Connecting the dots: Network structures of internalizing and functional symptoms in a population-based cohort.

OBJECTIVE: Comorbidities between internalizing disorders (IDs) and functional disorders (FDs) are well-documented, indicating shared pathways. However, their symptom-level relationships have been largely unexplored. This exploratory study employs a network approach to investigate symptoms of major depressive disorder (MDD), generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), fibromyalgia (FM), and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) to identify bridge symptoms explaining comorbidity between the two domains. METHODS: We used cross-sectional data on 72,919 adult subjects from the Lifelines Cohort Study, a Dutch general population sample. A total of 38 symptoms representing diagnostic criteria of IDs and FDs were assessed with validated questionnaires. Network models were estimated using eLasso, based on the Ising model, to identify bridge symptoms. The Network Comparison Test (NCT) was used to test whether there were differences in network structure and strength across sex and age. RESULTS: Symptoms were moderately connected, with a network density of 52.7%. ID and FD symptoms clustered in their respective domains, but were connected through the bridge symptoms, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, trouble sleeping, and unrefreshing sleep. Fatigue and difficulty concentrating had the most connections, associated with 86.6% and 78.9% of the other symptoms, respectively. NCTs indicated no differences in network connectivity between females versus males or younger versus older adults (>50 years). CONCLUSIONS: ID and FD symptoms are moderately interconnected. Bridge symptoms displaying strong connections to multiple disorders may play a central role in the mechanisms underpinning the comorbidity between IDs and FDs.

Gender Minority Stressors and Psychological Distress Among Chinese Transgender and Gender Diverse People: Variable-Centered, Person-Centered, and Psychological Network Approaches.

Mental health disparities in transgender and gender diverse (TGD) populations call for more research examining gender minority stressors (GMS) as antecedents to their psychological distress, especially for the long-underrepresented groups living in conservative societies towards gender minorities. Furthermore, some questions remain underexamined, including the relative, independent influences of various GMS on TGD people's mental well-being (i.e., uniqueness of each stressor); how these stressors would configurate with each other in distinctive patterns to characterize subgroups of TGD people (i.e., beyond-average heterogeneity); and how these stressors would constitute a psychological network and vary in their centrality in that network (i.e., holistic complexity). To narrow such gaps, we examined the links between GMS and TGD people's psychological distress, using survey data collected in 2023 from 410 Chinese TGD people (Meanage = 22.33 years, SD = 4.27; 306 transgender, 70 non-binary/gender-queer/gender-fluid, 26 agender/gender-neutral, 3 intersex, and 5 others). We approached such links from three perspectives. First, variable-centered analyses indicated that while different GMS were considered simultaneously, internalized transphobia, preoccupation with gender dysphoria, and gender-related victimization were uniquely associated with psychological distress. Second, person-centered analyses yielded a 3-profile solution. Psychological distress varied systematically across profiles. Last, network analyses revealed a 3-cluster structure: Distal, Proximal Internal, and TGD-Specific Stressors. Preoccupation with gender dysphoria was the most central node. These findings contribute to a more nuanced understanding of the implications of GMS for TGD people's mental well-being. GMS related to internal struggles with gender identity might be among the central intervention targets to prevent/reduce TGD people's psychological distress.

Exploring the Influence of Neomorphic Gekkotan Paraphalanges on Limb Modularity and Integration.

