Behavioral Inhibition Research Articles

Taurine Reverses Arsenic-Induced Inhibition of Hippocampal Neurogenesis and Depression-Like Behavior in Mice.

Arsenic exposure results in damage to the neurological system. We previously demonstrated the arsenic-induced inhibition of hippocampal neurogenesis and its reversibility after exposure is terminated. The present study aimed to reveal whether arsenic-induced inhibition of hippocampal neurogenesis was ameliorated when taurine was co-administered, and we also investigated depression-like behavioral changes using the forced swim test. Mice were randomly divided into four groups. The first group received distilled water only for 4 months (control group), the second group received 4.0 mg/L As2O3 via drinking water for 4 months (arsenic group), the third group received 4.0 mg/L As2O3 and taurine (150 mg/kg body weight, by gavage, twice a week) for 4 months (arsenic + taurine group), and the fourth group received taurine only by gavage for 4 months (taurine group). The percentage of new mature neurons decreased in the arsenic group compared with the control group (64% ± 0.90% vs. 76% ± 1.9%, p < 0.01); however, this percentage was reversed to control levels in the arsenic + taurine group (76% ± 1.4%, p > 0.05). In the forced swim test, the immobility time during the last 4 min was significantly increased in the arsenic group, but restored to control levels in the arsenic + taurine group. The possible mechanisms of this taurine amelioration of hippocampal damage were further investigated, and included a reduction in oxidative stress as indicated by carbonyl content, inflammation, and aquaporin1, 4, and 8 expressions, as well as an increase in Wnt3a and brain-derived neurotrophic factor expression in western blot analyses.

Study on the inhibitory behavior of high-voltage electric field on the agglomeration and sedimentation of nanoparticles in suspension

Nanoparticles can improve the heat transfer effect of fluids, however, they are difficult to dissolve in the base fluid and are prone to fouling, agglomeration and sedimentation during flow, which affects their efficient heat transfer characteristics. In this paper, the inhibitory effect of high-voltage electric field on the agglomeration and deposition of TiO2 nanoparticles in suspension was comparatively studied by comprehensive gravity sedimentation, spectrophotometer, particle size analysis, and zeta potential method. Studies have shown that the absorbance of suspensions is basically the same in neutral and acidic environments. However, in a highly alkaline environment, the agglomeration rate of nanoparticles increases significantly, resulting in a decrease in the absorbance of the suspension. The high-voltage non-uniform electric field generated by the active Cu rod electrode can effectively inhibit the agglomeration of TiO2 nanoparticles. However, the suppression effect of an external electric field is not necessarily the higher the voltage, the better. Different nanomaterials have different critical voltages. The high-voltage electric field of 1 kV has the best inhibitory effect on the agglomeration and deposition of TiO2 nanoparticles. An in-depth analysis of the mechanisms of the movement and agglomeration of TiO2 particles in suspension under high-voltage electric field excitation was conducted. The result shows that the agglomeration and sedimentation of particles in suspension depend on the Zeta potential of the nano particles. The higher the absolute value, the more stable the dispersion system is.

Individual differences in information demand have a low dimensional structure predicted by some curiosity traits

To understand human learning and progress, it is crucial to understand curiosity. But how consistent is curiosity's conception and assessment across scientific research disciplines? We present the results of a large collaborative project assessing the correspondence between curiosity measures in personality psychology and cognitive science. A total of 820 participants completed 15 personality trait measures and 9 cognitive tasks that tested multiple aspects of information demand. We show that shared variance across the cognitive tasks was captured by a dimension reflecting directed (uncertainty-driven) versus random (stochasticity-driven) exploration and individual differences along this axis were significantly and consistently predicted by personality traits. However, the personality metrics that best predicted information demand were not the central curiosity traits of openness to experience, deprivation sensitivity, and joyous exploration, but instead included more peripheral curiosity traits (need for cognition, thrill seeking, and stress tolerance) and measures not traditionally associated with curiosity (extraversion and behavioral inhibition). The results suggest that the umbrella term "curiosity" reflects a constellation of cognitive and emotional processes, only some of which are shared between personality measures and cognitive tasks. The results reflect the distinct methods that are used in these fields, indicating a need for caution in comparing results across fields and for future interdisciplinary collaborations to strengthen our emerging understanding of curiosity.

