The remediation potential and kinetics of Pb2+ adsorbed by the organic frameworks of Cladophora rupestris.

Cladophora rupestris is ubiquitous in many kinds of waterbodies, and C. rupestris biomass can serve as a carrier for adsorbing and transferring heavy metals. Batch experiments and characterization were performed. Results showed that the organic frameworks of C. rupestris (CROF) had a specific surface area of 2.58 m2/g and an external surface area of 2.06 m2/g. Many mesopores were present in CROF, mainly distributed in 2.5-7.5 nm. The zeta potentials were within the range of - 4.46 to - 13.98 mV in the tested pH of 2.0-9.0. CROF could effectively adsorb Pb2+ in large pH range. The maximum adsorption capacity (qmax) of Pb2+ on CROF was 15.02 mg/g, and 97% of Pb2+ was adsorbed onto CROF after 25 min. CROF had a preferential adsorption of Pb2+. The protein secondary structures and carbon skeletons of CROF all worked in adsorption. The main Pb2+ adsorption mechanisms were pore filling, electrostatic attraction, Pb-π interaction, and surface complexation. Therefore, it is valuable as a biosorbent for the removal of Pb2+ from waterbodies.

Fabrication of self-assembled micelles based on amphiphilic oxidized sodium alginate grafted oleoamine derivatives via Schiff base reduction amination reaction for delivery of hydrophobic food active ingredients.

The application of hydrophobic ß-carotene in the food industry are limited due to its susceptibility to light, high temperature, pH value, and other factors, leading to poor stability and low bioavailability. To address this problem, we adopt a more green and environmentally friendly reducing agent, 2-methylpyridine borane complex (pic-BH3), instead of traditional sodium borohydride, to achieve the simple green and efficient synthesis of amphiphilic oxidized sodium alginate grafted oleoamine derivatives (OSAOLA) through the reduction amination reaction of Schiff base. The resultant OSAOLA with the degree of substitution (DS) of 7.2 %, 23.6 %, and 38.8 % were synthesized, and their CMC values ranged from 0.0095 to 0.062 mg/mL, indicating excellent self-assembly capability in aqueous solution. Meanwhile, OSAOLA showed no obvious cytotoxicity to RAW 264.7 cells, thus revealing good biocompatibility. Furthermore, ß-carotene, as the hydrophobic active ingredients in foods was successfully encapsulated in the OSAOLA micelles by ultrasonic-dialysis method. The prepared drug-loaded OSAOLA micelles could maintain good stability when stored at room temperature for 7 d. Additionally, they were able to continuously release ß-carotene and exert long-term effects in pH 7.4 PBS at 37 °C, effectively improving the bioavailability of ß-carotene, which exhibited tremendous application potential in functional food and biomedical fields.

Identifying psychosis subtypes use individualized covariance structural differential networks and multi-site clustering.

BACKGROUND: Similarities among schizophrenia (SZ), schizoaffective disorder (SAD) and bipolar disorder (BP) including clinical phenotypes, brain alterations and risk genes, make it challenging to perform reliable separation among them. However, previous subtype identification that transcend traditional diagnostic boundaries were based on group-level neuroimaging features, ignoring individual-level inferences. METHODS: 455 psychoses (178 SZs, 134 SADs and 143 BPs), their first-degree relatives (N = 453) and healthy controls (HCs, N = 220) were collected from Bipolar-Schizophrenia Network on Intermediate Phenotypes (B-SNIP I) consortium. Individualized covariance structural differential networks (ICSDNs) were constructed for each patient and multi-site clustering was used to identify psychosis subtypes. Group differences between subtypes in clinical phenotypes and voxel-wise fractional amplitude of low frequency fluctuation (fALFF) were calculated, as well as between the corresponding relatives. RESULTS: Two psychosis subtypes were identified with increased whole brain structural covariance, with decreased connectivity between amygdala-hippocampus and temporal-occipital cortex in subtype I (S-I) compared to subtype II (S-II), which was replicated under different clustering methods, number of edges and across datasets (B-SNIP II) and different brain atlases. S-I had higher emotional-related symptoms than S-II and showed significant fALFF decrease in temporal and occipital cortex, while S-II was more similar to HC. This pattern was consistently validated on relatives of S-I and S-II in both fALFF and clinical symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: These findings reconcile categorical and dimensional perspectives of psychosis neurobiological heterogeneity, indicating that relatives of S-I might have greater predisposition in developing psychosis, while relatives of S-II are more likely to be healthy. This study contributes to the development of neuroimaging informed diagnostic classifications within psychosis spectrum.

