Discovery and Characterization of Pyridoxal 5'-Phosphate-Dependent Cycloleucine Synthases.

Pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP)-dependent enzymes are the most versatile biocatalysts for synthesizing nonproteinogenic amino acids. α,α-Disubstituted quaternary amino acids, such as 1-aminocyclopentane-1-carboxylic acid (cycloleucine), are useful building blocks for pharmaceuticals. In this study, starting with the biosynthesis of fusarilin A, we discovered a family of PLP-dependent enzymes that can facilitate tandem carbon-carbon forming steps to catalyze an overall [3 + 2]-annulation. In the first step, the cycloleucine synthases use SAM as the latent electrophile and an in situ-generated enamine as the nucleophile for γ-substitution. Whereas previously characterized γ-replacement enzymes protonate the resulting α-carbon and release the acyclic amino acid, cycloleucine synthases can catalyze an additional, intramolecular aldol or Mannich reaction with the nucleophilic α-carbon to form the substituted cyclopentane. Overall, the net [3 + 2]-annulation reaction can lead to 2-hydroxy or 2-aminocycloleucine products. These studies further expand the biocatalytic scope of PLP-dependent enzymes.

Harmonizing three-dimensional MRI using pseudo-warping field guided GAN.

In pursuit of cultivating automated models for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to aid in diagnostics, an escalating demand for extensive, multisite, and heterogeneous brain imaging datasets has emerged. This potentially introduces biased outcomes when directly applied for subsequent analysis. Researchers have endeavored to address this issue by pursuing the harmonization of MRIs. However, most existing image-based harmonization methods for MRI are tailored for 2D slices, which may introduce inter-slice variations when they are combined into a 3D volume. In this study, we aim to resolve inconsistencies between slices by introducing a pseudo-warping field. This field is created randomly and utilized to transform a slice into an artificially warped subsequent slice. The objective of this pseudo-warping field is to ensure that generators can consistently harmonize adjacent slices to another domain, without being affected by the varying content present in different slices. Furthermore, we construct unsupervised spatial and recycle loss to enhance the spatial accuracy and slice-wise consistency across the 3D images. The results demonstrate that our model effectively mitigates inter-slice variations and successfully preserves the anatomical details of the images during the harmonization process. Compared to generative harmonization models that employ 3D operators, our model exhibits greater computational efficiency and flexibility.

Construction of phase-separated Co/MnO synergistic catalysts and integration onto sponge for rapid removal of multiple contaminants.

Wastewater treatment recycling is critical to ensure safe water supply or to overcome water shortage. Herein, we developed metallic Co integration onto MnO nanorods (MON) resulting in a phase-separated synergetic catalyst by creating more Mn(III) via the Jahn-Teller effect and oxygen vacancies and improving the redox capability of Co nanoparticles mediated by a thin carbon layer. Additionally, the N-doped surface carbon network on MON contributes to polar sites, facilitating the enrichment of contaminants around reactive sites, thereby shortening the migration of reactive oxidative species (ROS) toward contaminants. The optimized MnO@Co/C-600 exhibits superior PMS activation efficiency for bisphenol A degradation (0.463 min-1), displaying nearly a 20-fold enhancement in the rate constant compared to Mn3O4/C-600. Subsequent experiments involving variable modulation and extension were conducted to further elucidate the multiple synergistic effects. The mechanism study further confirms the synergy of ˙SO4-, ˙OH, ˙O2-, and 1O2, along with additional electron transfer pathways. The intermediates generated during degradation pathways and their toxicity to aquatic organisms were identified. Notably, a monolith integrated catalyst was explored by anchoring MnO@Co/C-600 onto a tailored melamine sponge based on Ca ion triggered crosslink tactic for the photothermal degradation of bisphenol A, tetracycline and norfloxacin, endowed with easy recovery and good stability. Furthermore, we demonstrated that the total organic carbon removal of multiple contaminants surpassed that of sole contaminants.

A CuCo Bimetal Confined Hollow SiC Hybrid Photothermal Nanoreactor for the Integration of Pollutant Mineralization and Solar-Powered Water Evaporation.