Predictive value of Type D personality combined with unhealthy cardiovascular behaviors for the long-term adverse cardiovascular events in ACS patients

Abstract Background Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) has become a major public health problem worldwide due to its high morbidity and mortality. In addition to traditional risk factors, psychosocial factors play an important role in the development of ACS.Type D personality, as a combination of social inhibition and negative affect, has been defined as a psychological risk factor for coronary heart disease by the European Society of Cardiology.Meanwhile, ACS patients with Type D personality may have behaviors such as unhealthy dietary behaviors, less regular physical activity, and poorer self-management behaviors. Then, whether the combination of Type D personality and poor cardiovascular health behaviors can increase the risk of poor prognosis in patients with ACS requires further research. Purpose The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of Type D personality combined with poor cardiovascular health behaviors on long-term major adverse cardiovascular events(MACE) in patients with ACS. Methods A total of 18631 patients diagnosed with ACS between January 2017 and July 2023 were included in this study. Type D personality, cardiovascular health behaviors (smoking cessation, physical activity, average sleep duration at night, dietary assessment index, BMI, lipids, blood glucose, blood pressure) were assessed during the admission period, and were divided into poor, general, and ideal cardiovascular health with a cut-off score of 50 and 80.The binary logistic regression analysis was used to assese the effect of Type D personality combined with cardiovascular health score on the occurrence of MACE (stroke, reinfarction, revascularization, all-cause death). Results The median follow-up in this study was 37 months, and we found that a total of 3750 people had MACE during the follow-up period. The logistic regression result showed that compared with Type D personality (-) and cardiovascular health behaviors (poor) group, Type D personality (+) and cardiovascular health behaviors (poor) group (OR=1.451, 95%CI=1.055-1.995,P=0.022), Type D personality (+) and cardiovascular health behaviors (general) group (OR=1.425, 95%CI=1.092-1.858,P=0.009), Type D personality (-) cardiovascular health behavior (poor) group (OR=1.301, 95%CI=1.013-1.670, P=0.039) were independent risk factors for the occurrence of further adverse cardiovascular events. Conclusion Type D personality combined with unhealthy cardiovascular behavior individuals may be at high risk for MACE. Therefore, early assessment of Type D personality and cardiovascular health behaviors are needed, thereby reducing the incidence of MACE in ACS patients.

Ajuga orientalis L. Extract as a Green Corrosion Inhibitor of Aluminum in an Acidic Solution: An Experimental and DFT Study

The inhibitory effect of A. orientalis L. extract (AO) on aluminum corrosion in a 1.0 M HCl solution was investigated utilizing weight loss, electrochemical polarization, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results show that AO is a potent inhibitor in an acidic environment, and that the inhibition potency increases with concentration. Temperature investigations showed that, in an acidic medium, the efficiency decreased, increased, and then decreased as the temperature rose. Adsorption isotherms from Freundlich, Temkin, El Awady, and Redlich–Peterson (R-P) approximated the inhibitor’s adsorption properties. For the inhibitory behavior, a physical and chemical adsorption mechanism is proposed. The adsorption process’s thermodynamic parameters (Ea, ΔH*, and ΔS*) were determined and explained. The inhibitor, AO, was identified as a mixed-type (anodic and cathodic) inhibitor based on polarization studies. According to the SEM findings, the inhibitor partially covers the metal surface, providing it with a respectable level of protection. The weight loss, electrochemical polarization, EIS, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and quantum chemical calculations show a strong agreement, indicating that the AO extract is a highly effective inhibitor of aluminum in an acidic solution.

Co-based carbon material as CYP3A4-like nanozyme with both biocatalytic activity and inhibition behaviors

Up to now, the biocatalytic activity of nanozymes has been extensively studied, while little research focus on their inhibitory behaviors. Here, Co-based carbon material (Co-DMOF) containing abundant carboxylic acid groups was prepared, with defects introduced by COx escape during pyrolysis to achieve controllable activity. As a result, Co-DMOF exhibited biocatalytic activity similar to cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) in the metabolism of 1,4-Dihydropyridine (1,4-DHP, a calcium channel blocker). Excitingly, studies on IC50 and drug-drug interaction (DDI) suggested that Co-DMOF had similar inhibitory behaviors to CYP3A4. Moreover, Co-DMOF displayed excellent stability even under high temperature (100 °C), organic solvents, and a wide range of pH (4–9). Additionally, it can be reused for at least 7 times with only slight loss of activity. Therefore, Co-DMOF has great potential to become a low-cost alternative to CYP3A4 for drug dosage guideline, drug metabolism and DDI. This work provides more possibilities for expanding the CYP3A4-like nanozyme library.

