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We aimed to validate In-Body BIA measures with DXA as reference and to describe the BC profiling of Tibetan adults.
Design:
This cross-sectional study included 855 participants (391 men and 464 women).Correlation and Bland-Altman analyses were performed for method agreement of In-Body BIA and DXA. BC were described by obesity and metabolic status.
Setting:
Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (In-Body BIA) and Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) have not been employed to characterize the body composition (BC) of the Tibetan population living in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.
Participants:
A total of 855 Tibetan adults, including 391 men and 464 women, were enrolled in the study.
Results:
Concordance correlation coefficient for total fat mass (FM) and total lean mass (LM) between In-Body BIA and DXA were 0.91 and 0.89. The bias of In-Body BIA for percentages of total FM and total LM was 0.91% (2.46%) and -1.74% (-2.80%) compared with DXA, respectively. Absolute limits of agreement were wider for total FM in obese men and women and for total LM in overweight men than their counterparts. Gradience in the distribution of total and regional FM content was observed across different BMI categories and its combinations with waist circumference and metabolic status.
Conclusions:
In-Body BIA and DXA provided overall good agreement at group level in Tibetan adults, but the agreement was inferior in participants being overweight or obese.
While the cross-sectional relationship between internet gaming disorder (IGD) and depression is well-established, whether IGD predicts future depression remains debated, and the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. This large-scale, three-wave longitudinal study aimed to clarify the predictive role of IGD in depression and explore the mediating effects of resilience and sleep distress.
Methods
A cohort of 41,215 middle school students from Zigong City was assessed at three time points: November 2021 (T1), November 2022 (T2) and November 2023 (T3). IGD, depression, sleep distress and resilience were measured using standardized questionnaires. Multiple logistic regression was used to examine the associations between baseline IGD and both concurrent and subsequent depression. Mediation analyses were conducted with T1 IGD as the predictor, T2 sleep distress and resilience as serial mediators and T3 depression as the outcome. To test the robustness of the findings, a series of sensitivity analyses were performed. Additionally, sex differences in the mediation pathways were explored.
Results
(1) IGD was independently associated with depression at baseline (T1: adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 4.76, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 3.79–5.98, p < 0.001), 1 year later (T2: AOR = 1.42, 95% CI: 1.16–1.74, p < 0.001) and 2 years later (T3: AOR = 1.24, 95% CI: 1.01–1.53, p = 0.042); (2) A serial multiple mediation effect of sleep distress and resilience was identified in the relationship between IGD and depression. The mediation ratio was 60.7% in the unadjusted model and 33.3% in the fully adjusted model, accounting for baseline depression, sleep distress, resilience and other covariates. The robustness of our findings was supported by various sensitivity analyses; and (3) Sex differences were observed in the mediating roles of sleep distress and resilience, with the mediation ratio being higher in boys compared to girls.
Conclusions
IGD is a significant predictor of depression in adolescents, with resilience and sleep distress serving as key mediators. Early identification and targeted interventions for IGD may help prevent depression. Intervention strategies should prioritize enhancing resilience and improving sleep quality, particularly among boys at risk.
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition caused by the dysregulation or overgeneralization of memories related to traumatic events. Investigating the interplay between explicit narrative and implicit emotional memory contributes to a better understanding of the mechanisms underlying PTSD.
Methods
This case–control study focused on two groups: unmedicated patients with PTSD and a trauma-exposed control (TEC) group who did not develop PTSD. Experiments included real-time measurements of blood oxygenation changes using functional near-infrared spectroscopy during trauma narration and processing of emotional and linguistic data through natural language processing (NLP).
