Hyponatremia, hypernatremia and impairment of functional, psychological and sexual domains.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the influence of serum sodium on physical, psychologic and sexual function. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional survey on 3340 community-dwelling men aged 40-79 years from a prospective cohort study in eight European countries, the European Male Ageing Study (EMAS). Participants filled-out the Short Form-36 (SF-36), the Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly (PASE), and the EMAS sexual function questionnaire. For all the analyses, serum sodium corrected for glycaemia ([Na+]G) was used. RESULTS: The relationship between [Na+]G and SF-36 physical function score (F = 3.99; p = 0.01), SF-36 mental health score (F = 7.69; p < 0.001), and PASE score (F = 14.95; p < 0.001) were best described by a quadratic equation, with worse scores for [Na+]G in either the lowest or the highest ends of the range. After dividing the sample into [Na+]G < 136 mmol/L (n = 81), 136-147 mmol/L (n = 3223) and > 147 mmol/L (n = 36), linear regression analyses with linear spline functions adjusted for confounders did not confirm these relationships. Similarly, erectile dysfunction and [Na+]G, were in a quadratic relationship (F = 9.00; p < 0.001). After adjusting for confounders, the linear regression with spline functions denoted a significantly worsened erectile function for increases in serum [Na+]G > 147 mmol/L (B = 0.15 [0.04;0.26], p < 0.01) but no relationship with [Na+]G < 136 mmol/L. Likewise, the relationship of [Na+]G with concerns about sexual dysfunction was confirmed only for men with serum [Na+]G > 147 mmol/L. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study supporting an association between [Na+]G and sexual function. A worsening of erection and concerns about sexual function were observed for the highest values of [Na+]G, independently of other relevant factors.

Acute Toxicity and Hazardous Concentrations of Zinc to Native Freshwater Organisms Under Different pH Values in China.

Zinc bioavailability to aquatic organisms varies greatly under different pH values. In the present study, five native species in China and four common international test species were selected to investigate the influence of changing pH on acute zinc toxicity. The results showed that the higher trophic levels exhibited increasing sensitivity to zinc as pH decreased. However, when the pH value was between 8 and 11, the acute toxicity of zinc was relatively constant. In addition, by using a species-sensitivity distribution (SSD) method, the short-term hazardous concentrations of zinc at different pH values (based on the 5th percentiles of the pH-specific SSDs) were determined to be 17.26 µg/L (pH 4), 48.31 µg/L (pH 5), 80.34 µg/L (pH 6) and 230.6 µg/L (pH 7), respectively. The present study provides useful information for deriving water quality criteria and assessing the risks of metals in the near future.

Bone turnover predicts change in volumetric bone density and bone geometry at the radius in men.

Peripheral quantitative computed tomography scans of the distal and midshaft radius were performed in 514 European men aged 40-79 years at baseline and a median of 4.3 years later. Age-related changes in volumetric bone mineral density (vBMD) and bone geometry were greater in men with higher biochemical markers of bone turnover at baseline. INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to determine prospective change in bone density and geometry at the radius in men and examine the influence of bone turnover markers and sex hormones on that change. METHODS: Men aged 40-79 years were recruited from population registers in Manchester (UK) and Leuven (Belgium). At baseline, markers of bone formation (P1NP and osteocalcin) and resorption (ß-cTX and ICTP) were assessed. Total and bioavailable testosterone and oestradiol were also measured. Peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT) was used to scan the radius at distal and midshaft sites at the baseline assessment and a median of 4.3 years later. RESULTS: Five hundred fourteen men, mean (SD) age of 59.6 (10.5) years, contributed to the data. At the midshaft site, there was a significant decrease in mean cortical vBMD (-0.04 %/year), bone mineral content (BMC) (-0.1 %/year) and cortical thickness (-0.4 %/year), while total and medullary area increased (+0.5 and +2.4 %/year respectively). At the distal radius, total vBMD declined (-0.5 %/year) and radial area increased (+0.6 %/year). Greater plasma concentrations of bone resorption and formation markers were associated with greater decline in BMC and cortical area at the midshaft and total vBMD at the distal site. Increased bone resorption was linked with an increase in total and medullary area and decrease in cortical thickness at the midshaft. Sex hormone levels were unrelated to change in pQCT parameters. CONCLUSIONS: Age-related changes in vBMD and bone geometry are greater in men with higher biochemical markers of bone turnover at baseline. Sex hormones have little influence on change in pQCT parameters.

