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Firefighters are frequently exposed to traumatic events and stressful environments and are at particularly high risk of depressive symptoms.
Aims:
The present study aimed to examine the impact of a combined internet-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy (iCBT) and attention bias modification (ABM) intervention to reduce depressive symptoms in firefighters.
Method:
The study was a randomized controlled trial carried out in Kunming, China, and involved the recruitment of 138 active firefighters as participants. The intervention lasted for an 8-week duration, during which participants participated in ABM exercises on alternating days and concurrently underwent eight modules of iCBT courses delivered through a smartphone application. Baseline and post-intervention assessments were conducted to evaluate the effects of the intervention.
Results and Discussion:
Results indicated that the combined iCBT and ABM intervention was significantly effective in reducing symptoms of depression compared with the no intervention control group (U=1644, p<0.001, Wilcoxon r=0.280). No significant change was observed in attention bias post-intervention (U=2460, p=0.737, Wilcoxon r=0.039), while a significant increase was observed in attention-bias variability (U=3172, p<0.001, Wilcoxon r=–0.287). This study provides evidence for the effectiveness of the combined iCBT and ABM intervention in reducing depressive symptoms among firefighters. This study provides conceptual support and preliminary evidence for the effectiveness of the combined iCBT and ABM intervention in reducing depressive symptoms among firefighters.
Late-life depression (LLD) predisposes individuals to cognitive decline, often leading to misdiagnoses as mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) can distinguish the profiles of these disorders according to gray matter (GM) volumes. We integrated findings from previous VBM studies for comparative analysis and extended the research into molecular profiles to facilitate inspection and intervention.
Methods
We comprehensively searched PubMed and Web of Science for VBM studies that compared LLD and MCI cases with matched healthy controls (HCs) from inception to 31st December 2023. We included 13 studies on LLD (414 LLDs, 350 HCs) and 50 on MCI (1878 MCIs, 2046 HCs). Seed-based d Mapping with Permutation of Subject Images (SDM-PSI) was used for voxel-based meta-analysis to assess GM atrophy, spatially correlated with neuropsychological profiles. We then used multimodal and linear-model analysis to assess the similarities and differences in GM volumetric changing patterns. Partial least squares (PLS) regression and gene enrichment were employed for transcription-neuroimaging associations.
Results
GM volumes in the left hippocampus and right parahippocampal gyrus are more affected in MCI, along with memory impairment. MCI was spatially correlated with a more extensive reduction in the levels of neurotransmitters and a severe downregulation of genes related to cellular potassium ion transport and metal ion transmembrane transporter activity.
Conclusion
Compared to LLD, MCI exhibited more GM atrophy in the hippocampus and parahippocampal gyrus and lower gene expression of ion transmembrane transport. Our findings provided imaging-transcriptomic-genetic integrative profiles for differential diagnosis and precise intervention between LLD and MCI.
This study examined the sour grapes/sweet lemons rationalization through 2 conditions: ‘attainable’ (sweet lemons) and ‘unattainable’ (sour grapes), reflecting China’s 2019-nCoV vaccination strategy. The aim was to find ways to change people’s beliefs and preferences regarding vaccines by easing their safety concerns and encouraging more willingness to get vaccinated. An online survey was conducted from January 22 to 27, 2021, with 3,123 residents across 30 provinces and municipalities in the Chinese mainland. The direction of belief and preference changed in line with the sour grapes/sweet lemons rationalization. Using hypothetical and real contrasts, we compared those for whom the vaccine was relatively unattainable (‘sour grapes’ condition) with those who could get the vaccine easily (‘sweet lemons’). Whether the vaccine was attainable was determined in the early stage of the vaccine roll-out by membership in a select group of workers that was supposed to be vaccinated to the greatest extent possible, or, by being in the second stage when the vaccine was available to all. The attainable conditions demonstrated higher evaluation in vaccine safety, higher willingness to be vaccinated, and lower willingness to wait and see. Hence, we propose that the manipulation of vaccine attainability, which formed the basis of the application of sour grapes/sweet lemons rationalization, can be utilized as a means to manipulate the choice architecture to nudge individuals to ease vaccine safety concerns, reducing wait-and-see tendencies, and enhancing vaccination willingness. This approach can expedite universal vaccination and its associated benefits in future scenarios resembling the 2019-nCoV vaccine rollout.