Results
Real-time fNIRS monitoring showed that PTSD patients (mean [SD] Oxy-Hb activation, 0.153 [0.084], 95% CI 0.124 to 0.182) had significantly higher brain activity in the left anterior medial prefrontal cortex (L-amPFC) within 10 s after expressing negative emotional words compared with the control group (0.047 [0.026], 95% CI 0.038 to 0.056; p < 0.001). In the control group, there was a significant time-series correlation between the use of negative emotional memory words and activation of the L-amPFC (latency 3.82 s, slope = 0.0067, peak value = 0.184, difference = 0.273; Spearman’s r = 0.727, p < 0.001). In contrast, the left anterior cingulate prefrontal cortex of PTSD patients remained in a state of high activation (peak value = 0.153, difference = 0.084) with no apparent latency period.
Conclusions
PTSD patients display overactivity in pathways associated with rapid emotional responses and diminished regulation in cognitive processing areas. Interventions targeting these pathways may alleviate symptoms of PTSD.
The emotion regulation network (ERN) in the brain provides a framework for understanding the neuropathology of affective disorders. Although previous neuroimaging studies have investigated the neurobiological correlates of the ERN in major depressive disorder (MDD), whether patients with MDD exhibit abnormal functional connectivity (FC) patterns in the ERN and whether the abnormal FC in the ERN can serve as a therapeutic response signature remain unclear.
Methods
A large functional magnetic resonance imaging dataset comprising 709 patients with MDD and 725 healthy controls (HCs) recruited across five sites was analyzed. Using a seed-based FC approach, we first investigated the group differences in whole-brain resting-state FC of the 14 ERN seeds between participants with and without MDD. Furthermore, an independent sample (45 MDD patients) was used to evaluate the relationship between the aforementioned abnormal FC in the ERN and symptom improvement after 8 weeks of antidepressant monotherapy.
Results
Compared to the HCs, patients with MDD exhibited aberrant FC between 7 ERN seeds and several cortical and subcortical areas, including the bilateral middle temporal gyrus, bilateral occipital gyrus, right thalamus, calcarine cortex, middle frontal gyrus, and the bilateral superior temporal gyrus. In an independent sample, these aberrant FCs in the ERN were negatively correlated with the reduction rate of the HAMD17 score among MDD patients.
Conclusions
These results might extend our understanding of the neurobiological underpinnings underlying unadaptable or inflexible emotional processing in MDD patients and help to elucidate the mechanisms of therapeutic response.
High-quality intergenerational relationships positively influence cognitive functioning in older parents. However, there is insufficient information on how they shape the trajectories of mothers’ and fathers’ cognitive functioning decline in multi-child families, owing to the complexity of intergenerational relationships, such as multi-dimensional and ambivalent natures and differences varying across children. Drawing on three waves of data (2014, 2016 and 2018) from a nationally representative survey – the China Longitudinal Ageing Social Survey (N = 9,404) – we used the k-means clustering method to discern patterns of intergenerational relationships in multi-child Chinese families, as well as the growth curve models, to examine the associations between parent–child relationship types and the trajectories of older parents’ cognitive functioning. Five types of intergenerational relationship were identified: alienated, stressfully interacting, independent, beneficially interacting and tight-knit. We then investigated the associations between trajectories of cognitive functioning and the most distant type, the closest type, and the heterogeneity of parent–child relationships across multiple children. The most distant parent–child relationship was significantly related to cognitive functioning trajectories with the alienated (tight-knit) type associated with the lowest (highest) levels of cognitive functioning and the fastest (slowest) cognitive decline. However, the closest parent–child relationship was not significantly related to cognitive functioning trajectories. Moreover, greater variation in relationships with multiple children was correlated with lower levels of cognitive functioning and faster cognitive functioning decline. These associations were stronger among mothers than fathers. This study provides new insights into the potentially protective role of intergenerational relationships in older parents’ cognitive functioning and their gendered differences.