Lower bone turnover and relative bone deficits in men with metabolic syndrome: a matter of insulin sensitivity? The European Male Ageing Study.

We examined cross-sectional associations of metabolic syndrome and its components with male bone turnover, density and structure. Greater bone mass in men with metabolic syndrome was related to their greater body mass, whereas hyperglycaemia, hypertriglyceridaemia or impaired insulin sensitivity were associated with lower bone turnover and relative bone mass deficits. INTRODUCTION: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) has been associated with lower bone turnover and relative bone mass or strength deficits (i.e. not proportionate to body mass index, BMI), but the relative contributions of MetS components related to insulin sensitivity or obesity to male bone health remain unclear. METHODS: We determined cross-sectional associations of MetS, its components and insulin sensitivity (by homeostatic model assessment-insulin sensitivity (HOMA-S)) using linear regression models adjusted for age, centre, smoking, alcohol, and BMI. Bone turnover markers and heel broadband ultrasound attenuation (BUA) were measured in 3129 men aged 40-79. Two centres measured total hip, femoral neck, and lumbar spine areal bone mineral density (aBMD, n = 527) and performed radius peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT, n = 595). RESULTS: MetS was present in 975 men (31.2 %). Men with MetS had lower ß C-terminal cross-linked telopeptide (ß-CTX), N-terminal propeptide of type I procollagen (PINP) and osteocalcin (P < 0.0001) and higher total hip, femoral neck, and lumbar spine aBMD (P ≤ 0.03). Among MetS components, only hypertriglyceridaemia and hyperglycaemia were independently associated with PINP and ß-CTX. Hyperglycaemia was negatively associated with BUA, hypertriglyceridaemia with hip aBMD and radius cross-sectional area (CSA) and stress-strain index. HOMA-S was similarly associated with PINP and ß-CTX, BUA, and radius CSA in BMI-adjusted models. CONCLUSIONS: Men with MetS have higher aBMD in association with their greater body mass, while their lower bone turnover and relative deficits in heel BUA and radius CSA are mainly related to correlates of insulin sensitivity. Our findings support the hypothesis that underlying metabolic complications may be involved in the bone's failure to adapt to increasing bodily loads in men with MetS.

Correlation analysis of genetic diversity and population structure of Houttuynia cordata Thunb with regard to environment.

To study the levels of genetic diversity, and population structure, of Houttuynia cordata Thunb, the genetic background and relationships of populations were analyzed in terms of environmental factors. The genetic diversity and population structure of H. cordata were investigated using sequence-related amplified polymorphisms and correlation with environmental factors was analyzed using the SPSS software. Two thousand one hundred sixty-three sites were amplified from 41 pairs of primers, 1825 of which were polymorphic, and the percentage of polymorphic loci was 84.37%; the percentage of polymorphic sites was 72.14 and 67.77% at the species and population level, respectively. The observed number of alleles was 1.52 and 1.30 at species and population level, respectively. The effective number of alleles was 1.38 and 1.24 at species and population level, respectively. The Nei's diversity was 0.26 and 0.15 at species and population level, respectively. The Shannon's information index was 0.87 and 0.63 at species and population level, respectively. The genetic differentiation coefficient of populations was 0.51, and 12 populations were divided into three classes based on D = 0.20; the genetic diversities of different populations are correlated at different significance levels (P < 0.05) with environmental factors. Genetic differentiation existed among populations and the populations exhibited heteroplasmy.

Genome-wide analysis of the maize (Zea may L.) CPP-like gene family and expression profiling under abiotic stress.

