High Self-Control Reduces Risk Preference: The Role of Connectivity Between Right Orbitofrontal Cortex and Right Anterior Cingulate Cortex

Risk preference, the preference for risky choices over safe alternatives, has a great impact on many fields, such as physical health, sexual safety and financial decision making. Ample behavioral research has attested that inadequate self-control can give rise to high risk preference. However, little is known about the neural substrates underlying the effect of self-control on risk preference. To address this issue, we combined voxel-based morphometry (VBM) with resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) analyses to explore the neural basis underlying the effect of self-control on risk preference across two independent samples. In sample 1 (99 participants; 47 males; 20.37 ± 1.63 years), the behavioral results indicated that the scores of self-control were significantly and negatively correlated with risk preference (indexed by gambling rate). The VBM analyses demonstrated that the higher risk preference was correlated with smaller gray matter volumes in right orbitofrontal cortex (rOFC) and right posterior parietal cortex. In the independent sample 2 (80 participants; 33 males; 20.33 ± 1.83 years), the RSFC analyses ascertained that the functional connectivity of rOFC and right anterior cingulate cortex (rACC) was positively associated with risk preference. Furthermore, the mediation analysis identified that self-control mediated the impact of functional connectivity of rOFC-rACC on risk preference. These findings suggest the functional coupling between the rOFC and rACC might account for the association between self-control and risk preference. The present study extends our understanding on the relationship between self-control and risk preference, and reveals possible neural underpinnings underlying this association

Mutations in the C-terminus of the X protein of hepatitis B virus regulate Wnt-5a expression in hepatoma Huh7 cells: cDNA microarray and proteomic analyses

Background: The hepatitis B virus x gene (HBx) is a promiscuous transactivator implicated in the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The present study was designed to investigate the molecular events regulated by HBx. Methods: Genomic and proteomic expression profiling was performed in Huh7 HCC cells transfected with HBx mutants with a C-terminal deletion. The gene and protein expression of wingless-type murine-mammary-tumour virus (MMTV) integration site family, member 5A (Wnt-5a) was validated by analyses of reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction (RT–PCR), real-time RT–PCR, western blot and immunohistochemistry. Results: Differentially expressed genes and proteins were found in the transfected Huh7 HCC cells; most of them were involved in transcriptional regulation, although others including oncogenes or tumor suppressor genes, and molecules involved in cell junctions, signal transduction pathways, metabolism or the immune response were also observed. The expression of the Wnt-5a gene was elevated >10-fold in Huh7 cells transfected with the HBx3′-30 amino acid deletion mutant. However, the expression was downregulated by the transfection with the HBx3′-40 amino acid deletion mutant. The changes in Wnt-5a expression were also observed in human HCC tissues, compared with corresponding non-cancerous liver tissues. A negative correlation was found between the expression of Wnt-5a and HBx COOH mutations in HCC tissues. Conclusions: HBx mutants may participate in the development and progression of HCC, at least in part through the Wnt-5a pathway

Predicting Housekeeping Genes Based on Fourier Analysis

Housekeeping genes (HKGs) generally have fundamental functions in basic biochemical processes in organisms, and usually have relatively steady expression levels across various tissues. They play an important role in the normalization of microarray technology. Using Fourier analysis we transformed gene expression time-series from a Hela cell cycle gene expression dataset into Fourier spectra, and designed an effective computational method for discriminating between HKGs and non-HKGs using the support vector machine (SVM) supervised learning algorithm which can extract significant features of the spectra, providing a basis for identifying specific gene expression patterns. Using our method we identified 510 human HKGs, and then validated them by comparison with two independent sets of tissue expression profiles. Results showed that our predicted HKG set is more reliable than three previously identified sets of HKGs

RNAcentral : a hub of information for non-coding RNA sequences

RNAcentral is a comprehensive database of non-coding RNA (ncRNA) sequences, collating information on ncRNA sequences of all types from a broad range of organisms. We have recently added a new genome mapping pipeline that identifies genomic locations for ncRNA sequences in 296 species. We have also added several new types of functional annotations, such as tRNA secondary structures, Gene Ontology annotations, and miRNA-target interactions. A new quality control mechanism based on Rfam family assignments identifies potential contamination, incomplete sequences, and more. The RNAcentral database has become a vital component of many workflows in the RNA community, serving as both the primary source of sequence data for academic and commercial groups, as well as a source of stable accessions for the annotation of genomic and functional features. These examples are facilitated by an improved RNAcentral web interface, which features an updated genome browser, a new sequence feature viewer, and improved text search functionality. RNAcentral is freely available at https://rnacentral.org

