Article
Neurosciences
Xiaoyu Ma, Charles Zheng, Yenho Chen, Francisco Pereira, Zheng Li
Summary: The ability to perceive and locate spatial environments is crucial for animal survival. The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) has been implicated in spatially related behaviors, but its properties and how it is influenced by animal behavior are not well-defined. This study found that the population activity of mPFC neurons can predict animal locations, and this coding accuracy is higher in tasks involving working memory and reward-seeking.
Article
Neurosciences
Sihai Li, Christos Constantinidis, Xue-Lian Qi
Summary: The study investigated the roles of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and posterior parietal cortex in working memory, finding that neuronal activity can predict categorical judgments of information and deviations in firing rates reflect the contents of working memory.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yang Yang, Sang-Min Lee, Fumiaki Imamura, Krishne Gowda, Shantu Amin, Richard B. Mailman
Summary: This study compared two different D-1 agonists and found that 2-methyldihydrexidine was more effective in enhancing cognition compared to CY208,243, based on its impact on neural activity and cognitive performance.
MOLECULAR PSYCHIATRY
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Wenhao Dang, Russell J. Jaffe, Xue-Lian Qi, Christos Constantinidis
Summary: The study found that training induced a modest increase in the proportion of PFC neurons with NMS exclusively for spatial working memory, but not for shape working memory tasks; additionally, increasing working memory task complexity did not increase the degree of NMS for stimulus shape with other task variables; and there was no evidence found that NMS is predictive of task performance.
JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Abdalla M. Albeely, Caitlin J. Nolan, Duncan J. Rasmussen, Craig D. C. Bailey, Melissa L. Perreault
Summary: This study evaluated the impact of prefrontal cortical dopamine D5 receptor (D5R) knockdown on learning and memory in rats, and also assessed the role of D5R in the regulation of neuronal oscillatory activity and glycogen synthase kinase-3 beta (GSK-3 beta). The results showed that knockdown of D5R led to deficits in learning and memory, accompanied by increased theta oscillations in the prefrontal cortex, orbitofrontal cortex, and hippocampus, increased coherence between prefrontal cortex and orbitofrontal cortex, and decreased coherence between prefrontal cortex and thalamus.
CNS NEUROSCIENCE & THERAPEUTICS
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Paula Kaanders, Hamed Nili, Jill X. O'Reilly, Laurence Hunt
Summary: In this study using fMRI, researchers investigate the neural basis of information sampling in economic choice. The activity of the medial frontal cortex (MFC) was found to predict further information sampling, while a distributed network of regions across the prefrontal cortex encoded key features of the sampled information.
JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Tiam Hosseinian, Fatemeh Yavari, Min-Fang Kuo, Michael A. Nitsche, Asif Jamil
Summary: The study developed a new technique to induce and stabilize theta oscillations in the human brain, and found that this technique enhances cognitive processing through testing working memory. The results demonstrate technological advancement in brain stimulation methods and validate the causal link between theta activity and cognitive behavior.
Article
Toxicology
Wei Sun, Dongxin Tang, Yang Yang, Zexiang Wu, Xiaoliang Li, Lei An
Summary: Recent studies have found that melamine accumulation in the brain can lead to prefrontal dysfunction and cognitive impairments, although the exact mechanisms are still not fully understood. The study showed that rats treated with different doses of melamine displayed working memory deficits in various tasks and had decreased levels of AMPA receptor subunits in the medial prefrontal cortex. Additionally, interventions with GluR2/3 agonists were able to enhance neural activity and rescue cognitive deficits in melamine-treated rats.
TOXICOLOGY LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Julian Macoveanu, Hanne Lie Kjaerstad, Maj Vinberg, Catherine Harmer, Patrick MacDonald Fisher, Gitte Moos Knudsen, Lars Vedel Kessing, Kamilla Woznica Miskowiak
Summary: The study found that patients with bipolar disorder exhibited hypo-activity in the dorsal prefrontal cortex (dPFC) and impaired cognitive function at diagnosis, while showing increased dPFC activity during the follow-up period. This increased activity may reflect a reduction in prefrontal cortex efficiency related to affective episodes, even though there was no deterioration in cognitive performance.
