Predicting rock-paper-scissors choices based on single-trial EEG signals.

Decision prediction based on neurophysiological signals is of great application value in many real-life situations, especially in human-AI collaboration or counteraction. Single-trial analysis of electroencephalogram (EEG) signals is a very valuable step in the development of an online decision-prediction system. However, previous EEG-based decision-prediction methods focused mainly on averaged EEG signals of all decision-making trials to predict an individual's general decision tendency (e.g., risk seeking or aversion) over a period rather than on a specific decision response in a single trial. In the present study, we used a rock-paper-scissors game, which is a common multichoice decision-making task, to explore how to predict participants' single-trial choice with EEG signals. Forty participants, comprising 20 females and 20 males, played the game with a computer player for 330 trials. Considering that the decision-making process of this game involves multiple brain regions and neural networks, we proposed a new algorithm named common spatial pattern-attractor metagene (CSP-AM) to extract CSP features from different frequency bands of EEG signals that occurred during decision making. The results showed that a multilayer perceptron classifier achieved an accuracy significantly exceeding the chance level among 88.57% (31 of 35) of participants, verifying the classification ability of CSP features in multichoice decision-making prediction. We believe that the CSP-AM algorithm could be used in the development of proactive AI systems.

Cost and health-related quality of life for children hospitalized with respiratory syncytial virus in Central China.

BACKGROUND: The economic burden of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection and its impact on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) are not well-understood in China. This study assessed total cost and HRQoL for children hospitalized with RSV in Central China. METHODS: Based on a prospective case series study in Henan Province in 2020-2021, inpatients aged 0-59 months with RSV-related acute respiratory infections (ARIs) were included into analysis. Total cost included direct medical cost (sum of medical cost before and during hospitalization), direct non-medical cost, and indirect cost. Direct medical cost during hospitalization data were extracted from the hospital information system. Other costs and HRQoL status were obtained from a telephone survey conducted in the caregivers of the enrolled patients. RESULTS: Among 261 RSV-infected inpatients, caregivers of 170 non-severe cases (65.1%, 170/261) were successfully interviewed. Direct medical cost per episode was 1055.3 US dollars (US$) (95% CI: 998.2-1112.5 US$). Direct non-medical cost and indirect cost per episode were 83.6 US$ (95% CI: 77.5-89.7 US$) and 162.4 US$ (95% CI: 127.9-197.0 US$), respectively. Quality adjusted life years (QALY) loss for non-severe RSV hospitalization was 8.9 × 10-3 (95% CI: 7.9 × 10-3 -9.9 × 10-3 ). The majority of inpatients were <1 year of age comprising significantly higher cost and more QALY loss than older children. CONCLUSIONS: RSV-associated hospitalization poses high economic and health burden in Central China particularly for children <1 year old. Our findings are crucial for determining the priority of interventions and allocation of health resources.

Improving the Photocatalytic Activity of Ti3C2 MXene by Surface Modification of N Doped.

Methyl orange dye (MO) is one of the azo dyes, which is not only difficult to degrade but also hazardous to human health, therefore, it is necessary to develop an efficient photocatalyst to degrade MO. In this paper, a facile and low-cost elemental doping method was used for the surface modification of Ti3C2 MXene, i.e., nitrogen-doped titanium carbide was used as the nitrogen source, and the strategy of combining solvent heat treatment with non-in situ nitrogen doping was used to prepare N-Ti3C2 MXene two-dimensional nanomaterials with high catalytic activity. It was found that the catalytic efficiency of N-Ti3C2 MXene materials was enhanced and improved compared to the non-doped Ti3C2 MXene. In particular, N-Ti3C2 1:8 MXene showed the best photo-catalytic ability, as demonstrated by the fact that the N-Ti3C2 1:8 MXene material successfully degraded 98.73% of MO (20 mg/L) under UV lamp irradiation for 20 min, and its catalytic efficiency was about ten times that of Ti3C2 MXene, and the N-Ti3C2 photo-catalyst still showed good stability after four cycles. This work shows a simplified method for solvent heat-treating non-in situ nitrogen-doped Ti3C2 MXene, and also elaborates on the photo-catalytic mechanism of N-Ti3C2 MXene, showing that the high photo-catalytic effect of N-Ti3C2 MXene is due to the synergistic effect of its efficient charge transfer and surface-rich moieties. Therefore, N-Ti3C2 MXene has a good prospect as a photo-catalyst in the photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants.

