Trait anxiety affects attentional bias to emotional stimuli across time: A growth curve analysis

Many studies have illustrated the close relationship between anxiety disorders and attentional functioning, but the relationship between trait anxiety and attentional bias remains controversial. This study examines the effect of trait anxiety on the time course of attention to emotional stimuli using materials from the International Affective Picture System. Participants with high vs. low trait anxiety (HTA vs. LTA) viewed four categories of pictures simultaneously: dysphoric, threatening, positive, and neutral. Their eye-movements for each emotional stimulus were recorded for static and dynamic analysis. Data were analyzed using a mixed linear model and growth curve analysis. Specifically, the HTA group showed a greater tendency to avoid threatening stimuli and more pupil diameter variation in the early period of stimulus presentation (0–7.9 s). The HTA group also showed a stronger attentional bias toward positive and dysphoric stimuli in the middle and late period of stimulus presentation (7.9–30 s). These results suggest that trait anxiety has a significant temporal effect on attention to emotional stimuli, and that this effect mainly manifests after 7 s. In finding stronger attentional avoidance of threatening stimuli and more changes in neural activity, as well as a stronger attentional bias toward positive stimuli, this study provides novel insights on the relationship between trait anxiety and selective attention.

Gut Microbial Composition and Liver Metabolite Changes Induced by Ammonia Stress in Juveniles of an Invasive Freshwater Turtle

As the most common pollutant in aquaculture systems, the toxic effects of ammonia have been extensively explored in cultured fish, molluscs, and crustaceans, but have rarely been considered in turtle species. In this study, juveniles of the invasive turtle, Trachemys scripta elegans, were exposed to different ammonia levels (0, 0.3, 3.0, and 20.0 mg/L) for 30 days to evaluate the physiological, gut microbiomic, and liver metabolomic responses to ammonia in this turtle species. Except for a relatively low growth rate of turtles exposed to the highest concentration, ammonia exposure had no significant impact on the locomotor ability and gut microbial diversity of turtles. However, the composition of the microbial community could be altered, with some pathogenic bacteria being increased in ammonia-exposed turtles, which might indicate the change in their health status. Furthermore, hepatic metabolite profiles via liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry revealed extensive metabolic perturbations, despite being primarily involved in amino acid biosynthesis and metabolism. Overall, our results show that ammonia exposure causes gut dysbacteriosis and disturbs various metabolic pathways in aquatic turtle species. Considering discrepant defense mechanisms, the toxic impacts of ammonia at environmentally relevant concentrations on physiological performance might be less pronounced in turtles compared with fish and other invertebrates.

Listening to 15 Hz Binaural Beats Enhances the Connectivity of Functional Brain Networks in the Mental Fatigue State—An EEG Study

Introduction: It is clear that mental fatigue can have many negative impacts on individuals, such as impairing cognitive function or affecting performance. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of sound interventions in combating mental fatigue. Method: The subjects were assessed on various scales, a psychomotor vigilance task (PVT) task, and a 3 min resting-state electroencephalogram (EEG), followed by a 20 min mental fatigue–inducing task (Time Load Dual Back, TloadDback), during which subjects in different condition groups listened to either 15 Hz binaural beats, 40 Hz binaural beats, relaxing music, or a 240 Hz pure tone. After the mental fatigue–inducing task, subjects were again assessed on various scales, a PVT task, and a 3 min resting-state EEG. Results: After the fatigue-inducing task, there was no significant difference between the four groups on the scales or the PVT task performance. In TloadDback, the accuracy rate of the 40 Hz binaural beats group and the relaxing music group decreased in the middle stage of the task, while the 15 Hz binaural beats group and the 240 Hz pure tone group remained unchanged in all stages of the task. The EEG results showed that after fatigue inducement, the average path length of the 15 Hz binaural beats group decreased, and local efficiency showed an increasing tendency, indicating enhanced brain network connectivity. Meanwhile, the 240 Hz pure tone group showed enhanced functional connectivity, suggesting a state of mental fatigue in the group. Conclusions: The results of this study show that listening to 15 Hz binaural beats is a proven intervention for mental fatigue that can contribute to maintaining working memory function, enhancing brain topological structure, and alleviating the decline in brain function that occurs in a mentally fatigued state. As such, these results are of great scientific and practical value.

