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The role of thyroid hormones and their interaction with sex hormones in adolescent major depressive disorder (MDD), particularly regarding sex differences, remains poorly understood. This cross-sectional study included first-episode adolescent depression outpatients. All patients were stratified by depression severity into non-major depression disorder (non-MDD) and MDD groups. Serum levels of thyroid and sex hormones (testosterone, estradiol, progesterone) were measured. Group comparisons, correlation analyses, multivariate logistic regression, and moderation analysis were performed. The study included 837 patients (597 females and 240 males), comprising 359 non-MDD and 478 MDD cases. The mean age was 15 years (IQR 14-16). Compared to males, females exhibited higher SDS (Z = -7.34, < 0.001), higher SAS scores (Z = -5.73, < 0.001), alongside lower T3 (Z = -3.81, < 0.001), FT4 (Z = -3.54, < 0.001), and FT3 levels (Z = -6.38, < 0.001), while sex hormones differed as anticipated: testosterone was higher in males (Z = -21.00, < 0.001), whereas estradiol and progesterone were higher in females (Z = -13.02, < 0.001; Z = -5.74, < 0.001, respectively). SDS scores correlated negatively with T4 (ρ = -0.080, = 0.021), T3 (ρ = -0.099, = 0.004), and testosterone (ρ = -0.207, < 0.001), and positively with estradiol (ρ = 0.144, < 0.001) and progesterone (ρ = 0.104, = 0.003). Three multivariate regression models were established, among which Model 3-including age, sex, T3, and testosterone-achieved the highest AUC of 0.80 (95% CI = [0.77-0.83]). Moderation analysis demonstrated that testosterone significantly moderated the T3-depression relationship (interaction β = -0.09, = 0.04). Furthermore, higher T3 was associated with lower depression severity in high-testosterone subgroups (simple slope = -1.39, = 0.003). Thyroid dysfunction is associated with adolescent MDD in a sex-specific manner. A logistic regression model incorporating both thyroid and sex hormones showed improved classification accuracy. Importantly, testosterone was found to moderate the relationship between T3 and depression severity. These findings suggest that assessing thyroid function alongside sex hormone levels may enhance risk stratification in adolescent MDD.

Background: Major depressive disorder (MDD) exhibits a pronounced occurrence among adolescents, aligning closely with the lifetime prevalence rate of 16.6% observed in adults. It is difficult to treat and prone to recurrence. Acupuncture has shown potential in enhancing treatment effectiveness. Nonetheless, there is a lack of research on the use of intradermal acupuncture (IA) in treating adolescent MDD. Methods: This study is a double-blind, randomized controlled trial. A cohort of 120 participants will be assigned randomly to three distinct groups, namely a Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs)-only group, a sham intradermal acupuncture combined with SSRIs (SIA) group, and an active intradermal acupuncture combined with SSRIs (AIA) group. Hamilton Depression Rating Scale will serve as the primary outcome, while Patient Health Questionnaire-9, Self-Rating Depression Scale, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and Short Form 36 Questionnaire will serve as secondary outcomes in assessing the amelioration of depressive symptoms in patients. These data will be analyzed using SPSS26.0 software. Results: We will assess the efficacy and safety of IA for MDD using commonly employed clinical psychiatric scales. Conclusion: The efficacy of IA in treating adolescent MDD may be demonstrated in this study, suggesting its potential for optimizing MDD treatment schemes. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT 05832619 (April 27, 2023). Keywords: major depressive disorder, intradermal acupuncture, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, adolescent, randomized controlled trial, protocol

Background In China, adolescents account for about a quarter of those treated for mental disorders each year, and adolescent mental health issues have become a social hotspot. Although several epidemiological surveys of mental disorders have been conducted in China, no study has yet focused on the prevalence of mental disorders among adolescents in a certain region of Zhejiang. Methods In the first stage, 8219 middle school students aged 12–18 years in a city of Zhejiang Province (Shaoxing) were screened with the mental health screening checklist. In the second stage, participants who screened positive were tested with the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview for Children and Adolescents (MINI-KID) and the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV). Then, the prevalence of mental disorders were calculated. Results The overall prevalence in this population was 12.4%, with prevalence rates exceeding 20% in both the 17- and 18-year-old age groups. The most common mental disorders were obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) (9.1%) and major depressive disorder (MDD) (8.9%). Conclusions Mental disorders are common among middle school students, and girls are at higher risk than boys. As the most prevalent mental disorders, OCD and MDD should receive timely attention, especially for upper grade students.

