The Ending Effect in the Domain of Gambling: The Effect of Gain-Loss Status on Economic Decision-Making

Previous studies have shown that people prefer risk-taking at the end of gambles, a phenomenon called the ending effect. By using the Guess Gambling Game, we investigated the impact of gain-loss status on the ending effect (Experiment 1) and whether and how this effect may be affected by time reference (Experiment 2) and gender (Experiment 1&2). In Experiment 1, we observed the ending effect only in the gain group. Furthermore, gender differences exist in the loss group behavior, females were more risk-averse than males, and males tend to investment more initially and then reduce their investment in a U-shaped pattern (Experiment 1&2). Next, in Experiment 2, the findings indicated that participants in the gain group made riskier decisions and were willing to allocate more money for additional decision opportunities, irrespective of the time conditions. Additionally, under time-limited condition, participants tended to make more decisions in the final round, aiming to maximize their choices times within the limited time. These results contribute to a better understanding of the boundary conditions surrounding the ending effect in risky decision-making and may offer a scientific basis for mitigating and intervening in irrational decision-making.

Longitudinal association between interparental conflict and risk-taking behavior among Chinese adolescents: testing a moderated mediation model

BACKGROUND

The interparental conflict has been associated with an increased adolescents' engagement in risk-taking behaviors. However, few studies have examined the potential mediation of deviant peer affiliation and the potential moderation of school climate. Grounded in the ecological system theory, this study aimed to explore the mediating role of deviant peer affiliation and the moderating role of school climate between the association of interparental conflict and risk-taking behavior.

METHODS

This study conducted a longitudinal design (3 time points, 3 months apart) with the sample comprising 550 middle school students in southeastern China (52.91% males; mean age at Time 1 = 15.37). The performed measurements encompassed interparental conflict (T1), deviant peer affiliation (T2), school climate (T3), risk-taking behavior (T1/T2/T3), and demographic information.

RESULTS

The moderated mediation model revealed that after controlling for T1/T2 risk-taking behavior, T1 interparental conflict was longitudinally and positively correlated with T3 risk-taking behavior through T2 deviant peer affiliation. Furthermore, moderated mediation analysis demonstrated that a positive school climate ameliorated the adverse impact of deviant peer affiliation on risk-taking behavior, thereby mitigating the indirect effect of interparental conflict on risk-taking behavior among adolescents.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings propose a nuanced explanation of the processing mechanisms between interparental conflict and risk-taking behaviors among Chinese adolescents. The theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed.

dCTP pyrophosphohydrase exhibits nucleic accumulation in multiple carcinomas

Nucleoside triphosphate pyrophosphohydrolase (NTP-PPase) functions as one of the mechanisms to guarantee the fidelity of DNA replication through the cleavage of non-canonical nucleotides into di- or monophosphates. Human NTP-PPase is poorly understood and investigated. In the present study, by using tissue microarrays with the paired cancer and adjacent regions, we found that with the prevalent expression of dCTP pyrophosphohydrase (DCTPP1) in the cytosol and nucleus in tumors investigated, DCTPP1 was inclined to accumulate in the nucleus of cancer cells compared to the paired adjacent tissue cells in multiple carcinomas including lung, breast, liver, cervical, gastric and esophagus cancer. More significantly, the higher DCTPP1 expression in the nucleus of lung, gastric and esophagus cancer cells was associated with histological subtypes. The nucleic accumulation of DCTPP1 was apparently observed as well when tumor cell line MCF-7 was treated with H₂O₂in vitro. Considering the roles of DCTPP1 on restricting the concentration of non-canonical nucleotides in the nucleotide pool, accumulation of DCTPP1 in the nucleus of tumor cells might suffice for maintaining the proper DNA replication in order to fulfill the requirement for the survival and proliferation of tumor cells.

[Clinical observation on treatment of infantile cholestatic hepatitis syndrome by rhubarb]

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the role of Rhubarb in treating infantile cholestatic hepatitis syndrome (IHS).

METHODS

Forty-four patients of the treatment group were treated with Rhubarb per os and/or duodenal infusion, 20 cases of the control group were treated with general liver protecting therapy such as inosine, vitamin C and glucose. Serum bilirubin, alanine transaminase (ALT) and gamma-glutamyl transferase (gamma-GT) level, bilirubin in duodenal juice and liver size were observed before and after treatment.

RESULTS

In the treatment group, 18 cases were markedly effective, 21 effective, 3 ineffective and 2 were deteriorated, while in the control group, the respective number were 0, 4, 13 and 3.

CONCLUSIONS

Rhubarb was a markedly effective in cholagoging and abating of jaundice, it could promote the recovery of liver function, dredge the cholestasis in cholangiole and micro-cholangiole so as to promote the bile secretion.

The effects of "huoxuequyu" decoction on lipid peroxidation in IUGR rats

The rats exposed to passive smoking were used as the animal model to further study the pathogenesis of IUGR and the effects of "Huoxuequyu" decoction. The results showed that the mean birth-weight of fetus and SOD activity of placenta and plasma in model rats were significantly reduced, and LPO levels of placenta and plasma were significantly increased. We found that the mean birth-weight and SOD activity in treated group were higher than that in model group, and LPO levels of placenta and plasma were lower in treated group than that in model group and there was no difference in SOD activity and LPO levels of placenta and plasma as well as the mean birthweight between treated group and control group, indicating that "Huoxuequyu" decoction can protect placenta and plasma against lipid peroxidation, and improve the blood circulation of uteroplacenta, thus contributing to the increase of the mean birth-weight.

