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•Non-invasive dual-brain stimulation was applied to dyads during cooperation.•Active dual-brain tDCS enhanced interpersonal neural synchronization (INS).•INS enhancement was specific to dual-brain tDCS targeting the right temporoparietal junction.•INS enhancement was associated with more adoption of cooperative strategic behaviors.•Cooperative behaviors mediated the relationship between INS and economic gains. Reciprocal altruism-based cooperation is ubiquitous among humans and plays a crucial role in the survival and evolutionary trajectories of human beings. Prior research has been capable of comprehending social cooperation by examining the patterns of interpersonal neural synchronization (INS) during real bidirectional social interactions, rather than focusing on single-brain responses to external stimuli. However, the causal influence of INS on cooperative strategic behaviors remains unclear. To address this gap, we directly modulated the right temporoparietal junction (rTPJ)’s INS between individuals in 81 dyads during a Prisoner's Dilemma task using the transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) technique. The results indicated that active dual-brain tDCS on both individuals’ rTPJ during the task significantly enhanced INS, whereas sham dual-brain, control-region dual-brain, or single-brain stimulation had no such effect. This effect was further validated through an on-off mode of stimulation manipulation. Moreover, compared to sham dual-brain tDCS, the active dual-brain tDCS significantly increased the rate of cooperative strategic behaviors as well as the dyadic economic gains. Mediation analysis revealed that strategic behaviors mediated the relationship between INS enhancement and economic gains. These findings provide direct evidence for the crucial role of INS in social cooperation and offer a novel approach to promoting social cooperation.

The ability to use language makes us human. For decades, researchers have been racking their minds to understand the relation between language and the human brain. Nevertheless, most previous neuroscientific research has investigated this issue from a ‘single-brain’ perspective, thus neglecting the nature of interpersonal communication through language. With the development of modern hyperscanning techniques, researchers have begun probing the neurocognitive processes underlying interpersonal verbal communication and have examined the involvement of interpersonal neural synchronization (INS) in communication. However, in most cases, the neurocognitive processes underlying INS are obscure. To tentatively address this issue, we propose herein a hierarchical model based on the findings from a growing amount of hyperscanning research. We suggest that three levels of neurocognitive processes are primarily involved in interpersonal verbal communication and are closely associated with distinctive patterns of INS. Different levels of these processes modulate each other bidirectionally. Furthermore, we argued that two processes (shared representation and interpersonal predictive coding) might coexist and work together at each level to facilitate successful interpersonal verbal communication. We hope this model will inspire further innovative research in several directions within the fields of social and cognitive neuroscience.

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.

To analyze the association between end-tidal sevoflurane concentration and postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) and pain sensitivity in elderly patients under general anesthesia. A total of 121 elderly patients undergoing abdominal surgery were enrolled and divided into a low-concentration group (0.8-1.2 MAC, = 61) and a high-concentration group (1.5-2.0 MAC, = 60). End-tidal sevoflurane concentration, recovery parameters, Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores, POCD incidence, pain sensitivity (PSQ score, mechanical hypersensitivity areas and thresholds), and serum levels of neurological markers (NSE, ApoJ, NGF) and pain mediators (PGE2, 5-HT) were compared between groups. Pearson correlation and multivariate logistic regression were used to assess associations and influencing factors for POCD. The high-concentration group had longer recovery times but a lower incidence of POCD (10.00% vs. 24.59%) and higher MMSE scores on postoperative days 1 and 3 ( < 0.05). Pain sensitivity measures were reduced in the high-concentration group on postoperative day 1, with lower PSQ scores, smaller mechanical hypersensitivity areas, and higher mechanical thresholds ( < 0.05). Compared to the low-concentration group, the high-concentration group exhibited significantly lower postoperative levels of NSE, ApoJ, PGE2, and 5-HT, and higher NGF levels ( < 0.05). End-tidal sevoflurane concentration positively correlated with MMSE scores, mechanical thresholds, and NGF levels, and negatively correlated with pain sensitivity measures, NSE, ApoJ, PGE2, and 5-HT ( < 0.05). Multivariate analysis identified age and preoperative elevations of NSE, ApoJ, PGE2, and 5-HT as risk factors for POCD, while higher sevoflurane concentration and preoperative NGF levels were protective factors ( < 0.05). Higher end-tidal sevoflurane concentration is associated with improved postoperative cognitive function and reduced pain sensitivity in elderly patients, likely mediated by the modulation of neurological and pain-related biomarkers, serving as a protective factor against POCD.