Natural Products for the Treatment of Pulmonary Hypertension: Mechanism, Progress, and Future Opportunities.

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a lethal disease due to the remodeling of pulmonary vessels. Its pathophysiological characteristics include increased pulmonary arterial pressure and pulmonary vascular resistance, leading to right heart failure and death. The pathological mechanism of PH is complex and includes inflammation, oxidative stress, vasoconstriction/diastolic imbalance, genetic factors, and ion channel abnormalities. Currently, many clinical drugs for the treatment of PH mainly play their role by relaxing pulmonary arteries, and the treatment effect is limited. Recent studies have shown that various natural products have unique therapeutic advantages for PH with complex pathological mechanisms owing to their multitarget characteristics and low toxicity. This review summarizes the main natural products and their pharmacological mechanisms in PH treatment to provide a useful reference for future research and development of new anti-PH drugs and their mechanisms.

Deciphering the Mechanism of Wogonin, a Natural Flavonoid, on the Proliferation of Pulmonary Arterial Smooth Muscle Cells by Integrating Network Pharmacology and In Vitro Validation.

Wogonin is one of the main active components of Scutellaria baicalensis, which has anti-inflammatory, anti-angiogenesis, and anti-fibrosis effects. Nevertheless, the effect of wogonin on pulmonary hypertension (PH) still lacks systematic research. This study aims to elucidate the potential mechanism of wogonin against PH through network pharmacology and further verify it through biological experiments in pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells (PASMCs). The potential targets and pathways of wogonin against PH were predicted and analyzed by network pharmacology methods and molecular docking technology. Subsequently, the proliferation of PASMCs was induced by platelet-derived growth factor-BB (PDGF-BB). Cell viability and migration ability were examined. The method of Western blot was adopted to analyze the changes in related signaling pathways. Forty potential targets related to the effect of wogonin against PH were obtained. Based on the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network, gene-ontology (GO) and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) enrichment, and molecular docking, it was shown that the effect of wogonin against PH is closely related to the proliferation of PASMCs and the hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) pathway. A variety of results from biological experiments verified that wogonin can effectively inhibit the proliferation, migration, and phenotypic transformation of PDGF-BB-mediated PASMCs. In addition, the anti-proliferation effect of wogonin may be achieved by regulating HIF-1/ NADPH oxidase 4 (NOX4) pathway.

Common and distinct neural correlates of intertemporal and risky decision-making: Meta-analytical evidence for the dual-system theory.

The relationship between intertemporal and risky decision-making has received considerable attention in decision research. Single-process theories suggest that choices involving delay and risk are simply two manifestations of the same psychological mechanism, which implies similar patterns of neural activation. Conversely, the dual-system theory suggests that delayed and risky choices are two contrasting types of processes, which implies distinct brain networks. How these two types of choices relate to each other remains unclear. The current study addressed this issue by performing a meta-analysis of 28 intertemporal decision-making studies (862 subjects) and 51 risky decision-making studies (1539 subjects). We found no common area activated in the conjunction analysis of the delayed and risky rewards. Based on the contrast analysis, delayed rewards were associated with stronger activation in the left dorsal insula, while risky rewards were associated with activation in the bilateral ventral striatum and the right anterior insula. The results align with the dual-system theory with separate neural networks for delayed and risky rewards.

Mechanistic and therapeutic perspectives of baicalin and baicalein on pulmonary hypertension: A comprehensive review.

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a chronic and fatal disease, for which new therapeutic drugs and approaches are needed urgently. Baicalein and baicalin, the active compounds of the traditional Chinese medicine, Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi, exhibit a wide range of pharmacological activities. Numerous studies involving in vitro and in vivo models of PH have revealed that the treatment with baicalin and baicalein may be effective. This review summarizes the potential mechanisms driving the beneficial effects of baicalin and baicalein treatment on PH, including anti-inflammatory response, inhibition of pulmonary smooth muscle cell proliferation and endothelial-to-mesenchymal transformation, stabilization of the extracellular matrix, and mitigation of oxidative stress. The pharmacokinetics of these compounds have also been reviewed. The therapeutic potential of baicalin and baicalein warrants their continued study as natural treatments for PH.

Wuzi-Yanzong prescription alleviates spermatogenesis disorder induced by heat stress dependent on Akt, NF-κB signaling pathway.

