Screening Organic Components and Toxicogenic Structures from Regional Fine Particulate Matters Responsible for Myocardial Fibrosis in Male Mice.

Numerous studies indicate that fine particulate matters (PM2.5) and its organic components are urgent risk factors for cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Combining toxicological experiments, effect-directed analyses, and nontarget identification, this study aims to explore whether PM2.5 exposure in coal-combustion areas induces myocardial fibrosis and how to identify the effective organic components and their toxic structures to support regional risk control. First, we constructed an animal model of real-world PM2.5 exposure during the heating season and found that the exposure impaired cardiac systolic function and caused myocardial fibrosis, with chemokine Ccl2-mediated inflammatory response being the key cause of collagen deposition. Then, using the molecular event as target coupled with two-stage chromatographic isolation and mass spectrometry analyses, we identified a total of 171 suspect organic compounds in the PM2.5 samples. Finally, using hierarchical characteristic fragment analysis, we predicted that 40 of them belonged to active compounds with 6 alert structures, including neopentane, butyldimethylamine, 4-ethylphenol, hexanal, decane, and dimethylaniline. These findings provide evidence for risk management and prevention of CVDs in polluted areas.

PM2.5 exposure contributes to anxiety and depression-like behaviors via phenyl-containing compounds interfering with dopamine receptor.

As a global problem, fine particulate matter (PM2.5) really needs local fixes. Considering the increasing epidemiological relevance to anxiety and depression but inconsistent toxicological results, the most important question is to clarify whether and how PM2.5 causally contributes to these mental disorders and which components are the most dangerous for crucial mitigation in a particular place. In the present study, we chronically subjected male mice to a real-world PM2.5 exposure system throughout the winter heating period in a coal combustion area and revealed that PM2.5 caused anxiety and depression-like behaviors in adults such as restricted activity, diminished exploratory interest, enhanced repetitive stereotypy, and elevated acquired immobility, through behavioral tests including open field, elevated plus maze, marble-burying, and forced swimming tests. Importantly, we found that dopamine signaling was perturbed using mRNA transcriptional profile and bioinformatics analysis, with Drd1 as a potential target. Subsequently, we developed the Drd1 expression-directed multifraction isolating and nontarget identifying framework and identified a total of 209 compounds in PM2.5 organic extracts capable of reducing Drd1 expression. Furthermore, by applying hierarchical characteristic fragment analysis and molecular docking and dynamics simulation, we clarified that phenyl-containing compounds competitively bound to DRD1 and interfered with dopamine signaling, thereby contributing to mental disorders. Taken together, this work provides experimental evidence for researchers and clinicians to identify hazardous factors in PM2.5 and prevent adverse health outcomes and for local governments and municipalities to control source emissions for diminishing specific disease burdens.

Nontargeted Identification of Organic Components in Fine Particulate Matter Related to Lung Tumor Metastasis Based on an Adverse Outcome Pathway Strategy.

Emerging studies implicate fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and its organic components (OCs) as urgent hazard factors for lung cancer progression in nonsmokers. Establishing the adverse outcome pathway (AOP)-directed nontargeted identification method, this study aimed to explore whether PM2.5 exposure in coal-burning areas promoted lung tumor metastasis and how we identify its effective OCs to support traceability and control of regional PM2.5 pollution. First, we used a nude mouse model of lung cancer for PM2.5 exposure and found that the exposure significantly promoted the hematogenous metastases of A549-Luc cells in lung tissues and the adverse outcomes (AOs), with key events (KEs) including the changed expression of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers, such as suppression of E-cad and increased expression of Fib. Subsequently, using AOs and KEs as adverse outcome directors, we identified a total of 35 candidate chemicals based on the in vitro model and nontargeted analysis. Among them, tributyl phosphate (C12H27O4P), 2-bromotetradecane (C14H29Br), and methyl decanoate (C11H22O2) made greater contributions to the AOs. Finally, we clarified the interactions between these OCs and EMT-activating transcription factors (EMT-ATFs) as the molecular initiation event (MIE) to support the feasibility of the above identification strategy. The present study updates a new framework for identifying tumor metastasis-promoting OCs in PM2.5 and provides solid data for screening out chemicals that need priority control in polluted areas posing higher lung cancer risk.