Background In critically ill elderly patients, malnutrition is a common comorbidity. The Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index (GNRI) is a straightforward tool for evaluating the nutritional status of elderly individuals. The association between GNRI score and unfavorable health outcomes has been established. However, no studies have yet elucidated the relationship between GNRI score and sepsis-related acute kidney injury (S-AKI). Methods We sourced patient data from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care IV (MIMIC-IV) database. All patients were divided into four groups based on their GNRI score using quartile analysis. The main objective of this study was to investigate the 28-day mortality rate. Secondary study outcomes were the incidence of severe AKI, length of stay in the intensive care unit, and days in the hospital. To evaluate the association between GNRI score and study outcomes, we used a Cox proportional hazards regression model and restricted cubic splines. Kaplan–Meier curves were used to compare the outcomes in each group. Results A total of 4515 elderly patients with S-AKI were included in this study. Patients were categorized into four groups according to GNRI quartile: Q1 (< 78.92), Q2 (78.92–84.88), Q3 (84.88–90.84), and Q4 (> 90.84). Overall 28-day mortality was 29.5%. Patients with a low GNRI were predominantly women, and had a low body mass index. After controlling for confounding factors, GNRI score emerged as an independent predictor of 28-day mortality among elderly patients with S-AKI (Q4 vs. Q1: hazard ratio 0.74, 95% confidence interval 0.63–0.87; p  < 0.001). Restricted cubic spline analysis revealed a linear relationship between GNRI and 28-day mortality (p for non-linearity = 0.207), and this association remained consistent across all subgroup analyses. Conclusions The GNRI is an important nutritional assessment tool, and is useful in predicting the prognosis of critically ill elderly patients with S- AKI.

Objective To evaluate the analgesic synergistic effect of ropivacaine lumbar paravertebral block (LPB) on patients undergoing lumbar surgery under general anesthesia, and to investigate whether dexmedetomidine as a local anesthetic adjuvant can further enhance analgesic efficacy, suppress perioperative stress-induced inflammatory responses, and improve postoperative recovery quality. Methods A total of 120 patients scheduled for elective posterior lumbar surgery were enrolled and randomly assigned to three groups ( n  = 40 each) using a random number table. All patients underwent general anesthesia. Prior to anesthesia induction, the L group and DL group received ultrasound-guided bilateral lumbar paracentesis (LPB). The L group received 15 mL of 0.375% ropivacaine per side, while the DL group received 15 mL of 0.375% ropivacaine containing 0.5 µg/kg dexmedetomidine per side. The C group did not receive nerve block. The primary outcome measure was intraoperative sufentanil dosage, while secondary outcomes included postoperative numeric rating scale (NRS) scores for rest and activity, 15-item quality of recovery (QoR-15) scores, serum levels of inflammatory and stress markers, and the incidence of perioperative adverse events. Results Overall significant differences in intraoperative propofol and sufentanil doses were observed among the three groups (all adjusted P  < 0.05). Post-hoc pairwise comparisons showed that Group L and Group DL had significantly lower intraoperative propofol and sufentanil doses compared with Group C (all Bonferroni-adjusted P  < 0.0167). Furthermore, the doses of both agents were significantly lower in Group DL than in Group L (all Bonferroni-adjusted P  < 0.0167). Compared with Group C, Groups L and DL demonstrated significantly reduced intraoperative sufentanil dosage, markedly lower NRS scores at all postoperative time points, significantly higher QoR-15 scale scores, and significantly lower serum levels of inflammatory and stress markers (all P  < 0.05 after adjustment). All these outcomes in Group DL showed significant improvement compared to Group L (all P  < 0.05 after adjustment). No statistically significant differences were observed in perioperative adverse event rates among the three groups ( P  > 0.05). Conclusion Lopivacaine LPB effectively optimizes perioperative management for patients undergoing lumbar surgery. The addition of dexmedetomidine as an adjuvant further enhances analgesic efficacy, prolongs analgesia duration, suppresses perioperative stress-induced inflammatory responses, significantly improves early postoperative recovery quality, and demonstrates favorable short-term safety.

