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[Display omitted] Conductive hydrogels are essential for enabling long-term and reliable signal sensing in wearable electronics due to their tunable flexibility, stimulus responsiveness, and multimodal sensing integration. However, developing durable and dependable integrated hydrogel-based flexible devices has been challenging due to mismatched mechanical properties, limited water retention capability, and reduced flexibility. This work addresses these challenges by employing a tailored physical–chemical dual-crosslinking strategy to fabricate dynamically reversible organo-hydrogels with high performance. The resultant organo-hydrogels exhibit exceptional characteristics, including high stretchability (up to ∼495% strain), remarkable toughness (with tensile and compressive strengths of ∼1350 kPa and ∼9370 kPa, respectively), and outstanding transparency (∼90.3%). Moreover, they demonstrate excellent long-term water retention ability (>2424 h, >97%). Notably, the organo-hydrogel based sensor exhibits heightened sensitivity for monitoring physiological signals and motions. Furthermore, our integrated wireless wearable sensing system efficiently captures and transmits various human physiological signals and motion information in real-time. This research advances the development of customized devices utilizing functional organo-hydrogel materials, making contributions to fulfilling the increasing demand for high-performance wireless wearable sensing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tree-cut width is a graph parameter introduced by Wollan [24] that is an analogue of treewidth for the immersion order on graphs in the following sense: the tree-cut width of a graph is functionally equivalent to the largest size of a wall that can be found in it as an immersion. In this work we propose a variant of the definition of tree-cut width that is functionally equivalent to the original one, but for which we can state and prove a tight duality theorem relating it to naturally defined dual objects: appropriately defined brambles and tangles. Using this result we also propose a game characterization of tree-cut width. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microcantilevers are widely adopted in various fields for micro-mass sensing due to their simple structure and high sensitivity. The conventional microcantilever-based measurement methods required ultra-precision temperature control. However, such a requirement could hardly be satisfied and the temperature shifting would deteriorate the accuracy of mass sensing. In this research, a new temperature decoupling method for mass sensing is proposed by taking advantage of the relative relationship of the peaks in the impedance signals. Besides, a CBAM-CNN network with an adaptive weighted average preprocessing method is developed for the evaluation of the relative relationship of the peaks. This method can enhance the features of the impedance signal and highlight critical information with limited samples. Experiments showed that robust mass sensing with accuracy up to 99.70% can be achieved over a wide temperature range from 25 to 55 ℃. In addition, the performance of the proposed network was compared to SVM, DNN, and CNN. This method offers a new mechanism for eliminating the influences of temperatures for precision cantilever-based mass sensing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Prior visual experience of 2-D abstract shapes presented on a screen enhanced how 6-8 year olds explored complementary 3-D objects via touch, haptic exploration, to extract shape features to match to sounds. • After visual experience of 2-D abstract shapes, 6-8 years-old children used more effective and efficient haptic exploration strategies to extract features of complementary shapes to match to sounds in early trials. • After prior visual experience of 2-D abstract shapes, 6-8 years-old children use fewer ineffective haptic exploration strategies to extract features of complementary shapes to match to sounds in later trials. Sound–shape correspondence refers to the preferential mapping of information across the senses, such as associating a nonsense word like bouba with rounded abstract shapes and kiki with spiky abstract shapes. Here we focused on audio-tactile (AT) sound–shape correspondences between nonsense words and abstract shapes that are felt but not seen. Despite previous research indicating a role for visual experience in establishing AT associations, it remains unclear how visual experience facilitates AT correspondences. Here we investigated one hypothesis: seeing the abstract shapes improve haptic exploration by (a) increasing effective haptic strategies and/or (b) decreasing ineffective haptic strategies. We analyzed five haptic strategies in video-recordings of 6- to 8-year-old children obtained in a previous study. We found the dominant strategy used to explore shapes differed based on visual experience. Effective strategies, which provide information about shape, were dominant in participants with prior visual experience, whereas ineffective strategies, which do not provide information about shape, were dominant in participants without prior visual experience. With prior visual experience, poking—an effective and efficient strategy—was dominant, whereas without prior visual experience, uncategorizable and ineffective strategies were dominant. These findings suggest that