Optimizing intracranial electric field distribution through temperature-driven scalp conductivity adjustments in transcranial electrical stimulation.

Transcranial electrical stimulation (TES) is a promising non-invasive neuromodulation technique. How to increase the current intensity entering the skull and reduce scalp shunting has become a key factor significantly influencing regulatory efficacy. In this study, we introduce a novel approach for optimizing TES by adjusting local scalp temperature to modulate scalp conductivity. We have developed simulation models for TES-induced electric fields and for temperature-induced alterations in scalp conductivity. Two common types of stimulation montage (M1-SO and 4 × 1 montage) were adopted for the evaluation of effectiveness. We observed that the modulation of scalp temperature has a significant impact on the distribution of the electric field within the brain during TES. As local scalp temperature decreases, there is an increase in the maximum electric field intensity within the target area, with the maximum change reaching 18.3%, when compared to the electric field distribution observed under normal scalp temperature conditions. Our study provide insights into the practical implementation challenges and future directions for this innovative methodology.

Research Progress in Diffusion Spectrum Imaging.

Studies have demonstrated that many regions in the human brain include multidirectional fiber tracts, in which the diffusion of water molecules within image voxels does not follow a Gaussian distribution. Therefore, the conventional diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) that hypothesizes a single fiber orientation within a voxel is intrinsically incapable of revealing the complex microstructures of brain tissues. Diffusion spectrum imaging (DSI) employs a pulse sequence with different b-values along multiple gradient directions to sample the diffusion information of water molecules in the entire q-space and then quantitatively estimates the diffusion profile using a probability density function with a high angular resolution. Studies have suggested that DSI can reliably observe the multidirectional fibers within each voxel and allow fiber tracking along different directions, which can improve fiber reconstruction reflecting the true but complicated brain structures that were not observed in the previous DTI studies. Moreover, with increasing angular resolution, DSI is able to reveal new neuroimaging biomarkers used for disease diagnosis and the prediction of disorder progression. However, so far, this method has not been used widely in clinical studies, due to its overly long scanning time and difficult post-processing. Within this context, the current paper aims to conduct a comprehensive review of DSI research, including the fundamental principles, methodology, and application progress of DSI tractography. By summarizing the DSI studies in recent years, we propose potential solutions towards the existing problem in the methodology and applications of DSI technology as follows: (1) using compressed sensing to undersample data and to reconstruct the diffusion signal may be an efficient and promising method for reducing scanning time; (2) the probability density function includes more information than the orientation distribution function, and it should be extended in application studies; and (3) large-sample study is encouraged to confirm the reliability and reproducibility of findings in clinical diseases. These findings may help deepen the understanding of the DSI method and promote its development in clinical applications.

Contaminant occurrence, water quality criteria and tiered ecological risk assessment in water: A case study of antifouling biocides in the Qiantang River and its estuary, Eastern China.

Antifouling biocides may cause adverse effects on non-target species. This study aims to determine the distribution, sources, and ecological risks of antifouling biocides in the surface waters of the Qiantang River and its estuary in eastern China. The concentrations of total antifouling biocides were ranged from 12.9 to 215 ng/L for all water samples. Atrazine, diuron and tributyltin were the major compounds in the water bodies of the study area. The acute and chronic toxicity criteria for tributyltin, diuron and atrazine were derived for freshwater and saltwater, respectively, based on the species sensitivity distribution approach. The freshwater and saltwater criteria were slightly different, and the toxicity to aquatic organisms could be summarized as tributyltin > diuron > atrazine. The graded ecological risk rating showed that the long-term risk of TBT was significant in coastal waters. The pollution of TBT in the Qiantang River deserves further attention.

MRI Assessment of the Relationship Between Cortical Morphological Features and Hemiparetic Motor-Related Outcomes in Chronic Subcortical Stroke Patients.