JOURNAL OF AFFECTIVE DISORDERS
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Youngsun T. Cho, Flora Moujaes, Charles H. Schleifer, Martina Starc, Jie Lisa Ji, Nicole Santamauro, Brendan Adkinson, Antonija Kolobaric, Morgan Flynn, John H. Krystal, John D. Murray, Grega Repovs, Alan Anticevic
Summary: This study investigated how reward and loss impact spatial working memory precision and neural circuits in human subjects. The results showed that both reward and loss improved spatial working memory precision, with specific regions like precentral sulcus and intraparietal sulcus having increased BOLD signal related to better working memory precision. Conversely, areas straddling executive networks displayed decreased BOLD signal during incentivized working memory.
Article
Neurosciences
Craig W. Berridge, David M. Devilbiss, Andrea J. Martin, Robert C. Spencer, Rick L. Jenison
Summary: Goal-directed behavior relies on neuronal activity in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and extended frontostriatal circuitry. Stress impairs frontostriatal-dependent cognition, but the underlying neural mechanisms are not well understood. This study investigated the effects of acute noise-stress on neural activity and connectivity within cognition-related frontostriatal circuitry in rats. The results showed that stress suppressed neuronal responses and disrupted neural coding and functional connectivity during a spatial working memory task, providing insights into the cognitive impairing effects of stress.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Dheeraj S. Roy, Ying Zhang, Tomomi Aida, Chenjie Shen, Keith M. Skaggs, Yuanyuan Hou, Morgan Fleishman, Olivia Mosto, Alyssa Weninger, Guoping Feng
Summary: A specific region of the anterior thalamic nuclei plays a key role in spatial working memory tasks in aged mice, and targeting this region may be more beneficial for cognitive functions with fewer unintended effects compared to direct manipulation of the prefrontal cortex. Activation of neurons or circuits in this region can improve working memory, while direct activation of prefrontal cortex neurons may lead to increased anxiety levels in aged mice.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Silvia Maggi, Mark D. Humphries
Summary: In this study, the researchers found that the neural population activity in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPfC) of rats learning a task is represented in different low-dimensional subspaces during trials and intertrial intervals (ITI). These subspaces encode distinct task features and are reactivated during sleep. The findings provide insights into how the brain represents and processes information about different states of the world.
JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Psychology, Biological
Ashkan Farrokhi, Shiva Tafakori, Mohammad Reza Daliri
Summary: The interaction between oscillatory rhythms at different frequencies plays a crucial role in cognitive functions. This study focuses on the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and reveals the dynamic phase-amplitude coupling between theta and high frequency oscillations (HFOs) in a spatial working memory task. The coupling emerges near the turning point and diminishes afterwards.
PHYSIOLOGY & BEHAVIOR
(2022)
Article
Clinical Neurology
David M. Bortz, Catalina M. Feistritzer, Anthony A. Grace
Summary: This study suggests that the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) to medial septum (MS) pathway may be involved in regulating cognitive flexibility and dopamine neuron activity. Activation of the mPFC-MS pathway improves strategy switching, while inhibition produces different effects. The pathway bidirectionally regulates dopamine neuron activity. This study reveals a potential top-down circuit from the prefrontal cortex to the midbrain that can manipulate dopamine activity to promote cognitive flexibility.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF NEUROPSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Liangkun Liao, Shengtao Yang, Ruyi Li, Wei Zhou, Yu Xiao, Yuan Yuan, Yunsheng Cha, Guifang He, Jihua Li
Summary: This study analyzed the composition of steam-distilled essential oil from Amomum tsaoko and evaluated its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity. The results showed that the essential oil exhibited strong anti-inflammatory effects in LPS-induced RAW 264.7 cells.
JOURNAL OF FUNCTIONAL FOODS
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Shengtao Yang, Dibyadeep Datta, Elizabeth Woo, Alvaro Duque, Yury M. Morozov, Jon Arellano, Barbara S. Slusher, Min Wang, Amy F. T. Arnsten
Summary: The expression of GCPII in the brain is increased by inflammation, such as COVID19 infection, which reduces the stimulation of mGluR3 by NAAG. The GCPII-mGluR3 signaling is linked to higher cognition, and genetic alterations in mGluR3 or GCPII signaling are associated with impaired cognition in humans. In macaque dlPFC, mGluR3 is expressed on dendritic spines, enhancing neuronal firing during working memory. The present study found that GCPII inhibition improves dlPFC neuronal physiology and working memory function in aging macaques.
