Transcriptional Regulation of SugarCane Response to Sporisorium scitamineum: Insights from Time-Course Gene Coexpression and Ca2+ Signaling.

Sugarcane response to Sporisorium scitamineum is determined by multiple major genes and numerous microeffector genes. Here, time-ordered gene coexpression networks were applied to explore the interaction between sugarcane and S. scitamineum. Totally, 2459 differentially expressed genes were identified and divided into 10 levels, and several stress-related subnetworks were established. Interestingly, the Ca2+ signaling pathway was activated to establish the response to sugarcane smut disease. Accordingly, two CAX genes (ScCAX2 and ScCAX3) were cloned and characterized from sugarcane. They were significantly upregulated under ABA stress but inhibited by MeJA treatment. Furthermore, overexpression of ScCAX2 and ScCAX3 enhanced the susceptibility of transgenic plants to the pathogen infection, suggesting its negative role in disease resistance. A regulatory model for ScCAX genes in disease response was thus depicted. This work helps to clarify the transcriptional regulation of sugarcane response to S. scitamineum stress and the function of the CAX gene in disease response.

Icariin regulates RANKL-induced osteoclast differentiation via the ERα/c-Src/RANK signaling.

Osteoporosis (OP) is a common metabolic bone disease. Excessive osteoclastic activity significantly contributes to the development of OP. Icariin (ICA) is a flavonol glycoside derived from herbal plants and possesses curative effects on postmenopausal OP and bone fracture. This study aimed to investigate the effects of ICA on osteoclast differentiation induced by receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa B (RANK) ligand (RANKL) and the involvement of estrogen receptorα(ERα) and RANK signaling cascade in this process. RANKL was used to induce the differentiation of RAW264.7 cells to into osteoclasts. Small interfering RNA technique was used to knockdown ERαin cells. Cell counting kit-8 assay was performed to determine the cytotoxicity of ICA. The number of tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP)-positive cells was quantified by TRAP staining. RANKL induced the differentiation of RAW264.7 cells into osteoclasts, while ICA abolished the pro-osteoporotic effect of RANKL. Moreover, ERαknockdown abolished the effects of ICA on RANKL-induced osteoclastogenesis. Further exploration revealed that ICA inhibited the phosphorylation ofc-Src in osteoclasts via regulating ERα, while inactivation ofc-Src reversed ERαknockdown-promoted osteoclastogenesis. Lastly, ICA inhibited the activation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathway and downregulated the expressions of target osteoclastogenic proteins in RANKL-treated RAW 264.7 cells, while ERαknockdown almost completely diminished the effects of ICA. ICA inhibited RANKL-induced osteoclast differentiation via regulating the ERα/c-Src/RANK signaling. These findings elucidated a novel mechanism by which ICA exerts an anti-osteoporotic effect.

Higher HbA1c Is Associated With Greater 2-Year Progression of White Matter Hyperintensities.

White matter hyperintensity (WMH) lesions on brain MRI images are surrogate markers of cerebral small vessel disease. Longitudinal studies examining the association between diabetes and WMH progression have yielded mixed results. Thus, in this study, we investigated the association between HbA1c, a biomarker for the presence and severity of hyperglycemia, and longitudinal WMH change after adjusting for known risk factors for WMH progression. We recruited 64 participants from South Korean memory clinics to undergo brain MRI at the baseline and a 2-year follow-up. We found the following. First, higher HbA1c was associated with greater global WMH volume (WMHV) changes after adjusting for known risk factors (ß = 7.7 × 10-4; P = 0.025). Second, the association between baseline WMHV and WMHV progression was only significant at diabetic levels of HbA1c (P < 0.05, when HbA1c >6.51%), and non-apolipoprotein E (APOE) ε4 carriers had a stronger association between HbA1c and WMHV progression (ß = -2.59 × 10-3; P = 0.004). Third, associations of WMHV progression with HbA1c were particularly apparent for deep WMHV change (ß = 7.17 × 10-4; P < 0.01) compared with periventricular WMHV change and, for frontal (ß = 5.00 × 10-4; P < 0.001) and parietal (ß = 1.53 × 10-4; P < 0.05) lobes, WMHV change compared with occipital and temporal WMHV change. In conclusion, higher HbA1c levels were associated with greater 2-year WMHV progression, especially in non-APOE ε4 participants or those with diabetic levels of HbA1c. These findings demonstrate that diabetes may potentially exacerbate cerebrovascular and white matter disease.

