Characteristics of Turbulence and Aerosol Optical and Radiative Properties during Haze–Fog Episodes in Shenyang, Northeast China

The characteristics of turbulence in the planetary boundary layer (PBL) and the aerosol optical and radiative properties during haze and haze–fog mixed episodes on 22–27 January 2021, in Shenyang, a provincial city in Northeast China, were analyzed using meteorological and aerosol observations. During the haze episode, the hourly mean PM2.5 concentration reached a maximum of 337 µg m−3 and visibility decreased to 1.6 km. The PM2.5 concentration decreased gradually during the haze–fog mixed episode as a result of the scavenging effects of fog, but visibility mostly remained below 1 km owing to high ambient relative humidity (>90%). During the haze–fog mixed episode, an increasing proportion of PM2.5 led to a higher ratio of the backward to the total scattering coefficient. As fog occurred, downward shortwave radiation arriving at the surface was significantly reduced, and upward longwave radiation increased and almost equaled the downward longwave radiation, which can be used as a good indicator for distinguishing haze and fog. Mechanical turbulence was weak during both episodes, and latent heat flux varied within a wider range during the haze–fog mixed episode. The PBL dynamic structure affected the vertical distribution of aerosols/fog droplets. Aerosol-rich layers appeared at altitudes below 0.5 km and above 0.6 km during the haze episode. The elevated aerosol layer was related to the aerosol transport from upstream polluted areas caused by strong upper-level turbulence, and it began to mix vertically after sunrise because of convective turbulence. Aerosols and fog droplets were mostly trapped in a shallower PBL with a height of 0.2–0.4 km during the haze–fog mixed episode because of weaker turbulence.

Lurasidone in the long-term treatment of Japanese patients with bipolar I disorder: a 52 week open label study

Background The current study evaluated the long-term (52 week) safety and impact on symptom measures of lurasidone (with or without lithium or valproate) for the treatment of bipolar I disorder in Japanese patients. Methods Bipolar patients for this open-label flexibly dosed lurasidone (20–120 mg/day) study were recruited from those with a recent/current depressive episode who completed an initial 6 week, double-blind, placebo-controlled, lurasidone study (depressed group), and those with a recent/current manic, hypomanic, or mixed episode (non-depressed group) who agreed to enroll directly into the long-term study. Measures of adverse events and safety included treatment-emergent adverse events, vital signs, body weight, ECG, laboratory tests, and measures of suicidality and extrapyramidal symptoms. Symptom measures included Montgomery Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) and Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS). Results The most common adverse events associated with lurasidone were akathisia (30.7%), nasopharyngitis (26.6%), nausea (12.1%), and somnolence (12.1%). Minimal changes in lipids and measures of glycemic control occurred. Mean change in body weight was + 1.0 kg in the non-depressed group and − 0.8 kg in the depressed group. MADRS total scores declined by a mean (SD) of 2.0 (14.7) points from long-term baseline to endpoint in the depressed group who had received placebo in the prior 6 week trial. The depressed group that had received lurasidone during the prior 6 week study maintained their depressive symptom improvements. For the non-depressed group, YMRS total scores decreased over time. Limitations No control group was included, treatment was open-label, and 49.7% of patients completed the 52 week study. Conclusions Long-term treatment with lurasidone 20–120 mg/day for Japanese patients with bipolar disorder maintained improvements in depressive symptoms for depressed patients who were treated in a prior 6 week trial and led to improvements in manic symptoms among a newly recruited subgroup of patients with a recent/current manic, hypomanic, or mixed episode. Few changes in weight or metabolic parameters were evident. Clinical trial registration: JapicCTI-132319, clinicaltrials.gov—NCT01986114.

