Mechanism Study of the Polymerization of Polyamide 56: Reaction Kinetics and Process Parameters.

Polyamide 56 (PA56) has gained significant attention in the academic field due to its remarkable mechanical and thermal properties as a highly efficient and versatile biobased material. Its superior moisture absorption property also makes it a unique advantage in the realm of fiber textiles. However, despite extensive investigations on PA56's molecular and aggregate state structure, as well as processing modifications, little attention has been paid to its polymerization mechanism. Herein, the influence of temperature and time on PA56's polycondensation reaction is detailed studied by end-group titration and carbon nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) techniques. The reaction kinetics equations for the pre-polymerization and vacuum melt-polymerization stages of PA56 are established, and possible side reactions during the polycondensation process are analyzed. By optimizing the reaction process based on kinetic characteristics, PA56 resin with superior comprehensive properties (melting temperature of 252.6 °C, degradation temperature of 371.6 °C, and tensile strength of 75 MPa) is obtained. The findings provide theoretical support for the industrial production of high-quality biobased PA56.

Synthesis and Characterization of a New Copolymer Consisting of Polyamide 1210 and Reactive Phosphorus-Nitrogen Flame-Retardant.

The thermal stability and reactivity of organophosphorus flame-retardants play a critical role in synthesizing copolymerized flame-retardant polyamides. Herein, this work successfully synthesizes a flame-retardant CEPPA-DDA salt (CDS) with both good thermal stability and high reactivity by reacting 2-carboxyethyl phenyl phosphonic acid (CEPPA) with 1,12-dodecanediamine (DDA). Flame-retardant polyamide 1210 (FRPA) is further prepared by copolymerizing the CDS, DDA, and sebacic acid (SEA). The test results show that the introduction of CDS can significantly improve the flame-retardant properties of FRPA. Specifically, the flame-retardant polyamide 1210 (FRPA-7) with 7 wt% CDS addition can reach V-0 grade according to UL-94 standard, accompanying limiting oxygen index value of 30.2% and tensile strength of 38.62 MPa. Compared with pure polyamide 1210, the peak heat release rate and total heat release rate of FRPA-7 reduce by 24.11% and 9.40%, respectively. This study provides a simple strategy to prepare flame-retardant polyamides with high flame retardancy and good mechanical properties, which are expected to show great potentials in future industrial applications.

Theoretical Screening of Transition Metal Doped Defective MoS2 as Efficient Electrocatalyst for CO Conversion to CH4.

CO is a key intermediate during electrochemical CO2 conversion. The deep reduction of CO to value-added chemical products is a crucial strategy for effective carbon utilization. Single transition metal atoms supported by two-dimensional material present a novel paragon for various catalytic reactions. Herein, we employ first principle theory to study a series of single 3d-transition metal atoms supported by monolayered MoS2 with S vacancy as efficient electrocatalyst for CO electroreduction to CH4 . The screening result indicates that Cr doped defective MoS2 (labeled as Cr/Sv -MoS2 ) is beneficial to electroreduction of CO to CH4 , with even less negative limiting potential (-0.32 V) than Cu that has been widely studied as the most promising electrocatalyst in experiment. The outstanding activity is derived from the regulation of the d-band-center of doped Cr and Mo atoms exposed on the surface. This discovery provides a theoretical basis for the preparation of future electrocatalysts for CORR.

Family Policy Awareness and Marital Intentions: A National Survey Experimental Study.

Despite extensively examining the effects of family policies on marriage and fertility rates, previous research has paid little attention to the process of policy implementation and has implicitly assumed that individuals are fully aware of the policy information when making marital and fertility decisions. Challenging this assumption, we theorize policy awareness as an important mechanism for understanding the potential influence of family policies on individuals' marital intentions, an understudied yet crucial determinant of family formation behavior. In an experiment using a national survey of young unmarried individuals in Japan, respondents were randomly assigned to treatment and control groups. The treatment group was informed about 17 Japanese family policy benefits, but most of the respondents knew none or only a few of these benefits. After exposure to the policy information, the treatment group had significantly higher marital intentions than the control group, which had similar baseline characteristics but no information exposure. Crucially, such positive effects were particularly pronounced among high-educated women and high- and low-educated men, reflecting the differentiated effects of policy awareness under Japan's traditional gender role norms. Overall, these findings highlight the pivotal role of policy awareness during the family formation process and contribute to the debate over whether and how family policies may influence different subpopulations.