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is highly prevalent, affecting more than 300 million individuals worldwide, and its occurrence may be related to the abnormality of the prefrontal cortex and bilateral temporal cortex. Acupuncture, rooted in the theories of acupoints and meridians, has demonstrated its efficacy in regulating cortical blood flow (CBF) in the brains of MDD patients. As one form of acupuncture, intradermal acupuncture (IA) can alleviate clinical symptoms such as depressive mood and insomnia in MDD patients. However, it remains unknown whether IA will have a specific effect on the prefrontal cortex and bilateral temporal cortex in MDD patients. In total, 60 participants will be recruited: 20 healthy control participants and 40 MDD patients. All healthy control participants will be allocated to the control group, whereas the 40 MDD patients will be randomly divided into two groups: the gallbladder meridian acupoint (GBA) group and the non-acupoint (NA) group, at a 1:1 allocation ratio. All groups will undergo a one-time IA intervention while their cortical activity is monitored using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). Total hemoglobin, oxygenated hemoglobin, and deoxygenated hemoglobin of the prefrontal and bilateral temporal cortices will be measured by fNIRS during the test procedure. This trial aims to use fNIRS to compare real-time hemodynamic changes in the prefrontal and bilateral temporal cortices of healthy individuals and MDD patients during IA. The primary objective is to investigate whether MDD patients exhibit specific real-time responses to IA stimulation in these brain regions. The findings from this study will provide clinical data and a possible theoretical basis for the assumption that stimulation of IA may treat MDD by modulating the relevant brain regions. The study protocol has been registered in the clinicaltrials.gov with the code NCT05707299.

New combinations or alternative therapies for major depressive disorder (MDD) are necessary. Intradermal acupuncture (IA) shows promise but requires further investigation regarding its efficacy, safety, and mechanisms. Conducted across 3 centers from November 2022 to January 2024, our randomized controlled trial included 120 participants with moderate to severe MDD, divided into the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), SSRIs plus sham IA (SSRIs + SIA), and SSRIs plus active IA (SSRIs + AIA) groups. Acupuncture groups received 10 sessions over 6 weeks at Shenmen (HT7), Neiguan (PC6), Sanyinjiao (SP6) and Taichong (LR3) bilaterally, followed by a 4-week follow-up. The primary outcome was changes in Hamilton Depression Rating Scale-17 (HAMD-17) scores at week 6. Furthermore, healthy controls (HCs) and MDD patients underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans for functional connectivity (FC) analysis. After 6 weeks of treatment, the SSRIs + AIA group showed a greater reduction in HAMD-17 score than the SSRIs + SIA group (MD, −4.9 [CI, −7.6 to −2.2], P  < 0.001) and SSRIs group (MD, −5.1 [CI, −7.8 to −2.3], P  < 0.001). No serious adverse events occurred. SSRIs + AIA resulted in lower incidences of palpitations (vs.SSRIs + SIA: OR, 0.1% [CI, 0.0–1.0%]; vs. SSRIs: OR, 0.1% [CI, 0.0–0.7%]; P  < 0.05), somnolence (vs.SSRIs + SIA: OR, 0.1% [CI, 0.0–0.9%]; vs.SSRIs: OR, 0.1% [CI, 0.0–0.7%]; P  < 0.05), and nausea (vs.SSRIs + SIA: OR, 0.1% [CI, 0.0–1.0%]; vs. SSRIs: OR, 0.1% [CI, 0.0–0.9%]; P  < 0.05). MDD patients showed abnormal FCs, and IA enhanced FCs between striatum and frontal_inf_tri, and striatum and cerebellum in the MRI study. Overall, IA as adjunctive therapy provides clinical efficacy and safety for MDD, and it may exert antidepressant effects by modulating striatal FCs.

