A latent class analysis of parental bipolar disorder: examining associations with offspring psychopathology

Bipolar disorder (BD) is highly heterogeneous, and course variations are associated with patient outcomes. This diagnostic complexity challenges identification of patients in greatest need of intervention. Additionally, course variations have implications for offspring risk. First, latent class analysis (LCA) categorized parents with BD based on salient illness characteristics: BD type, onset age, polarity of index episode, pole of majority of episodes, rapid cycling, psychosis, anxiety comorbidity, and substance dependence. Fit indices favored three parental classes with some substantively meaningful patterns. Two classes, labeled “Earlier-Onset Bipolar-I” (EO-I) and “Earlier-Onset Bipolar-II” (EO-II), comprised parents who had a mean onset age in mid-adolescence, with EO-I primarily BD-I parents and EO-II entirely BD-II parents. The third class, labeled “Later-Onset BD” (LO) had an average onset age in adulthood. Classes also varied on probability of anxiety comorbidity, substance dependence, psychosis, rapid cycling, and pole of majority of episodes. Second, we examined rates of disorders in offspring (ages 4–33, Mage=13.46) based on parental latent class membership. Differences emerged for offspring anxiety disorders only such that offspring of EO-I and EO-II parents had higher rates, compared to offspring of LO parents, particularly for daughters. Findings may enhance understanding of BD and its nosologyThis study was funded by two Brain & Behavior Research Foundation (formerly NARSAD) Independent Investigator Awards (PI: Nierenberg), a Brain & Behavior Research Foundation Young Investigator Award (PI: Henin) generously supported in part by the SHINE Initiative, and an MGH Claflin Award (PI: Henin). We thank David A. Langer, Ph.D., Thomas M. Olino, Ph.D., and Meredith Lotz Wallace, Ph.D. for their consultation. (Brain & Behavior Research Foundation; Brain & Behavior Research Foundation Young Investigator Award; SHINE Initiative; MGH Claflin Award)Accepted manuscrip

Luminous Satellites II: Spatial Distribution, Luminosity Function and Cosmic Evolution

We infer the normalization and the radial and angular distributions of the number density of satellites of massive galaxies ($\log_{10}[M_{h}^*/M\odot]>10.5$) between redshifts 0.1 and 0.8 as a function of host stellar mass, redshift, morphology and satellite luminosity. Exploiting the depth and resolution of the COSMOS HST images, we detect satellites up to eight magnitudes fainter than the host galaxies and as close as 0.3 (1.4) arcseconds (kpc). Describing the number density profile of satellite galaxies to be a projected power law such that P(R)\propto R^{\rpower}, we find \rpower=-1.1\pm 0.3. We find no dependency of \rpower on host stellar mass, redshift, morphology or satellite luminosity. Satellites of early-type hosts have angular distributions that are more flattened than the host light profile and are aligned with its major axis. No significant average alignment is detected for satellites of late-type hosts. The number of satellites within a fixed magnitude contrast from a host galaxy is dependent on its stellar mass, with more massive galaxies hosting significantly more satellites. Furthermore, high-mass late-type hosts have significantly fewer satellites than early-type galaxies of the same stellar mass, likely a result of environmental differences. No significant evolution in the number of satellites per host is detected. The cumulative luminosity function of satellites is qualitatively in good agreement with that predicted using subhalo abundance matching techniques. However, there are significant residual discrepancies in the absolute normalization, suggesting that properties other than the host galaxy luminosity or stellar mass determine the number of satellites.Comment: 23 pages, 12 figures, Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journa

Probing dark matter substructure in the gravitational lens HE0435-1223 with the WFC3 grism

Strong gravitational lensing provides a powerful test of Cold Dark Matter (CDM) as it enables the detection and mass measurement of low mass haloes even if they do not contain baryons. Compact lensed sources such as Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) are particularly sensitive to perturbing subhalos, but their use as a test of CDM has been limited by the small number of systems which have significant radio emission which is extended enough avoid significant lensing by stars in the plane of the lens galaxy, and red enough to be minimally affected by differential dust extinction. Narrow-line emission is a promising alternative as it is also extended and, unlike radio, detectable in virtually all optically selected AGN lenses. We present first results from a WFC3 grism narrow-line survey of lensed quasars, for the quadruply lensed AGN HE0435-1223. Using a forward modelling pipeline which enables us to robustly account for spatial blending, we measure the [OIII] 5007 \AA~ flux ratios of the four images. We find that the [OIII] fluxes and positions are well fit by a simple smooth mass model for the main lens. Our data rule out a $M_{600}>10^{8} (10^{7.2}) M_\odot$ NFW perturber projected within $\sim$1\farcs0 (0\farcs1) arcseconds of each of the lensed images, where $M_{600}$ is the perturber mass within its central 600 pc. The non-detection is broadly consistent with the expectations of $\Lambda$CDM for a single system. The sensitivity achieved demonstrates that powerful limits on the nature of dark matter can be obtained with the analysis of $\sim20$ narrow-line lenses.Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS, 15 pages, 8 figure

