Parental warmth buffers the negative impact of weaker fronto-striatal connectivity on early adolescents' academic achievement.

In past decades, the positive role of self-control in students' academic success has attracted plenty of scholarly attention. However, fewer studies have examined the link between adolescents' neural development of the inhibitory control system and their academic achievement, especially using a longitudinal approach. Moreover, less is known about the role of parents in this link. Using large-scale longitudinal data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study (N = 9574; mean age = 9.94 years at baseline, SD = .63; 50% girls), the current study took an integrative biopsychosocial approach to explore the longitudinal link between early adolescents' fronto-striatal connectivity and their academic achievement, with attention to the moderating role of parental warmth. Results showed that weaker intrinsic connectivity between the frontoparietal network and the striatum was associated with early adolescents' worse academic achievement over 2 years during early adolescence. Notably, parental warmth moderated the association between fronto-striatal connectivity and academic achievement, such that weaker fronto-striatal connectivity was only predictive of worse academic achievement among early adolescents who experienced low levels of parental warmth. Taken together, the findings demonstrate weaker fronto-striatal connectivity as a risk factor for early adolescents' academic development and highlight parental warmth as a protective factor for academic development among those with weaker connectivity within the inhibitory control system.

The Impact of Bone Marrow Stimulation on Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff Repair for Small to Large Rotator Cuff Tears: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: Bone marrow stimulation (BMS), a procedure involving the creation of multiple channels in the greater tuberosity, is often performed alongside arthroscopic rotator cuff repair (ARCR). This study evaluated the effect of BMS on clinical and structural outcomes following ARCR. METHOD: This study involved 204 patients with small, medium, and large full-thickness rotator cuff tears. In all, 103 patients who underwent BMS and ARCR made up the BMS group, while the 101 patients who only had ARCR made up the control group with randomization. Clinical and functional outcomes were assessed before and at 3 months, 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years after surgery, using parameters such as range of motion, functional scores (ASES and constant score), and clinical scores (VAS). Tendon integrity was also examined postoperatively via ultrasound at 6 months and 2 years. RESULTS: There were no significant differences between the two groups concerning range of motion, functional scores (ASES score and constant score), and clinical score (VAS) during the 2-year post-surgery period (all p>0.05). Similarly, the rotator cuff retear rate, as assessed using ultrasonographic tendon integrity checks over 2 years post-surgery, did not significantly vary between the groups (all p>0.05). CONCLUSION: There were no significant disparities in functional scores and clinical outcomes between the BMS and control groups. Further, no significant differences were observed in tendon integrity post-surgery. Therefore, the inclusion or exclusion of BMS is not anticipated to influence the postoperative outcome in ARCR for patients with small, medium, or large rotator cuff tears.

Family socioeconomic status and adolescent substance use: The role of parent-adolescent brain similarity and parental monitoring.

Greater neural similarity between parents and adolescents may reduce adolescent substance use. Among 70 parent-adolescent dyads, we tested a longitudinal path model in which family economic environment is related to adolescent substance use, directly and indirectly through parent-adolescent neural similarity and parental monitoring. Neural similarity was measured as parent-adolescent pattern similarity in functional brain connectivity at Time 1. Parents reported socioeconomic status and parental monitoring at Time 1. Adolescents reported parental monitoring at Time 1 and substance use at Time 2. Higher family socioeconomic status was associated with greater neural similarity. Greater neural similarity was associated with lower adolescent substance use, mediated through greater adolescent-perceived parental monitoring. Parent-adolescent neural similarity may attenuate adolescent substance use by bolstering parental monitoring. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Selection of Catechin Biosynthesis-Related Genes and Functional Analysis from Chromosome-Level Genome Assembly in C. sinensis L. Variety 'Sangmok'.

