Executive control in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: A worldwide mega-analysis of task-based functional neuroimaging data of the ENIGMA-OCD consortium.

Objective Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is associated with impaired executive function and altered activity in associated neural circuits, contributing to reduced goal-directed behavior. To investigate neural activation during executive control, we conducted a mega-analysis in the ENIGMA-OCD consortium pooling individual participant data from 475 individuals with OCD and 345 healthy controls across 15 fMRI tasks collected worldwide. Methods Individual participant data was uniformly processed using HALFpipe to construct voxelwise statistical images of executive control and task load contrasts.

Bivalent Oral Vaccine Using Attenuated Gallinarum Delivering HA and NA-M2e Confers Dual Protection Against H9N2 Avian Influenza and Fowl Typhoid in Chickens.

Fowl typhoid (FT), a septicemic infection caused by Gallinarum (SG), and H9N2 avian influenza are two economically important diseases that significantly affect the global poultry industry. We exploited the live attenuated Gallinarum (SG) mutant JOL3062 (SG: ∆ ∆ ∆) as a delivery system for H9N2 antigens to induce an immunoprotective response against both H9N2 and FT. To enhance immune protection against H9N2, a prokaryotic and eukaryotic dual expression plasmid, pJHL270, was employed.

Differential trajectories of corticostriatal structural connectivity in individuals at clinical high risk for psychosis according to functional outcome.

Dysconnectivity in the corticostriatal pathway, which is central to psychosis pathophysiology, is also known to be present in individuals at clinical high risk for psychosis (CHR-P). Considering that the corticostriatal pathway actively matures until adulthood and that neuroanatomical maturation is suggested to be related to functional outcomes in individuals at CHR-P, longitudinal studies on the corticostriatal structural pathway in individuals at CHR-P are warranted. To characterize the longitudinal trajectory of corticostriatal structural connectivity, diffusion-weighted images were collected from 23 individuals at CHR-P and 20 healthy controls (HCs) at baseline and at a 2-year follow-up visit.

Comparison of the genomes of Vibrio phages pVco-5 and pVco-7: implications for phage-host interactions.

Oyster hatcheries suffer significant mortality caused by members of the bacterial genus Vibrio, which infect Crassostrea gigas larvae. Bacteriophages present a potential alternative to antibiotics, with N4-like phages showing promise against vibriosis. We investigated the adsorption properties and determined the complete genome sequence of phage pVco-7 and performed phylogenetic and comparative analysis with other N4-like Vibrio phages to gain insights into phage resistance mechanisms and infection strategies.

Baseline Clinical Characterization of Participants in the Accelerating Medicines Partnership Schizophrenia Program.

Background: This paper focuses on the baseline clinical characterization of the participants in the Accelerating Medicines Partnership Schizophrenia (AMP SCZ) program. The AMP SCZ program is designed to investigate a wide array of clinical variables and biomarkers in a total of 2040 clinical high-risk (CHR) participants and 652 community control (CC) participants.

Methods: The dataset analyzed includes 1642 individuals at clinical high risk for psychosis and 519 CCs.

Sample Ascertainment and Recruitment Sources in the Accelerating Medicines Partnership Schizophrenia Program.

Background: This paper presents the recruitment sources of clinical high-risk (CHR) and community controls (CC) from the Accelerating Medicines Partnership Schizophrenia (AMP SCZ) program, which aims to study various clinical variables and biomarkers in 2040 CHR and 652 CC participants.

Methods: A total of 1640 CHR and 514 CC had recruitment source data. The Positive Symptoms and Diagnostic Criteria for the Comprehensive Assessment of At-Risk Mental States Harmonized with the SIPS was utilized to assess CHR criteria and severity of attenuated psychotic symptoms (APSs), and the Global Functioning: Social Scale was used for social functioning.

White Matter Integrity of the Three Subdivisions of the Superior Longitudinal Fasciculi in First-Episode Psychosis Patients.

Objective: The superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF) is a white matter (WM) bundle connecting the frontal and parietal lobes. SLF subdivisions have distinct functions (e.g.

Metabolic click-labeling of interleukin-10 enhances the immunomodulatory potential and wound healing properties of mesenchymal stem cell-derived extracellular nanovesicles.

