An infectivity-enhancing site on the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein targeted by antibodies.

Antibodies against the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection. However, the effects of antibodies against other spike protein domains are largely unknown. Here, we screened a series of anti-spike monoclonal antibodies from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients and found that some of antibodies against the N-terminal domain (NTD) induced the open conformation of RBD and thus enhanced the binding capacity of the spike protein to ACE2 and infectivity of SARS-CoV-2. Mutational analysis revealed that all of the infectivity-enhancing antibodies recognized a specific site on the NTD. Structural analysis demonstrated that all infectivity-enhancing antibodies bound to NTD in a similar manner. The antibodies against this infectivity-enhancing site were detected at high levels in severe patients. Moreover, we identified antibodies against the infectivity-enhancing site in uninfected donors, albeit at a lower frequency. These findings demonstrate that not only neutralizing antibodies but also enhancing antibodies are produced during SARS-CoV-2 infection.

NLRP2 in health and disease.

NLR family pyrin domain containing 2 (NLRP2) is a novel member of the Nod-like receptor (NLR) family. However, our understanding of NLRP2 has long been ambiguous. NLRP2 may have a role in the innate immune response, but its 'specific' functions remain controversial. Although NLRP2 can initiate inflammasome and promote inflammation, it can also downregulate inflammatory signals. Additionally, NLRP2 has been reported to function in the reproductive system and shows high expression in the placenta. However, the exact role of NLRP2 in the reproductive system is unclear. Here, we highlight the most current progress on NLRP2 in inflammasome activation, effector function and regulation of nuclear factor-κB. And we discuss functions of NLRP2 in inflammatory diseases, reproductive disorders and the potential implication of NLRP2 in human diseases.

SARS-CoV-2 ORF8 is a viral cytokine regulating immune responses.

Many patients with severe COVID-19 suffer from pneumonia and the elucidation of the mechanisms underlying the development of this severe condition is important. The in vivo function of the ORF8 protein secreted by SARS-CoV-2 is not well understood. Here, we analyzed the function of ORF8 protein by generating ORF8-knockout SARS-CoV-2 and found that the lung inflammation observed in wild-type SARS-CoV-2-infected hamsters was decreased in ORF8-knockout SARS-CoV-2-infected hamsters. Administration of recombinant ORF8 protein to hamsters also induced lymphocyte infiltration into the lungs. Similar pro-inflammatory cytokine production was observed in primary human monocytes treated with recombinant ORF8 protein. Furthermore, we demonstrated that the serum ORF8 protein levels are well-correlated with clinical markers of inflammation. These results demonstrated that the ORF8 protein is a SARS-CoV-2 viral cytokine involved in the immune dysregulation observed in COVID-19 patients, and that the ORF8 protein could be a novel therapeutic target in severe COVID-19 patients.

Correlation of endolymphatic hydrops and perilymphatic enhancement with the clinical features of Ménière's disease.

OBJECTIVES: To use three-dimensional real inversion recovery (3D-real IR) MRI to investigate correlations between endolymphatic hydrops (EH) grades or the degree of perilymphatic enhancement (PE) and clinical features of Ménière's disease (MD), as previous findings have been inconsistent. METHODS: A total of 273 consecutive patients with definite unilateral MD were retrospectively enrolled from September 2020 to October 2021. All patients underwent 3D-real IR and 3D-T2WI 6 h after intravenous gadolinium injection. MD-related symptom duration and vertigo frequency were recorded. EH grades were evaluated, the signal intensity ratio (SIR) was measured, and correlations between clinical features and EH, PE were assessed respectively. RESULTS: The study included 123 males and 150 females, with a mean age of 53.0 years. A longer duration of vertigo was associated with higher cochlear EH grades, whereas the opposite was true for the duration of aural fullness. A longer time since vertigo onset was associated with higher vestibular EH grades; the opposite was true for the duration of individual vertigo attacks. The multiple regression analysis revealed that age, tinnitus duration, and vestibular EH were risk factors for SIR. Furthermore, the low-frequency hearing threshold (HT) was a risk factor for cochlear and vestibular EH, and the SIR. CONCLUSION: The EH grade and SIR (an indicator for the quantitative evaluation of PE) were correlated with clinical features and HT of MD; thus, imaging can be a valuable tool in planning individualised treatment. CLINICAL RELEVANCE STATEMENT: This study revealed that the grade of endolymphatic hydrops and degree of perilymphatic enhancement positively correlates with the length of time since onset of clinical symptoms and hearing thresholds in patients with Ménière's disease, facilitating the tailored treatment. KEY POINTS: • Relationships between 3-dimensional real inversion recovery features and clinical symptoms in Ménière's disease are unknown. • Symptom duration and hearing thresholds correlated with endolymphatic hydrops grades and degree of perilymphatic enhancement. • MRI features correlate with MD severity; thus, imaging is valuable for planning tailored treatment.