A molecular dynamics investigation into the inhibitory function of hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin (HPBCD) in its interaction with amyloid-beta (Aβ) plaques near the cell membrane in the context of Alzheimer's disease.

Although Alzheimer`s disease has been known for a long time, it is interesting that scientists are still doing widespread research on it. Meanwhile, in parallel with experimental research, computational research is also yielding interesting results. In this study, we investigated the inhibitory behavior of hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin (HPBCD) drug candidates, which are more soluble than beta-cyclodextrin (BCD), using molecular dynamics simulations and compared them with AC0107 new drug. Parameters such as cell membrane stability, protein stability, drug inhibition rate, protein permeability, hydrogen bonding agents, the study of the energy content of interactions between different groups, and interactions between different species were of interest. The outcomes indicate that the drug candidate HPBCD has a role in inhibiting protein membrane penetration and has better performance than new AC0107 drug. In other words, HPBCD not only act as a drug carrier of Alzheimer's disease, but also as an inhibitor of it and can play a double role in its improvement.

Individual differences in parasympathetic functioning across social stressor tasks: Relations with child and parent anxiety

AbstractChildren with elevated behavioural inhibition (BI) show context‐inappropriate fear and dysregulated RSA across stressor tasks. However, few studies have examined dynamic RSA within tasks and relations to parent and child anxiety. Using piecewise growth modelling and multimethod baseline data from an intervention study of 151 3.5–5‐year‐old children and their parents, we examined relations between child social anxiety (SA), parent anxiety and their interaction in predicting children's RSA across social stressor tasks (e.g. learning about unfamiliar peers, Trier Social Stress). Within the sample, 49.63% of children were reported to be White, non‐Hispanic/Latine (n = 67), 22% multiracial (n = 31), 14.81% Asian/Pacific Islander (n = 20) and 12.59% Black/African‐American (n = 17). Furthermore, 64.44% of the parents were reported to be White, non‐Hispanic/Latine (n = 87), 20% Asian/Pacific Islander (n = 27), 13.33% Black/African‐American (n = 18) and 2.22% multiracial (n = 3). Children showed differentiated RSA reactivity and recovery within an anticipatory social learning task based on their level of clinically appraised SA. Relations between child SA and RSA across tasks was moderated by parent anxiety, specifically for dyads matched in anxiety. Findings provide support for the potential influence of both child and parent anxiety on children's parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) responses across specific self‐regulatory tasks.

Behavioral observation and assessment protocol for language and social-emotional development study in children aged 0–6: the Chinese baby connectome project

BackgroundThe global rise in developmental delays underscores the critical need for a thorough understanding and timely interventions during early childhood. Addressing this issue, the Chinese Baby Connectome Project (CBCP)’s behavior branch is dedicated to examining language acquisition, social-emotional development, and environmental factors affecting Chinese children. The research framework is built around three primary objectives: developing a 0–6 Child Development Assessment Toolkit, implementing an Intelligent Coding System, and investigating environmental influence.MethodsUtilizing an accelerated longitudinal design, the CBCP aims to enlist a minimum of 1000 typically developing Chinese children aged 0–6. The data collected in this branch constitutes parental questionnaires, behavioral assessments, and observational experiments to capture their developmental milestones and environmental influences holistically. The parental questionnaires will gauge children’s developmental levels in language and social-emotional domains, alongside parental mental well-being, life events, parenting stress, parenting styles, and family relationships. Behavioral assessments will involve neurofunctional developmental evaluations using tools such as the Griffiths Development Scales and Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence. Additionally, the assessments will encompass measuring children’s executive functions (e.g., Head-Toe-Knee-Shoulder), social cognitive abilities (e.g., theory of mind), and language development (e.g., Early Chinese Vocabulary Test). A series of behavior observation. experiments will be conducted targeting children of different age groups, focusing primarily on aspects such as behavioral inhibition, compliance, self-control, and social-emotional regulation. To achieve the objectives, established international questionnaires will be adapted to suit local contexts and devise customized metrics for evaluating children’s language and social-emotional development; deep learning algorithms will be developed in the observational experiments to enable automated behavioral analysis; and statistical models will be built to factor in various environmental variables to comprehensively outline developmental trajectories and relationships.DiscussionThis study’s integration of diverse assessments and AI technology will offer a detailed analysis of early childhood development in China, particularly in the realms of language acquisition and social-emotional skills. The development of a comprehensive assessment toolkit and coding system will enhance our ability to understand and support the development of Chinese children, contributing significantly to the field of early childhood development research.Trial registrationThis study was registered with clinicaltrials.gov NCT05040542 on September 10, 2021.