Mesenchymal stem cell-derived extracellular nanovesicles (MSC-NVs) exhibit unique biological properties and tissue-regenerative effects comparable to their parent MSCs. However, despite the robust angiogenic and anti-apoptotic effects of MSC-NVs, their immunomodulatory effect is limited due to insufficient translation of anti-inflammatory cytokines from parent MSCs to isolated NVs. Hence, in this study we suggest the incorporation of interleukin (IL)-10, a key anti-inflammatory mediator in the body's immune system, on the surface of MSC-NVs bio-orthogonal click chemistry.

Thalamocortical white matter connectivity and the entorhinal cortex as neural correlates of electroconvulsive therapy response in patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorder.

Background: Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is an effective treatment for patients with treatment-resistant schizophrenia spectrum disorder (SSD); however, the underlying mechanisms of ECT remain unclear, and region-specific neuromodulation targets are not well defined. Abnormally reduced thalamo-prefrontal cortex (PFC) and increased thalamo-parietal cortex (PC) connectivity have been linked to schizophrenia pathophysiology. In this study, thalamocortical white matter (WM) connectivity was examined as a potential biomarker of ECT response, and the brain regions that mediate ECT-induced changes in SSD patients were explored.

The electroencephalography protocol for the Accelerating Medicines Partnership® Schizophrenia Program: Reliability and stability of measures.

Individuals at clinical high risk for psychosis (CHR) have variable clinical outcomes and low conversion rates, limiting development of novel and personalized treatments. Moreover, given risks of antipsychotic drugs, safer effective medications for CHR individuals are needed. The Accelerating Medicines Partnership® Schizophrenia (AMP® SCZ) Program was launched to address this need.

Digital removal of dermal denticle layer using geometric AI from 3D CT scans of shark craniofacial structures enhances anatomical precision.

Craniofacial morphometrics in sharks provide crucial insights into evolutionary history, geographical variation, sexual dimorphism, and developmental patterns. However, the fragile cartilaginous nature of shark craniofacial skeleton poses significant challenges for traditional specimen preparation, often resulting in damaged cranial landmarks and compromised measurement accuracy. While computed tomography (CT) offers a non-invasive alternative for anatomical observation, the high electron density of dermal denticles in sharks creates a unique challenge, obstructing clear visualization of internal structures in three-dimensional volume-rendered images (3DVRI).

Hippocampal and amygdala subfield volumes in obsessive-compulsive disorder by medication status.

Background: Although it has been suggested that the hippocampus and amygdala (HA) are involved in the neurobiology of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), volumetric findings have been inconsistent, and little work has been undertaken on the volumetry of the heterogeneous anatomic units of HA, with their specific functions and cytoarchitecture, in OCD. We sought to explore potential sources of heterogeneity in brain volumes by performing a separate analysis for people with and without psychotropic medication use, as well as the association of subfield volumes with OCD symptom severity.

Methods: We segmented -weighted images from people with OCD and healthy controls in the OCD Brain Imaging Consortium to produce 12 hippocampal subfields and 9 amygdala subfields using Free-Surfer 6.

Stability of psychotic symptoms and safety in switching to aripiprazole once-monthly according to prior oral antipsychotic drugs.

Long-acting injectable aripiprazole has substantiated safety and efficacy in treating schizophrenia. However, interindividual variability in clinical response to aripiprazole, possibly linked to its D2 partial agonism and D2 upregulation due to prior antipsychotics, has been reported. This study assessed whether there would be symptomatic aggravations or adverse events in clinically stable patients with schizophrenia when switching from oral antipsychotics to aripiprazole once-monthly (AOM), considering prior antipsychotics: oral aripiprazole (Group I) or other D2 antagonists (Group II).

The neural basis of intuitive approximate number system in board game Go (Baduk) experts.

Studies have shown that newborns and nonhuman animals innately estimate quantities using the approximate number system (ANS), raising questions about whether the ANS is a precursor to advanced computational abilities or an independent cognitive function. Professional board game Go players, who can quickly judge territory sizes without explicit calculations, provide a unique insight into the ANS. Using fMRI, we investigated the neural correlates of the approximate number system in professional Go players.

PSYSCAN multi-centre study: baseline characteristics and clinical outcomes of the clinical high risk for psychosis sample.

Predicting outcomes in individuals at clinical high risk (CHR) of developing psychosis remains challenging using clinical metrics alone. The PSYSCAN project aimed to enhance predictive value by integrating data across clinical, environmental, neuroimaging, cognitive, and peripheral blood biomarkers. PSYSCAN employed a naturalistic, prospective design across 12 sites (Europe, Australia, Asia, Americas).