Growing attention has been paid to the rational treatment of antibiotics-bearing medical wastewater. However, the complexity of polluted wastewater makes the later comprehensive treatment difficult only by the Advanced Oxidation Process technique. Therefore, the coupled water treatment techniques including contaminant mineralization and regeneration of cleanwater become very attractive. A bimetallic functional hollow nanoreactor defined as (Co@SiO2/Cu-X) was successfully constructed by coating a Cu-doped silica layer on the metal-organic framework (ZIF-67) followed by programmed calcination in nitrogen. The nanoreactor was endowed with a hollow configuration composed of mesoporous N-doping C-Silica hybrid shell encapsulated ultrafine Cu and Co metallic species. Such a configuration allows for the efficient diffusion and open reaction space of big contaminant molecules. The catalytic synergy of exposed Co-Cu bimetals and the easy accessibility of electron-rich contaminants by polar N doping sites triggered surface affinity make the optimal Co@SiO2/Cu-6 afford an excellent catalytic norfloxacin mineralization activity (7 min, kabs=0.744 min-1) compared to Cu-free Co@SiO2-6 (kabs=0.493 min-1) and Co-6 (kabs=0.378 min-1) Benefiting from the above unique advantages, Co@SiO2/Cu-6 show excellent removal performance in degrading different pollutants (carbamazepine, oxytetracycline, tetracycline, and bisphenol A) and persistent recycled stability in removing NFX. In addition, by virtue of the excellent photothermal properties, interfacial solar water evaporation application by Co@SiO2/Cu-6 was further explored to reach the regeneration of cleanwater (1.595 kg m-2 h-1, 97.51 %). The integration of pollutant mineralization and solar water evaporation by creating the monolith evaporation by anchoring the Co@SiO2/Cu-6 onto the tailored melamine sponge allows the regeneration of cleanwater (1.6 kg⋅m-2⋅h-1) and synchronous pollutant removal (NFX, 95 %, 60 min), which provides potential possibility the treatment of complicated wastewater.

Subclinical variations on ECG and their associations with structural brain aging networks.

Impaired cardiac function is associated with cognitive impairment and brain imaging features of aging. Cardiac arrhythmias, including atrial fibrillation, are implicated in clinical and subclinical brain injuries. Even in the absence of a clinical diagnosis, subclinical or prodromal substrates of arrhythmias, including an abnormally long or short P-wave duration (PWD), a measure associated with atrial abnormalities, have been associated with stroke and cognitive decline. However, the extent to which PWD has subclinical influences on overall aging patterns of the brain is not clearly understood. Here, using neuroimaging and ECG data from the UK Biobank, we use a novel regional "brain age" method to identify the brain aging networks associated with abnormal PWD. We find that PWD is inversely associated with accelerated brain aging in the sensorimotor, frontoparietal, ventral attention, and dorsal attention networks, even in the absence of overt cardiac diseases. These findings suggest that detrimental aging outcomes may result from subclinically abnormal PWD.

Monolithic Interphase Enables Fast Kinetics for High-Performance Sodium-Ion Batteries at Subzero Temperature.

In spite of the competitive performance at room temperature, the development of sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) is still hindered by sluggish electrochemical reaction kinetics and unstable electrode/electrolyte interphase under subzero environments. Herein, a low-concentration electrolyte, consisting of 0.5M NaPF6 dissolving in diethylene glycol dimethyl ether solvent, is proposed for SIBs working at low temperature. Such an electrolyte generates a thin, amorphous, and homogeneous cathode/electrolyte interphase at low temperature. The interphase is monolithic and rich in organic components, reducing the limitation of Na+ migration through inorganic crystals, thereby facilitating the interfacial Na+ dynamics at low temperature. Furthermore, it effectively blocks the unfavorable side reactions between active materials and electrolytes, improving the structural stability. Consequently, Na0.7Li0.03Mg0.03Ni0.27Mn0.6Ti0.07O2//Na and hard carbon//Na cells deliver a high capacity retention of 90.8 % after 900 cycles at 1C, a capacity over 310 mAh g-1 under -30 °C, respectively, showing long-term cycling stability and great rate capability at low temperature.

Correction: Dong et al. Identification of the Trace Components in BopuzongJian and Macleaya cordata Extract Using LC-MS Combined with a Screening Method. Molecules 2021, 26, 3851.

The article in question [...].

Fast Na+ Kinetics and Suppressed Voltage Hysteresis Enabled by a High-Entropy Strategy for Sodium Oxide Cathodes.

