The neural mechanisms of identifiable victim effect in prosocial decision-making.

The phenomenon known as the "identifiable victim effect" describes how individuals tend to offer more assistance to victims they can identify with than to those who are vague or abstract. The neural underpinnings of this effect, however, remain elusive. Our study utilized functional magnetic resonance imaging to delve into how the "identifiable victim effect" influences prosocial decision-making, considering different types of helping costs, across two distinct tasks. Participants were instructed to decide whether to help a victim with personal information shown (i.e., the identifiable victim) and an unidentifiable one by costing their money (task 1) or physical effort (task 2). Behaviorally, we observed a pronounced preference in both tasks for aiding identifiable victims over anonymous ones, highlighting a robust "identifiable victim effect." On a neural level, this effect was associated with heightened activity in brain areas like the bilateral temporoparietal junction (TPJ) when participants confronted anonymous victims, potentially indicating a more intensive mentalizing process for less concrete victims. Additionally, we noted that the TPJ's influence on value judgment processes is mediated through its functional connectivity with the medial prefrontal cortex. These insights contribute significantly to our understanding of the psychological and neural dynamics underlying the identifiable victim effect.

Ni3+ -Rich Ni/NiOx @C Nanocapsules Below 4 nm Constructed by Low-Temperature Graphitization of Self-Assembled Few-Layer Coordination Polymers toward Efficient Alkaline Hydrogen Evolution Electrocatalysis.

Low-cost and eco-friendly Ni/NiO heterojunctions have been theoretically proven to be the ideal candidate for stepwise electrocatalysis of alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction, attributed to the preferred OHad adsorption by incompletely filled d orbitals of NiO phase and favorable Had adsorption energy of Ni phase. Nevertheless, most Ni/NiO compounds reported so far fail to exhibit excellent catalytic activity, possibly due to the lack of efficient electron transport, limited interfacial active sites, and unregulated Nin+ ratios. To address the above bottlenecks, herein, the ultrasmall Ni/NiOx @C nanocapsules (<5 nm) are directly constructed by graphitization of four-layer Ni-based coordination polymers at record low temperatures of 400 °C. Ascribed to the accelerated electron and mass transfer by the carbon nano-onions coated around Ni/NiOx heterojunctions, the extreme rise in interfaces and Ni3+ defects with t6 2ge1 g electronic configuration owed to the ultrasmall size, the Ni/NiOx @C nanocapsules exhibit the highest catalytic activity and the lowest overpotential of η10 = 80 mV among various Ni/NiO materials (measured on the glassy carbon electrode). This work not only constructs an industrialized high-efficiency electrocatalyst toward alkaline HER, but also provides a novel strategy for the constant-scale preparation of multicomponent transition metals-based nanocrystals below 4 nm.

Serum bile acid profiles are associated with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction in patients with metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease: An exploratory study.

AIM: To analyse the association between serum bile acid (BA) profile and heart failure (HF) with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) in patients with metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD). METHODS: We enrolled 163 individuals with biopsy-proven MAFLD undergoing transthoracic echocardiography for any indication. HFpEF was defined as left ventricular ejection fraction >50% with at least one echocardiographic feature of HF (left ventricular diastolic dysfunction, abnormal left atrial size) and at least one HF sign or symptom. Serum levels of 38 BAs were analysed using ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry. RESULTS: Among the 163 patients enrolled (mean age 47.0 ± 12.8 years, 39.3% female), 52 (31.9%) and 43 (26.4%) met the HFpEF and pre-HFpEF criteria, and 38 serum BAs were detected. Serum ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) and hyocholic acid (HCA) species were lower in patients with HFpEF and achieved statistical significance after correction for multiple comparisons. Furthermore, decreases in glycoursodeoxycholic acid and tauroursodeoxycholic acid were associated with HF status. CONCLUSIONS: In this exploratory study, specific UDCA and HCA species were associated with HFpEF status in adults with biopsy-confirmed MAFLD.

Anonymity in sharing morally salient news: the causal role of the temporoparietal junction.