Effect of Tripterygium Wilfordii on adrenal cortex in rat with adjuvant arthritis

This paper reports the effects of Tripterygium Wilfordii (TW) on adrenal cortex in rats with adjuvant arthritis. Forty rats were divided into 5 groups. Adjuvant arthritis (AA) models were made with complete freund's adjuvant (CFA) in groups I-IV. Each of which was treated with sodium carboxyl methyl cellulose, TW, prednisone and cyclophosphamide respectively. The untreated rats allocated to group V served as normal controls. The swelling of AA markedly subsided in group II, III and IV as compared with group I (P < 0.01), whereas no significant differences were noted among groups II, III and IV (P > 0.05). The obviously increased plasma corticosterone levels and decreased adrenal ascorbic acid levels were observed in group II, whereas decreased plasma corticosterone levels and increased adrenal ascorbic acid levels were noted in group III. There was a striking contrast between groups II and III. The morphological changes of adrenal glands under light microscope revealed hypertrophic adrenal cortices in group II, and atrophic adrenal cortices in group III. The above findings suggest that the effect of promoting production of corticosteroids may be one of the mechanism by which TW can effectively treating autoimmune diseases.

[Antagonistic effect of re du qing on damage of hepatocytic microsomes in rabbits with endotoxin-induced disseminated intravascular coagulation]

In this study, the generalized Shwartzman reaction of rabbit induced by endotoxin of Escherichia Coli was built as DIC models. The experiment showed that the levels of lipid peroxide (LPO) in the hepatocytic microsomes of model group were increased significantly, whereas the cytochrome P-450 (Cyto. P-450) contents and aniline hydroxylase activities were obviously decreased. In the Re Du Qing (RDQ) group and dexamethasone group the decrease of LPO in hepatocytic microsomes as well as the reduction of Cyto. P-450 contents and aniline hydroxylase activities were alleviated. Furthermore, the correlation analysis indicated a significant negative correlation between levels of LPO in microsomes and the Cyto. P-450 contents as well as aniline hydroxylase activities. This study indicates the LPO may play an important role in the damage of hepatocytic microsomes and RDQ could prevent hepatocytic microsomes from injury of rabbits with endotoxin-induced DIC.

[Preventive effect of re du qing on hepatocytes and mitochondria damaged by lipid peroxidation in experimental rabbits with endotoxin-induced disseminated intravascular coagulation]

In this study, the general Shwartzman reaction of rabbits induced by Escherichia Coli endotoxin was made as DIC models. The experiments showed that the levels of lipid peroxide (LPO) in hepatic tissue and mitochondria in the model group were increased significantly compared with the control group (P less than 0.01), while superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in hepatic tissue and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity in hepatic tissue and mitochondria were decreased significantly (P less than 0.01). The levels of LPO in hepatic tissue and mitochondria in Re Du Qing (RDQ) group and vitamin E (VE) group were decreased significantly (P less than 0.01 and P less than 0.05 respectively) compared with the model group. The levels of LPO in the RDQ group did not differ from the control group (P greater than 0.05), but the levels of LPO in the VE group were still higher than those in the control group significantly (P less than 0.05). The SOD activity in hepatic tissue and GSH-Px activity in hepatic tissue and mitochondria in both RDQ group and VE group were also significantly higher than those in the model group (P less than 0.01). These data suggest that the levels of oxygen free radicals were increased in hepatocytes and mitochondria. This is related to the decreased activities of SOD and GSH-Px in the course of pathogenesis of endotoxin-induced DIC. This study indicates that lipid peroxidation might be one of the important mechanisms resulting in hepatocellular and mitochondria from oxidative damage.

[Experimental studies on the antagonistic effect of re du qing on endotoxin-induced damage of lysosomes and mitochondria]

A rabbit endotoxic DIC model was preliminarily performed. The structures of lysosomes and mitochondria in liver cells were evidently destroyed as observed under electronic microscope, whereas those rabbits pretreated with Re Du Qing (RDQ, formerly named anti-inflammatory No. 6)--a mixture of Chinese traditional herbs providing antipyretic and detoxifying action, showed principally normal ultrastructure in liver cells. In lysosomal functional studies, the activity of the lysosomal marker enzyme--acid phosphate (ACP) was 79.0 +/- 4.7% (M +/- SD) in model group, higher than pretreated group (54.01 +/- 4.0%, P less than 0.01). Studies on the mitochondrial function showed that the significant criteria of the respiratory activity of mitochondria--respiratory control ratios (RCR) was 2.83 +/- 1.08 in model group and markedly lower than pretreated group (5.46 +/- 1.25, P less than 0.01). Mitochondrial ATPase activity (mu mol pi/min/mg pr.) was lower in model group (0.280 +/- 0.015) than in pretreated group (0.341 +/- 0.018, P less than 0.05). Lipid peroxide (LPO) in liver homogenates and serum were 1.86 +/- 0.43 n mol MDA/mg pr. and 12.26 +/- 0.84 n mol MDA/ml respectively in model group, whereas in pretreated group they gave a much lower value (1.19 +/- 0.12 and 6.55 +/- 2.97) respectively. Those data showed very significant difference between two groups (P less than 0.01). All of the above indices of pretreated group yielded values close to those of normal control group. The results of experimental study in vitro were identical to those of experimental study in vivo. These experimental studies suggested that RDQ provide antagonistic effect on endotoxin induced damage of lysosomes and mitochondria.