Association of Anxiety and Depressive Symptoms with Memory Function following Traumatic Brain Injury.

INTRODUCTION: Memory impairment and mood disorders are among the most troubling sequelae following traumatic brain injury (TBI). The relationships between comorbid psychiatric disorders and memory function have not been well illustrated. The aim of the study was to explore the relationships of comorbid anxiety and depressive symptoms with memory function following TBI. METHODS: A total of 46 TBI participants across all levels of injury and 23 healthy controls were enrolled in this case-control study. Wechsler Memory Scale-Chinese Revision (WMS-CR) picture, recognition, associative learning, comprehension memory, and digit span were administered to evaluate several categories of memory capacity. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) was employed to evaluate the anxiety and depressive symptoms. Stepwise multiple linear regressions were conducted. RESULTS: Compared to healthy controls, the participants with TBI reported more anxiety and depressive symptoms. In the meanwhile, they performed more poorly on memory tests, showing 1.84 SDs, 1.07 SDs, and 0.68 SDs below healthy participants on visuospatial memory, working memory, and verbal memory, respectively. A variety of variables, including HADS depression, HADS anxiety, age, GCS, and education were associated with posttraumatic memory function in the bivariate models. The stepwise multiple linear regressions demonstrated a negative association between HADS depression and posttraumatic memory function, especially performance on visuospatial and verbal memory and a positive association between education and posttraumatic memory function. CONCLUSION: More depressive symptoms rather than anxiety symptoms and less years of education are significant predictors for posttraumatic memory dysfunction.

Recent advances of the regulation roles of MicroRNA in glioblastoma.

Glioblastoma (GBM) is one of the most malignant neural tumors, and patients with GBM often die soon after the onset. The pathogenesis of GBM is very complicated, and there is no effective treatment for GBM. The current research results show that a variety of microRNA (miRNA) are involved in the regulation of GBM occurrence and development through specific signal pathways. Meanwhile, as a non-invasive biological indicator, there is an important clinical value of miRNA in the diagnosis and prognosis of GBM. The research of targeted miRNA treatment for GBM is still in the cell and animal model stage, although the basic research shows a good result, there is still a certain distance to the clinical application.

Correction to: Recent advances of the regulation roles of MicroRNA in glioblastoma.

The authors would like to update the affiliations and email addresses of the original publication as given in this correction.

Expression signatures and roles of MicroRNAs in human oesophageal adenocarcinomas.

The most common forms of oesophageal cancers are adenocarcinomas and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Although the incidence of SCC in the United States tends to be declining, the adenocarcinoma incidence caused by Barrett's oesophagus has been increasing. Oesophageal cancer is regarded as one of the most fatal malignancies with a short prognosis. Systemic manifestations of patients with PCNSL keep backward in spite of recent development of chemoradiotherapy. MicroRNAs are small non-coding RNAs that can post-transcriptionally down-regulate the expression of genes by targeting mRNAs, causing their translational repression as well as degradation. MicroRNAs exert critical functions in many malignancy-related biological processes, including cell apoptosis, metabolism, proliferation and differentiation. Many deregulated miRNAs have been identified in oesophageal adenocarcinomas, but their biological importance has not yet been fully elucidated. In this study, we review present evidence regarding the potential applications of oesophageal adenocarcinomas associated microRNAs for prognosis and diagnosis of this lethal disease.

Lack of associations of the opioid receptor mu 1 (OPRM1) A118G polymorphism (rs1799971) with alcohol dependence: review and meta-analysis of retrospective controlled studies.