Potential stimulation of nitrifying bacteria activities and genera by landfill leachate.

With the increasing complexity of influent composition in wastewater treatment plants, the potential stimulating effects of refractory organic matter in wastewater on growth characteristics and genera conversion of nitrifying bacteria (ammonium-oxidizing bacteria [AOB] and nitrite-oxidizing bacteria [NOB]) need to be further investigated. In this study, domestic wastewater was co-treated with landfill leachate in the lab-scale reactor, and the competition and co-existence of NOB genera Nitrotoga and Nitrospira were observed. The results demonstrated that the addition of landfill leachate could induce the growth of Nitrotoga, whereas Nitrotoga populations remain less competitive in domestic wastewater operation. In addition, the refractory organic matter in the landfill leachate also would have a potential stimulating effect on the maximum specific growth rate of AOB genus Nitrosomonas (µmax, aob). The µmax, aob of Nitrosomonas in the control group was estimated to be 0.49 d-1 by fitting the ASM model, and the µmax, aob reached 0.66-0.71 d-1 after injection of refractory organic matter in the landfill leachate, while the maximum specific growth rate of NOB (µmax, nob) was always in the range of 1.05-1.13 d-1. These findings have positive significance for the understanding of potential stimulation on nitrification processes and the stable operation of innovative wastewater treatment process.

Bilateral brain microstructural alterations in patients with left-sided classic trigeminal neuralgia: a diffusion kurtosis imaging study.

OBJECTIVE: White matter microstructural abnormalities in patients with classic trigeminal neuralgia (TN) have been observed. However, the impact of classic TN in both hemispheres, the difference and extent of alterations in bilateral hemispheres, and the relationship between the impaired area and pain conduction are not fully understood. The purpose of this study was to investigate brain microstructural alterations and compare the bilateral hemispheres in patients with unilateral classic TN, as well as to explore their clinical implications. METHODS: The authors performed a cross-sectional study of 36 patients with left classic TN (TN group; age 40-66 years) and 36 healthy controls (HC group; age 40-66 years). Diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI; b-values = 0, 1250, and 2500 sec/mm2) was performed in all patients using a 3T MRI scanner. The FMRIB Software Library with tract-based spatial statistics was used to analyze intergroup differences in both hemispheres. Atlas-based region of interest analysis was conducted in fiber tracts and gray matter structures. RESULTS: Decreased fractional anisotropy (FA) and increased mean diffusivity in 2.70% and 5.34% of white matter regions, such as the corona radiata, corpus callosum, internal capsule, superior longitudinal fasciculus, and cingulum, were detected in the TN group compared with the HC group (p < 0.05, family-wise error correction). Reduced mean kurtosis (MK), axial kurtosis, and radial kurtosis were detected in the bilateral thalamus in TN patients. The FA and MK values decreased asymmetrically in both cerebral hemispheres. Atlas-based region of interest analysis revealed more pronounced FA and MK reductions in the left thalamus and posterior corona radiata. There were negative associations of disease duration and pain intensity with the MK values in the thalamus, internal capsule, and superior corona radiata. CONCLUSIONS: The authors concluded that unilateral TN could have asymmetrical microstructural alterations in bilateral hemispheres, which might be due to the compromised fiber tract integrity and abnormal neurons and synapses. The thalamus could be an important relay station in the pain conduction and modulation pathway and could have microstructural abnormalities in both the left and right sides. DKI could provide important information on the CNS pathophysiology of TN and assist in prognostic evaluation.

