Comparative studies on the therapeutic and adverse effects of mirtazapine and fluoxetine in the treatment of adult depression

Purpose: To evaluate comparatively the therapeutic and adverse effects of mirtazapine and fluoxetine for the management of adult depression.Methods: Adults (58) with depression admitted to the Neurology Department of Zaozhuang Municipal Hospital from August 2014 to July 2016 were randomly assigned to either mirtazapine group or fluoxetine group. Those in mirtazapine group were given mirtazapine while the fluoxetine group took fluoxetine. The patients were graded for Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD) and Treatment Emergent Symptoms Scale (TESS) scores before treatment and at weeks 2, 4, 6, and 8 post-treatment, with the aim of comparing therapeutic effects and adverse reactions to mirtazapine and fluoxetine.Results: The therapeutic effects seen in the two groups did not differ significantly (p > 0.05), but mirtazapine had a slight advantage over fluoxetine. Effectiveness appeared after 2 weeks in the mirtazapine group, and 4 weeks in the other group. Moreover, there were significant differences in HAMD scores between the two groups after 2 and 4 weeks of treatment (p < 0.05), but the differences in scores after 6 and 8 weeks of treatment were not significant (p > 0.05). However, there were significant differences in score between pretreatment and 8-week post-treatment scores (p < 0.05). Mirtazapine group also had lower incidents of adverse reactions (sleepiness, dyspepsia, nausea, vomiting, excitation, and headache) than the fluoxetine group (p < 0.05).Conclusion: Mirtazapine has similar effect as fluoxetine in the treatment of adult depression, but works faster, with low incidence of adverse reactions. Thus, it is a safer and quicker antidepressant for clinical application.Keywords: Mirtazapine, Fluoxetine, Adult depression, Clinical effect, Adverse reaction

Average Consensus in Multiagent Systems with the Problem of Packet Losses When Using the Second-Order Neighbors’ Information

This paper mainly investigates the average consensus of multiagent systems with the problem of packet losses when both the first-order neighbors’ information and the second-order neighbors’ information are used. The problem is formulated under the sampled-data framework by discretizing the first-order agent dynamics with a zero-order hold. The communication graph is undirected and the loss of data across each communication link occurs at certain probability, which is governed by a Bernoulli process. It is found that the distributed average consensus speeds up by using the second-order neighbors’ information when packets are lost. Numerical examples are given to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed methods

Monitoring marine pollution for carbon neutrality through a deep learning method with multi-source data fusion

IntroductionMarine pollution can have a significant impact on the blue carbon, which finally affect the ocean’s ability to sequester carbon and contribute to achieving carbon neutrality. Marine pollution is a complex problem that requires a great deal of time and effort to measure. Existing machine learning algorithms cannot effectively solve the detection time problem and provide limited accuracy. Moreover, marine pollution can come from a variety of sources. However, most of the existing research focused on a single ocean indicator to analyze marine pollution. In this study, two indicators, marine organisms and debris, are used to create a more complete picture of the extent and impact of pollution in the ocean.MethodsTo effectively recognize different marine objects in the complex marine environment, we propose an integrated data fusion approach where deep convolutional neural networks (CNNs) are combined to conduct underwater object recognition. Through this multi-source data fusion approach, the accuracy of object recognition is significantly improved. After feature extraction, four machine and deep learning classifiers’ performances are used to train on features extracted with deep CNNs.ResultsThe results show that VGG-16 achieves better performance than other feature extractors when detecting marine organisms. When detecting marine debris, AlexNet outperforms other deep CNNs. The results also show that the LSTM classifier with VGG-16 for detecting marine organisms outperforms other deep learning models.DiscussionFor detecting marine debris, the best performance was observed with the AlexNet extractor, which obtained the best classification result with an LSTM. This information can be used to develop policies and practices aimed at reducing pollution and protecting marine environments for future generations

Dynamic Microwave-Assisted Extraction of Arctigenin from Saussurea medusa Maxim

Abstract Dynamic microwave-assisted extraction (DMAE) technique was used for the fast extraction from Saussurea medusa Maxim. In order to achieve the optimal extraction conditions, variables involved in the extraction procedure such as extraction methods, extraction solvents, methanol concentration, ratio of solvent to raw material, extraction time, microwave power and extraction cycles were investigated. Orthogonal L 9 (3) 4 test design in the extraction mode was used for optimization extraction conditions and the maximum content of arctignenin was 10.891 ± 0.003 mg g -1 obtained by once DMAE at 390 W with 50 mL methanol for 20 min. The extraction efficiency of arctigenin with DMAE was higher than other traditional extraction methods

Using Ipomoea aquatic as an environmental-friendly alternative to Elodea nuttallii for the aquaculture of Chinese mitten crab

