The neural correlates of identity faking and concealment: an FMRI study.

The neural basis of self and identity has received extensive research. However, most of these existing studies have focused on situations where the internal representation of the self is consistent with the external one. The present study used fMRI methodology to examine the neural correlates of two different types of identity conflict: identity faking and concealment. Participants were presented with a sequence of names and asked to either conceal their own identity or fake another one. The results revealed that the right insular cortex and bilaterally inferior frontal gyrus were more active for identity concealment compared to the control condition, whereas identity faking elicited a significantly larger percentage signal increase than the control condition in the right superior frontal gyrus, left calcarine, and right caudate. These results suggest that different neural systems associated with both identity processing and deception were involved in identity concealment and faking

Efficient degradation capability of the FePCB amorphous alloy in acid orange 7 dye solution

The degradation ability of the Fe85P11C2B2 amorphous alloy in the acid orange 7 (AO7) solution was compared to that of Fe80B13C7. The results show that the Fe85P11C2B2 amorphous ribbon exhibits a higher degradation efficiency and lower reaction activation energy than Fe80B13C7. This is due to the fact that Fe85P11C2B2 is prone to form 3D nanochannel and porous nanosheet network structures, which improves adsorption capacity and increases the number of active reaction sites. On the other hand, the weakly bonded Fe–B and Fe–P can form more complex galvanic cells with strongly bonded Fe–C to accelerate dye degradation. The analysis of electron paramagnetic resonance and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry reveals that the generation of the reactive species [H] plays a key role in the degradation of AO7. In addition, the degradation pathway and environmental applicability were studied. The results confirm that the low-cost Fe85P11C2B2 alloy is a potential material for wastewater treatment

Rapid screening and in vivo target occupancy quantitative evaluation of xanthine oxidase inhibitors based on drug-target binding kinetics research strategy: A case study of Chrysanthemum morifolium Ramat.

Chrysanthemum morifolium Ramat. is a kind of food and drug dual-use traditional Chinese medicine possessing multiple pharmacological and biochemical benefits. In our study, a rapid and high-throughput method based on Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) biosensor technology was developed and verified for screening potential xanthine oxidase (XOD) inhibitors exemplarily in the Chrysanthemum morifolium Ramat. Coupled with ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-ESI-MS), 14 XOD-binders were identified. In the SPR-based biosensor and molecular docking analysis, most compounds exhibited a strong affinity and binding kinetic property (association rate constant, Kon and dissociation rate constant, Koff) for XOD and could be regarded as potential inhibitors. More importantly, to further accurately assess target occupancy of candidate compounds in vivo, a mathematical model was established and verified involving three crucial intrinsic kinetic processes (Pharmacokinetics, Binding kinetic and Target kinetic). Overall, the proposed screening and assessment strategy could be proved an effective theoretical basis for further pharmacodynamic evaluation

Dynamics of the Gut Microbiota and Faecal and Serum Metabolomes during Pregnancy—A Longitudinal Study

Normal pregnancy involves numerous physiological changes, including changes in hormone levels, immune responses, and metabolism. Although several studies have shown that the gut microbiota may have an important role in the progression of pregnancy, these findings have been inconsistent, and the relationship between the gut microbiota and metabolites that change dynamically during and after pregnancy remains to be clarified. In this longitudinal study, we comprehensively profiled the temporal dynamics of the gut microbiota, Bifidobacterium communities, and serum and faecal metabolomes of 31 women during their pregnancies and postpartum periods. The microbial composition changed as gestation progressed, with the pregnancy and postpartum periods exhibiting distinct bacterial community characteristics, including significant alterations in the genera of the Lachnospiraceae or Ruminococcaceae families, especially the Lachnospiraceae FCS020 group and Ruminococcaceae UCG-003. Metabolic dynamics, characterised by changes in nutrients important for fetal growth (e.g., docosatrienoic acid), anti-inflammatory metabolites (e.g., trans-3-indoleacrylic acid), and steroid hormones (e.g., progesterone), were observed in both serum and faecal samples during pregnancy. Moreover, a complex correlation was identified between the pregnancy-related microbiota and metabolites, with Ruminococcus1 and Ruminococcaceae UCG-013 making important contributions to changes in faecal and serum metabolites, respectively. Overall, a highly coordinated microbiota–metabolite regulatory network may underlie the pregnancy process. These findings provide a foundation for enhancing our understanding of the molecular processes occurring during the progression of pregnancy, thereby contributing to nutrition and health management during this period

Mo⁶⁺ Cation Enrichment of the Structure Chemistry of Iodates: Syntheses, Structures, and Calculations of Ba(MoO₂)₂(IO₃)₄O, Ba₃[(MoO₂)₂(IO₃)₄O(OH)₄]·2H₂O, and Sr[(MoO₂)₆(IO₄)₂O₄]·H₂O

The three metal iodates Ba­(MoO₂)₂(IO₃)₄O (<b>1</b>), Ba₃[(MoO₂)₂(IO₃)₄O­(OH)₄]·2H₂O (<b>2</b>), and Sr­[(MoO₂)₆(IO₄)₂O₄]·H₂O (<b>3</b>) have been successfully synthesized by introducing second-order Jahn–Teller distorted Mo⁶⁺ cations by a mild hydrothermal method. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction (XRD) was used to determine the structures of the three title compounds. In compound <b>1</b>, the [Mo₂O₁₁]^10– dimers connect with the [IO₃]⁻ units by sharing oxygen atoms to form two-dimensional (2D) layers that are separated by the Ba²⁺ cations. For comparison, the [Mo₂O₁₁]^10– dimers and the [IO₃]⁻ units are isolated in compound <b>2</b>, and they are connected by the [BaO₁₁]^20– polyhedra forming a 3D network. For compound <b>3</b>, the [MoO₆]^6– polyhedra link with each other by corner and edge sharing to build 2D corrugated layers with tunnels containing isolated [IO₄]^3– units. The [SrO₉]^16‑ polyhedra link the 2D corrugated layers to form a 3D network. The infrared (IR) spectra, the ultraviolet–visible–near-infrared (UV–vis–NIR) diffuse reflectance spectra, and thermal stabilities of compounds <b>1</b> and <b>2</b> are presented. In addition, the theoretical calculations are also carried out to evaluate their band gaps and density of states