Mollisols region of China is a ballast stone of Chinese food security. In this study, 484 soil organic carbon (SOC) data points from the documented soil surface (0–20 cm) samples in the typical Chinese Mollisols region were selected. The regional soil fertility was divided into high, medium, and low levels based on the SOC content from the long‐term positioning fertilization stations in Shenyang, Harbin, and Hailun of Northeast China. Furthermore, the regional SOC balance point (SOCb) model was built driven by the factors of annual mean temperature, annual precipitation, annual effective accumulative temperature, the ratio of precipitation and temperature, soil clay content, and pH. Using geographic information systems (GIS) interpolation method, the regional mean SOCb and SOC sequestration potential (SOCsp) at the SOCb's status were simulated to be 40.10 g kg−1 and 10.71 kg m−2, respectively. Moreover, the SOC content increased (SOCc) and the SOC sequestration capacity increased of medium‐ or low‐fertility soil were evaluated by GIS subtraction. Consequently, the means of SOCc in medium‐ and low‐fertility soils could be 16.88 g kg−1 and 26.79 g kg−1, respectively. Furthermore, the means of SOCsp in medium‐ and low‐fertility soils could be 4.30 kg m−2 and 7.43 kg m−2, respectively. The sensitivity analysis of this model showed that the high SOCb area was distributed in study region with low temperature, dry, high clay content, and low pH. The results provide an actual perspective on estimating regional SOCsp and soil fertility promotion target induced by the different soil fertility levels. Core Ideas A soil organic carbon (SOC) balance point concept was innovatively put forward. The SOC sequestration potential of typical Chinese Mollisols region was estimated based on the SOC balance point. Both regional SOC content increased and sequestration capacity increased were estimated.

Soil type and fertility level influence straw carbon dynamics in the agroecosystems. However, there is a limited understanding of the dynamic processes of straw-derived and soil-derived carbon and the influence of the addition of straw carbon on soil-derived organic carbon in different soils associated with different fertility levels. In this study, we applied the in-situ carborundum tube method and 13C-labeled maize straw (with and without maize straw) at two cropland (Phaeozem and Luvisol soils) experimental sites in northeast China to quantify the dynamics of maize-derived and soil-derived carbon in soils associated with high and low fertility, and to examine how the addition of maize carbon influences soil-derived organic carbon and the interactions of soil type and fertility level with maize-derived and soil-derived carbon. We found that, on average, the contributions of maize-derived carbon to total organic carbon in maize-soil systems during the experimental period were differentiated among low fertility Luvisol (from 62.82% to 42.90), high fertility Luvisol (from 53.15% to 30.00%), low fertility Phaeozem (from 58.69% to 36.29%) and high fertility Phaeozem (from 41.06% to 16.60%). Furthermore, the addition of maize carbon significantly decreased the remaining soil-derived organic carbon in low and high fertility Luvisols and low fertility Phaeozem before two months. However, the increasing differences in soil-derived organic carbon between both soils with and without maize straw after two months suggested that maize-derived carbon was incorporated into soil-derived organic carbon, thereby potentially offsetting the loss of soil-derived organic carbon. These results suggested that Phaeozem and high fertility level soils would fix more maize carbon over time and thus were more beneficial for protecting soil-derived organic carbon from maize carbon decomposition.

Microorganisms mediate the decomposition of straw residue in soil, but how soil fertility levels affect microbial incorporation of straw C remains unclear in many ecosystems. The objectives of this study were to quantify the contribution of straw C to microbial organic C (MBC), and to evaluate the effect of different soil fertility levels on the distribution of straw-derived soil organic C (SOC) pools. An in situ incubation was set up with soils amended with or without ¹³C-labeled maize straw. Across fertility treatments, straw C retained in soil decreased, on average, from 84 % after 30 days (June 5, 2011) to 30 % after 365 days (May 5, 2012). Over the entire incubation, 2–5 % of straw C was incorporated to MBC. At the high and medium fertility levels, MBC contained, on average, 58 % of straw C and 42 % of native SOC, respectively, whereas more than 75 % of MBC was derived from straw C at the low fertility level. Total MBC was lower in soil at the low fertility level compared with soils at the high and medium fertility levels. These results suggest that in low fertility soils, the addition of crop straw significantly promoted the activity and growth of soil microorganisms and provided a potential positive feedback to soil fertility.