Reactive Chlorine Species Advancing the Atmospheric Oxidation Capacities of Inland Urban Environments.

Chlorine (Cl) radicals from photolabile chlorine species are highly reactive and can affect the fate of air pollutants in the atmosphere. Although several campaigns have been conducted, typically in coastal environments, long-term observations of reactive chlorine species and their impacts on atmospheric oxidation capacities (AOCs) are lacking. Here, we report nearly full-year observations of Cl2 and ClNO2 levels in Beijing and evaluate their impacts on the AOC with a box model coupled with Cl chemistry. Cl radicals promote the circulation of OH-HO2-RO2 by accelerating the OH chain lengths by up to 12.6% on average, hence boosting the AOC, especially in the winter or spring. This promotion effect is nonlinearly dependent on the VOC and NOx concentrations, thus leading to a slight shift in ozone formation from a VOC-sensitive regime to a transition regime with seasonal differences. Given the ubiquitous reactive chlorines in polluted inland urban regions, the AOCs and the formation of secondary pollutants will be underestimated if the reactive chlorine species are neglected.

Effect of acute pain on the association between preoperative cognitive impairment and postoperative delirium: a secondary analysis of three trials.

BACKGROUND: The association between preoperative cognitive impairment, postoperative pain, and postoperative delirium in older patients after noncardiac surgery is not known. METHODS: This was a secondary analysis of datasets from three previous studies. Patients aged ≥55 yr who underwent elective noncardiac surgery were enrolled. Preoperative cognitive impairment was defined as Mini-Mental State Examination <27. Pain intensity with movement was assessed using an 11-point numeric rating scale at 12-h intervals during the first 72 h after surgery; time-weighted average (TWA) pain score was calculated. Primary outcome was the occurrence of delirium within the first 5 postoperative days. Mediation analysis was used to investigate the relationships between cognitive impairment, pain score, and delirium. RESULTS: A total of 1497 patients were included. Prevalence of preoperative cognitive impairment was 40.3% (603/1497). Patients with cognitive impairment suffered higher TWA pain score within 72 h (4 [3-5] vs 3 [2-5], P=0.004) and more delirium within 5 days (12.9% [78/603] vs 4.9% [44/894], P<0.001) when compared with those without. Total and direct associations between cognitive impairment and delirium were (adjusted ß) 8.3% (95% confidence interval [CI], 4.8-12.0%; P<0.001) and 7.8% (95% CI, 4.4-12.0%; P<0.001), respectively. A significant indirect association with acute pain was observed between cognitive impairment and delirium (adjusted ß=0.4%; 95% CI, 0.1-1.0%; P=0.006), accounting for 4.9% of the total effect. CONCLUSIONS: The association between preoperative cognitive impairment and delirium is significantly mediated by acute pain in patients after noncardiac surgery. Considering the small effect size, clinical significance of this mediation effect requires further investigation.

Dynamic variables to predict fluid responsiveness in young children.