Dynamic Simulation of Nitrifying Microbial Communities for Establishing Acidic Partial Nitritation in Suspended Activated Sludge.

Acidic partial nitritation (PN) is a promising technology to achieve low-cost and energy-efficient shortcut nitrogen removal from wastewater. However, a comprehensive understanding of the acidic PN under dynamic changes of pH in a sequencing batch reactor (SBR) is still lacking. In this study, we successfully established acidic PN (NO2- accumulation ratio >80%) under dynamic pH variation from 7.0 to 4.5 in a lab-scale SBR. By accumulating in situ free nitrous acid (FNA) generation based on the dynamic pH change, acidic PN maintained stability even at a low NH4+ concentration of 100 mg N L-1. The microbial community analysis revealed that two ammonium-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) genera, Nitrosospira and Nitrosomonas, successfully coexisted and cooperated during acidic PN. None of the species of nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB) showed adaptation to intermittent inhibition of in situ FNA even under high DO conditions (>4.0 mg O2 L-1). Furthermore, we innovatively incorporated the classic nitrification model with the growth and decay of different nitrifying bacterial species and their inhibition by pH, FNA, and free ammonia (FA) to predict the nitrifying microbial communities shifting for establishing acidic PN. The extended model was calibrated by using short-term batch experiments and was validated by using long-term dynamic data of the nitrifying microbial community during SBR operation. The validated model was further used to identify feasible influent conditions for the SBR PN process, including influent HCO3- concentration, NH4+ concentration and molar ratio (HCO3/NH4+). Outcomes from this study support the optimal design of acidic PN-based short-cut nitrogen removal processes for future application.

Clay-Coated Meshes with Superhydrophilicity and Underwater Superoleophobicity for Highly Efficient Oil/Water Separation.

A novel clay-coated mesh was fabricated via a simple brush-coating method without the use of special equipment, chemical reagents, and complex chemical reactions and operation processes. Possessing superhydrophilicity and underwater superoleophobicity, the clay-coated mesh can be used for efficiently separating various light oil/water mixtures. The clay-coated mesh also exhibits excellent reusability, maintaining a high separation efficiency of 99.4% after 30 repeated separations of the kerosene/water mixture.

The advantage of a two-stage nitrification method for fertilizer recovery from human urine.

Recycling nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium) from human urine can potentially offset more than 13% of global agricultural fertilizer demand. Biological nitrification is a promising method for converting volatile ammonia in high-strength human urine into stable ammonium nitrate (a typical fertilizer), but it is usually terminated in the intermediate production of nitrite due to the inhibition of nitrite-oxidizing bacteria by free nitrous acid (FNA). This study aimed to develop a stable nitrification process in a unique two-stage bioreactor by removing critical barriers associated with FNA inhibition. Experimental results show that half of the ammonium in high-strength urine was successfully converted into nitrate, forming valuable ammonium nitrate (with a nitrogen concentration greater than 1500 mg N/L). The ammonium nitrate solution could retain most phosphorus (75% ± 3%) and potassium (96% ± 1%) in human urine, resulting in nearly full nutrient recovery. Once concentrated, the liquid compound fertilizer of ammonium nitrate was generated. Based on an assessment of economic and environmental impacts at the urban scale, urine diversion for nutrient recovery using a technical combination of nitrification and reverse osmosis could reduce total energy input by 43%, greenhouse gas emission by 40%, and cost by 33% compared to conventional wastewater management. Further research is needed to optimize the two-stage nitrification method on a larger scale.

Zero-Material Cost Production of Soil-Coated Fabrics with Underwater Superoleophobicity for Antifouling Oil/Water Separation.

Soil-coated fabrics were fabricated by scrape-coating of soil slurry onto cotton fabrics. The raw materials, soil, and cotton fabrics were, respectively, obtained from farmland and waste bed sheets, making the method a zero-material cost way to produce superwetting membrane. The superhydrophilic/underwater superoleophobic soil-coated fabrics exhibit high efficiency (>99%), ultra-high flux (~45,000 L m-2 h-1), and excellent antifouling behavior for separating water from various oils driven by gravity. The simple fabrication and superior performance suggest that the soil-coated fabric could be a promising candidate as a filtration membrane for practical applications in industrial oily wastewater and oil spill treatments.

