To determine whether there are alterations in marrow fat content in individuals first-time diagnosed with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) and to explore the associations between marrow fat fraction ...and MRI-based findings in trabecular bone microarchitecture.
A case-control study was conducted, involving adults with first-time diagnosed T1DM (n=35) and age- and sex-matched healthy adults (n=46). Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and 3 Tesla-MRI of the proximal tibia were performed to assess trabecular microarchitecture and vertebral marrow fat fraction. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to test the associations of marrow fat fraction with trabecular microarchitecture and bone density while adjusting for potential confounding factors.
In individuals first-time diagnosed with T1DM, the marrow fat fraction was significantly higher (
< 0.001) compared to healthy controls. T1DM patients also exhibited higher trabecular separation median (IQR): 2.19 (1.70, 2.68) vs 1.81 (1.62, 2.10),
< 0.001, lower trabecular volume 0.45 (0.30, 0.56) vs 0.53 (0.38, 0.60),
= 0.013, and lower trabecular number 0.37 (0.26, 0.44) vs 0.41 (0.32, 0.47),
= 0.020 compared to controls. However, bone density was similar between the two groups (
= 0.815). In individuals with T1DM, there was an inverse association between marrow fat fraction and trabecular volume (
= -0.69,
< 0.001) as well as trabecular number (
= -0.55,
< 0.001), and a positive association with trabecular separation (
= 0.75,
< 0.001). Marrow fat fraction was independently associated with total trabecular volume (standardized β = -0.21), trabecular number (β = -0.12), and trabecular separation (β = 0.57) of the proximal tibia after adjusting for various factors including age, gender, body mass index, physical activity, smoking status, alcohol consumption, blood glucose, plasma glycated hemoglobin, lipid profile, and bone turnover biomarkers.
Individuals first-time diagnosed with T1DM experience expansion of marrow adiposity, and elevated marrow fat content is associated with MRI-based trabecular microstructure.
Glucocorticoids and sclerostin act as inhibitors of the Wnt signaling pathway, thereby hindering bone formation. Given the pathway's intricate association with mesenchymal stem cells, the hypothesis ...suggests that heightened sclerostin levels may be intricately linked to an augmentation in marrow adiposity induced by glucocorticoids. This study endeavored to delve into the nuanced relationship between circulating sclerostin and bone marrow adipose tissue in postmenopausal women grappling with glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis (GIO).
In this cross-sectional study, 103 patients with autoimmune-associated diseases underwent glucocorticoid treatment, boasting an average age of 61.3 years (standard deviation 7.1 years). The investigation encompassed a thorough assessment, incorporating medical history, anthropometric data, biochemical analysis, and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry measurements of lumbar and femoral bone mineral density (BMD). Osteoporosis criteria were established at a T-score of -2.5 or lower. Additionally, MR spectroscopy quantified the vertebral marrow fat fraction.
BMD at the femoral neck, total hip, and lumbar spine showcased an inverse correlation with marrow fat fraction (r = -0.511 to - 0.647, P < 0.001). Serum sclerostin levels exhibited a positive correlation with BMD at various skeletal sites (r = 0.476 to 0.589, P < 0.001). A noteworthy correlation emerged between circulating sclerostin and marrow fat fraction at the lumbar spine (r = -0.731, 95% CI, -0.810 to -0.627, P < 0.001). Multivariate analysis brought to light that vertebral marrow fat fraction significantly contributed to sclerostin serum concentrations (standardized regression coefficient ß = 0.462, P < 0.001). Even after adjusting for age, body mass index, physical activity, renal function, BMD, and the duration and doses of glucocorticoid treatment, serum sclerostin levels maintained a significant correlation with marrow fat fraction.
Circulating sclerostin levels exhibited a noteworthy association with marrow adiposity in postmenopausal women grappling with GIO.
Due to the large area of agricultural soils contaminated by Cd worldwide, cost-effective and practical method for safety food production are necessary. The roles of micronutrient on reducing Cd ...accumulation in crops are recently introduced. In the current study, a pot-culture experiment in the greenhouse was conducted to study the foliar spraying of Se (Na2SeO4) and Zn (ZnSO4) on physiological and growth parameters, as well as Cd concentrations in wheat plants grown in Cd-contaminated soil. The foliar was sprayed with four concentration of Se and Zn (0, 10, 20, and 40 mg L−1) at different growth stage (tillering, elongating and heading) and whole wheat plants were collected after maturity. Both foliar spraying with Se and Zn significantly enhanced the photosynthesis, tissue biomass and antioxidant enzyme activity. Additionally, Se and Zn application can also increase Se and Zn concentrations in different plant tissues. Selenium and Zn decreased malondialdehyde (MDA) and Cd concentrations in wheat grains, hulks, leaves, stalks and root in a dose-additive manner. Overall, Se and Zn both efficiently enhanced the wheat growth and Se and Zn concentrations, and simultaneously decreased the Cd concentration in wheat plant. Compared with Zn, Se more efficiently improved wheat growth and reduced Cd concentration in the wheat in a Cd-contaminated soil. Present results suggest that use of foliar spraying, especially Se, could be a cost-effective strategy and could be recommended for remediation of light-or moderate-polluted soils contaminated by Cd.