Histone acetylation is a key histone post‐translational modification that shapes chromatin structure, dynamics, and function. Bromodomain (BRD) proteins, the readers of acetyl‐lysines, are located in the center of the histone acetylation‐signaling network. How they regulate DNA repair and genome stability remains poorly understood. Here, a conserved function of the yeast Bromodomain Factor 1 (Bdf1) and its human counterpart TAF1 is reported in promoting DNA double‐stranded break repair by homologous recombination (HR). Depletion of either yeast BDF1 or human TAF1, or disruption of their BRDs impairs DNA end resection, Replication Protein A (RPA) and Rad51 loading, and HR repair, causing genome instability and hypersensitivity to DNA damage. Mechanistically, it is shown that Bdf1 preferentially binds the DNA damage‐induced histone H4 acetylation (H4Ac) via the BRD motifs, leading to its chromatin recruitment. Meanwhile, Bdf1 physically interacts with RPA, and this interaction facilitates RPA loading in the chromatin context and the subsequent HR repair. Similarly, TAF1 also interacts with H4Ac or RPA. Thus, Bdf1 and TAF1 appear to share a conserved mechanism in linking the HR repair to chromatin acetylation in preserving genome integrity. How the bromodomain (BRD) proteins, readers of acetyl‐lysines, regulate DNA repair and genome stability remains partially understood. Here, a conserved function of the yeast Bromodomain Factor 1 (Bdf1) and its human counterpart TAF1 is shown in promoting DNA double‐stranded break repair by the homologous recombination pathway via physically facilitating Replication Protein A (RPA) loading on ssDNA with dispersed histones at break ends.

PurposePlastic film mulching and fertilization strongly affect soil aggregation and dynamics of the total soil organic carbon (C) pool. However, there is limited information on how these agricultural management practices influence the fate and seasonal dynamics of crop residue-derived C in soil aggregates. Therefore, a better understanding of the fate of C derived from crop residues and their location in soil aggregates is crucial to improve our prediction of C sequestration and stabilization in soil.Materials and methodsIn this study, an in situ 13C-tracing technique was used to identify the dynamic distribution and accumulation patterns of crop residue-derived C in soil aggregates as affected by long-term plastic film mulching and four fertilization treatments (control, CK; nitrogen, N2; organic manure, M2; nitrogen and organic manure, M1N1). The fate of 13C-labeled maize straw in loam soil was studied over 360 days using in situ incubation of 0.2% equivalent dry straw incorporated into the soil and aggregate size fractionation. Soil samples were separated into four particle-size fractions [large (>2 mm) and small (1–2 mm) macroaggregates; large (0.25–1 mm) and small (<0.25 mm) microaggregates] by dry-sieving.Results and discussionLong-term (27-year) application of fertilizers significantly increased the soil organic carbon (SOC) content in brown earth compared to the no-fertilizer control at the onset of our annual study, with the order of M2 > M1 N1 > N2 > CK. Both the content of straw-derived 13C in aggregate fractions and the proportion of 13C in total soil samples decreased considerably from the microaggregate fractions and increased moderately in the macroaggregate fractions in a manner enhanced by plastic film mulching and by seasonal transitions, specifically from spring (day 0) to summer (day 60). In addition, the decomposition of maize straw and soil aggregation exhibited a direct correlation in which the content of 13C-SOC and mean weight diameters decreased over the course of the 360-day experiment.ConclusionsOur results suggest that certain amounts of straw-derived 13C could accumulate in microaggregates, which play an important role in long-term C sequestration, while a large part of straw-derived C tends to transfer from microaggregates to macroaggregates over time as affected by long-term plastic film mulching coupled with fertilization. This study improves our understanding of the effect of plastic film mulching and different fertilization regimes on the retention and stabilization processes of straw-derived C in soil.