BACKGROUND: It is unclear which cortical regions are specific to or commonly associated with the impairments of the upper/lower limbs and the activities of daily life (ADL) in stroke patients. PURPOSE: To investigate the relationships between MRI-assessed surface-based morphometry (SBM) features and motor function as well as ADL in participants with chronic stroke. STUDY TYPE: Prospective. SUBJECTS: Thirty-five participants with subcortical stroke more than 3 months from the first-onset (age: 56.44 ± 9.56 years; 32 male). FIELD STRENGTH/SEQUENCE: T1 -weighted images, 3.0 T, three-dimensional fast field-echo sequence. ASSESSMENT: FreeSurfer (6.0) was used to parcellate each hemisphere into 34 regions based on the Desikan-Killiany atlas and to extract the surface area, volume, thickness, and curvature. The motor function and ADL were assessed by the Fugl-Meyer Assessment for the Upper/Lower Extremity (FMA-UE/FMA-LE) and the Chinese version of the Modified Barthel Index (MBI-C), respectively. STATISTICAL TESTS: A linear mixed-effect model was applied to evaluate the relationship between the morphological features and the FMA-UE, FMA-LE, and MBI-C. A false discovery rate corrected P value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: Correlations between the size of stroke lesion and MRI measurements did not pass the FDR correction (adjusted P > 0.05). SBM features in motor-related and high-order cognitive cortical regions showed significant correlations with FMA-UE and FMA-LE, respectively. Moreover, the thickness in the prefrontal cortex significantly positively correlated, while the surface area in the right supramarginal gyrus significantly negatively correlated, with both FMA-UE, FMA-LE, and MBI-C. The thickness in the left frontal lobe significantly positively correlated with both FMA-UE and MBI-C. DATA CONCLUSION: This study's findings suggest that different hemiparetic motor-related outcomes in participants with subcortical stroke which suffered a corticospinal tract-related injury show specific, but also share common, associations with several cortical regions. EVIDENCE LEVEL: 2 TECHNICAL EFFICACY: Stage 2.

Water quality criteria derivation and tiered ecological risk evaluation of antifouling biocides in marine environment.

This study provides a comprehensive compilation of published toxicological and environmental data further used to assess the ecological risks of six antifouling biocides, including tributyltin (TBT), Irgarol 1051, Diuron, Chlorothalonil, 4,5-Dichloro-N-octyl-3(2H)-isothiazolone (DCOIT), and Dichlofluanid. The standard maximum concentration and standard continuous concentration of antifouling biocides were derived by the species susceptibility distribution method. Following that, the ecological risk assessment of antifouling biocides in the aquatic environment was conducted using the hazard quotient, margin of safety, joint probability curve, and Monte Carlo random sampling method. The following is a concise list of the antifouling biocide dangers associated with acute and chronic risks: Irgarol 1051 > TBT > Diuron > DCOIT > Chlorothalonil > Dichlofluanid. It is strongly advised that systematic and ongoing monitoring of these biocides in coastal areas take place, as well as the creation of acceptable and efficient environmental protection measures, to safeguard the coastal environment's services and functions.

Altered cerebellar functional connectivity in chronic subcortical stroke patients.

Background: Previous studies demonstrated that cerebellar subregions are involved in different functions. Especially the cerebellar anterior lobe (CAL) and cerebellar posterior lobe (CPL) have been postulated to primarily account for sensorimotor and cognitive function, respectively. However, the functional connectivity (FC) alterations of CAL and CPL, and their relationships with behavior performance in chronic stroke participants are unclear so far. Materials and methods: The present study collected resting-state fMRI data from thirty-six subcortical chronic stroke participants and thirty-eight well-matched healthy controls (HCs). We performed the FC analysis with bilateral CAL and CPL as seeds for each participant. Then, we detected the FC difference between the two groups by using a two-sample t-test and evaluated the relationship between the FC and scores of motor and cognitive assessments across all post-stroke participants by using partial correlation analysis. Results: The CAL showed increased FCs in the prefrontal cortex, superior/inferior temporal gyrus, and lingual gyrus, while the CPL showed increased FCs in the inferior parietal lobule, precuneus, and cingulum gyrus in the stroke participants compared with HCs. Moreover, the FC alteration in the right CAL and the right CPL were negatively correlated with executive and memory functions across stroke participants, respectively. Conclusion: These findings shed light on the different increased FC alteration patterns of CAL and CPL that help understand the neuro-mechanisms underlying behavior performance in chronic stroke survivors.