Camellia is an important plant genus that includes well-known species such as C. sinensis, C. oleifera, and C. japonica. The C. sinensis cultivar 'Sangmok', one of Korea's standard types of tea landraces, is a small evergreen tree or shrub. Genome annotation has shown that Korean tea plants have special and unique benefits and superior components, such as catechin. The genome of Camellia sinensis cultivar 'Sangmok' was assembled on the chromosome level, with a length of 2678.62 Mbp and GC content of 38.16%. Further, 15 chromosome-scale scaffolds comprising 82.43% of the assembly (BUSCO completeness, 94.3%) were identified. Analysis of 68,151 protein-coding genes showed an average of 5.003 exons per gene. Among 82,481 coding sequences, the majority (99.06%) were annotated by Uniprot/Swiss-Prot. Further analysis revealed that 'Sangmok' is closely related to C. sinensis, with a divergence time of 60 million years ago. A total of 3336 exclusive gene families in 'Sangmok' were revealed by gene ontology analysis to play roles in auxin transport and cellular response mechanisms. By comparing these exclusive genes with 551 similar catechin genes, 17 'Sangmok'-specific catechin genes were identified by qRT-PCR, including those involved in phytoalexin biosynthesis and related to cytochrome P450. The 'Sangmok' genome exhibited distinctive genes compared to those of related species. This comprehensive genomic investigation enhances our understanding of the genetic architecture of 'Sangmok' and its specialized functions. The findings contribute valuable insights into the evolutionary and functional aspects of this plant species.

Antiseptic Functions of CGK012 against HMGB1-Mediated Septic Responses.

High mobility group box 1 (HMGB1), a protein with important functions, has been recognized as a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of sepsis. One possible mechanism for this is that inhibiting HMGB1 secretion can exert antiseptic effects, which can restore the integrity of the vascular barrier. (7S)-(+)-cyclopentyl carbamic acid 8,8-dimethyl-2-oxo-6,7-dihydro-2H,8H-pyrano[3,2-g]chromen-7-yl-ester (CGK012) is a newly synthesized pyranocoumarin compound that could function as a novel small-molecule inhibitor of the Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway. However, no studies have yet determined the effects of CGK012 on sepsis. We investigated the potential of CGK012 to attenuate the excessive permeability induced by HMGB1 and enhance survival rates in a mouse model of sepsis with reduced HMGB1 levels following lipopolysaccharide (LPS) treatment. In both LPS-stimulated human endothelial cells and a mouse model exhibiting septic symptoms due to cecal ligation and puncture (CLP), we assessed proinflammatory protein levels and tissue damage biomarkers as indicators of reduced vascular permeability. CGK012 was applied after induction in human endothelial cells exposed to LPS and the CLP-induced mouse model of sepsis. CGK012 effectively mitigated excessive permeability and suppressed HMGB1 release, resulting in improved vascular stability, decreased mortality, and enhanced histological conditions in the mouse model of CLP-induced sepsis. In conclusion, our findings indicate that CGK012 treatment in mice with CLP-induced sepsis diminished HMGB1 release and increased the survival rate, suggesting its potential as a pharmaceutical intervention for sepsis.

Deciphering Hydrogen Embrittlement Mechanisms in Ti6Al4V Alloy: Role of Solute Hydrogen and Hydride Phase.

Ti6Al4V (Ti64) is a versatile material, finding applications in a wide range of industries due to its unique properties. However, hydrogen embrittlement (HE) poses a challenge in hydrogen-rich environments, leading to a notable reduction in strength and ductility. This study investigates the complex interplay of solute hydrogen (SH) and hydride phase (HP) formation in Ti64 by employing two different current densities during the charging process. Nanoindentation measurements reveal distinct micro-mechanical behavior in base metal, SH, and HP, providing crucial insights into HE mechanisms affecting macro-mechanical behavior. The fractography and microstructural analysis elucidate the role of SH and HP in hydrogen-assisted cracking behaviors. The presence of SH heightens intergranular cracking tendencies. In contrast, the increased volume of HP provides sites for crack initiation and propagation, resulting in a two-layer brittle fracture pattern. The current study contributes to a comprehensive understanding of HE in Ti6Al4V, essential for developing hydrogen-resistant materials.

A collection of 157 individual neuromelanin-sensitive images accompanied by non-linear neuromelanin-sensitive atlas and a probabilistic locus coeruleus atlas.