Multitarget high-definition transcranial direct current stimulation improves response inhibition more than single-target high-definition transcranial direct current stimulation in healthy participants

Prior studies have focused on single-target anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) over the right inferior frontal gyrus (rIFG) or pre-supplementary motor area (pre-SMA) to improve response inhibition in healthy individuals. However, the results are contradictory and the effect of multitarget anodal stimulation over both brain regions has never been investigated. The present study aimed to investigate the behavioral and neurophysiological effects of different forms of anodal high-definition tDCS (HD-tDCS) on improving response inhibition, including HD-tDCS over the rIFG or pre-SMA and multitarget HD-tDCS over both areas. Ninety-two healthy participants were randomly assigned to receive single-session (20 min) anodal HD-tDCS over rIFG + pre-SMA, rIFG, pre-SMA, or sham stimulation. Before and immediately after tDCS intervention, participants completed a stop-signal task (SST) and a go/nogo task (GNG). Their cortical activity was recorded using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) during the go/nogo task. The results showed multitarget stimulation produced a significant reduction in stop-signal reaction time (SSRT) relative to baseline. The pre-to-post SSRT change was not significant for rIFG, pre-SMA, or sham stimulation. Further analyses revealed multitarget HD-tDCS significantly decreased SSRT in both the high-performance and low-performance subgroups compared with the rIFG condition which decreased SSRT only in the low-performance subgroup. Only the multitarget condition significantly improved neural efficiency as indexed by lower △oxy-Hb after stimulation. In conclusion, the present study provides important preliminary evidence that multitarget HD-tDCS is a promising avenue to improve stimulation efficacy, establishing a more effective montage to enhance response inhibition relative to the commonly used single-target stimulation.

Electromembrane extraction of nicotine in inhaled aerosols from tobacco cigarettes, electronic cigarettes, and heated tobacco products

Heated tobacco products and electronic cigarettes are considered as alternatives to traditional tobacco cigarettes. However, it is crucial to monitor and compare the nicotine concentration in inhaled aerosols from these tobacco products, owing to the addictive nature and adverse effects of nicotine on human health. This study aimed to provide an electromembrane extraction (EME) combined liquid chromatography method to extract and determine nicotine in different inhaled aerosols. EME showed high extraction efficiency, selectivity, and sample clean-up capability. Under the optimal parameters, the linear range for nicotine was 0.1-200 mg L^-1 (r² > 0.9998), and the limit of detection was 0.02 mg L^-1. Good precision was obtained with the intra- and inter-day relative standard deviations of 2.2 % and 2.8 %, respectively. Repeatability was satisfactory (<7.7 %), and recoveries ranged from 81.0 % to 112.8 %. Finally, this method has been successfully used for the determination and comparison of nicotine in aerosols from these three tobacco products.

Transcranial Electrical Stimulation Offers the Possibility of Improving Teamwork Among Military Pilots: A Review

Effective teamwork among military pilots is key to successful mission completion. The underlying neural mechanism of teamwork is thought to be inter-brain synchronization (IBS). IBS could also be explained as an incidental phenomenon of cooperative behavior, but the causality between IBS and cooperative behavior could be clarified by directly producing IBS through extra external stimuli applied to functional brain regions. As a non-invasive technology for altering brain function, transcranial electrical stimulation might have the potential to explore whether top-down enhancement of the synchronization of multiple brains can change cooperative behavioral performance among members of a team. This review focuses on the characteristic features of teamwork among military pilots and variations in neuroimaging obtained by hyper-scanning. Furthermore, we discuss the possibility that transcranial electrical stimulation could be used to improve teamwork among military pilots, try to provide a feasible design for doing so, and emphasize crucial aspects to be addressed by future research.