Digital specializations of geckos are widely associated with their climbing abilities. A recurring feature that has independently emerged within the sister families Gekkonidae and Phyllodactylidae is the presence of neomorphic paraphalanges (PPEs), usually paired, paraxial skeletal structures lying adjacent to interphalangeal and metapodial-phalangeal joints. The incorporation of PPEs into gekkotan autopodia has the potential to modify the modularity and integration of the ancestral limb pattern by affecting information flow among skeletal limb parts. Here we explore the influence of PPEs on limb organization using anatomical networks. We modeled the fore- and hindlimbs in species ancestrally devoid of PPEs (Iguana iguana and Gekko gecko) and paraphalanx-bearing species (Hemidactylus mabouia and Uroplatus fimbriatus). To further clarify the impact of PPEs we also expunged PPEs from paraphalanx-bearing network models. We found that PPEs significantly increase modularity, giving rise to tightly integrated sub-modules along the digits, suggesting functional specialization. Species-specific singularities also emerged, such as the trade-off between the presence of PPEs favoring modularity (along the proximodistal axis) and the interdigital webbing favoring integration (across the lateromedial axis) in the limbs of U. fimbriatus. The PPEs are characterized by low connectivity compared with other skeletal elements; nevertheless, this varies based on their specific location and seemingly reflects developmental constraints. Our results also highlight the importance of the fifth metatarsal in generating a shift in lepidosaurian hindlimb polarity that contrasts with the more symmetrical bauplan of tetrapods. Our findings support extensive modification of the autopodial system in association with the addition of the neomorphic and intriguing PPEs.

Does host migration affect host-parasite interaction? Migrant birds harbor exclusive parasites but have similar roles in parasite-host networks.

Parasites comprise a substantial portion of global biodiversity and play critical roles in shaping ecosystems by modulating trophic networks and affecting their hosts' abundance and distribution. The dynamics of host migration introduce new complexity to these relationships. From the host perspective, migratory behavior can either act as a defense mechanism or augment exposure to a broader spectrum of pathogens. Conversely, for parasites, host migration represents a mechanism for their dispersion and an opportunity to infect new host species. This study investigates the complex interplay between migration and parasite-host interactions, focusing on the interaction between hosts and avian malaria and malaria-like parasites in the Brazilian Atlantic Rain Forest. We captured 1466 birds representing 70 different species, uncovering 322 infections with Plasmodium/Haemoproteus parasites. We observed variations in migration timing and fluctuations in host abundance across months. By comparing the observed patterns of interaction of migratory and non-migratory birds to patterns of interaction expected at random, we show that migration affects the roles hosts take in the parasite-host network. Interestingly, despite the fact migratory species hosted more exclusive and distinct parasites, migrants did not occupy central network positions, which are mostly occupied by resident birds. Overall, we highlight the role of resident birds as a key species within parasite-host communities and the high specialization among avian haemosporidians and their hosts.

A novel histone deacetylase inhibitor W2A-16 improves the barrier integrity in brain vascular endothelial cells.

The maturation of brain microvascular endothelial cells leads to the formation of a tightly sealed monolayer, known as the blood-brain barrier (BBB). The BBB damage is associated with the pathogenesis of age-related neurodegenerative diseases including vascular cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease. Growing knowledge in the field of epigenetics can enhance the understanding of molecular profile of the BBB and has great potential for the development of novel therapeutic strategies or targets to repair a disrupted BBB. Histone deacetylases (HDACs) inhibitors are epigenetic regulators that can induce acetylation of histones and induce open chromatin conformation, promoting gene expression by enhancing the binding of DNA with transcription factors. We investigated how HDAC inhibition influences the barrier integrity using immortalized human endothelial cells (HCMEC/D3) and the human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived brain vascular endothelial cells. The endothelial cells were treated with or without a novel compound named W2A-16. W2A-16 not only activates Wnt/ß-catenin signaling but also functions as a class I HDAC inhibitor. We demonstrated that the administration with W2A-16 sustained barrier properties of the monolayer of endothelial cells, as evidenced by increased trans-endothelial electrical resistance (TEER). The BBB-related genes and protein expression were also increased compared with non-treated controls. Analysis of transcript profiles through RNA-sequencing in hCMEC/D3 cells indicated that W2A-16 potentially enhances BBB integrity by influencing genes associated with the regulation of the extracellular microenvironment. These findings collectively propose that the HDAC inhibition by W2A-16 plays a facilitating role in the formation of the BBB. Pharmacological approaches to inhibit HDAC may be a potential therapeutic strategy to boost and/or restore BBB integrity.

