Age-related trajectories of the development of social cognition.

Age-related trajectories of intrinsic functional connectivity (iFC), which represent the interconnections between discrete regions of the human brain, for processes related to social cognition (SC) provide evidence for social development through neural imaging and can guide clinical interventions when such development is atypical. However, due to the lack of studies investigating brain development over a wide range of ages, the neural mechanisms of SC remain poorly understood, although considerable behavior-related evidence is available. The present study mapped vortex-wise iFC features between SC networks and the entire cerebral cortex by using common functional networks, creating the corresponding age-related trajectories. Three networks [moral cognition, theory of mind (ToM), and empathy] were selected as representative SC networks. The Enhanced Nathan Kline Institute-Rockland Sample (NKI-RS, N = 316, ages 8-83 years old) was employed delineate iFC characteristics and construct trajectories. The results showed that the SC networks display unique and overlapping iFC profiles. The iFC of the empathy network, an age-sensitive network, with dorsal attention network was found to exhibit a linear increasing pattern, that of the ventral attention network was observed to exhibit a linear decreasing pattern, and that of the somatomotor and dorsal attention networks was noted to exhibit a quadric-concave iFC pattern. Additionally, a sex-specific effect was observed for the empathy network as it exhibits linear and quadric sex-based differences in iFC with the frontoparietal and vision networks, respectively. The iFC of the ToM network with the ventral attention network exhibits a pronounced quadric-convex (inverted U-shape) trajectory. No linear or quadratic trajectories were noted in the iFC of the moral cognition network. These findings indicate that SC networks exhibit iFC with both low-level (somatomotor, vision) and high-level (attention and control) networks along specific developmental trajectories. The age-related trajectories determined in this study advance our understanding of the neural mechanisms of SC, providing valuable references for identification and intervention in cases of development of atypical SC.

A longitudinal resource for population neuroscience of school-age children and adolescents in China.

During the past decade, cognitive neuroscience has been calling for population diversity to address the challenge of validity and generalizability, ushering in a new era of population neuroscience. The developing Chinese Color Nest Project (devCCNP, 2013-2022), the first ten-year stage of the lifespan CCNP (2013-2032), is a two-stages project focusing on brain-mind development. The project aims to create and share a large-scale, longitudinal and multimodal dataset of typically developing children and adolescents (ages 6.0-17.9 at enrolment) in the Chinese population. The devCCNP houses not only phenotypes measured by demographic, biophysical, psychological and behavioural, cognitive, affective, and ocular-tracking assessments but also neurotypes measured with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of brain morphometry, resting-state function, naturalistic viewing function and diffusion structure. This Data Descriptor introduces the first data release of devCCNP including a total of 864 visits from 479 participants. Herein, we provided details of the experimental design, sampling strategies, and technical validation of the devCCNP resource. We demonstrate and discuss the potential of a multicohort longitudinal design to depict normative brain growth curves from the perspective of developmental population neuroscience. The devCCNP resource is shared as part of the "Chinese Data-sharing Warehouse for In-vivo Imaging Brain" in the Chinese Color Nest Project (CCNP) - Lifespan Brain-Mind Development Data Community ( https://ccnp.scidb.cn ) at the Science Data Bank.

Exploring invertebrate indicators of ecosystem health by focusing on the flow transitional zones in a large, shallow eutrophic lake.

The river-lake transitional zone provides a unique environment for the biological community and can reduce pollution inputs in lake ecosystems from their catchments. To explore environmental conditions with high purification potential in Lake Taihu and indicator species, we examined the river-to-lake changes in water and sediment quality and benthic invertebrate communities in the transitional zone of four regions. The spatial variations in the environment and invertebrate community observed in this study followed the previously reported patterns in Taihu; the northern and western regions were characterized by higher nutrient concentrations in water, higher heavy metal concentrations in sediment, and higher total invertebrate density and biomass dominated by pollution-tolerant oligochaetes and chironomids. Although nutrient concentrations were low and transparency was high in the eastern region, the taxon richness was the lowest there, which disagreed with the previous findings and might be due to a poor cover of macrophytes in this study. The river-to-lake change was large in the southern region for water quality and the invertebrate community. Water circulation induced by strong wind-wave actions in the lake sites of the southern region is assumed to have promoted photosynthetic and nutrient uptake activities and favored invertebrates that require well-aerated conditions such as polychaetes and burrowing crustaceans. Invertebrates usually adapted to brackish and saline environments are suggested to be indicators of a well-circulated environment with active biogeochemical processes and a less eutrophic state in Taihu, and wind-wave actions are key to maintaining such a community and natural purifying processes.

Conditioned medium of PC­3 prostate cancer cells affects microRNA and mRNA profiles in mechanically strained osteoblasts.