Fabrication and Characterization of Magnetic Hydroxyapatite Entrapped Agarose Composite Beads with High Adsorption Capacity for Heavy Metal Removal

Magnetic hydroxyapatite entrapped agarose composite beads (M-HAP/Agar composite beads) have been successfully synthesized by emulsification of magnetic HAP nanoparticles with agarose suspension. In the process, the magnetic HAP nanoparticles served as the main resource for high adsorption performance, which were constructed by surface modification of Fe₃O₄ with <i>N</i>-(phosphonomethyl)­iminodiacetic acid (PM-IDA) and followed by coating with HAP. This strategy integrates the distinct advantages of large-size beads and magnetic response for easy recovery as well as nanoparticles for high adsorption capacity. The resulting M-HAP/Agar composite beads display large specific surface area (90 m² g^–1) and uniform spherical shape (150 μm). These magnetic hydroxyapatite nanoparticles in beads can provide more adsorption sites due to their suitable porous structure. As a result, the adsorbent exhibits excellent performance in adsorption of Pb²⁺, Co²⁺, and Cu²⁺, showing maximum binding capacities as high as 842.6, 105.1, and 71.6 mg g^–1, respectively. All these results suggest that these magnetic nanoparticles entrapped in beads have a positive effect on improving the adsorption capacity. Moreover, the beads possess superparamagnetism and large size, allowing them to be easily recovered from solution. Therefore, this work provides a promising approach for the design and synthesis of multifunctional hydroxyapatite composite beads for highly efficient removal of heavy metals in the field of wastewater treatment

Eco-Environmental Geological Features of Mangrove in Dongchong, Shenzhen City

Mangroves are halophytic forest plant communities located on saline marshes in estuaries of tropical and subtropical bays. They are one of the most vulnerable ecosystems in the world and are severely threatened by urban development, environmental pollution, aquaculture, and other problems. The Dongchong mangrove forest is a relatively well-preserved mangrove forest in China, with a large area and a typical Excoecaria agallocha landscape, which has significant ornamental and ecological conservation value. The aim of this study is to provide basic support not only for mangrove ecological conservation and restoration, but also to construct and manage nature's reserves. The eco-environmental geological characteristics of mangroves were investigated using geology, geomorphology, pedology, ecology, and other methods, and a typical eco-environmental geological profile of the mangrove in Dongchong was drawn. The results show that the strata in the study area are mainly Quaternary sediments and rhyolites of the Nanshancun Formation of the Early Cretaceous. Faults are developed in the west of Dongchong Mangrove Wetland Park. The main environmental geological problems are uneven ground settlement, ground subsidence, and ground cracks. The concentration of F- in the surface water are high, and the water quality is slightly lower than that of the Class III water standard; however, the groundwater is freshwater with low salinity and hardness. Cd and Tl are locally significant in the surface soil of the study area. N, P, CaCO3, Org, and B are deficient in the soil, whereas the K content is mainly medium. A part of the soil is polluted by heavy metals, particularly As, followed by Cd. However, the mangrove leaves are rich in nutrients, indicating that the lack of soil nutrient elements and heavy-metal pollution are not the major factors limiting the growth of mangroves in this region. Improving the growth environment of mangroves should include expanding the landscape area and reinforcing reserve management. In the rock-soil-plant ecosystem, As, Pb, Cd, and B are significantly rich in the soil, indicating that their contents have a slight correlation with their parent rocks. Ni, Cu, Zn, and K are limited by the parent rock contents, and some elements including P, Mo, and Cr show enrichment capacity in the soil. The BCF >2 of mangroves of the mangrove forests in Dongchong are P and B, indicating that the mangrove trees have a higher absorption capacity for P and B. In contrast, the BCF values of As, Pb, and Cd are relatively low, which, in addition to the weak absorption capacity of the mangrove trees for these elements and combined with the geochemical characteristics of the soils in the study area, are also affected by the high Cd and As contents of the soil. All the data presented in this paper are from the project, "Ecological and Environmental Geological Survey of Shenzhen Nature Reserves," for which we express our sincere gratitude