BACKGROUND: Studies have sought associations of the opioid receptor mu 1 (OPRM1) A118G polymorphism (rs1799971) with alcohol-dependence, but findings are inconsistent. We summarize the information as to associations of rs1799971 (A > G) and the alcohol-dependence. METHODS: Systematically, we reviewed related literatures using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guideline. Embase, PubMed, Web of Knowledge, and Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) databases were searched using select medical subject heading (MeSH) terms to identify all researches focusing on the present topic up to September 2016. Odds ratios (ORs) along with the 95% confidence interval (95% CI) were estimated in allele model, homozygote model, heterozygote model, dominant model and recessive model. Ethnicity-specific subgroup-analysis, sensitivity analysis, heterogeneity description, and publication-bias assessment were also analyzed. RESULTS: There were 17 studies, including 9613 patients in the present meta-analysis. The ORs in the 5 genetic-models were 1.037 (95% CI: 0.890, 1.210; p = 0.64), 1.074 (95% CI: 0.831, 1.387; p = 0.586), 1.155 (95% CI: 0.935, 1.427; p = 0.181), 1.261 (95% CI: 1.008, 1.578; p = 0.042), 0.968 (95% CI: 0.758, 1.236; p = 0.793), respectively. An association is significant in the dominant model, but there is no statistical significance upon ethnicity-specific subgroup analysis. CONCLUSION: The rs1799971 (A > G) is not strongly associated with alcohol-dependence. However, there are study heterogeneities and limited sample sizes.

Neuroprotective Effects of Grape Seed Procyanidin Extract on Ischemia-Reperfusion Brain Injury.

Objective Oxidative stress (OS) plays a crucial role in ischemic stroke. Grape seed procyanidin extract (GSPE) was reported to be a critical regulator of OS. We hypothesized that GSPE might also be protective in ischemia-reperfusion brain injury. This study aimed to explore whether GSPE administration can protect mice from ischemia-reperfusion brain injury.Methods Transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) was conducted followed by reperfusion for 24 hours to make ischemia-reperfusion brain injury in mice that received GSPE (MCAOG, n=60) or normal saline (MCAONS, n=60). Sham-operated mice (GSPE group and normal saline group) were set as controls. The neurological severity score (NSS) was used to evaluate neural function impairment 1 hour, 24 hour, 3 days and 7 days after MCAO. Mice underwent brain T2WI imaging with a 3T animal MRI scanner 24 hours after reperfusion, and the stroke volume of brains were calculated according to abnormal signal intensity. Immunohistopathological analysis of brain tissues at 24 h after reperfusion was performed for neuronal nuclear antigen (NeuN), CD34, Bcl-2, and Bax. Glutathione peroxidation (GSH-Px) activity and the level of malonaldehyde (MDA) of brain tissue were also examined. The above indexes were compared among the groups statistically.Results Significant functional improvement was observed 24 hours after MCAO in MCAOG group compared to MCAONS group (P<0.05). MCAOG group had smaller cerebral stroke volume (22.46 ± 11.45 mm3 vs. 47.84±9.06 mm3, P<0.05) than MCAONS group 24 hours after MCAO. More mature NeuN-immunoreactive neurons and more CD34-positive cells in peri-infarct zones were observed in brain tissue of MCAOG mice 24 h after MCAO than that of MCAONS mice (both P<0.05). MCAONS mice had significantly higher number of Bax-positive cells in brain tissue than MCAOG (P<0.05). The mean MDA level was significantly lower (P<0.05) and the GSH-Px activity was significantly higher (P<0.05) in brains of MCAOG mice compared to those of MCAONS mice.Conclusion GSPE administration protects mice from ischemia-reperfusion brain injury through attenuating oxidative stress and apoptosis, promoting angiogenesis, and activating antioxidant enzyme GSH-Px. GSPE may represent a new therapeutical direction for the treatment of ischemia-reperfusion brain injury.

[Stable expression of human thyrotropin receptor in HEK 293T cells].

OBJECTIVE: To establish a strain of eukaryotic cells with overexpressed human thyrotropin receptor (hTSHR) for the development of anti-thyroid drugs. METHODS: GV266 vector and hTSHR gene were digested by Age I/Nhe I. Plasmids expressing GV266-hTSHR were constructed using T4 ligase and then transfected into 293T cells. The expression of hTSHR was determined by Western blot. Packaging plasmids were built in the 293T cells with Opti-MEM, Lipofectamine 2000 and helper plasmid. The titer of the packaging plasmids was determined with qPCR. The packaging plasmids and the plasmids expressing GV266-hTSHR were co-transfected into 293T cells to obtain a strain of cells (GV266-hTSHR-293T) with stable expression of hTSHR. The GV266-hTSHR293T stain was detected by green fluorescent protein (GFP) fluorescence. RESULTS: The DNA sequence of GV266-hTSHR matched that of hTSHR. The Western blot showed a 62 x 10(3) target band. The titer of packaging plasmids reached 2 x10(8) TU/mL. The GV266-hTSHR-293T cells were visible under GFP fluorescence. CONCLUSION: HEK 293T cells with stable expression of hTSHR was established.

