GhFAD3-4 Promotes Fiber Cell Elongation and Cell Wall Thickness by Increasing PI and IP3 Accumulation in Cotton.

The omega-3 fatty acid desaturase enzyme gene FAD3 is responsible for converting linoleic acid to linolenic acid in plant fatty acid synthesis. Despite limited knowledge of its role in cotton growth, our study focused on GhFAD3-4, a gene within the FAD3 family, which was found to promote fiber elongation and cell wall thickness in cotton. GhFAD3-4 was predominantly expressed in elongating fibers, and its suppression led to shorter fibers with reduced cell wall thickness and phosphoinositide (PI) and inositol triphosphate (IP3) levels. Transcriptome analysis of GhFAD3-4 knock-out mutants revealed significant impacts on genes involved in the phosphoinositol signaling pathway. Experimental evidence demonstrated that GhFAD3-4 positively regulated the expression of the GhBoGH3B and GhPIS genes, influencing cotton fiber development through the inositol signaling pathway. The application of PI and IP6 externally increased fiber length in GhFAD3-4 knock-out plants, while inhibiting PI led to a reduced fiber length in GhFAD3-4 overexpressing plants. These findings suggest that GhFAD3-4 plays a crucial role in enhancing fiber development by promoting PI and IP3 biosynthesis, offering the potential for breeding cotton varieties with superior fiber quality.

Distinct neural dynamics of the observed ostracism effect in decision-making under risk and ambiguity.

Observational ostracism, as a form of social exclusion, can significantly affect human behavior. However, the effects of observed ostracism on risky and ambiguous decision-making and the underlying neural mechanisms remain unclear. This event-related potential study investigated these issues by involving participants in a wheel-of- fortune task, considering observed ostracism and inclusion contexts. The results showed that the cue-P3 component was more enhanced during the choice phase for risky decisions than for ambiguous decisions in the observed inclusion contexts but not in the observed ostracism contexts. During the outcome evaluation phase, feedback-related negativity amplitudes following both risky and ambiguous decisions were higher in the no-gain condition than in the gain condition in the observed inclusion context. In contrast, this effect was only observed following risky decisions in the observed ostracism context. The feedback-P3 component did not exhibit an observed ostracism effect in risky and ambiguous decision-making tasks. Risk levels further modulated the cue-P3 and feedback-related negativity components, while ambiguity levels further modulated the feedback-P3 components. These findings demonstrate a neural dissociation between risk and ambiguity decision-making during observed ostracism that unfolds from the choice phase to the outcome evaluation phase.

Active vs. computer-based passive decision-making leads to discrepancies in outcome evaluation: evidence from self-reported emotional experience and brain activity.

People prefer active decision-making and induce greater emotional feelings than computer-based passive mode, yet the modulation of decision-making mode on outcome evaluation remains unknown. The present study adopted event-related potentials to investigate the discrepancies in active and computer-based passive mode on outcome evaluation using a card gambling task. The subjective rating results showed that active mode elicited more cognitive effort and stronger emotional feelings than passive mode. For received outcomes, we observed no significant Feedback-Related Negativity (FRN) effect on difference waveshapes (d-FRN) between the 2 modes, but active decision-making elicited larger P300 amplitudes than the passive mode. For unchosen card outcomes, the results revealed larger d-FRN amplitudes of relative valences (Superior - Inferior) in responses to negative feedback in active mode than in passive mode. The averaged P300 results revealed an interplay among outcome feedback, decision-making mode, and relative valence, and the average P300 amplitude elicited by the received loss outcome in the active mode partially mediated the relationship between subjective cognitive effort and negative emotion ratings on loss. Our findings indicate discrepancies between active and computer-based passive modes, and cognitive effort and emotional experience involved in outcome evaluation.

Brain-to-brain synchrony during dyadic action co-representation under acute stress: evidence from fNIRS-based hyperscanning.

Unexpected acute stressors may affect our co-representation with other co-actors when completing the joint tasks. The present study adopted the emergent functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS)-based hyperscanning method to explore the brain-to-brain synchrony when implementing the Joint Simon Task under acute stress induced in the laboratory. The behavioral results reported that the joint Simon effect (JSE) was found in both the stress group and the control group, but the joint Simon effect in the stress group was significantly lessened than the joint Simon effect in the control group, demonstrating that when completing the joint action task in the state of acute stress, women's ability to distinguishing self- from other-related mental representations was improved, and the strength of women's action co-representation was diminished. The fNIRS results showed that when completing the joint Simon task in the state of the acute stress, the brain-to-brain synchrony at the r-TPJ in the stress group was significantly higher than that in the control group, demonstrating that the increased brain-to-brain synchrony at the TPJ may be served as the critical brain-to-brain neural mechanism underlying the joint action task under acute stress.