Psychiatric diagnosis is based on categorical diagnostic classification, yet similarities in genetics and clinical features across disorders suggest that these classifications share commonalities in neurobiology, particularly regarding neurotransmitters. Glutamate (Glu) and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), the brain's primary excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitters, play critical roles in brain function and physiological processes.
Methods
We examined the levels of Glu, combined glutamate and glutamine (Glx), and GABA across psychiatric disorders by pooling data from 121 1H-MRS studies and further divided the sample based on Axis I disorders.
Results
Statistically significant differences in GABA levels were found in the combined psychiatric group compared with healthy controls (Hedge's g = −0.112, p = 0.008). Further analyses based on brain regions showed that brain GABA levels significantly differed across Axis I disorders and controls in the parieto-occipital cortex (Hedge's g = 0.277, p = 0.019). Furthermore, GABA levels were reduced in affective disorders in the occipital cortex (Hedge's g = −0.468, p = 0.043). Reductions in Glx levels were found in neurodevelopmental disorders (Hedge's g = −0.287, p = 0.022). Analysis focusing on brain regions suggested that Glx levels decreased in the frontal cortex (Hedge's g = −0.226, p = 0.025), and the reduction of Glu levels in patients with affective disorders in the frontal cortex is marginally significant (Hedge's g = −0.172, p = 0.052). When analyzing the anterior cingulate cortex and prefrontal cortex separately, reductions were only found in GABA levels in the former (Hedge's g = − 0.191, p = 0.009) across all disorders.
Conclusions
Altered glutamatergic and GABAergic metabolites were found across psychiatric disorders, indicating shared dysfunction. We found reduced GABA levels across psychiatric disorders and lower Glu levels in affective disorders. These results highlight the significance of GABA and Glu in psychiatric etiology and partially support rethinking current diagnostic categories.
The neural correlates underlying late-life depressive symptoms and cognitive deterioration are largely unclear, and little is known about the role of chronic physical conditions in such association. This research explores both concurrent and longitudinal associations between late-life depressive symptoms and cognitive functions, with examining the neural substrate and chronic vascular diseases (CVDs) in these associations.
Methods
A total of 4109 participants (mean age = 65.4, 63.0% females) were evaluated for cognitive functions through various neuropsychological assessments. Depressive symptoms were assessed by the Geriatric Depression Scale and CVDs were self-reported. T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), diffusion tensor imaging, and functional MRI (fMRI) data were acquired in a subsample (n = 791).
Results
Cognitively, higher depressive symptoms were correlated with poor performance across all cognitive domains, with the strongest association with episodic memory (r = ‒0.138, p < 0.001). Regarding brain structure, depressive symptoms were negatively correlated with thalamic volume and white matter integrity. Further, white matter integrity was found to mediate the longitudinal association between depressive symptoms and episodic memory (indirect effect = −0.017, 95% CI −0.045 to −0.002) and this mediation was only significant for those with severe CVDs (β = −0.177, p = 0.008).
Conclusions
This study is one of the first to provide neural evidence elucidating the longitudinal associations between late-life depressive symptoms and cognitive dysfunction. Additionally, the severity of CVDs strengthened these associations, which enlightens the potential of managing CVDs as an intervention target for preventing depressive symptoms-related cognitive decline.
Observational studies have shown a controversial relationship between dietary fat intake and Alzheimer's disease, and the causal effects are unclear.
Aims
To assess the causal effects of total fat, saturated fat and polyunsaturated fat (PUF) intakes on the risk of Alzheimer's disease.