prior visual experience of abstract shapes in 6- to 8-year-olds can increase the effectiveness and efficiency of haptic exploration, potentially explaining why prior visual experience can increase the strength of AT sound–shape correspondences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A visualization scheme of geometric manufacturing errors is proposed in coupled resonators. The basic idea is to determine manufacturing errors on each resonator by sweeping the frequency before and after adding a known stimulus, and further converting errors into stiffness and mass perturbations. The error correction is thus accomplished by decreasing the mode shape deviation from the equilibrium state. A localized three-coupled cantilever array with different length errors is taken as a typical example for both theoretical and experimental demonstrations. Firstly, the theoretical length deviation from the reference one caused by the manufacturing error is calculated around 0.017 % with more than 9000 samples. Secondly, with the proposed scheme, the effect of length errors on mass sensing is experimentally decreased by approximately one order of magnitude. The proposed visualization scheme is believed to be not only applicable to geometry-free coupled resonators for high-accuracy sensing, but also offers a potential detuning solution to further widen the sensing range for practical applications by up to twice as much. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pruritus, also known as itching, is a complex sensation that involves the activation of specific physiological and cellular receptors. The skin is innervated with sensory nerves as well as some receptors for various sensations, and its immune system has prominent neurological connections. Sensory neurons have a considerable impact on the sensation of itching. However, immune cells also play a role in this process, as they release pruritogens. Disruption of the dermal barrier activates an immune response, initiating a series of chemical, physical, and cellular reactions. These reactions involve various cell types, including keratinocytes, as well as immune cells involved in innate and adaptive immunity. Collective activation of these immune responses confers protection against potential pathogens. Thus, understanding the molecular and cellular mechanisms that contribute to pruritus in host skin is crucial for the advancement of effective treatment approaches. This review provides a comprehensive analysis of the present knowledge concerning the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying itching signaling in the skin. Additionally, this review explored the integration of these mechanisms with the broader context of itch mediators and the expression of their receptors in the skin. • Pruritus is a physiological response of the body to internal and external environmental stimuli, characterized by the involvement of keratinocyte neuro-immune cells. • The skin, being the largest barrier organ, harbors various types of resident immune cells and sensory neurons. • The neuro-immune unit has emerged as a crucial complex structure in the pathogenesis of pruritus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Different elements of sense of purpose vary in daily life to different extents. • Meaningful activity engagement was more variable from day to day than feeling progress toward one's life goals. • Fluctuations in sense of purpose are more strongly tied to fluctuations in positive affect than negative affect. • Age and trait-level sense of purpose levels were not tied to greater variability in sense of purpose. Sense of purpose refers to the extent to which one feels that they have personally meaningful goals and directions guiding them through life. Though this construct predicts a host of benefits, little is known regarding the extent to which sense of purpose fluctuates within an individual and the affective changes tied to those fluctuations. The current study uses daily diary data to addresses this gap by exploring (1) how much sense of purpose and different components of purpose fluctuate from one day to the next, (2) the extent to which these fluctuations correlate with positive and negative affect, and (3) whether dispositional sense of purpose and age correlate with greater variability. Participants (N = 354) reported on their sense of purpose and positive and negative affect every day for 10 days. Results suggest that approximately 45–61 % of the variability in sense of purpose scores occurs between-person depending on how it is assessed. Furthermore, the within-person variability in sense of purpose is more strongly correlated with changes in positive affect relative to negative affect. Finally, higher levels of dispositional sense of purpose and age do not appear to be associated with how much variability an individual experiences in their purposefulness from one day to next. The discussion focuses on what these findings mean for the trait-like nature of sense of purpose, short-term sense of purpose measurement, lifespan development, and intervention efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The internal (i.e., interoceptive) sensations that characterise hunger vary between people, and this may also be the case for thirst, although it has not been so well explored. There are probably both heritable and learning-based causes for this interoceptive variability. Consequently, it would seem plausible that