Bone is the main site of metastasis from prostate cancer; therefore, it is important to investigate the microRNAs (miRNAs) and mRNA associated with bone metastases from prostate cancer. Since an appropriate mechanical environment is important in the growth of bone, in the present study, the miRNA, mRNA, and long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) profiles of mechanically strained osteoblasts treated with conditioned medium (CM) from PC-3 prostate cancer cells were studied. MC3T3-E1 osteoblastic cells were treated with the CM of PC-3 prostate cancer cells and were simultaneously stimulated with a mechanical tensile strain of 2,500 µÎµ at 0.5 Hz; the osteoblastic differentiation of the MC3T3-E1 cells was then assessed. In addition, the differential expression levels of mRNA, miRNA and lncRNA in MC3T3-E1 cells treated with the CM of PC-3 cells were screened, and some of the miRNAs and mRNAs were verified by reverse transcription-quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR). The signal molecules and signaling pathways associated with osteogenic differentiation were predicted by bioinformatics analysis. The CM of PC-3 prostate cancer cells suppressed osteoblastic differentiation of MC3T3-E1 cells. A total of seven upregulated miRNAs and 12 downregulated miRNAs were selected by sequencing and further verified using RT-qPCR, and related differentially expressed genes (11 upregulated and 12 downregulated genes) were also selected by sequencing and further verified using RT-qPCR; subsequently, according to the enrichment of differentially expressed genes in signaling pathways, nine signaling pathways involved in osteogenic differentiation were screened out. Furthermore, a functional mRNA-miRNA-lncRNA regulatory network was constructed. The differentially expressed miRNAs, mRNAs and lncRNAs may provide a novel signature in bone metastases of prostate cancer. Notably, some of the signaling pathways and related genes may be associated with pathological osteogenic differentiation caused by bone metastasis of prostate cancer.

Combined Factors for Predicting Cognitive Impairment in Elderly Population Aged 75 Years and Older: From a Behavioral Perspective.

To unravel the combined effect of risk and protective factors that may contribute to preserve or impair cognitive status, this prospective cohort study systematically investigated a cluster of factors in elders aged 75 years and older from Guangxi Longitudinal Cohort (GLC) dataset. GLC has tracked 630 oldest-elders for two times within 2 years and will continue to follow two times in the next 4 years. At baseline geriatric assessment, sociodemographic information (e.g., education, Mandarin, marriage, and income), physical status [body mass index (BMI), chronic disease/medicine], lifestyle factors (smoking, alcohol, and exercise), and self-rated mental health (self-care, well-being, anxiety) were recorded by online interview. With 2 years' follow-up, Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and memory test were performed through person-to-person interview. The performance of MMSE was applied to represent the responder's cognitive status which classified into cognitive impairment and normal group based on a cutoff point of 20. An age-related cognitive declining trend of 15 stratified factors was observed, though with a small effect size (R-square: 0.001-0.15). The odds of exposure or non-exposure on factors (memory, self-care, exercise, income, education, and literacy) had a significantly different effect on cognitive impairment through multivariate analysis after adjusting other confounding variables. Through stepwise multiple logistic regression analysis, the following 12 factors/index would be integrated to predict cognitive impairment: gender, physical health factors (BMI, chronic disease), socioeconomic and lifestyle factors (education, literacy, Mandarin, marriage, income, and exercise), and psychological health factors (memory, self-care cognition, and anxiety). Related clinical and nursing applications were also discussed.

miR-29b-3p regulated osteoblast differentiation via regulating IGF-1 secretion of mechanically stimulated osteocytes.

BACKGROUND: Mechanical loading is an essential factor for bone formation. A previous study indicated that mechanical tensile strain of 2500 microstrain (µÎµ) at 0.5 Hz for 8 h promoted osteogenesis and corresponding mechanoresponsive microRNAs (miRs) were identified in osteoblasts. However, in osteocytes, it has not been identified which miRs respond to the mechanical strain, and it is not fully understood how the mechanoresponsive miRs regulate osteoblast differentiation. METHODS: Mouse MLO-Y4 osteocytes were applied to the same mechanical tensile strain in vitro. Using molecular and biochemical methods, IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factor-1), PGE2 (prostaglandin E2), OPG (osteoprotegerin) and NOS (nitric oxide synthase) activities of the cells were assayed. MiR microarray and reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) assays were applied to select and validate differentially expressed miRs, and the target genes of these miRs were then predicted. MC3T3-E1 osteoblasts were stimulated by the mechanical tensile strain, and the miR-29b-3p expression was detected with miR microarray and RT-qPCR. Additionally, the effect of miR-29b-3p on IFG-1 secretion of osteocytes and the influence of conditioned medium of osteocytes transfected with miR-29b-3p on osteoblast differentiation were investigated. RESULTS: The mechanical strain increased secretions of IGF-1 and PGE2, elevated OPG expression and NOS activities, and resulted in altered expression of the ten miRs, and possible target genes for these differentially expressed miRs were revealed through bioinformatics. Among the ten miRs, miR-29b-3p were down-regulated, and miR-29b-3p overexpression decreased the IGF-1 secretion of osteocytes. The mechanical strain did not change expression of osteoblasts' miR-29b-3p. In addition, the conditioned medium of mechanically strained osteocytes promoted osteoblast differentiation, and the conditioned medium of osteocytes transfected with miR-29b-3p mimic inhibited osteoblast differentiation. CONCLUSIONS: In osteocytes (but not osteoblasts), miR-29b-3p was responsive to the mechanical tensile strain and regulated osteoblast differentiation via regulating IGF-1 secretion of mechanically strained osteocytes.

