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To address the challenge of inaccurate fault location of variational mode decomposition (VMD) in practical engineering, due to poor choice of mode decomposition number K and quadratic penalty factor α, a traveling wave fault location method using Northern Goshawk optimization algorithm (NGO) to optimize VMD was proposed. First, the NGO algorithm is used to optimize VMD, and the optimal K and α are obtained. Secondly, the optimal parameters are inputted into VMD for fault signal decomposition, and the eigenmode components are obtained. Due to the difficulty of identification of the traveling wave head in the process of traveling wave propagation, Hilbert transform is used to determine the time of initial arrival of the traveling wave head at both ends of the line, and the fault location is precisely calculated by using the two-ended traveling wave fault detection formula. Finally, simulation experiments are carried out to verify the accuracy of the proposed location method, which shows that the proposed location method can locate the fault more accurately and has good engineering application value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aiming to address the defects of the arithmetic optimization algorithm (AOA), such as easy fall into local optimums and slow convergence speed during the search process, an improved arithmetic optimization algorithm (IAOA) is proposed and applied to the study of distribution network reconfiguration. Firstly, a reconfiguration model is established to reduce network loss, and a cosine control factor is introduced to reconfigure the math optimization accelerated (MOA) function to coordinate the algorithm's global exploration and local exploitation capabilities. Subsequently, a reverse differential evolution strategy is introduced to improve the overall diversity of the population and Weibull mutation is performed on the better-adapted individuals generated in each iteration to ensure the quality of the optimal individuals generated in each iteration and strengthen the algorithm's ability to approach the optimal solution. The performance of the improved algorithm is also tested using eight basis functions. Finally, simulation analysis is carried out by taking the IEEE33 and IEEE69 node systems and a real power distribution system as examples; the results show that the proposed algorithm can help to reconfigure the system quickly, and the system node voltages and network losses were significantly improved after the reconfiguration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Elvitegravir/cobicistat/emtricitabine/tenofovir alafenamide (E/C/F/TAF) has been increasingly replaced by bictegravir/emtricitabine/tenofovir alafenamide (B/F/TAF) in the treatment of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) owing to its more favorable pharmacokinetics and fewer drug–drug interactions. However, the effect of this switch on plasma lipids and lipidomic profiles remains poorly characterized. Methods: HIV infected patients on an E/C/F/TAF regimen were recruited into the study and followed up every 12 weeks. Participants were divided into E/C/F/TAF and B/F/TAF groups depending on whether they were switched to B/F/TAF during follow-up. Clinical information and blood samples were collected at 0, 12, and 24 weeks, and lipidomic analysis was performed using liquid chromatography mass spectrometry. Results: No significant differences were observed between the groups at baseline. At week 24, patients switched to B/F/TAF had lower triglyceride [mmol/L; 1.23 (0.62) versus 2.03 (0.75), P = 0.001] and very low-density lipoprotein cholesterol [mmol/L; 0.64 (0.26) versus 0.84 (0.32), P = 0.037) compared with patients who continued E/C/F/TAF therapy. Small decrease from baseline in Framingham general cardiovascular risk score (FRS) was observed in the B/F/TAF arm [week (W) 0: 2.59 (1.57) versus W24: 2.18 (1.01), P = 0.043]. Lipidomic analysis indicated that E/C/F/TAF treatment increased the levels of several diglycerides (DGs), triacylglycerols (TAGs), and lyso-phosphatidylcholines (LPCs), whereas switching to B/F/TAF led to increased sphingolipids and glycerophospholipids. After adjusting for demographic and clinical parameters, only DG (16:0/18:2), DG (18:2/22:6), DG (18:3/18:2), DG (20:5/18:2), TAG (18:3/18:2/21:5), TAG (20:5/18:2/22:6), and LPC (22:6) were found to be significantly associated with FRS (regression coefficient of 0.17–6.02, P < 0.05). Most of these FRS associate lipid species were significantly elevated in individuals treated with E/C/F/TAF instead of individuals treated with B/F/TAF. Conclusion: E/C/F/TAF promotes the accumulation of lipid species closely associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk among people living with HIV, whereas B/F/TAF has a decreased impact on CVD-related lipid profile and is associated with lower CVD risk. A graphical abstract is available with this article. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov; identifier, NCT06019273. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Betel quid is the fourth most popular psychoactive agent worldwide. Neuroimaging studies have suggested betel-quid dependence is accompanied by abnormality in brain structure and function. However, the neural correlates of executive function deficit and prefrontal cortical thickness associated with betel-quid chewing still remain unclear.Objective: The present study aimed to examine the relationship between executive function deficit and prefrontal cortical thickness in chronic betel-quid chewers.Methods: Twenty-three betel-quid-dependent chewers and 26 healthy controls were recruited to participate in this study. Executive function was tested using three tasks. Cortical thickness analysis was analyzed with the FreeSurfer software package.Results: Behavioral results suggested a profound deficit of executive function in betel-quid-dependent chewers. Cortical thickness analysis revealed thinner cortex in the bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in betel-quid-dependent chewers. Further analysis suggested that cortical thickness of the bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortex mediated the correlation of betel-quid chewing and executive function.Conclusions: These results suggest the important role of executive function and cortical thickness of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex with betel-quid chewing. Our findings provide evidence that executive function deficit may be mediated by the cortical thickness of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. These results could potentially help us develop novel ways to diagnose and prevent betel-quid dependence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To improve the electrochemical performance of the CoS 2 cathode, a CoS 2 /reduced graphene oxide/multiwall carbon nanotubes (CoS 2 /rGO/MWCNTs) composite was synthesized. The mixture showed a high initial discharge capacity of 1562.6 mA h g −1 and a capacity of 884.9 mA h g −1 after 100 cycles at the current density of 100 mA g −1 which were higher than that of CoS 2 /rGO and CoS 2 /MWCNTs. The improved electrochemical performances were attributed to rGO and MWCNTs which ensured fast Li + and electronic transport in the composite. What’s