Cardiac autonomic regulation has been proposed as a critical psychophysiological linkage supporting cognitive and social cognition. While heart rate variability biofeedback (HRVB) has demonstrated robust effects on stress reduction, its potential role in supporting social cognition—particularly theory of mind (ToM)—and the underlying psychophysiological mechanisms remain unclear. This randomized controlled trial examined the effects of a six-session HRVB intervention with preset-paced breathing on social cognition and executive functions in young adults with high perceived stress, and explored whether HRVB-induced changes in cardiac autonomic activity may serve as a psychophysiological mechanism linking the intervention to improvements in social cognition beyond executive function changes. As a manipulation check, participants receiving HRVB (n = 32) showed significant reductions in heart rate, respiratory rate, and perceived stress, accompanied by increased cardiac parasympathetic activity and decreased cardiac sympathetic activity, compared with the control group (n = 32). Significant group × time interaction effects were observed for distinct ToM performances, as well as for executive functions. Importantly, exploratory parallel mediation analyses further revealed that HRVB-induced changes in cardiac autonomic activity mediated improvements in overall ToM performance, whereas changes in cardiac sympathetic activity uniquely mediated improvements in cognitive ToM, even after controlling for executive function changes. Together, these findings provide intervention-based evidence suggesting that HRVB-induced modulation of cardiac autonomic activity is associated with a psychophysiological mechanism preferentially supporting social-cognitive function—particularly ToM—beyond executive control. HRVB may therefore represent a promising psychophysiological intervention for enhancing social-cognitive function in stress-vulnerable and high-arousal populations.
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is marked by synovial inflammation, cartilage loss, and bone erosion, with macrophages playing a central role. Pyruvate carboxylase (PC), a mitochondrial enzyme, has been linked to inflammation, but its role in RA is unclear. We investigated the effects of pharmacological PC inhibition with ZY-444 in a collagen antibody-induced arthritis (CAIA) mouse model and assessed disease severity, cytokine production, and histopathology. In vitro, PC expressions were analyzed in U937 cells, macrophages, and LPS-activated macrophages. Functional analysis of PC knockdown was evaluated using qRT-PCR, ELISA, Western blotting, and apoptosis assays. In CAIA mice, ZY-444 treatment significantly reduced clinical severity, joint inflammation, macrophage infiltration, and histological severity, with efficacy comparable to dexamethasone. ZY-444 suppressed TNF-α and IL-6 in joints and decreased serum IL-6. In vitro, PC expression increased during macrophage differentiation and activation, while PC knockdown markedly reduced cytokine expression and secretion. Mechanistically, PC deficiency attenuated mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) phosphorylation, enhanced macrophage apoptosis, and upregulated HIF-1α expression. PC regulates macrophage-driven inflammation in RA. Its inhibition alleviates disease pathology, supporting PC as a therapeutic target and ZY-444 as a potential repurposed anti-inflammatory agent.
Electrochemical immunosensors offered high sensitivity, specificity, and cost-effectiveness, but their performance largely depended on the electrode–bioreceptor interface. Self-assembled monolayers were widely employed to enhance antibody immobilization and signal transduction. However, systematic comparisons of different thiolated compounds remained limited. In this study, gold electrodes were functionalized with either 11-Mercaptoundecanoic acid or L-Cysteine to form self-assembled monolayers enabling covalent antibody immobilization. The fluorescent model protein, bovine serum albumin–fluorescein isothiocyanate conjugate, specifically interacted with the immobilized antibodies and was detected across the 0.5–8.0 µM concentration range using fluorescence microscopy, cyclic voltammetry, square wave voltammetry, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Both self-assembled monolayers supported efficient protein capture, but distinct differences in sensing performance were observed. Electrodes modified with 11-Mercaptoundecanoic acid formed densely packed molecular layers with strong blocking ability, yielding a sensitivity of 9.54
This study systematically investigated the interfacial reactions between Co and Sn-3.5Ag-Ge solders, with Ge concentrations ranging from 0.03 wt.
This study explores a sustainable approach to valorize mushroom residue (MR) through vermicomposting, aiming to enhance nutrient recovery and promote circular bioeconomy practices. The primary research question addresses how varying MR-to-cow dung (CD) ratios influence earthworm performance, nutrient dynamics, and compost quality. A total of eleven MR/CD treatments were established and monitored over a 48-day period using Perionyx excavatus earthworms. Physicochemical parameters, including nitrogen, phosphate, potassium, organic matter, total organic carbon, pH and electrical conductivity were periodically assessed to evaluate vermicomposting efficiency and substrate balance. The 50/50 MR/CD ratio was identified as the optimal mixture, significantly improving earthworm growth and reproduction compared with other ratios. Nitrogen, phosphate, and potassium contents increased by 56.2