Ambient particulate matter and renal function decline in people with HIV/AIDS.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to explore the effect of particulate matter exposure on renal function in people with HIV/AIDS (PWHA). METHODS: A total of 37 739 repeated measurements were conducted on eGFR levels, serum creatinine (Scr), and the triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index in 6958 PWHAs. The relationship between 1 and 28 day moving averages of particulate matter concentrations with Scr and eGFR was assessed using linear mixed-effects models. Modified Poisson regression models were employed to assess the associations of cumulative particulate matter exposure with the incidence of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Mediation analyses were used to examine the role of TyG index. RESULTS: Short-term exposure to particulate matter was related to reduced renal function. The strongest associations between exposure to particulate matter (PM) 1 , PM 2.5 , and PM 10 and percentage changes in eGFR were observed at 7-day moving average exposure windows, with a respective decrease of 0.697% (-1.008%, -0.386%), 0.429% (-0.637%, -0.220%), and 0.373% (-0.581%, -0.164%) per IQR increment. Long-term exposure to PM 1 , PM 2.5 , and PM 10 was positively linked with the incidence of CKD, with each IQR increment corresponding to fully adjusted RRs (95% CIs) of 1.631 (1.446-1.839), 1.599 (1.431-1.787), and 1.903 (1.665-2.175), respectively. TyG index-mediated 8.87, 8.88, and 7.58% of the relationship between cumulative exposure to PM 1 , PM 2.5 , and PM 10 and increased risk of CKD, respectively. CONCLUSION: Exposure to particulate matter among PWHAs is linked to reduced renal function, potentially contributing to increased CKD incidence, where the TyG index might serve as a partial mediator.

Technique notes on the management of superior sagittal or transverse sinus during the falcotentorial meningioma surgery: a case report.

Background: Falcotentorial meningiomas (FM) are surgical challenges for protecting sinus, and the technique notes on the management of superior sagittal or transverse sinus are required for good results. Methods: We improved the technique notes on the management of superior sagittal or transverse sinus in three FM patients with signs of increased intracranial pressure or chronic headache. Results: All patients underwent surgeries in the prone position, and occipital/sup-occipital/sub-occipital craniotomy was performed. In one patient, the skull was removed traditionally with exposure of the confluence of sinuses, superior sagittal, and transverse sinus, while the longitudinal skull bridge was left to suspend the dura for protecting the superior sagittal sinus in one patient, and the transverse skull bridge was left to suspend the dura for protecting the transverse sinus in one patient. The dura was opened infratentorially or supratentorially to spare the sinus and then the "skull bridge" was suspended. The tumor was then removed completely without brain swelling or significant venous bleeding. Complete tumor resection was confirmed by early postoperative imaging, and all patients recovered well without postoperative morbidity. Conclusion: The authors recommend the "skull bridge" to suspend the dura for optimal control of the venous sinuses during FM surgery (less venous bleeding).

[TgAb interference with experimental Tg values detected by dilution curves].

OBJECTIVE: To identify the interference of endogenous antithyroglobulin (TgAb) with experimental thyroglobulin (Tg) values using dilution curves. METHODS: Dilution buffer, detectable TgAb serums (TgAb 20-25 IU/mL, Tg free) and undetectable TgAb serums (TgAb < 10 IU/mL, Tg free) were employed to dilute the Tg serums from patients with DTC, respectively. The Tg values were detected by immunometric assay (IMA). The experimental Tg values (Y-axis) were plotted against expected serum Tg values (X-axis). Diluted curves were used to evaluate the interference of TgAb on the experimental Tg values. A linear dilution curve is supposed to appear if no TgAb interference exists. RESULTS: The Tg dilution curves with dilution buffer were linear. Thirty six dilution curves were obtained with TgAb serums from six patients diluted by detectable TgAb serums, and 12 showed linear. Tg serums from six patients diluted by one detectable TgAb serum resulted in both linear and non-linear results. One Tg serum diluted by six TgAb serums also resulted both linear and non-linear results. Tg serums from three patients diluted by five undetectable TgAb serums resulted in 11 dilution curves, four of which were linear. CONCLUSION: Dilution curves can be used to predict TgAb interference indirectly. Detectable TgAb may not interfere with experimental Tg values. Whereas, undetectable TgAb may interfere with Tg values. TgAb could not be used to predict Tg interference.