Considering the crucial role of morality in shaping one's reputation, exploring factors that modulate people's decision to share morally salient news is important. Previous studies suggested that self-expression and socializing are 2 key factors for news-sharing behaviors, suggesting the key role of anonymity in such decisions. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), the present study focused on how anonymity modulates the sharing of morally salient information, as well as its neural mechanisms. Results showed that compared to moral news, people were more reluctant to share immoral news, especially when they share it with their real names shown. On the neural level, we found that this effect was associated with the activity of the left temporoparietal junction (TPJ), as well as its functional connection to its right counterpart. Dynamic causal modeling analysis revealed the moral valence of news and the anonymity of sharing modulated the effective connectivity between the left TPJ and the middle frontal gyrus as well as the medial frontal gyrus. There was no significant difference when sharing news anonymously. Further, a followed-up tDCS experiment supported the causal role of the left TPJ in this behavioral effect. Taken together, these results suggested that people concern more about social repercussion, when they share the news with their real-names shown, especially when sharing immoral news, and this effect is associated with stronger neural activation in the left TPJ, as well as changes in its functional connectivity with other brain regions.

Integrated metabolomic and transcriptomic analysis of triterpenoid accumulation in the roots of Codonopsis pilosula var. modesta (Nannf.) L.T.Shen at different altitudes.

INTRODUCTION: Codonopsis Radix is a beneficial traditional Chinese medicine, and triterpenoid are the major bioactive constituents. Codonopsis pilosula var. modesta (Nannf.) L.T.Shen (CPM) is a precious variety of Codonopsis Radix, which is distributed at high mountain areas. The environment plays an important role in the synthesis and metabolism of active ingredients in medicinal plants, but there is no report elaborating on the effect of altitude on terpenoid metabolites accumulation in CPM. OBJECTIVES: This study aims to analyse the effects of altitude on triterpenoid biosynthetic pathways and secondary metabolite accumulation in CPM. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The untargeted metabolomics based on liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and 10 triterpenoids based on ultra-performance liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF-MS) method were analysed at the low-altitude (1480 m) and high-altitude (2300 m) CPM fresh roots. The transcriptome based on high-throughput sequencing technology were combined to analyse the different altitude CPM triterpenoid biosynthetic pathways. RESULTS: A total of 17,351 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and 55 differentially accumulated metabolites (DAMs) were detected from the different altitude CPM, and there are significant differences in the content of the 10 triterpenoids. The results of transcriptome study showed that CPM could significantly up-regulate the gene expression levels of seven key enzymes in the triterpenoid biosynthetic pathway. CONCLUSIONS: The CPM at high altitude is more likely to accumulate triterpenes than those at low altitude, which was related to the up-regulation of the gene expression levels of seven key enzymes. These results expand our understanding of how altitude affects plant metabolite biosynthesis.

Research on the brewing technology of Dangshen Huangjiu with low biogenic amines and high functional factors.

BACKGROUND: Biogenic amines (BA) are hazardous components in Huangjiu (HJ). To ensure the quality of Dangshen Huangjiu (DSHJ), an orthogonal experiment L9 (33) was proposed to optimize the process by the main brewing factors (pre-fermentation temperature, pre- and post-fermentation time) that may affect BA and functional factors in DSHJ. DSHJ was produced with low BA content and high functional factors. Gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry combined with a multivariate statistical method (GC-IMS-MSM) was used to analyze the volatile components in the brewing process of DSHJ. RESULTS: The optimum brewing process parameters of DSHJ were as follows: pre-fermentation temperature, 28 °C; pre-fermentation time, 9 days; post-fermentation time, 18 days. The average content of BA in DSHJ was 33.12 mg L-1, and the sensory score, total phenol content and DPPH free radical scavenging rate of DSHJ were significantly higher than those of HJ. A total of 14 esters, 7 acids, 7 alcohols, 1 ketone, 5 aldehydes and 1 pyrazine in DSHJ and HJ were identified by GC-IMS. There were no significant differences (P > 0.05) in DSHJ and HJ in the soaking rice and saccharification stage. 11 components, such as ethyl acetate, and 12 components, such as acetic acid, were the different components of HJ and DSHJ in pre-fermentation and post-fermentation stages, respectively. In the post-fermentation stage, the contents of 8 components in DSHJ such as ethyl acetate were higher than in HJ. CONCLUSION: The preparation process parameters of DSHJ optimized by orthogonal experiments can ensure that DSHJ has the advantages of low BA content, high total phenol content and good antioxidant activity. Sensory score and GC-IMS-MSM analysis found that DSHJ prepared using the optimal process had the characteristics of good taste and rich aroma. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Cooperative effects of three preservatives on physiological quality, endophytic bacterial community and volatile organic compounds of postharvest Codonopsis pilosula var. modesta roots.