Cysteine-rich polycomb-like (CPP) proteins are members of a small family of transcription factors, which have been identified and characterized in Arabidopsis, rice, and soybean. In this study, we investigated CPP-like genes in the maize genome. The results revealed 13 putative CPP-like genes, which were found to encode 17 distinct transcripts and were distributed unequally on 7 of 10 maize chromosomes. Analysis of phylogenetic relationships showed that Arabidopsis, rice, and maize CPP-like transcription factors can be grouped into two subfamilies. We also used real-time RT-PCR to evaluate changes in the transcript levels of ZmCPP genes in response to abiotic stresses (heat, cold, salt, and drought stresses). These findings provide an overview of the evolution of the ZmCPP gene family, which will aid in the functional characterization of CPP-like genes in maize growth and development.

Ratiometric detection of oligonucleotide stoichiometry on multifunctional gold nanoparticles by whispering gallery mode biosensing.

A label-free method is developed to ratiometrically determine the stoichiometry of oligonucleotides attached to the surface of gold nanoparticle (GNP) by whispering gallery mode biosensing. Utilizing this scheme, it is furthermore shown that the stoichiometric ratio of GNP attached oligonucleotide species can be controlled by varying the concentration ratio of thiolated oligonucleotides that are used to modify the GNP.

Sarcopenia and its relationship with bone mineral density in middle-aged and elderly European men.

UNLABELLED: The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between reduced muscle mass (sarcopenia) and areal bone mineral density (BMD(a)) in middle-aged and elderly community-dwelling European men. Men with sarcopenia had significantly lower BMD(a) and were more likely to have osteoporosis compared with men without sarcopenia. INTRODUCTION: In men, the relationship between reduced muscle mass (sarcopenia) and BMD(a) is unclear. This study aimed to determine this relationship in middle-aged and elderly community-dwelling men. METHODS: Men aged 40-79 years from the Manchester (UK) and Leuven (Belgium) cohorts of the European Male Ageing Study were invited to attend for assessment including dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, from which appendicular lean mass (aLM), fat mass (FM) and whole-body, spine and hip BMD(a) were determined. Relative appendicular skeletal muscle mass (RASM) was calculated as aLM/height². Muscle strength was assessed in subjects from Leuven. Sarcopenia was defined by RASM at <7.26 kg/m² and by the recent definition of the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (RASM at <7.26 kg/m(2) plus low muscle function). Linear regression was used to determine the associations between aLM, FM, muscle strength and BMD(a) and logistic regression to determine the association between sarcopenia and osteoporosis. RESULTS: Six hundred seventy-nine men with a mean age of 59.6 (SD = 10.7), contributed data to the analysis; 11.9 % were sarcopenic by the conventional definition. After adjustment for age and centre, aLM, RASM and FM were positively associated with BMD(a). Men with RASM at <7.26 kg/m² had significantly lower BMD(a) compared with those with RASM at ≥7.26 kg/m(2). In a multivariable model, aLM was most consistently associated with BMD(a). Men with sarcopenia were more likely to have osteoporosis compared with those with normal RASM (odds ratio = 3.0; 95 % CI = 1.6-5.8). CONCLUSIONS: Sarcopenia is associated with low BMD(a) and osteoporosis in middle-aged and elderly men. Further studies are necessary to assess whether maintaining muscle mass contributes to prevent osteoporosis.

The assessment of vascular risk in men with erectile dysfunction: the role of the cardiologist and general physician.

Erectile dysfunction (ED) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) share risk factors and frequently coexist, with endothelial dysfunction believed to be the pathophysiologic link. ED is common, affecting more than 70% of men with known CVD. In addition, clinical studies have demonstrated that ED in men with no known CVD often precedes a CVD event by 2-5 years. ED severity has been correlated with increasing plaque burden in patients with coronary artery disease. ED is an independent marker of increased CVD risk including all-cause and especially CVD mortality, particularly in men aged 30-60 years. Thus, ED identifies a window of opportunity for CVD risk mitigation. We recommend that a thorough history, physical exam (including visceral adiposity), assessment of ED severity and duration and evaluation including fasting plasma glucose, lipids, resting electrocardiogram, family history, lifestyle factors, serum creatinine (estimated glomerular filtration rate) and albumin:creatinine ratio, and determination of the presence or absence of the metabolic syndrome be performed to characterise cardiovascular risk in all men with ED. Assessment of testosterone levels should also be considered and biomarkers may help to further quantify risk, even though their roles in development of CVD have not been firmly established. Finally, we recommend that a question about ED be included in assessment of CVD risk in all men and be added to CVD risk assessment guidelines.