MOLECULAR PSYCHIATRY
(2022)
Article
Physiology
Shengtao Yang, Peng Zhang, Marta Sevilla-Sanchez, Dong Zhou, Jie Cao, Jiajian He, Binghong Gao, Eduardo Carballeira
Summary: The study investigated the effects of implementing low-load blood flow restriction exercises (LL-BFRE) instead of high-load exercises (HL-RE) in a contrast training program on strength and power performance of high-level young gymnasts. The results showed that implementing LL-BFRE in place of HL-RE could be equally effective in improving lower-body strength and power in preadolescent trampoline gymnasts. Though there was a trend towards significance in SJ and EUR, there was no significant interaction between group x time in any power and strength outcome.
FRONTIERS IN PHYSIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Computer Science, Interdisciplinary Applications
Yan Lv, Shengtao Yang, Yuanyuan He, Xiaozhen Ma, Minggang Pang, Tingting Liu, Xiaoting Feng
Summary: This study investigates the macro-mesoscopic dynamic responses of turfy soil under different waveform cyclic loading using the discrete element method. The discrepancies in macroscopic behaviors, including the velocity of loading plates, deformation of the specimen, and sample size effect, are analyzed. The differences in energy, coordination number, average normal contact force, internal force alternation, and bending degree of fibers between pure and turfy soil are studied to reveal the discrepancies in macroscopic behaviors with different waveforms.
COMPUTERS AND GEOTECHNICS
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Run Zhang, Yue Zhao, Jia Liu, Shengtao Yang, Liandong Jing
Summary: Periphyton plays an important role in ecological systems, even in environments with strong ultraviolet radiation. However, our understanding of periphyton under UV radiation is limited. This study investigated the physiological characteristics and bacterial community of immature and mature periphyton under UVB irradiation. The results showed that both immature and mature periphyton could adapt well to low-intensity UVB, but high-intensity UVB inhibited their growth and caused physiological damage. The bacterial community composition and function were also affected by UVB, with a stronger response observed in immature periphyton. This study provides valuable insights for improving the application of periphyton in UV radiation environments.
ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jia Liu, Liuqing Wei, Dan Zhang, Liang Tang, Yaqing Liu, Liandong Jing, Junfei Liu, Shengtao Yang
Summary: This study investigates the effects of inorganic anions on the degradation of TCEP by UV/persulfate (UV/PS) through steady-state radical concentration modeling and isotope fractionation. The addition of chloride (Cl-) has negligible effects on the degradation rates, while the addition of hydrogencarbonate (HCO3-) decreases the rates and the addition of hydrogenphosphate (HPO42-) increases them. The findings suggest that attention should be given to the variation of TCEP in the UV activated PS process when HCO3- is present.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Suke Lan, Jiahao Zhang, Xin Li, Lejie Pan, Juncheng Li, Xian Wu, Sheng-Tao Yang
Summary: The study found that oral exposure to MOF-74(Co) NPs can lead to significant accumulation of Co in the liver and kidneys, but overall has low toxicity to mice. Cell viability is lost at 100 mg/L, while cell cycle arrest can occur even at 12.5 mg/L. Apart from slight inflammation, the histopathological images of the liver and kidneys after oral exposure to MOF-74(Co) NPs were normal compared to the control group.
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Yan Lv, Shengtao Yang, Yuanyuan He, Xiaozhen Ma, Minggang Pang, Liangwen Xiong
Summary: In this paper, the microscopic behaviors of STCh mixtures with different orientation tyre chips were investigated using the Discrete Element Method (DEM). The simulation results showed that horizontal tyre chips were more effective in enhancing the mechanical properties of mixtures. The orientation of tyre chips was found to influence the evolution of system contact network, formation of shear band, and bulging deformation of the specimen. The microscopic mechanisms, including the composition of strong contacts, coordination number, average normal contact force, sliding and rolling, energy storage and dissipation, and the tensile force in tyre chips, were studied to evaluate the differences between different orientation tyre chips. This study provides further understanding of the reinforcement mechanism of tyre chips.