BACKGROUND: Codonopsis pilosula var. modesta (CPVM) is a famous medicinal and edible plant of Campanulaceae. However, fresh CPVM roots (FCPVR) are prone to softening, browning and spoilage after concentrated harvesting in the main production area of Gansu Province, China in autumn, which poses great challenges to their large-scale storage and modern processing. In this study, effects of chitosan (CS), natamycin (NA) and modified atmosphere agent (MA) on the postharvest quality of FCPVR were first investigated. The roots after different treatments were stored at 4 °C and relative humidity of 75 ± 5% for 100 days. Their overall quality changes were evaluated from three perspectives: physiological quality, endophytic bacterial community and volatile organic compounds. RESULTS: The clustering heatmap and principal component analysis results indicated that CS (2 g kg-1), NA (0.5 g kg-1) and MA (5 g) had a synergistic effect on physiological quality. The roots in the CS + NA + MA group maintained better physiological state, effective components and antioxidant capacity throughout the storage process. On this basis, compared with room temperature storage, the relative abundance of the main spoilage bacterium Pseudomonas in the CS + NA + MA group roots decreased by 44% on the 100th day of storage. Furthermore, after CS + NA + MA composite treatment, the roots produced richer esters with fruit aroma during low-temperature storage. CONCLUSIONS: The CS + NA + MA composite treatment could maintain the physiological quality and flavor of FCPVR, inhibit spoilage by microbial contamination and maintain the optimal quality during low-temperature storage for up to 100 days. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

The effect of chronic intermittent hypobaric hypoxia improving liver damage in metabolic syndrome rats through ferritinophagy.

Studies have confirmed that hepatic iron overload is one of the important factors causing liver damage in the metabolic syndrome (MS). As a special form of autophagy, ferritinophagy is involved in the regulation of iron metabolism. Our previous studies have shown that chronic intermittent hypobaric hypoxia (CIHH) can improve the iron metabolism disorder. The aim of this study was to investigate how CIHH improves liver damage through ferritinophagy in MS rats. Male Sprague-Dawley rats aged 8-10 weeks were randomly divided into four groups: control (CON), CIHH (exposed to hypoxia at a simulated altitude of 5000 m for 28 days, 6 h daily), MS model (induced by a 16-week high-fat diet and 10% fructose water feeding), and MS + CIHH (exposed to CIHH after a 16-week MS inducement) groups. Liver index, liver function, iron content, tissue morphology, oxidative stress, ferritinophagy, ferroptosis, and iron metabolism-related protein expression were measured, and the ferritinophagy flux in the liver was further analyzed. Compared with CON rats, MS rats had an increased liver index, damaged liver tissue and function, increased iron content and iron deposition, disrupted iron metabolism, significantly increased oxidative stress indicators in the liver, significantly upregulated expression of ferroptosis-related proteins, and downregulated expression of nuclear receptor coactivator 4 (NCOA4) and ferritinophagy flux. After CIHH treatment, the degree of liver damage and various abnormal indicators in MS rats were significantly improved. CIHH may improve liver damage by promoting NCOA4-mediated ferritinophagy, reducing iron overload and oxidative stress, and thereby alleviating ferroptosis in MS rats.

Threat-induced anxiety and selfishness in resource sharing: Behavioral and neural evidence.