LncRNA ABHD11-AS1 promotes tumor progression in papillary thyroid carcinoma by regulating EPS15L1/EGFR signaling pathway

OBJECTIVES

lncRNA ABHD11 antisense RNA 1 (ABHD11-AS1) acts as an oncogene involved in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) occurrence and progression. ABHD11-AS1 exerts biologic functions by some miRNAs and proteins to regulate multiple targets. Identification of novel mechanism of ABHD11-AS1 could be helpful in therapeutic targeting for PTC treatment.

METHODS

Differentially expressed lncRNAs were selected from TCGA database. qRT-PCR analysis was applied to examine the expression of ABHD11-AS1 in PTC cell lines and tissues. The relationship of ABHD11-AS1 expression and clinicopathological features was analyzed by Kaplan-Meier analysis. Two PTC cell lines (TPC-1 and KTC-1) were transfected with pcDNA 3.1, pcDNA3.1-ABHD11-AS1, si-NC and si-ABHD11-AS1, respectively, to verify the ABHD11-AS1 oncogene-regulating capacity to promote tumor progression. The cell metastasis and proliferation had been evaluated both in vitro and in vivo.

RESULTS

High expression of ABHD11-AS1 was found in PTC tissues (P < 0.01), which was significantly correlated with lymph node metastasis (P < 0.05). ABHD11-AS1 overexpression noticeably promoted cell proliferation, migration, and invasion capabilities, which were obviously decreased upon ABHD11-AS1 knockdown. ABHD11-AS1 positively regulated EGFR/EPS15L1 pathway, as EGFR, EPS15L1, STAT3, and p-STAT3 were activated.

CONCLUSION

ABHD11-AS1 promotes tumor progression in PTC by regulating EPS15L1/EGFR pathway.

[Clinicopathological characteristics and differential diagnosis of 6 cases of congenital granular cell tumor]

To provide references for the diagnosis and treatment of congenital granular cell tumor (CGCT), by comprehensive analysis of the clinical data, histopathological and immunohistochemical results. Patients with CGCT were involede, from March 2015 to November 2020, at the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery of the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University. A total of 6 children, aged 3-16 days, 1 male and 5 female, 5 maxillary and 1 mandibular, with maximum tumor diameter of 6-70 mm, were included. The lesions of CGCT were single and connected to the alveolar ridge by a pedicle. The surface of the tumor was covered with a vascular network, and two cases had ulcers on the surface of the tumor. All 6 cases had the tumor removed surgically and there was no recurrence or metastasis in the follow-up visit. Although CGCT is rare, it is a benign tumor and generally does not recur or metastasize after surgery, and has a good prognosis. The prenatal imaging, clinical manifestations after delivery, pathological characteristics and immunohistochemical analyses may provide reference for early diagnosis and treatment of CGCT.

Self-limiting nitrogen/hydrogen plasma radical chemistry in plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition of cobalt

Cobalt (Co) is a potential candidate in replacing copper for interconnects and has been applied in trenches in the semiconductor industry for over twenty years. A non-oxidizing reactant is required in the plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition (PE-ALD) of thin films of metals to avoid O-contamination. PE-ALD of Co has been demonstrated experimentally with plasma sources of NH₃ or a mixture of N₂ and H₂, but the growth mechanism and key reactions are not clear. In this study, we have investigated the reactions of plasma-generated predominant species, i.e. radicals ˙H, ˙N, ˙NH and ˙NH₂, at metal precursor (CoCp₂) treated Co(001) and Co(100) surfaces using static DFT calculations at 0 K and molecular dynamics simulations at 600 K. The proposed reaction mechanisms are (1) ˙N radicals play an important role in eliminating the surface-bound Cp ligand (if any) via pyridine (C₅H₅N) formation and desorption, whereas ˙H radicals have endothermic reactions for eliminating the Cp ligand via CpH formation and desorption; (2) the surface NH_x species are eliminated by ˙H radicals via NH₃ formation and desorption. The simulations of these key reactions show that on the Co(001) surface, the remaining Cp ligand and surface NH_x species after the metal precursor pulse will be completely removed with ˙N and ˙H radicals, resulting in Co atoms deposited on the Co(001) surface at a coverage of 3.03 Co nm^-2. However, on the Co(100) surface, the surface NH₂ species cannot be completely removed via NH₃ formation and desorption due to overall endothermic reactions. Instead, ˙H radicals react with trench N species, resulting from H transfer in the metal precursor pulse, to form NH. These trench N species cannot be eliminated completely on the Co(100) surface, which will be the source of N impurities in the deposited Co thin films. At the post-plasma stage, the metal surface will be covered with NH_x-terminations with plasma generated ˙NH radicals and is then ready for the next deposition cycle. Our DFT results highlight and explain why ammonia or H₂/N₂ plasma, which produce NH_x species, are required to deposit high-quality and low-impurity Co thin films using Co metallocene precursors.