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•Se and Zn application increased growth and photosynthesis of Cd-stressed wheat.•Se and Zn reduced Cd and increased Se and Zn concentrations in wheat.•Se and Zn up-regulated the antioxidant defense of wheat under Cd stress.•Se more efficiently improved wheat growth and reduced Cd content than Zn.
The functions of both the central and peripheral autonomic nervous system, indexed by heart rate variability (HRV), are affected by psychology and physiology. This review summarizes the results of ...studies comparing the evaluation of HRV parameters between individuals with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and healthy controls.
Eligible studies (n=499) were identified through literature searches of the EMBASE, Medline, PubMed and Web of Science databases. Nineteen studies met our inclusion criteria. A random effects model was used, and standardized mean differences for highfrequency HRV(HF-HRV), low-frequency HRV(LF-HRV) and the root mean square of successive R-R interval differences (RMSSD) were calculated.
Significant effects were found for HF-HRV p<0.0001, Z=4.18; Hedges'g=-1.58, 95% confidence interval (CI) (-2.32, -0.84); k=14 and RMSSD p<0.00001, Z=4.80; Hedges'g=-1.96, 95% CI (-2.76, -1.16); k=9 relative to healthy controls. Considerable heterogeneity was revealed, but the main effects for HF-HRV and RMSSD were robust in subsequent meta-regression and subgroup analyses.
Given the relationships among low vagal state, inflammation, and alterations in brain structure and function, including executive function and emotion regulation, reduced HRV may be regarded as an endophenotype in PTSD research.
•We conducted network analyses of PTSD symptoms in youth survivors exposed to Lushan earthquake.•We longitudinally describe how associations between PTSD symptoms evolve over time among children and ...adolescents with earthquake experience.•Re-experiencing symptoms (psychological cue reactivity, flashback and upset by reminders) were central symptoms at 2 weeks, 3 months and 6 months after earthquake.•Overall network connectivity (global connectivity) was significantly stronger at 6 months than in the acute phase (2 weeks).
Despite considerable studies focused on the symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), little is understood about how symptoms of PTSD change over time. The study aimed to use a network analysis approach to understand the nature of the association between PTSD symptoms at different time points among children and adolescents who experience an earthquake.
A longitudinal study enrolled 1623 youth survivors who completed 3 assessments with the Children's Revised Impact of Event Scale at 2 weeks, 3 months and 6 months after the Lushan earthquake. The epicentre was Baoxing Country that located in the Ya'an city (Sichuan Province in China). A network analysis approach was used to investigate how symptom networks change at different time points.
A total of 1623 youth survivors (768 male and 855 female) completed three assessments. Different centrality symptoms existed at different time points. Flashback and upset by reminders were centrality symptoms at 2 weeks, 3 months and 6 months. The overall network connectivity was significantly stronger at 3 months than at 2 weeks (5.663 vs. 5.140, s = 0.523, p = 0.000), and significantly stronger at 6 months than at 2 weeks (6.094 vs. 5.663, s = 0.432, p = 0.020).
Participants from a specific region might limit the generalizability of our results. A self-report questionnaire was used to assess PTSD symptoms.
Re-experience cluster (flashback and upset by reminders) and their interactions might play a key role in PTSD symptom evolution. Over time, the global connectivity becomes stronger, suggesting that youth survivors are more vulnerable in the chronic phases.
Enduring loneliness is associated with mental disorders and physical diseases. Although genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified risk loci associated with loneliness, how these loci ...confer the risk remains largely unknown. In the current study, we aimed to investigate key proteins underlying loneliness in the brain by integrating human brain proteomes and transcriptomes with loneliness GWAS to perform a discovery proteome-wide association study (PWAS), followed by a confirmatory PWAS, transcriptome-wide association analysis (TWAS), Mendelian randomization (MR), Steigering filtering analysis and Bayesian colocalization analysis. Moreover, given the fact that loneliness is associated with mental disorders, we explored the shared genetic architecture between loneliness and mental disorders. Totally, we identified 18 genes to be associated with loneliness via their cis-regulated brain protein abundance. Eleven of the 18 genes (61.1%) were replicated in the confirmatory PWAS, and mRNA levels of 4 genes were further validated to be associated with loneliness.MR and genetic colocalization analysis further confirmed that the increased protein abundance of ALDH2 and ICA1L was protective against loneliness, while the increased protein abundance of GPX1 was a risk for developing loneliness. Furthermore, we found genetic correlations, bidirectional causal associations and overlapping phenotype-associated protein profiles between loneliness and mental disorders including major depression and schizophrenia. In summary, our findings provided clues about the brain-related molecular basis underlying loneliness, which warrants further investigation.
This study aimed to evaluate the neuropsychiatric symptoms of quarantined COVID-19 survivors 15 months after discharge and explore its potential association with structural and functional brain ...changes and inflammation.
A total of 51 quarantined COVID-19 survivors and 74 healthy controls were included in this study. Cognitive function was assessed using the THINC-integrated tool. Structural brain changes were examined through both surface- and volume-based analyses, and functional changes were assessed using resting-state amplitude low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF). Serum inflammatory markers were measured by a multiplexed flow cytometric assay.