Elodea nuttallii is widely used in Chinese mitten crab (CMC) rearing practice, but it is not a native aquatic plant and cannot endure high temperature. Thus, large E. nuttallii mortality and water deterioration events could occur during high-temperature seasons. The aim of this study was to identify the use of local macrophytes in CMC rearing practice, including Ipomoea aquatic and Oryza sativa. A completely randomized field experiment was conducted to investigate the crab yield, water quality, bacterioplankton community and functions in the three different systems (E. nuttallii, I. aquatic, and O. sativa). Average crab yields in the different macrophyte systems did not differ significantly. The I. aquatic and O. sativa systems significantly decreased the total nitrogen and nitrate-N quantities in the outflow waters during the rearing period compared to the E. nuttallii system, and the I. aquatic and O. sativa plants assimilated more nitrogen than the E. nuttallii plant. Moreover, the significant changes of bacterioplankton abundances and biodiversity in the three systems implied that cleanliness of rearing waters was concomitantly attributed to the differential microbial community and functions. In addition, principle component analysis successfully differentiated the bacterioplankton communities of the three macrophytes systems. Environmental factor fitting and the co-occurrence network analyses indicated that pH was the driver of bacterioplankton community structure. Functional predictions using PICRUSt (v.1.1.3) software based on evolutionary modeling indicated a higher potential for microbial denitrification in the I. aquatic and O. sativa systems. Notably, the O. sativa plants stopped growing in the middle of the rearing period. Thus, the I. aquatic system rather than the O. sativa system could be a feasible and environmental-friendly alternative to the E. nuttallii system in CMC rearing practice

The Transmembrane Protein Semaphorin 6A Repels Embryonic Sympathetic Axons

Semaphorin 6A (Sema6A) (previously named Semaphorin VIa) is the originally described member of the vertebrate semaphorin class 6, a group of transmembrane semaphorins homologous to the insect semaphorin class 1. Although Sema-1a (previously named semaphorin I) has been implicated in axon guidance in insects, the function of Sema6A is currently unknown. We have expressed the extracellular domain of Sema6A in mammalian cells as either a monomeric or a dimeric fusion protein and tested for potential axon guidance effects on two populations of embryonic neurons in growth cone collapse and collagen matrix chemorepulsion assays. Sema6A was observed to induce growth cone collapse of sympathetic neurons with an EC50 of approximately 200 pM, although a 10-fold higher (EC50 of approximately 2 nM) concentration was necessary to induce growth cone collapse of dorsal root ganglion neurons. The activity of Sema6A is likely to depend on protein dimerization or oligomerization. Although Sema6A mRNA is expressed in complex patterns during embryonic development, it is strikingly absent from sympathetic ganglia. Sema6A is, however, expressed in areas avoided by sympathetic axons and in areas innervated by sympathetics, but before their arrival. Our results demonstrate that transmembrane semaphorins, like the secreted ones, can act as repulsive axon guidance cues. Our findings are consistent with a role for Sema6A in channeling sympathetic axons into the sympathetic chains and controlling the temporal sequence of sympathetic target innervation

Antibiotic-Induced Primary Biles Inhibit SARS-CoV-2 Endoribonuclease Nsp15 Activity in Mouse Gut

The gut microbiome profile of COVID-19 patients was found to correlate with a viral load of SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19 severity, and dysfunctional immune responses, suggesting that gut microbiota may be involved in anti-infection. In order to investigate the role of gut microbiota in anti-infection against SARS-CoV-2, we established a high-throughput in vitro screening system for COVID-19 therapeutics by targeting the endoribonuclease (Nsp15). We also evaluated the activity inhibition of the target by substances of intestinal origin, using a mouse model in an attempt to explore the interactions between gut microbiota and SARS-CoV-2. The results unexpectedly revealed that antibiotic treatment induced the appearance of substances with Nsp15 activity inhibition in the intestine of mice. Comprehensive analysis based on functional profiling of the fecal metagenomes and endoribonuclease assay of antibiotic-enriched bacteria and metabolites demonstrated that the Nsp15 inhibitors were the primary bile acids that accumulated in the gut as a result of antibiotic-induced deficiency of bile acid metabolizing microbes. This study provides a new perspective on the development of COVID-19 therapeutics using primary bile acids

Changes in Cortical Thickness in Patients With Early Parkinson’s Disease at Different Hoehn and Yahr Stages