Paralysis caused by dinotefuran at environmental concentration via interfering the Ca2+-ROS-mitochondria pathway in Chironomus kiiensis.

Dinotefuran as the third-generation of neonicotinoid insecticides is extensively used in agriculture worldwide, posing a potential toxic threat to non-target animals and humans. However, the chronic toxicity mechanism related to mitochondria damage of dinotefuran to non-target animals at environmental concentration is unclear. In this study, the mitochondria damage and oxidative stress of dinotefuran on Chironomus kiiensis were investigated at environmental concentrations by long-term exposure. At the same time, relevant gene expressions of these toxicity indexes were measured as sensitive ecotoxicity biomarkers to reflect the toxic effects of dinotefuran on Chironomidae. Our present study showed that chronic exposure to environmental concentrations of dinotefuran resulted in behavioral inhibition in the larvae of Chironomidae. For burrowing inhibition of 10 days, the lowest observed-effect concentration (LOEC) and 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) were 0.01 (0.01-0.04) and 0.60 (0.44-0.82) μg/L, respectively. Dinotefuran promoted the release of intracellular calcium ions (Ca2+) in Chironomidae via dysregulating the gene expressions of atp2b, camk ii, and calm. Subsequently, the disruption of the Ca2+ signaling pathway induced oxidative stress by raising reactive oxygen species (ROS), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), and malonaldehyde (MDA) levels. Thus, the over-release of Ca2+ and ROS disordered the normal functioning of mitochondrial-related pathways by dysregulating the expressions of mitochondria-related genes of atpef0a, sdha, and cyt b. Our findings showed that low environmental concentrations of dinotefuran caused paralysis of the midge via interfering the Ca2+-ROS-mitochondria pathway. These results provided data support for assessing the potential environmental risk of dinotefuran.

Synthesis, Characterization, Theoretical, and evaluation of Eco-Friendly benzimidazolylmethyl-pyrazole carboxylate Schiff Bases corrosion inhibitors for mild steel

In this study, benzimidazolylmethyl-pyrazole carboxylate derivatives were synthesized via a 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction and characterized using IR, HRMS and NMR spectroscopy. Three derivatives, namely ethyl 5-((3-(cyclohex-1-en-1-yl)-2-oxo-2,3-dihydro-1H-benzo[d]imidazol-1-yl)methyl)-1-phenyl-1H-pyrazole-3-carboxylate (Ph-BPC), ethyl 5-((3-(cyclohex-1-en-1-yl)-2-oxo-2,3-dihydro- 1H-benzo[d]imidazol-1-yl)methyl)-1-(p-tolyl)-1H-pyrazole-3-carboxylate (CH3Ph-BPC), and ethyl 1-(4-chlorophenyl)-5-((3-(cyclohex-1-en-1-yl)-2-oxo-2,3-dihydro-1H-benzo[d]imidazol-1-yl)methyl)-1H-pyrazole-3-carboxylate (ClPh-BPC), were evaluated as corrosion inhibitors for mild steel (MS) in a 1 M HCl solution. Potentiodynamic polarization (PDP) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurements revealed high inhibition efficiencies of 98.5 %, 98.2 %, and 97.7 % for ClPh-BPC, Ph-BPC, and CH3Ph-BPC, respectively, at a concentration of 10-4 M. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses confirmed the formation of protective surface layers, significantly reducing corrosion rates. Thermodynamic analysis indicated that the adsorption of these inhibitors follows the Langmuir isotherm model with adsorption energies of −50.12 kJ/mol for ClPh-BPC, −50.52 kJ/mol for Ph-BPC, and −51.62 kJ/mol for CH3Ph-BPC, suggesting chemisorption. Computational studies, including Monte Carlo (MC), density functional theory (DFT), and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, showed strong agreement with experimental results, further validating the adsorption behavior and corrosion inhibition mechanisms of these compounds.