Metal-free synthesis of difluoro/trifluoromethyl carbinol-containing chromones via tandem cyclization of o-hydroxyaryl enaminones.

We herein propose a HFIP-promoted tandem cyclization reaction for the synthesis of difluoro/trifluoromethyl carbinol-containing chromones from o-hydroxyphenyl enaminones at room temperature. This protocol provides a facile and efficient approach to access diverse difluoro/trifluoromethylated carbinols in good to excellent yields. In addition, gram-scale and synthetic derivatization experiments have also been performed.

1,1,1,3,3,3-Hexafluoro-2-Propanol-Promoted Friedel-Crafts Reaction: Metal-Free Synthesis of C3-Difluoromethyl Carbinol-Containing Imidazo[1,2-a]pyridines at Room Temperature.

A facile and efficient method has been developed for the synthesis of C3-difluoromethyl carbinol-containing imidazo[1,2-a]pyridines at room temperature via the HFIP-promoted Friedel-Crafts reaction of difluoroacetaldehyde ethyl hemiacetal and imidazo[1,2-a]pyridines. This strategy could be applied to the direct C(sp2)-H hydroxydifluoromethylation of imidazo[1,2-a]pyridines and afford a series of novel difluoromethylated carbinols in good to satisfactory yields with 29 examples. Furthermore, gram-scale and synthetic transformation experiments have also been achieved, demonstrating its potential applicable value in organic synthesis. This green protocol has several advantages, including being transition metal- and oxidant-free, being carried out at room temperature, having high efficiency, and having a wide substrate scope.

C/EBPß: The structure, regulation, and its roles in inflammation-related diseases.

Inflammation, a mechanism of the human body, has been implicated in many diseases. Inflammatory responses include the release of inflammatory mediators by activating various signaling pathways. CCAAT/enhancer binding protein ß (C/EBPß), a transcription factor in the C/EBP family, contains the leucine zipper (bZIP) domain. The expression of C/EBPß is mediated at the transcriptional and post-translational levels, such as phosphorylation, acetylation, methylation, and SUMOylation. C/EBPß has been involved in inflammatory responses by mediating several signaling pathways, such as MAPK/NF-κB and IL-6/JAK/STAT3 pathways. C/EBPß plays an important role in the pathological development of inflammation-related diseases, such as osteoarthritis, pneumonia, hepatitis, inflammatory bowel diseases, and rheumatoid arthritis. Here, we comprehensively discuss the structure and biological effects of C/EBPß and its role in inflammatory diseases.

Association Between Psychiatric Polygenic Scores, Healthcare Utilization and Comorbidity Burden.

Purpose: To estimate the association of psychiatric polygenic scores with healthcare utilization and comorbidity burden. Methods: Observational cohort study (N = 118,882) of adolescent and adult biobank participants with linked electronic health records (EHRs) from three diverse study sites; (Massachusetts General Brigham, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Geisinger). Polygenic scores (PGS) were derived from the largest available GWAS of major depressive depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia at the time of analysis. Negative binomial regression models were used to estimate the association between each psychiatric PGS and healthcare utilization and comorbidity burden. Healthcare utilization was measured as frequency of emergency department (ED), inpatient (IP), and outpatient (OP) visits. Comorbidity burden was defined by the Elixhauser Comorbidity Index and the Charlson Comorbidity Index. Results: Participants had a median follow-up duration of 12 years in the EHR. Individuals in the top decile of polygenic score for major depressive disorder had significantly more ED visits (RR=1.22, 95% CI; 1.17, 1.29) compared to those the lowest decile. Increases were also observed with IP and comorbidity burden. Among those diagnosed with depression and in the highest decile of the PGS, there was an increase in all utilization types (ED: RR=1.56, 95% CI 1.41, 1.72; OP: RR=1.16, 95% CI 1.08, 1.24; IP: RR=1.23, 95% CI 1.12, 1.36) post-diagnosis. No clinically significant results were observed with bipolar and schizophrenia polygenic scores. Conclusions: Polygenic score for depression is modestly associated with increased healthcare resource utilization and comorbidity burden, in the absence of diagnosis. Following a diagnosis of depression, the PGS was associated with further increases in healthcare utilization. These findings suggest that depression genetic risk is associated with utilization and burden of chronic disease in real-world settings.