Method
A two-sample Mendelian randomisation analysis was performed using genome-wide association study summary statistics on different types of fat intake from UK Biobank (n = 51 413) and on late-onset Alzheimer's disease (LOAD; 4282 cases, n = 307 112) and all forms of Alzheimer's disease (6281 cases, n = 309 154) from the FinnGen consortium. In addition, a multivariable Mendelian randomisation (MVMR) analysis was conducted to estimate the effects independent of carbohydrate and protein intakes.
Results
Genetically predicted per standard deviation increase in the total fat and saturated fat intakes were associated with 44 and 38% higher risks of LOAD (total fat: odds ratio = 1.44, 95% CI 1.03–2.02; saturated fat: odds ratio = 1.38, 95% CI 1.002–1.90; P = 0.049). The associations remained significant in the MVMR analysis (total fat: odds ratio = 3.31, 95% CI 1.74–6.29; saturated fat: odds ratio = 2.04, 95% CI 1.16–3.59). Total fat and saturated fat intakes were associated with a higher risk of all forms of Alzheimer's disease in the MVMR analysis (total fat: odds ratio = 2.09, 95% CI 1.22–3.57; saturated fat: odds ratio = 1.60, 95% CI 1.01–2.52). The PUF intake was not associated with LOAD or all forms of Alzheimer's disease.
Conclusions
This study indicated that total dietary fat intake, especially saturated fat, contributed to the risk of Alzheimer's disease, and the effects were independent of other nutrients. These findings informed prevention strategies and management for Alzheimer's disease directly towards reducing dietary saturated fat intake.
This study proposes a novel super-resolution (or SR) framework for generating high-resolution turbulent boundary layer (TBL) flow from low-resolution inputs. The framework combines a super-resolution generative adversarial neural network (SRGAN) with down-sampling modules (DMs), integrating the residual of the continuity equation into the loss function. The DMs selectively filter out components with excessive energy dissipation in low-resolution fields prior to the super-resolution process. The framework iteratively applies the SRGAN and DM procedure to fully capture the energy cascade of multi-scale flow structures, collectively termed the SRGAN-based energy cascade reconstruction framework (EC-SRGAN). Despite being trained solely on turbulent channel flow data (via ‘zero-shot transfer’), EC-SRGAN exhibits remarkable generalization in predicting TBL small-scale velocity fields, accurately reproducing wavenumber spectra compared to direct numerical simulation (DNS) results. Furthermore, a super-resolution core is trained at a specific super-resolution ratio. By leveraging this pretrained super-resolution core, EC-SRGAN efficiently reconstructs TBL fields at multiple super-resolution ratios from various levels of low-resolution inputs, showcasing strong flexibility. By learning turbulent scale invariance, EC-SRGAN demonstrates robustness across different TBL datasets. These results underscore the potential of EC-SRGAN for generating and predicting wall turbulence with high flexibility, offering promising applications in addressing diverse TBL-related challenges.
In the double-cone ignition scheme of inertial confinement fusion, the head-on collision of two compressed fuel jets from the cone-tips forms an isochoric plasma, which is then heated suddenly by a MeV relativistic electron beam produced by ultra-intense picosecond laser pulses. This fast-heating process was studied experimentally at the Shenguang II upgrade laser facility. By observing temporal-resolved X-ray emission and the spatial-resolved X-ray spectrum, the colliding process and heating process are carefully studied. The colliding plasma was imaged to have dimensions of approximately 86 μm in the implosion direction and approximately 120 μm in the heating direction. By comparing the simulated plasma X-ray spectrum with experimental data, the electron temperature of the heated plasma was found to rapidly increase to 600 ± 50 eV, almost doubling the temperature achieved before the heating laser incidence.