Fluctuation of Interfacial Electronic Properties Induces Friction Tuning under an Electric Field

Mysteries about the origin of friction have remained for centuries. Especially, how friction is tuned by an electric field is still unclear. Present tuning mechanisms mainly focus on the atomic configurations and electrostatic force, yet the role of interfacial electronic properties is not fully understood. Here, we investigate a unique friction tuning effect induced by an electric current in a conductive atomic force microscopy experiment and uncover two main tuning mechanisms of friction by the fluctuation of electronic properties during sliding: (1) electric-field-induced electron density redistribution and (2) current-induced electron transfer. We put forward an electronic level friction model unraveling the relationship between the friction tuning and the electronic property fluctuation (EPF) under electric field/current, which is applicable to tribosystems ranging from conductors to semiconductors and insulators, including two-dimensional material interfaces. This model provides theoretical guidance for tribosystem design and friction control, proposing a new perspective in understanding the origin of friction.

Cingulate circuits are associated with escalation of heroin use and naloxone-induced increases in heroin self-administration

Opioid use disorder (OUD) is defined as a compulsion to seek and take opioids, loss of control over intake and the development of a negative emotional state when access to opioids is denied. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data in a rat model of OUD, we demonstrate that the escalation of heroin self-administration (SA) and the increased heroin SA following an injection of an opioid receptor antagonist (naloxone) are associated with changes in distinct brain circuits, centered on the cingulate cortex (Cg). Here, SA escalation score was negatively associated with changes in resting state functional connectivity (rsFC) between the Cg and the dorsal striatum. Conversely, increased heroin SA following naloxone injection, was associated with increased connectivity between the Cg and the extended amygdala and hypothalamus. Naloxone-induced increased SA was also positively associated with changes in the amplitude of low frequency fluctuations within the Cg, a measure of spontaneous neuronal activity. Characterizing the distinct brain circuit and behavior changes associated with different facets of addiction increases our understanding of OUD and may provide insight into addiction prevention and treatment.

Observation of an Incommensurate Charge Density Wave in Monolayer TiSe_{2}/CuSe/Cu(111) Heterostructure

TiSe_{2} is a layered material exhibiting a commensurate (2×2×2) charge density wave (CDW) with a transition temperature of ∼200  K. Recently, incommensurate CDW in bulk TiSe_{2} draws great interest due to its close relationship with the emergence of superconductivity. Here, we report an incommensurate superstructure in monolayer TiSe_{2}/CuSe/Cu(111) heterostructure. Characterizations by low-energy electron diffraction and scanning tunneling microscopy show that the main wave vector of the superstructure is ∼0.41a^{*} or ∼0.59a^{*} (here a^{*} is in-plane reciprocal lattice constant of TiSe_{2}). After ruling out the possibility of moiré superlattices, according to the correlation of the wave vectors of the superstructure and the large indirect band gap below the Fermi level, we propose that the incommensurate superstructure is associated with an incommensurate charge density wave (I-CDW). It is noteworthy that the I-CDW is robust with a transition temperature over 600 K, much higher than that of commensurate CDW in pristine TiSe_{2}. Based on our data and analysis, we present that interface effect may play a key role in the formation of the I-CDW state.