MicroRNA profiles of BMSCs induced into osteoblasts with osteoinductive medium.

MicroRNA (miRNA) plays an important role in cell differentiation and functions as a regulator. Therefore, miRNA is important in the process of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) being induced into osteoblasts. In this study, mouse BMSCs were induced with osteoinductive medium, the indices related to osteoblastic differentiation were assayed, including alkaline phosphatase, the deposit of calcium and protein levels of osteocalcin. Using miRNA microarray and reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction analyses, differentially expressed miRNAs in the cells, which were induced with osteoinductive medium, were selected and identified. The target genes of the differentially expressed miRNAs were then predicted using bioinformatics analysis. The results revealed that osteoinductive medium promoted osteoblastic differentiation of BMSCs, and let-7c-5p, miR-181c-3p, miR-3092-3p and miR-5132-3p were identified as differentially expressed miRNAs in the cells treated with osteoinductive medium for 14 and 21 days. Certain target genes and signal pathways related to osteoblastic differentiation of the four miRNAs were predicted. These findings indicated the four differently expressed miRNAs may be potential regulators of osteoblastic differentiation, providing a basis for further study on the regulation of miRNAs in the osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs.

miR­98­5p promotes osteoblast differentiation in MC3T3­E1 cells by targeting CKIP­1.

Casein kinase 2-interacting protein 1 (CKIP-1) is a negative regulator for bone formation. Previously, using bioinformatics analysis, CKIP­1 has been predicted to serve the role of target gene of miR­98­5p. In the present study, the potential role of miR­98­5p in regulating osteoblast differentiation through CKIP­1 was investigated. Following pre­treatment with microRNA (miR)­98­5p agomir or miR­98­5p antagomir, MC3T3­E1 cells were cultured in an osteoinductive medium. Subsequently, the expression of miR­98­5p, CKIP­1 and levels of osteoblast differentiation markers, including alkaline phosphatase, matrix mineralization, osteocaicin, collagen type I, runt­related transcription factor 2 and osteopontin were assayed. Using a dual­luciferase reporter assay, it was demonstrated that CKIP­1 was the target gene of miR­98­5p. miR­98­5p was upregulated as a result of treatment with miR­98­5p agomir and promoted osteoblast differentiation. Conversely, miR­98­5p antagomir inhibited miR­98­5p expression and osteoblast differentiation. miR­98­5p targeted CKIP­1 by binding to its 3'­untranslated region. Furthermore, miR­98­5p overexpression decreased the protein levels of CKIP­1 and inhibition of miR­98­5p increased the protein levels of CKIP­1. The results of the present study indicated that CKIP­1 was a target gene of miR­98­5p and that miR­98­5p regulated osteoblast differentiation in MC3T3­E1 cells by targeting CKIP­1.

Electroless plating of a Sn-Ni/graphite sheet composite with improved cyclability as an anode material for lithium ion batteries.

A Sn-Ni/graphite sheet composite is synthesized by a simple electroless plating method as an anode material for lithium ion batteries (LIBs). The microstructure and electrochemical properties of the composite are characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), cyclic voltammetry (CV), and AC impedance spectroscopy. The results show that the as-prepared composite has Sn-Ni nanoparticles around 100 nm in size, where metallic Ni acts as an "anchor" to fix metallic Sn. The reunion phenomenon of Sn is alleviated by adding metallic Ni between the metallic Sn and graphite sheets. The Sn-Ni/graphite sheet electrode exhibits a good rate performance with a capability of 637.4, 586.3, 466.7, 371.5, 273.6, 165.3 and 97.3 mA h g-1 at a current density of 0.1, 0.2, 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, 5.0 and 10 A g-1, respectively. The good electrical conductivity of Ni, high specific capacity of Sn and excellent cycling capability of the graphite sheets have a synergistic effect and are the main reasons behind the superior electrochemical performance. Furthermore, the as-prepared composite exhibits excellent lithium storage capacity and the reversible capacity increased as the cycle number increased.