Decoding anxiety-impulsivity subtypes in preadolescent internalising disorders: findings from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development study.

BACKGROUND: Internalising disorders are highly prevalent emotional dysregulations during preadolescence but clinical decision-making is hampered by high heterogeneity. During this period impulsivity represents a major risk factor for psychopathological trajectories and may act on this heterogeneity given the controversial anxiety-impulsivity relationships. However, how impulsivity contributes to the heterogeneous symptomatology, neurobiology, neurocognition and clinical trajectories in preadolescent internalising disorders remains unclear. AIMS: The aim was to determine impulsivity-dependent subtypes in preadolescent internalising disorders that demonstrate distinct anxiety-impulsivity relationships, neurobiological, genetic, cognitive and clinical trajectory signatures. METHOD: We applied a data-driven strategy to determine impulsivity-related subtypes in 2430 preadolescents with internalising disorders from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development study. Cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses were employed to examine subtype-specific signatures of the anxiety-impulsivity relationship, brain morphology, cognition and clinical trajectory from age 10 to 12 years. RESULTS: We identified two distinct subtypes of patients who internalise with comparably high anxiety yet distinguishable levels of impulsivity, i.e. enhanced (subtype 1) or decreased (subtype 2) compared with control participants. The two subtypes exhibited opposing anxiety-impulsivity relationships: higher anxiety at baseline was associated with higher lack of perseverance in subtype 1 but lower sensation seeking in subtype 2 at baseline/follow-up. Subtype 1 demonstrated thicker prefrontal and temporal cortices, and genes enriched in immune-related diseases and glutamatergic and GABAergic neurons. Subtype 1 exhibited cognitive deficits and a detrimental trajectory characterised by increasing emotional/behavioural dysregulations and suicide risks during follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate impulsivity-dependent subtypes in preadolescent internalising disorders and unify past controversies about the anxiety-impulsivity interaction. Clinically, individuals with a high-impulsivity subtype exhibit a detrimental trajectory, thus early interventions are warranted.

Common and disorder-specific cortical thickness alterations in internalizing, externalizing and thought disorders during early adolescence: an Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development study.

BACKGROUND: A growing body of neuroimaging studies has reported common neural abnormalities among mental disorders in adults. However, it is unclear whether the distinct disorder-specific mechanisms operate during adolescence despite the overlap among disorders. METHODS: We studied a large cohort of more than 11 000 preadolescent (age 9-10 yr) children from the Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development cohort. We adopted a regrouping approach to compare cortical thickness (CT) alterations and longitudinal changes between healthy controls (n = 4041) and externalizing (n = 1182), internalizing (n = 1959) and thought disorder (n = 347) groups. Genome-wide association study (GWAS) was performed on regional CT across 4468 unrelated European youth. RESULTS: Youth with externalizing or internalizing disorders exhibited increased regional CT compared with controls. Externalizing (p = 8 × 10-4, Cohen d = 0.10) and internalizing disorders (p = 2 × 10-3, Cohen d = 0.08) shared thicker CT in the left pars opercularis. The somatosensory and the primary auditory cortex were uniquely affected in externalizing disorders, whereas the primary motor cortex and higher-order visual association areas were uniquely affected in internalizing disorders. Only youth with externalizing disorders showed decelerated cortical thinning from age 10-12 years. The GWAS found 59 genome-wide significant associated genetic variants across these regions. Cortical thickness in common regions was associated with glutamatergic neurons, while internalizing-specific regional CT was associated with astrocytes, oligodendrocyte progenitor cells and GABAergic neurons. LIMITATIONS: The sample size of the GWAS was relatively small. CONCLUSION: Our study provides strong evidence for the presence of specificity in CT, developmental trajectories and underlying genetic underpinnings among externalizing and internalizing disorders during early adolescence. Our results support the neurobiological validity of the regrouping approach that could supplement the use of a dimensional approach in future clinical practice.