parents and their offspring would have more similar patterns of hunger and thirst than pairs of strangers. We tested this idea, in addition to exploring its potential moderating variables, by studying the similarity of self-reported hunger and thirst sensations in 170 students and their primary caregivers from childhood. Both students and caregivers completed the same online-survey, covering hunger and thirst sensations, beliefs about the causes of hunger and thirst, the Three Factor Eating Questionnaire (revised) and demographic data. We find evidence of robust student-caregiver similarity in interoceptive hunger and thirst sensations (medium effect sizes), with these being moderated by caregiver beliefs about the homeostatic nature of each state (medium effect sizes). This suggests a potential role for caregivers in the development of their offspring's interoceptive cues for hunger and for thirst. In addition, thirst, like hunger, appears to be multidimensional, and varies between people. The implications of these findings are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The heat shock transcription factor HSF1 regulates the inducible Hsp gene transcription, whereas HSF2 is involved in the constitutive transcription. HSFs can work for the non-heat shock genes transcription in a case-specific manner to facilitate normal cellular functions. Here, we demonstrate that HSF2 acts as an upstream regulator of heat shock-induced autophagy response in a rat histiocytoma. The heat-induced HSF2 transactivates the B-cell translocation gene-2 (BTG2) transcription, and the latter acts as a transcriptional coactivator for superoxide dismutase (SOD2). The altered HSF2 promoter occupancy on the BTG2 promoter enhances BTG2 transcription. Since SOD2 regulation is linked to mitochondrial redox sensing, HSF2 appears to act as a redox sensor in deciding the cell fate. The HSF2 shRNA or NFE2L2/BTG2 siRNA treatments have interfered with the autophagy response. We demonstrate that HSF2 is an upstream activator of autophagy response, and the HSF2-BTG2-SOD2 axis acts as a switch between the non-selective (micro/macro) and selective (chaperone-mediated) autophagy. Heat shock primarily induced HSF2 transcription, which correlated with autophagy activation. The heat shock-induced HSF2 transactivated BTG2 , which co-activated the SOD2 transcription, switching the non-selective (macro/micro) autophagy response to selective (chaperone-mediated) autophagy response. The HSF2-BTG2-SOD2 axis appears to regulate autophagy response. [Display omitted] • The heat-induced HSF2 transactivates BTG2 , a tumor suppressor and antioxidant protein. • HSF2 induced BTG2 as a transcriptional coactivator induced the transcription of SOD2. • The HSF2-BTG2-SOD2 axis reverted the macroautophagy response to microautophagy. • The HSF2-BTG2-SOD2 axis appears to be conserved and obligatory for fine-tuning the autophagy response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a twist compensated, high accuracy and dynamic fiber optic shape sensing based on phase demodulation in Optical Frequency Domain Reflectometry (OFDR) by using multiple single core fiber based sensor (MFS). A dynamic strain sensing is realized by tracking the optical phase in OFDR and combining with the phase de-hopping filtering algorithm, and the sensing spatial resolution reaches 45 μm. In addition, in order to eliminate the influence of external twist and fluctuation of inherent spin on the shape reconstruction results, we propose an external twist compensation method and inherent spin rate calibration method, respectively. Finally, we use a circle segment method to reconstruct a 3D shape of MFS. The experimental results show that the reconstruction accuracies by the proposed external twist compensation and inherent spin rate calibration methods increase over 18 times and 20 times than those without these two methods, respectively. At the same time, comparing with the traditional cross-correlation-based method, we find that the proposed phase demodulation method has a similar reconstruction accuracy, the maximum reconstruction error is 0.61 %, whereas the shape reconstruction speed is improved by nearly 10 times. This is of great significance for the application of FOSS, which can be used for dynamic shape sensing such as intelligent soft robots, surgical robot and etc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Spontaneous sensations follow the proximal-to-distal gradient in tactile perception. • Spontaneous sensations do not relate to tactile sensitivity. • Spontaneous sensations are perceptible in phantom limb. • Central mechanisms would explain spontaneous sensations better than peripheral ones. • Spontaneous sensations' gradient would result from a precise cortical gradient. Among other bodily signals, the perception of sensations arising spontaneously on the skin with no external triggers contributes to body awareness. The topic of spontaneous sensations (SPS) being quite recent in the literature, there is still a debate whether this phenomenon is elicited by peripheral cutaneous units' activity underlying tactile perception or originates directly from central mechanisms. In a first experiment, we figured that, if SPS depended on peripheral afferents, their perception on the glabrous hand should relate to the hand tactile sensitivity. On the contrary, we found no relationship at all, which led us to envisage the scenario of SPS in the absence of cutaneous