BACKGROUND: The evidence that dynamic variables predict fluid responsiveness in young children is limited by conflicting research results. METHODS: Sixty patients, 1-3 years of age, undergoing major neurosurgery, received 10 mL/kg of Ringer's solution over 10 min after anesthesia induction. Respiratory variation in aortic blood flow peak velocity (∆Vpeak), plethysmographic variability index (PVI), FloTrac/Vigileo-derived stroke volume variation (SVV), dynamic arterial elastance (Eadyn ), and pulse pressure variation (PPV) were measured before and following fluid loading. An increase in the cardiac index (CI) of ≥10% following fluid loading identified fluid "responders." RESULTS: Twenty-six patients (43.3%) were fluid responders. Baseline ∆Vpeak was an excellent predictor of a CI increase following fluid loading with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) of 0.982 (p < 0.001). The PVI showed fair diagnostic accuracy for CI-fluid responsiveness (AUROC 0.775, p < 0.001). Baseline ∆Vpeak and PVI cutoff values were 9.6% and 15%, respectively. PPV, SVV, and Eadyn were not predictors or were poor predictors for CI-fluid responsiveness (AUROC 0.669, 0.653, and 0.533, respectively). CONCLUSION: Volume-based PVI and ∆Vpeak showed acceptable reliability for fluid responsiveness prediction in young children undergoing major neurosurgery, whereas pressure-based SVV using FloTrac/Vigileo, Eadyn , and PPV did not.

Circ_0004712 Silencing Suppresses the Aggressive Changes of Rheumatoid Arthritis Fibroblast-Like Synoviocytes by Targeting miR-633/TRAF6 Axis.

Circular RNA_0004712 (circ_0004712) is reported to be up-regulated in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. Nevertheless, its role and mechanism in RA pathology remain to be clarified. RNA and protein expression was determined by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and western blot assay. Cell viability, proliferation, apoptosis, migration, and inflammation were assessed by 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay, 5-ethynyl-20-deoxyuridine assay, flow cytometry, scratch test, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The target correlation between microRNA-633 (miR-633) and circ_0004712 or TNF receptor associated factor 6 (TRAF6) was verified by dual-luciferase reporter assay and RNA immunoprecipitation assay. Circ_0004712 was up-regulated in RA synovial tissues and RA fibroblast-like synoviocytes (RA-FLSs). Circ_0004712 silencing suppressed the viability, proliferation, migration and inflammatory response and facilitated the apoptosis of RA-FLSs. miR-633 was confirmed to be a direct target of circ_0004712, and miR-633 knockdown reversed circ_0004712 silencing-mediated protective effects on the dysfunction and inflammation of RA-FLSs. TRAF6 was a direct target of miR-633, and miR-633 overexpression suppressed the aggressive changes of RA-FLSs by down-regulating TRAF6. Circ_0004712 could up-regulate TRAF6 expression by sponging miR-633 in RA-FLSs. Circ_0004712 interference inactivated nuclear factor (NF)-κB signaling by targeting miR-633/TRAF6 axis. Circ_0004712 silencing inhibited the aggressive changes of RA-FLSs by targeting miR-633/TRAF6 axis and NF-κB signaling, which provided new targets for RA therapy.

Eucommia Polysaccharides Ameliorate Aging-Associated Gut Dysbiosis: A Potential Mechanism for Life Extension in Drosophila.

The gut microbiota is increasingly considered to play a key role in human immunity and health. The aging process alters the microbiota composition, which is associated with inflammation, reactive oxygen species (ROS), decreased tissue function, and increased susceptibility to age-related diseases. It has been demonstrated that plant polysaccharides have beneficial effects on the gut microbiota, particularly in reducing pathogenic bacteria abundance and increasing beneficial bacteria populations. However, there is limited evidence of the effect of plant polysaccharides on age-related gut microbiota dysbiosis and ROS accumulation during the aging process. To explore the effect of Eucommiae polysaccharides (EPs) on age-related gut microbiota dysbiosis and ROS accumulation during the aging process of Drosophila, a series of behavioral and life span assays of Drosophila with the same genetic background in standard medium and a medium supplemented with EPs were performed. Next, the gut microbiota composition and protein composition of Drosophila in standard medium and the medium supplemented with EPs were detected using 16S rRNA gene sequencing analysis and quantitative proteomic analysis. Here, we show that supplementation of Eucommiae polysaccharides (EPs) during development leads to the life span extension of Drosophila. Furthermore, EPs decreased age-related ROS accumulation and suppressed Gluconobacter, Providencia, and Enterobacteriaceae in aged Drosophila. Increased Gluconobacter, Providencia, and Enterobacteriaceae in the indigenous microbiota might induce age-related gut dysfunction in Drosophila and shortens their life span. Our study demonstrates that EPs can be used as prebiotic agents to prevent aging-associated gut dysbiosis and reactive oxidative stress.