We report how artificial nests can be utilised at scale in nest site-limited areas of Mongolia to create a managed population of Saker Falcons (Falco cherrug), an “Endangered” species that is harvested for international trade. The provision of 5,000 artificial nests created an average annual saker population of 602 (SE ± 59) breeding pairs, producing an estimated 1,735 (SE ± 272) fledglings per annum over the period 2013–2015. Our regular monitoring enabled us to identify the effects of climate and vegetation on breeding performance. A warm and dry climate prior to breeding was associated with earlier egg-laying dates, while warmer conditions during the breeding season increased fledging success. Greater vegetation biomass in the previous growth season was positively related to breeding density and earlier clutch initiation, which was associated with larger clutch size and larger fledged brood size. Furthermore, using small mammal remains from saker pellets collected at artificial nest sites, we found that higher breeding density, earlier egg laying, larger clutch size, and increased nest survival were associated with areas with a higher proportion of small mammal prey in the diet. Our results provided evidence of the role of temporal and spatial variation in climate and prey availability on breeding performance, demonstrating the requirement for dynamic modelling of variable demographic parameters to be incorporated within an adaptive management framework for the sustainable management of the Saker Falcon.
Among the many techniques used to remove toxic dyes from the environment, layered double hydroxides (LDH) are considered to be especially environmentally friendly, but, this quality may be altered by variations in the octahedral Mg/Al molar ratios in the LDH structure. The aim of the present study was to synthesize environmentally sound LDH for use as an economically viable sorbent for the adsorption of reactive brilliant orange X-GN. Layered double hydroxides with Mg/Al molar ratios of 2:1 and 4:1 were prepared by co-precipitation. The materials obtained were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF), and surface-area analysis. Batch experiments were carried out to investigate the effects of contact time, pH, adsorbent dosage, and initial dye concentration on the adsorption behavior of the reactive brilliant orange X-GN by Mg-Al LDH. The results showed that the optimum pH value for dye adsorption was 3.0, at which the adsorption capacities of the reactive brilliant orange X-GN by the 2:1 LDH and the 4:1 LDH at 298 K were 79.370 mg/g and 83.343 mg/g, respectively. Further analysis of the dye-adsorption kinetics show that they fit the pseudo second-order model well. The adsorption equilibrium data showed that the Langmuir model provided better correlation of the equilibrium data than the Freundlich model. This result indicates that LDH provide specific homogeneous sites where monolayer dye adsorption occurs. The results of XRD and FTIR analyses of LDH before and after the dye adsorption demonstrated that the adsorption mechanisms were ion exchange and coulombic attraction.
Laser-induced damage threshold is the main limitation for fused silica optics in high-power laser applications. The existence of various defects near the surface is the key factor for the degradation of the threshold. In this work, the photoluminescence spectra at different regions of the damaged and recovered fused silica samples are recorded to analyze the correlation between photoluminescence of surface defects and laser-induced damage threshold. The experimental data concluded the inverse proportional correlation between fluorescence and laser-induced damage threshold value. The weak photoluminescence is the guarantee of the high laser-induced damage threshold, and then the higher local Si nanocluster concentration corresponds with the higher laser-induced damage threshold value for the fused silica optics after CO2 laser treatment. The investigation reveals that photoluminescence measurement can be employed to check the quality of pristine fused silica and evaluate the tendency of the laser-induced damage threshold value. The current results are helpful for understanding the evolution of interaction from CO2 laser treatment and fused silica optics and can provide the guide of process technology for the high quality of fused silica optics.
Dyes are toxic and considered to be extremely hazardous to natural environments. Hence, adsorbents to remove dyes from contaminated water are needed. To develop adsorbents with a high adsorption capacity for different dyes, easy separation, and low cost, a novel dye adsorbent was prepared by activating fly ash with NaOH. The adsorbent morphology, structure, and specific surface area were characterized using scanning electron microscopy, X-ray powder diffraction, and surface area measurements using N2 adsorption-desorption. The adsorption abilities of the synthesized adsorbents were examined based on methylene blue and acid fuchsin adsorption from water. The capabilities of the adsorbents as a function of adsorbent use, dye type, dye concentration, time, and pH were investigated and compared. The results for methylene blue and acid fuchsin adsorption were modeled using pseudo-second order kinetics and the Langmuir adsorption isotherm, respectively. These modified adsorbents synthesized from fly ash may provide a promising solution to purify dye-contaminated waste water with the advantages of high efficiency and low cost.
