The sensory basis of schooling by intermittent swimming in the rummy-nose tetra (Hemigrammus rhodostomus).

Schooling is a collective behaviour that enhances the ability of a fish to sense and respond to its environment. Although schooling is essential to the biology of a diversity of fishes, it is generally unclear how this behaviour is coordinated by different sensory modalities. We used experimental manipulation and kinematic measurements to test the role of vision and flow sensing in the rummy-nose tetra (Hemigrammus rhodostomus), which swims with intermittent phases of bursts and coasts. Groups of five fish required a minimum level of illuminance (greater than 1.5 lx) to achieve the necessary close nearest-neighbour distance and high polarization for schooling. Compromising the lateral line system with an antibiotic treatment caused tetras to swim with greater nearest-neighbour distance and lower polarization. Therefore, vision is both necessary and sufficient for schooling in H. rhodostomus, and both sensory modalities aid in attraction. These results can serve as a basis for understanding the individual roles of sensory modalities in schooling for some fish species.

Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) alters body fat and lean mass through sex-dependent metabolic mechanisms in Drosophila melanogaster.

There is increasing interest in the potential role of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) in changing body composition to lower body fat with increased lean mass. In this study, we examined the sex-dependent effect of EGCG on body composition, locomotion, feeding behaviour, sugar levels, and transcription levels of key regulators in lipid, carbohydrate, and energy metabolisms in Drosophila melanogaster. EGCG had no effects on body weights in both females and males, but decreased fat accumulation in females compared to the control, accompanied by a reduction in food intake. EGCG treatments increased lean mass and locomotor activity, and downregulated transcription levels of brummer (bmm), adipokinetic hormone (akh), and Drosophila insulin-like peptide 2 (dilp2), and upregulated spargel (srl) in males. In addition, EGCG decreased sugar levels in both females and males. In conclusion, EGCG promotes lean phenotype in D. melanogaster via sex-specific metabolic regulations.

Trait mindful awareness predicts inter-brain coupling but not individual brain responses during naturalistic face-to-face interactions.

In recent years, the possible benefits of mindfulness meditation have sparked much public and academic interest. Mindfulness emphasizes cultivating awareness of our immediate experience and has been associated with compassion, empathy, and various other prosocial traits. However, neurobiological evidence pertaining to the prosocial benefits of mindfulness in social settings is sparse. In this study, we investigate neural correlates of trait mindful awareness during naturalistic dyadic interactions, using both intra-brain and inter-brain measures. We used the Muse headset, a portable electroencephalogram (EEG) device often used to support mindfulness meditation, to record brain activity from dyads as they engaged in naturalistic face-to-face interactions in a museum setting. While we did not replicate prior laboratory-based findings linking trait mindfulness to individual brain responses (N = 379 individuals), self-reported mindful awareness did predict dyadic inter-brain synchrony, in theta (~5-8 Hz) and beta frequencies (~26-27 Hz; N = 62 dyads). These findings underscore the importance of conducting social neuroscience research in ecological settings to enrich our understanding of how (multi-brain) neural correlates of social traits such as mindful awareness manifest during social interaction, while raising critical practical considerations regarding the viability of commercially available EEG systems.

Developmental exposures to perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) impact embryonic nutrition, pancreatic morphology, and adiposity in the zebrafish, Danio rerio.

Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) is a persistent environmental contaminant previously found in consumer surfactants and industrial fire-fighting foams. PFOS has been widely implicated in metabolic dysfunction across the lifespan, including diabetes and obesity. However, the contributions of the embryonic environment to metabolic disease remain uncharacterized. This study seeks to identify perturbations in embryonic metabolism, pancreas development, and adiposity due to developmental and subchronic PFOS exposures and their persistence into later larval and juvenile periods. Zebrafish embryos were exposed to 16 or 32 µM PFOS developmentally (1-5 days post fertilization; dpf) or subchronically (1-15 dpf). Embryonic fatty acid and macronutrient concentrations and expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) isoforms were quantified in embryos. Pancreatic islet morphometry was assessed at 15 and 30 dpf, and adiposity and fish behavior were assessed at 15 dpf. Concentrations of lauric (C12:0) and myristic (C14:0) saturated fatty acids were increased by PFOS at 4 dpf, and PPAR gene expression was reduced. Incidence of aberrant islet morphologies, principal islet areas, and adiposity were increased in 15 dpf larvae and 30 dpf juvenile fish. Together, these data suggest that the embryonic period is a susceptible window of metabolic programming in response to PFOS exposures, and that these early exposures alone can have persisting effects later in the lifecourse.