Objectives: This study was designed to explore changes in cortical thickness in patients with early Parkinson’s disease (PD) at different Hoehn and Yahr (H-Y) stages and to demonstrate the association of abnormally altered brain regions with part III of the Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS-III).Materials and Methods: Sixty early PD patients and 29 age- and gender-matched healthy controls (HCs) were enrolled in this study. All PD patients underwent comprehensive clinical and neuropsychological evaluations and 3.0 T magnetic resonance scanning. Patients with H-Y stage ≤1.5 were included in the mild group, and all other patients were included in the moderate group. FreeSurfer software was used to calculate cortical thickness. We assessed the relationship between UPDRS-III and regional changes in cortical thinning, including the bilateral fusiform and the temporal lobe.Results: The average cortical thickness of the temporal pole, fusiform gyrus, insula of the left hemisphere and fusiform gyrus, isthmus cingulate cortex, inferior temporal gyrus, middle temporal cortex and posterior cingulate cortex of the right hemisphere exhibited significant decreasing trends in HCs group and PD groups (i.e., the mild group and moderate group). After controlling for the effects of age, gender, and disease duration, the UPDRS-III scores in patients with early PD were correlated with the cortical thickness of the left and right fusiform gyrus and the left temporal pole (p < 0.05).Conclusion: The average cortical thickness of specific brain regions reduced with increasing disease severity in early PD patients at different H-Y stages, and the UPDRS-III scores of early PD patients were correlated with cortical thickness of the bilateral fusiform gyrus and the left temporal pole

Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer Thinning Is Associated With Brain Atrophy: A Longitudinal Study in Nondemented Older Adults

Backgrounds: Abnormal retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness has been observed in patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and therefore suggested to be a potential biomarker of AD. However, whether the changes in RNFL thickness are associated with the atrophy of brain structure volumes remains unknown. We, therefore, set out a prospective investigation to determine the association between longitudinal changes of RNFL thickness and brain atrophy in nondemented older participants over a period of 12 months.Materials and Methods: We measured the RNFL thickness using optical coherence tomography (OCT) and brain structure volumes by 3T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) before and after 12 months. Cognitive function was assessed using the Chinese version of Mini-Mental State Examination (CMMSE) and Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neurological Status. Associations among the changes of RNFL, brain structures and cognitive function were analyzed with Spearman correlation and multiple linear regression models adjusting for the confounding factors.Results: Fifty old participants were screened and 40 participants (mean age 71.8 ± 3.9 years, 60% were male) were enrolled at baseline. Among them, 28 participants completed the follow-up assessments. The average reduction of RNFL thickness was inversely associated with the decrease of central cingulate cortex volume after the adjustment of age and total intracranial volume (β = −0.41, P = 0.039). Specifically, the reduction of RNFL thickness in the inferior, not other quadrants, was independently associated with the decline of central cingulate cortex volume after the adjustment (β = −0.52, P = 0.006). Moreover, RNFL thinning, central cingulate cortex atrophy and the aggregation of white matter hyperintensities (WMH) were found associated with episodic memory in these older adults with normal cognition.Conclusions: RNFL thinning was associated with cingulate cortex atrophy and episodic memory decline in old participants. The longitudinal changes of RNFL thickness are suggested to be a useful complementary index of neurocognitive aging or neurodegeneration

Erythritol attenuates postprandial blood glucose by inhibiting α-glucosidase

This work was supported by grants from Natural Science Foundation of Qinghai (No. 2016-ZJ-942Q), West Light Foundation of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (No. Y629071211), National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 31701243), International Cooperative Projects of Qinghai province (No. 2017-HZ-811), Project of Discovery, Evaluation and Transformation of Active Natural Compounds, Strategic Biological Resources Service Network Program of Chinese Academy of Sciences (No. ZSTH-027), Major Special Science and Technology Projects in Qinghai Province (2014-GX-A3A-01).Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a serious metabolic disorder where impaired postprandial blood glucose regulation often leads to severe health complications. The natural chemical, erythritol is a C4 polyol approved by FDA for use as a sweetener. Here we examined a potential role for erythritol in the control of postprandial blood glucose levels in DM. An anti-postprandial hyperglycemia effect upon erythritol administration (500 mg kg-1) was demonstrated in alloxan-induced DM model mice by monitoring changes in blood glucose after intragastric administration of drugs and starch. We also found that erythritol most likely exerts its anti-postprandial hyperglycemic activities by inhibiting α-glucosidase in a competitive manner. This was supported by enzyme activity assays and molecular modelling experiments. In the latter experiments it was possible to successful dock erythritol into the catalytic pocket of α-glucosidase, with the resultant interaction likely to be driven by electrostatic interactions involving Asp 215, Asp69 and Arg446 residues. This study suggests that erythritol may not only serve as a glucose substitute but may also be a useful agent in the treatment of diabetes mellitus to help manage postprandial blood glucose levels.PostprintPeer reviewe