COVID-19 lockdowns increased the risk of mental health problems, especially for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, despite its importance, little is known about the protective factors for ASD children during the lockdowns.
Methods
Based on the Shanghai Autism Early Developmental Cohort, 188 ASD children with two visits before and after the strict Omicron lockdown were included; 85 children were lockdown-free, while 52 and 51 children were under the longer and the shorter durations of strict lockdown, respectively. We tested the association of the lockdown group with the clinical improvement and also the modulation effects of parent/family-related factors on this association by linear regression/mixed-effect models. Within the social brain structures, we examined the voxel-wise interaction between the grey matter volume and the identified modulation effects.
Results
Compared with the lockdown-free group, the ASD children experienced the longer duration of strict lockdown had less clinical improvement (β = 0.49, 95% confidence interval (CI) [0.19–0.79], p = 0.001) and this difference was greatest for social cognition (2.62 [0.94–4.30], p = 0.002). We found that this association was modulated by parental agreeableness in a protective way (−0.11 [−0.17 to −0.05], p = 0.002). This protective effect was enhanced in the ASD children with larger grey matter volumes in the brain's mentalizing network, including the temporal pole, the medial superior frontal gyrus, and the superior temporal gyrus.
Conclusions
This longitudinal neuroimaging cohort study identified that the parental agreeableness interacting with the ASD children's social brain development reduced the negative impact on clinical symptoms during the strict lockdown.
To improve contact tracing for healthcare workers, we built and configured a Bluetooth low-energy system. We predicted close contacts with great accuracy and provided an additional contact yield of 14.8%. This system would decrease the effective reproduction number by 56% and would unnecessarily quarantine 0.74% of employees weekly.
The velocity interferometer system for any reflector (VISAR) coupled with a streaked optical pyrometer (SOP) system is used as a diagnostic tool in inertial confinement fusion (ICF) experiments involving equations of state and shock timing. To validate the process of adiabatically compressing the fuel shell through precise tuning of shocks in experimental campaigns for the double-cone ignition (DCI) scheme of ICF, a compact line-imaging VISAR with an SOP system is designed and implemented at the Shenguang-II upgrade laser facility. The temporal and spatial resolutions of the system are better than 30 ps and 7 μm, respectively. An illumination lens is used to adjust the lighting spot size matching with the target size. A polarization beam splitter and λ/4 waveplate are used to increase the transmission efficiency of our system. The VISAR and SOP work at 660 and 450 nm, respectively, to differentiate the signals from the scattered lights of the drive lasers. The VISAR can measure the shock velocity. At the same time, the SOP system can give the shock timing and relative strength. This system has been used in different DCI campaigns, where the generation and propagation processes of multi-shock are carefully diagnosed.
As space missions are needed in the future, the assembly volume of the space truss will become larger and larger, and the advancing path of the on-orbit cellular robot to the mission target will become more and more complicated. If the shortest moving path cannot be found in the truss environment, the climbing time of the robot on the truss will be greatly increased. To improve the speed of the cellular robot moving to the target point on the large space truss, this paper designs a cellular robot structure and configuration suitable for climbing on the truss and uses the improved sparrow algorithm to solve the problem of robot motion path planning. By establishing a mathematical model of the space truss, the improved sparrow algorithm is used to find the shortest path between the starting point and the end point in the truss environment. Finally, the data of this algorithm are compared with the data of other algorithms. The data results show that the improved sparrow algorithm is very effective in solving the optimal path of the space truss. The improved sparrow algorithm keeps the same optimal path compared with the standard sparrow algorithm, and the overall reaction time is increased by 51.60%, and the number of effective iterations is increased by about 13.87%.