Analysis of VOC emissions and O3 control strategies in the Fenhe Plain cities, China.

Long-term continuous hourly measurements of ambient volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are scarce at the regional scale. In this study, a one-year hourly measurement campaign of VOCs was performed in Lvliang, Linfen, and Yuncheng in the heavily polluted Fenhe Plain region in China. The VOC average (±standard deviation, std) concentrations in Lvliang, Linfen, and Yuncheng were 44.4 ± 24.9, 45.7 ± 24.9, and 37.5 ± 25.0 ppbv, respectively. Compared to published data from the past two decades in China, the observed VOCs were at high concentration levels. VOCs in the Fenhe Plain cities were significantly impacted by industrial sources according to calculated emission ratios but were less affected by liquefied petroleum gas and natural gas (LPG/NG) and traffic emissions than those in megacities abroad. The emission inventories and observation data were combined for verification and identification of the key VOC species and sources controlling ozone (O3). Industrial emissions were the largest source of VOCs, accounting for 65%-79% of the total VOC emissions, while the coking industry accounted for 45.2%-66.0%. The emission inventories significantly underestimated oxygenated VOC (OVOC) emissions through the verification of VOC emission ratios. O3 control scenarios were analyzed by changing VOC/NOX reduction ratios through a photochemical box model. O3 control strategies were formulated considering local pollution control plans, emission inventories, and O3 formation regimes. The O3 reduction of reactivity-control measures was comparable with emission-control measures, ranging from 16% to 41%, which was contrary to the general perception that ozone formation potential (OFP)-based measures were more efficient for O3 reduction. Sources with high VOC emissions are accompanied by high OFP on the Fenhe Plain, indicating that the control of high-emission sources can effectively mitigate O3 pollution on this region.

Characteristics and source apportionment of PM2.5 under the dual influence of the Spring Festival and the COVID-19 pandemic in Yuncheng city.

Based on the online and membrane sampling data of Yuncheng from January 1st to February 12th, 2020, the formation mechanism of haze under the dual influence of Spring Festival and COVID-19 (Corona Virus Disease) was analyzed. Atmospheric capacity, chemical composition, secondary transformation, source apportionment, backward trajectory, pollution space and enterprise distribution were studied. Low wind speed, high humidity and small atmospheric capacity inhibited the diffusion of air pollutants. Four severe pollution processes occurred during the period, and the pollution degree was the highest around the Spring Festival. In light, medium and heavy pollution periods, the proportion of SNA (SO42-, NO3- and NH4+) was 59.6%, 56.0% and 54.9%, respectively, which was the largest components of PM2.5; the [NO3-]/[SO42-] ratio was 2.1, 1.5 and 1.7, respectively, indicating that coal source had a great influence; the changes of NOR (nitrogen oxidation ratio, 0.44, 0.45, 0.61) and SOR (sulphur oxidation ratio, 0.40, 0.49, 0.65) indicated the accumulation of secondary aerosols with increasing pollution. The coal combustion, motor vehicle, secondary inorganic sources and industrial sources contributed 36.8%, 26.59%, 11.84% and 8.02% to PM2.5 masses, respectively. Backward trajectory showed that the influence from the east was greater during the Spring Festival, and the pollutants from the eastern air mass were higher, which would aggravate the pollution. Meteorological and Spring Festival had a great impact on heavy pollution weather. Although some work could not operate due to the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic, the emission of pollutants did not reduce much.

Enhanced secondary organic aerosol formation during dust episodes by photochemical reactions in the winter in Wuhan.