In real life, it is not unusual that we face potential threats (i.e., physical stimuli and environments that may cause harm or danger) with other individuals together, yet it remains largely unknown how threat-induced anxious feelings influence prosocial behaviors such as resource sharing. In this study, we investigated this question by combining functional magnetic resonance imaging and a novel paradigm. Together with an anonymous partner, each participant faced the possibility of receiving a 10-s noise administration, which had a low or high probability to be a threat (i.e., the intensity of noise can induce a high level of unpleasantness). Each participant first reported her/his immediate feeling of anxiety about the current situation (being threatened by the unpleasant noise), then decided how to split a number of resources (which could relieve the noise) between her/him and the partner. Behavioral results revealed that the participants showed a selfish bias in the threat conditions than in the safe conditions, and that self-reported anxiety feeling significantly predicted this bias. Functional magnetic resonance imaging results revealed that: (1) the activation level of the anterior insula was correlated with self-reported anxiety and (2) the connectivity between the anterior insula and the temporoparietal junction was sensitive to the modulating effect of anxiety on the selfish bias. These findings indicate the neural correlates of the association between threat-induced anxiety and prosocial tendencies in social interactions.

Prosocial decision-making under time pressure: Behavioral and neural mechanisms.

The present study employed a novel paradigm and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to uncover the specific regulatory mechanism of time pressure and empathy trait in prosocial decision-making, compared to self-decision making. Participants were instructed to decide whether to spend their own monetary interest to alleviate themselves (or another person) from unpleasant noise threats under high and low time pressures. On the behavioral level, results showed that high time pressure had a significant effect on reducing participants' willingness to spend money on relieving themselves from the noise, while there is a similar but not significant trend in prosocial decision-making. On the neural level, for self-concerned decision-making, low time pressure activated the bilateral insula more strongly than high time pressure. For prosocial decision-making, high time pressure suppressed activations in multiple brain regions related to empathy (temporal pole, middle temporal gyrus, and inferior frontal gyrus), valuation (medial orbitofrontal cortex), and emotion (putamen). The functional connectivity strength among these regions, especially the connectivity between the medial orbitofrontal cortex and putamen, significantly predicted the effect of time pressure on prosocial decision-making at the behavioral level. Additionally, we discovered the activation of the medial orbitofrontal cortex partially mediated the effect of empathy trait scores on prosocial decision-making. These findings suggest that (1) there are different neural underpinnings for the modulation of time pressure for self and prosocial decision-making, and (2) the empathy trait plays a crucial role in the latter.

N-Doping Coupled with Co-Vacancies Activating Sulfur Atoms and Narrowing Bandgap for CoS Toward Synergistically Accelerating Hydrogen Evolution.

The combination of hetero-elemental doping and vacancy engineering will be developed as one of the most efficient strategies to design excellent electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Herein, a novel strategy for N-doping coupled with Co-vacancies is demonstrated to precisely activate inert S atoms adjacent to Co-vacancies and significantly improve charge transfer for CoS toward accelerating HER. In this strategy, N-doping favors the presence of Co-vacancies, due to greatly decreasing their formation energy. The as-developed strategy realizes the upshift of S 3p orbitals followed by more overlapping between S 3py and H 1s orbitals, which results in the favorable hydrogen atom adsorption free energy change (ΔGH ) to activate inert S atoms as newborn catalytical sites. Besides, this strategy synergistically decreases the bandgap of CoS, thereby achieving satisfactory electrical conductivity and low charge-transfer resistance for the as-obtained electrocatalysts. With an excellent HER activity of -89.0 mV at 10.0 mA cm-2 in alkaline environments, this work provides a new approach to unlocking inert sites and significantly improving charge transfer toward cobalt-based materials for highly efficient HER.

Engineering Rich Active Sites and Efficient Water Dissociation for Ni-Doped MoS2/CoS2 Hierarchical Structures toward Excellent Alkaline Hydrogen Evolution.