Distinct inter-brain synchronization patterns underlying group decision-making under uncertainty with partners in different interpersonal relationships.

Humans may behave in different manners when making decisions with friends and strangers. Whether the interpersonal relationship and the characteristics of the individuals in the group affected the group decision-making under uncertainty in the real-time interaction remains unknown. Using the turn-based Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART), the present study examined the group decision-making propensity under uncertainty with partners in different interpersonal relationships and interpersonal orientations. Corresponding inter-brain synchronization (IBS) patterns at the prefrontal cortex (PFC) were also uncovered with the fNIRS-based hyperscanning approach. Behavioral results identified that dyads in the friend group exhibited the uncertainty-averse propensity when comparing with the stranger group. The fNIRS results reported that feedback-related IBS at the left inferior frontal gyrus (l-IFG) and medial frontopolar cortex (mFPC) during different feedbacks was modulated by interpersonal relationships. The IBS at all channels in the PFC during the positive and negative feedbacks, respectively, predicted the decision-making propensity under uncertainty in the stranger and friend groups based on the support vector machine (SVM) algorithm. The moderating role of the social value orientation (SVO) was also verified in the mediation effect of the dyad closeness on the decision-making propensity under uncertainty via the IBS at the right lateral frontopolar cortex (r-FPC). These findings demonstrated disparate behavioral responses and inter-brain synchronization patterns underlying group decision-making under uncertainty with partners in different interpersonal relationships.

A negative emotional context disrupts the framing effect on outcome evaluation in decision making under uncertainty: An ERP study.

The framing effect refers to the phenomenon that different descriptions of the same option lead to a shift in the choice of the decision maker. Several studies have found that emotional contexts irrelevant to a decision in progress still influence the framing effect on decision making. However, little is known about the potential role of emotional contexts in the framing effect on outcome evaluation under uncertainty and the related neural mechanisms. The present study measured event-related potentials (ERPs) to capture the time series of brain activities during the processing of gain- and loss-framed choices and outcomes primed with neutral and negative emotional contexts. The results revealed that in the neutral emotional context, the P300 amplitudes following both positive and negative feedback were greater in the gain-framed condition than those in the loss-framed condition, demonstrating a framing effect, whereas in the negative emotional context, this effect was unstable and observed only following negative feedback. In contrast, regardless of whether the feedback was positive or negative, the framing effect on the feedback-related negativity (FRN) amplitudes was insensitive to neutral and negative emotional contexts. Furthermore, the time-frequency analysis showed that the framing effect on the theta power related to the FRN was also insensitive to neutral and negative emotional contexts. Our findings suggest that brain responses to framing effects on outcome evaluation in a later cognitive appraisal stage of decision making under uncertainty may depend on the emotional context, as the effects were observed only following negative feedback in the negative emotional context.

Social relationship modulates advisor's brain response to advice-giving outcome evaluation: Evidence from an event-related potential study.

Introduction: Advice-giving is a double-edged sword in social interaction, which could bring benefits or considerable losses for the advisee. However, whether the social relationship affects the time course of advisor's brain response to outcome evaluation after the advice-giving remains unclear. Methods: In the present study, we used event-related potentials (ERPs) to investigate the modulation of social relationships on advisor's outcome feedback processing after the advice-giving and related neural activities. Results: The results showed larger feedback-related negativity (FRN) to a loss than to a gain both when the friends accepted and rejected the advice, whereas this effect only existed when the strangers rejected the advice, but not when they accepted it. In contrast, the P3 results demonstrated the enhanced neural sensitivity when the strangers accepted the advice than rejected it despite leading to a loss, while a larger P3 amplitude was found when the friends accepted the advice than rejected it and brought a gain. The theta oscillation results in the friend group revealed stronger theta power to loss when the advisee accepted the advice than rejected it. However, this effect was absent in the stranger group. Discussion: These results suggested that outcome evaluation in advice-giving was not only influenced by feedback valence and social reward, but also modulated by social relationships. Our findings contributed to the understanding of the neural mechanisms of advice-giving outcome evaluation in a social context.

Two inconsistent rounds of feedback enhance the framing effect: Coding two consecutive outcome evaluations.

Previous experience often guides people's decision-making. How the corresponding consecutive outcomes in the gain-loss frame modulate feedback evaluation in dynamic situations remains unclear. In this study, we used event-related potentials (ERPs) with a Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART) to investigate the effect of the consistency with previous feedback on current choices under the gain-loss frame and the neural mechanism by coding ERP signals evoked by consecutive outcomes among adults (N = 42). Results indicated that the framing effect on feedback-related negativity (FRN) amplitudes following current feedback in decision-making was insensitive to prior feedback. In contrast, the P300 amplitudes following two inconsistent consecutive rounds of feedback were greater than that following two consistent consecutive rounds of feedback in the gain frame, while this effect was absent in the loss frame, revealing a more significant valance-framing effect. These findings demonstrate that two inconsistent rounds of feedback enhance the framing effect, and suggest that the framing effect is sensitive to prior feedback in a late cognitive appraisal stage in decision-making under uncertainty, rather than in an early feedback processing stage. The present study provides novel insights into how consecutive outcomes in the gain-loss frame modulate feedback evaluation in dynamic situations.

