative abundance of Aspergillus, Trichoderma, Neurospora, Mycothermus, Malbranchea and Gloeophyllum in the second fermentation stage. Spearman correlation analysis indicated that Aspergillus, Neurospora, Trichoderma and Gloeophyllum were the key fungi for lignocellulose degradation and humification. Redundancy analysis showed that temperature was the major environmental factor affecting fungal community succession in TSI.

Deficiency of myeloid prolyl hydroxylase domain proteins aggravates atherogenesis via macrophage apoptosis and paracrine fibrotic signaling

Background

Atherosclerotic plaque hypoxia is detrimental for macrophage function. Prolyl hydroxylases (PHDs) initiate cellular hypoxic responses, possibly influencing macrophage function in plaque hypoxia. Thus, we aimed to elucidate the role of myeloid PHDs in atherosclerosis.

Methods

Myeloid specific PHD knockout (PHDko) mice were fed high cholesterol diet for 6–12 weeks to induce atherosclerosis. Plaque parameters, e.g. plaque size and macrophage content, were analyzed. Bulk and single cell RNA sequencing was performed on PHD2 BMDMs and plaque macrophages, respectively.

Results

Aortic root plaque size was augmented 2.6fold in PHD2cko, and 1.4-fold in PHD3ko, but not in PHD1ko mice compared to controls. Macrophage apoptosis was promoted in PHD2cko and PHD3ko mice in vitro and in vivo, via the HIF1α/BNIP3 axis. Bulk and single cell RNA data of PHD2cko bone-marrow-derived macrophages (BMDM) and plaque macrophages, respectively, confirmed these findings and were validated by siRNA silencing. Human plaque BNIP3 mRNA associated with plaque necrotic core, suggesting similar adverse effects. Further, PHD2cko plaques displayed enhanced fibrosis, independent of macrophage MMP activity, collagen secretion or proliferation and of SMC collagen production, or proliferation. Rather, PHD2cko BMDMs enhanced fibroblast collagen secretion in a paracrine manner. Nichenet in silico analysis of macrophage-fibroblast communication predicted SPP1 signaling as regulator, in line with enhanced plaque SPP1 protein content, and SPP1 mRNA in TREM2-foamy plaque macrophages, but not in neutrophils.

Conclusion

Myeloid PHD2cko and PHD3ko enhanced plaque growth, macrophage apoptosis, and PHD2cko activated paracrine collagen secretion by fibroblasts.

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding sources: Public grant(s) – National budget only. Main funding source(s): NWO, Leducq

Estimating influences of unemployment and underemployment on mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic: who suffers the most?

OBJECTIVES

The aim of the study was to evaluate whether unemployment and underemployment are associated with mental distress and whether employment insecurity and its mental health consequences are disproportionately concentrated among specific social groups in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic.

STUDY DESIGN

This is a population-based longitudinal study.

METHODS

Data came from the Understanding America Study, a population-based panel in the United States. Between April and May 2020, 3548 adults who were not out of the labor force were surveyed. Analyses using targeted maximum likelihood estimation examined the association of employment insecurity with depression, assessed using the 2-item Patient Health Questionnaire, and anxiety, measured with the 2-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale. Stratified models were evaluated to examine whether employment insecurity and its mental health consequences are disproportionately concentrated among specific social groups.

RESULTS

Being unemployed or underemployed was associated with increased odds of having depression (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.66, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.36-2.02) and anxiety (AOR = 1.50, 95% CI = 1.26, 1.79), relative to having a full-time job. Employment insecurity was disproportionately concentrated among Hispanics (54.3%), Blacks (60.6%), women (55.9%), young adults (aged 18-29 years; 57.0%), and those without a college degree (62.7%). Furthermore, Hispanic workers, subsequent to employment insecurity, experienced worse effects on depression (AOR = 2.08, 95% CI = 1.28, 3.40) and anxiety (AOR = 1.95, 95% CI = 1.24, 3.09). Those who completed high school or less reported worse depression subsequent to employment insecurity (AOR = 2.44, 95% CI = 1.55, 3.85).

CONCLUSIONS

Both unemployment and underemployment threaten mental health during the pandemic, and the mental health repercussions are not felt equally across the population. Employment insecurity during the pandemic should be considered an important public health concern that may exacerbate pre-existing mental health disparities during and after the pandemic.

Increased enzyme activities and fungal degraders by Gloeophyllum trabeum inoculation improve lignocellulose degradation efficiency during manure-straw composting

The present study investigated the effect of brown-rot fungus Gloeophyllum trabeum inoculation on lignocellulose degradation, enzyme activities and fungal community during co-composting of swine manure and wheat straw. G. trabeum inoculation shortened the maturation period of composting from 39 to 30 days. Composting piles inoculated with G. trabeum showed a higher degree of maturity as indicated by 31.6% lower C/N ratio and 29.4% higher GI. The decomposition rate of cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin was increased by 181.1%, 49.4% and 109.4%, respectively, due to higher activities of filter paper enzyme, xylanase, manganese peroxidase and laccase. Redundancy analysis showed that inoculating G. trabeum influenced the succession of fungal communities by changing the main physicochemical parameters, resulting in the increased relative abundance of Aspergillus, Mycothermus and Melanocarpus. Pearson correlation analysis indicated that more dominant fungal genera were involved in the production of lignocellulose-degrading enzymes after G. trabeum inoculation.