COVID-19 survivors exhibited subjective cognitive decline compared to healthy controls, despite no significant differences in objective cognitive tasks. Structural analysis revealed significantly increased gray matter volume and cortical surface area in the left transverse temporal gyrus (Heschl's gyrus) in quarantined COVID-19 survivors. This enlargement was negatively correlated with cognitive impairment. The ALFF analysis showed decreased neural activity in multiple brain regions. Elevated levels of serum inflammatory markers were also found in COVID-19 survivors, including MIP-1a, MIP-1b, TNF-a, and IL-8, which correlated with functional abnormalities.
Our findings indicate a subjective cognitive decline in quarantined COVID-19 survivors 15 months after discharge, which is associated with brain structural alterations in the left Heschl's gyrus. The observed elevation of inflammatory markers suggests a potential mechanism involving inflammation-induced neurogenesis. These results contribute to our understanding of the possible mechanisms underlying long-term neuropsychiatric consequences of COVID-19 and highlight the need for further research to develop targeted interventions.
•We integrated variables during the pre-diagnostic course of probable PTSD to estimate the probability of PTSD development at the 3-month time.•Age, sex, property loss and sedentary life were the ...most relevant predictor variables.•Risk for probable PTSD can be estimated at an individual subject level via machine learning.•Risk for probable PTSD can be estimated using easily attained variables.
Evidence has identified risk factors associated with individuals with trauma exposure who develop posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). How to combine risk factors to predict probable PTSD in young survivors using machine learning is limited. The study aimed to integrated multiple measures at 2 weeks after the earthquake using machine learning for the prediction of probable PTSD at 3 months after earthquake.
A total of 2099 young survivors with earthquake exposure were included. We integrated multiple domains of variables to ‘train’ a machine learning algorithm (XGBoost). Thirty-one combination types were implemented and evaluated. The resulting XGBoost was utilized in identifying individual participants as either probable PTSD or no PTSD.
Any combination type predicted young survivor probable PTSD, with prediction accuracies ranging between 66%-80% (p < 0.05). In particular, the combination of earthquake experience, everyday functioning, somatic symptoms and sleeping correctly predicted 683 out of 802 cases of probable PTSD, translating to a classical accuracy of 74.476% (85.156% sensitivity and 60.366% specificity) and an area under the curve of 0.80. The most relevant variables (e.g. age, sex, property loss and a sedentary lifestyle) revealed in the present study.
Participants from a specific district might limit the generalizability of our results. Self-report questionnaires and non-standardized measures were used to assess symptoms.
Detection of probable PTSD according to self-reported measurement data is feasible, may improve operational efficiencies via enabling targeted intervention, before manifestation of symptoms.
Background: We sought to establish a prospective hospital-based cohort, featuring detailed multidimensional data of trauma patients with active follow-ups, which can be a reliable data source for all ...studies focusing on the effects or underlying mechanistic pathways of environmental and biological factors on multiple interested trauma-related outcomes, particularly the incidence and trajectory of trauma-related psychopathology, in a Chinese population.Methods: The China Severe Trauma Cohort (CSTC) enrolled all traumatized individuals aged 12 to 80 years admitted to the Trauma Center of West China Hospital between March 1st, 2020 and July 8th, 2022. The bio-sample and detailed questionnaire data were collected at recruitment, and phone/internet follow-ups were scheduled at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after the baseline. Long-term health outcomes are planned to be obtained from administrative databases through data linkage.Results: A total of 2,500 trauma patients were enrolled (response rate = 87.1%) with an average age of 46.01 years, and most of the participants were males (62.6%). The proportions of participants with blood and fecal sample collected at baseline were 93.8% and 66.3%, respectively. As of August 31st, 2022, the follow-up rate was 90.0%, 77.0%, 76.5%, and 89.0% for 1-, 3-, 6-, and 12-month follow-ups, respectively. Fall/wrench (47.6%) and traffic accident (26.2%) were the top causes of current trauma. The most common psychopathology at recruitment was sleep disturbance (39.4%), followed by depression (22.6%), anxiety (18.2%), and acute stress reaction (7.8%), all of which showed recovering trajectories during the follow-up period, particularly the first 3 months after baseline.Conclusion: CSTC provides a platform with multidimensional data to study both short-term and long-term trauma-related health consequences, prompting early identification and intervention for individuals with high risk of health decline after trauma exposures.
Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) is on the rise globally, posing a significant societal challenge. Pica, an eating disorder, presents difficulties in treatment due to the absence of effective ...medications. In this report, we discuss a complex case involving the co-occurrence of pica and non-suicidal self-injury. A 13-year-old girl was admitted to our hospital due to ingesting two batteries. She features a persistent, intense appetite along with sudden and compulsive behaviors such as consuming inedible items or self-inflicted cutting. After receiving a combination of pharmacological treatments (quetiapine, lithium and sertraline), cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and modified electroconvulsive therapy (MECT) for 25 days, she was discharged with relief from her clinical symptoms.
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