Carotenoids are important bioactive substances in breast milk, the profile of which is seldom studied. This study aimed to explore the profile of carotenoids in breast milk and maternal/cord plasma of healthy mother–neonate pairs in Shanghai, China, and their correlation with dietary intake. Maternal blood, umbilical cord blood and breast milk samples from five lactation stages (colostrum, transitional milk and early-, mid- and late-term mature milk) were collected. Carotenoid levels were analysed by HPLC. Carotenoid levels in breast milk changed as lactation progressed (P < 0·001). β-Carotene was the primary carotenoid in colostrum. Lutein accounted for approximately 50 % of total carotenoids in transitional milk, mature milk and cord blood. Positive correlations were observed between five carotenoids in umbilical cord blood and maternal blood (P all < 0·001). β-Carotene levels were also correlated between maternal plasma and three stages of breast milk (r = 0·605, P < 0·001; r = 0·456, P = 0·011, r = 0·446; P = 0·013, respectively). Dietary carotenoid intakes of lactating mothers also differed across lactation stages, although no correlation with breast milk concentrations was found. These findings suggest the importance of exploring the transport mechanism of carotenoids between mothers and infants and help guide the development of formulas for Chinese infants as well as the nutritional diets of lactating mothers.
We present the third data release from the Parkes Pulsar Timing Array (PPTA) project. The release contains observations of 32 pulsars obtained using the 64-m Parkes ‘Murriyang’ radio telescope. The data span is up to 18 yr with a typical cadence of 3 weeks. This data release is formed by combining an updated version of our second data release with $\sim$3 yr of more recent data primarily obtained using an ultra-wide-bandwidth receiver system that operates between 704 and 4032 MHz. We provide calibrated pulse profiles, flux density dynamic spectra, pulse times of arrival, and initial pulsar timing models. We describe methods for processing such wide-bandwidth observations and compare this data release with our previous release.
HIV-1 molecular surveillance provides a new approach to explore transmission risks and targeted interventions. From January to June 2021, 663 newly reported HIV-1 cases were recruited in Zhaotong City, Yunnan Province, China. The distribution characteristics of HIV-1 subtypes and HIV-1 molecular network were analysed. Of 542 successfully subtyped samples, 12 HIV-1 strains were identified. The main strains were CRF08_BC (47.0%, 255/542), CRF01_AE (17.0%, 92/542), CRF07_BC (17.0%, 92/542), URFs (8.7%, 47/542), and CRF85_BC (6.5%, 35/542). CRF08_BC was commonly detected among Zhaotong natives, illiterates, and non-farmers and was mostly detected in Zhaoyang County. CRF01_AE was frequently detected among married and homosexual individuals and mostly detected in Weixin and Zhenxiong counties. Among the 516 pol sequences, 187 (36.2%) were clustered. Zhaotong natives, individuals aged ≥60 years, and illiterate individuals were more likely to be found in the network. Assortativity analysis showed that individuals were more likely to be genetically associated when stratified by age, education level, occupation, and reporting area. The genetic diversity of HIV-1 reflects the complexity of local HIV epidemics. Molecular network analyses revealed the subpopulations to focus on and the characteristics of the risk networks. The results will help optimise local prevention and control strategies.
To contribute to the treatment decision and optimize coagulase-negative staphylococcus (CNS) control programs, we conducted a meta-analysis to investigate the epidemiology and antimicrobial resistance rates of coagulase-negative staphylococcus associated with bovine mastitis in China. Three databases (PubMed, Google scholar and China National Knowledge Infrastructure database) were utilized to obtain relevant publications. A total of 18 publications were included in our research, and 3 of them included antimicrobial resistant (AMR) test. The pooled prevalence of coagulase-negative staphylococcus was 17.28%. Subgroup analysis revealed that the prevalence was higher in South China than in North China, was higher in 2011–2020 than in 2000–2010 and was higher in clinical bovine mastitis cases than in subclinical cases. The pooled AMR were most resistant to β-lactams, followed by tetracyclines, quinolones, nitrofurans, lincosamides, sulfonamides, amphenicol and aminoglycosides. The pooled AMR rate of coagulase-negative staphylococcus was lower in 2011–2020 than in 2000–2010. Although the prevalence of CNS showed an increasing trend over 20 years, the AMR rate showed a decreasing trend, and the clinical type of mastitis was the most frequent and the prevalence was highest in South China. Finally, CNS was most resistant to β-lactams amongst the eight groups of antimicrobial agents.