Specific subsystems of the inferior parietal lobule are associated with hand dysfunction following stroke: A cross-sectional resting-state fMRI study.

AIM: The inferior parietal lobule (IPL) plays important roles in reaching and grasping during hand movements, but how reorganizations of IPL subsystems underlie the paretic hand remains unclear. We aimed to explore whether specific IPL subsystems were disrupted and associated with hand performance after chronic stroke. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, we recruited 65 patients who had chronic subcortical strokes and 40 healthy controls from China. Each participant underwent the Fugl-Meyer Assessment of Hand and Wrist and resting-state fMRI at baseline. We mainly explored the group differences in resting-state effective connectivity (EC) patterns for six IPL subregions in each hemisphere, and we correlated these EC patterns with paretic hand performance across the whole stroke group and stroke subgroups. Moreover, we used receiver operating characteristic curve analysis to distinguish the stroke subgroups with partially (PPH) and completely (CPH) paretic hands. RESULTS: Stroke patients exhibited abnormal EC patterns with ipsilesional PFt and bilateral PGa, and five sensorimotor-parietal/two parietal-temporal subsystems were positively or negatively correlated with hand performance. Compared with CPH patients, PPH patients exhibited abnormal EC patterns with the contralesional PFop. The PPH patients had one motor-parietal subsystem, while the CPH patients had one sensorimotor-parietal and three parietal-occipital subsystems that were associated with hand performance. Notably, the EC strength from the contralesional PFop to the ipsilesional superior frontal gyrus could distinguish patients with PPH from patients with CPH. CONCLUSIONS: The IPL subsystems manifest specific functional reorganization and are associated with hand dysfunction following chronic stroke.

Selectively disrupted sensorimotor circuits in chronic stroke with hand dysfunction.

AIM: To investigate the directional and selective disconnection of the sensorimotor cortex (SMC) subregions in chronic stroke patients with hand dysfunction. METHODS: We mapped the resting-state fMRI effective connectivity (EC) patterns for seven SMC subregions in each hemisphere of 65 chronic stroke patients and 40 healthy participants and correlated these patterns with paretic hand performance. RESULTS: Compared with controls, patients demonstrated disrupted EC in the ipsilesional primary motor cortex_4p, ipsilesional primary somatosensory cortex_2 (PSC_2), and contralesional PSC_3a. Moreover, we found that EC values of the contralesional PSC_1 to contralesional precuneus, the ipsilesional inferior temporal gyrus to ipsilesional PSC_1, and the ipsilesional PSC_1 to contralesional postcentral gyrus were correlated with paretic hand performance across all patients. We further divided patients into partially (PPH) and completely (CPH) paretic hand subgroups. Compared with CPH patients, PPH patients demonstrated decreased EC in the ipsilesional premotor_6 and ipsilesional PSC_1. Interestingly, we found that paretic hand performance was positively correlated with seven sensorimotor circuits in PPH patients, while it was negatively correlated with five sensorimotor circuits in CPH patients. CONCLUSION: SMC neurocircuitry was selectively disrupted after chronic stroke and associated with diverse hand outcomes, which deepens the understanding of SMC reorganization.

Heterogeneous alterations in thalamic subfields in major depression disorder.

BACKGROUND: It is well known that the thalamus is not a unitary and homogeneous entity but a complex and highly connected archeocortical structure. Although many neuroimaging studies have reported alterations in the thalamus in major depressive disorder (MDD), the structural alterations in thalamic subfields remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate changes in gray matter volume (GMV) in thalamic subfields in MDD patients. METHODS: The present study included structural images of 848 MDD patients and 794 age-matched normal controls (NC) from 17 study sites of the REST-meta-MDD consortium. We performed voxel-based morphometric analyses to calculate the GMV in the entire thalamus and its subfields using three different automated anatomical labeling atlases and subsequently compared the differences between first-episode drug-naïve major depressive disorder (FEDN), recurrent major depressive disorder (RMDD), and NC groups. We also evaluated the relationships between thalamic GMV and clinical symptoms in MDD patients. RESULTS: Compared to NC, the FEDN patients showed increased GMV in thalamic subfields but not in the entire thalamus, while RMDD patients showed no significant alterations in GMV in the entire thalamus and its subfields. Moreover, the mean GMV in the right anterior thalamus and left anteroventral thalamus in RMDD patients were mildly positively correlated with the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale scores. LIMITATIONS: The main limitations are a single-modal analysis based on T1-weighted MR images and a cross-sectional design. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that FEDN and RMDD patients show heterogeneous alterations across thalamic subfields, which may help us understand the pathophysiological mechanisms of MDD.