Dichloromethane -methanol fraction of Mahonia nepalensis containing Berberine, Jatrorrhizine, and tetrahydroberberine as corrosion inhibitor for mild steel

A potentially superior alternative source of environmentally acceptable corrosion inhibitors for metallic materials is plant extracts. This study reports on the use of compounds separated from Mahonia nepalensis (MN) bark extract as an environmentally friendly corrosion inhibitor for mild steel (MS) in 1 M H2SO4. The organic layer was separated from MN bark extracts and then Berberine, Jatrorrhizine, and Tetrahydroberberine were identified and quantified by Liquid column mass spectroscopy (LC-MS) in dichloromethane (DCM) −Methanol fraction of Mahonia nepalensis. The DCM − Methanol fraction of extract was characterized by Ultra violet − visible spectroscopy (UV–Vis) and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR). The DCM-Methanol fractions in 1 M H2SO4 were applied to study corrosion inhibition of MS by potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The results showed above 91 % inhibition efficiency (IE) for DCM-Methanol fraction containing 2.12 ppm berberine, jatrorrhizine, and tetrahydroberberine at room temperature indicating that it is an effective and cheap candidate for the corrosion prevention of MS in industry. The potentiodynamic polarization demonstrated a reduction in current density without affecting the reaction mechanism but reduced the hydrogen reduction indicated by suppression in cathodic current. Based on polarization curves and open circuit potential, it exhibited mixed inhibitory behavior. Similarly, EIS analysis revealed a drop in double-layer capacitance accompanied by an increase in charge transfer resistance. EIS and a scanning electron microscope (SEM) with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) ascertain the adsorption of inhibitor molecules forming a protective layer on the MS surface.

Developmental Bibliotherapy with Extremely Shy Children

Extremely shy children may find themselves somehow isolated from society and feel alone. This may cause them to experience different problems at home, at school and in the community. If this situation continues in the following years, the difficulties they experience in life will increase and the probability of their emergence as mental problems such as childhood loneliness, social anxiety disorders, depression and anxiety disorders that negatively affect their quality of life will increase. Thus, it is important to intervene in childhood shyness, social isolation, loneliness, and behavioral inhibition in order to eliminate possible problems that may be experienced in childhood and at the same time to prevent the continuation of the situation in adolescence and adulthood. Developmental bibliotherapy can be used in the context of both prevention and early intervention studies for shyness in early childhood with extremely shy children. In this context, the aim of this study is to provide an in-depth perspective on the concepts of extreme shyness and bibliotherapy, and to present an example of a developmental bibliotherapy session that can be experienced with extremely shy children who are between five to eight years old in early childood period and a sample book list that can be used in the sessions.."

The Influence of Temperament, Theory of Mind, Inhibitory Control, and Prosocial Behavior on Child Anxiety Symptoms in the First Five Years of Life.

Anxiety disorders are among the most prevalent of all mental health disorders, often originating in early childhood and extending into later childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. Determining salient risk factors that precede their development is important for prevention and intervention efforts. Towards this end, we examined the role of temperament, theory of mind, inhibitory control, and prosocial behavior on child anxiety symptoms in the first 5years of life. A community sample of children and their parents (N = 399) enrolled in a longitudinal study of emotion processing were assessed when the children were infants and at ages 2years, 3years, and 5years. Linear mixed models and linear regression models revealed that greater anxiety at 5years was associated with greater negative affectivity and behavioral inhibition, lower effortful control, lower theory of mind scores on the "desires" domain, and higher scores on the "intentions" domain (assessed from infancy to 3years of age). These characteristics may be useful to assess in clinical settings to evaluate a patient's risk for developing anxiety. They may also be useful in developinginterventions targeting specific vulnerabilities.

Association between Type D personality, illness perception, and coping strategies in patients undergoing open-heart surgery.

A combination of social inhibition and negative affectivity characterizes Type D personality. Type D, or distressed personality, is an established risk factor for the development and prognosis of coronary heart disease. It occurs in approximately 1 in 4 patients with coronary heart disease. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between Type D personality, illness perception, and coping strategies in patients undergoing open-heart surgery. This retrospective and cross-sectional study was conducted in a university hospital psychiatry and cardiovascular surgery clinics between February 2022 and April 2022. Seventy-one volunteered patients over the age of 18 who underwent open-heart surgery in the cardiovascular surgery clinic were included in the study. Cardiovascular surgeons recorded the sociodemographic and clinical data of the patients and referred them to the psychiatry clinic for further evaluation. Subsequently, patients underwent psychiatric evaluation and were assessed using the Type D Personality Scale, Coping Attitudes Assessment Scale, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and Illness Perception Questionnaire. According to this study, individuals with Type D personality tended to have higher scores on the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Analysis of the subdimensions of the Stress Coping Styles Scale revealed that individuals with Type D personalities showed a significantly lower optimistic approach and a considerably higher helpless approach. In terms of the subdimensions of the Illness Perception Questionnaire, it was found that individuals with Type D personality had a statistically lower treatment control approach and a statistically higher emotional representations approach. Identifying Type D personality traits in patients undergoing open-heart surgery can help manage negative illness perceptions through effective coping mechanisms.