Akt and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) signaling pathways are involved in germ cell apoptosis and inflammation after testicular heat stress (THS). We observed that after THS induced by the exposure of rat testes to 43 °C for 20 min, their weight decreased, the fraction of apoptotic testicular germ cells significantly increased, and the proliferation of germ cells was inhibited. In addition, THS lowered serum testosterone (T) level, whereas the levels of follicle stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone were not significantly changed. The ultrastructure of the seminiferous tubules became abnormal after THS, the structure of the blood-testis barrier (BTB) became loose, and the Sertoli cells showed a trend of differentiation. The level of phosphorylated Akt was reduced, whereas the amount of phosphorylated NF-κB p65 was augmented by THS. Wuzi-Yanzong (WZYZ), a classic Chinese medicine prescription for the treatment of male reproductive dysfunctions, alleviated the changes induced by THS. In order to determine the mechanism of action of WZYZ, we investigated how this preparation modulated the levels of T, androgen receptor (AR), erythropoietin (EPO), EPO receptor, and Tyro-3, Axl, and Mer (TAM) family of tyrosine kinase receptors. We found that WZYZ activated the Akt pathway, inhibited the Toll-like receptor/MyD88/NF-κB pathway, and repaired the structure of BTB by regulating the levels of T, AR, TAM receptors, and EPO. In conclusion, these results suggest that WZYZ activates the Akt pathway and inhibits the NF-κB pathway by acting on the upstream regulators, thereby improving spermatogenesis deficit induced by THS.

Ameliorative Effects and Mechanism of Buyang Huanwu Decoction on Pulmonary Vascular Remodeling: Network and Experimental Analyses.

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a severe and progressive cardiovascular disease. Its pathological mechanism is complex, and the common pathological feature is pulmonary vascular remodeling. The efficacy of existing therapeutic agents is limited. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has its unique advantages in the prevention and treatment of complex diseases. In this study, the approaches of network pharmacology combined with biological verification are employed to explore the role of Buyang huanwu decoction (BYHWD) in the treatment of PH. The active ingredients in BYHWD were first screened based on the ADME properties of the compounds. In turn, the mean of data mining was utilized to analyze the potential targets of BYHWD for the treatment of PH. On this basis, a series of interaction networks were constructed for searching the core targets. The genes including AKT1, MMP9, NOS3/eNOS, and EGFR were found to be possible key targets in BYHWD. The results of enrichment analysis showed that the targets of BYHWD focused on smooth muscle cell proliferation, migration, and apoptosis, which are classic biological processes involved in pulmonary vascular remodeling and are closely related to the PI3K-Akt-eNOS pathway. The methods of biological experiments were adopted to verify the above results. The present study elucidated the mechanism of BYHWD in the treatment of PH and provided new ideas for the clinical use of TCM in the treatment of PH.

Effect of Wuzi Yanzong Pills on Sertoli cells and blood-testis barrier in heat-stressed rats based on Akt signalling pathway.

The blood-testis barrier (BTB) of Sertoli cells (SCs) is an important biological barrier that maintains spermatogenesis and provides a favourable microenvironment for spermatogenesis. However, heat stress can directly damage the BTB structural proteins of testicular SCs, leading to dyszoospermia. Wuzi Yanzong Pills (WYP) is a traditional Chinese medicine formula used to treat male reproductive diseases. However, whether WYP could ameliorate heat stress injury in primary SCs extracted from rat testes and BTB proteins remains unknown. Here, treatment with WYP (low, medium and high dose) increased the SC viability and the proliferation of cell antigen Ki67 significantly. Additionally, it promoted SC maturation, which presented in the form of increased androgen receptors (ARs) and decreased cytokeratin 18 (CK-18) in three WYP dose groups. WYP upregulated BTB proteins such as zonula occludens 1 (ZO-1) and occludin across all WYP groups and decreased phosphorylated Akt (p-Akt) in the middle and high-dose groups; however, ZO-1 and occludin recovery were reduced with the presence of Akt inhibitor in WYP groups. WYP improved SC viability and proliferation, and ameliorated dedifferentiation and BTB-proteins damaged by heat stress via Akt signalling. The findings present theoretical support for the effects of WYP in the management of dyszoospermia and male infertility.

The interactive effects of reward expectation and emotional interference on cognitive conflict control: An ERP study.