Cognitive flexibility and problem-solving in patients with bipolar disorder

Introduction: This study focuses on the cognitive impairment in patients with bipolar disorder and also the distribution of cognitive flexibility and problem-solving by degree of education, chronicity, and episode of patient is in at the time of evaluation.Methods: This was a cross sectional descriptive study with purposive sampling method. The population was the Harmony in Diversity Group in Surabaya, Indonesia. Twenty-two patients agreed to be subjects and each of them finished the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) to measure cognitive flexibility and the Tower of London (TOL) to measure problem-solving. Results: The WCST score are below normal for 90.9% of the patients. Higher cognitive flexibility is found in patients with bachelor’s degree and euthymic patients, while lower cognitive flexibility is found in patients in depression episode, manic episode, and mixed episode. No patients could finish the TOL within the minimum required steps. Better problem-solving is found in patients in manic episode and euthymic patients while lower problem-solving is found in mixed episode and depressive episode.Conclusion: The cognitive flexibility and problem-solving in patients with bipolar disorder are lower than the normal cut off. The type of episode and chronicity are contributing factors. Euthymic patients tend to have better cognitive flexibility and manic patients tend to have better problem-solving ability.

Features of the cognitive sphere in patients with a mixed episode of bipolar affective disorder

Background. Data of various meta-analyzes confirm that the majority of patients with bipolar affective disorder (BAD) have neurocognitive dysfunction, even during remission. According to the latest research, disturbed domains with moderate to pronounced changes are attention, verbal learning and memory, as well as executive functions, whereas premorbid intelligence may remain unchanged. The main body of research is devoted to the study of cognitive impairment in the first episode of BAD, in manic, depressive episodes and euthymia. At the same time, the features of cognitive dysfunction in mixed forms of biologically active substances remain insufficiently studied. Objective – to study the characteristics of the cognitive sphere in patients with a mixed episode of BAD. Materials and methods. With the help of battery tests (a test to memorize ten unrelated words; Rey-Osterreith Complex Figure Test; Verbal Fluency Test Digit Symbol Substitution Test; Trail making test), the cognitive functions of 25 patients with mixed episodes, 16 patients with manic episodes, and 15 patients with depressive episode of BAD. Results. Cognitive impairments were identified in all patients, regardless of the type of affective symptoms, in the form of a wide range of psychopathological phenomena, which are more pronounced in patients with a mixed episode BAD. The peculiarities of the phenomenological structure of cognitive impairment in patients with mixed phase BAD manifest themselves in the form of: a more pronounced deterioration of verbal memory, speed of information processing; more pronounced violations of spatial representations, impairment of visual memory, verbal associative performance and executive functions; reduction of attention and violations of its distribution. Conclusions. The findings suggest that the presence of depressive symptoms in the structure of mixed affect plays a dominant role in the formation of these disorders.

Cognitive functions in a mixed episode of bipolar affective disorder

Summary. According to various meta-analyzes, most patients with bipolar affective disorder have neurocognitive dysfunction even in remission. In recent studies, moderate to severe impairments have been found in attention, verbal learning and memory, and executive function. Whereas premorbid intelligence remains unchanged. The main body of research is devoted to the study of cognitive impairment in the first episode of bipolar affective disorder, in manic, depressive episodes, and euthymia. At the same time, the features of cognitive dysfunction in mixed forms of bipolar affective disorder remain poorly understood. The aim of the study was to study the characteristics of cognitive functions in patients with a mixed episode of bipolar affective disorder. Materials and methods. With the help of a battery of tests (a test for remembering ten unrelated words; a Ray-Osterritz test; a verbal speed test; a digital character substitution test; a symbol linking test), the cognitive features of 25 patients with a mixed episode, 16 patients with a manic episode, and 15 patients with a depressive episode of bipolar affective disorder. Results and conclusions. Deviations in cognitive function were found in all patients regardless of the type of affective symptomatology. In the form of a wide range of psychopathological phenomena which manifested themselves to a greater extent in patients with a mixed episode of bipolar affective disorder. The peculiarities of the phenomenological structure of cognitive impairment in patients with mixed phase of bipolar affective disorder are manifested in the form of a more pronounced deterioration of verbal memory, information processing speed; more pronounced violations of spatial representations, deterioration of visual memory, verbal associative performance and executive functions; a decrease in attention and a violation of its distribution. The findings suggest that the leading role in the formation of these disorders is played by the presence of depressive symptoms in the clinical structure of affective disorders.