Hippocampus and basal forebrain volumes modulate effects of anticholinergic treatment on delayed recall in healthy older adults

Introduction Volumes of hippocampus and cholinergic basal forebrain are associated with delayed recall performance and may modulate the effect of a muscarinic receptor antagonist on delayed recall in healthy volunteers Methods We studied 15 older adults before and after the oral administration of a single dose of 1 or 2 mg of the preferential M1 muscarinic receptor antagonist trihexyphenidyl (Artane™) or placebo in a double-blind randomized cross-over design. Hippocampus and basal forebrain volumes were measured using magnetic resonance imaging. Results We found a significant interaction between treatment and hippocampus volume and a trend level effect between treatment and anterior basal forebrain volume on task performance, with an attenuation of the association between volume size and performance with trihexyphenidyl. Discussion These findings suggest a reduction of delayed recall performance with increasing doses of the muscarinic antagonist that is related to an uncoupling of the association of task performance with cholinergic basal forebrain and hippocampus volume

The relationship between CSF tau markers, hippocampal volume and delayed primacy performance in cognitively intact elderly individuals.

BACKGROUND: Primacy performance in recall has been shown to predict cognitive decline in cognitively intact elderly, and conversion from mild cognitive impairment (MCI) to Alzheimer's disease (AD). Delayed primacy performance, but not delayed non-primacy performance, has been shown to be associated with hippocampal volume in cognitively intact older individuals. Since presence of neurofibrillary tangles is an early sign of AD-related pathology, we set out to test whether cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels of tau had an effect on delayed primacy performance, while controlling for hippocampal volume and CSF Aβ 1-42 levels. METHODS: Forty-seven individuals, 60 or older and cognitively intact, underwent a multi-session study including lumbar puncture, an MRI scan of the head and memory testing. RESULTS: Our regression analyses show that CSF levels of hyperphosphorylated (P) tau are only associated with reduced delayed primacy performance when hippocampal volumes are smaller. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that hippocampal size may play a protective role against the negative effects of P tau on memory

Global Farm Animal Production and Global Warming: Impacting and Mitigating Climate Change

BACKGROUND: The farm animal sector is the single largest anthropogenic user of land, contributing to many environmental problems, including global warming and climate change. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to synthesize and expand upon existing data on the contribution of farm animal production to climate change. METHODS: We analyzed the scientific literature on farm animal production and documented greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, as well as various mitigation strategies. DISCUSSIONS: An analysis of meat, egg, and milk production encompasses not only the direct rearing and slaughtering of animals, but also grain and fertilizer production for animal feed, waste storage and disposal, water use, and energy expenditures on farms and in transporting feed and finished animal products, among other key impacts of the production process as a whole. CONCLUSIONS: Immediate and far-reaching changes in current animal agriculture practices and consumption patterns are both critical and timely if GHGs from the farm animal sector are to be mitigated

The recency ratio is associated with reduced CSF glutamate in late-life depression

Glutamate is the principal excitatory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system, and is thought to be involved in the process of memory encoding and storage. Glutamate disturbances have also been reported in psychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia and major depressive disorder (MDD), and in Alzheimer’s disease. In this paper, we set out to study the relationship between cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) glutamate levels and memory performance, which we believe has not been reported previously. In particular, we focused on recall performance broken down by serial position. Our prediction was that the recency ratio (Rr), a novel cognitive marker of intellectual impairment, would be linked with CSF glutamate levels. We studied data from a group of cognitively intact elderly individuals, 28 of whom had MDD, while 19 were controls. Study results indicated that Rr levels, but no other memory score, were inversely correlated with CSF glutamate levels, although this was found only in individuals with late-life MDD. For comparison, glutamine or GABA were not correlated with any memory performance measure