Risk and protective factors for the severity of long COVID - A network analytic perspective.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: In light of the late stage of COVID-19 pandemic, the occurrence of persistent symptoms after COVID-19 infection has become more frequent. To date, there are no standardized treatments. Underlying mechanisms, risk and protective factors for severe persisting symptoms should be investigated to develop effective interventions. METHODS: An online questionnaire was used to assess gender, presence of prior mental disorder, severity of COVID-19 infection, and social connectedness (SCS-R) to determine their influence on symptom severity of persisting symptoms. The sample used to examine risk and protective factors consisted of 693 participants. RESULTS: The analysis revealed no significant gender differences for severity of persisting symptoms. However, prior mental health condition was associated with severity of persisting symptoms. Moreover, there was a positive association between symptom severity during COVID-19 infection and Post COVID 19. Social connectedness was found to be negatively associated with Post COVID 19 symptoms. Social connectedness was shown to be negatively associated with depressive symptoms and disordered self-organization. The symptoms of energy loss and concentration had the highest centrality. CONCLUSION: The results of the study indicate that severity of post-covid symptoms is associated with higher levels of psychopathological symptoms and a lower level of social connectedness. In conclusion, social connectedness may be an important factor in the development of post-COVID symptoms and should be considered for future interventions. The results from the network analyses provide a first step for a more granular syndrome profile.

Co-Expression Network Analysis and Introgressive Gene Identification for Fiber Length and Strength Reveal Transcriptional Differences in 15 Cotton Chromosome Substitution Segment Lines and Their Upland and Sea Island Parents.

Fiber length (FL) and strength (FS) are the core indicators for evaluating cotton fiber quality. The corresponding stages of fiber elongation and secondary wall thickening are of great significance in determining FL and FS formation, respectively. QTL mapping and high-throughput sequencing technology have been applied to dissect the molecular mechanism of fiber development. In this study, 15 cotton chromosome segment substitution lines (CSSLs) with significant differences in FL and FS, together with their recurrent parental Gossypium hirsutum line CCRI45 and donor parent G. barbadense line Hai1, were chosen to conduct RNA-seq on developing fiber samples at 10 days post anthesis (DPA) and 20 DPA. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were obtained via pairwise comparisons among all 24 samples (each one with three biological repeats). A total of 969 DEGs related to FL-high, 1285 DEGs to FS-high, and 997 DEGs to FQ-high were identified. The functional enrichment analyses of them indicated that the GO terms of cell wall structure and ROS, carbohydrate, and phenylpropanoid metabolism were significantly enriched, while the GO terms of glucose and polysaccharide biosynthesis, and brassinosteroid and glycosylphosphatidylinositol metabolism could make great contributions to FL and FS formation, respectively. Weighted gene co-expressed network analyses (WGCNA) were separately conducted for analyzing FL and FS traits, and their corresponding hub DEGs were screened in significantly correlated expression modules, such as EXPA8, XTH, and HMA in the fiber elongation and WRKY, TDT, and RAC-like 2 during secondary wall thickening. An integrated analysis of these hub DEGs with previous QTL identification results successfully identified a total of 33 candidate introgressive DEGs with non-synonymous mutations between the Gh and Gb species. A common DEG encoding receptor-like protein kinase 1 was reported to likely participate in fiber secondary cell thickening regulation by brassionsteroid signaling. Such valuable information was conducive to enlightening the developing mechanism of cotton fiber and also provided an abundant gene pool for further molecular breeding.