O3-type layered transition metal cathodes are promising energy storage materials due to their sufficient sodium reservoir. However, sluggish sodium ions kinetics and large voltage hysteresis, which are generally associated with Na+ diffusion properties and electrochemical phase transition reversibility, drastically minimize energy density, reduce energy efficiency, and hinder further commercialization of sodium-ion batteries (SIBs). Here, this work proposes a high-entropy tailoring strategy through manipulating the electronic local environment within transition metal slabs to circumvent these issues. Experimental analysis combined with theoretical calculations verify that high-entropy metal ion mixing contributes to the improved reversibility of redox reaction and O3-P3-O3 phase transition behaviors as well as the enhanced Na+ diffusivity. Consequently, the designed O3-Na0.9Ni0.2Fe0.2Co0.2Mn0.2Ti0.15Cu0.05O2 material with high-entropy characteristic could display a negligible voltage hysteresis (<0.09 V), impressive rate capability (98.6 mAh g-1 at 10 C) and long-term cycling stability (79.4% capacity retention over 2000 cycles at 5 C). This work provides insightful guidance in mitigating the voltage hysteresis and facilitating Na+ diffusion of layered oxide cathode materials to realize high-rate and high-energy SIBs.

Optimized silicate nanozymes with atomically incorporated iron and manganese for intratumoral coordination-enhanced once-for-all catalytic therapy.

Although plant-derived cancer therapeutic products possess great promise in clinical translations, they still suffer from quick degradation and low targeting rates. Herein, based on the oxygen vacancy (OV)-immobilization strategy, an OV-enriched biodegradable silicate nanoplatform with atomically dispersed Fe/Mn active species and polyethylene glycol modification was innovated for loading gallic acid (GA) (noted as FMMPG) for intratumoral coordination-enhanced multicatalytic cancer therapy. The OV-enriched FMMPG nanozymes with a narrow band gap (1.74 eV) can be excited by a 650 nm laser to generate reactive oxygen species. Benefiting from the Mn-O bond in response to the tumor microenvironment (TME), the silicate skeleton in FMMPG collapses and completely degrades after 24 h. The degraded metal M (M = Fe, Mn) ions and released GA can in situ produce a stable M-GA nanocomplex at tumor sites. Importantly, the formed M-GA with strong reductive ability can transform H2O2 into the fatal hydroxyl radical, causing serious oxidative damage to the tumor. The released Fe3+ and Mn2+ can serve as enhanced contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging, which can track the chemodynamic and photodynamic therapy processes. The work offers a reasonable strategy for a TME-responsive degradation and intratumoral coordination-enhanced multicatalytic therapy founded on bimetallic silicate nanozymes to achieve desirable tumor theranostic outcomes.

Functionally responsive hydrogels with salt-alkali sensitivity effectively target soil amelioration.

The long-standing crisis of soil salinization and alkalization poses a significant challenge to global agricultural development. High soil salinity-alkalinity, water dispersion, and nutrient loss present major hurdles to soil improvement. Novel environmentally friendly gels have demonstrated excellent water retention and slow-release capabilities in agricultural enhancement. However, their application for improving saline-alkali soil is both scarce and competitive. This study proposes a new strategy for regulating saline-alkali soil using gel-coated controlled-release soil modifiers (CWR-SRMs), where radical-polymerized gels are embedded on the surface of composite gel beads through spray coating. Characterization and performance analysis reveal that the three-dimensional spatial network structure rich in hydrophilic groups exhibits good thermal stability (first-stage weight loss temperature of 257.7 °C in thermogravimetric analysis) and encapsulation efficiency for fulvic acid­potassium (FA-K), which can enhance soil quality in saline-alkali environments. The molecular chain relaxation under saline-alkali conditions promotes a synergistic effect of swelling and slow release, endowing it with qualifications as a water reservoir, Ca2+ source unit, and slow-release body. The results of a 6 weeks incubation experiment on 0-20 cm saline-alkaline soil with different application gradients showed that the gradient content had a significant effect on the soil improvement effect. Specifically, the T2 (the dosage accounted for 1 % of soil mass) treatment significantly increases water retention (30 % ~ 90 %), and nutrient levels (30 % ~ 50 %), while significantly decreasing soil sodium colloid content (30 % ~ 60 %) and soil pH (10 % ~ 15 %). Furthermore, PCA analysis indicates that the addition of 1 % CWR-SRMs as amendments can significantly adjust the negative aspects of soil salinity and alkalinity. This highlights the excellent applicability of CWR-SRMs in improving saline-alkali agricultural ecosystems, demonstrating the potential value of novel environmentally friendly gels as an alternative solution for soil challenges persistently affected by adverse salinity and alkalinity.