units. In a second experiment, we present the case of Julie, a right-hand amputee that could perceive and report SPS arising on her phantom limb syndrome. We found that SPS distribution on the phantom limb followed the same gradient as that observed in control participants, unlike SPS perceived on the intact left hand. Those findings are crucial to the understanding of neural factors determining body awareness through SPS perception and provide insights into the existence of a precise neural gradient underlying somesthesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• It is unresolved whether synesthesia is continuous or discontinuous with ordinary perception. • We performed an online survey where non-synesthetes chose colors for letters and musical notes. • After the survey, some participants spontaneously became aware of their latent synesthesia. • These "borderline non-synesthetes" showed behavioral evidence for synesthetic predisposition. • Synesthetes and non-synesthetes are not clearly separable groups of people. A long-standing issue concerning synesthesia is whether the trait is continuous or discontinuous with ordinary perception. Here, we found that a substantial proportion of non-synesthetes (>10 % out of >200 unselected participants) spontaneously became aware of their synesthesia by participating in an online survey that forced them to select colors for stimuli that evoke color sensations in synesthetes. Notably, the test-retest consistencies of color sensation in these non-synesthetes were comparable to those in self-claimed synesthetes, revealing their strong though latent synesthetic dispositions. The effect was absent or weak in a matched control survey that did not include the color-picking test. Therefore, the color-picking task likely provided the predisposed "borderline non-synesthetes" with an opportunity to dwell on their tendency toward synesthesia and allowed their subconscious sensations to become conscious ones. The finding suggests that the general population has a continuum of synesthetic disposition that encompasses both synesthetes and non-synesthetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Earlier research shows that feelings of power increase a sense of social distance toward others. In this research, we show that there are two sides to this effect. On the one hand, psychological power increases the desire for greater social distance toward others in the social environment. On the other hand, psychological power decreases the sense of distance, meaning that high-power people perceive that their social environment is closer to them, compared to low-power people. Six studies (four preregistered), conducted in the USA, the Netherlands, and China support this idea. Studies 1–4 measure and manipulate power and find that power increases the desire for social distance, but decreases the sense of distance. Studies 5–6 show that the former effect is conditional on the latter: When people in their social environment are prevented from seeking closeness (due to COVID-19 measures), the effect of power on the desire for distance is blocked. • How does experiences of power change people's fundamental desire and feeling in social environment? • Power increases desire for distance, while decreases sense of distance. • When sense of distance is exogenously increased by COVID-19 restrictions, power's effect on desire for distance is blocked. • These findings remain robust across American, Chinese and European samples and across manipulations and measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Scottish philosopher Thomas Reid and more recently the evolutionary psychologist Nicholas Humphrey argued for a basic distinction between sensation (what is happening to me) and perception (what is happening out there) with the former, but not the latter, being associated with consciousness. Conscious experiences in this view would emerge from changes in the state of the body, i.e. as bodily actions, and would maintain such a primal characteristic nowadays. I argue that the evolutionary reason for the sensation/perception distinction can be traced back to organisms' movement, and to the consequent need to tell apart two varieties of an otherwise identical local stimulation: namely, either as the outcome of external stimuli passively impinging on body surface or as the outcome of an organism movement giving rise to encountering with external stimuli. The Erich von Holst Reafferenzprinzip effectively modelled such a distinction by postulating that an efference copy is generated in association with the motor command thus nullifying any sensory signal that arises as a by-product of an organism movement. I argue that if sensation originally equates to a bodily action (or its internalized representation), then it could be that an efference copy of local (or internalized) bodily action is generated under stimulation and compared to that associated with active motor command. This way the result would be leaving sensation (what is happening to me) or nullifying it and leaving only perception (what is happening out there) depending on whether or not a motor command has occurred. Implications of this hypothesis for the presence of consciousness in animals or other organisms such as plants are briefly discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We consider the problem of recovering an unknown low-rank matrix X ⋆ with (possibly) non-orthogonal, effectively sparse rank-1 