Musculoskeletal frailty: a geriatric syndrome at the core of fracture occurrence in older age.

A progressive decline in physiologic reserves inevitably occurs with ageing. Frailty results from reaching a threshold of decline across multiple organ systems. By consequence, frail elderly experience an excess vulnerability to stressors and are at high risk for functional deficits and comorbid disorders, possibly leading to institutionalization, hospitalization and death. The phenotype of frailty is referred to as the frailty syndrome and is widely recognized in geriatric medical practice. Although frailty affects both musculoskeletal and nonmusculoskeletal systems, sarcopenia, which is defined as age-related loss of muscle mass and strength, constitutes one of the main determinants of fracture risk in older age and one of the main components of the clinical frailty syndrome. As a result, operational definitions of frailty and therapeutic strategies in older patients tend to focus on the consequences of sarcopenia.

Thyroid hormones and male sexual function.

The role of thyroid hormones in the control of erectile functioning has been only superficially investigated. The aim of the present study was to investigate the association between thyroid and erectile function in two different cohorts of subjects. The first one derives from the European Male Ageing Study (EMAS study), a multicentre survey performed on a sample of 3369 community-dwelling men aged 40-79 years (mean 60 ± 11 years). The second cohort is a consecutive series of 3203 heterosexual male patients (mean age 51.8 ± 13.0 years) attending our Andrology and Sexual Medicine Outpatient Clinic for sexual dysfunction at the University of Florence (UNIFI study). In the EMAS study all subjects were tested for thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and free thyroxine (FT4). Similarly, TSH levels were checked in all patients in the UNIFI study, while FT4 only when TSH resulted outside the reference range. Overt primary hyperthyroidism (reduced TSH and elevated FT4, according to the reference range) was found in 0.3 and 0.2% of EMAS and UNIFI study respectively. In both study cohorts, suppressed TSH levels were associated with erectile dysfunction (ED). Overt hyperthyroidism was associated with an increased risk of severe erectile dysfunction (ED, hazard ratio = 14 and 16 in the EMAS and UNIFI study, respectively; both p < 0.05), after adjusting for confounding factors. These associations were confirmed in nested case-control analyses, comparing subjects with overt hyperthyroidism to age, BMI, smoking status and testosterone-matched controls. Conversely, no association between primary hypothyroidism and ED was observed. In conclusion, erectile function should be evaluated in all individuals with hyperthyroidism. Conversely, assessment of thyroid function cannot be recommended as routine practice in all ED patients.

Influence of age and sex steroids on bone density and geometry in middle-aged and elderly European men.

SUMMARY: The influence of age and sex steroids on bone density and geometry of the radius was examined in two European Caucasian populations. Age-related change in bone density and geometry was observed. In older men, bioavailable oestradiol may play a role in the maintenance of cortical and trabecular bone mineral density (BMD). INTRODUCTION: To examine the effect of age and sex steroids on bone density and geometry of the radius in two European Caucasian populations. METHODS: European Caucasian men aged 40-79 years were recruited from population registers in two centres: Manchester (UK) and Leuven (Belgium), for participation in the European Male Ageing Study. Total testosterone (T) and oestradiol (E(2)) were measured by mass spectrometry and the free and bioavailable fractions calculated. Peripheral quantitative computed tomography was used to scan the radius at distal (4%) and midshaft (50%) sites. RESULTS: Three hundred thirty-nine men from Manchester and 389 from Leuven, mean ages 60.2 and 60.0 years, respectively, participated. At the 50% radius site, there was a significant decrease with age in cortical BMD, bone mineral content (BMC), cortical thickness, and muscle area, whilst medullary area increased. At the 4% radius site, trabecular and total volumetric BMD declined with age. Increasing bioavailable E(2) (bioE(2)) was associated with increased cortical BMD (50% radius site) and trabecular BMD (4% radius site) in Leuven, but not Manchester, men. This effect was predominantly in those aged 60 years and over. In older Leuven men, bioavailable testosterone (Bio T) was linked with increased cortical BMC, muscle area and SSI (50% radius site) and total area (4% radius site). CONCLUSIONS: There is age-related change in bone density and geometry at the midshaft radius in middle-aged and elderly European men. In older men bioE(2) may maintain cortical and trabecular BMD. BioT may influence bone health through associations with muscle mass and bone area.