To investigate the effect of frequently occurring mineral dust on the formation of secondary organic aerosol (SOA), 106 volatile organic compounds (VOCs), trace gas pollutants and chemical components of PM2.5 were measured continuously in January 2021 in Wuhan, Central China. The observation period was divided into two stages that included a haze period and a following dust period, based on the ratio of PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations. The average ratio of secondary organic carbon (SOC) to elemental carbon (EC) was 1.98 during the dust period, which was higher than that during the haze period (0.69). The contribution of SOA to PM2.5 also increased from 2.75% to 8.64%. The analysis of the relationships between the SOA and relative humidity (RH) and the odd oxygen (e.g., OX = O3 + NO2) levels suggested that photochemical reactions played a more important role in the enhancement of SOA production during the dust period than the aqueous-phase reactions. The heterogeneous photochemical production of OH radicals in the presence of metal oxides during the dust period was believed to be enhanced. Meanwhile, the ratios of trans-2-butene to cis-2-butene and m-/p-xylene to ethylbenzene (X/E) dropped significantly, confirming that stronger photochemical reactions occurred and SOA precursors formed efficiently. These results verified the laboratory findings that metal oxides in mineral dust could catalyse the oxidation of VOCs and induce higher SOA production.

Field assessment of straw pellet combustion in improved heating stoves in rural Northeast China.

Straw pellets are widely promoted and expected to be a cleaner alternative fuel to unprocessed crop residues and raw coal in rural China. However, the effectiveness of these dissemination programs is not well evaluated. In this field study, emission characteristics of burning straw pellets, raw coal, and unprocessed corn cobs in heating stoves were investigated in a pilot village in Northeast China. Emission measurements covering the whole combustion cycle (ignition, flaming, and smoldering phases) shows the promotion of improved heating stoves and straw pellets could reduce pollutant emissions (e.g., SO2 and CO), but increase NOX and PM2.5 emissions compared to the initial stove-fuel use pattern in the studied area. There is a significant variance in emission characteristics between different combustion phases. The normalized emission concentrations of the different stove-fuel combinations were higher than the limits in the Chinese national standard for heating stoves, indicating that the standard is not met for real-world emissions. Coal consumption was lower than official data. Household surveys were conducted to identify the barriers to fuel and stove access associated with existing promotion strategies, management, and policies. The pilot program was of the typical "subsidy-and-policy-dependence" pattern and was unlikely to be implemented on a large scale. Technological innovation, operational optimization, and proper policies considering the local socioeconomic factors are needed to sustain the promotion of biomass straw pellets and stoves.

Immunogenicity and Safety of a 3-Dose Regimen of a SARS-CoV-2 Inactivated Vaccine in Adults: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Phase 2 Trial.

BACKGROUND: Control of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic needs effective vaccines. METHODS: In a phase 2 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 500 adults aged 18-59 years or ≥60 years were randomized in 2:2:1 ratio to receive 3 doses of 5 µg or 10 µg of a SARS-CoV-2 inactivated vaccine, or placebo separated by 28 days. Adverse events (AEs) were recorded through day 28 after each dosing. Live virus or pseudovirus neutralizing antibodies, and receptor binding domain immunoglobulin G (RBD-IgG) antibody were tested after the second and third doses. RESULTS: Two doses of the vaccine elicited geometric mean titers (GMTs) of 102-119, 170-176, and 1449-1617 for the 3 antibodies in younger adults. Pseudovirus neutralizing and RBD-IgG GMTs were similar between older and younger adults. The third dose slightly (<1.5 fold) increased GMTs. Seroconversion percentages were 94% or more after 2 doses, which were generally similar after 3 doses. The predominant AEs were injection-site pain. All the AEs were grade 1 or 2 in intensity. No serious AE was deemed related to study vaccination. CONCLUSIONS: Two doses of this vaccine induced robust immune response and had good safety profile. A third dose given 28 days after the second dose elicited limited boosting antibody response.

White rice consumption and risk of cardiometabolic and cancer outcomes: A systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies.