HyPyP: a Hyperscanning Python Pipeline for inter-brain connectivity analysis.

The bulk of social neuroscience takes a 'stimulus-brain' approach, typically comparing brain responses to different types of social stimuli, but most of the time in the absence of direct social interaction. Over the last two decades, a growing number of researchers have adopted a 'brain-to-brain' approach, exploring similarities between brain patterns across participants as a novel way to gain insight into the social brain. This methodological shift has facilitated the introduction of naturalistic social stimuli into the study design (e.g. movies) and, crucially, has spurred the development of new tools to directly study social interaction, both in controlled experimental settings and in more ecologically valid environments. Specifically, 'hyperscanning' setups, which allow the simultaneous recording of brain activity from two or more individuals during social tasks, has gained popularity in recent years. However, currently, there is no agreed-upon approach to carry out such 'inter-brain connectivity analysis', resulting in a scattered landscape of analysis techniques. To accommodate a growing demand to standardize analysis approaches in this fast-growing research field, we have developed Hyperscanning Python Pipeline, a comprehensive and easy open-source software package that allows (social) neuroscientists to carry-out and to interpret inter-brain connectivity analyses.

Hybrid Harmony: A Multi-Person Neurofeedback Application for Interpersonal Synchrony.

Recent years have seen a dramatic increase in studies measuring brain activity, physiological responses, and/or movement data from multiple individuals during social interaction. For example, so-called "hyperscanning" research has demonstrated that brain activity may become synchronized across people as a function of a range of factors. Such findings not only underscore the potential of hyperscanning techniques to capture meaningful aspects of naturalistic interactions, but also raise the possibility that hyperscanning can be leveraged as a tool to help improve such naturalistic interactions. Building on our previous work showing that exposing dyads to real-time inter-brain synchrony neurofeedback may help boost their interpersonal connectedness, we describe the biofeedback application Hybrid Harmony, a Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) that supports the simultaneous recording of multiple neurophysiological datastreams and the real-time visualization and sonification of inter-subject synchrony. We report results from 236 dyads experiencing synchrony neurofeedback during naturalistic face-to-face interactions, and show that pairs' social closeness and affective personality traits can be reliably captured with the inter-brain synchrony neurofeedback protocol, which incorporates several different online inter-subject connectivity analyses that can be applied interchangeably. Hybrid Harmony can be used by researchers who wish to study the effects of synchrony biofeedback, and by biofeedback artists and serious game developers who wish to incorporate multiplayer situations into their practice.

Association of TNF-alpha gene with spontaneous deep intracerebral hemorrhage in the Taiwan population: a case control study.

BACKGROUND: Genetic factors may play a role in susceptibility to spontaneous deep intracerebral hemorrhage (SDICH). Previous studies have shown that TNF-alpha gene variation was associated with risks of subarachnoid hemorrhage in multiple ethnicities. The present case-control study tested the hypothesis that genetic variations of the TNF-alpha gene may affect the risk of Taiwanese SDICH. We examined the association of SDICH risks with four single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within the TNF-alpha gene promoter, namely T-1031C, C-863A, C-857T, and G-308A. METHODS: Genotyping was determined by PCR-based restriction and electrophoresis assay for 260 SDICH patients and 368 controls. Associations were tested by logistic regression or general linear models with adjusting for multiple covariables in each gender group, and then in combined. Multiplicative terms of gender and each of the four SNPs were applied to detect the interaction effects on SDICH risks. To account for the multiple testing, permutation testing of 1,000 replicates was performed for empirical estimates. RESULTS: In an additive model, SDICH risks were positively associated with the minor alleles -1031C and -308A in men (OR = 1.9, 95% CI 1.1 to 3.4, p = 0.03 and OR = 2.6, 95% CI 1.3 to 5.3, p = 0.005, respectively) but inversely associated with -863A in females (OR = 0.5, 95% CI 0.2 to 0.9, p = 0.03). There were significant interaction effects between gender and SNP on SDICH risks regarding SNPs T-1031C, C-863A, and G-308A (p = 0.005, 0.005, and 0.007, respectively). Hemorrhage size was inversely associated with -857T in males (p = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS: In the Taiwan population, the associations of genetic variations in the TNF-alpha gene promoter with SDICH risks are gender-dependent.

How To Stabilize ω-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids (PUFAs) in an Animal Feeding Study?-Effects of the Temperature, Oxygen Level, and Antioxidant on Oxidative Stability of ω-3 PUFAs in a Mouse Diet.