Exploring Temporal Relationships Between Anxiety, Mood and Mental Imagery in Patients With Bipolar Disorder: A Network Analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Bipolar disorder is a severe mental health problem with limited treatment success. There is a call for improving interventions, requiring an increased understanding of factors driving mood instability. One promising avenue is to study temporal associations between factors that appear relevant according to the emotional amplifier model of Holmes are changes in mood, anxiety and mental imagery. METHODS: The current study used data from a recent RCT for a secondary analysis which applied a network analysis approach to explore temporal associations between weekly measurements of mania, depression, anxiety and mental imagery measured during 32 weeks in two randomised groups (N = 55) receiving either imagery-focused cognitive therapy (ImCT) or group psychoeducation (PE). RESULTS: Both negative intrusive mental imagery and anxiety appeared central in the network analyses, driving changes in both mania and depression, but only in the PE group. In the ImCT group, only anxiety was driving changes in mania and depression. CONCLUSION: Although exploratory, findings suggest that prior increases in anxiety and negative intrusive mental imagery might be associated with subsequent increases in depression and mania symptoms in patients with bipolar disorder. Anxiety might in turn increase negative intrusive imagery and associated negative emotions. Although more research is needed, results are in line with the emotional amplifier model and stress that future interventions with a focus on anxiety and imagery might help to improve psychosocial therapies for patients with bipolar disorder. In addition, this study suggests that a network approach is a helpful and feasible way to study mood instability, anxiety and mental imagery to increase our understanding of mechanisms underpinning mood instability.

The cross-sectional and longitudinal interconnectedness of physical, psychological and role functioning following physical trauma: A network analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Surviving physical trauma can have a large impact on one's daily life. Patients are at increased risk for poor physical health, psychological complaints, and problems in role functioning - which is often experienced simultaneously. The present study explores the interconnectedness of physical, psychological, and role functioning during the first two years post-injury, both cross-sectionally and longitudinally from a network perspective. METHODS: 3785 trauma patients (Mage = 64.2 years, SDage = 18.9 years, 50.5% female) completed questionnaires on physical, psychological, and role functioning across six measurement occasions during the first two years post-injury. The Injury Severity Score (ISS) was retrieved from the local trauma registry. Mixed graphical network models and cross-lagged network models were estimated to examine which items of recovery played a central role and were mostly related to other items in cross-sectional and longitudinal networks respectively. RESULTS: The cross-sectional networks showed especially strong interconnections between impairments of physical and role functioning and also within post-traumatic stress symptoms. The longitudinal networks extended these results by showing that pain, impaired mobility, limitations in self-care, anxiety/depressive symptoms, and several post-traumatic stress symptoms were strong predictors for impairments in functioning at later stages of recovery. CONCLUSION: Our findings showed that impairments in physical, psychological, and role functioning experienced by trauma patients are largely intertwined across the two years following injury. Monitoring physical impairments and psychological complaints early in recovery might help to more promptly provide the best fitting aftercare for trauma patients, which can improve recovery on the long-term.

Transcriptional network analysis of peripheral blood leukocyte subsets in multiple sclerosis identifies a pathogenic role for a cytotoxicity-associated gene network in myeloid cells.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease of the central nervous system affecting predominantly adults. It is a complex disease associated with both environmental and genetic risk factors. Although over 230 risk single-nucleotide polymorphisms have been associated with MS, all are common human variants. The mechanisms by which they increase the risk of MS, however, remain elusive. We hypothesized that a complex genetic phenotype such as MS could be driven by coordinated expression of genes controlled by transcriptional regulatory networks. We, therefore, constructed a gene coexpression network from microarray expression analyses of five purified peripheral blood leukocyte subsets of 76 patients with relapsing remitting MS and 104 healthy controls. These analyses identified a major network (or module) of expressed genes associated with MS that play key roles in cell-mediated cytotoxicity which was downregulated in monocytes of patients with MS. Manipulation of the module gene expression was achieved in vitro through small interfering RNA gene knockdown of identified drivers. In a mouse model, network gene knockdown modulated the autoimmune inflammatory MS model disease-experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. This research implicates a cytotoxicity-associated gene network in myeloid cells in the pathogenesis of MS.