more, rGO sheets wrapping tightly outside CoS 2 /MWCNTs in CoS 2 /rGO/MWCNTs composite accommodated volume expansion of CoS 2 and prevented CoS 2 gathering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Carboxylated g-C 3 N 4 (g-C 3 N 4 -HNO 3) was derived from g-C 3 N 4 treated by 10 M HNO 3. • Carboxyl group played an important role in the process of adsorption and degradation. • The g-C 3 N 4 -HNO 3 exhibited an excellent adsorption property towards MO, LRB and Cr(VI). • The g-C 3 N 4 -HNO 3 showed a good photocatalytic degradation property towards RhB and MB. • The g-C 3 N 4 -HNO 3 could effectively purify the organic and heavy metal wastewater. Graphitic carbon nitride (g-C 3 N 4) was prepared by thermal annealing urea and melamine. And then the carboxylated g-C 3 N 4 (g-C 3 N 4 -HNO 3) was successfully fabricated from the g-C 3 N 4 treated through 10 M nitric acid at 80 °C for 24 h. Several characterization data suggested that g-C 3 N 4 -HNO 3 assembled by 30–190 nm thinner nanosheets possessed lots of carboxyl functional groups, higher specific surface area (88.5173 m2/g) and larger pore volume (0.481684 m3/g). A series of contrast experiments indicated that the g-C 3 N 4 -HNO 3 exhibited an excellent adsorption property towards methyl orange (MO), Lissamine rhodamine B (LRB) and Cr(VI) due to the hydrogen bonding, higher surface area and electrostatic interaction, and a good photocatalytic degradation property towards rhodamine B (RhB) and methylene blue (MB) due to suitable band gap and better electrical conductivity. The g-C 3 N 4 -HNO 3 with excellent adsorption and photocatalytic properties could be used to effectively purify the actual wastewater through adsorption and photodegradation roles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the increasing integration of wind and photovoltaic power, the security and stability of the power system operations are greatly influenced by the intermittency and fluctuation of these renewable sources of energy generation. The accurate and reliable short-term forecasting of renewable energy generation can effectively reduce the impacts of uncertainty on the power system. In this paper, we propose an adaptive, data-driven stacking ensemble learning framework for the short-term output power forecasting of renewable energy. Five base-models are adaptively selected via the determination coefficient (R2) indices from twelve candidate models. Then, cross-validation is used to increase the data diversity, and Bayesian optimization is used to tune hyperparameters. Finally, base modes with different weights determined by minimizing the cross-validation error are ensembled using a linear model. Four datasets in different seasons from wind farms and photovoltaic power stations are used to verify the proposed model. The results illustrate that the proposed stacking ensemble learning model for renewable energy power forecasting can adapt to dynamic changes in data and has better prediction precision and a stronger generalization performance compared to the benchmark models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Major depressive disorder (MDD) has been associated with abnormal structure and function of the brain's affective network, including the amygdala and orbitofrontal cortex (OFC). However, it is unclear if alterations of resting-state function in this affective network are present at the initial onset of MDD. Aims: To examine resting-state function of the brain's affective network in first-episode, medication-naive patients with MDD compared to healthy controls (HCs). Methods: Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) was performed on 32 first-episode, medication-naive young adult patients with MDD and 35 matched HCs. The amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (ALFF) of the blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) signal and amygdala-seeded functional connectivity (FC) were investigated. Results: Compared to HC, MDD patients showed reduced ALFF in the bilateral OFC and increased ALFF in the bilateral temporal lobe extending to the insular and left fusiform cortices. Enhanced anti-correlation of activity between the left amygdala seed and the left OFC was found in MDD patients but not in HCs. Conclusions: Reduced ALFF in the OFC suggests hypo-functioning of emotion regulation in the affective network. Enhanced anti-correlation of activity between the amygdala and OFC may reflect dysfunction of the amygdala-OFC network and additionally represent a pathological process of MDD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of nitrogen-doped graphene quantum dots decorated iodine bismuth oxide (BiOI/x%N-GQDs, x = 0,1,3,5,7,9,10) was prepared by a facial precipitation method at room temperature. Several characterizations indicated that 1–9 nm N-GQDs were evenly decorated on the surface of BiOI nanosheets. The visible light driven photocatalytic experiments showed that BiOI/9%N-GQDs possessed an excellent degradation property towards 20 mg/L methyl orange (MO), and its degradation efficiency obtained 93.11%. The results of free radical capture experiments demonstrated that h+ played a major role during the process of degrading MO. The possible photocatalytic mechanism had been proposed. Besides, BiOI/9%N-GQDs catalyst effectively degraded other organic pollutants, such as rhodamine B (RhB), methylene blue (MB), bisphenol A (BPA), and inorganic pollutant of Cr(Ⅵ). The catalytic property of BiOI/9%N-GQDs was better than those of the similar reported systems. The catalytic system of BiOI/9%N-GQDs was predicted to have good prospects in further practical applications. [Display omitted] • Nitrogen-doped graphene quantum dots (N-GQDs) with 1–9 nm were successfully prepared. • N-GQDs were evenly decorated on the surface of BiOI nanosheets (BiOI/x%N-GQDs). • BiOI/x%N-GQDs were in-situ composited by a facial precipitation method. • BiOI/9%N-GQDs showed the most obvious enhancement to visible light degrading MO. • The BiOI/9%N-GQDs could effectively degrade MO, RhB, MB, BPA or Cr(VI). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Imaging studies have shown that major depressive disorder (MDD) is associated with altered activity patterns of the default mode network (DMN). However, the neural correlates of the resting-state DMN and MDD-related pathopsychological characteristics, such as depressive rumination and overgeneral autobiographical memory (OGM) phenomena, still remain unclear. Methods: Using independent component analysis, we analyzed resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data obtained from 35 first-episode, treatment-naive young adults with MDD and from 35 matched healthy control subjects. Results: Patients with MDD exhibited higher levels of rumination and OGM than did the control subjects. We observed increased functional connectivity in the anterior medial cortex regions (especially the medial prefrontal cortex and anterior cingulate cortex) and decreased functional connectivity in the posterior medial cortex regions (especially the posterior cingulate cortex/precuneus) in MDD patients compared with control subjects. In the depressed group, the increased functional connectivity in the anterior medial cortex correlated positively with rumination score, while the decreased functional connectivity in the posterior medial cortex correlated negatively with OGM score. Conclusions: We report dissociation between anterior and posterior functional connectivity in resting-state DMNs of first-episode, treatment-naive young adults with MDD. Increased functional connectivity in anterior medial regions of the resting-state DMN was associated with rumination, whereas decreased functional connectivity in posterior medial regions was associated with OGM. These results provide new evidence for the importance of the DMN in the pathophysiology of MDD and suggest that abnormal DMN activity may be an MDD trait. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Because most previous diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) studies have focused on late-life depression, this study examined the possible changes in brain white matter (WM) in first-episode, treatment-naive young adults with major depressive disorder (MDD). DTI was performed in 25 (10 males and 15 females) first-episode, treatment-naive young adult patients with MDD and 25 healthy controls matched for age, gender, and education. A whole-brain statistical comparison method called tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) was used to analyze the data. Compared with healthy controls, patients with MDD showed decreased fractional anisotropy (FA) values in three WM tracts: the left anterior limb of the internal capsule, the right parahippocampal gyrus, and the left posterior cingulate cortex. Further analysis revealed that FA values in the left anterior limb of the internal capsule were negatively correlated with the severity of depressive symptoms. No regions showed higher FA in MDD patients than in controls. The present results support the hypothesis that altered WM integrity, especially in the cortical–subcortical neural circuit, may contribute to the pathophysiology of MDD. Furthermore, these findings provide novel evidence that microstructural abnormalities in WM may occur early in the course of depression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cumulative evidence has consistently shown that white matter (WM) disruption is associated with cognitive decline in geriatric depression. However, limited research has been conducted on the correlation between these lesions and cognitive performance in untreated young adults with major depressive disorder (MDD), particularly with the specific segmental alterations of the fibers. Diffusion tensor images were performed on 60 first-episode, treatment-naïve young adult patients with MDD and 54 matched healthy controls (HCs). Automated fiber quantification was applied to calculate the tract profiles of fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD), axial diffusivity (AD), and radial diffusivity (RD) to evaluate the WM microstructural organization. Correlation analysis was performed to find the associations between the diffusion properties and cognitive performance. Compared with HCs, patients with MDD exhibited predominantly different diffusion properties in bilateral uncinate fasciculus (UF), corticospinal tracts (CSTs), left superior longitudinal fasciculus and anterior thalamic radiation. The FA of the temporal cortex portion of right UF was positively correlated with working memory. The MD of the temporal component of left UF was negatively correlated with working memory and positively correlated with symptom severity. Additionally, a positive correlation between the MD of left CST and the psychomotor speed, negative correlation between the MD of left CST and the executive functions and complex attentional processes were observed. Our study validated the alterations in spatial localization of WM microstructure and its correlations with cognitive performance in first-episode, treatment-naïve young adults with MDD. This study added to the knowledge of the neuropathological basis of MDD. • Young adults with major depressive disorder (MDD) showed segmental variations in fiber tracts compared to healthy controls. • The temporal portion of uncinate fasciculus (UF) was correlated with working memory in MDD patients. • The parietal part of CST was associated with psychomotor speed, executive function and complex attentional processes. • The MD of left UF and the AD of right CST were correlated with the symptom severity and age of first onset, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A synthetic aperture radar (SAR) target recognition method is proposed in this study based on target outlines. To model the uncertainties of the target outline points caused by noises, extraction errors, etc., the Gaussian mixture model (GMM) is adopted. Afterwards, the distance between two target outlines is measured by the L2 distance between their corresponding GMMs. GMM can robustly describe the possible deformations of the target outline. Therefore, the defined distance measure in this study can better evaluate the inner correlations and differences between different classes using target outlines. By comparing the target outline of the test sample with different template classes based on the designed distance measure, the target label is decided to be the class with the minimum distance. Finally, experiments are conducted on the moving and stationary target acquisition and recognition (MSTAR) dataset for performance evaluation. According to the experimental results, the proposed method achieves a high recognition accuracy of 98.34% in the 10-class recognition problem under the standard operating condition (SOC). In addition, the robustness of the proposed method is also superior over other methods under some typical extended operating conditions (EOCs) including configuration variations, depression angle variance, and noise corruption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Betel quid (BQ) ranks fourth in global self‐administered psychoactive agents, after caffeine, alcohol and nicotine, with 600 million consumers. Patients with BQ dependence (BQD) disorder demonstrate deficits in executive function. However, the neural correlates of the resting‐state executive control network (ECN) and BQD‐related pathopsychological characteristics still remain unclear. The present study aimed to assess the functional and effective connectivity of the ECN using resting‐state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs‐fMRI). Fifty‐five BQD individuals and 54 healthy controls (HCs) were recruited in this study. The executive function of all participants was tested by three tasks. Independent component and Granger causal analysis were employed to investigate the functional connectivity within ECN and ECN‐related directional effective connectivity, separately. Behavioural results suggested a marked deficit of executive function in BQD individuals. Compared with HCs, BQD individuals showed overall weaker functional connectivity in the ECN, mainly including dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), inferior parietal lobule (IPL) and middle frontal gyrus (MFG). We observed decreased outflow of information from the right DLPFC and IPL to the precentral/pre‐supplement motor area (SMA) and increased outflow of information from the MFG to the middle occipital gyrus in BQD individuals. Correlation analysis revealed that the effective connectivity from IPL to precentral/pre‐SMA was negatively