Theoretical insights into the mechanism underlying aflatoxin B1 transformation by the BsCotA-methyl syringate system.

Global concern exists regarding the contamination of food and animal feed with aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), which poses a threat to the health of both humans and animals. Previously, we found that a laccase from Bacillus subtilis (BsCotA) effectively detoxified AFB1 in a reaction mediated by methyl syringate (MS), although the underlying mechanism has not been determined. Therefore, our primary objective of this study was to explore the detoxification mechanism employed by BsCotA. First, the enzyme and mediator dependence of AFB1 transformation were studied using the BsCotA-MS system, which revealed the importance of MS radical formation during the oxidation process. Aflatoxin Q1 (AFQ1) resulting from the direct oxidation of AFB1 by BsCotA, was identified using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). The results of UPLC-MS/MS and density functional theory calculations indicated that the products included AFQ1, AFB1-, and AFD1-MS-coupled products in the BsCotA-MS system. The toxicity evaluations revealed that the substances derived from the transformation of AFB1 through the BsCotA-MS mechanism exhibited markedly reduced toxicity compared to AFB1. Finally, we proposed a set of different AFB1-transformation pathways generated by the BsCotA-MS system based on the identified products. These findings greatly enhance the understanding of the AFB1-transformation mechanism of the laccase-mediator system.

Parvalbumin and Somatostatin: Biomarkers for Two Parallel Tectothalamic Pathways in the Auditory Midbrain.

The inferior colliculus (IC) represents a crucial relay station in the auditory pathway, located in the midbrain's tectum and primarily projecting to the thalamus. Despite the identification of distinct cell classes based on various biomarkers in the IC, their specific contributions to the organization of auditory tectothalamic pathways have remained poorly understood. In this study, we demonstrate that IC neurons expressing parvalbumin (ICPV+) or somatostatin (ICSOM+) represent two minimally overlapping cell classes throughout the three IC subdivisions in mice of both sexes. Strikingly, regardless of their location within the IC, these neurons predominantly project to the primary and secondary auditory thalamic nuclei, respectively. Cell class-specific input tracing suggested that ICPV+ neurons primarily receive auditory inputs, whereas ICSOM+ neurons receive significantly more inputs from the periaqueductal gray and the superior colliculus (SC), which are sensorimotor regions critically involved in innate behaviors. Furthermore, ICPV+ neurons exhibit significant heterogeneity in both intrinsic electrophysiological properties and presynaptic terminal size compared with ICSOM+ neurons. Notably, approximately one-quarter of ICPV+ neurons are inhibitory neurons, whereas all ICSOM+ neurons are excitatory neurons. Collectively, our findings suggest that parvalbumin and somatostatin expression in the IC can serve as biomarkers for two functionally distinct, parallel tectothalamic pathways. This discovery suggests an alternative way to define tectothalamic pathways and highlights the potential usefulness of Cre mice in understanding the multifaceted roles of the IC at the circuit level.

Polarization-Dependent Anisotropy of LIPSSs' Morphology Evolution on a Single-Crystal Silicon Surface.

Utilizing the principle of laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSSs), this research delves into the morphological evolution of single-crystal silicon surfaces irradiated by a near-infrared picosecond laser through a scanning mode. With the increase in laser energy density, the nanostructure morphology on single-crystal silicon surfaces induced by incident lasers with different polarization directions sequentially produces high spatial-frequency LIPSSs (HSFLs) with a period of 220 nm ± 10 nm parallel to the laser polarization, low spatial-frequency LIPSSs (LSFLs) with a period of 770 nm ± 85 nm perpendicular to the direction of the polarization, and groove structures. Furthermore, by varying the angle between the laser polarization and the scanning direction, the study examined the combined anisotropic effects of the laser polarization scanning direction angle and the laser polarization crystal orientation angle on the genesis of LIPSSs on single-crystal silicon (100) surfaces. The experiments revealed polarization-related anisotropic characteristics in the morphology of HSFLs. It was found that when the polarization angle approached 45°, the regularity of the LSFLs deteriorated, the modification width decreased, and the periodicity increased. This is critical for the precise control of the LSFLs' morphology.

Crystal Phase Engineering of Ultrathin Alloy Nanostructures for Highly Efficient Electroreduction of Nitrate to Ammonia.