Inter-brain neural mechanism underlying turn-based interaction under acute stress in women: a hyperscanning study using functional near-infrared spectroscopy.

With the ever-changing social environment, stress has exerted a substantial influence on social interaction. The present study examined the underlying cognitive and neural mechanism on how acute stress affected the real-time cooperative and competitive interaction with four hypothesized path models. We used the hyperscanning technique based on functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) device to examine brain-to-brain coherence within the dyads engaging Pattern Game under acute stress manipulated through Trier Social Stress Test for Groups. Behavioral results showed stressed dyads exhibited better cooperative performance and higher self-other overlap level during the cooperative session than dyads in the control group. The fNIRS results identified higher interpersonal brain synchronization in the right temporal-parietal junction (r-TPJ) stronger Granger causality from partner-to-builder during the cooperative session in the stress group when compared with the control group. Our results corroborated better performance in the cooperative context and further identified that brain-to-brain coherence in r-TPJ and self-other overlap serially mediated the effect of acute stress on cooperative performance.

Transcranial direct current stimulation of bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortex eliminates creativity impairment induced by acute stress.

The creativity impairment under acute stress may be closely related to the down-regulation of the prefrontal cortex function caused by stress-related neurotransmitters and hormones. In the current study, we explored whether transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) over bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) eliminated stress-induced creativity impairment and the potential mechanism from the perspective of stress response recovery. Seventy participants were randomly allocated to a group undergoing the activation of right DLPFC and the deactivation of left DLPFC (R+L-; N = 35), and a group of sham stimulation (sham; N = 35). Participants received tDCS after the stress induction, and then completed the Alternative Uses Task (AUT) and the Remote Association Task (RAT) during the stimulation. The stress response was indicated using heart rate, cortisol, and emotion changes. Results showed that R+L- stimulation facilitated the recovery of anxious state compared to sham stimulation. We also found that the decreased value of AUT scores after stress in the R+L- group was significantly lower than that in the sham group. Moreover, further analysis revealed state anxiety mediated the effect of tDCS on the flexibility component of the AUT. We concluded that bilateral tDCS over the DLPFC is efficient in alleviating stress-induced creativity impairment, which may correlate with greater recovery of state anxiety. Our findings provide causal evidence for the neurophysiological mechanisms by which stress affects creativity, as well as clinical suggestions for stress-related psychiatric disorders prevention and intervention.

The discrepant effect of acute stress on cognitive inhibition and response inhibition.

This study aimed to investigate how acute stress impinges on individual's cognitive inhibition and response inhibition abilities. Electroencephalography was adopted when 35 healthy adult females performing the No Go Flanker task before and after the Trier Social Stress Test. Both inhibition processes evoked N2 and P3 components, but only the response inhibition evoked the late positive potential (LPP), indicating the response inhibition needed continuous cognitive effort to inhibit the prepotent response. The N2 and the P3 amplitudes were decreased, while the LPP amplitudes were increased under acute stress. These results suggested that acute stress caused the detrimental effect by occupying cognitive resources. Contrastingly, individuals actively regulated and made more efforts to counteract the detrimental effect of acute stress on response inhibition. Thus, acute stress impaired cognitive inhibition but did not affect response inhibition.

Acute stress reduces the emotional attentional blink: Evidence from human electrophysiology.

The present study is the first to examine the time-dependent mechanism of acute stress on emotional attentional blink (EAB) with event-related potential (ERP) measures. We explored the stage characteristics of stress affecting EAB, whether it affects the early selective attention process (marked by early posterior negativity) or the late working memory consolidation (marked by late positive potential). Sixty-one healthy participants were exposed to either a Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) or a control condition, and salivary cortisol was measured to reflect the stress effect. ERPs were recorded during an attentional blink (AB) paradigm in which target one (T1) were negative or neutral images. Results showed stress generally reduced AB effects. Specifically, stress promoted the early selective attention process of target two (T2) following a neutral T1 but did not affect T2 consolidation into working memory. Correlational analyses further confirmed the positive effect of cortisol and negative emotional state on AB performance. Moreover, the ERP results of acute stress on AB conformed to the trade-off effect between T1 and T2; that is, stress reduced T1 late working memory consolidation and improved T2 early selective attention process. These findings further demonstrated that stress did not change the central resource limitation of AB. In general, stress generates a dissociable effect on AB early- and late-stage processing; namely, acute stress reduce the AB effect mainly from the improvement of participants' overall ability to select the targets in the early stage.