Besides improving charge transfer, there are two key factors, such as increasing active sites and promoting water dissociation, to be deeply investigated to realize high-performance MoS2-based electrocatalysts in alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Herein, we have demonstrated the synergistic engineering to realize rich unsaturated sulfur atoms and activated O-H bonds toward the water for Ni-doped MoS2/CoS2 hierarchical structures by an approach to Ni doping coupled with in situ sulfurizing for excellent alkaline HER. In this work, the Ni-doped atoms are evolved into Ni(OH)2 during alkaline HER. Interestingly, the extra unsaturated sulfur atoms will be modulated into MoS2 nanosheets by breaking Ni-S bonds during the formation of Ni(OH)2. On the other hand, the higher the mass of the Ni precursor (mNi) for the fabrication of our samples, the more Ni(OH)2 is evolved, indicating a stronger ability for water dissociation of our samples during alkaline HER. Our results further reveal that regulating mNi is crucial to the HER activity of the as-synthesized samples. By regulating mNi to 0.300 g, a balance between increasing active sites and promoting water dissociation is achieved for the Ni-doped MoS2/CoS2 samples to boost alkaline HER. Consequently, the optimal samples present the highest HER activity among all counterparts, accompanied by reliable long-term stability. This work will promise important applications in the field of electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution in alkaline environments.

Increased incidence of napkin-ring sign plaques on cervicocerebral computed tomography angiography associated with the risk of acute ischemic stroke occurrence.

OBJECTIVES: Carotid atherosclerosis plays an essential role in the occurrence of ischemic stroke. This study aimed to investigate whether a larger burden of napkin-ring sign (NRS) plaques on cervicocerebral computed tomography angiography (CTA) increased the risk of acute ischemic stroke (AIS). METHODS: This retrospective, single-center, cross-sectional study enrolled patients with NRS plaques identified in the subclavian arteries, brachiocephalic trunk, carotid arterial system, and vertebrobasilar circulation on contrast-enhanced cervicocerebral CTA. Patients were divided into AIS and non-AIS groups based on imaging within 12 h of symptom onset. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to determine the risk factor of AIS occurrence. RESULTS: A total of 202 patients (66.72 years ± 8.97, 157 men) were evaluated. Plaques with NRS in each subject of the AIS group (N = 98) were significantly more prevalent than that in the control group (N = 104) (1.96 ± 1.17 vs 1.41 ± 0.62). In the AIS group, there were substantially more NRS plaques on the ipsilateral side than contralateral side (1.55 ± 0.90 vs. 0.41 ± 0.66). NRS located on the ipsilateral side of the AIS showed an area under the receiver curve (AUC) of 0.86 to identify ischemic stroke. NRS plaque amounts were an independent risk factor for AIS occurrence (odds ratio, 1.86) after adjusting for other factors. CONCLUSIONS: Increased incidence of napkin-ring sign plaques on cervicocerebral CTA was positively associated with AIS occurrence, which could aid in detecting asymptomatic atherosclerotic patients at high risk of AIS in routine screening or emergency settings. CLINICAL RELEVANCE STATEMENT: Napkin-ring sign plaque provides an important imaging target for estimating acute ischemic stroke risk and identifying high-risk patients in routine screening or emergency settings, so that timely anti-atherosclerotic therapy can be used for prevention. KEY POINTS: • This cross-sectional study investigated the association between high-risk carotid artery plaques and acute ischemic stroke. • Increased incidence of napkin-ring sign plaques on cervicocerebral computed tomography angiography is positively associated with acute ischemic stroke occurrence. • Napkin-ring signs help identify risky patients prone to acute ischemic stroke to facilitate prevention.

How resource sharing resists scarcity: the role of cognitive empathy and its neurobiological mechanisms.

Resource scarcity challenges individuals' willingness to share limited resources with other people. Still, lots of field studies and laboratory experiments have shown that sharing behaviors do not disappear under scarcity. Rather, some individuals are willing to share their scarce resources with others in a similar way as when the resource is abundant, which is crucial for the maintenance and development of human society. Here, we designed a novel paradigm in which subjects decided whether (and how much) to share an amount of "relieving resources" for counteracting unpleasant noises, which mimics real-life situations that people cost their own resources to help others escape from adversity. Overall, the robustness of resource sharing under scarcity was positively correlated with individual level of the cognitive component of empathy across two independent experiments. Resource insufficiency modulated the activations of several brain regions (including the TPJ, mPFC, and PCC) as well as the functional connection (from the rTPJ to the mPFC) within the mentalizing brain network, but the modulatory effect decreased as a function of cognitive empathy. We also applied the administration of oxytocin and found significant effects on sharing behavior among individuals with a higher level of cognitive empathy, but not their low-level counterparts. These findings highlight the importance of empathy to resource sharing under scarcity and explain the underlying neurobiological mechanisms.

