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The polar environment harbors extremely rich and valuable natural product resources. In this study, a strain of Antarctic fungus, Geomyces sp. wnf-18c, in Antarctic soil was isolated in a laboratory. This fungus produces a purplish-red pigment whose hue closely resembles that of the high-end pigment carminic acid. However, approximately 50 % of the pigment remains within the fungal hyphae, restricting subsequent separation and extraction. In this study, the deletion of the key cell wall protein-encoding genes CHS3 and AGS1 enhanced pigment secretion. It also considerably inhibited the strain's growth, making it difficult to substantially increase the total pigment yield. To overcome these hurdles, the xylose-inducible system from Trichoderma reesei was heterologously expressed in Antarctic fungi, and the CRISPR-Cas9 system was placed under the control of this induction system. The exogenous addition of xylose as a signal to initiate genetic editing achieved the spatiotemporal regulation of the target gene-activating gene editing that restricts growth only after the completion of the strain's growth phase. The spatiotemporal regulation of key cell wall proteins significantly mitigated growth inhibition, greatly enhanced pigment secretion, and raised the total pigment yield. This discovery advances our understanding of the spatiotemporal specificity and dynamic regulation of microorganisms, offering novel strategies for exploiting polar microbial resources and reducing industrial production costs.

Observational and secondary analyses of clinical trials evaluating efficacy of antidepressants suggest that medications with noradrenergic and dopaminergic mechanisms of action may be more effective in managing symptoms of major depressive disorder (MDD) in obese patients than medications that are purely serotonergic. The purpose of this study is to compare the efficacy of bupropion versus SSRIs in patients without a documented antidepressant trial with comorbid MDD and obesity. This was a retrospective, propensity-score matched, observational study utilizing a global cohort within the TriNetX database. Adults aged 18 or over with a major depressive episode and obesity were grouped into two cohorts: 1) exposure to bupropion and 2) exposure to SSRIs. Patients with antidepressant exposure prior to the index event were excluded. Both cohorts were propensity matched based on 16 covariates. The primary outcome was remission of a major depressive episode. Secondary outcomes included evaluating socioeconomic and psychosocial differences between the groups. Each cohort yielded 165,629 patients. The primary endpoint analysis indicated a small but statistically significant difference in MDD remission rates in favor of bupropion with an absolute risk rate of 8.5% compared to 7.9% in the SSRI group (Risk Ratio [RR] 1.07, 95% CI 1.05-1.10, p < 0.0001). Binary outcomes were summarized using risk differences and risk ratios and compared between cohorts using chi-square tests. Our findings suggest bupropion monotherapy was associated with a small but statistically significant higher remission rate compared with SSRIs but further prospective studies using objective remission indicators are needed.

Polymeric carbon nitride demonstrates considerable potential for the degradation of imidacloprid (IMI) in aquatic environments; however, its practical application is limited by a scarcity of active sites and the rapid recombination of photogenerated charge carriers. To address these limitations, a phosphorus (P) and cobalt (Co) co-modified tubular carbon nitride photocatalyst (Co-PTCN) with dual reaction sites was successfully synthesized. This catalyst achieved 90% removal of IMI within one hour under visible light irradiation at pH 7.5. Comprehensive characterization confirmed that the tubular morphology promotes the formation of dual reaction sites, wherein Co sites functioning as oxidation centers and P sites serving as oxygen activation and reduction centers. The enhanced separation efficiency of photogenerated charge carriers was corroborated by theoretical calculations and transient photovoltage measurements. Proposed degradation pathways of IMI were elucidated, and toxicity predictions indicated a decreasing trend in toxicity throughout the degradation process. This work provides new perspectives for feasibly constructing dual-reaction-site photocatalysts and offers theoretical support for the degradation mechanisms of IMI.