Neurodevelopmental risk and adaptation as a model for comorbidity among internalizing and externalizing disorders: genomics and cell-specific expression enriched morphometric study.

BACKGROUND: Comorbidity is the rule rather than the exception for childhood and adolescent onset mental disorders, but we cannot predict its occurrence and do not know the neural mechanisms underlying comorbidity. We investigate if the effects of comorbid internalizing and externalizing disorders on anatomical differences represent a simple aggregate of the effects on each disorder and if these comorbidity-associated cortical surface differences relate to a distinct genetic underpinning. METHODS: We studied the cortical surface area (SA) and thickness (CT) of 11,878 preadolescents (9-10 years) from the Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development Study. Linear mixed models were implemented in comparative and association analyses among internalizing (dysthymia, major depressive disorder, disruptive mood dysregulation disorder, agoraphobia, panic disorder, specific phobia, separation anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder), externalizing (attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, conduct disorder) diagnostic groups, a group with comorbidity of the two and a healthy control group. Genome-wide association analysis (GWAS) and cell type specificity analysis were performed on 4468 unrelated European participants from this cohort. RESULTS: Smaller cortical surface area but higher thickness was noted across patient groups when compared to controls. Children with comorbid internalizing and externalizing disorders had more pronounced areal reduction than those without comorbidity, indicating an additive burden. In contrast, cortical thickness had a non-linear effect with comorbidity: the comorbid group had no significant CT differences, while those patient groups without comorbidity had significantly higher thickness compare to healthy controls. Distinct biological pathways were implicated in regional SA and CT differences. Specifically, CT differences were associated with immune-related processes implicating astrocytes and oligodendrocytes, while SA-related differences related mainly to inhibitory neurons. CONCLUSION: The emergence of comorbidity across distinct clusters of psychopathology is unlikely to be due to a simple additive neurobiological effect alone. Distinct developmental risk moderated by immune-related adaptation processes, with unique genetic and cell-specific factors, may contribute to underlying SA and CT differences. Children with the highest risk but lowest resilience, both captured in their developmental morphometry, may develop a comorbid illness pattern.

The Potential Role of Timosaponin-AIII in Cancer Prevention and Treatment.

Cancer, as one of the leading causes of death worldwide, has challenged current chemotherapy drugs. Considering that treatments are expensive, alongside the resistance of tumor cells to anticancer drugs, the development of alternative medicines is necessary. Anemarrhena asphodeloides Bunge, a recognized and well-known medicinal plant for more than two thousand years, has demonstrated its effectiveness against cancer. Timosaponin-AIII (TSAIII), as a bioactive steroid saponin isolated from A. asphodeloides, has shown multiple pharmacological activities and has been developed as an anticancer agent. However, the molecular mechanisms of TSAIII in protecting against cancer development are still unclear. In this review article, we provide a comprehensive discussion on the anticancer effects of TSAIII, including proliferation inhibition, cell cycle arrest, apoptosis induction, autophagy mediation, migration and invasion suppression, anti-angiogenesis, anti-inflammation, and antioxidant effects. The pharmacokinetic profiles of TSAII are also discussed. TSAIII exhibits efficacy against cancer development. However, hydrophobicity and low bioavailability may limit the application of TSAIII. Effective delivery systems, particularly those with tissue/cell-targeted properties, can also significantly improve the anticancer effects of TSAIII.

Transcriptome-Wide Structural Equation Modeling of 13 Major Psychiatric Disorders for Cross-Disorder Risk and Drug Repurposing.