correlated to the BQD scales in BQD individuals. Our findings revealed impaired executive function, functional connectivity of the ECN and causal interaction between networks in patients with BQD. These results could potentially direct future targets for the prevention and intervention of BQD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neuroimaging evidence implicates the association between rumination and default mode network (DMN) in major depressive disorder (MDD). However, the relationship between rumination and DMN subsystems remains incompletely understood, especially in patients with MDD. Thirty-three first-episode drug-naive patients with MDD and thirty-three healthy controls (HCs) were enrolled and underwent resting-sate fMRI scanning. Functional connectivity analysis was performed based on 11 pre-defined regions of interest (ROIs) for three DMN subsystems: the midline core, dorsal medial prefrontal cortex (dMPFC) and medial temporal lobe (MTL). Compared with HCs group, patients with MDD exhibited increased within-system connectivity in the dMPFC subsystem and inter-system connectivity between the dMPFC and MTL subsystems. Decreased inter-system connectivity was identified between the midline core and dMPFC subsystem in MDD patients. Depressive rumination was positively correlated with within-system connectivity in the dMPFC subsystem (dMPFC-TempP) and with inter-system connectivity between the dMPFC and MTL subsystems (LTC-PHC). Our results suggest MDD may be characterized by abnormal DMN subsystems connectivity, which may contribute to the pathophysiology of the maladaptive self-focus in MDD patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pyrite FeS 2 has long been used as commercial primary lithium batteries at room temperature. To achieve rechargeable FeS 2 battery, biomass-carbon@FeS 2 composites are prepared using green and renewable auricularia auricula as carbon source through the process of carbonization and sulfuration. The auricularia auricula has strong swelling characteristics to absorb aqueous solution which can effectively absorb Fe ions into its body. FeS 2 homogeneously distributed in biomass carbon matrix performs high electronic and ionic conductivity. The specific capacity of biomass-carbon@FeS 2 composites remains 850 mAh g −1 after 80 cycles at 0.5C and 700 mAh g −1 at the rate of 2C after 150 cycles. Biomass-carbon@FeS 2 composites exhibit high-rate capacity in lithium-ion battery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Patients with human immunodeficiency virus-associated cryptococcal meningitis (HIV-CM) have persistent intracranial inflammation despite negative cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) fungal cultures after optimal treatment for CM, which could be devastating for the central nervous system. However, a definitive treatment strategy for persistent intracranial inflammation despite optimal antifungal therapies is undefined. Methods: We identified 14 HIV-CM patients with persistent intracranial inflammation and conducted a 24-week, prospective, interventional study. All participants received lenalidomide (25 mg, p.o.) on days 1 to 21 of a 28-day cycle. Follow-up lasted for 24 weeks with visits at baseline and weeks 4, 8, 12, and 24. The primary endpoint was the change in clinical manifestations, routine CSF parameters, and MRI findings after lenalidomide treatment. An exploratory analysis was made on changes in cytokine levels in CSF. Safety and efficacy analyses were undertaken in patients who received at least one dose of lenalidomide. Results: Of 14 participants, 11 patients completed the 24 weeks of follow-up. Rapid clinical remission following lenalidomide therapy was observed. Clinical manifestations (fever, headache, altered mentation) were reversed fully by week-4 and remained stable during follow-up. A significant reduction in white blood cell (WBC) count in CSF was noted occurred at week-4 (P = 0.009). The median protein concentration in CSF decreased from 1.4 (0.7–3.2) g/L at baseline to 0.9 (0.6–1.4) at week-4 (P = 0.004). The median albumin concentration in CSF decreased from 79.2 (48.4–149.8) mg/L at baseline to 55.3 (38.3–89.0) mg/L at week-4 (P = 0.011). The WBC count, protein level, and albumin level in CSF remained stable and approached a normal range through week-24. There was no significant change in immunoglobulin-G, intracranial pressure (ICP), or chloride-ion concentration at each visit. Brain MRI demonstrated multiple lesions to be absorbed post-therapy. Levels of tumor necrosis factor-α granulocyte colony stimulating factor, interleukin (IL)-6, and IL-17A decreased significantly during 24-week follow-up. Two (14.3%) patients had mild skin rash, which resolved spontaneously. Lenalidomide-related serious adverse events were not observed. Conclusion: Lenalidomide could improve persistent intracranial inflammation in HIV-CM patients significantly and was well tolerated without serious adverse events observed. And the additional randomized controlled study is required to further validate the finding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Betel quid (BQ) is the fourth most popular psychoactive agent worldwide. Neuroimaging studies have showed that substance‐addicted individuals including alcohol, heroin, nicotine and other addictive substance exhibit altered activity patterns of the salience network (SN). However, no study has yet investigated the neural correlates of the resting‐state SN and BQ dependence (BQD)‐related physiopathological characteristics. Methods: Thirty‐two BQ‐dependent (BQD) chewers and 32 healthy controls were recruited to participate in this study. Resting‐state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data were analysed by independent component analysis (ICA). Results: BQD chewers exhibited decreased functional connectivity in bilateral insula, anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), medial superior frontal gyrus (MSFG) and inferior orbital frontal gyrus (IOFG) [false discovery rate (FDR) correction, p < 0.05]. In the BQD group, the decreased functional connectivity in left ACC correlated negatively with BQDS (BQD Scale) and the duration of BQ. Conclusions: We reported decreased functional connectivity in resting‐state SN of BQD individuals. The decreased functional connectivity in left ACC correlated negatively with BQDS and the duration of BQ. Our findings provided evidence for the importance of the SN in the pathophysiology of BQD and indicated that the SN dysfunction might provide a potential mechanism in BQD development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Previous studies have shown major depressive disorder (MDD) is associated with altered neuro-metabolites in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). However, the regional metabolic heterogeneity in the ACC in individuals with MDD remains unclear.Methods: We recruited 59 first-episode, treatment-naive young adults with MDD and 50 healthy controls who underwent multi-voxel 1H-MRS scanning at 3 T (Tesla) with voxels placed in the ACC, which was divided into two subregions, pregenual ACC (pACC) and anterior midcingulate cortex (aMCC). Between and within-subjects metabolite concentration variations were analyzed with SPSS.Results: Compared with control subjects, patients with MDD