Distribution, seasonal trends, and lung cancer risk of atmospheric polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in North China: A three-year case study in Dalian city.

Atmospheric monitoring data of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) over a three-year period were collected from an urban site in Dalian, northeast China. The status of PAHs in the atmosphere in Dalian were evaluated by assessing concentration levels, congener profiles, seasonal trends, primary source, inhalation exposure and the risk of developing lung cancer risk. Average concentrations were recorded for 53 PAHs (95 ± 40 ng/m3), 16 EPA priority PAHs (68 ± 33 ng/m3), 26 alkylated PAHs (17 ± 7.6 ng/m3) and 4 high-molecular-weight (302 Da) PAHs (1.3 ± 1.3 ng/m3). Atmospheric PAH concentrations in winter were almost twice as high as those recorded in the summer, possibly due to enhanced local emissions and long-range transport of atmospheric PAHs during the winter. PAH congeners were dominated by phenatherene, fluoranthene, pyrene and fluorene, accounting for 46.0% of total ∑53PAH concentrations. Ship/vehicle emission and mixed combustion were identified as the main sources of PAHs using diagnostic PAH concentration ratios and principal component analysis-multiple linear regression. Benzo(a)pyrene toxicity equivalent concentration had an average content of 32 ± 37 ng/m-3 over the sampling period, with dibenzo(a,h)anthracene (50.7%) and dibenzo(a,l)pyrene (26.4%) being the largest contributors. The risk of developing lung cancer due to inhalation exposure to outdoor PAHs was calculated at 12.0‰ using the overall population attributable fraction (PAF). Our results estimate that, due to PAH exposure in Dalian, the average excess lung cancer risk during a person's lifetime is 35.7 cancer cases per one million inhabitants.

Altered gray matter volumes in post-stroke depressive patients after subcortical stroke.

Stroke survivors are known to suffer from post-stroke depression (PSD). However, the likelihood of structural changes in the brains of PSD patients has not been explored. This study aims to extract changes in the gray matter of these patients and test how these changes account for the PSD symptoms. High-resolution T1 weighted images were collected from 23 PSD patients diagnosed with subcortical stroke. Voxel-based morphometry and support vector machine analyses were used to analyze the data. The results were compared with those collected from 33 non-PSD patients. PSD group showed decreased gray matter volume (GMV) in the left middle frontal gyrus (MFG) when compared to the non-PSD patients. Together with the clinical and demographic variables, the MFG's GMV predictive model was able to distinguish PSD from the non-PSD patients (0•70 sensitivity and 0•88 specificity). The changes in the left inferior frontal gyrus (61%) and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (39%) suggest that the somatic/affective symptoms in PSD is likely to be due to patients' problems with understanding and appraising negative emotional stimuli. The impact brought by the reduced prefrontal to limbic system connectivity needs further exploration. These findings indicate possible systemic involvement of the frontolimbic network resulting in PSD after brain lesions which is likely to be independent from the location of the lesion. The results inform specific clinical interventions to be provided for treating depressive symptoms in post-stroke patients.

Soil concentrations and soil-air exchange of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in five Asian countries.