The effects of reward expectation and task-irrelevant emotional content on performance and event-related potential (ERP) recordings in a cognitive conflict control task were investigated using the face-word Stroop paradigm. A precue indicating additional monetary rewards for fast and accurate responses during the upcoming trial (incentive condition; relative to a cue indicating no additional reward, i.e., nonincentive condition) was followed by the presentation of target Chinese words (male vs. female) superimposed on background emotional faces (happy vs. fearful). The face's gender was congruent or incongruent with the target Chinese words. ERP results revealed that incentive cues elicited larger P1, P3, and CNV responses compared to nonincentive cues. There was a significant three-way interaction of reward expectation, emotional content, and congruency during the target processing stage such that emotionality and congruency interacted to affect the N170 and N2 component responses during the nonincentive condition but not during the incentive condition. These results indicate that reward-induced motivation reduces the interference effect of task-irrelevant emotional information, leading to better conflict resolution.

Changes of rScO2 and ScvO2 in children with sepsis-related encephalopathy with different prognoses and clinical features.

Clinical features of sepsis-associated encephalopathy in children with different prognoses were analyzed and the changes of regional cerebral oxygen saturation (rScO2) and central venous oxygen saturation (ScvO2) were measured. Eighty children with sepsis-related encephalopathy, admitted to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) of the Children's Hospital Affiliated to Zhengzhou University, were enrolled in this study and post-intensive care syndrome (PICS) scoring was performed within 24 h after admission. Patients were separated into groups according to the score results and treatment outcomes. Clinical features, functional tests, imaging examinations, PICS scores, and modified Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) scores were compared among children with varying severities and prognoses. The changes of rScO2 and ScvO2 at different time-points among children with different prognoses were measured and compared. According to PICS scores, there were 8 non-critically ill children, 42 critically ill children, and 30 extremely critically ill children. Fifty-two children survived, and the survival rate was 65%. Comparison of the clinical characteristics of children with different conditions showed that deep coma, generalized seizure, severe electroencephalogram (EEG) abnormalities, and the survival of children were significantly associated with the severity of disease (P<0.05). At the same time, compared to the survivors group, the rates of generalized seizures and severe EEG abnormalities were significantly increased in the deceased children group, while the PICS and GCS scores were significantly decreased (P<0.05). rScO2 values in the deceased group were lower than those in the survival group at different time-points, but the differences were not significant (P>0.05). On the contrary, ScvO2 values were significantly higher in the deceased group than those in the survivors group (P<0.05). The lower the PICS and GCS scores in children with sepsis-related encephalopathy, the more serious the condition, and the more likely to develop disturbance of consciousness, epileptic seizures, and abnormal EEG changes. Whereas, changes of ScvO2 are closely related to prognosis.

[Characterization of toxin-antitoxin systems in Mycobacterium tuberculosis].

OBJECTIVE: To characterize the toxin-antitoxin system (TA system) in Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which consist of MazF homologue gene and its upstream gene. METHODS: Seven M. tuberculosis MazF homologues were induced alone or co-expressed with their upstream genes respectively in Escherichia coli and Mycobacterium smegmatis, to test the toxic effects of the MazF homologues on bacteria growth, and the antitoxic effects of protein encoded by their upstream genes. The RNA cleavage activity of MazF homologous was identified in vitro with Rv0707 mRNA as the substrate. The promoter region of the identified toxin-antitoxin loci in M. tuberculosis was cloned in front of the lacZ reporter gene in pSD5B vector. The promoter activity was measured under the normal or starvation condition. RESULTS: The growth of either E. coli or M. smegmatis was inhibited by four MazF homologous proteins, among which Rv1102c, Rv1991c and Rv2801c, but not mtPemK, had the RNA cleavage activities. The toxic effects and RNA cleavage activities of Rv1102c, Rv1991c and Rv2801c were inhibited by their corresponding antitoxin Rv1103c, Rv1991a and Rv2801a, respectively. The other three MazF homologues, Rv1942c, Rv0659c and Rv1495, were not toxic to E. coli and M. smegmatis and also could not cleave RNA. It was found that the promoter activities of Rv2801a-2801c and Rv1991a-1991c systems were significantly increased under the complete starvation condition. CONCLUSION: Our results demonstrated that Rv1103c-1102c, Rv1991a-1991c, Rv2801a-2801c and mtPemI-mtPemK were typical toxin-antitoxin systems in M. tuberculosis. Rv1102c, Rv1991c and Rv2801c were toxin proteins which inhibited cell growth through their RNA cleavage activities, while the mechanism of mtPemK toxin is still unknown. It is possible that Rv2801a-2801c and Rv1991a-1991c systems are involved in the starvation stress response.