Do androgens play any role in the physical frailty of ageing men?

The term frailty describes an age-related state of vulnerable health. The aetiology of this condition is not well understood. A number of mechanisms may contribute to frailty. Amongst these is the possible influence of age-related perturbations of sex hormones, particularly, the fall in testosterone in ageing men. This declining androgenic function has been thought to contribute to the loss of muscle mass (sarcopaenia) and strength that occurs with ageing and thereby underpin the development of frailty. Testosterone replacement has therefore been suggested as a possible intervention to treat frailty. This review summarizes evidence from observational and interventional studies on the effects of testosterone on frailty and its key components including body composition, muscle strength and physical function. Evidence from these studies is considered against study design, methodological issues and in the context of the current understanding of frailty. The role of androgens in the development of frailty and their utility in treating this condition are evaluated. Future research directions for the use of androgens in the treatment of frailty are suggested. The potential interaction between testosterone and other frailty mechanisms and the possibility that secondary components of the sex hormone system may be appropriate frailty biomarkers are also discussed.

Gonadal sex steroid status and bone health in middle-aged and elderly European men.

SUMMARY: The influence of sex steroids on calcaneal quantitative ultrasound (QUS) parameters was assessed in a population sample of middle-aged and elderly European men. Higher free and total E(2) though not testosterone, were independently associated with higher QUS parameters. INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to investigate the association between QUS parameters and sex steroids in middle-aged and elderly European men. METHODS: Three thousand one hundred forty-one men aged between 40 and 79 years were recruited from eight European centres for participation in a study of male ageing: the European Male Ageing Study. Subjects were invited by letter to attend for an interviewer-administered questionnaire, blood sample and QUS of the calcaneus (Hologic-SAHARA). Blood was assessed for sex steroids including oestradiol (E(2)), testosterone (T), free and bio-available E(2) and T and sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG). RESULTS: Serum total T was not associated with any of the QUS parameters. Free T and both free and total E(2) were positively related to all QUS readings, while SHBG concentrations were negatively associated. These relationships were observed in both older and younger (<60 years) men. In a multivariate model, after adjustment for age, centre, height, weight, physical activity levels and smoking, free E(2) and SHBG, though not free T, remained independently associated with the QUS parameters. After further adjustment for IGF-1, however, the association with SHBG became non-significant. CONCLUSION: Higher free and total E(2) are associated with bone health not only among the elderly but also middle-aged European men.

Investigating the determinants of international differences in the prevalence of chronic widespread pain: evidence from the European Male Ageing Study.

OBJECTIVES: To determine whether among middle-aged and elderly men there is evidence of international differences in the prevalence of chronic widespread pain (CWP) and whether any such differences could be explained by psychological, psychosocial factors or differences in physical health status. METHODS: The European Male Ageing Study (EMAS) sampled from population registers in cities (centres) of eight European countries. Each centre recruited an age-stratified sample of men aged 40-79 years. Information on pain was collected by questionnaire and subjects were classified according to whether they satisfied the American College of Rheumatology definition of CWP. Information was collected on social status, mental health, recent life events and co-morbidities. RESULTS: Across all centres 3963 subjects completed a study questionnaire, with participation rates ranging from 24% in Hungary to 72% in Estonia. There were significant differences in prevalence: between 5% and 7% in centres in Italy, England, Belgium and Sweden, 9-15% in centres in Spain, Poland and Hungary and 15% in Estonia. There were strong relationships between poor mental health, adverse recent life events, co-morbidities and CWP. Adjustment for these factors explained between half and all of the excess risk in the eastern European centres: the excess risk in Poland was explained (odds ratio (OR) 1.1, 95% CI 0.9 to 1.2) but there remained excess risk in Hungary (OR 1.6, 95% CI 1.4 to 1.8) and Estonia (OR 2.6, 95% CI 2.2 to 2.9). CONCLUSIONS: This study is the first directly to compare the occurrence of CWP internationally. There is an excess prevalence in countries of eastern Europe and this excess is associated with adverse psychosocial factors as well as poorer psychological and physical health.