Biosynthesis of Novel Naphthoquinone Derivatives in the Commonly-used Chassis Cells Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Escherichia coli

Naphthoquinones harboring 1,4-naphthoquinone pharmacophore are considered as privileged structures in medicinal chemistry. In pharmaceutical industry and fundamental research, polyketide naphthoquinones were widely produced by heterologous expression of polyketide synthases in microbial chassis cells, such as Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Escherichia coli. Nevertheless, these cell factories still remain, to a great degree, black boxes that often exceed engineers’ expectations. In this work, the biotransformation of juglone or 1,4-naphthoquinone was conducted to generate novel derivatives and it was revealed that these two naphthoquinones can indeed be modified by the chassis cells. Seventeen derivatives, including 6 novel compounds, were isolated and their structural characterizations indicated the attachment of certain metabolites of chassis cells to naphthoquinones. Some of these biosynthesized derivatives were reported as potent antimicrobial agents with reduced cytotoxic activities. Additionally, molecular docking as simple and quick in silico approach was performed to screen the biosynthesized compounds for their potential antiviral activity. It was found that compound 11 and 17 showed the most promising binding affinities against Nsp9 of SARS-CoV-2, demonstrating their potential antiviral activities. Overall, this work provides a new approach to generate novel molecules in the commonly used chassis cells, which would expand the chemical diversity for the drug development pipeline. It also reveals a novel insight into the potential of the catalytic power of the most widely used chassis cells.

Stage of colorectal cancer diagnosis for immigrants: a population-based retrospective cohort study in Ontario, Canada

BACKGROUND

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second most common cause of cancer death in Canada. Immigrants in Ontario, Canada's most populous province, are known to have lower rates of CRC screening, but differences in stage of CRC diagnosis are not known.

METHODS

We utilized linked administrative databases to compare early (stage I-II) versus late (stage III-IV) stage of CRC diagnosis for immigrants versus long-term residents among patients diagnosed in Ontario between 2012 and 2017 (n = 37,717) and examined the association of immigration-related, sociodemographic, and healthcare-related factors with stage.

RESULTS

Almost 45% of those with CRC were diagnosed at a late stage. Immigrants were slightly more likely to be diagnosed at a late stage than their long-term resident counterparts [Adjusted relative risks (ARRs) 1.06 (95% CI 1.02-1.10)], but after adjusting for age and sex, this difference was no longer significant. In fully adjusted models, we observed a higher likelihood of late-stage diagnosis for people with the fewest co-morbidities (ARR 0.86 [95% CI 0.83-0.89]) and those with no visits to primary care (versus a high level of continuity of care) [ARR 1.07 (95% CI 1.03-1.12)].

CONCLUSION

Immigrants were not more likely to have a late-stage CRC diagnosis after adjusting for relevant factors, but access to primary care and healthcare contact was significantly associated with diagnostic stage.

IMPACT

Attachment to a primary care provider who provides regular preventive care may play a role in more favorable stage at diagnosis for CRC and thus should be a healthcare system priority.

[Analysis of M2 macrophage infiltration and its clinical significance in 44 patients with multiple primary cancers of the head and neck]