Regulation of NKT cell development by SAP, the protein defective in XLP.

The adaptor molecule SAP is expressed in T lymphocytes and natural killer (NK) cells, where it regulates cytokine production and cytotoxicity. Here, we show that SAP, encoded by the SH2D1A gene locus, also has a crucial role during the development of NKT cells, a lymphocyte subset with immunoregulatory functions in response to infection, cancer and autoimmune disease. Following stimulation with the NKT cell-specific agonist alpha-galactosyl ceramide (alphaGC), Sh2d1a-/- splenocytes did not produce cytokines or activate other lymphoid lineages in an NKT cell-dependent manner. While evaluating the abnormalities in alphaGC-induced immune responses, we observed that Sh2d1a-/- animals lacked NKT cells in the thymus and peripheral organs. The defect in NKT cell ontogeny was hematopoietic cell autonomous and could be rescued by reconstitution of SAP expression within Sh2d1a-/- bone marrow cells. Seventeen individuals with X-linked lymphoproliferative disease (XLP), who harbored germline mutations in SH2D1A, also lacked NKT cells. Furthermore, a female XLP carrier showed completely skewed X chromosome inactivation within NKT cells, but not T or B cells. Thus, SAP is a crucial regulator of NKT cell ontogeny in humans and in mice. The absence of NKT cells may contribute to the phenotypes of SAP deficiency, including abnormal antiviral and antitumor immunity and hypogammaglobulinemia.

A Modified Power-on Programming Method after Deep Brain Stimulation for Parkinson Disease.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the feasibility of using a modified power-on programming method in deep brain stimulation (DBS) for Parkinson disease (PD). METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study including 151 PD patients with bilateral robot-assisted DBS surgery from July 2017 to June 2020. Ninety-seven patients were adopted to the modified power-on programming method (Group I) and 54 patients were adopted to the traditional power-on programming method (Group II). In one-year follow-up, power-on programming duration, stimulation parameters, scores of Unified PD Rating Scale (UPDRS) and UPDRS-III of the 2 groups were recorded and compared. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in the postoperative UPDRS, UPDRS-III improvement rate, and stimulation parameters between the 2 groups. The duration of power-on programming of Group I (1.7 ± 1.1 hours) was significantly less than that of Group II (3.5 ± 1.8 hours, P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: The modified power-on programming method can achieve a similar clinical effect to the traditional method, with the advantage of more efficiency.

A Unique NiOOH@FeOOH Heteroarchitecture for Enhanced Oxygen Evolution in Saline Water.

The development of highly efficient non-precious metal electrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in low-grade or saline water is currently of great importance for the large-scale production of hydrogen. In this study, by using an electrochemical activation pretreatment, metal oxy(hydroxide) nanosheet structures derived from self-supported nickel-iron phosphide and nitride nanoarrays grown on Ni foam are successfully fabricated for OER catalysis in saline water. It is demonstrated that the different NiOOH and NiOOH@FeOOH (NiOOH grown on FeOOH) structures are generated from nickel-iron nitride and phosphide, respectively, after electrochemical activation. In particular, the NiOOH@FeOOH heteroarchitecture shows outstanding electrocatalytic performance with an ultralow overpotential of 292 mV to drive the current density of 500 mA cm-2 . An unconventional dual-sites mechanism (UDSM) is proposed to address the OER process on NiOOH@FeOOH and show that the FeOOH underlayer plays a critical role regarding the enhanced OER activity of NiOOH. The new possible UDSM involving two reaction sites presents a different understanding of the OER process on multi-OH layer complexes, which is expected to guide the design of heteroarchitecture electrocatalysts.

