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IntroductionIn aviation, exceptional visual perception is crucial for pilots to monitor flight instruments and respond swiftly to deviations, as well as make rapid judgments regarding environmental changes, ensuring aviation safety. However, existing research on pilots’ visual perception has predominantly focused on behavioral observations, with limited exploration of the neurophysiological mechanisms involved.MethodsThis study aimed to investigate the brain activity associated with the visual perception capabilities of flight cadets. Data were collected from 25 flying cadets and 24 ground students under two conditions: a resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging session conducted in 2022 and a change-detection task. The data were analyzed using RESTplus software.ResultsThe analysis revealed that degree centrality values in the right precuneus and left lingual gyrus showed significantly positive correlations with task reaction time and accuracy, respectively, in the pilot group. These brain regions were found to be significantly associated with the visual perception abilities of the pilots.DiscussionThe findings suggest that alterations in the left precuneus and right lingual gyrus in pilots are linked to their visual perception capabilities, which may play a crucial role in mission performance. These results provide a foundation for improving flight training programs and selecting suitable flight trainees based on neurophysiological markers of visual perception.

Severe burn injuries immediately trigger a sustained systemic and local stress response. During this process, the sympathetic nervous system releases large amounts of catecholamines, which bind to β-adrenergic receptors (β-AR) on cell membranes, negatively affecting skin regeneration. Additionally, recurrent bacterial infections make burn wounds difficult to treat, posing significant and ongoing challenges to burn care. To address these challenges, we pioneered the study of locally delivered propranolol for burn wound treatment, revealing its ability to antagonize norepinephrine (NE) and regulate the sympathetic nervous system. In this study, a Cu2⁺-loaded anti-sympathetic hydrogel (copper ion cross-linked propranolol@gelatin/alginate, PNL@GA-Cu) was developed to remodel the challenging neuromodulatory microenvironment and accelerate the repair of the infected burn wound. The hydrogel system releases Cu2⁺ and propranolol simultaneously during degradation, synergistically acting on local wound tissue. Cu2⁺ exhibits dual effects of antibacterial activity and promoting angiogenesis, effectively killing Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli while enhancing the expression of angiogenesis-related genes (CD31, VEGF). Meanwhile, propranolol can counteract the inhibitory effects of NE simulated chronic stress microenvironment on angiogenesis and mitigate sympathetic nerve innervation during the early stages of wound healing. Finally, the PNL@GA-Cu hydrogel significantly promoted the repair of third-degree full-thickness burns in SD rats. Approaches targeting the neural microenvironment for burn wound treatment has not been previously addressed in the literature. The anti-sympathetic PNL@GA-Cu hydrogel offers a promising strategy for treating infected burn wounds. Remodeling the neuromodulatory microenvironment could be an emerging strategy in tissue engineering.