[Effect of PKM2 on Osteogenic and Adipogenic Differentiation of Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Myeloma Bone Disease].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the expression of pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2) in bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) in myeloma bone disease (MBD) and its effect on osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation of BMSCs. METHODS: BMSCs were isolated from bone marrow of five patients with multiple myeloma (MM) (MM group) and five with iron deficiency anemia (control group) for culture and identification. The expression of PKM2 protein were compared between the two groups. The differences between osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation of BMSCs were assessed by using alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and oil red O staining, and detecting marker genes of osteogenesis and adipogenesis. The effect of MM cell line (RPMI-8226) and BMSCs co-culture on the expression of PKM2 was explored. Functional analysis was performed to investigate the correlations of PKM2 expression of MM-derived BMSCs with osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation by employing PKM2 activator and inhibitor. The role of orlistat was explored in regulating PKM2 expression, osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation of MM-derived BMSCs. RESULTS: Compared with control, MM-originated BMSCs possessed the ability of increased adipogenic and decreased osteogenic differentiation, and higher level of PKM2 protein. Co-culture of MM cells with BMSCs markedly up-regulated the expression of PKM2 of BMSCs. Up-regulation of PKM2 expression could promote adipogenic differentiation and inhibit osteogenic differentiation of MM-derived BMSCs, while down-regulation of PKM2 showed opposite effect. Orlistat significantly promoted osteogenic differentiation in MM-derived BMSCs via inhibiting the expression of PKM2. CONCLUSION: The overexpression of PKM2 can induce the inhibition of osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs in MBD. Orlistat can promote the osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs via inhibiting the expression of PKM2, indicating a potential novel agent of anti-MBD therapy.

One-step electrodeposition of ZnO/graphene composites with enhanced capability for photocatalytic degradation of organic dyes.

Zinc oxide is a popular semiconductor used in catalysts due to its wide bandgap and high exciton binding energy. However, the photocatalytic performance of ZnO was compromised by its insufficient electron-hole separation efficiency and electron transfer rate. Herein, ZnO-reduced graphene oxide (rGO) composite solid catalyst was synthesized by one-step electrodeposition method on FTO substrate using lithium perchlorate (LiClO4) as the supporting electrolyte. Scanning electron microscopy, Raman, Fourier Transform Infrared, and XRD characterizations confirmed the deposition of ZnO and the reduction of graphene oxide Owing to the cooperative effect between rGO and ZnO, the as-prepared ZnO-rGO composites show much enhanced photocatalytic degradation ability compared with pure ZnO nanorods. By optimizing the conditions of electrodeposition of ZnO-rGO composites, the degradation rate of methylene blue can reach 99.1% within 120 min. Thus, the simple preparation and the excellent performance could endow the ZnO-rGO composites with promising application in practical dye-polluted water treatment.

WGCNA Identifies a Comprehensive and Dynamic Gene Co-Expression Network That Associates with Smut Resistance in Sugarcane.