The current dataset aims to support and enhance the research reliability of neuromelanin regions in the brainstem, such as locus coeruleus (LC), by offering raw neuromelanin-sensitive images. The dataset includes raw neuromelanin-sensitive images from 157 healthy individuals (8-64 years old). In addition, leveraging individual neuromelanin-sensitive images, a non-linear neuromelanin-sensitive atlas, generated through an iterative warping process, is included to tackle the common challenge of a limited field of view in neuromelanin-sensitive images. Finally, the dataset encompasses a probabilistic LC atlas generated through a majority voting approach with pre-existing multiple atlas-based segmentations. This process entails warping pre-existing atlases onto individual spaces and identifying voxels with a majority consensus of over 50 % across the atlases. This LC probabilistic atlas can minimize uncertainty variance associated with choosing a specific single atlas.

BNNT vs. CNT: influence of structural defects on damping characteristics of nanocomposites.

The viscoelastic damping of nanocomposites reinforced with BNNTs and CNTs was compared. MD simulations revealed that the interfacial damping of pristine-CNT was superior to that of pristine-BNNT. The contrasting effects of structural defects were elucidated using interfacial adhesion, interphase, and overlapping phonon density of states in the nanotubes and polymers.

Brain Similarity as a Protective Factor in the Longitudinal Pathway Linking Household Chaos, Parenting, and Substance Use.

BACKGROUND: Socioecological factors such as family environment and parenting behaviors contribute to the development of substance use. While biobehavioral synchrony has been suggested as the foundation for resilience that can modulate environmental effects on development, the role of brain similarity that attenuates deleterious effects of environmental contexts has not been clearly understood. We tested whether parent-adolescent neural similarity-the level of pattern similarity between parent-adolescent functional brain connectivity representing the level of attunement within each dyad-moderates the longitudinal pathways in which household chaos (a stressor) predicts adolescent substance use directly and indirectly via parental monitoring. METHODS: In a sample of 70 parent-adolescent dyads, similarity in resting-state brain activity was identified using multipattern connectivity similarity estimation. Adolescents and parents reported on household chaos and parental monitoring, and adolescent substance use was assessed at a 1-year follow-up. RESULTS: The moderated mediation model indicated that for adolescents with low neural similarity, but not high neural similarity, greater household chaos predicted higher substance use over time directly and indirectly via lower parental monitoring. Our data also indicated differential susceptibility in the overall association between household chaos and substance use: Adolescents with low neural similarity exhibited high substance use under high household chaos but low substance use under low household chaos. CONCLUSIONS: Neural similarity acts as a protective factor such that the detrimental effects of suboptimal family environment and parenting behaviors on the development of adolescent health risk behaviors may be attenuated by neural similarity within parent-adolescent bonds.

Valorization of fruit and vegetable byproducts for the beta-glucan production from Euglena gracilis.

Five fruit and vegetable byproducts were evaluated as carbon sources and media for beta-glucan production from Euglena gracilis. Orange peel showed the highest beta-glucan concentration (6.5 g/L) and productivity (1.9 g/L/day) when used as a medium. However, when employed as carbon sources, apple pomace showed the highest beta-glucan concentration (10.6 g/L) and productivity (3.5 g/L/day). The appropriate chemical oxygen demand/nitrogen ratio (71.1) and favorable carbon sources of apple contributed to beta-glucan production. Increasing sugar concentrations in apple pomace and orange peel from 10 to 30 g/L raised the beta-glucan concentration to 11.6 g/L. Using apple pomace and orange peel individually proved more effective than mixing them for beta-glucan production. Therefore, apple as a carbon source is the most effective fruit and vegetables byproduct for beta-glucan production. This is expected to reduce the cost of E. gracilis cultivation on a large-scale and contribute to the circular economy.

Caffeinated Soda Intake in Children Is Associated with Neurobehavioral Risk Factors for Substance Misuse.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Use of psychotropic substances in childhood has been associated with both impulsivity and other manifestations of poor executive function as well as escalation over time to use of progressively stronger substances. However, how this relationship may start in earlier childhood has not been well explored. Here, we investigated the neurobehavioral correlates of daily caffeinated soda consumption in preadolescent children and examined whether caffeinated soda intake is associated with a higher risk of subsequent alcohol initiation. METHODS: Using Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development study data (N = 2,092), we first investigated cross-sectional relationships between frequent caffeinated soda intake and well-known risk factors of substance misuse: impaired working memory, high impulsivity, and aberrant reward processing. We then examined whether caffeinated soda intake at baseline predicts more alcohol sipping at 12 months follow-up using a machine learning algorithm. RESULTS: Daily consumption of caffeinated soda was cross-sectionally associated with neurobehavioral risk factors for substance misuse such as higher impulsivity scores and lower working memory performance. Furthermore, caffeinated soda intake predicted a 2.04 times greater likelihood of alcohol sipping after 12 months, even after controlling for rates of baseline alcohol sipping rates. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that previous linkages between caffeine and substance use in adolescence also extend to younger initiation, and may stem from core neurocognitive features thought conducive to substance initiation.