White rice is the food more than half of the world's population depends on. White rice intake can significantly increase the glycemic load of consumers and bring some adverse health effects. However, the quality of evidence implicating white rice in adverse health outcomes remains unclear. To evaluate the association between white rice consumption and the risk of cardiometabolic and cancer outcomes, a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of the relevant publications were performed. Twenty-three articles including 28 unique prospective cohorts with 1,527,198 participants proved eligible after a comprehensive search in four databases. For the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), the pooled RR was 1.18 (16 more per 1000 persons) for comparing the highest with the lowest category of white rice intake, with moderate certainty evidence. Females presented a higher risk (23 more per 1000 persons) in subgroup analysis. And every additional 150 grams of white rice intake per day was associated with a 6% greater risk of T2DM (5 more per 1000 persons) with a linear positive trend. We found no significant associations between white rice intake and risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVD), CVD mortality, cancer, and metabolic syndrome. In conclusion, moderate certainty evidence demonstrated that white rice intake was associated with T2DM risk, with a linear positive trend. However, low to very low certainty of evidence suggested that no substantial associations were found between white rice intake and other cardiometabolic and cancer outcomes. More cohorts are needed to strength the evidence body.

Analysis of Microplastics in Human Feces Reveals a Correlation between Fecal Microplastics and Inflammatory Bowel Disease Status.

Human ingestion of microplastics (MPs) is inevitable due to the ubiquity of MPs in various foods and drinking water. Whether the ingestion of MPs poses a substantial risk to human health is far from understood. Here, by analyzing the characteristics of MPs in the feces of patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and healthy people, for the first time, we found that the fecal MP concentration in IBD patients (41.8 items/g dm) was significantly higher than that in healthy people (28.0 items/g dm). In total, 15 types of MPs were detected in feces, with poly(ethylene terephthalate) (22.3-34.0%) and polyamide (8.9-12.4%) being dominant, and their primary shapes were sheets and fibers, respectively. We present evidence indicating that a positive correlation exists between the concentration of fecal MPs and the severity of IBD. Combining a questionnaire survey and the characteristics of fecal MPs, we conclude that the plastic packaging of drinking water and food and dust exposure are important sources of human exposure to MPs. Furthermore, the positive correlation between fecal MPs and IBD status suggests that MP exposure may be related to the disease process or that IBD exacerbates the retention of MPs. The relative mechanisms deserve further studies. Our results also highlight that fecal MPs are useful for assessing human MP exposure and potential health risks.

Adult Children's Education and Older Parents' Chronic Illnesses in Aging China.

Although intergenerational transmission from parents to children has been widely studied, less is known about human capital spillover from children to parents. Utilizing nationally representative data on both doctor diagnosis and biomarkers, as well as exploiting variations in the implementation of China's Compulsory Education Law, we examine the effects of adult children's education on the prevalence of chronic cardiovascular illnesses among older parents in China and explore potential mechanisms. Instrumental variable estimates indicate that additional years of schooling among adult children decrease the prevalence of hypertension among older parents, whereas no evidence indicates a significant impact on the prevalence of diabetes among the same group. Sons and daughters differentially impact their mothers and fathers. Compared with fathers, mothers benefit more from adult children's education. Although no significant differences are observed in the effects of sons' and daughters' education in urban China, sons' education is more beneficial for parents' health in rural China. Further analyses show that financial support and health support (e.g., diagnosis and management of chronic illnesses and maintenance of health behaviors) are critical pathways for older parents to benefit from their adult children's education.

Distinct clinical manifestations of obsessive-compulsive disorder are associated with cortical thickness alteration.

BACKGROUND: Although brain structural changes have been reported in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), results from previous studies have been inconsistent. A growing number of studies have focused on obsessive beliefs and impulsivity which could be involved in the occurrence and maintenance of OCD symptoms. The present study aimed to examine whether there are distinct brain structural changes in patients with different OCD subgroups. METHODS: Eighty-nine patients with OCD and 42 healthy controls were recruited to undergo structural magnetic resonance imaging brain scan. OCD patients were classified into subgroups according to scores of the Obsessive Belief Questionnaire (OBQ-44) and the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11) using cluster analysis. Group comparisons in cortical thickness and subcortical volumes between all OCD patients and healthy controls, as well as between subgroups of OCD patients and healthy controls, were carried out. RESULTS: OCD patients with more obsessive beliefs and attentional impulsivity (OCD_OB_AT) had reduced cortical thickness at the inferior parietal gyrus, the superior and middle temporal gyrus and the insula compared with OCD patients with higher score on the non-planning impulsivity (OCD_NP, corrected p < 0.05). The whole group of OCD patients and both subgroups showed reduced cortical thickness at the superior parietal gyrus compared with controls (uncorrected p < 0.01, number of vertices > 100). CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that apart from distinct phenomenology, there are distinct neural correlates of different OCD subgroups based on obsessive beliefs and impulsivity. These neural correlates may have clinical significance and should be considered in future research.