Sugarcane smut is a major fungal disease caused by Sporisorium scitamineum, which seriously reduces the yield and quality of sugarcane. In this study, 36 transcriptome data were collected from two sugarcane genotypes, YT93-159 (resistant) and ROC22 (susceptible) upon S. scitamineum infection. Data analysis revealed 20,273 (12,659 up-regulated and 7614 down-regulated) and 11,897 (7806 up-regulated and 4091 down-regulated) differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in YT93-159 and ROC22, respectively. A co-expression network was then constructed by weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), which identified 5010 DEGs in 15 co-expressed gene modules. Four of the 15 modules, namely, Skyblue, Salmon, Darkorange, and Grey60, were significantly associated with smut resistance. The GO and KEGG enrichment analyses indicated that the DEGs involving in these four modules could be enriched in stress-related metabolic pathways, such as MAPK and hormone signal transduction, plant-pathogen interaction, amino acid metabolism, glutathione metabolism, and flavonoid, and phenylpropanoid biosynthesis. In total, 38 hub genes, including six from the Skyblue module, four from the Salmon module, 12 from the Darkorange module, and 16 from the Grey60 module, were screened as candidate hub genes by calculating gene connectivity in the corresponding network. Only 30 hub genes were amplifiable with RT-qPCR, of which 27 were up-regulated upon S. scitamineum infection. The results were consistent with the trend of gene expression in RNA-Seq, suggesting their positive roles in smut resistance. Interestingly, the expression levels of AOX, Cyb5, and LAC were higher in ROC22 than in YT93-159, indicating these three genes may act as negative regulators in response to S. scitamineum infection. This study revealed the transcriptome dynamics in sugarcane challenged by S. scitamineum infection and provided gene targets for smut resistance breeding in sugarcane.

Characterization and Functional Implications of the Nonexpressor of Pathogenesis-Related Genes 1 (NPR1) in Saccharum.

Sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) is an important sugar and energy crop worldwide. As a core regulator of the salicylic acid (SA) signaling pathway, nonexpressor of pathogenesis-related genes 1 (NPR1) plays a significant role in the response of the plant to biotic and abiotic stresses. However, there is currently no report on the NPR1-like gene family in sugarcane. In this study, a total of 18 NPR1-like genes were identified in Saccharum spontaneum and classified into three clades (clade I, II, and III). The cis-elements predicted in the promotors revealed that the sugarcane NPR1-like genes may be involved in various phytohormones and stress responses. RNA sequencing and quantitative real-time PCR analysis demonstrated that NPR1-like genes were differentially expressed in sugarcane tissues and under Sporisorium scitamineum stress. In addition, a novel ShNPR1 gene from Saccharum spp. hybrid ROC22 was isolated by homologous cloning and validated to be a nuclear-localized clade II member. The ShNPR1 gene was constitutively expressed in all the sugarcane tissues, with the highest expression level in the leaf and the lowest in the bud. The expression level of ShNPR1 was decreased by the plant hormones salicylic acid (SA) and abscisic acid (ABA). Additionally, the transient expression showed that the ShNPR1 gene plays a positive role in Nicotiana benthamiana plants' defense response to Ralstonia solanacearum and Fusarium solani var. coeruleum. This study provided comprehensive information for the NPR1-like family in sugarcane, which should be helpful for functional characterization of sugarcane NPR1-like genes in the future.

Simultaneous elimination of antibiotics and antibiotics resistance genes in nitritation of source-separated urine.

Antibiotics in human urine could accelerate dissemination of antibiotics resistance genes (ARGs), posing potential threat to sewage. The nitritation of source-separated urine was a critical step to realize the urine resourcelization and nitrogen stabilization. However, the synergic control on antibiotics and ARGs during urine nitritation was unrevealed. This study investigated the removal profiles of five typical antibiotics and the shifts of microbial community and ARGs during stable nitritation. The result showed that sulfamethoxazole and roxithromycin were effectively eliminated with high removal efficiency of (95 ± 5) % and (90 ± 10) %, followed by enrofloxacin with removal efficiency of (60 ± 5) %, whereas trimethoprim and chloramphenicol showed low removal efficiency of less than 40 %. Ammonia oxidation bacteria and heterotrophic bacteria equally contributed to elimination of sulfamethoxazole with a high biodegradation rate of 0.1534 L/gVSS·h, while sorption and biodegradation jointly promoted other antibiotics removal. The total relative abundance of top 25 bacteria genera was decreased by 10 %. The total relative abundance of top 30 ARGs was decreased by more than 20 %, which was corresponding to the variation of bacterial community. The findings in this research would get a deeper insight into the eliminating antibiotics and controlling ARGs dissemination during nitritation of source-separated urine.

Impaired verbal memory in individuals living with HIV and cocaine dependence.