Substantial changes resulting from the interaction of environmental and dietary factors contribute to an increased risk of obesity, while their specific associations with obesity remain unclear. We identified inflammation-related dietary patterns (DP) and explored their associations with obesity among urbanised Tibetan adults under significant environmental and dietary changes. Totally, 1826 subjects from the suburbs of Golmud City were enrolled in an open cohort study, of which 514 were followed up. Height, weight and waist circumference were used to define overweight and obesity. DP were derived using reduced rank regression with forty-one food groups as predictors and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein and prognostic nutritional index as inflammatory response variables. Altitude was classified as high or ultra-high. Two DP were extracted. DP-1 was characterised by having high consumptions of sugar-sweetened beverages, savoury snacks, and poultry and a low intake of tsamba. DP-2 had high intakes of poultry, pork, animal offal, and fruits and a low intake of butter tea. Participants in the highest tertiles (T3) of DP had increased risks of overweight and obesity (DP-1: OR = 1·37, 95 % CI 1·07, 1·77; DP-2: OR = 1·48, 95 % CI 1·18, 1·85) than those in the lowest tertiles (T1). Participants in T3 of DP-2 had an increased risk of central obesity (OR = 2·25, 95 % CI 1·49, 3·39) than those in T1. The positive association of DP-1 with overweight and obesity was only significant at high altitudes, while no similar effect was observed for DP-2. Inflammation-related DP were associated with increased risks of overweight and/or obesity.
Demoralization isa common psychological problem in cancer patients. The purpose of this study is to systematically evaluate the correlated factors of demoralization among cancer patients. We also summarized the available evidence, effect estimates, and the strength of statistical associations between demoralization and its associated factors.
Methods
We systematically searched PubMed, Web of Science, CINAHL, Embase, the Cochrane Library, PsycINFO, and 2 electronic databases to identify studies published up to October 2023 with data on the correlates of demoralization. Two researchers independently reviewed references, extracted data, and assessed data quality. Meta-analysis was performed using R4.1.1 software.
Results
Thirty-eight studies were included in this meta-analysis. For the most studied sociodemographic correlates, demoralization was negatively correlated with income (z = −0.29, 95% CI: −0.51, −0.02), education (z = − 0.11, 95% CI: − 0.16, −0.05), and age (z = −0.45, 95%CI: −0.75, −0.01). For the most studied clinical correlates, demoralization was positively correlated with symptom burden (z = 0.37, 95% CI: 0.22, 0.50) and negatively correlated with quality of life (z = −0.40, 95% CI: −0.54, −0.24). For the most studied psychosocial correlates, demoralization was negatively correlated with social support (z = −0.39, 95% CI: −0.51, −0.26) and positively correlated with anxiety (z = 0.65, 95% CI: 0.56, 0.73), depression (z = 0.61, 95% CI: 0.54, 0.67), and suicidal ideation (z = 0.48, 95% CI: 0.34, 0.60).
Significance of results
Demoralization showed either positive or negative associations with sociodemographic, clinical, and psychological variables. More research is needed to explore the underlying mechanisms to develop effective interventions. This review provides information on the factors associated with demoralization in cancer patients, which can be used to inform strategies for clinical care providers.
Significant differences in life-history traits between the southern population (S) and northern (N) population of the cabbage beetle Colaphellus bowringi make it an excellent model for studying inheritance in this insect. In the present study, we observed the life-history traits of pure strains, F1, reciprocal backcross and reciprocal F2 progeny under a photoperiod of L:D 15:9 h at 22 °C. The S population had shorter larval development time, longer pupal time, higher body weight, growth rate and weight loss compared with the N population. In the F1 testing, the larval development time and body weight in hybrid populations were intermediate between the parents, and the paternal parents played a greater role in determining the larval development time, while the maternal parents exhibited a greater role in determining the body weight. The pupal time of hybrid populations was significantly shorter than that of the parents. In the reciprocal backcross testing, both father and grandfather affected the larval development time, while both mother and grandmother affected the body weight. Consistently, in the reciprocal F2 cross testing, the grandfather was more influential in determining the larval development time, and grandmother was more important in determining the body weight. In all tested populations, females had greater body weight, higher growth rate and weight loss than males. Hybridization pattern did not affect sex dimorphism and sex ratio. Overall, these findings suggest that different pathways (maternal or paternal effects) were involved in the inheritance of various life-history traits in C. bowringi.