decomposition from measurements y gathered in a linear measurement process A. We propose a variational formulation that lends itself to alternating minimization and whose global minimizers provably approximate X ⋆ up to noise level. Working with a variant of robust injectivity, we derive reconstruction guarantees for various choices of A including sub-gaussian, Gaussian rank-1, and heavy-tailed measurements. Numerical experiments support the validity of our theoretical considerations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parkinson's disease (PD) related pain can be assigned to either nociceptive pain or neuropathic pain, in which Transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) has been demonstrated to play a pivotal role. Yet little research has examined possible involvement of TRPV1 in pain in PD. Here, we show that TRPV1 is highly expressed in PD and blocking TRPV1 can alleviate pain in PD. The level of TRPV1 in 6-OHDA induced semi mice model of PD was evaluated. The effect of TRPV1 and involved serotonin (5-HT) was also examined in the model. Unilateral injection of 6-OHDA in striatum significantly decreased thermal pain threshold and induced mechanical allodynia without changes in conditioned place preference. Immunostaining revealed that great increased expression in TRPV1 in the Vc of 6-OHDA lesioned mice compared with sham mice. TRPV1 sensitization was maintained by 5-HT/5-HT3A. In 6-OHDA-lesioned mice model of PD, TRPV1 sensitization might be implicated in the maintenance of behavioral hypersensitivity by enhanced descending 5-HT pain facilitation and dorsal horn 5-HT3AR mechanism. • 6-OHDA-lesioned mice model exhibited hyperalgesia instead of spontaneous pain. • Sensation of transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) facilitates hyperalgesia. • Descending serotonergic (5-HT) through 5-HT3A is necessary for TRPV1 sensation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Human augmentation will change what it means to be human. • A definition and model for human augmentation are presented. • Physical and digitally mediated actions can be combined to extend human reach. • Non-invasive augmentation is possible with augmented reality and wearable technology. • A call for research is presented to realize the vision of human augmentation. Human augmentation is a field of research that aims to enhance human abilities through medicine or technology. This has historically been achieved by consuming chemical substances that improve a selected ability or by installing implants which require medical operations. Both of these methods of augmentation can be invasive. Augmented abilities have also been achieved with external tools, such as eyeglasses, binoculars, microscopes or highly sensitive microphones. Lately, augmented reality and multimodal interaction technologies have enabled non-invasive ways to augment human. In this article, we first discuss the field and related terms. We provide relevant definitions based on the present understanding of the field. This is followed by a summary of existing work in augmented senses, action, and cognition. Our contribution to the future includes a model for wearable augmentation. In addition, we present a call for research to realize this vision. Then, we discuss future human abilities. Wearable technologies may act as mediators for human augmentation, in the same manner as eyeglasses once revolutionized human vision. Non-invasive and easy-to-use wearable extensions will enable lengthening the active life for aging citizens or supporting the full inclusion of people with special needs in society, but there are also potential problems. Therefore, we conclude by discussing ethical and societal issues: privacy, social manipulation, autonomy and side effects, accessibility, safety and balance, and unpredictable future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The design and synthesis of sensitive and selective luminescent materials as chemical sensing agents is a fundamental goal in fluorescence assays. Considering high porosity, large surface area, excellent photoluminescence property of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), luminescent properties of a microporous azine-functionalized MOF, TMU-16, dispersed in different metal ions and solvents have been investigated systematically. The TMU-16 displays superb luminescence emission, and it can detect Fe(III) and Cd(II) ions with high selectivity, excellent sensitivity, and short response time (<1 min). The emission intensities of TMU-16 were quenched upon the addition of Fe3+ and increased upon the addition of Cd2+. The detection limits of TMU-16 for Fe3+/Cd2+ in DMF are estimated to be 0.2 and 0.5 μM, respectively. The effect of other metal ions on the fluorescence intensity of the MOF was also studied and other metal ions showed low interference response in recognition of Fe3+ and Cd2+. Furthermore, TMU-16 exhibits distinct solvent-dependent luminescent spectra with emission intensity significantly enhanced toward dichloromethane. More importantly, this is the first example of MOF-based luminescent sensor as efficient multifunctional fluorescence material which can use for selective sensing of Fe(III) and Cd(II) ions and small molecules such as CH 2 Cl 2. Fluorescent Zn-based azine-functionalized TMU-16 MOF for highly selective and sensitive detection of Fe3+, Cd2+ and CH 2 Cl 2. Image 1 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Aging