INTRODUCTION: Our study aimed to understand the independent and combined effects of cocaine dependence and HIV status across aspects of verbal memory. METHOD: Our sample consisted of a total of 102 individuals: 28 individuals living with HIV and cocaine dependence (HIV+/CD), 28 individuals who are HIV-negative with cocaine dependence (HIV-/CD), 20 individuals living with HIV without cocaine dependence (HIV+/ND), and 26 individuals who are HIV-negative without cocaine dependence (HIV-/ND). We utilized the Hopkins Verbal Learning Test-Revised Version (HVLT-R) to assess components of verbal memory, including encoding, recall, and recognition. A 2 (HIV: Yes/No) × 2 (Cocaine: Yes/No) MANCOVA on Total and Delayed Recall while controlling for premorbid intelligence was conducted. We used a Kruskal-Wallis H test to examine retrieval and recognition. RESULTS: The combination of HIV and cocaine dependence amplified deficits on Total Recall. We found comparably poor performance across Delayed Recall between all three clinical groups. People living with HIV without cocaine dependence demonstrated intact recognition, whereas those with cocaine dependence had poor recognition. CONCLUSIONS: HIV and cocaine both impacted verbal memory. However, there are potential subtle differences in the role cocaine versus HIV has on the memory process. People living with HIV without cocaine dependence recognized significantly more words than they could freely recall. In contrast, cocaine dependence impacted recognition in HIV and non-HIV groups. These performance patterns suggest HIV may be associated with retrieval deficits, whereas cocaine dependence may be associated with encoding deficits. Further research assessing these specific components of the memory process will help clarify these potential differences.

Occurrence and decay of SARS-CoV-2 in community sewage drainage systems.

The rapid spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic in over 200 countries poses a substantial threat to human health. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which causes COVID-19, can be discharged with feces into the drainage system. However, a comprehensive understanding of the occurrence, presence, and potential transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in sewers, especially in community sewers, is still lacking. This study investigated the virus occurrence by viral nucleic acid testing in vent stacks, septic tanks, and the main sewer outlets of community where confirmed patients had lived during the outbreak of the epidemic in Wuhan, China. The results indicated that the risk of long-term emission of SARS-CoV-2 to the environment via vent stacks of buildings was low after confirmed patients were hospitalized. SARS-CoV-2 were mainly detected in the liquid phase, as opposed to being detected in aerosols, and its RNA in the sewage of septic tanks could be detected for only four days after confirmed patients were hospitalized. The surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 in sewage could be a sensitive indicator for the possible presence of asymptomatic patients in the community, though the viral concentration could be diluted more than 10 times, depending on the sampling site, as indicated by the Escherichia coli (E. coli) test. The comprehensive investigation of the community sewage drainage system is helpful to understand the occurrence characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 in sewage after excretion with feces and the feasibility of sewage surveillance for COVID-19 pandemic monitoring.

Persistence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in wastewater after the end of the COVID-19 epidemics.

Although the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has been widely detected in wastewater in many countries to track the COVID-19 pandemic development, it is still a lack of clear understanding of the persistence of SARS-CoV-2 in raw sewage, especially after the end of the COVID-19 pandemic event. To fill this knowledge gap, this study conducted a field trial on the SARS-CoV-2 presence in various wastewater facilities after the end of the COVID-19 epidemics in Beijing. The result showed that the wastewater treatment facility is a large SARS-CoV-2 repository. The viral RNA was still present in hospital sewage for 15 days and was continually detected in municipal WWTPs for more than 19 days after the end of the local COVID-19 epidemics. The T90 values of the SARS-CoV-2 RNA in raw wastewater were 17.17-8.42 days in the wastewater at 4 â„ƒ and 26 â„ƒ, respectively, meaning that the decay rates of low titer viruses in raw sewage were much faster. The results confirmed that the SARS-CoV-2 RNA could persist in wastewater for more than two weeks, especially at lower temperatures. The sewage systems would be a virus repository and prolong the presence of the residual SARS-CoV-2 RNA. The study could enhance further understanding of the presence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in raw wastewater.