CONSTRUCTION AND BUILDING MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Geological
Yuanyuan He, Yan Xu, Yan Lv, Lei Nie, Fansheng Kong, Shengtao Yang, Hong Wang, Tingting Li
Summary: This study investigated the freezing characteristics of a widely distributed soil called turfy soil in seasonally frozen regions of northeastern China using the nuclear magnetic resonance method. The results showed a significant phase change within the soil between -2°C to -4°C, and the freezing process could be divided into three stages. The formation of small pores and the connection of large pores made the soil looser after freeze-thaw. The findings provide a basis for studying soil with high organic matter content and the unfrozen water content during freeze-thaw cycles in cold regions.
ENGINEERING GEOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Shengtao Yang, Yan Lv, Yuanyuan He, Minggang Pang, Xiaozhen Ma
Summary: This paper investigates the impact of fiber orientation on the resistance of seepage-induced erosion in fiber-reinforced sand. DEM-Darcy coupling simulations were carried out to understand the discrepancy and mechanism of different-oriented fibers improving the resistance of the sand matrix. The results revealed that fibers perpendicular to the seepage direction impeded fluid flow and reduced erosion significantly. Mesoscopic behaviors, such as fiber-sand contact orientation, coordination number, average normal contact force, tensile force, and energy dissipation, explained these macroscopic behaviors. The study provides insights into the mechanical behaviors of fiber-reinforced sand in seepage-induced erosion for safety engineering.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Chengzhuang Liang, Qinmei Zhong, Lejie Pan, Fangshi Liu, Xin Li, Jinwei Yang, Yusen Ma, Junrou Zhou, Sheng-Tao Yang
Summary: Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are rapidly developed materials with fantastic properties and wide applications. However, their potential threats to the environment are highlighted. The influence of organic ligands on the environmental impacts of MOFs has not been revealed.
JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Oncology
Ping Xie, Yuanfang Huang, Kexin Tang, Xian Wu, Cheng Zeng, Sheng-Tao Yang, Xiaohai Tang
Summary: The study demonstrates that carbon nanoparticle-Fe(II) complex (CNSI-Fe) induces intracellular iron accumulation and can be visualized in tumors. CNSI-Fe inhibits tumor growth and increases the lifespan of colon tumor-bearing mice through the promotion of apoptosis and ferroptosis. The transcriptome analysis reveals the impact of CNSI-Fe on ferroptosis and inflammation signaling pathways. CNSI-Fe shows low toxicity and holds potential for clinical applications.
CANCER NANOTECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Long Zheng, Xuli Lu, Shengtao Yang, Ying Zou, Fanke Zeng, Shaohao Xiong, Yupo Cao, Wei Zhou
Summary: This study found that GABA-enriched Moringa oleifera leaves fermentation broth (MLFB) can effectively alleviate LPS-induced inflammatory response by inhibiting the activation of the TLR-4/NF-kappa B inflammatory signaling pathway. The key active components in MLFB, including GABA, polyphenols, and organic acids, were significantly increased after fermentation. The results provide a theoretical basis for using GABA-enriched Moringa oleifera leaves as a functional food ingredient in the prevention and treatment of chronic inflammatory diseases.
FRONTIERS IN NUTRITION
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Zhu Zhitai, Yan Qiurong, Xiong Yining, Yang Shengtao, Fang Zheyu
Summary: The study proposes an anti-noise reconstruction network for single-photon compression imaging, which improves the image reconstruction quality compared to traditional methods.
LASER & OPTOELECTRONICS PROGRESS
(2022)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Guangran Meng, Shengtao Yang, Feixiang Chen
Summary: Over the past 15 years, long-term survival has improved in real-world mCC patients who underwent cytoreductive colectomy, especially among younger patients. However, the overall median survival remains unsatisfactory.
FRONTIERS IN PHARMACOLOGY
(2022)