In recent years, the port economy of our country has developed rapidly. Guangzhou Port is an important node of the maritime transportation of the Belt and Road, connecting the hinterland economy of our country with the countries along the Belt and Road, which is of great significance in promoting the economic development of the hinterland of our country. It is of great significance to predict the freight development demand of Guangzhou port scientifically and reasonably, which is beneficial to optimize the infrastructure construction and logistics system planning of Guangzhou port. This study selects the port cargo throughput, foreign trade cargo throughput, and container cargo throughput as three index values to measure the freight development of Guangzhou port. Firstly, the GM(1,1) model and the BP neural network model are constructed to predict the freight demand of Guangzhou port. Then, the GM(1,1) model and the BP neural network model are combined to predict again. By comparing the three models, the results show that the accuracy of the combined model is better than that of the single model. The combined model of BP neural network and GM(1,1) can be effectively applied in the prediction of Guangzhou port logistics demand. Finally, the combined model of BP neural network and GM(1,1) is used to forecast the freight development demand of Guangzhou Port in 2022-2024, which provides a reference for the development planning of Guangzhou Port. The results further indicate that the BP–GM(1,1) combination model significantly outperforms single forecasting models in terms of prediction accuracy, highlighting its effectiveness and robustness in port logistics demand forecasting.

BACKGROUNDAngiogenesis inhibitors showed activity in ovarian cancer, but preliminary data could not accurately reflect the survival benefit. We thus did a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials to reassess the efficacy and safety of angiogenesis inhibitors combined with chemotherapy for ovarian cancer. METHODSWe searched PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane, and ClinicalTrials.gov for randomized controlled trials comparing angiogenesis inhibitors containing therapy with conventional chemotherapy alone or no further treatment. Our main outcomes were the progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and common adverse events. RESULTSFifteen trials were included (N = 8721 participants). For newly diagnosed ovarian cancer, combination treatment with angiogenesis inhibitors and chemotherapy yielded a lower risk of disease progression (hazard ratio [HR], 0.83; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.71–0.97) and no improved OS (HR, 0.95; 95% CI, 0.86–1.05). In the high-risk progression subgroup, the addition of bevacizumab significantly improved PFS (HR, 0.72; 95% CI, 0.65–0.81) and OS (HR, 0.84; 95%CI, 0.74–0.96). In recurrent patients, the combined HR was 0.58 (95% CI, 0.52–0.65) for PFS, and for OS, the combined HR was 0.86 (95% CI, 0.79–0.94). We found no significant improvement for either PFS (HR, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.63–1.01) or OS (HR, 1.06; 95% CI, 0.88–1.28) in the pure maintenance therapy.In the overall population, angiogenesis inhibitors increased the incidence of gastrointestinal perforation (risk ratio [RR], 2.57; 95% CI, 1.66–3.97), hypertension (RR, 7.60; 95% CI, 2.79–20.70), arterial thromboembolism (RR, 2.27; 95% CI, 1.34–3.84), proteinuria (RR, 4.31; 95% CI, 2.15–8.64), and complication of wound healing (RR, 1.72, 95% CI, 1.12–2.63). CONCLUSIONSCombination treatment with angiogenesis inhibitors and chemotherapy significantly improved PFS and OS in both patients with high-risk of progression and recurrent ovarian cancer, with an increased incidence of common adverse events. Conversely, we detected no statistically significant survival benefit in the pure maintenance setting. The main limitation of the review is clinical heterogeneity across the studies.

The ability to use language makes us human. For decades, researchers have been racking their minds to understand the relation between language and the human brain. Nevertheless, most previous neuroscientific research has investigated this issue from a 'single-brain' perspective, thus neglecting the nature of interpersonal communication through language. With the development of modern hyperscanning techniques, researchers have begun probing the neurocognitive processes underlying interpersonal verbal communication and have examined the involvement of interpersonal neural synchronization (INS) in communication. However, in most cases, the neurocognitive processes underlying INS are obscure. To tentatively address this issue, we propose herein a hierarchical model based on the findings from a growing amount of hyperscanning research. We suggest that three levels of neurocognitive processes are primarily involved in interpersonal verbal communication and are closely associated with distinctive patterns of INS. Different levels of these processes modulate each other bidirectionally. Furthermore, we argued that two processes (shared representation and interpersonal predictive coding) might coexist and work together at each level to facilitate successful interpersonal verbal communication. We hope this model will inspire further innovative research in several directions within the fields of social and cognitive neuroscience.