Electrocatalytic nitrate reduction reaction (NO3RR) toward ammonia synthesis is recognized as a sustainable strategy to balance the global nitrogen cycle. However, it still remains a great challenge to achieve highly efficient ammonia production due to the complex proton-coupled electron transfer process in NO3RR. Here, the controlled synthesis of RuMo alloy nanoflowers (NFs) with unconventional face-centered cubic (fcc) phase and hexagonal close-packed/fcc heterophase for highly efficient NO3RR is reported. Significantly, fcc RuMo NFs demonstrate high Faradaic efficiency of 95.2% and a large yield rate of 32.7 mg h-1 mgcat -1 toward ammonia production at 0 and -0.1 V (vs reversible hydrogen electrode), respectively. In situ characterizations and theoretical calculations have unraveled that fcc RuMo NFs possess the highest d-band center with superior electroactivity, which originates from the strong Ru─Mo interactions and the high intrinsic activity of the unconventional fcc phase. The optimal electronic structures of fcc RuMo NFs supply strong adsorption of key intermediates with suppression of the competitive hydrogen evolution, which further determines the remarkable NO3RR performance. The successful demonstration of high-performance zinc-nitrate batteries with fcc RuMo NFs suggests their substantial application potential in electrochemical energy supply systems.

Targeted Delivery of Active Sites by Oxygen Vacancy-Engineered Bimetal Silicate Nanozymes for Intratumoral Aggregation-Potentiated Catalytic Therapy.

Biodegradable silicate nanoconstructs have aroused tremendous interest in cancer therapeutics due to their variable framework composition and versatile functions. Nevertheless, low intratumoral retention still limits their practical application. In this study, oxygen vacancy (OV)-enriched bimetallic silicate nanozymes with Fe-Ca dual active sites via modification of oxidized sodium alginate and gallic acid (GA) loading (OFeCaSA-V@GA) were developed for targeted aggregation-potentiated therapy. The band gap of silica markedly decreased from 2.76 to 1.81 eV by codoping of Fe3+ and Ca2+, enabling its excitation by a 650 nm laser to generate reactive oxygen species. The OV that occurred in the hydrothermal synthetic stage of OFeCaSA-V@GA can anchor the metal ions to form an atomic phase, offering a massive fabrication method of single-atom nanozymes. Density functional theory results reveal that the Ca sites can promote the adsorption of H2O2, and Fe sites can accelerate the dissociation of H2O2, thereby realizing a synergetic catalytic effect. More importantly, the targeted delivery of metal ions can induce a morphological transformation at tumor sites, leading to high retention (the highest retention rate is 36.3%) of theranostic components in tumor cells. Thus, this finding may offer an ingenious protocol for designing and engineering highly efficient and long-retention nanodrugs.

Effects of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum dy-1 fermentation on multi-scale structure and physicochemical properties of barley starch.

The effects of fermentation on barley starch were studied using Lactiplantibacillus plantarum dy-1. Changes in multi-scale structure and physicochemical properties of barley starch were studied. The chain structure results revealed that fermentation could increase the content of short chain and medium short chain by breaking down long amylopectin side chains in barley and increase amylose content by debranching amylopectin. Also, fermentation promoted the arrangement of short chains into short order structure, leading to the enhancement of hydrogen bond interaction. Furthermore, it improved the helical structure content and relative crystallinity of barley starch by degrading the amorphous structure of barley starch. In terms of physicochemical properties, fermentation inhibited the hydration characteristics of barley starch, thus improving its thermal stability. It also enhanced shear stability, resistance to short-term aging and digestion, and improved gel texture properties. These findings offer potential for the processing and nutritional regulation of fermented barley products.

Research progress of the inferior colliculus: from Neuron, neural circuit to auditory disease.

The auditory midbrain, also known as the inferior colliculus (IC), serves as a crucial hub in the auditory pathway. Comprising diverse cell types, the IC plays a pivotal role in various auditory functions, including sound localization, auditory plasticity, sound detection, and sound-induced behaviors. Notably, the IC is implicated in several auditory central disorders, such as tinnitus, age-related hearing loss, autism and Fragile X syndrome. Accurate classification of IC neurons is vital for comprehending both normal and dysfunctional aspects of IC function. Various parameters, including dendritic morphology, neurotransmitter synthesis, potassium currents, biomarkers, and axonal targets, have been employed to identify distinct neuron types within the IC. However, the challenge persists in effectively classifying IC neurons into functional categories due to the limited clustering capabilities of most parameters. Recent studies utilizing advanced neuroscience technologies have begun to shed light on biomarker-based approaches in the IC, providing insights into specific cellular properties and offering a potential avenue for understanding IC functions. This review focuses on recent advancements in IC research, spanning from neurons and neural circuits to aspects related to auditory diseases.