Substantial studies have shown that ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) have various health-promoting effects; however, there are inconsistent results from animal studies that showed that ω-3 PUFAs have no effects or even detrimental effects. Emerging research suggests that oxidized ω-3 PUFAs have different effects compared to unoxidized ω-3 PUFAs; therefore, lipid oxidation of dietary ω-3 PUFAs could contribute to the mixed results of ω-3 PUFAs in animal studies. Here, we prepared an AIN-93G-based, semi-purified, powder diet, which is one of the most commonly used rodent diets in animal studies, to study the oxidative stability of fortified ω-3 PUFAs in animal feed. We found that lowering the storage temperature or the addition of a certain antioxidant, notably tert-butylhydroquinone (TBHQ), helps to stabilize ω-3 PUFAs and suppress ω-3 oxidation in the animal diet, while reducing the level of oxygen in the storage atmosphere is not very effective. The addition of 50 ppm of TBHQ in the diet inhibited 99.5 ± 0.1% formation of primary oxidation products and inhibited 96.1 ± 0.7% formation of secondary oxidation products, after 10 days of storage of the prepared diet at a typical animal-feeding experiment condition. Overall, our results highlight that ω-3 PUFAs are highly prone to lipid oxidation in a typical animal-feeding experiment, emphasizing the critical importance to stabilize ω-3 PUFAs in animal studies.

Adaptations of Skeletal Muscle Mitochondria to Obesity, Exercise, and Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids.

Mitochondria intricately modulate their energy production through the control of mitochondrial adaptation (mitochondrial biogenesis, fusion, and/or fission) to meet energy demands. Nutrient overload may result in dysregulated mitochondrial biogenesis, morphology toward mitochondrial fragmentation, and oxidative stress in the skeletal muscle. In addition, physical activity and diet components influence mitochondrial function. Exercise may stimulate mitochondrial biogenesis and promote mitochondrial fusion/fission in the skeletal muscle. Moreover, some dietary fatty acids, such as n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and conjugated linoleic acid, have been identified to positively regulate mitochondrial adaptation in the skeletal muscle. This review discusses the association of mitochondrial impairments and obesity, and presents an overview of various mechanisms of which exercise training and mitochondrial nutrients promote mitochondrial function in the skeletal muscle.

Conjugated Linoleic Acid Regulates Body Composition and Locomotor Activity in a Sex-Dependent Manner in Drosophila melanogaster.

Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) has been reported to be a bioactive food component. However, there is limited knowledge on the sex-dependent effects of CLA on energy metabolism. In the present study, Drosophila melanogaster was used to investigate the sex-dependent effects of CLA with respect to body fat, muscle, locomotion, and a key metabolic regulator, AMP-activated protein kinase α (AMPKα). Adult flies were fed a cornmeal-based fly food with 0.5% of CLA oil (50:50 of cis-9,trans-11 and trans-10,cis-12 CLA isomers in triacylglycerol (TAG) form), 0.5% safflower oil (high in linoleic acid [LNA] as control), or 0.5% water (as blank) for 5 days. Accumulation of CLA in tissue was verified using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. CLA-fed flies had reduced TAG and increased locomotor activity when compared to LNA-fed control flies. In addition, CLA increased the muscle content when compared to the blank. Moreover, following CLA supplementation, increased AMPKα activity was observed in females, but not in males. These sex-dependent metabolic effects of CLA may be due to physiological differences in lipid metabolism and nutrient requirements. In conclusion, CLA promoted the body composition and locomotion behavior in D. melanogaster and regulated the sex-specific metabolism in part via AMPKα. As key physiological processes are conserved between fly and human, information obtained from this research could provide valuable insights into sex-dependent responses to CLA in humans.

Protein kinase Cη polymorphism and the susceptibility to ischemic stroke in the Taiwan population.

