Identifying clinical risk factors correlate with suicide attempts in patients with first episode major depressive disorder.

BACKGROUND: Major depressive disorder (MDD) is the most common mental disorder associated with suicide attempts. When a patient first visits the clinic, clinicians are often expected to make concrete diagnose about acute suicidal risk. However, the timeliness of suicide attempts correlates with patients with MDD has not been tested. METHODS: We divided 1718 first-episode and untreated MDD outpatients into those who did not have suicide attempts (non-attempts), recent suicide attempters (≤14 days before assessment) and long - dated suicide attempters (> 30 days before assessment). Positive Symptom Scale of Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), the 17-item Hamilton Depression Scale, 14 - item Hamilton Anxiety Scale, and clinical global impression of severity scale (CGI-S) was assessed. Body mass index, some glycolipid metabolism and thyroid hormone parameters were measured. A gradient-boosted decision trees statistical model was used to generate equally weighted classification for distinguishing recent and long - dated suicide attempters from non-attempts. RESULTS: The classifier identified higher excitement, hostility, anxiety, depression symptoms and higher free thyroxine (FT4) as risk factors for recent suicide attempters with an estimated accuracy of 87% (sensitivity, 59.1%; specificity, 61.2 %). For long - dated suicide attempters' risk factors, single status, higher anxiety and hostility symptoms, higher LDLC and lower BMI, the estimated accuracy was 88% (sensitivity, 52.8%; specificity, 49.6%). CONCLUSIONS: Risk factors for suicide attempt among patients with MDD can be identified by integrating demographic, clinical, and biological variables as early as possible during the first time see a doctor.

Dync1h1 Mutation Causes Proprioceptive Sensory Neuron Loss and Impaired Retrograde Axonal Transport of Dorsal Root Ganglion Neurons.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Sprawling (Swl) is a radiation-induced mutation which has been identified to have a nine base pair deletion in dynein heavy chain 1 (DYNC1H1: encoded by a single gene Dync1h1). This study is to investigate the phenotype and the underlying mechanism of the Dync1h1 mutant. METHODS AND RESULTS: To display the phenotype of Swl mutant mice, we examined the embryos of homozygous (Swl/Swl) and heterozygous (Swl/+) mice and their postnatal dorsal root ganglion (DRG) of surviving Swl/+ mice. The Swl/+ mice could survive for a normal life span, while Swl/Swl could only survive till embryonic (E) 8.5 days. Excessive apoptosis of Swl/+ DRG neurons was revealed during E11.5-E15.5 days, and the peak rate was at E13.5 days. In vitro study of mutated DRG neurons showed impaired retrograde transport of dynein-driven nerve growth factor (NGF). Mitochondria, another dynein-driven cargo, demonstrated much slower retrograde transport velocity in Swl/+ neurons than in wild-type (WT) neurons. Nevertheless, the Swl, Loa, and Cra mutations did not affect homodimerization of DYNC1H1. CONCLUSION: The Swl/Swl mutation of Dync1h1 gene led to embryonic mal-development and lethality, whereas the Swl/+ DRG neurons demonstrated deficient retrograde transport in dynein-driven cargos and excessive apoptosis during mid- to late-developmental stages. The underlying mechanism of the mutation may not be due to impaired homodimerization of DYNC1H1.

[Application of high resolution remote sensing technology in research of schistosomiasis surveillance].

Schistosomiasis is closely related to environmental factors, the changes of environmental factors, such as vegetation, temperature, hydrology and soil, could impact the transmission of the disease. The environmental factors associated with schistosomiasis could be extracted by remote sensing technology quickly and precisely, and be applied to monitor the schistosomiasis transmission. The studies on high resolution remote sensing technology applied in the research of schistosomiasis are reviewed in this paper.

[Design and implementation of command system for emergency events of parasitic diseases].

Based on the requirement analysis and functional design of the command system for parasitic disease outbreaks, the system was constructed by workflow technique, function modules and technical architecture. The command system was a multi-platform system, could achieve multiple functions, such as monitoring and early warning of parasitic diseases, emergency video communication, emergency dispatcher, and emergency management. The system can meet the needs in emergency events of parasitic diseases, and increase preparedness level.