The Asia Soil and Air Monitoring Program (Asia-SAMP) is a large-scale monitoring program spanning China, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam and India. 47 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were analyzed in 169 concurrently collected surface soil samples across the five study regions. Total PAH concentrations (∑47PAHs) ranged from 13.1 to 7310 ng/g dry weight, with a median value of 272 ng/g dry weight. Higher concentrations of ΣPAHs were recorded in soils from urban areas, followed by soils from rural areas and background soils. Low correlation coefficients were found between PAHs concentrations with population density, surface air temperature and soil organic content. A trend of depleting high molecular weight PAHs and enrichment of low molecular weight PAHs occurred from east to west in Chinese soils. Based on atmospheric PAHs detected in almost the same sampling sites, the equilibrium status of PAHs in the atmosphere and on the ground was investigated. Sample sites with a soil-air equilibrium status for different PAH congeners recorded differences, and differences were recorded between seasons. 2-ring PAHs were mainly volatilized, and 5- & 6-ring PAHs were mainly deposited in all seasons and across all study regions. 3- & 4-ring PAHs were more affected by soil-air transfer, showing a tendency to accumulate in soils in cold regions/seasons and to be re-volatilized into the atmosphere in warm regions/seasons. Partitioning and exchange of PAHs among soil and air were significantly affected by the air temperature.

Uptake, depuration, bioaccumulation, and selective enrichment of dechlorane plus in common carp (Cyprinus carpio).

Dechlorane plus (DP) is a chlorinated flame retardant with high production volume (HPV) and is widely used in our daily necessities. In the present study, a laboratory-scale microcosm was built up to simulate the uptake, depuration, bioaccumulation, and stereoselective enrichment of DP in a lower concentration and equilibration condition. Common carp (Cyprinus carpio) were used for 32 days exposure and 32 days depuration. The concentration ratios of syn-DP to total DP (fsyn values) in fish examined were lower than that in commercial products. Rate constants of uptake (kS) and elimination (ke) for the syn- and anti-DP were calculated using a first-order kinetic model. The uptake rate constants of syn- and anti-DP were 0.63 and 0.89 day-1, respectively. The depuration rate constants of syn-DP (0.11 day-1) were similar to anti-DP (0.096 day-1), suggesting that anti-DP is absorbed faster than syn-DP by common carp. The estimated bioconcentration factors for both syn-DP (5700 L/kg) and anti-DP (9300 L/kg) were higher than the bioconcentration hazard criteria outlined in the Stockholm Convention, suggesting the bioconcentration potential to aquatic organisms for DP.

Diverse functional connectivity patterns of resting-state brain networks associated with good and poor hand outcomes following stroke.

Motor stroke has been characterized by disruptions in multiple large-scale functional brain networks. However, it remains unclear whether stroke patients with good hand outcomes show different connectivity profiles within and between networks from those with poor hand outcomes. In this cross-sectional study, we recruited 52 chronic subcortical stroke patients [illness duration (mean ± SD): 16 ± 16.2 months] and 52 healthy controls from the local hospital and community from June 2010 to August 2016. We first performed independent component analysis (ICA) on resting-state fMRI data to extract fifteen resting-state networks. Then, we compared the functional connectivity within and between networks across 52 healthy controls, 26 patients with a partially paralyzed hand (PPH), and 26 patients with a completely paralyzed hand (CPH). Compared to the patients with a PPH, the patients with a CPH showed increased connectivity in the contralesional sensorimotor cortex within the contralesional sensorimotor network; the increased connectivity was negatively correlated with the performance of the paretic hand. Moreover, the patients with a CPH, compared to those with a PPH, showed decreased strengths of connectivity between the ipsilesional sensorimotor network and both the dorsal sensorimotor network and ventral visual network; the decreased strengths of connectivity were positively correlated with the performance of the paretic hand. Collectively, our findings suggest that stroke patients with different hand outcomes show distinct functional reorganization patterns in large-scale brain networks. These findings shed light on the network-level neuromechanisms that help explain why stroke survivors in the chronic stage show different hand outcomes.

Uncoupled relationship in the brain between regional homogeneity and attention function in first-episode, drug-naïve schizophrenia.