Altered Distant Synchronization of Background Network in Mild Cognitive Impairment during an Executive Function Task.

Few studies to date have investigated the background network in the cognitive state relying on executive function in mild cognitive impairment (MCI) patients. Using the index of degree of centrality (DC), we explored distant synchronization of background network in MCI during a hybrid delayed-match-to-sample task (DMST), which mainly relies on the working memory component of executive function. We observed significant interactions between group and cognitive state in the bilateral posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) and the ventral subregion of precuneus. For normal control (NC) group, the long distance functional connectivity (FC) of the PCC/precuneus with the other regions of the brain was higher in rest state than that working memory state. For MCI patients, however, this pattern altered. There was no significant difference between rest and working memory state. The similar pattern was observed in the other cluster located in the right angular gyrus. To examine whether abnormal DC in PCC/precuneus and angular gyrus partially resulted from the deficit of FC between these regions and the other parts in the whole brain, we conducted a seed-based correlation analysis with these regions as seeds. The results indicated that the FC between bilateral PCC/precuneus and the right inferior parietal lobule (IPL) increased from rest to working memory state for NC participants. For MCI patients, however, there was no significant change between rest and working memory state. The similar pattern was observed for the FC between right angular gyrus and right anterior insula. However, there was no difference between MCI and NC groups in global efficiency and modularity. It may indicate a lack of efficient reorganization from rest state to a working memory state in the brain network of MCI patients. The present study demonstrates the altered distant synchronization of background network in MCI during a task relying on executive function. The results provide a new perspective regarding the neural mechanisms of executive function deficits in MCI patients, and extend our understanding of brain patterns in task-evoked cognitive states.

Mechanical Strain Regulates Osteoblast Proliferation Through Ca2+-CaMK-CREB Signal Pathway.

Objective To investigate the effects of mechanical strain on Ca2+-calmodulin dependent kinase (CaMK)-cAMP response element binding protein (CREB) signal pathway and proliferation of osteoblasts.Methods Using a four-point bending device, MC3T3-E1 cells were exposed to mechanical tensile strains of 2500 µs and 5000 µs at 0.5 Hz respectively. The intracellular free Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i) concentration and calmodulin activity were assayed by fluorospectrophotometry, CaMK II ß, CREB, and phosphorylated (activated) CREB (p-CREB) were assessed by Western blot, and cells proliferation was assayed with MTT. Pretreatment with verapamil was carried out to block Ca2+ channel, and inhibitor U73122 was used to inhibit phospholipase C (PLC).Results Mechanical strains of 2500 µs and 5000 µs for 1 to 10 minutes both increased [Ca2+]i level of the cells. The 2500 µs strain, a periodicity of 1 h/d for 3 days, activated calmodulin, elevated protein levels of CaMK II ß and p-CREB, and promoted cells proliferation, which were attenuated by pretreatment of verapamil or U73122. The effects of 5000 µs strain on calmodulin, CaMK II ß, p-CREB and proliferation were contrary to 2500 µs strain.Conclusion The mechanical strain regulates osteoblasts proliferation through Ca2+-CaMK-CREB signal pathway via Ca2+ channel and PLC/IP3 transduction cascades.

Mechanical strain promotes osteoblastic differentiation through integrin-ß1-mediated ß-catenin signaling.

As integrins are mechanoresponsive, there exists an intimate relationship between integrins and mechanical strain. Integrin-ß1 mediates the impact of mechanical strain on bone. Mechanical strain induces bone formation through the activation of ß-catenin pathways, which suggests that integrin-ß1 mediates ß-catenin signaling in osteoblasts in response to mechanical strain. In the present study, we examined the role of integrin-ß1 in Wnt/ß-catenin signal transduction in mechanically strained osteoblasts. MC3T3-E1 osteoblastic cells were transfected with integrin-ß1 small interfering RNA (si-Itgß1), and exposed to mechanical tensile strain of 2,500 microstrain (µÎµ) using a four-point bending device. The mechanical strain enhanced the mRNA expression of integrin-ß1, the protein levels of phosphorylated (p-) glycogen synthase kinase-3ß (GSK­3ß) and ß-catenin, simultaneously increased the mRNA levels of runt-related transcriptional factor 2 (Runx2) and osteocalcin (OCN), the protein levels of bone morphogenetic protein (BMP)-2 and -4 and enhanced the alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity of the ME3T3-E1 cells. The elevations were inhibited by si-Itgß1. Additionally, the mechanical strain induced the nuclear translocation of ß-catenin into the nucleus, which was also inhibited by si-Itgß1. These findings indicated that mechanical strain promoted osteoblastic differentiation through integrin­ß1­mediated ß-catenin signaling.