BACKGROUND: Prior studies suggested that protein kinase Cη (PRKCH) 1425G/A polymorphism was associated with lacunar infarction. This study examined whether the association was independent of traditional risk factors in each of the stroke subtypes. METHODS: This study included 206 ischemic stroke patients and 337 controls. Multivariable logistic regression was used for analyses. Co-variables of age, sex, hypertension, diabetes mellitus (DM), and smoking were included to delineate independency of associations. RESULT: PRKCH 1425G/A was associated with ischemic stroke [odds ratio (OR) =1.5, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.1-2.2, p = 0.024] when adjusted for age and sex. However, the significance of association became borderline when adjusted for co-variables (OR = 1.5, 95% CI: 1.004-2.3, p = 0.048). Of the infarction subtypes, PRKCH 1425G/A was associated with lacunar infarction (OR = 1.8, 95% CI: 1.1-2.9, p = 0.025), which remained significant when adjusted for co-variables (OR = 2.0, 95% CI: 1.1-3.5, p = 0.015). No association was found between the polymorphism and the other infarction subtypes. When stratified by age group, the magnitude of significance became stronger in patients >65 years old. Specifically, PRKCH 1425G/A was significantly associated with ischemic stroke in patients older than 65 years, when adjusted for all co-variables (OR = 2.0, 95% CI: 1.05-3.8, p = 0.036). Still, in patients older than 65 years, the association was only observed in lacunar infarction when adjusted for all co-variables (OR = 4.2, 95% CI: 1.7-10, p = 0.001). No association of PRKCH 1425G/A with stroke and any of the subtypes was identified in patients >65 years old. CONCLUSION: The association between PRKCH 1425G/A and lacunar infarction was independent of traditional stroke risk factors. PRKCH 1425G/A in stroke susceptibility differed between infarction subtypes and age groups.

Protein kinase Cη polymorphism and the susceptibilities to intracerebral hemorrhage in the Taiwan population.

Protein kinase Cη (PRKCH) 1425G/A polymorphism has been suggested to be a susceptible genetic locus of stroke by genome-wide polymorphism analysis with several replication reports in the Asian populations. While this association was found to exist in the stroke subtype of lacunar infarction especially, the susceptibility of this genetic variant to the intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) subtypes is unknown to date. This study examined the associations of PRKCH 1425G/A with ICH as well as the stratification of ICH subtypes in the Taiwan population. Genotyping was determined by PCR-based restriction and single strand conformation polymorphism for 381 controls and 303 ICH patients, including 266 deep ICH and 37 lobar ICH patients. Multivariable logistic regression was used to analyze the associations of PRKCH genotypes with stroke subtypes under dominant models. Covariables including age, sex, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and total cholesterol level were analyzed to delineate the independency of associations. To account for the multiple testing, permutation testing of 1000 replicates was performed for empirical estimates. Distribution of the genotypes of PRKCH 1425G/A was similar while comparing controls (GG: 61%, GA: 33.3%, and AA: 5.7%) with the total ICH group (GG: 57.8%, GA: 36.6%, and AA: 5.6%, p=0.68) and the deep ICH group (GG: 60.2%, GA: 34.2%, and AA: 5.6%, p=0.99). Distribution differ between controls and lobar ICH (GG: 40.5%, GA: 54.1%, and AA: 5.4%, p=0.04). Multivariable logistic regression adjusting for age and sex showed a significant association of PRKCH 1425G/A with lobar ICH risks in a dominant model (OR=2.4, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.2 to 4.7, p=0.012). When additionally adjusting for hypertension and cholesterol level, this association remained significant (OR=2.4, 95% CI 1.1 to 5.5, p=0.029). There was a borderline association of minor allele A with lobar ICH when compared with controls (OR=1.73, 95% CI 1.01 to 2.9, p=0.039). The variation was not associated with deep ICH. In conclusion, PRKCH 1425G/A variant was not a risk locus for deep ICH phenotype. PRKCH 1425G/A to the susceptibility of lobar ICH shown in this report needs further replication.

Superiority of endovascular grafts compared to bare metal stents with transstent coil embolization for endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair in patients at high risk for surgery.

We sought to determine the effectiveness of uncovered stents with aneurysm transstent coil embolization compared with endografts for percutaneous abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair. Thirty-six patients with AAA considered inoperable underwent endovascular repair using the Ancure bifurcated endograft or overlapping uncovered stents with transstent coil embolization. Procedural success, outcomes, serial aneurysm size, aneurysm blood flow, and growth ratios were compared between groups. One patient in each group died due to the procedure and two patients in the endograft cohort required acute surgical repair. After 2.0 +/- 0.8 years of follow-up, three patients required endograft placement, four surgical repair, three had AAA rupture, with two AAA-related deaths in the uncovered stent group. No late deaths or surgical conversion occurred in the endograft group. The primary AAA flow exclusion and aneurysm expansion rate and growth were superior in the endograft group and during follow-up. In high-risk patients with AAA, the use of endografts was superior compared to uncovered stents with transstent coil embolization for endovascular repair.

A web-based breastfeeding education program.

Two Web-based breastfeeding programs were developed to provide new parents with necessary information on proper breastfeeding techniques. One version was plain text and the other version combined text with graphics. The computer was viewed as a valuable learning tool. The breastfeeding program that contained graphics was preferred over the text-only program. Educators are encouraged to use Web-based graphic programs to provide breastfeeding education to new parents.