Maturation of Corticolimbic Functional Connectivity During Sensitive Periods of Brain Development.

The maturation of key corticolimbic structures and the prefrontal cortex during sensitive periods of brain development from early life through adolescence is crucial for the acquisition of a variety of cognitive and affective processes associated with adult behavior. In this chapter, we first review how key cellular and circuit level changes during adolescence dictate the development of the prefrontal cortex and its capacity to integrate contextual and emotional information from the ventral hippocampus and the amygdala. We further discuss how afferent transmission from ventral hippocampal and amygdala inputs displays unique age-dependent trajectories that directly impact prefrontal functional maturation through adolescence. We conclude by proposing that time-sensitive strengthening of specific corticolimbic synapses is a critical contributing factor for the protracted maturation of cognitive and emotional regulation by the prefrontal cortex.

Diffusion Tensor Imaging Reveals Altered Topological Efficiency of Structural Networks in Type-2 Diabetes Patients With and Without Mild Cognitive Impairment.

BACKGROUND: Some patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) progress towards mild cognitive impairment (MCI), while some patients can always maintain normal cognitive function. Network topologic alterations at global and nodal levels between T2DM individuals with and without cognitive impairment may underlie the difference. PURPOSE: To investigate the topological alterations of the whole-brain white matter (WM) structural connectome in T2DM patients with and without MCI and characterize its relationship with disease severity. STUDY TYPE: Cross-sectional and prospective study. SUBJECTS: Forty-four (63.6% females) T2DM patients, 22 with mild cognitive impairment (DM-MCI) and 22 with normal cognition (DM-NC), and 34 (58.8% females) healthy controls (HC). FIELD STRENGTH/SEQUENCE: 3 T/diffusion tensor imaging. ASSESSMENT: Graph theoretical analysis was used to investigate the topological organization of the structural networks. The global topological properties and nodal efficiency were investigated and compared. Relationship between network metrics and clinical measurements was characterized. STATISTICAL TESTS: Student's t-test, chi-square test, ANOVA, partial correlation analyses, and multiple comparisons correction. RESULTS: The global topological organization of WM networks was significantly disrupted in T2DM patients with cognitive impairment (reduced global and local efficiency and increased shortest path length) but not in those with normal cognition, compared with controls. The DM-MCI group had significantly decreased network efficiency compared with the DM-NC group. Compared with controls, decreased nodal efficiency was detected in three regions in DM-NC group. More regions with decreased nodal efficiency were found in the DM-MCI group. Altered global network properties and nodal efficiency of some regions were correlated with diabetic duration, HbA1c levels, and cognitive assessment scores. DATA CONCLUSION: The more disrupted WM connections and weaker organized network are found in DM-MCI patients relative to DM-NC patients and controls. Network analyses provide information for the neuropathology of cognitive decline in T2DM patients. Altered nodal efficiency may act as potential markers for early detection of T2DM-related MCI. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 1 TECHNICAL EFFICACY: Stage 2.

Effects of cocaine and HIV on decision-making abilities.

Our study aimed to understand the impact of cocaine dependence on high-risk decision-making abilities in individuals with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and individuals with cocaine dependence. We recruited 99 participants (27 HIV/Cocaine, 20 HIV Only, 26 Cocaine Only, and 26 Healthy Controls). The Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) was applied to assess decision-making abilities. Independent and interactive effects of HIV status and cocaine dependence were examined using 2 × 2 factorial ANCOVA with premorbid IQ (WRAT-4: WR) as the covariate. We found cocaine dependence had a significant adverse effect on overall IGT performance (p = 0.015). We also found individuals who were HIV-positive tended to have less total money at the end of the game than individuals who were HIV-negative (p = 0.032), suggesting individuals living with HIV had less focus on long-term gains and more focus on short-term gains. Our findings highlight the significant impact of cocaine dependence on decision-making abilities and the difficulty individuals with HIV have in adequately weighing the cost and benefits of their decisions and making appropriate changes for the future.