Activational effects of sex hormones on cognition in men.

BACKGROUND: Changing world demographic patterns, such as the increasing number of older people and the growing prevalence of cognitive impairment, present serious obstacles to preserving the quality of life and productivity of individuals. The severity of dementia varies from subclinical, mild cognitive impairment to neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's. In normally ageing men, these age-related cognitive declines are accompanied by gradual but marked decreases in androgen levels and changes in other hormone profiles. While developmental effects of sex hormones on cognition in the pre- and early postnatal period have been demonstrated, their activational effects in later life are still a focus of contemporary research. Although there is a plethora of published research on the topic, results have been inconsistent with different studies reporting positive, negative or no effects of sex hormones on various aspects of mental agility. METHODS: This review summarizes the evidence supporting the biological plausibility of the activational effects of sex hormones upon cognition and describes the mechanisms of their actions. It offers a comprehensive summary of the studies of the effects of sex hormones on fluid intelligence in men utilizing elements from the Cochrane Collaboration Guidelines for Reviews. The results of both observational (cross-sectional and longitudinal) and interventional studies published to date are collated in table form and further discussed in the text. Factors contributing to the difficulties in understanding the effects of sex hormones on cognition are also examined. CONCLUSIONS: Although there is convincing evidence that steroid sex hormones play an organizational role in brain development in men, the evidence for activational effects of sex hormones affecting cognition in healthy men throughout adult life remains inconsistent. To address this issue, a new multifactorial approach is proposed which takes into account the status of other elements of the sex hormones axis including receptors, enzymes and other hormones.

Fate and removal of antimony in response to stringent control activities after a mine tailing spill.

When tailing spill accidents occur, the risk of contamination by antimony (Sb) tailings into adjacent rivers, sediments, aquifers and soil environments is high. The Sb concentrations in water and sediment under different stringent control activities were investigated for 60 days in the Jialing River basin after a tailing spill accident. Both reservoir regulation and the construction of a temporary dam with coagulation dosing remarkably reduced the Sb levels in the river water. The increase in dissolved Sb caused by the spill was reduced from ~400 µg/L in the inflow to ~200 µg/L in the outflow by reservoir regulation. Moreover, reservoir regulation led to a high concentration of Sb in the reservoir sediment, which was difficult to remove and may cause subsequent unpredictable long-term ecological and health risks. In contrast, the Sb-enriched deposition inside the temporary dam was convenient to remove. Notably, temperature alternations between day and night in winter resulted in a large fluctuation in coagulation efficiency, which may cause the failure of stringent control projects. The results of this study suggest potential improvements to stringent control activities after mine tailing accidents to mitigate environmental impacts and prevent secondary risks.

Analysis of first-episode and chronic schizophrenia using multi-modal magnetic resonance imaging.

