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•No studies have directly tested linguistic prediction at the dual-brain level.•Neurocomputational models were combined with the natural conversation paradigm.•Pragmatic skills of the salesperson interacted with the value representation of the product in the customer.•A dual-brain prediction process was confirmed between the customer and the salesperson.•The prediction occurred at the linguistic rather than sensorimotor level. Prediction on the partner's speech plays a key role in a smooth conversation. However, previous studies on this issue have been majorly conducted at the single-brain rather than dual-brain level, leaving the interpersonal prediction hypothesis untested. To fill this gap, this study combined a neurocomputational modeling approach with a natural conversation paradigm in which two salespersons persuaded a customer to buy their product with their haemodynamic signals being collected using functional near-infrared spectroscopy hyperscanning. First, the results showed a cognitive hierarchy in a natural conversation, with the lower-level process (i.e., pragmatic representation of the persuasion) in the salesperson interacting with the higher-level process (i.e., value representation of the product) in the customer. Next, we found that the right dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex (rdlPFC) and temporoparietal junction (rTPJ) were associated with the representation of the product's value in the customer, while the right inferior frontal cortex (rIFC) was associated with the representation of the pragmatic processes in the salesperson. Finally, neurocomputational modeling results supported the prediction of the salesperson's lower-level brain activity based on the customer's higher-level brain activity. Moreover, the updating weight of the prediction model based on the neural computation between the rIFC of the salesperson and the rTPJ of the customer was closely associated with the interaction context, whereas that based on the rIFC-rdlPFC was not. In summary, these findings provide initial support for the interpersonal prediction hypothesis at the dual-brain level and reveal a hierarchy for the interpersonal prediction process.

The neural mechanism for selectively tuning in to a target speaker while tuning out the others in a multi-speaker situation (i.e., the cocktail-party effect) remains elusive. Here we addressed this issue by measuring brain activity simultaneously from a listener and from multiple speakers while they were involved in naturalistic conversations. Results consistently show selectively enhanced interpersonal neural synchronization (INS) between the listener and the attended speaker at left temporal–parietal junction, compared with that between the listener and the unattended speaker across different multi-speaker situations. Moreover, INS increases significantly prior to the occurrence of verbal responses, and even when the listener’s brain activity precedes that of the speaker. The INS increase is independent of brain-to-speech synchronization in both the anatomical location and frequency range. These findings suggest that INS underlies the selective process in a multi-speaker situation through neural predictions at the content level but not the sensory level of speech. When many people are speaking, e.g. at a party, we can selectively attend to just one speaker. Here, using ‘hyperscanning’, the authors show that interpersonal neural synchronization is selectively increased between a listener and the attended speaker, compared to between the listener and an unattended speaker.

When people communicate, they come to see the world in a similar way to each other by aligning their mental representations at such levels as syntax. Syntax is an essential feature of human language that distinguishes humans from other non-human animals. However, whether and how communicators share neural representations of syntax is not well understood. Here we addressed this issue by measuring the brain activity of both communicators in a series of dyadic communication contexts, by using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS)-based hyperscanning. Two communicators alternatively spoke sentences either with the same or with different syntactic structures. Results showed a significantly higher-level increase of interpersonal neural synchronization (INS) at right posterior superior temporal cortex when communicators produced the same syntactic structures as each other compared to when they produced different syntactic structures. These increases of INS correlated significantly with communication quality. Our findings provide initial evidence for shared neural representations of syntax between communicators. •Shared neural representations of syntax were found during dyadic communication.•Neural synchronization underlay the shared representations of syntax.•Neural synchronization occurred bilaterally rather than on left hemisphere only.•Neural synchronization reflected effect of the prior syntactic context.•Neural synchronization significantly correlated with communication quality.

Human beings organise socially. Theories have posited that interpersonal neural synchronisation might underlie the creation of affiliative bonds. Previous studies tested this hypothesis mainly during a social interaction, making it difficult to determine whether the identified synchronisation is associated with affiliative bonding or with social interaction. This study addressed this issue by focusing on the teacher–student relationship in the resting state both before and after a teaching period. Brain activity was simultaneously measured in both individuals using functional near-infrared spectroscopy. The results showed a significant increase in brain synchronisation at the right sensorimotor cortex between the teacher and student in the resting state after, but not before, the teaching period. Moreover, the synchronisation increased only after a turn-taking mode of teaching but not after a lecturing or video mode of teaching. A chain mediation analysis showed that brain synchronisation during teaching partially mediated the relationship between the brain synchronisation increase in the resting state and strength of the affiliative bond. Finally, both role assignment and social interaction were found to be required for affiliative bonding. Together, these results support the hypothesis that interpersonal synchronisation in brain activity underlies affiliative bonding and that social interaction mechanically mediates the bonding process.

DNA polymerase ζ (Pol ζ) plays an essential role in replicating damaged DNA templates but contributes to mutagenesis due to its low fidelity. Therefore, ensuring tight control of Pol ζ’s activity is critical for continuous and accurate DNA replication, yet the specific mechanisms remain unclear. This study reveals a regulation mechanism of Pol ζ activity in human cells. Under normal conditions, an autoinhibition mechanism keeps the catalytic subunit, REV3L, inactive. Upon encountering replication stress, however, ATR-mediated phosphorylation of REV3L’s S279 cluster activates REV3L and triggers its degradation via a caspase-mediated pathway. This regulation confines the activity of Pol ζ, balancing its essential role against its mutations causing potential during replication stress. Overall, our findings elucidate a control scheme that fine tunes the low-fidelity polymerase activity of Pol ζ under challenging replication scenarios. DNA polymerase ζ (Pol ζ) maintains continuity but impairs accuracy during DNA replication. Here, the authors report a mechanism by which human cells precisely control the essential, yet mutagenic, activity of Pol ζ to ensure both continuation and fidelity during DNA replication challenges.

The expression and clinical significance of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), insulin-like growth factor binding protein 3 (IGFBP-3), and insulin-like growth factor binding protein 7 (IGFBP-7) were investigated in serum and lung cancer tissues from 57 patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Lung cancer tissues at different pathologic stages (27 patients at stages I-II and 30 patients at stages III-IV), normal lung tissues from 17 patients with benign pulmonary disease, and serum samples from both lung cancer and benign pulmonary disease patients were collected during surgery. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and avidin-biotin-peroxidase complex immunohistochemical staining were used to detect IGF-1, IGFBP-3, and IGFBP-7 expression in serum and tissues, respectively. The results show that expression of IGF-1 in lung cancer tissues and serum from NSCLC patients were significantly higher than in the control (P < 0.05). However, expression of IGFBP-3 and IGFBP-7 in cancer tissues and serum from NSCLC patients was significantly lower than in the control (P < 0.05). These results suggest that upregulation of IGF-1 and downregulation of IGFBP-3 and IGFBP-7 may be potential diagnostic biomarkers for NSCLC.