The comorbidity mechanism of problematic internet use and depression among Chinese college students: A cross-lagged panel network analysis.

Problematic internet use (PIU) and depression usually co-occur and are common among college students. According to network theory, it may be attributed to the interplay of symptoms that connect these two mental health problems. However, most studies have failed to examine complex and subtle connections at the symptom level and have not clarified how PIU and depression symptoms are intercorrelated, which symptoms serve as the source of comorbidity (i.e., the central symptoms), and whether such a comorbidity mechanism would change with higher grades. To explore these questions, this study examined four contemporaneous networks and three cross-lagged panel networks, visualizing the symptoms as nodes and the connections between symptoms as edges. A total of 2,420 college students (Mage = 18.35, SD = 0.84; 67.98 % girls) completed four annual surveys. Overall, the results of contemporaneous networks and cross-lagged panel networks indicated that (a) PIU and depression symptoms are intercorrelated; (b) the core symptoms responsible for comorbidity mostly belonged to PIU, and (c) the comorbidity mechanism would change with time. These findings explain the dynamic relation between PIU and depression and identify possible primary symptoms that comorbidity programs can mitigate at different stages of the college years.

Associations Between Internet-Specific Parenting, General Parenting, and Adolescents' Online Behaviors: A Cross-Lagged Panel Network Analysis.

Parents play a crucial role in adolescents' Internet use. Both general parenting (i.e., autonomy-supportive and controlling parenting) and Internet-specific parenting (i.e., restrictive mediation, active mediation, and parental encouragement) are related to adolescents' online behaviors. However, existing studies have focused either on an Internet-specific parenting or general parenting strategy and have neglected their interaction, failing to capture the intricate nature of the parenting context of youth's online behaviors. Few studies have examined parental encouragement or acknowledged the bidirectional influence of parenting on adolescents' online behaviors. To address this gap, this study employed a cross-lagged panel network model to examine the associations among restrictive and active mediation, parental encouragement, and autonomy-supportive and controlling parenting, as well as the interplay of all five parenting strategies with adolescents' online behaviors. A total of 564 Chinese students (51.1% male; mean age = 14.54, SD = 0.7) completed the survey at two time points. The results indicate that in most cases, previous online behaviors are significant and strong predictors of subsequent parenting strategies and not vice versa, corroborating the child effect. The parent and reciprocal effects were observed in the problematic smartphone-use domain, suggesting that the effects may differ for distinct behavioral domains. The effects of parental mediation extend beyond parental encouragement, implying that risk-prevention-related parenting is an effective means of guiding adolescents' online behaviors. Autonomy-relevant general parenting is closely related to active mediation and parental encouragement, while restrictive general parenting is closely related to restrictive mediation, suggesting a consistency between Internet-specific and general parenting strategies.

Deletion of PTP4A3 phosphatase in high grade serous ovarian cancer cells decreases tumorigenicity and produces marked changes in intracellular signaling pathways and cytokine release.