Importance: Psychiatric disorders display high levels of comorbidity and genetic overlap, necessitating multivariate approaches for parsing convergent and divergent psychiatric risk pathways. Identifying gene expression patterns underlying cross-disorder risk also stands to propel drug discovery and repurposing in the face of rising levels of polypharmacy. Objective: To identify gene expression patterns underlying genetic convergence and divergence across psychiatric disorders along with existing pharmacological interventions that target these genes. Design, Setting, and Participants: This genomic study applied a multivariate transcriptomic method, transcriptome-wide structural equation modeling (T-SEM), to investigate gene expression patterns associated with 5 genomic factors indexing shared risk across 13 major psychiatric disorders. Follow-up tests, including overlap with gene sets for other outcomes and phenome-wide association studies, were conducted to better characterize T-SEM results. The Broad Institute Connectivity Map Drug Repurposing Database and Drug-Gene Interaction Database public databases of drug-gene pairs were used to identify drugs that could be repurposed to target genes found to be associated with cross-disorder risk. Data were collected from database inception up to February 20, 2023. Main Outcomes and Measures: Gene expression patterns associated with genomic factors or disorder-specific risk and existing drugs that target these genes. Results: In total, T-SEM identified 466 genes whose expression was significantly associated (z ≥ 5.02) with genomic factors and 36 genes with disorder-specific effects. Most associated genes were found for a thought disorders factor, defined by bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. Several existing pharmacological interventions were identified that could be repurposed to target genes whose expression was associated with the thought disorders factor or a transdiagnostic p factor defined by all 13 disorders. Conclusions and Relevance: The findings from this study shed light on patterns of gene expression associated with genetic overlap and uniqueness across psychiatric disorders. Future versions of the multivariate drug repurposing framework outlined here have the potential to identify novel pharmacological interventions for increasingly common, comorbid psychiatric presentations.

Comparative Analysis of Complete Mitochondrial Genome of Ariosoma meeki (Jordan and Snider, 1900), Revealing Gene Rearrangement and the Phylogenetic Relationships of Anguilliformes.

The mitochondrial genome structure of a teleostean group is generally considered to be conservative. However, two types of gene arrangements have been identified in the mitogenomes of Anguilliformes. In this study, we report the complete mitochondrial genome of Ariosoma meeki (Anguilliformes (Congridae)). For this research, first, the mitochondrial genome structure and composition were analyzed. As opposed to the typical gene arrangement pattern in other Anguilliformes species, the mitogenome of A. meeki has undergone gene rearrangement. The ND6 and the conjoint tRNA-Glu genes were translocated to the location between the tRNA-Thr and tRNA-Pro genes, and a duplicated D-loop region was translocated to move upstream of the ND6 gene. Second, comparative genomic analysis was carried out between the mitogenomes of A. meeki and Ariosoma shiroanago. The gene arrangement between them was found to be highly consistent, against the published A. meeki mitogenomes. Third, we reproduced the possible evolutionary process of gene rearrangement in Ariosoma mitogenomes and attributed such an occurrence to tandem repeat and random loss events. Fourth, a phylogenetic analysis of Anguilliformes was conducted, and the clustering results supported the non-monophyly hypothesis regarding the Congridae. This study is expected to provide a new perspective on the A. meeki mitogenome and lay the foundation for the further exploration of gene rearrangement mechanisms.

Multivariate genomic architecture of cortical thickness and surface area at multiple levels of analysis.

Recent work in imaging genetics suggests high levels of genetic overlap within cortical regions for cortical thickness (CT) and surface area (SA). We model this multivariate system of genetic relationships by applying Genomic Structural Equation Modeling (Genomic SEM) and parsimoniously define five genomic brain factors underlying both CT and SA along with a general factor capturing genetic overlap across all brain regions. We validate these factors by demonstrating the generalizability of the model to a semi-independent sample and show that the factors align with biologically and functionally relevant parcellations of the cortex. We apply Stratified Genomic SEM to identify specific categories of genes (e.g., neuronal cell types) that are disproportionately associated with pleiotropy across specific subclusters of brain regions, as indexed by the genomic factors. Finally, we examine genetic associations with psychiatric and cognitive correlates, finding that broad aspects of cognitive function are associated with a general factor for SA and that psychiatric associations are null. These analyses provide key insights into the multivariate genomic architecture of two critical features of the cerebral cortex.

Morphometric dis-similarity between cortical and subcortical areas underlies cognitive function and psychiatric symptomatology: a preadolescence study from ABCD.