Psychological Predictors of Attitude toward Integrated Arts Education among Chinese College Students Majoring in the Arts.

This study investigated the psychological factors related to the attitudes of Chinese arts college students toward integrated arts education. It also examined predictive models incorporating psychological variables, demographic profiles, and art education-related characteristics to offer valuable insights for future research and art education practices. The sample comprised 303 Chinese college students majoring in arts and aged 18-22 years. The predictive models were examined using stepwise regression and decision tree analyses. The results indicated positive correlations between attitudes toward integrated arts education and several psychological variables, including extraversion, openness, conscientiousness, agreeableness, the Behavioral Inhibition System (BIS), hardiness, creativity, self-efficacy, and purpose orientation for personal growth. Neuroticism and the Behavioral Activation System (BAS) were negatively correlated with attitudes toward integrated arts education. Further, extraversion accounted for the greatest variance in attitudes toward integrated arts education. Extraversion, self-efficacy, purpose orientation for personal growth, BIS, and commitment accounted for approximately 38.3% of the variance. The decision tree model, predicting the attitudes of college students majoring in the arts toward integrated arts education, included extraversion, self-efficacy, teaching experience in their major, and academic year. This study contributes to a better understanding of the psychological and educational factors that shape the attitudes of Chinese arts students toward integrated arts education and provides a predictive framework that can inform future research and educational practices.

Increased behavioural inhibition and decreased behavioural activation in whiplash‐associated disorders: Associations with health outcomes

AbstractBackgroundMotivation can be investigated with the BIS (Behavioural Inhibition System)/BAS (Behavioural Activation System) scale. BAS regulates the motivation to approach goal‐oriented outcomes, particularly rewarding stimuli and situations, while BIS regulates escape and avoidance of unpleasant outcomes. Chronic whiplash‐associated disorders (WAD) is a heterogenous pain condition with known alterations in motivated behaviour. The study aimed (1) to investigate the relationship between BIS/BAS, and pain and disability with quality of life and psychological measures in chronic WAD; (2) to determine if BIS and/or BAS mediate the relationships between pain, disability, and psychological symptoms and quality of life.Methods254 chronic WAD patients participated in the study. Outcome measures were assessed using self‐report questionnaires. BIS/BAS scores were compared to published normative data. Differences in health outcomes for participants within/outside normative 95% confidence intervals were compared and correlations with health measures tested. Mediation models explored bi‐directional associations between stress, anxiety, depression, post‐traumatic stress severity, pain catastrophizing, and quality of life with pain and disability.ResultsParticipants who exceeded normative 95% confidence intervals for BIS demonstrated higher scores for pain interference, disability and all mental health measures. No mediating role of BIS/BAS on the relation between pain and disability with quality of life and health outcomes could be confirmed.ConclusionsA comparatively large proportion of the sample exceeded the 95% confidence interval for BIS and BAS scores with associations of these scores with health outcomes, but altered motivation to approach goal‐oriented outcomes appears to play only a subordinate role in chronic WAD.Significance statementIn line with current theories, we found a large proportion (30%–50%) of patients with whiplash‐associated disorders (WAD) showing signs of altered function in the Behavioural Inhibition System (BIS) and Behavioural Activation System (BAS) suggesting altered reward processing and motivation in these patients. While such altered functions showed associations with pain interference, disability and all mental health measures, reward processing could no be demonstrated as a pathogenetically relevant factor in chronic WAD patients.