Chronic intermittent hypobaric hypoxia ameliorates vascular reactivity through upregulating adiponectin expression of PVAT in metabolic syndrome rats.

Cumulating evidence demonstrated that chronic intermittent hypobaric hypoxia (CIHH) had beneficial effects on the body. This study investigated the role of perivascular adipose tissue (PVAT) in ameliorating effect of CIHH on vascular reactivity by adiponectin in mesenteric artery of metabolic syndrome (MS) rats. Main methods: 6-week-old male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into four groups: control (CON), MS model, CIHH treatment, and MS + CIHH treatment group. The size of adipocytes in PVAT was measured by scanning electron microscopy. Serum adiponectin was measured. The microvessel recording technique was used to observe the effect of CIHH on contraction and relaxation in mesenteric artery rings. Also, the expressions of interleukin-1ß, tumor necrosis factor-α, adiponectin, AdipoR1, AdipoR2, APPL1, and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) were assayed by Western blotting. Key findings: in MS rats, adipocyte size increased, serum adiponectin decreased, contraction reaction increased while relaxation reaction decreased, the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines was upregulated, while adiponectin was downregulated in PVAT, and the expressions of AdipoR1, AdipoR2, APPL, and phosphorylated-eNOS were downregulated in mesenteric artery. All aforementioned abnormalities of MS were ameliorated in MS + CIHH rats. We concluded that CIHH treatment improves vascular reactivity through upregulating adiponectin expression and downregulating pro-inflammatory cytokine expression of PVAT in MS rats.

A Terphenyllin Derivative CHNQD-00824 from the Marine Compound Library Induced DNA Damage as a Potential Anticancer Agent.

With the emergence of drug resistance and the consequential high morbidity and mortality rates, there is an urgent need to screen and identify new agents for the effective treatment of cancer. Terphenyls-a group of aromatic hydrocarbons consisting of a linear 1,4-diaryl-substituted benzene core-has exhibited a wide range of biological activities. In this study, we discovered a terphenyllin derivative-CHNQD-00824-derived from the marine compound library as a potential anticancer agent. The cytotoxic activities of the CHNQD-00824 compound were evaluated against 13 different cell lines with IC50 values from 0.16 to 7.64 µM. Further study showed that CHNQD-00824 inhibited the proliferation and migration of cancer cells, possibly by inducing DNA damage. Acridine orange staining demonstrated that CHNQD-00824 promoted apoptosis in zebrafish embryos. Notably, the anti-cancer effectiveness was verified in a doxycin hydrochloride (DOX)-induced liver-specific enlargement model in zebrafish. With Solafinib as a positive control, CHNQD-00824 markedly suppressed tumor growth at concentrations of 2.5 and 5 µM, further highlighting its potential as an effective anticancer agent.

Rapid Discovery of Substances with Anticancer Potential from Marine Fungi Based on a One Strain-Many Compounds Strategy and UPLC-QTOF-MS.

The secondary metabolites of marine fungi with rich chemical diversity and biological activity are an important and exciting target for natural product research. This study aimed to investigate the fungal community in Quanzhou Bay, Fujian, and identified 28 strains of marine fungi. A total of 28 strains of marine fungi were screened for small-scale fermentation by the OSMAC (One Strain-Many Compounds) strategy, and 77 EtOAc crude extracts were obtained and assayed for cancer cell inhibition rate. A total of six strains of marine fungi (P-WZ-2, P-WZ-3-2, P-WZ-4, P-WZ-5, P56, and P341) with significant changes in cancer cell inhibition induced by the OSMAC strategy were analysed by UPLC-QTOF-MS. The ACD/MS Structure ID Suite software was used to predict the possible structures with inhibitory effects on cancer cells. A total of 23 compounds were identified, of which 10 compounds have been reported to have potential anticancer activity or cytotoxicity. In this study, the OSMAC strategy was combined with an untargeted metabolomics approach based on UPLC-QTOF-MS to efficiently analyse the effect of changes in culture conditions on anticancer potentials and to rapidly find active substances that inhibit cancer cell growth.