Embedding Atomically Dispersed Manganese/Gadolinium Dual Sites in Oxygen Vacancy-Enriched Biodegradable Bimetallic Silicate Nanoplatform for Potentiating Catalytic Therapy.

Due to their atomically dispersed active centers, single-atom nanozymes (SAzymes) have unparalleled advantages in cancer catalytic therapy. Here, loaded with chlorin e6 (Ce6), a hydrothermally mass-produced bimetallic silicate-based nanoplatforms with atomically dispersed manganese/gadolinium (Mn/Gd) dual sites and oxygen vacancies (OVs) (PMnSA GMSNs-V@Ce6) is constructed for tumor glutathione (GSH)-triggered chemodynamic therapy (CDT) and O2 -alleviated photodynamic therapy. The band gaps of silica are significantly reduced from 2.78 to 1.88 eV by doping with metal ions, which enables it to be excited by a 650 nm laser to produce electron-hole pairs, thereby facilitating the generation of reactive oxygen species. The Gd sites can modulate the local electrons of the atom-catalyzed Mn sites, which contribute to the generation of superoxide and hydroxyl radicals (• OH). Tumor GSH-triggered Mn2+ release can convert endogenous H2 O2 to • OH and realize GSH-depletion-enhanced CDT. Significantly, the hydrothermally generated OVs can not only capture Mn and Gd atoms to form atomic sites but also can elongate and weaken the O-O bonds of H2 O2 , thereby improving the efficacy of Fenton reactions. The degraded Mn2+ /Gd3+ ions can be used as tumor-specific magnetic resonance imaging contrast agents. All the experimental results demonstrate the great potential of PMnSA GMSNs-V@Ce6 as cancer theranostic agent.

Effects of long-term different-scale rice-duck farming on the growth and yield of paddy rice.

BACKGROUND: To maintain rice production and increase revenue, rice-duck (RD) farming is a contemporary ecological cycle technology that has been widely used in Asia. However, due to the clustering activity of duck flocks, the consequences of long-term RD farming on rice growth at different scales are still unknown. Here, we studied RD farming using several different treatments (CK: conventional rice farming; RD1: 667 m2 ; RD2: 2000 m2 ; and RD3: 3333 m2 ). RESULTS: The results demonstrated that the maximum tillers, effective spikes, dry matter accumulation, and lodging index of rice under RD farming were significantly decreased by 17.9%, 9.8%, 14.8%, and 17.8%, respectively, which ultimately caused a significant decrease in yield of 10.6%. However, RD farming significantly increased root oxidation activity and the ear-bearing tiller rate of rice by 25.5% and 11.1%, respectively, and improved yield stability. For different scales of RD farming, the lodging resistance index of RD1 was significantly lower than that of RD2 and RD3 by 10.0% and 15.2%, respectively, whereas the root oxidation activity and dry matter accumulation of RD2 were significantly higher than those of RD1 and RD3 by 11.1%, 4.7%, 8.6%, and 5.1%, respectively. For rice yield, there was no significant difference among the different scales. CONCLUSION: This long-term experiment helped elucidate the complicated effects of RD farming at different scales on the growth and yield of rice. It is also critical to consider the economic advantages of different scales of RD farming to assess the impact of this system more thoroughly. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

Functional graph contrastive learning of hyperscanning EEG reveals emotional contagion evoked by stereotype-based stressors.

Introduction: This study delves into the intricacies of emotional contagion and its impact on performance within dyadic interactions. Specifically, it focuses on the context of stereotype-based stress (SBS) during collaborative problem-solving tasks among female pairs. Through an exploration of emotional contagion, this study seeks to unveil its underlying mechanisms and effects. Methods: Leveraging EEG-based hyperscanning technology, we introduced an innovative approach known as the functional graph contrastive learning (fGCL), which extracts subject-invariant representations of neural activity patterns from feedback trials. These representations are further subjected to analysis using the dynamic graph classification (DGC) model, aimed at dissecting the process of emotional contagion along three independent temporal stages. Results: The results underscore the substantial role of emotional contagion in shaping the trajectories of participants' performance during collaborative tasks in the presence of SBS conditions. Discussion: Overall, our research contributes invaluable insights into the neural underpinnings of emotional contagion, thereby enriching our comprehension of the complexities underlying social interactions and emotional dynamics.