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ObjectivesTo identify clinical characteristics and risk factors for pulmonary involvements in asymptomatic and mildly symptomatic patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant by chest imaging analysis.MethodsDetailed data and chest computed tomography (CT) imaging features were retrospectively analyzed from asymptomatic and mildly symptomatic patients infected with Omicron between 24 April and 10 May 2022. We scored chest CT imaging features and categorized the patients into obvious pulmonary involvements (OPI) (score > 2) and not obvious pulmonary involvements (NOPI) (score ≤ 2) groups based on the median score. The risk factors for OPI were identified with analysis results visualized by nomogram.ResultsIn total, 339 patients were included (145 were male and 194 were female), and the most frequent clinical symptoms were cough (75.5%); chest CT imaging features were mostly linear opacities (42.8%). Pulmonary involvements were more likely to be found in the left lower lung lobe, with a significant difference in the lung total severity score of the individual lung lobes (p < 0.001). Logistic regression analysis revealed age stratification [odds ratio (OR) = 1.92, 95% confidence interval (CI) (1.548–2.383); p 8d) [OR = 1.842, 95% CI (1.104–3.073); p = 0.019], and pulmonary diseases [OR = 4.698, 95% CI (1.159–19.048); p = 0.03] as independent OPI risk factors.ConclusionAsymptomatic and mildly symptomatic patients infected with Omicron had pulmonary involvements which were not uncommon. Potential risk factors for age stratification, prolonged NCT, and pulmonary diseases can help clinicians to identify OPI in asymptomatic and mildly symptomatic patients infected with Omicron.

Transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) is a promising neurostimulation approach for emotion regulation. This research aimed to clarify the underlying neural basis responsible for taVNS’s impact on emotional regulation related brain regions. Thirty-two healthy volunteers were allocated into a taVNS group, which received electrical stimulation at the concha area of the ear, and a sham group, which received earlobe stimulation. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data were collected from both the taVNS and sham groups pre- and post-stimulation. To evaluate the alterations in neural activity and connectivity resulting from auricular electrical stimulation, degree centrality and functional connectivity analyses were used. The results indicated that taVNS modulated the neural activity of several brain regions, including the bilateral precuneus, temporal gyrus, precentral gyrus, and postcentral gyrus, whereas earlobe stimulation did not produce such effects. taVNS may improve emotion regulation by modulating neural activation and functional connectivity in key brain regions, then facilitating the integration of emotional responses, memories, and experiences. Thus, these brain regions may serve as potential therapeutic targets for taVNS in treating disorders associated with emotional dysregulation. These findings provide insight into the neural basis through which taVNS influences emotion regulation and hold potential for the development of neuromodulation-based therapeutic strategies for emotional disorders.

Purpose: The aim was to determine the combined value of serological lipid metabolism and an orbital MRI quantitative parameter in predicting the effectiveness of glucocorticoid (GC) therapy in patients with thyroid eye disease (TED). Methods: This study retrospectively enrolled 46 patients with active and moderate-to-severe TED (GC-effective group, n = 29; GC-ineffective group, n = 17). Serological lipid metabolism, the orbital MRI-based minimum signal intensity ratio of extraocular muscles (EOM-SIRmin), as well as other clinical parameters before GC therapy were collected and compared between the two groups. Multivariate logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic curve analysis were adopted to identify independent predictable variables and assess their predictive performances. Results: Compared to the GC-ineffective group, the GC-effective group showed lower serum total cholesterol levels (P = 0.006), lower serum low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels (P = 0.019), higher EOM-SIRmin values (P = 0.005), and shorter disease durations (P = 0.017). Serum total cholesterol and EOM-SIRmin were found to be independent predictors of GC-effective TED through multivariate analysis (odds ratios = 0.253 and 2.036 per 0.1 units, respectively) (both P < 0.05). The integration of serum total cholesterol ≤4.8 mmol/L and EOM-SIRmin ≥ 1.12 had a better predictive efficacy (area under the curve, 0.834) than EOM-SIRmin alone, with a sensitivity of 75.9% and a specificity of 82.4% (P = 0.031). Conclusion: Serological lipid metabolism, combined with an orbital MRI-derived parameter, was a useful marker for predicting the effectiveness of GCs in patients with active and moderate-to-severe TED.