Altered functional connectivity density and couplings in postpartum depression with and without anxiety

Postpartum depression (PPD) is the most common psychological health issue among women, which often comorbids with anxiety (PPD-A). PPD and PPD-A showed highly overlapping clinical symptoms. Identifying disorder-specific neurophysiological markers of PDD and PPD-A is important for better clinical diagnosis and treatments. Here, we performed functional connectivity density (FCD) and resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) analyses in 138 participants (45 unmedicated patients with first-episode PPD, 31 PDD-A patients and 62 healthy postnatal women, respectively). FCD mapping revealed specifically weaker long-range FCD in right lingual gyrus (LG.R) for PPD patients and significantly stronger long-range FCD in left ventral striatum (VS.L) for PPD-A patients. The follow-up rsFC analyses further revealed reduced functional connectivity between dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC) and VS.L in both PPD and PPD-A. PPD showed specific changes of rsFC between LG.R and dmPFC, right angular gyrus and left precentral gyrus, while PPD-A represented specifically abnormal rsFC between VS.L and left ventrolateral prefrontal cortex. Moreover, the altered FCD and rsFC were closely associated with depression and anxiety symptoms load. Taken together, our study is the first to identify common and disorder-specific neural circuit disruptions in PPD and PPD-A, which may facilitate more effective diagnosis and treatments.     

Application of a Machine Learning Algorithm for Structural Brain Images in Chronic Schizophrenia to Earlier Clinical Stages of Psychosis and Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Multiprotocol Imaging Dataset Study

Background and HypothesisMachine learning approaches using structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can be informative for disease classification; however, their applicability to earlier clinical stages of psychosis and other disease spectra is unknown. We evaluated whether a model differentiating patients with chronic schizophrenia (ChSZ) from healthy controls (HCs) could be applied to earlier clinical stages such as first-episode psychosis (FEP), ultra-high risk for psychosis (UHR), and autism spectrum disorders (ASDs).Study DesignTotal 359 T1-weighted MRI scans, including 154 individuals with schizophrenia spectrum (UHR, n = 37; FEP, n = 24; and ChSZ, n = 93), 64 with ASD, and 141 HCs, were obtained using three acquisition protocols. Of these, data regarding ChSZ (n = 75) and HC (n = 101) from two protocols were used to build a classifier (training dataset). The remainder was used to evaluate the classifier (test, independent confirmatory, and independent group datasets). Scanner and protocol effects were diminished using ComBat.Study ResultsThe accuracy of the classifier for the test and independent confirmatory datasets were 75% and 76%, respectively. The bilateral pallidum and inferior frontal gyrus pars triangularis strongly contributed to classifying ChSZ. Schizophrenia spectrum individuals were more likely to be classified as ChSZ compared to ASD (classification rate to ChSZ: UHR, 41%; FEP, 54%; ChSZ, 70%; ASD, 19%; HC, 21%).ConclusionWe built a classifier from multiple protocol structural brain images applicable to independent samples from different clinical stages and spectra. The predictive information of the classifier could be useful for applying neuroimaging techniques to clinical differential diagnosis and predicting disease onset earlier.     

粉条儿菜化学成分的研究

采用多种柱色谱方法对百合科粉条儿菜属植物粉条儿菜Aletris spicata(Thunb.)Franch.进行分离纯化,运用波谱学方法鉴定了10个化合物,分别为环石仙桃萜醇(cyclopholidonol,1)、白桦脂酸(betulinic acid,2)、熊果酸(ursolic acid,3)、13-表柏油酸(13-epicupressic acid,4)、5-羟基-3,7,4′-三甲氧基黄酮(5-hydroxy-3,7,4′-trimethoxyflavone,5)、二十二烷酸-1-甘油酯(2,3-dihydroxypropyl docosoate,6)、正十七烷醇(1-heptadecanol,7)、正二十四烷酸(lignoceric acid,8)、24,24-二甲基-环木菠萝烷-3-醇(cycloneolitsoln,9)和β-谷甾醇(β-sitosterol,10)。化合物1~8均为首次从该属植物中分离得到。     

Experimental and Numerical Study on Uniaxial Compression Failure of Concrete Confined by Nylon Ties

The developments in the cisvil engineering fields have led to an increased demand for structural reinforcements. Therefore, designing an effective, green, convenient, and low-cost reinforcement method is considerably important. Nylon ties have high strength and good heat resistance, and they can retain good tensile properties after high-temperature cooling. Further, they are inexpensive and can be recycled. Thus, they are considered suitable for structural reinforcement engineering. In this study, the core concrete was reinforced by the active confinement of prestressed nylon ties. A uniaxial compression test was performed to evaluate the reinforcement effect of the preload generated by the high-temperature cooling of the tie rod on the core concrete. The results show that nylon ties can effectively improve the mechanical properties of the core concrete. Combined with numerical simulation technology, a damage model of a confined concrete column (CC) was established, and the damage evolution law of CC under uniaxial axial compression was analyzed. Combined with numerical simulation and experimental research, the effectiveness of nylon tie reinforced concrete and the reliability of the damage model were verified, providing a reference for research on engineering reinforcement.     

