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Background: Recent studies have identified empathy deficit as a core impairment and diagnostic criterion for people with autism spectrum disorders; however, the improvement of empathy focuses primarily on behavioural interventions without the target regulation. We sought to compare brain regions associated with empathy-like behaviours of fear and pain, and to explore the role of the oxytocinoxytocin receptor system in fear empathy. Methods: We used C57BL mice to establish 2 models of fear empathy and pain empathy. We employed immunofluorescence histochemical techniques to observe the expression of c-Fos throughout the entire brain and subsequently quantified the number of c-Fos-positive cells in different brain regions. Furthermore, we employed chemogenetic technology to selectively manipulate these neurons in Oxt-[Cre.sup.-/+] mice to identify the role of oxytocin in this process. Results: The regions activated by fear empathy were the anterior cingulate cortex, basolateral amygdala, nucleus accumbens, paraventricular nucleus (PVN), lateral habenula, and ventral and dorsal hippocampus. The regions activated by pain empathy were the anterior cingulate cortex, basolateral amygdala, nucleus accumbens, and lateral habenula. We found that increasing the activity of oxytocin neurons in the PVN region enhanced the response to fear empathy. This enhancement may be mediated through oxytocin receptors. Limitations: This study included only male animals, which restricts the broader interpretation of the findings. Further investigations on circuit function need to be conducted. Conclusion: The brain regions implicated in the regulation of fear and pain empathy exhibit distinctions; the activity of PVN neurons was positively correlated with empathic behaviour in mice. These findings highlight the role of the PVN oxytocin pathway in regulating fear empathy and suggest the importance of oxytocin signalling in mediating empathetic responses., Introduction Empathy refers to an individual's perception and recognition of the internal emotions and feelings of others, including the ability to identify and respond to their voices, expressions, and physical [...]

Abnormal neuronal polarity leads to early deficits in Alzheimer's disease (AD) by affecting the function of axons. Precise and rapid evaluation of polarity changes is very important for the early prevention and diagnosis of AD. However, due to the limitations of existing detection methods, the mechanism related to how neuronal polarity changes in AD is unclear. Herein, we reported a ratiometric fluorescent probe characterized by neutral molecule to disclose the polarity changes in nerve cells and the brain of APP/PS1 mice. Cy7-K showed a sensitive and selective ratiometric fluorescence response to polarity. Remarkably, unlike conventional intramolecular charge transfer fluorescent probes, the fluorescence quantum yield of Cy7-K in highly polar solvents is higher than that in low polar solvents due to the transition of neutral quinones to aromatic zwitterions. Using the ratiometric fluorescence imaging, we found that beta-amyloid protein (Aβ) inhibits the expression of histone deacetylase 6, thereby increasing the amount of acetylated Tau protein (AC-Tau) and ultimately enhancing cell polarity. There was a high correlation between polarity and AC-Tau. Furthermore, Cy7-K penetrated the blood–brain barrier to image the polarity of different brain regions and confirmed that APP/PS1 mice had higher polarity than Wild-type mice. The probe Cy7-K will be a promising tool for assessing the progression of AD development by monitoring polarity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rechargeable nickel-zinc (Ni-Zn) batteries hold great promise for large-scale applications due to their relatively high voltage, cost-efficient zinc anode, and good safety. However, the commonly used cathode materials are susceptible to overcharging and experience irreversible capacity degradation, primarily as a result of low electrical conductivity and substantial limitations in volume-constrained proton diffusion. Here, we present a robust methodology for synthesizing hierarchical nickel-cobalt (Ni-Co) hydroxides characterized by hollow interiors and interconnected nanosheet shells with the help of in situ formed metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). The templating effect of the MOF induced the hierarchical structure, while the chemical etching of MOFs by Ni2+ ions resulted in a hollow structure, thereby enhancing the surface area. Theoretical calculations suggested that incorporation of cobalt reduces the band gap, thereby improving electronic conductivity, and lowered the deprotonation energy, which mitigated overcharge issues. These advantages conferred improved specific capacity, rate capability, and cyclic stability to the Ni-Co hydroxide. The Ni-Zn cell delivered specific energy values of 338 Wh kg-1 at 1.62 kW kg-1 and 142 Wh kg-1 at 29.89 kW kg-1. Our investigations undercoreed the critical role of MOFs as intermediates in the preparation of multi-component hydroxide and the construction of hiearchical structures to achieve superior performance., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Background: Urinary incontinence following prostate treatment (IPT) represents a significant complication that detrimentally impacts the quality of life for patients who have undergone prostate surgery. Presently, there is a scarcity of evidence regarding the preferred surgical techniques for IPT. We conducted a meta-analysis to compare the outcomes of the male sling and artificial urinary sphincter (AUS) in the treatment of IPT., Methods: Data were extracted through electronic literature searches on PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase databases until September 2023. Eligible studies included patients who underwent AUS or male sling procedures for IPT and had a follow-up duration exceeding 12 months. The primary end point was the success rate, with the secondary outcome focusing on complication rates. A fixed-effects or random-effects models were used to calculate the pooled estimate and its 95% confidence interval (CI). The publication bias was assessed using funnel plots and Egger's regression test., Results: The meta-analysis included nine studies, involving a total of 1,350 participants. No statistically significant difference in success rates was found between AUS and male sling [odds ratio (OR): 0.96, 95% CI: 0.91-1.01]. In terms of the complication rate, there was no significant disparity between the two procedures (OR: 0.87, 95% CI: 0.86-1.12)., Conclusions: The findings from this study indicated that male sling surgery yielded success and complication rates comparable to those of AUS. This suggests that male sling could serve as a viable alternative surgical option in the treatment of IPT., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: All authors have completed the ICMJE uniform disclosure form (available at https://tau.amegroups.com/article/view/10.21037/tau-24-107/coif). The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare., (2024 Translational Andrology and Urology. All rights reserved.)