As avionics systems become increasingly complex, traditional fault prediction methods are no longer sufficient to meet modern demands. This paper introduces four advanced fault prediction methods for avionics components, utilising a multi-step prediction strategy combined with a stacking regressor. By selecting various standard regression models as base regressors, these base regressors are first trained on the original data, and their predictions are subsequently used as input features for training a meta-regressor. Additionally, the Tree-structured Parzen Estimator (TPE) algorithm is employed for hyperparameter optimisation. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed stacking regression methods exhibit superior accuracy in fault prediction compared to traditional single-model approaches.
In this article, we study the following Schrödinger equation
\begin{align*}\begin{cases}-\Delta u -\frac{\mu}{|x|^2} u+\lambda u =f(u), &\text{in}~ \mathbb{R}^N\backslash\{0\},\\\int_{\mathbb{R}^{N}}|u|^{2}\mathrm{d} x=a, & u\in H^1(\mathbb{R}^{N}),\end{cases}\end{align*}
where $N\geq 3$, a > 0, and $\mu \lt \frac{(N-2)^2}{4}$. Here $\frac{1}{|x|^2} $ represents the Hardy potential (or ‘inverse-square potential’), λ is a Lagrange multiplier, and the nonlinearity function f satisfies the general Sobolev critical growth condition. Our main goal is to demonstrate the existence of normalized ground state solutions for this equation when $0 \lt \mu \lt \frac{(N-2)^2}{4}$. We also analyse the behaviour of solutions as $\mu\to0^+$ and derive the existence of normalized ground state solutions for the limiting case where µ = 0. Finally, we investigate the existence of normalized solutions when µ < 0 and analyse the asymptotic behaviour of solutions as $\mu\to 0^-$.
In contemporary neuroimaging studies, it has been observed that patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) exhibit aberrant spontaneous neural activity, commonly quantified through the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (ALFF). However, the substantial individual heterogeneity among patients poses a challenge to reaching a unified conclusion.
Methods
To address this variability, our study adopts a novel framework to parse individualized ALFF abnormalities. We hypothesize that individualized ALFF abnormalities can be portrayed as a unique linear combination of shared differential factors. Our study involved two large multi-center datasets, comprising 2424 patients with MDD and 2183 healthy controls. In patients, individualized ALFF abnormalities were derived through normative modeling and further deconstructed into differential factors using non-negative matrix factorization.
Results
Two positive and two negative factors were identified. These factors were closely linked to clinical characteristics and explained group-level ALFF abnormalities in the two datasets. Moreover, these factors exhibited distinct associations with the distribution of neurotransmitter receptors/transporters, transcriptional profiles of inflammation-related genes, and connectome-informed epicenters, underscoring their neurobiological relevance. Additionally, factor compositions facilitated the identification of four distinct depressive subtypes, each characterized by unique abnormal ALFF patterns and clinical features. Importantly, these findings were successfully replicated in another dataset with different acquisition equipment, protocols, preprocessing strategies, and medication statuses, validating their robustness and generalizability.
Conclusions
This research identifies shared differential factors underlying individual spontaneous neural activity abnormalities in MDD and contributes novel insights into the heterogeneity of spontaneous neural activity abnormalities in MDD.
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.