Optimization of Aging Temperature and Heat-Treatment Pathways in Additively Manufactured 17-4PH Stainless Steel.

This study investigates the tensile behaviors of additively manufactured (AM) 17-4PH stainless steels heat-treated within various temperature ranges from 400 °C to 700 °C in order to identify the effective aging temperature. Despite an aging treatment of 400-460 °C increasing the retained austenite content, an enhancement of the tensile properties was achieved without a strength-ductility trade-off owing to precipitation hardening by the Cu particles. Due to the intricate evolution of the microstructure, aging treatments above 490 °C led to a loss in yield strength and ductility. A considerable rise in strength and a decrease in ductility were brought about by the increase in the fraction of precipitation-hardened martensitic matrix in aging treatments over 640 °C. The impact of heat-treatment pathways on aging effectiveness and tensile anisotropy was then examined. Direct aging at 482 °C for an hour had hardly any effect on wrought 17-4PH, but it increased the yield strength of AM counterparts from 436-457 to 588-604 MPa. A solid-solution treatment at 1038 °C for one hour resulted in a significant drop in the austenite fraction, which led to an increase in the yield (from 436-457 to 841-919 MPa) and tensile strengths (from 1106-1127 to 1254-1256 MPa) with a sacrifice in ductility. Improved strength and ductility were realized by a solid-solution followed by an aging treatment, achieving 1371-1399 MPa. The tensile behaviors of AM 17-4PH were isotropic both parallel and perpendicular to the building direction.

A thermodynamic analysis of CLC transporter dimerization in lipid bilayers.

The CLC-ec1 chloride/proton antiporter is a membrane-embedded homodimer with subunits that can dissociate and associate, but the thermodynamic driving forces favor the assembled dimer at biological densities. Yet, the physical reasons for this stability are confounding as dimerization occurs via the burial of hydrophobic interfaces away from the lipid solvent. For binding of nonpolar surfaces in aqueous solution, the driving force is often attributed to the hydrophobic effect, but this should not apply in the membrane since there is very little water. To investigate this further, we quantified the thermodynamic changes associated with CLC dimerization in membranes by carrying out a van 't Hoff analysis of the temperature dependency of the free energy of dimerization, ΔG°. To ensure that the reaction reached equilibrium at different temperatures, we utilized a Förster resonance energy transfer assay to report on relaxation kinetics of subunit exchange as a function of temperature. Equilibration times were then applied to measure CLC-ec1 dimerization isotherms at different temperatures using the single-molecule subunit-capture photobleaching analysis approach. The results demonstrate that the dimerization free energy of CLC in Escherichia coli-like membranes exhibits a nonlinear temperature dependency corresponding to a large, negative change in heat capacity, a signature of solvent ordering effects such as the hydrophobic effect. Consolidating this with our previous molecular analyses suggests that the nonbilayer defect required to solvate the monomeric state is one source of the observed change in heat capacity and indicates the existence of a generalizable driving force for protein association in membranes.

Association of Intrinsic Functional Connectivity between the Locus Coeruleus and Salience Network with Attentional Ability.

The locus coeruleus (LC) is a brainstem region associated with broad neural arousal because of norepinephrine production, but it has increasingly been associated with specific cognitive processes. These include sustained attention, with deficits associated with various neuropsychological disorders. Neural models of attention deficits have focused on interrupted dynamics between the salience network (SAL) with the frontoparietal network, which has been associated with task-switching and processing of external stimuli, respectively. Conflicting findings for these regions suggest the possibility of upstream signaling leading to attention dysfunction, and recent research suggests LC involvement. In this study, resting-state functional connectivity and behavioral performance on an attention task was examined within 584 individuals. Analysis revealed significant clusters connected to LC activity in the SAL. Given previous findings that attention deficits may be caused by SAL network switching dysfunctions, findings here further suggest that dysfunction in LC-SAL connectivity may impair attention.