The oncogenic protein tyrosine phosphatase PTP4A3 is frequently overexpressed in human ovarian cancers and is associated with poor patient prognosis. PTP4A3 is thought to regulate multiple oncogenic signaling pathways, including STAT3, SRC, and ERK. The objective of this study was to generate ovarian cancer cells with genetically depleted PTP4A3; to assess their tumorigenicity; to examine their cellular phenotype; and to uncover changes in their intracellular signaling pathways and cytokine release profiles. Genetic deletion of PTP4A3 using CRISPR/Cas9 enabled the generation of individual clones derived from single cells isolated from the polyclonal knockout population. We observed a >90% depletion of PTP4A3 protein levels by Western blotting in the clonal cell lines compared to the sham transfected wildtype population. The wildtype and polyclonal knockout cell lines shared similar monolayer growth rates, while the isolated clonal populations 2B4, 3C9, and 3C12 exhibited significantly lower monolayer growth characteristics consistent with their lower PTP4A3 levels. The clonal PTP4A3 knockout cell lines also had substantially lower in vitro colony formation efficiencies compared to the wildtype cells and were less tumorigenic in vivo The clonal knockout cells were markedly less responsive to IL-6-stimulated migration in a scratch wound assay compared to the wildtype cells. Antibody microarray assays documented differences in cytokine release and intracellular phosphorylation patterns in the PTP4A3 deleted clones. Bioinformatic network analyses indicated alterations in cellular signaling nodes. These biochemical changes could ultimately form the foundation for pharmacodynamic endpoints useful for emerging anti-PTP4A3 therapeutics. Significance Statement Clones of high grade serous ovarian cancer cells were isolated in which the oncogenic phosphatase PTP4A3 was deleted using CRISPR/Cas9 methodologies. The PTP4A3 null cells exhibited loss of in vitro proliferation, colony formation, and migration, and reduced in vivo tumorigenesis. Marked differences in intracellular protein phosphorylation and cytokine release were seen. The newly developed PTP4A3 knockout cells should provide useful tools to probe the role of PTP4A3 phosphatase in ovarian cancer cell survival, tumorigenicity and cell signaling.

Plant networks are more connected by invasive brome and native shrub facilitation in Central California drylands.

Dominant vegetation in many ecosystems is an integral component of structure and habitat. In many drylands, native shrubs function as foundation species that benefit other plants and animals. However, invasive exotic plant species can comprise a significant proportion of the vegetation. In Central California drylands, the facilitative shrub Ephedra californica and the invasive Bromus rubens are widely dispersed and common. Using comprehensive survey data structured by shrub and open gaps for the region, we compared network structure with and without this native shrub canopy and with and without the invasive brome. The presence of the invasive brome profoundly shifted the network measure of centrality in the microsites structured by a shrub canopy (centrality scores increased from 4.3 under shrubs without brome to 6.3, i.e. a relative increase of 42%). This strongly suggests that plant species such as brome can undermine the positive and stabilizing effects of native foundation plant species provided by shrubs in drylands by changing the frequency that the remaining species connect to one another. The net proportion of positive and negative associations was consistent across all microsites (approximately 50% with a total of 14% non-random co-occurrences on average) suggesting that these plant-plant networks are rewired but not more negative. Maintaining resilience in biodiversity thus needs to capitalize on protecting native shrubs whilst also controlling invasive grass species particularly when associated with shrubs.

Self-regulatory control processes in youths: A temporal network analysis approach.

Objective: This study aimed to better understand the temporal interrelationships among self-control, response inhibition, and anger (i.e., momentary state and rumination) on both the within- and between-person levels in male adolescents. Method: We applied temporal network analyses among 62 male adolescents with a wide range of behavioral difficulties. Self-control, momentary anger, and anger rumination were mapped by self-report measures, whereas we measured response inhibition through an ambulatory Go/No-go task (two measures a day-morning and afternoon-over a 9-day period). Results: Temporal network analysis, at the within-person level, revealed that morning measures of response inhibition, anger rumination, and self-control were related to the corresponding measure in the afternoon. More efficient response inhibition in the morning was associated with higher self-control in the afternoon. Higher anger rumination in the morning led to higher momentary anger in the afternoon. In a concurrent within-person network, higher momentary anger was reciprocally associated with lower self-control. At the between-person level, higher momentary anger was correlated to higher anger rumination, lower response inhibition, and lower self-control. Discussion: This study provides insight into the dynamic interactions among self-control, response inhibition, and anger (momentary state and rumination) in male adolescents, advancing the understanding of self-regulatory control functioning.

Integrated Genomic and Social Network Analyses of SARS-CoV-2 Transmission in the Healthcare Setting.