Preadolescence is a critical period characterized by dramatic morphological changes and accelerated cortico-subcortical development. Moreover, the coordinated development of cortical and subcortical regions underlies the emerging cognitive functions during this period. Deviations in this maturational coordination may underlie various psychiatric disorders that begin during preadolescence, but to date these deviations remain largely uncharted. We constructed a comprehensive whole-brain morphometric similarity network (MSN) from 17 neuroimaging modalities in a large preadolescence sample (N = 8908) from Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study and investigated its association with 10 cognitive subscales and 27 psychiatric subscales or diagnoses. Based on the MSNs, each brain was clustered into five modules with distinct cytoarchitecture and evolutionary relevance. While morphometric correlation was positive within modules, it was negative between modules, especially between isocortical and paralimbic/subcortical modules; this developmental dissimilarity was genetically linked to synapse and neurogenesis. The cortico-subcortical dissimilarity becomes more pronounced longitudinally in healthy children, reflecting developmental differentiation of segregated cytoarchitectonic areas. Higher cortico-subcortical dissimilarity (between the isocortical and paralimbic/subcortical modules) were related to better cognitive performance. In comparison, children with poor modular differentiation between cortex and subcortex displayed higher burden of externalizing and internalizing symptoms. These results highlighted cortical-subcortical morphometric dissimilarity as a dynamic maturational marker of cognitive and psychiatric status during the preadolescent stage and provided insights into brain development.

Differential Gene Expression and Metabolic Pathway Analysis of Cladophora rupestris under Pb Stress Conditions.

This study aimed to analyze the transcriptome of C. rupestris under Pb2+ stress by using high-throughput sequencing technology, observe the changes of gene expression and metabolic pathway after three and five days under 1.0 and 5.0 mg/L of Pb2+ treatment, and analyze the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and related functional genes after Pb2+ treatment. Metabolic pathways were revealed through Gene Ontology (GO) and the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis. Results show that DEGs increased significantly with the increase of Pb2+ concentration and stress time. A total of 32 genes were closely related to Pb2+ stress response. GO analysis identified two major transporter proteins, namely, ATP-binding transport protein-related (ABC transporters) and zinc finger CCHC domain containing protein (Zfp) in C. rupestris. Pthr19248, pthr19211, Zfp pthr23002, Zfp p48znf pthr12681, Zfp 294 pthr12389, and Zfp pthr23067 played important roles against Pb2+ toxicity and its absorption in C. rupestris. KEGG pathway analysis suggested that ABCA1, ATM, and ABCD3 were closely related to Pb2+ absorption. Pb2+ stress was mainly involved in metallothionein (MT), plant hormone signal transduction, ABC transporters, and glutathione (GSH) metabolism.

Uncovering the mechanism of anthocyanin accumulation in a purple-leaved variety of foxtail millet (Setaria italica) by transcriptome analysis.

Anthocyanin is a natural pigment that has a functional role in plants to attract pollinating insects and is important in stress response. Foxtail millet (Setaria italica) is known as a nutritional crop with high resistance to drought and barren. However, the molecular mechanism regulating anthocyanin accumulation and the relationship between anthocyanin and the stress resistance of foxtail millet remains obscure. In this study, we screened hundreds of germplasm resources and obtained several varieties with purple plants in foxtail millet. By studying the purple-leaved B100 variety and the control variety, Yugu1 with green leaves, we found that B100 could accumulate a large amount of anthocyanin in the leaf epiderma, and B100 had stronger stress tolerance. Further transcriptome analysis revealed the differences in gene expression patterns between the two varieties. We identified nine genes encoding enzymes related to anthocyanin biosynthesis using quantitative PCR validation that showed significantly higher expression levels in B100 than Yugu1. The results of this study lay the foundation for the analysis of the molecular mechanism of anthocyanin accumulation in foxtail millet, and provided genetic resources for the molecular breeding of crops with high anthocyanin content.

Trajectories of common mental disorders symptoms before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: findings from the ELSA-Brasil COVID-19 Mental Health Cohort.

AIM: Evidence indicates most people were resilient to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health. However, evidence also suggests the pandemic effect on mental health may be heterogeneous. Therefore, we aimed to identify groups of trajectories of common mental disorders' (CMD) symptoms assessed before (2017-19) and during the COVID-19 pandemic (2020-2021), and to investigate predictors of trajectories. METHODS: We assessed 2,705 participants of the ELSA-Brasil COVID-19 Mental Health Cohort study who reported Clinical Interview Scheduled-Revised (CIS-R) data in 2017-19 and Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21) data in May-July 2020, July-September 2020, October-December 2020, and April-June 2021. We used an equi-percentile approach to link the CIS-R total score in 2017-19 with the DASS-21 total score. Group-based trajectory modeling was used to identify CMD trajectories and adjusted multinomial logistic regression was used to investigate predictors of trajectories. RESULTS: Six groups of CMD symptoms trajectories were identified: low symptoms (17.6%), low-decreasing symptoms (13.7%), low-increasing symptoms (23.9%), moderate-decreasing symptoms (16.8%), low-increasing symptoms (23.3%), severe-decreasing symptoms (4.7%). The severe-decreasing trajectory was characterized by age < 60 years, female sex, low family income, sedentary behavior, previous mental disorders, and the experience of adverse events in life. LIMITATIONS: Pre-pandemic characteristics were associated with lack of response to assessments. Our occupational cohort sample is not representative. CONCLUSION: More than half of the sample presented low levels of CMD symptoms. Predictors of trajectories could be used to detect individuals at-risk for presenting CMD symptoms in the context of global adverse events.