In hypersonic flight the shock wave and turbulent boundary layer interaction (STBLI) sharply increases wall heat transfer that intensifies the aerodynamic heating problems. In this work the STBLI is modelled by compression ramp flow with a Mach number of 5, a Reynolds number based on momentum thickness of 4652 and a wall to recovery temperature ratio of 0.5. The aerodynamic heat generation and transport mechanisms are investigated in the interaction based on theoretical analysis and direct numerical simulation (DNS) that agrees with previous studies. A prediction correlation of wall heat flux in STBLI is deduced theoretically and validated by some representative data including the present DNS, which improves the prediction accuracy and can be applied to a wider $Ma$ range compared with the canonical Q-P theory. The correlation indicates that the sharp increase of wall heat transfer in the STBLI can be explained by the boundary layer compression and the convection transport enhancement. Based on the DNS results, the aerodynamic heat generation and transport mechanisms are revealed in the separation, recirculation and reattachment zones in the STBLI. From this perspective, the peak heat flux can be further explained by the enhancement of near-wall turbulent energy dissipation, compression aerodynamic heat generation and the near-wall turbulent transport. The generation and transport of compression aerodynamic heat reveal the underlying mechanism of the strong correlation between the peak heat flux ratios and the pressure ratios in STBLIs.
Purple nutsedge (Cyperus rotundus L.) is one of the world’s resilient upland weeds, primarily spreading through its tubers. Its emergence in rice (Oryza sativa L.) fields has been increasing, likely due to changing paddy-farming practices. This study aimed to investigate how C. rotundus, an upland weed, can withstand soil flooding and become a problematic weed in rice fields. The first comparative analysis focused on the survival and recovery characteristics of growing and mature tubers of C. rotundus exposed to soil-flooding conditions. Notably, mature tubers exhibited significant survival and recovery abilities in these environments. Based on this observation, further investigation was carried out to explore the morphological structure, nonstructural carbohydrates, and respiratory mechanisms of mature tubers in response to prolonged soil flooding. Over time, the mature tubers did not form aerenchyma but instead gradually accumulated lignified sclerenchymal fibers, with lignin content also increasing. After 90 d, the lignified sclerenchymal fibers and lignin contents were 4.0 and 1.1 times higher than those in the no soil-flooding treatment. Concurrently, soluble sugar content decreased while starch content increased, providing energy storage, and alcohol dehydrogenase activity rose to support anaerobic respiration via alcohol fermentation. These results indicated that mature tubers survived in soil-flooding conditions by adopting a low-oxygen quiescence strategy, which involves morphological adaptations through the development of lignified sclerenchymal fibers, increased starch reserves for energy storage, and enhanced anaerobic respiration. This mechanism likely underpins the flooding tolerance of mature C. rotundus tubers, allowing them to endure unfavorable conditions and subsequently germinate and grow once flooding subsides. This study provides a preliminary explanation of the mechanism by which mature tubers of C. rotundus from the upland areas confer flooding tolerance, shedding light on the reasons behind this weed’s increasing presence in rice fields.
This study aimed to understand the potassium voltage-gated channel KQT-like subfamily, member 1 gene polymorphism in a rural elderly population in a county in Guangxi and to explore the possible relationship between its gene polymorphism and blood sugar. The 6 SNP loci of blood DNA samples from 4355 individuals were typed using the imLDRTM Multiple SNP Typing Kit from Shanghai Tianhao Biotechnology Co. The data combining epidemiological information (baseline questionnaire and physical examination results) and genotyping results were statistically analyzed using GMDR0.9 software and SPSS22.0 software. A total of 4355 elderly people aged 60 years and above were surveyed in this survey, and the total abnormal rate of glucose metabolism was 16·11 % (699/4355). Among them, male:female ratio was 1:1·48; the age group of 60–69 years old accounted for the highest proportion, with 2337 people, accounting for 53·66 % (2337/4355). The results of multivariate analysis showed that usually not doing farm work (OR 1·26; 95 % CI 1·06, 1·50), TAG ≥ 1·70 mmol/l (OR 1·19; 95 % CI 1·11, 1·27), hyperuricaemia (OR 1·034; 95 % CI 1·01, 1·66) and BMI ≥ 24 kg/m2 (OR 1·06; 95 % CI 1·03, 1·09) may be risk factors for abnormal glucose metabolism. Among all participants, rs151290 locus AA genotype, A allele carriers (AA+AC) were 0.70 times more likely (0.54 to 0.91) and 0.82 times more likely (0.70 to 0.97) to develop abnormal glucose metabolism than CC genotype carriers, respectively. Carriers of the T allele at the rs2237892 locus (CT+TT) were 0.85 times more likely to have abnormal glucose metabolism than carriers of the CC genotype (0.72 to 0.99); rs2237897 locus CT gene. The possibility of abnormal glucose metabolism in the carriers of CC genotype, TT genotype and T allele (CT + TT) is 0·79 times (0·67–0·94), 0·74 times (0·55–0·99) and 0·78 times (0·66, 0·92). The results of multifactor dimensionality reduction showed that the optimal interaction model was a three-factor model consisting of farm work, TAG and rs2237897. The best model dendrogram found that the interaction between TAG and rs2237897 had the strongest effect on fasting blood glucose in the elderly in rural areas, and they were mutually antagonistic. Environment–gene interaction is an important factor affecting abnormal glucose metabolism in the elderly of a county in Hechi City, Guangxi.