alters dental pain perception. • Cytokines have critical roles in both aging and pain. • Dental pain increases cytokines expression in the trigeminal ganglion. • Pain-induced cytokine overexpression is high in aging. • Inflammatory cytokines are involved in more pain perception in aging. Dental pain is a main clinical problem in the elderly population and its assessment and treatment make special challenges for health care services. However, the age-induced alteration in dental pain perception and the underlying molecular mechanism(s) has not yet been fully clarified. Here, the effect of aging on nociceptive behaviors following inflammatory dental pulp pain was evaluated. Since prostaglandins, nociceptive neuropeptides, and inflammatory cytokines have critical roles in the development of aging as well as pain signaling, the expression levels of COX-2, CGRP, IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α and its converting enzyme TACE were assessed in the trigeminal ganglion of young and aged rats with dental pain. Dental pulp pain was induced by intradental application of capsaicin (100 μg). The immunofluorescence (COX-2 and CGRP) and western blot techniques were used. The data showed that aged animals have different pattern of pain. So that, the mean of nociceptive scores was significantly greater in aged rats at 10 and 15 min after capsaicin injection. In aged rats, dental pain was persisting over 7 h, while it was disappeared at 300 min in young rats. Molecular data showed that dental pain significantly increased the expression of COX-2, CGRP, IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α and TACE in the trigeminal ganglion of the young and aged rats. In addition, the amount of those parameters, except TACE, in capsaicin-treated aged animals were significantly (p < 0.05) greater than those in capsaicin-treated young rats. It seems that the induction of pro-inflammatory cytokines in an acute inflammatory pulpal pain model may contribute, at least in part to the increased nociceptive behaviors and pain perception in aged rats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The visuo-spatial aspects of dreams and their relationship with the perception of other characters in dreams remain largely uncharted. • We examined the perspective (first-person perspective, 1PP or third-person perspective, 3PP), viewing angle on and distance to other dream bodies. • We examined the correlation between these visuo-spatial aspects and participants' dream sensations related to different sensory modality experiences. • The results showed that 1PP is significantly more frequently adopted than 3PP in dreams. • We showed a significant predictive relationship between close distance intervals (0–90 cm and 90–180 cm) and the intensity of the total sensory experience which suggests that the stronger the sensory experience in dreams, the more closely other dream bodies felt from our own dream body. The peripersonal space, that is, the limited space surrounding the body, involves multisensory coding and representation of the self in space. Previous studies have shown that peripersonal space representation and the visual perspective on the environment can be dramatically altered when neurotypical individuals self-identify with a distant avatar (i.e., in virtual reality) or during clinical conditions (i.e., out-of-body experience, heautoscopy, depersonalization). Despite its role in many cognitive/social functions, the perception of peripersonal space in dreams, and its relationship with the perception of other characters (interpersonal distance in dreams), remain largely uncharted. The present study aimed to explore the visuospatial properties of this space, which is likely to underlie self-location as well as self/other distinction in dreams. 530 healthy volunteers answered a web-based questionnaire to measure their dominant visuo-spatial perspective in dreams, the frequency of recall for felt distances between their dream self and other dream characters, and the dreamers' viewing angle of other dream characters. Most participants reported dream experiences from a first-person perspective (1PP) (82%) compared to a third-person perspective (3PP) (18%). Independent of their dream perspective, participants reported that they generally perceived other dream characters in their close space, that is, at distance of either between 0 and 90 cm, or 90–180 cm, than in further spaces (180–270 cm). Regardless of the perspective (1PP or 3PP), both groups also reported more frequently seeing other dream characters from eye level (0° angle of viewing) than from above (30° and 60°) or below eye level (−30° and −60°). Moreover, the intensity of sensory experiences in dreams, as measured by the Bodily Self-Consciousness in Dreams Questionnaire, was higher in individuals who habitually see other dream characters closer to their personal dream self (i.e., within 0–90 cm and 90–180 cm). These preliminary findings offer a new, phenomenological account of space representation in dreams with regards to the felt presence of others. They might provide insights not only to our understanding of how dreams are formed, but also to the type of neurocomputations involved in self/other distinction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A family of coordination polymers with formula [Ln(4-OHBBA) 3 (H 2 O) 2 ] with a new 3D supramolecular network topology was obtained. Luminescence properties were studied. A