Approximately one in five veterans may develop a mental health condition, though longitudinal prevalence estimates among post-9/11 veterans are limited. This study examined two decades (2001-21) of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression data from the Millennium Cohort Study. Eligible participants were actively serving at baseline and separated before the 2019-21 follow-up survey (n = 133,575). Probable PTSD (PTSD Checklist) and depression (Patient Health Questionnaire) were assessed. Age- and sex-standardized prevalence estimates for PTSD, depression, and co-occurring PTSD/depression (a four-level, mutually exclusive variable) were calculated for six time points. PTSD increased approximately five-fold (5.2 to 25.2 cases/100 persons) and depression four-fold (3.6 to 15.5 cases/100 persons). For the co-occurring PTSD/depression outcome, a two-fold increase was observed for depression only (1.5 to 2.7 cases/100 persons), while increases for PTSD only (3.1 to 12.4 cases/100 persons), and comorbid PTSD/depression (2.0 to 12.7 cases/100 persons) were four- and six-fold, respectively. In this population-based study, prevalence estimates of PTSD and depression increased over time, with larger increases attributable to PTSD and co-occurring PTSD/depression. These pronounced increases in prevalence estimates warrant consideration for expansion of mental health screening and treatment services among post-9/11 veterans.

Background: Anxiety and depression show substantial heterogeneity and often emerge in adolescence. However, their brain structural associations from a symptom-oriented perspective remain unclear. This study investigated the symptom structures of adolescent anxiety and depression and identified key brain regions linking brain structure to symptoms.

Methods: A total of 1568 adolescents with elevated depressive symptoms and 413 adolescents with elevated anxiety symptoms were identified from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development study. Participants completed symptom assessments and underwent Magnetic Resonance Imaging scanning. A total of ten symptom-only networks and symptom-brain networks were constructed to identify the central symptoms and the key brain structure associated with depression and anxiety symptoms.

Results: In the symptom-only networks, concentration difficulties emerged as the shared central symptom, while self-hatred and irritability were the unique central symptoms for depression and anxiety, respectively. In the symptom-brain networks, left- and right-pallidum volumes exhibited the highest bridge centrality in connection with depressive symptoms, whereas left-nucleus accumbens volume showed the highest bridge centrality in connection with anxiety symptoms. Cortical structures showed sparse connections with both depressive and anxiety symptoms.

Conclusion: Our findings highlight the pallidum and nucleus accumbens as key brain regions linking brain structure to adolescent depressive and anxiety symptoms. These results provide insights into the neural mechanisms of depression and anxiety from a symptom-oriented perspective and may inform targeted interventions for at-risk youth.

Depression is associated with substantial multimorbidity and elevated healthcare utilization. This study characterised treated comorbidities and healthcare costs in participants of the Australian Genetics of Depression Study (AGDS) using pharmaceutical claims data. Linked Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) records from 01/07/2013-31/12/2017 were available for 15,890 AGDS participants. Forty-six chronic conditions were inferred using the validated pharmacy-based Rx-Risk Comorbidity Index based on Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical Classification System codes and PBS item codes. Prevalence estimates were compared with a 4:1 matched non-depressed Australian representative population sample (10PCT) with PBS claims data available from 01/07/2010-31/12/2014. AGDS participants had a higher mean number of inferred comorbidities (4.6 ± 2.9) than individuals in the 10PCT sample (2.0 ± 2.1). Excluding depression, 89.1% of AGDS participants had at least one inferred comorbidity, most commonly pain (51.0%), inflammation/pain (40.3%), and anxiety (32.3%). Metabolic and cardiovascular conditions frequently co-occurred (13.2%). Within AGDS, comorbidity burden was higher among women and increased with age, body mass index, number of depressive episodes and symptoms, and annual healthcare costs. Median annual healthcare costs were approximately 65% higher among AGDS participants with 2-3 inferred comorbidities compared with those with none. This study provides a detailed description of treated comorbidities and associated healthcare costs among Australians living with depression. The findings highlight the substantial multimorbidity burden in this cohort and its association with increased healthcare costs to both the individual and health system.

Background: With the increasing prevalence of depression, there is an urgent clinical need for early screening in depression. The retina offers a promising window for early screening in depression due to its rapid, non-invasive, objective, eye-brain correlated characteristics, but previous research has yielded conflicting alterations in retinal microstructure in depression.

Methods: We screened retinal optical coherence tomography and brain magnetic resonance imaging data in the UK Biobank to enroll 23,225 participants for retinal study of depression occurrence, and 1475 participants for the eye-brain association study. We also used genetic data (ID: ebi-a-GCST90014267 and ukb-d-20,448) from the Integrative Epidemiology Unit Open Genome-Wide Association Study for Mendelian randomization analysis. We used Cox regression to assess the association between retinal microstructure and depression risk, Mendelian randomization to infer causality, and mediation analysis to explore retina-brain pathway association.