Family Cohesion Moderates the Relation between Parent-Child Neural Connectivity Pattern Similarity and Youth's Emotional Adjustment.

Despite a recent surge in research examining parent-child neural similarity using fMRI, there remains a need for further investigation into how such similarity may play a role in children's emotional adjustment. Moreover, no prior studies explored the potential contextual factors that may moderate the link between parent-child neural similarity and children's developmental outcomes. In this study, 32 parent-youth dyads (parents: M age = 43.53 years, 72% female; children: M age = 11.69 years, 41% female) watched an emotion-evoking animated film while being scanned using fMRI. We first quantified how similarly emotion network interacts with other brain regions in responding to the emotion-evoking film between parents and their children. We then examined how such parent-child neural similarity is associated with children's emotional adjustment, with attention to the moderating role of family cohesion. Results revealed that higher parent-child similarity in functional connectivity pattern during movie viewing was associated with better emotional adjustment, including less negative affect, lower anxiety, and greater ego resilience in youth. Moreover, such associations were significant only among families with higher cohesion, but not among families with lower cohesion. The findings advance our understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying how children thrive by being in sync and attuned with their parents, and provide novel empirical evidence that the effects of parent-child concordance at the neural level on children's development are contextually dependent.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT What neural processes underlie the attunement between children and their parents that helps children thrive? Using a naturalistic movie-watching fMRI paradigm, we find that greater parent-child similarity in how emotion network interacts with other brain regions during movie viewing is associated with youth's better emotional adjustment including less negative affect, lower anxiety, and greater ego resilience. Interestingly, these associations are only significant among families with higher cohesion, but not among those with lower cohesion. Our findings provide novel evidence that parent-child shared neural processes to emotional situations can confer benefits to children, and underscore the importance of considering specific family contexts in which parent-child neural similarity may be beneficial or detrimental to children's development, highlighting a crucial direction for future research.

Selective inhibitory effects of suberosin on CYP1A2 in human liver microsomes.

Suberosin is a natural phytoconstituent isolated from Citropsis articulata, especially employed for its anticoagulant properties. Although metabolic studies assessing suberosin have been conducted, it is possible interactions with drugs and food have not yet been investigated. In the present study, we analyzed the selective inhibitory effects of suberosin on cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes using a cocktail probe assay. Various concentrations of suberosin (0-50 µM) were incubated with isoform-specific CYP probes in human liver microsomes (HLMs). We found that suberosin significantly inhibited CYP1A2-catalyzed phenacetin O-deethylation, exhibiting IC50 values of 9.39 ± 2.05 and 3.07 ± 0.45 µM with and without preincubation in the presence of ß-NADPH, respectively. Moreover, suberosin showed concentration-dependent, but not time-dependent, CYP1A2 inhibition in HLMs, indicating that suberosin acts as a substrate and reversible CYP1A2 inhibitor. Using a Lineweaver-Burk plot, we found that suberosin competitively inhibited CYP1A2-catalyzed phenacetin O-deethylation. Furthermore, suberosin showed similar inhibitory effects on recombinant human CYP1A1 and 1A2. In conclusion, suberosin may elicit herb-drug interactions by selectively inhibiting CYP1A2 during the concurrent administration of drugs that act as CYP1A2 substrates.

Identification of Histone Lysine Acetoacetylation as a Dynamic Post-Translational Modification Regulated by HBO1.

Ketone bodies have long been known as a group of lipid-derived alternative energy sources during glucose shortages. Nevertheless, the molecular mechanisms underlying their non-metabolic functions remain largely elusive. This study identified acetoacetate as the precursor for lysine acetoacetylation (Kacac), a previously uncharacterized and evolutionarily conserved histone post-translational modification. This protein modification is comprehensively validated using chemical and biochemical approaches, including HPLC co-elution and MS/MS analysis using synthetic peptides, Western blot, and isotopic labeling. Histone Kacac can be dynamically regulated by acetoacetate concentration, possibly via acetoacetyl-CoA. Biochemical studies show that HBO1, traditionally known as an acetyltransferase, can also serve as an acetoacetyltransferase. In addition, 33 Kacac sites are identified on mammalian histones, depicting the landscape of histone Kacac marks across species and organs. In summary, this study thus discovers a physiologically relevant and enzymatically regulated histone mark that sheds light on the non-metabolic functions of ketone bodies.

