Fluctuating shapes of the fireballs in heavy-ion collisions

We argue that energy and momentum deposition from hard partons into quark-gluon plasma induces an important contribution to the final state hadron anisotropies. We also advocate a novel method of Event Shape Sorting which allow to analyse the azimuthal anisotropies of the fireball dynamics in more detail. A use of the method in femtoscopy is demonstrated.Comment: contribution to Proceedings of the XXIV Baldin seminar on high energy physics problems (Relativistic Nuclear Physics and Quantum Chromodynamics), Sept. 17-22, 2018, Dubna, Russia, 6 page

Functional patient-derived cellular models for neuropsychiatric drug discovery.

Mental health disorders are a leading cause of disability worldwide. Challenges such as disease heterogeneity, incomplete characterization of the targets of existing drugs and a limited understanding of functional interactions of complex genetic risk loci and environmental factors have compromised the identification of novel drug candidates. There is a pressing clinical need for drugs with new mechanisms of action which address the lack of efficacy and debilitating side effects of current medications. Here we discuss a novel strategy for neuropsychiatric drug discovery which aims to address these limitations by identifying disease-related functional responses ('functional cellular endophenotypes') in a variety of patient-derived cells, such as induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived neurons and organoids or peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Disease-specific alterations in cellular responses can subsequently yield novel drug screening targets and drug candidates. We discuss the potential of this approach in the context of recent advances in patient-derived cellular models, high-content single-cell screening of cellular networks and changes in the diagnostic framework of neuropsychiatric disorders

Immunomodulatory effects of probiotic supplementation in schizophrenia patients: A randomized, placebo-controlled trial

Although peripheral immune system abnormalities have been linked to schizophrenia pathophysiology, standard antipsychotic drugs show limited immunological effects. Thus, more effective treatment approaches are required. Probiotics are microorganisms that modulate the immune response of the host and, therefore, may be beneficial to schizophrenia patients. The aim of this study was to examine the possible immunomodulatory effects of probiotic supplementation in chronic schizophrenia patients. The concentrations of 47 immune-related serum proteins were measured using multiplexed immunoassays in samples collected from patients before and after 14 weeks of adjuvant treatment with probiotics (Lactobacillus rhamnosus strain GG and Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis strain Bb12; n = 31) or placebo (n = 27). Probiotic add-on treatment significantly reduced levels of von Willebrand factor (vWF) and increased levels of monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), RANTES, and macrophage inflammatory protein-1 beta (MIP-1) beta with borderline significance (P ≤ 0.08). In silico pathway analysis revealed that probiotic-induced alterations are related to regulation of immune and intestinal epithelial cells through the IL-17 family of cytokines. We hypothesize that supplementation of probiotics to schizophrenia patients may improve control of gastrointestinal leakage

Association of Insulin Resistance With Schizophrenia Polygenic Risk Score and Response to Antipsychotic Treatment

This study examines the association between insulin resistance, schizophrenia polygenic risk, and treatment outcomes in first-episode, antipsychotic-naive patients with schizophrenia.Funding/Support: This work was supported by grants from the Stanley Medical Research Institute (Dr Bahn)

Exploring cellular markers of metabolic syndrome in peripheral blood mononuclear cells across the neuropsychiatric spectrum

Recent evidence suggests that comorbidities between neuropsychiatric conditions and metabolic syndrome may precede and even exacerbate long-term side-effects of psychiatric medication, such as a higher risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, which result in increased mortality. In the present study we compare the expression of key metabolic proteins, including the insulin receptor (CD220), glucose transporter 1 (GLUT1) and fatty acid translocase (CD36), on peripheral blood mononuclear cell subtypes from patients across the neuropsychiatric spectrum, including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depression and autism spectrum conditions (n = 25/condition), relative to typical controls (n = 100). This revealed alterations in the expression of these proteins that were specific to schizophrenia. Further characterization of metabolic alterations in an extended cohort of first-onset antipsychotic drug-naïve schizophrenia patients (n = 58) and controls (n = 63) revealed that the relationship between insulin receptor expression in monocytes and physiological insulin sensitivity was disrupted in schizophrenia and that altered expression of the insulin receptor was associated with whole genome polygenic risk scores for schizophrenia. Finally, longitudinal follow-up of the schizophrenia patients over the course of antipsychotic drug treatment revealed that peripheral metabolic markers predicted changes in psychopathology and the principal side effect of weight gain at clinically relevant time points. These findings suggest that peripheral blood cells can provide an accessible surrogate model for metabolic alterations in schizophrenia and have the potential to stratify subgroups of patients with different clinical outcomes or a greater risk of developing metabolic complications following antipsychotic therapy

Posture and low back pain during pregnancy — 3D study

Objectives: Back pain is a common complaint of pregnant women. The posture, curvatures of the spine and the center of gravity changes are considered as the mechanisms leading to pain. The study aimed to assess spinal curvatures and static postural characteristics with three-dimensional surface topography and search for relationships with the occurrence of back pain complaints among pregnant women. Material and methods: The study was conducted from December 2012 to February 2014. Patients referred from University Clinic of Gynecology and Obstetrics were examined outpatient at the Posture Study Unit of Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology. Sixty-five women at 4–39 weeks of pregnancy were assessed and surveyed with Oswestry Disability Index; posture was evaluated using surface topography. Results: The study confirmed that difficulties in sitting and standing are significant in the third trimester of the pregnancy. The overall tendency for significant lumbar curvature changes in pregnant women was not confirmed. Major changes in sagittal trunk inclination in relation to the plumb line were not observed in the study group. Conclusions: The issue regarding how the pregnancy causes changes in spinal curvature and posture remains open for further studies. Presented method of 3D surface topography can reveal postural changes, but that requires several exams of each subject and strict follow-up of the series of cases