OBJECTIVE: The brain structure and function differences among first-episode schizophrenia (FESZ) patients, chronic schizophrenia (CSZ) patients, and normal control (NC) subjects were investigated using structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Also, a support vector machine (SVM) combined with recursive feature elimination (RFE) was used for classification. PATIENTS AND METHODS: First, 44 FESZ patients, 44 CSZ patients, and 56 NC subjects were recruited, and structural MRI images were acquired. The regional gray matter volumes (GMVs) of 90 regions of interest (ROIs) were calculated, two-sample t-tests were conducted to analyze the GMV differences among the groups, and the partial correlations between the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) scores and altered regional GMVs were calculated. Individual functional MRI images of the three groups were measured. The individual regional homogeneity (ReHo), amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (ALFF), and degree of centrality (DC) values of the 90 ROIs were calculated and used to evaluate the differences among the groups. Then, the partial correlations between the PANSS scores and altered regional ReHo, ALFF, and DC were determined. An SVM combined with RFE was employed for classification using both structural and functional MRI input features. The sensitivity and specificity were measured to quantify the SVM performance. RESULTS: The GMVs in the bilateral calcarine of FESZ and CSZ patients were significantly lower than that of NC subjects. Compared to the NC group, the GMV was significantly reduced in numerous additional brain regions of the CSZ group. In comparison to the NC group, the patient groups exhibited significant ReHo increases in several regions and ReHo reductions in the occipital lobe. ReHo in the insula and left postcentral gyrus of CSZ patients were significantly lower than that of the NC subjects. Compared with the NC group, both patient groups exhibited ALFF aberrances in numerous regions. A significant reduction of ReHo, ALFF, and DC in certain regions were also found in patient groups compared with that of NC group. Significant positive correlations were found between the PANSS scores and ReHo and ALFF of the temporal and frontal lobes, while these correlations were negative in the occipital lobe. The SVM with RFE achieved excellent classification performance. The best performance was obtained using the following inputs: the ReHo and ALFF for FESZ/NC classification; the DC, ReHo, and ALFF for FESZ/CSZ classification; and the ReHo and ALFF for CSZ/NC classification. CONCLUSIONS: Our data indicate that compared with the FESZ patients, brain GMV aberrances was increased in the CSZ patients. The functional features including DC, ReHo, and ALFF, could facilitate FESZ diagnosis, which is more sensitive than structural features in classification. The SVM with RFE presents excellent classification performance and assists SZ diagnosis.

Effects of light and oxygen on the uptake and distribution of phosphorus at the sediment-water interface.

Effects of oxygen and light on the uptake and distribution of phosphorus at the sediment-water interface were investigated in this study. The experimental water and sediment samples were collected from East Taihu Lake, China. The results show that phosphorus can be taken up from the overlying water to the sediments with high nutrient loading in both anoxic and aerobic conditions. The transformation between different phosphorus fractions in the sediments and in the overlying water was observed. Effects of dissolved oxygen on the phosphorus distribution at the sediment and overlying water interface were mainly due to the inorganic processes, while effects of light were mainly due to the biological activity. This study indicates that oxygen concentration had a predominant control on the distribution and uptake of phosphorus in the sediments, and light had obvious effect on the dissolved inorganic phosphorus (DIP) concentration in the overlying water.

Ethnic differences in bone geometry between White, Black and South Asian men in the UK.

Relatively little is known about the bone health of ethnic groups within the UK and data are largely restricted to women. The aim of this study was to investigate ethnic differences in areal bone mineral density (aBMD), volumetric bone mineral density (vBMD), bone geometry and strength in UK men. White European, Black Afro-Caribbean and South Asian men aged over 40years were recruited from Greater Manchester, UK. aBMD at the spine, hip, femoral neck and whole body were measured by DXA. Bone geometry, strength and vBMD were measured at the radius and tibia using pQCT at the metaphysis (4%) and diaphysis (50% radius; 38% tibia) sites. Adjustments were made for age, weight and height. Black men had higher aBMD at the whole body, total hip and femoral neck compared to White and South Asian men independent of body size adjustments, with no differences between the latter two groups. White men had longer hip axis lengths than both Black and South Asian men. There were fewer differences in vBMD but White men had significantly lower cortical vBMD at the tibial diaphysis than Black and South Asian men (p<0.001). At the tibia and radius diaphysis, Black men had larger bones with thicker cortices and greater bending strength than the other groups. There were fewer differences between White and South Asian men. At the metaphysis, South Asian men had smaller bones (p=0.02) and lower trabecular vBMD at the tibia (p=0.003). At the diaphysis, after size-correction, South Asian men had similar sized bones but thinner cortices than White men; measures of strength were not broadly reduced in the South Asian men. Combining pQCT and DXA measurements has given insight into differences in bone phenotype in men from different ethnic backgrounds. Understanding such differences is important in understanding the aetiology of male osteoporosis.