Possibility to Use Short Sawn Timber in the Production of Glued Laminated Beams

Numerous studies have shown that the geometry of micro-joints significantly affects the strength of the so joined timber element. The bending strength increases by creating a larger bonding area by increasing the length of the wedge joint. Although this type of joint has been successfully used for many years, it can still be troublesome to make. For these reasons, the present study investigated an easy-to-fabricate wedge joint, which we folded during the beams’ formation and glued with the same adhesive as the individual lamellas. Although the research has not fully answered all the questions relevant to both scientific and technological curiosity, it indicates the great potential of this solution. Following the principle adopted in the ongoing wood optimisation work, we concluded that the beams of the target cross-section should be produced, and it should only be possible to cut them to a certain length. In this approach, we only removed defects at critical points for the beam structure and, in this way, up to 30% of the timber processed could be saved or better utilised.     

Material Extrusion of Structural Polymer–Aluminum Joints—Examining Shear Strength,Wetting, Polymer Melt Rheology and Aging

Generating polymer–metal structures by means of additive manufacturing offers huge potential for customized, sustainable and lightweight solutions. However, challenges exist, primarily with regard to reliability and reproducibility of the additively generated joints. In this study, the polymers ABS, PETG and PLA, which are common in material extrusion, were joined to grit-blasted aluminum substrates. Temperature dependence of polymer melt rheology, wetting and tensile single-lap-shear strength were examined in order to obtain appropriate thermal processing conditions. Joints with high adhesive strength in the fresh state were aged for up to 100 days in two different moderate environments. For the given conditions, PETG was most suitable for generating structural joints. Contrary to PETG, ABS–aluminum joints in the fresh state as well as PLA–aluminum joints in the aged state did not meet the demands of a structural joint. For the considered polymers and processing conditions, this study implies that the suitability of a polymer and a thermal processing condition to form a polymer–aluminum joint by material extrusion can be evaluated based on the polymer’s rheological properties. Moreover, wetting experiments improved estimation of the resulting tensile single-lap-shear strength.     

Differential temporal neural responses of pain-related regions by acupuncture at acupoint ST36: a magnetoencephalography study

Background  Previous neuroimaging studies primarily focused on the spatial distribution of acupuncture needling stimulation. However, a salient feature of acupuncture was its long-lasting effect. This study attempted to detect the spatial-temporal neural responses evoked by acupuncture at an analgesia acupoint ST36 by using magnetoencephalography. To further verify its functional specificity, we also adopted acupuncture at Pericardium 6 and nonacupoint as separated controls.

Methods  Forty-two college students, all right-handed and acupuncture naïve, participated in this study. Every participant received only one acupoint stimulation, resulting in 14 subjects in one group. Both magnetoencephalography data (151-channel whole-head system) and structural functional magnetic resonance imaging data (3D sequence with a voxel size of 1 mm³ for anatomical localization) were collected for each subject. All processing procedures were performed in BrainStorm Toolbox.

Results  Acupuncture at ST36 showed a significantly time-varied brain activities with different onset time. Our results presented that acupuncture at different acupoints (or comparing with nonacupoint) can specifically induce neural responses in different brain areas—acupuncture at ST36 can specifically induce the neural responses of pain-inhibition areas, while acupuncture at PC6 can specifically induce the activities of the insula and amygdala.

Conclusions  In the present study, we attempted to detect the temporal neural responses underlying the functional specificity of acupuncture at ST36, using acupoint belonging to different meridians and non-acupoint with efficacy-irreverent as separate controls. The specific neural substrates involving acupuncture at different acupoints may be related to its functional specificity in clinical settings.

     

分辨率革命——冷冻电子显微学在结构生物学研究中的进展

 冷冻电子显微学具有悠久的历史,近年来随着硬件设备的革命性技术突破和软件算法方面技术发展,已经成为结构生物学领域最为重要的研究方法,也代表了未来的发展方向。其中,单颗粒三维结构重构法在最近的几年发展迅速,极大地拓展了研究方法的适用范围,并不断刷新所解析结构的高分辨率记录,成为结构生物学及相关学科最为激动人心的研究领域。本文将针对冷冻电子显微学发展的历史,近期革命性技术突破,以及复旦大学在该领域的布局和进展做简要介绍。     

Adhesive Joints of Additively Manufactured Adherends: Ultrasonic Evaluation of Adhesion Strength

Adhesive joints are widely used in the construction of machines and motor vehicles. Manufacturers replace them with the welding and spot-welding methods due to the lack of damage to the material structure in the joint area. Moreover, it is aimed at reducing the weight of vehicles and producing elements with complex shapes. Therefore, additive manufacturing technology has been increasingly used in the production stage. This fact has not only changed the view on the possibilities of further development of the production technology itself, but it has also caused an intense interest among a greater number of companies in the advantages of structural optimization. There is a natural relationship between these two areas in the design and production, allowing for almost unlimited possibilities of designing new products. The main goal of the research described in this article was to determine the correlation between the strength of the adhesive joint of elements produced using additive technology and the parameters of the ultrasonic wave propagating in the area of the adhesive bond. The tests were carried out on samples made of AlSiMg0.6 material and a structural adhesive. Strength tests were performed to determine the shear force which damaged the joint. Furthermore, an ultrasonic echo technique enabling the determination of a nondestructive measure of the quality and strength of the joint was developed. The samples of the adhesive joints had a strength of about 18.75–28.95 MPa, which corresponded to an ultrasonic measure range of 4.6–7.8 dB. The determined regression relationship had a coefficient of determination at the level of 0.94. Additional ultrasonic tests of materials made with the additive technology confirmed its different acoustic properties in relation to aluminum produced with the standard casting or extrusion process. Designated dependence combining the mechanical strength and the decibel difference between the first and second impulses from the bottom of the joint may constitute the basis for the development of a nondestructive technique for testing the strength of adhesive joints.