The relationship between the cognitive impairment and the structural and functional abnormalities in the brains of patients with schizophrenia (SZ) is not yet clear. This study aims to investigate the relationship, thereby exploring the neuromechanism underlying SZ. We collected multimodal MRI data from 68 first-episode, drug-naïve patients with SZ, and 64 well-matched healthy controls, and used regional homogeneity (ReHo) and gray matter volume (GMV) to assess the functional and structural integrity of the brains, respectively. We then evaluated in the entire brain the correlations between ReHo/GMV and the participants' neuropsychological assessment scores for each group using a partial correlation analysis controlling for age and sex. We found significant uncoupling between attention performance and mean ReHo in the left middle frontal gyrus, right superior/inferior parietal lobe (IPL), right angular gyrus (AG) and right middle/inferior temporal lobe (ITG) in SZ compared with healthy controls. Moreover, we found that the SZ group showed decreased GMV in the right IPL and AG, and a significant coupling between ReHo and GMV in the right ITG. Our findings suggest that the attention dysfunction found in SZ may be associated with the structural and functional abnormalities as well as the structure-function interrelation in several SZ-related brain regions.

Psychometric Properties of the Chinese (Putonghua) Version of the Oxford Cognitive Screen (OCS-P) in Subacute Poststroke Patients without Neglect.

BACKGROUND: Oxford Cognitive Screen is designed for assessing cognitive functions of poststroke patients. This study was aimed to assess the psychometric properties of the Chinese (Putonghua) version of the Oxford Cognitive Screen-Putonghua (OCS-P) for use among poststroke patients without neglect. METHODS: Expert review panel evaluated content validity of the Chinese-translated items. After pilot tested the translated items, the patients and healthy participants completed the OCS-P as well as the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA-ChiB) and Goldenberg's test. A group of patients completed OCS-P for the second time within seven days. Data analyses included confirmatory factor analysis, item difficulty and item-total correlation, inter- and intrarater reliability, internal consistency, and between-group discrimination. RESULTS: One hundred patients and 120 younger (n = 60) or older (n = 60) healthy participants completed all the tests. Modifications were required for items in the "Picture Naming", "Orientation", and "Sentence Reading" subscales. Confirmatory factor analysis revealed a three-factor structure for the OCS-P subscales. The internal consistency coefficients for the three identified test dimensions were 0.30 to 0.52 (Cronbach's alpha). Construct validity coefficients between the OCS-P and MoCA-ChiB subscales were 0.45 < r < 0.79 (p < 0.001) and the "Praxis" subscale of OCS-P and Goldenberg's test was r = 0.72 (p < 0.001). The interrater reliability coefficients for the subscales were in general higher than the intrarater reliability coefficients. The "Picture Naming" and "Numerical Cognition" subscales were the most significant (p = 0.003) for differentiating patient participants from their older healthy counterpart. CONCLUSION: This study generated satisfactory evidence on the content validity, substantive validity, construct validity, inter- and intrarater reliability, and known-group discrimination of the OCS-P. They support its application among poststroke patients who speak Putonghua. Future studies could review the existing five-dimension domains for improving its structural validity and internal consistency as well as generate evidence of the OCS-P for use among the poststroke patients with neglect.

Altered functional connectivity in patients with post-stroke memory impairment: A resting fMRI study.

Post-stroke memory dysfunction (PMD) is one of the most common forms of cognitive impairment among stroke survivors. However, only a limited number of studies have directly investigated the neural mechanisms associated with memory decline. The aim of the present study was to identify dynamic changes in the functional organization of the default mode network (DMN) and the dorsal attention network of patients with PMD. A total of 27 patients with PMD who experienced a stroke in the right hemisphere were enrolled in the current study, along with 27 healthy control subjects matched by age, sex, and educational level. A behavioral examination and functional magnetic resonance imaging scan were performed. The data were analyzed using an independent component analysis method. The results revealed a significantly increased functional connectivity between the DMN and prefrontal cortex (left middle/inferior frontal and left precentral gyri), temporal regions (left superior temporal gyrus), and bilateral and posterior cingulate gyri/precuneus (P<0.001). There was also a significantly decreased functional connectivity between the DMN and right middle temporal gyrus, left uvula, and right inferior parietal lobule, and between the dorsal attention network and prefrontal cortex (left precentral/inferior and right inferior/middle frontal gyri), right inferior parietal gyrus, and right insula (P<0.001). These results suggest that the stroke affected both the lesioned and contralesional hemispheres. The prefrontal cortex, temporal regions, insula, and posterior cingulate gyrus/precuneus serve a crucial role in memory processing.