Risk factors for postoperative delirium in children with congenital heart disease: a prospective nested case-control study. / å ˆå¤©æ€§å¿ƒè„ç— æ‚£å„¿æœ¯åŽè°µå¦„å±é™©å› ç´ çš„å‰çž»æ€§å·¢å¼ç— ä¾‹å¯¹ç §ç ”ç©¶.

OBJECTIVES: To study the risk factors for postoperative delirium (POD) in children with congenital heart disease. METHODS: A prospective nested case-control study was performed on children with congenital heart disease who underwent surgery in Fuwai Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, from December 2020 to June 2021. The clinical data were compared between the POD group (n=114) and non-POD group (n=102). A multivariate unconditional logistic regression analysis was used to investigate the risk factors for POD in children with congenital heart disease. RESULTS: The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that age (OR=0.951, P<0.001), gender (OR=2.127, P=0.049), number of invasive catheters per day (OR=1.490, P=0.017), degree of postoperative pain (OR=5.856, P<0.001), and preoperative parental anxiety level (OR=1.025, P=0.010) were independent risk factors for POD in children with congenital heart disease. CONCLUSIONS: The risk of POD increases in children with congenital heart disease who are younger, male, have higher number of invasive catheters per day, higher degree of postoperative pain, or higher preoperative parental anxiety level.

Association between cortical thickness and distinct vascular cognitive impairment and dementia in patients with white matter lesions.

NEW FINDINGS: What is the central question of this study? White matter lesions (WMLs) are a brain disease characterized by altered brain structural and functional connectivity, but findings have shown an inconsistent pattern: are there distinct cortical thickness changes in patients with WMLs subtypes? What is the main finding and its importance? Patients with WMLs with non-dementia vascular cognitive impairment and WMLs with vascular dementia showed distinct pathophysiology in cortical thickness. These neural correlates of WMLs should be considered in future treatment. ABSTRACT: The effect of cortical thickness on white matter lesions (WMLs) in patients with distinct vascular cognitive impairments is relatively unknown. This study investigated the correlation between cortical thickness and vascular cognitive manifestations. WML patients and healthy controls from Beijing Tiantan Hospital between 2014 and 2018 were included. The patients were further divided into two subgroups, namely WMLs with non-dementia vascular cognitive impairment (WML-VCIND) and WMLs with vascular dementia (WML-VaD) according to the Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) scale and the Beijing version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). Changes in cortical thickness were calculated using FreeSurfer. Pearson's correlation analysis was performed to explore the relationship between cognitive manifestations and cortical thickness in WML patients. Forty-five WML patients and 23 healthy controls were recruited. The WML group exhibited significant difference in cortical thickness compared to the control group. Significantly decreased cortical thickness in the middle and superior frontal gyri, middle temporal gyrus, angular gyrus and insula was found in the WML-VaD versus WML-VCIND subgroup. Cortical thickness deficits of the left caudal middle frontal gyrus (r = 0.451, P = 0.002), left rostral middle frontal gyrus (r = 0.514, P < 0.001), left superior frontal gyrus (r = 0.410, P = 0.006), right middle temporal gyrus (r = 0.440, P = 0.003), right pars triangularis (r = 0.462, P = 0.002), right superior frontal gyrus (r = 0.434, P = 0.004) and right insula (r = 0.499, P = 0.001) were positively correlated with the MoCA score in WML patients. The specific pattern of cortical thickness deficits in the WML-VaD subgroup revealed the pathophysiology of WMLs, which should be considered in future treatment of WMLs.