Is serum hemoglobin level an independent prognostic factor for IgA nephropathy?: a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational cohort studies.

BACKGROUND: Decreased serum hemoglobin (Hb) level is associated with Immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN) progression. However, whether serum Hb level is an independent prognostic factor of IgAN remains controversial. Herein, we aimed to investigate the prognostic value of serum Hb level in IgAN. METHODS: The Cochrane Library, Embase, PubMed and Open Grey databases were systematically searched and reviewed. Kidney disease progression of IgAN was defined as a doubling of serum creatinine (SCr), a 30% reduction in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), end-stage renal disease (ESRD), or death. We evaluated the hazard ratio (HR) between serum Hb level and the incidence of kidney disease progression in IgAN before and after adjusting for relevant covariates. RESULTS: We included nine studies with 10006 patients in the meta-analysis. As a continuous variable, we found that serum Hb was an independent prognostic factor of IgAN [unadjusted HR = 0.89, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.84-0.95, I2 = 98%; adjusted HR = 0.85, 95% CI = 0.79-0.91, I2 = 0%]. The sensitivity analysis confirmed the stability of these results. Consistently, as a dichotomous variable defined as the below/above cutoff for anemia, we observed a positive correlation between serum Hb and kidney disease progression in IgAN (unadjusted HR = 2.12, 95% CI = 1.44-3.12, I2 = 79%; adjusted HR = 1.65, 95% CI = 1.20-2.27, I2 = 0%). CONCLUSION: Serum Hb level was independently correlated with the incidence of kidney disease progression in IgAN.

Research on Energy Harvesting Mechanism and Low Power Technology in Wireless Sensor Networks.

Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) are widely used in various fields such as military, industrial, and transportation for real-time monitoring, sensing, and data collection of different environments or objects. However, the development of WSNs is hindered by several limitations, including energy, storage space, computing power, and data transmission rate. Among these, the availability of power energy plays a crucial role as it directly determines the lifespan of WSN. To extend the life cycle of WSN, two key approaches are power supply improvement and energy conservation. Therefore, we propose an energy harvesting system and a low-energy-consumption mechanism for WSNs. Firstly, we delved into the energy harvesting technology of WSNs, explored the utilization of solar energy and mechanical vibration energy to ensure a continuous and dependable power supply to the sensor nodes, and analyzed the voltage output characteristics of bistable piezoelectric cantilever. Secondly, we proposed a neighbor discovery mechanism that utilizes a separation beacon, is based on reply to ACK, and can facilitate the identification of neighboring nodes. This mechanism operates at a certain duty cycle ratio, significantly reduces idle listening time and results in substantial energy savings. In comparison to the Disco and U-connect protocols, our proposed mechanism achieved a remarkable reduction of 66.67% and 75% in the worst discovery delay, respectively. Furthermore, we introduced a data fusion mechanism based on integer wavelet transform. This mechanism effectively eliminates data redundancy caused by spatiotemporal correlation, resulting in a data compression rate of 5.42. Additionally, it significantly reduces energy consumption associated with data transmission by the nodes.

Moral Conflict in Economic Decision Making: The Role of the Anterior Cingulate Cortex-Striatum Pathway.

The present study combined a novel hypothetical investment game with functional magnetic resonance imaging to examine how moral conflict biases our real decision preference when it is not obvious or explicitly presented. Investment projects were chosen based on their prior subjective morality ratings to fit into 2 categories: a high level of moral conflict (HMC) or a low level of moral conflict (LMC). Participants were instructed to invest high or low amounts of capital into different projects. Behavioral and neural responses during decision making were recorded and compared. Behaviorally, we observed a significant decision bias such that investments were lower for HMC projects than for LMC projects. At the neural level, we found that moral conflict-related activity in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) was higher in the HMC condition than in the LMC condition and that reward-related activity in bilateral striatum was lower. Dynamic causal modeling further suggested that the moral conflict detected in the ACC influenced final decisions by modulating the representation of subjective value through the ACC's connection to the reward system.