Clinical characteristics and prognosis of patients with glioblastoma: A review of survival analysis of 1674 patients based on SEER database.

BACKGROUND: To fully understand the clinical features and prognosis of Glioblastoma (GBM), we extracted the data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database and performed a series of analyses. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the data of 1674 patients with GBM obtained from the SEER database from 1983 to 2015. Kaplan-Meier analysis was performed to calculate the survival rate, and the log-rank test was used to analyze the survival outcomes. RESULTS: Older patients with GBM had a worse survival period (P < .05). Laterality had no effect on the prognosis (P > .05). Patients with high-grade gliomas may have a shorter lifespan (P < .05). In terms of overall survival (OS) and disease specificity, all 3 classical treatments failed to improve the life expectancy (P > .05). In adult patients with GBM, we found that age, tumor grade, surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy were independent risk factors for all-cause mortality. In the univariate disease-specific analysis, age, tumor grade, surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy were independent risk factors. However, in multivariate disease-specific analysis, the results showed that only tumor grade and surgery were independent risk factors for GBM. CONCLUSIONS: Older patients diagnosed with GBM have worse survival, and patients with glioma of higher grades have a shorter lifespan. Age, grade, surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy were independent prognostic factors for patients with GBM.

Sublayer Stable Fe Dopant in Porous Pd Metallene Boosts Oxygen Reduction Reaction.

Engineering the morphology and electronic properties simultaneously of emerging metallene materials is an effective strategy for enhancing their performance as oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) electrocatalysts. Herein, a highly efficient and stable ORR electrocatalyst, Fe-doped ultrathin porous Pd metallene (Fe-Pd UPM) composed of a few layers of 2D atomic metallene layers, was synthesized using a simple one pot wet-chemical method and characterized. Fe-Pd UPM was measured to have enhanced ORR activity compared to undoped Pd metallene. Fe-Pd UPM exhibits a mass activity of 0.736 A mgPd-1 with a loss of mass activity of only 5.1% after 10 000 cycles at 0.9 V versus the reversible hydrogen electrode (vs RHE) in 0.1 M KOH solution. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations reveal that the stable Fe dopant in the inner atomic layers of Fe-Pd UPM delivers a much smaller overpotential during O* hydrogenation into OH*. The morphology, porous structure, and Fe doping were verified to have enhanced ORR activity. We believe that the rational design of metallene materials with porous structures and interlayer doping is promising for the development of efficient and stable electrocatalysts.

Structural and Functional Alterations of Substantia Nigra and Associations With Anxiety and Depressive Symptoms Following Traumatic Brain Injury.

Backgrounds: Although there are a certain number of studies dedicated to the disturbances of the dopaminergic system induced by traumatic brain injury (TBI), the associations of abnormal dopaminergic systems with post-traumatic anxiety and depressive disorders and their underlying mechanisms have not been clarified yet. In the midbrain, dopaminergic neurons are mainly situated in the substantia nigra (SN) and the ventral tegmental area (VTA). Thus, we selected SN and VTA as regions of interest and performed a seed-based global correlation to evaluate the altered functional connectivity throughout the dopaminergic system post-TBI. Methods: Thirty-three individuals with TBI and 21 healthy controls were recruited in the study. Anxiety and depressive symptoms were examined by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. All MRI data were collected using a Siemens Prisma 3.0 Tesla MRI system. The volume of SN and the global functional connectivity of the SN and VTA were analyzed. Results: In the present study, patients with TBI reported more anxiety and depressive symptoms. More importantly, some structural and functional alterations, such as smaller SN and reduced functional connectivity in the left SN, were seen in individuals with TBI. Patients with TBI had smaller substantia nigra on both right and left sides, and the left substantia nigra was relatively small in contrast with the right one. Among these findings, functional connectivity between left SN and left angular gyrus was positively associated with post-traumatic anxiety symptoms and negatively associated with depressive symptoms. Conclusions: The TBI causes leftward lateralization of structural and functional alterations in the substantia nigra. An impaired mesocortical functional connectivity might be implicated in post-traumatic anxiety and depression.