Objective: To investigate and analyze the characteristics of M2 macrophage infiltration and the clinical significance in patients with multiple primary cancers (MPCs) of head and neck in order to explore its role in the diagnosis and prognosis for patients with MPCs. Methods: RNA-seq data were downloaded from the Genomic Data Commons data portal (TCGA) and the R software v4.0.3 was used to statistically analyze the differences. A retrospective analysis was conducted by screening the clinical data of 44 patients (17 males and 27 females) with MPCs in head and neck from July 1998 to February 2016 in the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology. Clinical data from a batch of 41 patients (28 males and 13 females) with gingival cancer and without MPCs from August 2013 to December 2015 were collected and analyzed. The number of CD163 positive cells and the expression patterns in immunohistochemically panoramic slices were observed under high magnification. Chi-square test and Spearman correlation analysis were used to compare the difference and correlation between the CD163 positive counts and/or depths of invasion and the number of incidences. The descriptive statistics on the clinical features was performed by SPSS 25.0. Results: TCGA database analysis showed that the infiltration of macrophage in patients with squamous cell carcinoma of head and neck (HNSCC) was increased compared to the para-cancer sites. A total of 142 tissue samples from 44 patients with MPCs were selected in the present single-center retrospective research. The number of CD163-positive cells in MPCs patients [90.9% (40/44)] was significantly increased compared to single gingival cancer patients [61.0%(25/41)] (r=0.353, P=0.001), which was related to the number of occurrence (r=0.368, P=0.001). The ratio of the CD163 counts in primary tumor to the depths of invasion was positively correlated with the number of onsets (r=0.331, P=0.03). In terms of clinical features, the 44 patients with MPCs were mainly female, non-smoking, no alcohol addiction, no systemic history, Tis-T2 stage and N0 stage squamous cell carcinoma. The number of incidences ranged from two to eight. The incidence of cancer relative to synchronous cancer increased with the increased occurrence of MPCs. The primary cancer mainly occurred in tongue, gingiva and buccal sites, while the proportion of onset sites in gingiva, buccal and palate areas increased with the increased occurrence. Conclusions: M2 type macrophage counts and/or ratio to depth of infiltration were associated with the occurrence of MPCs, which could be used as a clinical indicator to distinguish single and MPCs in HNSCC. For early stage of HNSCC, patients with clinical characters of women, non-smoking, no alcohol addiction, no systemic medical history and sites of tongue, gingiva, and buccal should be paid more attention on their follow-up plan. The findings in the present study was also helpful to explore new treatment methods for the patients with MPCs.

[Current status of CD34+cell enumeration assay in clinical laboratories and its improvement]

Objective: To investigate the current status and problems of CD34⁺ cell enumeration in clinical laboratories and provide suggestions for the development of quality improvement programs. Methods: A total of 101 laboratories participating in the national external quality assessment program of CD34⁺cell enumeration were surveyed. Questionnaires and quality assessment materials were distributed to collect information on assay methodology and testing results. Quality control requirements for CD34⁺cell enumeration were determined according to the international guidelines, and the compliance of the surveyed laboratories was analyzed. Testing results were analyzed in groups and compared with the College of American Pathologists (CAP) quality assessment data. Results: A total of 97 laboratories returned the questionnaires and 99 laboratories returned the results of quality assessment materials. The questionnaire data showed high compliance rates of quality control requirements such as gating protocols, pipetting methods, and the number of cells acquired (92.8%, 83.9%, and 82.5% respectively). However, these laboratories had relatively low compliance rates such as the use of whole blood quality control materials for internal quality control, selection of erythrocyte lysing reagents, sample processing method, whether to report absolute count results, and quality control of equipment (5.2 %, 28.9%, 39.2%, 46.4%, and 55.7%, respectively). Testing results demonstrated that the coefficient of variation (CV) of percent counts was similar to the CAP quality assessment data, but the CV of absolute counts was greater than the CAP quality assessment data. Conclusions: Clinical laboratories have poor compliance with some quality control requirements and the variability of absolute count results between different laboratories is not satisfactory. Therefore, it is recommended that clinical laboratories should strengthen the training related to the quality control of CD34⁺cell enumeration, especially the absolute counting.

NBN-Doped Bis-Tetracene and Peri-Tetracene: Synthesis and Characterization

Combining solution‐based and surface‐assisted synthesis, we demonstrate the first synthesis of NBN‐doped bis‐tetracene (NBN‐BT) and peri‐tetracene (NBN‐PT). The chemical structures are clearly elucidated by high‐resolution scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) in combination with noncontact atomic force microscopy (nc‐AFM). Scanning tunneling spectroscopy (STS) characterizations reveal that NBN‐BT and NBN‐PT possess higher energy gaps than bis‐tetracene and peri‐tetracene. Interestingly, NBN‐BT can undergo stepwise one‐electron oxidation and convert into its corresponding radical cation and then to its dication. The energy gap of the NBN‐BT dication is similar to that of bis‐tetracene, indicating their isoelectronic relationship. Moreover, a similar energy gap between the NBN‐PT dication and peri‐tetracene can be predicted by DFT calculations. This work provides a novel synthesis along with characterizations of multi‐NBN‐doped zigzag‐edged peri‐acenes with tunable electronic properties.