Biopolyurethane coatings with silica-titania microspheres (MICROSCAFS®) as functional filler for corrosion protection

In this work, we studied a biopolyurethane (BioPU) coating derived from a bio-based polyol and isocyanate for the protection of carbon steel against corrosion. The direct utilization of polyols obtained from raw biomass represents a novelty in polyurethane coatings production. The protective properties of these coatings were enhanced by incorporating unique silica-titania (ST) MICROSCAFS®, which are microspheres exhibiting interconnected macro- and mesoporosity. They were loaded with tannic acid (TA), an eco-friendly corrosion inhibitor. Confirmation of TA loading into the ST carriers (therefore called ST\\TA) was achieved through Attenuated total reflectance - Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) and Thermogravimetric (TG) analyses. TG analysis revealed that ST\\TA particles contain approximately 34 wt% TA, and their average particle diameter is approximately 25 ± 5 μm, observed by SEM. The TGA shows slightly improved thermal resistance of the coatings modified with the filler MICROSCAFS®. Furthermore, it was observed that the fillers strengthened the coating hardness without negatively affecting the adhesion strength. Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) results demonstrated that all modified coatings exhibited very good to excellent resistance in mild corrosive environments. The coatings maintained a high impedance modulus (|Z|) at low frequencies and phase angle values close to −90° across a wide frequency range, over an immersion period of 80 days in a 0.05 M NaCl solution. After 80 days of immersion, the best coating, BPU-ST\\TA, displayed |Z| of 3 × 1010 Ω cm2. Scanning Vibrating Electrode Technique (SVET) analysis revealed the inhibitory behaviour of TA. For the BPU-ST\\TA sample, inhibition of both anodic and cathodic activities was clearly visible, with a significant reduction of the current densities starting at 1 h and up to at least 24 h of immersion. In summary, the BioPU coatings modified with tannic acid-loaded MICROSCAFS® exhibit improved barrier properties and notable corrosion inhibition capacity in mild corrosive environments.

Neural correlates of harm avoidance: a multimodal meta-analysis of brain structural and resting-state functional neuroimaging studies

Harm avoidance (HA) is a Cloninger personality trait that describes behavioural inhibition to avoid aversive stimuli. It serves as a predisposing factor that contributes to the development of mental disorders such as anxiety and major depressive disorder. Neuroimaging research has identified some brain anatomical and functional correlates of HA, but reported findings are inconsistent. We therefore conducted a multimodal meta-analysis of whole-brain structural and resting-state functional neuroimaging studies to identify the most stable neural substrate of HA. Included were a total of 10 structural voxel-based morphometry studies (11 datasets) and 13 functional positron emission tomography or single photon emission computed tomography studies (16 datasets) involving 3053 healthy participants without any psychiatric or neurological disorders evaluated for HA using the Three-Dimensional Personality Questionnaire (TPQ) or the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI). The meta-analysis revealed brain volumetric correlates of HA in parietal and temporal cortices, and resting-state functional correlates in prefrontal, temporal and parietal gray matter. Volumetric and functional correlates co-occurred in the left superior frontal gyrus and left middle frontal gyrus, and were dissociated in the left rectus gyrus. Our meta-analysis is the first study to give a comprehensive picture of the structural and functional correlates of HA, a contribution that may help bridge the grievous gap between the neurobiology of HA and the pathogenesis, prevention and treatment of HA-related mental disorders.

Alleviation of bovine serum albumin on the neurotoxicity of silver nanoparticles in zebrafish (Danio rerio) larvae

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are ubiquitous in the aquatic environment and have attracted extensive attention to their toxic effects on aquatic species. However, responses of the nervous system to AgNPs are little known, especially co-existing with the ubiquitous natural organic matter (NOM), which is critical for the ability to act in aquatic species. Here, this study investigated the neurotoxicology of environmentally relevant AgNPs with or without bovine serum albumin (BSA; a classical NOM) to zebrafish (Danio rerio) using visualized transgenic zebrafish. Exposure to AgNPs reduced the locomotor behavior of zebrafish by 28%–45%, including swimming distance and velocity, exhibiting obvious behavioral inhibition. The visualized transgenic zebrafish treated with AgNPs showed developmental retardation in the early development of the heart, central nervous, and motor nerve, as well as the related neurodevelopment genes, which may be responsible for the lowered locomotor behavior. In addition, AgNPs can specifically interfere with the cholinergic system and affect neuronal signaling, ultimately leading to behavioral abnormalities. However, the co-existing BSA alleviated the neurotoxicity of AgNPs in zebrafish, which may partially be attributed to the increased size and electronegativity of AgNPs caused by BSA, thus reducing the direct interaction of AgNPs with cells. The interaction between BSA and the released Ag+ from AgNPs may also be responsible for the alleviation of the neurodevelopment dysfunction in zebrafish. These findings provide valuable insights into the toxicity and risks of AgNPs in natural aquatic environments.