new family of 1D coordination polymers (CPs) based on 4′-hydroxi-4-biphenylcarboxylic acid (4-OHBBA) linker and lanthanide metals were obtained by hydrothermal synthesis. The compounds were fully characterized and present the general formula [Ln(4-OHBBA) 3 (H 2 O) 2 ] (where Ln = La, Pr), crystallizing in the monoclinic P 2 1 / c space group. The CPs are formed by "fish bone-like" chains along [010] direction. Also, the topological analysis revels a 3D supramolecular structure with a 7-nodal 3,3,3,4,4,4,4-connected network and the (6.82)2(62.8)2(63.82.10)2(63)4(65.8)2(86) point symbol. The luminescence and chemical sensing tests of the europium doped compound was performed, finding that the Eu, Tb and Dy -doped samples exhibited dual emissions from the 4-OHBBA ligand and the lanthanide centres. A new family of 1D coordination polymers with formula [Ln(4-OHBBA) 3 (H 2 O) 2 ] and a new 3D supramolecular network topology was obtained. Photoluminescence and sensing tests of doped compounds were performed. Image 1 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Pitch classes evoke color sensations in pitch class-color synesthesia. • We observed a Stroop-like effect between pitch class and color. • Thus, the color sensations occurred automatically even when unnecessary. • The authenticity of pitch class-color synesthesia was verified. Pitch classes (e.g., do , re , and mi) in music evoke color sensations in pitch class-color synesthesia, which is a recently described form of synesthesia in musicians. The synesthetic color sensations were confirmed to be consistent over an extended time interval, fulfilling a widely-accepted criterion for the authenticity of synesthesia. However, it remains unclear whether the color sensations occurred automatically (i.e., without voluntary effort), which is another defining property of synesthesia. We utilized the Stroop paradigm to investigate this issue in 10 pitch class-color synesthetes. Participants were visually presented with pitch class names in font colors that were either congruent or incongruent with the participants' own color sensations. The speed for reporting the font color was slower when it was incongruent with the synesthetic sensation than when it was congruent. The finding verifies the authenticity of pitch class-color synesthesia by demonstrating that the color sensations occur automatically, even when unnecessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A growing body of evidence suggests that birds can use olfactory cues to detect the presence of predators. We predicted that the ability to gather information about predator presence through chemical cues might be particularly important for ground-living and foraging bird species, since their main predators, namely mammals and reptiles, use chemical communication. In this context, we experimentally examined the role of olfaction in the nondomesticated, ground-living red-legged partridge, Alectoris rufa , in a natural and context-dependent situation. We tested how individuals responded to three different olfactory stimuli, which were presented in sand bath tubs: (1) a mammalian predator (ferret faeces), (2) an avian alarm scent (alarm secretion of the European hoopoe) and (3) a control (orange oil). As dependent variables we recorded side preferences and dustbathing activity. Red-legged partridges avoided the predator scent to the same extent as the alarm scent of the hoopoe, whereas orange oil scent did not affect side choice or dustbathing behaviour of individuals. Our results indicate that red-legged partridges avoid the scent of a predator as well as the alarm scent of an avian heterospecific. In regard to this, we provide the first indication that, in risk assessment, chemical cues, similar to avian alarm calls, may possibly act as a source of information between avian species. Highlights • Olfaction-based predator detection was examined in ground-living partridges. • Birds use olfactory cues for predator detection, modifying dustbathing behaviour. • They avoid predator and alarm scent of hoopoes to the same extent. • Olfactory cues may also be used on an interspecific level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • People with Tourette Syndrome show less proprioceptive drift towards a rubber hand. • Feelings of subjective embodiment over the rubber hand are as strong as in controls. • 'Embodiment prediction error' is a mismatch of subjective and objective embodiment. • Embodiment prediction error correlates with premonitory sensation severity in TS. Abstract In Tourette Syndrome, the expression of tics and commonly preceding premonitory sensations is associated with perturbed subjective feelings of self-control and agency. We compared responses to the Rubber Hand Illusion in 23 adults with TS and 22 controls. Both TS and control participants reported equivalent subjective embodiment of the artificial hand: feelings of ownership, location, and agency were greater during synchronous visuo-tactile stimulation, compared to asynchronous. However, individuals with TS did not manifest greater proprioceptive drift, an objective marker of embodiment observed in controls. An 'embodiment prediction error' index of the difference between subjective embodiment and objective proprioceptive drift correlated with severity of premonitory sensations. Feelings of ownership also correlated with premonitory sensation severity, and feelings of agency with tic severity. These findings