Results: The Cox regression analysis showed that retinal ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer (GCIPL) thickness remained a significant predictor of depression. The Mendelian randomization analysis indicated a positive statistical association between GCIPL thickness and depression. Moreover, there was a significant positive correlation (all p < 0.001) between the volume of specific depression-related brain regions and the GCIPL thickness. Adjusting for age, sex, and head size, the mediation analysis provided preliminary evidence for a potential anatomical pathway linking retinal GCIPL thickness to depression-related brain regions through primary visual cortex and secondary visual cortex volumes.

Conclusion: Thickened retinal GCIPL is a potential early phenotype of depression and has a potential association pathway with depression-related brain regions using a radiogenomics approach.

The development of rapid, on-site analytical methods and test strips for alkaline phosphatase activity (APA) is crucial for addressing drinking water safety crises, as it enables eutrophication assessment and algal bloom warnings under phosphorus-limited conditions. In this study, we incorporate aggregation-induced emission luminogen (AIEgen) guest TPE-4PA into bimetallic lanthanide-based infinite coordination polymers (Tb/Eu-GMP ICPs). TPE-4PA exhibits unprecedented binding preference for Tb³⁺ over Eu³⁺, triggering coordination-induced emission (CIE) at 450 nm and modulating the antenna effect (AE) and the tandem energy transfer (TER) from Tb³⁺ to Eu³⁺. Subsequently, acetylacetone (acac) was further introduced to yield TPE-4PA@Tb/Eu-GMP-acac ICPs with an appropriate full-color fluoresce response capability. The addition of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) hydrolyzes GMP and TPE-4PA dual substrates, resulting in reduced characteristic emission of the bimetallic Ln-ICP host at 493, 548, 593, 619 and 703 nm, increased monomer emission of TPE-4PA at 392 nm, as well as the solvent-driven AIE of the enzymatic product TPE-4OH at 430 nm, which constitutes a novel ratiometric ALP sensing mechanism with pale-purple to blue fluorescence color shifts. Featuring high sensitivity, doubly assured selectivity, and operational simplicity, this "all-in-one" probe enables real-time APA monitoring via dual-substrate kinetics and is suitable for on-site ALP test strip development. Moreover, the unique color transition point of the dual-substrate-based TPE-4PA@Tb/Eu-GMP-acac ICPs probe can be designed to signal an APA surge prior to algal bloom onset, which holds significant potential for the development of microalgae pollution early-warning systems, thereby safeguarding drinking water safety.

Iron salt-based chemically enhanced primary treatment effectively captures organic carbon from municipal wastewater, providing a concentrated substrate for methane recovery through anaerobic digestion. However, methane production from iron salt-based chemically enhanced primary sedimentation (Fe-CEPS) sludge remains substantially lower than expected, and the mechanisms responsible for this reduction remain poorly understood. Here, the relationship between iron-bound organic carbon (Fe-OC) formation and methane production was investigated by combining anaerobic digestion experiments with iron mineral-glucose model systems. Increasing Fe dosage reduced methane yield from 221.1 to 74.7 mL CH₄ g^-1 VS while promoting Fe-OC accumulation. A strong negative correlation was observed between Fe-OC content and methane production. Fresh Fe-CEPS sludge contained only limited Fe-OC (<10% of total organic carbon), whereas Fe-OC accounted for approximately 26% of total organic carbon after anaerobic digestion, indicating that Fe-OC formed predominantly during digestion rather than during coagulation. Iron speciation analyses revealed extensive Fe(III) reduction accompanied by secondary iron mineral formation. Model experiments further demonstrated that Fe(II)-induced mineral transformation increased mineral crystallinity, enhanced organic carbon stabilization, reduced carbon bioavailability, and consequently suppressed methane production. Scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy further revealed progressively stronger spatial associations between organic carbon and iron minerals as mineral crystallinity increased. These findings reveal a previously unrecognized mechanism whereby Fe(II)-induced secondary iron mineral formation promotes Fe-OC accumulation and reduces organic carbon bioavailability during anaerobic digestion. Regulating iron mineral transformation may therefore represent an effective strategy for improving methane recovery from iron-enhanced primary sludge.