Association of Everyday Discrimination With Depressive Symptoms and Suicidal Ideation During the COVID-19 Pandemic in the All of Us Research Program.

Importance: The COVID-19 pandemic has coincided with an increase in depressive symptoms as well as a growing awareness of health inequities and structural racism in the United States. Objective: To examine the association of mental health with everyday discrimination during the pandemic in a large and diverse cohort of the All of Us Research Program. Design, Setting, and Participants: Using repeated assessments in the early months of the pandemic, mixed-effects models were fitted to assess the associations of discrimination with depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation, and inverse probability weights were applied to account for nonrandom probabilities of completing the voluntary survey. Main Outcomes and Measures: The exposure and outcome measures were ascertained using the Everyday Discrimination Scale and the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), respectively. Scores for PHQ-9 that were greater than or equal to 10 were classified as moderate to severe depressive symptoms, and any positive response to the ninth item of the PHQ-9 scale was considered as presenting suicidal ideation. Results: A total of 62 651 individuals (mean [SD] age, 59.3 [15.9] years; female sex at birth, 41 084 [65.6%]) completed at least 1 assessment between May and July 2020. An association with significantly increased likelihood of moderate to severe depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation was observed as the levels of discrimination increased. There was a dose-response association, with 17.68-fold (95% CI, 13.49-23.17; P < .001) and 10.76-fold (95% CI, 7.82-14.80; P < .001) increases in the odds of moderate to severe depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation, respectively, on experiencing discrimination more than once a week. In addition, the association with depressive symptoms was greater when the main reason for discrimination was race, ancestry, or national origins among Hispanic or Latino participants at all 3 time points and among non-Hispanic Asian participants in May and June 2020. Furthermore, high levels of discrimination were as strongly associated with moderate to severe depressive symptoms as was history of prepandemic mood disorder diagnosis. Conclusions and Relevance: In this large and diverse sample, increased levels of discrimination were associated with higher odds of experiencing moderate to severe depressive symptoms. This association was particularly evident when the main reason for discrimination was race, ancestry, or national origins among Hispanic or Latino participants and, early in the pandemic, among non-Hispanic Asian participants.

A Study on the Correlation between the Oxidation Degree of Oxidized Sodium Alginate on Its Degradability and Gelation.

Oxidized sodium alginate (OSA) is selected as an appropriate material to be extensively applied in regenerative medicine, 3D-printed/composite scaffolds, and tissue engineering for its excellent physicochemical properties and biodegradability. However, few literatures have systematically investigated the structure and properties of the resultant OSA and the effect of the oxidation degree (OD) of alginate on its biodegradability and gelation ability. Herein, we used NaIO4 as the oxidant to oxidize adjacent hydroxyl groups at the C-2 and C-3 positions on alginate uronic acid monomer to obtain OSA with various ODs. The structure and physicochemical properties of OSA were evaluated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR), X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). At the same time, gel permeation chromatography (GPC) and a rheometer were used to determine the hydrogel-forming ability and biodegradation performance of OSA. The results showed that the two adjacent hydroxyl groups of alginate uronic acid units were successfully oxidized to form the aldehyde groups; as the amount of NaIO4 increased, the OD of OSA gradually increased, the molecular weight decreased, the gelation ability continued to weaken, and degradation performance obviously rose. It is shown that OSA with various ODs could be prepared by regulating the molar ratio of NaIO4 and sodium alginate (SA), which could greatly broaden the application of OSA-based hydrogel in tissue engineering, controlled drug release, 3D printing, and the biomedical field.