BACKGROUND: Infection prevention (IP) measures are designed to mitigate the transmission of pathogens in healthcare. Using large-scale viral genomic and social network analyses, we determined if IP measures used during the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic were adequate in protecting healthcare workers (HCWs) and patients from acquiring SARS-CoV-2. METHODS: We performed retrospective cross-sectional analyses of viral genomics from all available SARS-CoV-2 viral samples collected at UC San Diego Health and social network analysis using the electronic medical record to derive temporospatial overlap of infections among related viromes and supplemented with contact tracing data. The outcome measure was any instance of healthcare transmission, defined as cases with closely related viral genomes and epidemiological connection within the healthcare setting during the infection window. Between November 2020 through January 2022, 12 933 viral genomes were obtained from 35 666 patients and HCWs. RESULTS: Among 5112 SARS-CoV-2 viral samples sequenced from the second and third waves of SARS-CoV-2 (pre-Omicron), 291 pairs were derived from persons with a plausible healthcare overlap. Of these, 34 pairs (12%) were phylogenetically linked: 19 attributable to household and 14 to healthcare transmission. During the Omicron wave, 2106 contact pairs among 7821 sequences resulted in 120 (6%) related pairs among 32 clusters, of which 10 were consistent with healthcare transmission. Transmission was more likely to occur in shared spaces in the older hospital compared with the newer hospital (2.54 vs 0.63 transmission events per 1000 admissions, P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: IP strategies were effective at identifying and preventing healthcare SARS-CoV-2 transmission.

A new network analysis model in anorexia nervosa patients based on self-reported eating disorder symptoms, psychological distress, and cognitive flexibility.

OBJECTIVES: Cognitive flexibility and psychological distress, such as depression and anxiety, have been implicated in the aetiology of Anorexia Nervosa (AN). Despite the known associations between eating disorder (ED) symptoms, depression, anxiety, and cognitive flexibility, the specific pathways that connect these constructs are unclear. We therefore used network analysis to examine the relationship between these symptoms in an AN sample. METHODS: One hundred and ninety-three treatment-seeking individuals diagnosed with AN (95.6% female, M = 26.89 [SD = 9.45] years old) completed self-report measures assessing depression, anxiety, cognitive flexibility, and ED symptoms. To determine each symptom's influence in the network, we calculated the expected influence. RESULTS: The two relationships with the greatest edges were those between (1) weight/shape concerns and eating/dietary restraint and (2) weight/shape concerns and psychological distress (a measure that combined depression and anxiety). Cognitive flexibility was not connected to weight/shape concerns but had negative partial associations with eating concerns/dietary restraint and psychological distress. There was also a slight, non-zero connection between eating concerns/dietary restraint and psychological distress. CONCLUSIONS: The findings underscore the importance of weight/shape, eating/dietary concerns, and psychological distress in the AN network and suggest that addressing cognitive flexibility may be a useful target for eating concerns/dietary restraint and psychological distress. Future studies assessing the longitudinal course of psychopathology within the AN network structure may help in identifying whether specific symptoms function as risk factors or maintaining factors for this co-occurrence.

Compulsivity and Inhibitory Control Deficits in Abstinent Individuals With Heroin Addiction and Their Biological Siblings Compared With Unrelated Healthy Control Participants.

BACKGROUND: Compulsivity represents the performance of persistent and repetitive acts despite negative consequences and is considered one of the critical mechanisms for drug addiction. Although compulsivity-related neurocognitive impairments have been linked to addiction, it remains unclear whether these deficits might have predated drug abuse as potential familial susceptibilities. METHODS: A large sample of 213 adult participants were recruited, including 70 abstinent individuals addicted to heroin (HAs), 69 unaffected biological siblings of the HAs (siblings), and 74 unrelated healthy control participants. Compulsivity-related neurocognitive functions were evaluated using the intradimensional/extradimensional set-shift task and a probabilistic reversal learning task. Compulsive traits were measured by the Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory-Revised. Inhibitory control was assessed using the stop signal task and Stroop Color and Word Test. Network models for group recognition were conducted using multilayer perceptron neural networks. RESULTS: Data indicated that both HAs and siblings performed worse than healthy control participants on compulsivity-related aspects (i.e., shifting and reversal learning functions) and inhibitory control and had higher levels of self-reported compulsive traits. Furthermore, neural models revealed that a possible 3-facet clustering of neurocognitive deficits was linked to both HAs and siblings. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that deficits in shift reversal and inhibitory control aspects and elevated compulsive traits, shared by HAs and their unaffected siblings, may putatively represent conceivable markers associated with familial vulnerabilities implicated in the development of heroin dependence.