Probiotic and prebiotic interventions for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: a systematic review and network meta-analysis

Many studies have associated altered intestinal bacterial communities and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, but the putative effects are inconclusive. The purpose of this network meta-analysis (NMA) was to evaluate the effects of probiotics, prebiotics, and synbiotics on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease through randomised intervention trials. Literature searches were performed until March 2020. For each outcome, a random NMA was performed, the surface under the cumulative ranking curve (SUCRA) was determined. A total of 22 randomised trials comparing prebiotic, probiotic, and synbiotic treatments included 1301 participants. Considering all seven results (aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, body mass index, weight, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol) together, the highest SUCRA values are probiotics (94%), synbiotics (61%) and prebiotics (56%), respectively. NMA results provide evidence that probiotics, prebiotics, and synbiotics can alleviate non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. However, due to the lack of high-quality randomised trials, this research also has some limitations.

[Biosynthesis of spherical selenium nanoparticles with halophilic Bacillus subtilis subspecies stercoris strain XP for inhibition of strawberry pathogens]

Biosynthesis of nanomaterials has attracted much attention for its excellent characteristics such as low energy consumption, high safety, and environmental friendliness. As we all know, the toxic selenite can be transformed into higher-value nanomaterials by using bacteria. In this study, nano-selenium was synthesized by halophilic Bacillus subtilis subspecies stercoris strain XP in LB medium supplemented with selenite (electron acceptor). The physicochemical characteristics of nano-selenium were analyzed by scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray energy dispersive spectral analysis (EDAX), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Meanwhile, the antifungal activity of nano-selenium to strawberry pathogens (fusarium wilt, erythema, and purple spot fungi) was determined. The products from reduction of selenite by strain XP was amorphous spherical selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) with a diameter range of 135-165 nm. The production of SeNPs was positively correlated with time (0-48 h) and no changes were observed on cell morphology. Selenium was dominant in the surface of SeNPs where the organic elements (C, O, N, and S) existed at the same time. SeNPs were coated with biomolecules containing functional groups (such as -OH, C=O, N-H, and C-H) which were associated with the stability and bioactivity of particles. Although the highest concentration of SeNPs had significant (P<0.05) inhibitory effects on three strains of strawberry pathogens, antifungal activity to erythema and fusarium wilt pathogenic fungi was higher than that to purple spot pathogenic fungi from strawberry. In conclusion, strain XP not only has strong tolerance to high salt stress, but can be also used to synthesize biological SeNPs with good stability and biological activity. Thus, the strain XP has bright perspectives and great potential advantage in pathogens control and green selenium-rich strawberry planting as well as other fields.

Prediction of Alzheimer's disease using multi-variants from a Chinese genome-wide association study

Previous genome-wide association studies have identified dozens of susceptibility loci for sporadic Alzheimer’s disease, but few of these loci have been validated in longitudinal cohorts. Establishing predictive models of Alzheimer’s disease based on these novel variants is clinically important for verifying whether they have pathological functions and provide a useful tool for screening of disease risk. In the current study, we performed a two-stage genome-wide association study of 3913 patients with Alzheimer’s disease and 7593 controls and identified four novel variants (rs3777215, rs6859823, rs234434, and rs2255835; P_combined = 3.07 × 10⁻¹⁹, 2.49 × 10⁻²³, 1.35 × 10⁻⁶⁷, and 4.81 × 10⁻⁹, respectively) as well as nine variants in the apolipoprotein E region with genome-wide significance (P < 5.0 × 10⁻⁸). Literature mining suggested that these novel single nucleotide polymorphisms are related to amyloid precursor protein transport and metabolism, antioxidation, and neurogenesis. Based on their possible roles in the development of Alzheimer’s disease, we used different combinations of these variants and the apolipoprotein E status and successively built 11 predictive models. The predictive models include relatively few single nucleotide polymorphisms useful for clinical practice, in which the maximum number was 13 and the minimum was only four. These predictive models were all significant and their peak of area under the curve reached 0.73 both in the first and second stages. Finally, these models were validated using a separate longitudinal cohort of 5474 individuals. The results showed that individuals carrying risk variants included in the models had a shorter latency and higher incidence of Alzheimer’s disease, suggesting that our models can predict Alzheimer’s disease onset in a population with genetic susceptibility. The effectiveness of the models for predicting Alzheimer’s disease onset confirmed the contributions of these identified variants to disease pathogenesis. In conclusion, this is the first study to validate genome-wide association study-based predictive models for evaluating the risk of Alzheimer’s disease onset in a large Chinese population. The clinical application of these models will be beneficial for individuals harbouring these risk variants, and particularly for young individuals seeking genetic consultation.