Sample ascertainment and clinical outcome measures in the Accelerating Medicines Partnership® Schizophrenia Program.

Clinical ascertainment and clinical outcome are key features of any large multisite study. In the ProNET and PRESCIENT research networks, the Accelerating Medicines Partnership Schizophrenia (AMPSCZ) Clinical Ascertainment and Outcome Measures Team aimed to establish a harmonized clinical assessment protocol across these two research networks and to define ascertainment criteria and primary and secondary endpoints. In addition to developing the assessment protocol, the goals of this aspect of the AMP SCZ project were: (1) to implement and monitor clinical training, ascertainment of participants, and clinical assessments; (2) to provide expert clinical input to the Psychosis Risk Evaluation, Data Integration and Computational Technologies: Data Processing, Analysis, and Coordination Center (PREDICT-DPACC) for data collection, quality control, and preparation of data for the analysis of the clinical measures; and (3) to provide ongoing support to the collection, analysis, and reporting of clinical data.

Data analysis strategies for the Accelerating Medicines Partnership® Schizophrenia Program.

The Accelerating Medicines Partnership® Schizophrenia (AMP® SCZ) project assesses a large sample of individuals at clinical high-risk for developing psychosis (CHR) and community controls. Subjects are enrolled in 43 sites across 5 continents. The assessments include domains similar to those acquired in previous CHR studies along with novel domains that are collected longitudinally across a period of 2 years.

The MR neuroimaging protocol for the Accelerating Medicines Partnership® Schizophrenia Program.

Neuroimaging with MRI has been a frequent component of studies of individuals at clinical high risk (CHR) for developing psychosis, with goals of understanding potential brain regions and systems impacted in the CHR state and identifying prognostic or predictive biomarkers that can enhance our ability to forecast clinical outcomes. To date, most studies involving MRI in CHR are likely not sufficiently powered to generate robust and generalizable neuroimaging results. Here, we describe the prospective, advanced, and modern neuroimaging protocol that was implemented in a complex multi-site, multi-vendor environment, as part of the large-scale Accelerating Medicines Partnership® Schizophrenia Program (AMP® SCZ), including the rationale for various choices.

Cognitive assessment in the Accelerating Medicines Partnership® Schizophrenia Program: harmonization priorities and strategies in a diverse international sample.

Cognitive impairment occurs at higher rates in individuals at clinical high risk (CHR) for psychosis relative to healthy peers, and it contributes unique variance to multivariate prediction models of transition to psychosis. Such impairment is considered a core biomarker of schizophrenia. Thus, cognition is a key domain measured in the Accelerating Medicines Partnership® program for Schizophrenia (AMP SCZ initiative).

Synthesis of Autotaxin-Inhibiting Lipid Nanoparticles to Regulate Autophagy and Inflammatory Responses in Activated Macrophages.

Background: Autotaxin (ATX), an ENPP2 enzyme, regulates lipid signaling by converting lysophosphatidylcholine to lysophosphatidic acid (LPA). Dysregulation of the ATX/LPA axis promotes inflammation and disease progression. BMP-22, a lipid ATX inhibitor, effectively reduces LPA production.

Lipopolysaccharide structural modification in Salmonella Gallinarum targeting lipid a deacylation and O-antigen reduces virulence and endotoxicity with competitive protection against a wild-type challenge in chickens.

Fowl typhoid (FT), caused by Salmonella Gallinarum (SG), inflicts a significant economic burden on the poultry industry. Our study focused on a non-reversible gene deletion to develop a safe and effective SG vaccine strain through lipopolysaccharide (LPS) structural modification. The virulence-attenuated SG JOL914 strain, generated by deleting the global regulator lon gene, was engineered by in-frame deletions targeting the LPS structure.

Transforming bacterial pathogens into wonder tools in cancer immunotherapy.

Cancer immunotherapy has revolutionized cancer treatment due to its precise, target-specific approach compared with conventional therapies. However, treating solid tumors remains challenging as these tumors are inherently immunosuppressive, and their tumor microenvironment (TME) often limits therapeutic efficacy. Interestingly, certain bacterial species offer a promising alternative by exhibiting an innate ability to target and proliferate within tumor environments.

Cross-sectional study of lung cancer patients as a potential high-risk factor for abdominal aortic aneurysm.

Background: Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is more common in Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. Considering that ruptured AAA is potentially fatal, timely management of AAA would result in long-term survival benefits. We assess the prevalence and characteristics of AAA in resectable NSCLC patients who would benefit from AAA surveillance.