New insight into social relationships in dairy cows and how time of birth, parity, and relatedness affect spatial interactions later in life.

Social interactions between cows play a fundamental role in the daily activities of dairy cattle. Real-time location systems provide on a continuous and automated basis information about the position of individual cows inside barns, offering a valuable opportunity to monitor dyadic social contacts. Understanding dyadic social interactions could be applied to enhance the stability of the social structure promoting animal welfare and to model disease transmission in dairy cattle. This study aimed to identify the effect of different cow characteristics on the likelihood of the formation and persistence of social contacts in dairy cattle. The individual position of the lactating cows was automatically collected once per second for 2 wk, using an ultra-wideband system on a Swedish commercial farm consisting of almost 200 dairy cows inside a freestall barn. Social networks were constructed using the position data of 149 cows with available information on all characteristics during the study period. Social contacts were considered as a binary variable indicating whether a cow pair was within 2.5 m of each other for at least 10 min per day. The role of cow characteristics in social networks was studied by applying separable temporal exponential random graph models. Our results revealed that cows of the same parity interacted more consistently, as well as those born within 7 d of each other or closely related by pedigree. The repeatability of the topological parameters indicated a consistent short-term stability of the individual animal roles within the social network structure. Additional research is required to elucidate the underlying mechanisms governing the long-term evolution of social contacts among dairy cattle and to investigate the relationship between these networks and the transmission of diseases in the dairy cattle population.

Longitudinal relationship between oppositional defiant disorder symptoms and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptoms in Chinese children: insights from cross-lagged panel network analyses.

Oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are two of the most common childhood mental disorders, and they have substantial comorbidity. The developmental precursor model has long been widely used to explain the mechanisms of comorbidity between ODD and ADHD, however whether it is equally effective at the symptomatic level is unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to (a) examine the stability of the ODD and ADHD comorbidity network in a longitudinal sample of high-risk children in China; and (b) examine the longitudinal relationship between the ODD and ADHD symptom networks based on a developmental precursor model. Two hundred sixty-three Chinese children aged 6 to 13 years with ODD and/or ADHD were assessed for symptoms of ODD and ADHD in two surveys conducted 1 year apart. We used data from these two time points to construct two cross-sectional networks and a cross-lagged panel network (CLPN) to explore the symptom network for comorbidity of ODD and ADHD. The analysis shows that: (1) the two cross-sectional networks are highly similar in terms of structure, existence of edges, centrality estimates, and the invariance test shows that there is no significant difference between them. The symptoms "follow through", "interrupts/intrudes", "difficulty playing quietly" and "concentration" had the highest expected influence centrality at both time points. (2) Combined with the results of the cross-sectional and cross-lagged networks, we found that "annoy" and "blame" are potential bridge symptoms between the ODD and ADHD symptom networks. The symptom "annoy" forms a reciprocal predictive relationship with "interrupts/intrudes", while "blame" unidirectionally predicts "close attention". In addition, we found that "vindictive" predicted numerous ADHD symptoms, whereas "angry" was predicted by numerous ADHD symptoms. The findings emphasize the broad predictive relationship between ODD and ADHD symptoms with each other, and that ODD symptoms may lead to activation of the ADHD symptom network and vice versa. These findings suggest that the developmental precursor model at the symptom level may partially explain the comorbidity mechanisms of ODD and ADHD, and future studies should further investigate the underlying multiple mechanisms.