Previous research has suggested a potential link between folic acid (FA) supplementary therapy and gastric ulcers (GU). To investigate this relationship further, we conducted a Mendelian randomisation (MR) analysis using data from the UK Biobank. Our analysis primarily employed inverse-variance weighted (IVW) methods, including both fixed-effect and random-effect models. To ensure the robustness of our findings, additional methods such as the simple median, the weighted median and the penalised weighted median were also applied. The MR analysis aimed to explore the causal effect of FA supplementary therapy on GU. Seven SNP at genetic loci associated with FA supplementary therapy were identified. Both the random-effect and fixed-effect IVW models indicated that genetically predicted FA supplementary therapy significantly reduced the risk of GU (OR, 0·870; 95 % CI 0·826, 0·917, P < 0·001). This result was consistent across other methods, with similar outcomes observed using the simple median (OR, 0·835; 95 % CI 0·773, 0·901, P < 0·001), the weighted median (OR, 0·854; 95 % CI 0·794, 0·919, P < 0·001) and the penalised weighted median (OR, 0·849; 95 % CI 0·789, 0·914, P < 0·001). Leave-one-out sensitivity analysis confirmed that no individual SNP significantly drove the association between FA supplementary therapy and GU. This MR study provides genetic evidence that FA supplementary therapy may decrease the risk of GU.
The Indo-Pacific Warm Pool (IPWP) significantly influences the global hydrological cycle through its impact on atmospheric-oceanic circulation. However, gaining a comprehensive understanding of the hydrologic climate dynamics within the IPWP and its broader effects on the global climate have been hindered by spatial and temporal limitations in paleoclimate records on orbital timescales. In this study, we reconstructed precipitation records (approximated from δ18Osw-ivc) over the past 450 kyr, based on planktonic foraminiferal Mg/Ca and δ18O data obtained from International Ocean Discovery Program Site U1486 in the western tropical Pacific. The δ18Osw-ivc record revealed a generally consistent pattern with precession variations over the past 450 kyr, closely corresponding to changes in boreal summer insolation at the equator. The δ18Osw-ivc record displayed an anti-phased relationship with Chinese speleothem δ18O records on the precession band, with lower precipitation in the western tropical Pacific and higher precipitation in the East Asia summer monsoon region during periods of high Northern Hemisphere summer insolation. This anti-phased correlation primarily resulted from the north-south migration of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), influenced by the interhemispheric insolation contrast. By considering additional δ18Osw-ivc records from various locations within the IPWP region, we identified synchronous precipitation changes within the IPWP on the precession band. The synchronization of precipitation on both margins of the ITCZ’s seasonal range and differences between central and marginal regions of the ITCZ within the IPWP revealed the expansion and contraction of the ITCZ on precession band.