exhibited higher glutamate (Glu) and glutamine (Gln) levels in the pACC and higher myo-inositol (MI) level in the aMCC. We observed higher Glu and Gln levels and lower N-acetyl-aspartate (NAA) level in the pACC than those in the aMCC in both MDD and healthy control (HC) groups. More importantly, the metabolite concentration gradients of Glu, Gln and NAA were more pronounced in MDD patients relative to HCs. In the MDD group, the MI level in the aMCC positively correlated with the age of onset.Limitations: The use of the relative concentration of metabolites constitutes a key study limitation.Conclusions: We observed inconsistent alterations and distribution of neuro-metabolites concentration in the pACC and aMCC, revealing regional metabolic heterogeneity of ACC in first-episode, treatment-naive young individuals with MDD. These results provided new evidence for abnormal neuro-metabolites of ACC in the pathophysiology of MDD and suggested that pACC and aMCC might play different roles in MDD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To perform a preliminary usability evaluation of a novel, compact pneumatic compression device in patients with lymphoedema. Methods: This open-label, single-arm trial had two phases: the first focused on the fitting of the pneumatic compression device (Aria FreeTM, Aria Health, San Diego CA, USA) and the second focused on evaluating the comfort of the entire system during a 45-min usage period. Both phases were conducted in a monitored clinical environment. Patients aged ≥18 years with a diagnosis of lower limb lymphoedema who had used a pneumatic compression device for ≥3 months were eligible. Patients rated subjective fit, comfort and usability on an 11-point Likert scale (where higher scores indicate better fit/comfort/usability). The truncated cone method was used to infer limb volume before and after therapy in phase 2. Results: Twenty-four patients were screened, and 15 were enrolled (80% female; mean age 62 years); all completed both study phases. Patients rated the garment as easy to set up and fit (median score 6.5), and all reported that the therapy was comfortable (median score 10; p < 0.001 vs. reference score of 6). There was a 1.85% reduction in limb volume after device use for 45 min (p = 0.018 vs. before therapy). No safety issues were identified. Conclusions: The new pneumatic compression device fitted well, was easy to use and reduced leg oedema. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Convergent studies have highlighted the dysfunction of default mode network (DMN) in major depressive disorder (MDD). The altered connectivity in posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) was especially found to be of interest in the resting state functional connectivity analysis. Recently, more attention has turned to the internal functional connectivity within the DMN. However, the internal connection patterns within the DMN remain unclear at the initial onset of MDD. Methods Resting-state fMRI was performed on 38 first-episode, treatment-naïve MDD patients along with 38 matched healthy controls. Seed-based analysis was used to define the DMN and then a region-to-region connectivity analysis was performed to inspect the functional connectivity within the DMN. Spearman׳s rank correlation analysis was performed between significantly abnormal connectivities in MDD patients and clinical measurements. Results Decreased region-to-region connectivities within DMN were found between the PCC and dorsal medial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC), between PCC and the right inferior parietal gyrus/angular, as well as between the left thalamus and cerebellar tonsil. No significant increase in connectivity was found. Moreover, functional connectivity between the left thalamus and cerebellar tonsil revealed a marginal significant negative correlation with clinical Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) scores. Limitations Noteworthiness in morbidity, a high risk of mortality, and a high rate of medical service utilization of MDD make the current results uncertain to apply to the more complicated situations. Conclusions Each region within DMN may have a specific, individual functional role. The reason to identify the pathological mechanism of MDD may not lie in the abnormal DMN functional connectivity, but rather in the abnormal functional connectivity within DMN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Monoculture pine plantation (PP) was widely established after clear-cutting of natural forests last century in China. However, its effects on soil CO2 efflux (R S) temporally and spatially are still poorly understood. Biotic and abiotic factors that control spatio-temporal variation of R S were assessed in a naturally regenerated oak forest (OF) and a nearby PP in a warm temperate area of China. We hypothesized that spatial variation of R S in PP is lower than that in OF and is less influenced by biotic factors due to its homogeneous stand structure compared to the regenerated OF. R S measurement campaigns were conducted in two 40 m × 60 m plots in OF and PP from Oct. 2008 to Oct. 2009. Soil temperature at 5 cm depth (T 5) exerted considerable influence on the temporal variation in R S. However, the spatial variation of R S was not affected by T 5 in either PP or OF. The observed spatial pattern of R S remained comparatively consistent throughout the measurement campaigns for both forests. Soil chemical and physical parameters such as soil organic carbon (SOC), light fraction organic carbon (LFOC), total nitrogen (TN), bulk density (BD), total porosity (TP), water-filled pore space (WFPS), and water-holding capacity (WHC) had significant impact on the spatial variation of R S for both OF and PP. We found that biotic factors such as fine root biomass (FR) and stand structure parameters including basal area (BA), maximum diameter at breast height (max. DBH), and mean DBH within 4–5 m of the measurement points had significant influence on the spatial variation of R S in OF, while no similar significant correlation was found in PP. A stepwise multi-linear regression showed that water-holding capacity (WHC), max. DBH within 4 m of the measurement points (max. DBH4), and total porosity (TP) contributed 68.7% to the spatial variation of R S in OF, while light fraction organic carbon (LFOC) and bulk density (BD) accounted for 46.9% of the spatial variation of R S in PP. These differentiated the importance of biotic and abiotic factors in controlling the spatial variation of R S between the naturally regenerated OF and the artificially regenerated monoculture PP. Therefore, compared to OF, relatively lower coefficients of spatial variation for R S were observed in PP across the year, which was partly attributed to its simple stand structure of PP. Our findings are valuable for accurately estimating regional carbon fluxes by considering the spatio-temporal variation of R S in artificially and naturally regenerated forests. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Soil respiration (R) and soil carbon stocks, as well as stand properties were investigated in a warm-temperate oak chronosequence in order to understand the age effect on soil CO efflux. The chronosequence consisted of three 40-year-old, 48-year-old, 80-year-old, and 143-year-old oak stands, respectively. R measurements were conducted using a Li-8100 soil CO flux system from October 2008 to October 2009. Temporal variations of R of all the four forests largely depended on soil temperature of 5 cm depth (T) (R = 0.738-0.825). The mean R for 40-year-old, 48-year-old, 80-year-old, and 143-year-old forests were 2.37, 2.59, 2.99, and 3.32 μmol CO m s respectively. Both top soil organic carbon (SOC) and light fraction organic carbon (LFOC) stocks were significantly correlated to R variation, while only significant different LFOC among stands was found. This indicated that cumulated labile organic carbon was a better indicator on R variation, which was further illustrated by a better relationship between R and LFOC than that of R and SOC. We found that the variation of mean R among stands was well correlated with basal area (BA). Marginal correlation between R and fine root biomass (FR) demonstrated the relationship between R and belowground metabolism. We also found total porosity (TP) negatively influenced the mean R and this negative effect may mainly be attributed to the capillary porosity (CP). Forest growth and yield could be contributed to R variation among stands. Forest succession also changed soil labile carbon stock and soil physical properties that influenced the CO efflux. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The primary objective of this study was to identify the metabolic pattern in the brains of betel quid dependent (BQD) individuals using 18F‐2‐fluoro‐2‐deoxy‐D‐glucose‐positron emission tomography (18F‐FDG‐PET). A total of 42 individuals (16 BQD individuals and 26 healthy controls, HCs) enrolled at the Department of Nuclear Medicine of Xiangya Hospital underwent brain 18F‐FDG‐PET. Group comparisons using statistical parametric mapping (SPM) were performed to identify the 18F‐FDG‐PET patterns. Standardized uptake value ratios of anterior cingulate, frontal, thalamus, parietal, occipital, temporal and cerebellum were calculated by SPM. The characteristics of abnormal metabolism in brain regions were quantified using the xjView toolbox, and a 3‐D brain map was drawn using BrainNet Viewer. We found significant metabolic reduction in the bilateral middle prefrontal cortex (PFC) and the left orbital frontal gyrus (OFC). In contrast, hypermetabolism was observed in the inferior cerebellum, fusiform, superior cerebellum, parahippocampal, vermis, lingual and thalamus. However, we found no significant difference between the BQD and HC group in the anterior cingulate, thalamus, cerebellum and frontal, temporal, parietal and occipital lobes. In summary, we found abnormal 18F‐FDG‐PET metabolic pattern in BQD individuals, and this pattern may help the treatment of BQD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acute liver failure is a clinical emergency associated with high mortality. Accumulating evidence indicates that gut microbiota participates in the progression of liver injury, and preventive therapies based on altering gut microbiota are of great interest. Previous studies demonstrated that Lactobacillus salivarius LI01 attenuates hepatic injury, though efficiency in curtailed in the harsh environment in the gastrointestinal tract. In this study, a system to encapsulate LI01 in alginate-pectin (AP) microgels was investigated. Encapsulation significantly enhances probiotic viability for long-term storage and heat treatment, and in simulated gastrointestinal fluids (SGF or SIF) and bile salt solutions. Acute liver injury was induced in Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats by D-galactosamine (D-GaIN) injection following pretreatment with probiotics. Liver and gut barrier function, cytokines, liver and gut histology, bacterial translocation, and gut microbiota were assessed. Administration of encapsulated LI01 more effectively upregulates hepatic anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 and TLR-3, restores expressions of gut barrier biomarkers Claudin-1 and MUC2 and attenuates destruction of mucosal ultrastructure compared with unencapsulated probiotics pretreatment. Pretreatment with AP-LI01 microgels altered the microbial community, decreasing the abundance of pathogenic taxa Ruminiclostridium, Dorea and Ruminococcaceae_UCG-004 and enriching beneficial taxa Ruminococcaceae_UCG-014, Eubacterium, and Prevotella_1 that produce short-chain fatty acids. These results suggest that AP encapsulation of LI01 boosts viability and attenuates liver injury by reducing inflammation and restoring intestinal barrier function. These beneficial effects are probably due to alternation of gut flora. These findings provide new insight into encapsulation technology and prevention of liver failure. Key points: • Alginate-pectin encapsulation enhances the viability of Lactobacillus salivarius LI01 under simulated commercial conditions and simulated gastrointestinal environment. • AP-LI01 microgel attenuates hepatic and intestinal inflammation and restores gut barrier function. • AP-LI01 microgel alters gut microbial community with increased SCFAs producers and decreased pathogenic microbes. • Beneficial improvements after administration of probiotics are highly associated with alternation of gut microbial community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Dietary fiber is effective for colorectal cancer (CRC) treatment. Interleukin-6 (IL-6) and its adaptors are potential targets for CRC therapy. Butyrate, a metabolite of dietary fiber, is a new, highly safe type of targeted drug. Methods: In this study, Cell Counting Kit-8 cell viability and wound healing assays, western blot analysis, immunofluorescence staining, and xenograft tumor mouse models were used to evaluate the anticancer effect of butyrate and its possible mechanism in vivo and in vitro. Results: Dietary fiber and sodium butyrate (NaB) decreased CRC burden by decreasing IL-6 receptor gp130 and blocking IL-6/JAK2/STAT3 axis activation in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, NaB reduced the gp130 protein level by regulating its degradation rate via targeting TRAF5. Conclusions: The fiber metabolite butyrate inhibits CRC development by reducing gp130 via TRAF5. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