Structural analysis and prebiotic activity of exopolysaccharide produced by probiotic strain Bifidobacterium bifidum EPS DA-LAIM.

Exopolysaccharide (EPS)-producing Bifidobacterium bifidum EPS DA-LAIM was isolated from healthy human feces, the structure of purified EPS from the strain was analyzed, and its prebiotic activity was evaluated. The EPS from B. bifidum EPS DA-LAIM is a glucomannan-type heteropolysaccharide with a molecular weight of 407-1007 kDa, and its structure comprises 2-mannosyl, 6-mannosyl, and 2,6-mannosyl residues. The purified EPS promoted the growth of representative lactic acid bacteria and bifidobacterial strains. Bifidobacterium bifidum EPS DA-LAIM increased nitric oxide production in RAW 264.7 macrophage cells, indicating its immunostimulatory activity. Bifidobacterium bifidum EPS DA-LAIM also exhibited high gastrointestinal tract tolerance, gut adhesion ability, and antioxidant activity. These results suggest that EPS from B. bifidum EPS DA-LAIM is a potentially useful prebiotic material, and B. bifidum EPS DA-LAIM could be applied as a probiotic candidate. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10068-022-01213-w.

A thermodynamic analysis of CLC transporter dimerization in lipid bilayers.

The CLC-ec1 chloride/proton antiporter is a membrane embedded homodimer where subunits can dissociate and associate, but the thermodynamic driving forces favor the assembled form at biological densities. Yet, the physical reasons for this stability are confounding since binding occurs via the burial of hydrophobic protein interfaces yet the hydrophobic effect should not apply since there is little water within the membrane. To investigate this further, we quantified the thermodynamic changes associated with CLC dimerization in membranes by carrying out a van 't Hoff analysis of the temperature dependency of the free energy of dimerization, ΔG° . To ensure that the reaction reached equilibrium under changing conditions, we utilized a Förster Resonance Energy Transfer based assay to report on the relaxation kinetics of subunit exchange as a function of temperature. These equilibration times were then applied to measure CLC-ec1 dimerization isotherms as a function of temperature using the single-molecule subunit-capture photobleaching analysis approach. The results demonstrate that the dimerization free energy of CLC in E. coli membranes exhibits a non-linear temperature dependency corresponding to a large, negative change in heat capacity, a signature of solvent ordering effects including the hydrophobic effect. Consolidating this with our previous molecular analyses suggests that the non-bilayer defect required to solvate the monomeric state is the molecular source of this large change in heat capacity and is a major and generalizable driving force for protein association in membranes.

Digitalizing breeding in plants: A new trend of next-generation breeding based on genomic prediction.

As the world's population grows and food needs diversification, the demand for cereals and horticultural crops with beneficial traits increases. In order to meet a variety of demands, suitable cultivars and innovative breeding methods need to be developed. Breeding methods have changed over time following the advance of genetics. With the advent of new sequencing technology in the early 21st century, predictive breeding, such as genomic selection (GS), emerged when large-scale genomic information became available. GS shows good predictive ability for the selection of individuals with traits of interest even for quantitative traits by using various types of the whole genome-scanning markers, breaking away from the limitations of marker-assisted selection (MAS). In the current review, we briefly describe the history of breeding techniques, each breeding method, various statistical models applied to GS and methods to increase the GS efficiency. Consequently, we intend to propose and define the term digital breeding through this review article. Digital breeding is to develop a predictive breeding methods such as GS at a higher level, aiming to minimize human intervention by automatically proceeding breeding design, propagating breeding populations, and to make selections in consideration of various environments, climates, and topography during the breeding process. We also classified the phases of digital breeding based on the technologies and methods applied to each phase. This review paper will provide an understanding and a direction for the final evolution of plant breeding in the future.