FeS 2 nanocrystals are successfully prepared in the carbon capsules of pre-prepared hierarchical porous carbon (HPC). The absorbed Fe ions in HPC are first calcined into Fe 3 O 4 and then react with sulfur under vacuum conditions to synthesize FeS 2 . HPC, with micro-porous shells and inter-connected macro-porous carbon capsules, shows highly ionic/electrical conductivities and efficient buffer effect on the volume change of FeS 2 . FeS 2 @HPC exhibits a high specific capacity of 907 mAh·g −1 in the first cycle and remains 720 mAh·g −1 after 100 cycles at the rate of 1 C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A reciprocal soil monolith-transfer experiment was conducted along an altitude gradient to investigate the effect of climate change on soil carbon (C) processes in two warm-temperate oak forests in Baotianman Nature Reserve, Henan Province, China. Microclimate conditions, soil surface CO flux, and labile organic C were measured for in-situ and transferred soils at both high and low-elevation sites. The soil temperature at 5 cm depth was, on average, 3.27 °C warmer at the low-elevation site than at the high-elevation site. Net CO flux (911 g C m 13 months, 4.7 % of total C) of soil monoliths transferred from the high to the low-elevation site (simulating warming) was substantially (44 %) greater than for high-elevation soil monoliths incubated in situ (633 g C m 13 months, 3.3 % of total C) during 13 months of incubation. Increased extractable organic C (KSO-C) supply with warming partly explained the increase of soil CO flux. Simulated warming also significantly increased the temperature sensitivity ( Q values) of soil organic matter decomposition. The positive linear relationship between microbial metabolic quotient ( qCO) and Q suggests a connection between microbial population and Q under warming conditions. Transfer of soil monoliths from the low to the high-elevation site (simulating cooling) substantially (30 %) reduced soil CO flux (383 g C m 13 months, 2.5 % of total C) compared with those incubated in situ (550 g C m 13 months, 3.5 % of total C). However, this was not accompanied by consistently opposite changes, to a similar extent, in labile organic C (microbial biomass carbon and KSO-C) and decomposition results (i.e., Q and R, soil respiration at 10 °C), indicating that the soil organic matter decomposition process may not respond equally to cooling and warming. Different soil organic matter decomposition responses to cooling and warming should be considered for paleoecological modeling when both warming and cooling are involved in the changes in regional and global climates, particularly during the Holocene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The forest canopy cover can directly and indirectly affect soil conditions and hence soil carbon emission through soil respiration. Little is known, however, on the effects of canopy cover on soil respiration under the canopy of different tree species and soil water conditions. We have examined the variation in soil respiration at different soil water conditions (dry <10 %, wet >20 %, v/v) under different tree canopy covers in comparison with the canopy interspace in a temperate coniferous ( Pinus armandii Franch) and broadleaved ( Quercus aliena var. acuteserrata) mixed forest in central China. The results show that soil respiration measured under tree canopy cover varied with canopy size and soil water content. Soil respiration under small-sized canopies of P. armandii (PS) was higher than that under large-sized (PL) canopies, but the difference was only significant under the dry soil condition. However, soil respiration under large-sized canopies of Q. aliena (QL) was significantly greater than that under small-sized (QS) canopies under both dry and wet soil conditions. The difference in soil respiration between differently sized canopies of Q. aliena (33.5-35.8 %) was significantly greater than that between differently sized canopies of P. armandii (2.4-8.1 %). Differences in soil respiration between inter-plant gaps and under QS canopies in both the dry and wet soil conditions were significant. Significant increases in soil respiration (9.7-32.2 %) during the transition from dry to wet conditions were found regardless of canopy size, but the increase of soil respiration was significantly lower under P. armandii canopies (9.7-17.7 %) than under Q. aliena canopies (25.9-31.5 %). Our findings that the canopy cover of different tree species influences soil respiration under different soil moisture conditions could provide useful information for parameterizing and/or calibrating carbon flux models, especially for spatially explicit carbon models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A range of factors has been identified that affect the temperature sensitivity (Q10 values) of the soil-to-atmosphere CO2 flux. However, the factors influencing the spatial distribution of Q10 values within warm temperate forests are poorly understood. In this study, we examined the spatial variation of Q10 values and its controlling factors in both a naturally regenerated oak forest (OF) and a pine plantation (PP). Q10 values were determined based on monthly soil respiration (RS) measurements at 35 subplots for each stand from Oct. 2008 to Oct. 2009. Large spatial variation of Q10 values was found in both OF and PP, with their respective ranges from 1.7 to 5.12 and from 2.3 to 6.21. In PP, fine root biomass (FR) (R = 0.50, P = 0.002), non-capillary porosity (NCP) (R = 0.37, P = 0.03), and the coefficients of variation of soil temperature at 5 cm depth (CV of T5) (R = −0.43, P = 0.01) well explained the spatial variance of Q10. In OF, carbon pool lability reflected by light fractionation method (LLFOC) well explained the spatial variance of Q10 (R = −0.35, P = 0.04). Regardless of forest type, LLFOC and FR correlation with the Q10 values were significant and marginally significant, respectively; suggesting a positive relationship between substrate availability and apparent Q10 values. Parameters related to gas diffusion, such as average soil water content (SWC) and NCP, negatively or positively explained the spatial variance of Q10 values. Additionally, we observed significantly higher apparent Q10 values in PP compared to OF, which might be partly attributed to the difference in soil moisture condition and diffusion ability, rather than different substrate availabilities between forests. Our results suggested that both soil chemical and physical characters contributed to the observed large Q10 value variation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Background: The hopelessness theory of depression posits that individuals with negative cognitive styles are at an increased risk for depression following negative life events. In neuroimaging studies, brain gray matter volume abnormalities correlate with the presence of depressive disorders. However, it is unknown whether changes in gray matter volume also appear in healthy individuals with cognitive vulnerability to depression (CVD). Methods: 30 subjects diagnosed with CVD, 33 first-episode patients with major depressive disorder (MDD), and 32 healthy controls were examined using voxel-based morphometry following magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Results: We found significant volumetric differences between three groups in the left precentral gyrus, right fusiform gyrus and the right thalamus. In these regions, compared to controls, CVD subjects showed reduced gray matter volumes in the left precentral gyrus and right fusiform gyrus. MDD patients demonstrated reduced gray matter volume in the left precentral gyrus and increased gray matter volume in the right thalamus. Additionally, CVD individuals had significantly smaller right fusiform gyrus and right thalamus than MDD patients. The weakest-link scores on CSQ were negatively correlated with gray matter volumes in the left precentral gyrus. Conclusions: Reductions in brain gray matter volume exist widely in individuals with CVD. In addition, there exist similar abnormalities in gray matter volume in both CVD subjects and MDD patients. Reductions of gray matter volume in the left precentral gyrus might be correlated to the negative cognitive styles, as well as an increased risk for depression. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The hopelessness theory (HT) of depression is a diathesis-stress theory which construes cognitive vulnerability (CV) to depression. Neuroimaging studies examining depression have implicated the amygdala as an important potential locus of dysfunction in the processing of salient threatening stimuli. However, little is known about neural activation in the brain of subjects with CV to depression. Medication-free major depressive disorder (MDD) subjects (N =29), never depressed subjects with CV (N =26), and demographically matched never depressed healthy control (HC) subjects (N =31) were scanned using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) while performing an emotional matching task. The MDD subjects showed elevated left amygdala responses and reduced left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) activation levels relative to HC subjects. Similarly, CV subjects had greater activity in the amygdala bilaterally and lesser activation in the dlPFC bilaterally, relative to HC subjects. The present findings raise the possibility that cognitive vulnerability to depression might be characterized by hypoactivation of the prefrontal cortex and hyperactivation of the amygdala in response to emotional stimuli; our observations might provide a potential interpretation to explain the abnormalities in neural networks mediating cognitive modulation of emotions in individuals with cognitive vulnerability to depression. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The patterns of variation in natural abundance of foliar and soil (15N) (expressed as δ15N) related to geographical and climatic variables frequently vary over plant species or plant function groups. It is essential to identify the pattern of foliar δ15N for specific plant species which has a widespread distribution and to explore the underlying mechanisms in the context of environmental change such as global warming and anthropogenic nitrogen deposition. Oriental oak (Quercus variabilis Bl.), characterized by cork bark, is a widely distributing deciduous broadleaf tree species that can be found in temperate and subtropical areas of East Asia. In this study, the variations in foliar and soil 15N were investigated based on the data of leaf and soil samples collected in 22 stands over eastern China (from 24 to 41° N in latitude and 102 to 123° E in longitude), and the mechanisms were discussed. The results showed that for oriental oak stands, mean foliar and soil δ15N were −4.8‰ and 2.0‰, respectively, indicating an evident 15N enrichment in the soils. The average foliar δ15N value of oriental oak in warm temperate forest was significantly lower (p <0.01), while a higher enrichment factor was also observed in temperate forests, than that in the subtropical areas. Over the eastern China, the foliar δ15N increased linearly and significantly with increasing mean annual precipitation (MAP) (R2 =0.481 and p <0.001) and mean annual temperature (MAT) (R2 =0.285 and p =0.01) and decreasing pH value of rain water (R2 =0.333 and p =0.005). With these results in eastern China, there are great implications in understanding how nitrogen dynamics of ecosystems responds to warming, drought and acid rain. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Plot trenching and root decomposition experiments were conducted in a warm-temperate oak chronosequence (40-year-old, 48-year-old, 80-year-old, and 143-year-old) in China. We partitioned total soil surface CO2 efflux (RS) into heterotrophic (RH) and rhizospheric (RR) components across the growing season of 2009. We found that the temporal variation of RR and RH can be well explained by soil temperature (T5) at 5 cm depth using exponential equations for all forests. However, RR of 40-year-old and 48-year-old forests peaked in September, while their T5 peaks occurred in August. RR of 80-year-old and 143-year-old forests showed a similar pattern to T5. The contribution of RR to RS (RC) of 40-year-old and 48-year-old forests presented a second peak in September. Seasonal variation of RR may be accounted for by the different successional stages. Cumulative RH and RR during the growing season varied with forest age. The estimated RH values for 40-year-old, 48-year-old, 80-year-old and 143-year-old forests averaged 431.72, 452.02, 484.62 and 678.93 g C m−2, respectively, while the corresponding values of RR averaged 191.94, 206.51, 321.13 and 153.03 g C m−2. The estimated RC increased from 30.78% in the 40-year-old forest to 39.85% in the 80-year-old forest and then declined to 18.39% in the 143-year-old forest. We found soil organic carbon (SOC), especially the light fraction organic carbon (LFOC), stock at 0–10 cm soil depth correlated well with RH. There was no significant relationship between RR and fine root biomass regardless of stand age. Measured apparent temperature sensitivity (Q10) of RH (3.93 ± 0.27) was significantly higher than that of RR (2.78 ± 0.73). Capillary porosity decreased as stand age increased and it was negatively correlated to cumulative RS. Our results emphasize the importance of partitioning soil respiration in evaluating the stand age effect on soil respiration and its significance to future model construction. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Three soil labile organic carbon indicators, i.e., particulate organic carbon (POC) by size fractionation, light fraction organic carbon (LFOC) by density fractionation and permanganate-oxidizable carbon (MnoxC) oxidized by 333mM KMnO4, were employed to identify the soil organic carbon (SOM) pools of a Chinese fir plantation (CF) and a regenerated forest (RF) that were converted originally from the natural evergreen broad-leaved forest (NF) 18years ago after clear cutting on an upland yellow soil in Longmen mountain, southwest China. Bulk soil organic carbon and nitrogen concentration at the soil depth of 0–20cm were significantly lower in CF and RF than in NF, while no significant C/N ratio change was found. Top soil MnoxC concentration of CF showed a significant increase while RF demonstrated a slight decline compared to NF, whereas, non-MnoxC of CF and RF both presented a significant decline compare to NF. A different indication between chemical oxidization and physical fractionation method was found. POC, particulate organic nitrogen (PON), mineral-associated organic carbon (MOC) and mineral-associated organic nitrogen (MON) were significantly reduced in CF and RF compared to NF. CF, POC and PON showed significant reductions than that in RF. The losses of TOC and N in the particulate separates were more than that in the mineral-associated separates for both CF and RF. A significant decline of LFOC at 0–10cm, 10–20cm and 20–30cm soil depths were found in CF and RF compared to NF, and a significant larger loss of LFOC in CF than in RF was also found. The heavy fraction organic carbon (HFOC) at the 0–10cm soil depth was also significantly reduced in CF and RF, while there was no significant difference between CF and RF. The absence of vegetation cover in CF and RF, especially at the early stage of restoration, was contributed to the reductions in both labile and non-labile carbon. Timely thinning after canopy closure or establishing CF mixing with native broad-leaved species should be encouraged to mitigate the labile carbon loss. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]