suggest that subjective bodily ownership, as measured by the rubber hand illusion, contributes to susceptibility to the premonitory sensations that may be a precipitating factor in tics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Researchers have yet to apply a formal operationalized theory of motivation to neurobiology that would more accurately and precisely define neural activity underlying motivation. We overcome this challenge with the novel application of the Expectancy Theory of Motivation to human fMRI to identify brain activity that explicitly reflects motivation. Expectancy Theory quantitatively describes how individual constructs determine motivation by defining motivation force as the product of three variables: expectancy – belief that effort will better performance; instrumentality – belief that successful performance leads to particular outcome, and valence – outcome desirability. Here, we manipulated information conveyed by reward-predicting cues such that relative cue-evoked activity patterns could be statistically mapped to individual Expectancy Theory variables. The variable associated with activity in any voxel is only reported if it replicated between two groups of healthy participants. We found signals in midbrain, ventral striatum, sensorimotor cortex, and visual cortex that specifically map to motivation itself, rather than other factors. This is important because, for the first time, it empirically clarifies approach motivation neural signals during reward anticipation. It also highlights the effectiveness of the application of Expectancy Theory to neurobiology to more precisely and accurately probe motivation neural correlates than has been achievable previously. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Counterfactual thinking (CFT) is the process of mentally simulating alternative versions of known facts. In the past decade, cognitive neuroscientists have begun to uncover the neural underpinnings of CFT, particularly episodic CFT (eCFT), which activates regions in the default network (DN) also activated by episodic memory (eM) recall. However, the engagement of DN regions is different for distinct kinds of eCFT. More plausible counterfactuals and counterfactuals about oneself show stronger activity in DN regions compared to implausible and other- or object-focused counterfactuals. The current study sought to identify a source for this difference in DN activity. Specifically, self-focused counterfactuals may also be more plausible, suggesting that DN core regions are sensitive to the plausibility of a simulation. On the other hand, plausible and self-focused counterfactuals may involve more episodic information than implausible and other-focused counterfactuals, which would imply DN sensitivity to episodic information. In the current study, we compared episodic and semantic counterfactuals generated to be plausible or implausible against episodic and semantic memory reactivation using fMRI. Taking multivariate and univariate approaches, we found that the DN is engaged more during episodic simulations, including eM and all eCFT, than during semantic simulations. Semantic simulations engaged more inferior temporal and lateral occipital regions. The only region that showed strong plausibility effects was the hippocampus, which was significantly engaged for implausible CFT but not for plausible CFT, suggestive of binding more disparate information. Consequences of these findings for the cognitive neuroscience of mental simulation are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Globally sorghum is an important cereal crop with limited use in the pet food industry. Pet food acceptance and palatability assessments relate to both pet owners as the product purchasers and the pets as the actual consumers. Pet foods containing sorghum or sorghum fractions have not been studied for both animal and pet owner acceptance. The objectives of this study were to 1) understand animal acceptance between sorghum dog food diets and compared to a control, 2) assess consumer acceptance of the dog food products. Thirty dogs of different size and breed were fed three dry dog food diets containing different sorghum fractions and one control diet containing wheat, rice, and maize using the one-bowl in home use test. Results indicated that no difference was observed among diets, and sorghum samples were accepted at the same level as the control diet during the test. A total of 105 pet owners evaluated the samples for appearance, color, aroma, and overall liking. The consumer panel found the whole sorghum and the control samples to be accepted at the same level. These results suggested that sorghum may be suitable for dry dog food formulations. Highlights • Pet foods extruded with sorghum fractions and with control grains exhibited similar characteristics. • Pet foods were accepted at the same level by pet owners. • Pet foods palatability was similar across extruded sorghum samples and control sample. • Sorghum has great potential to be used in pet food formulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In humans and other vertebrates, sensory information is sometimes lateralized towards one brain hemisphere that dominates the control of a task. Although sensory lateralization may depend on the stimuli being processed, the degree or direction of lateralization can differ according to behavioural phenotype. Accordingly, personality may play an important role in lateralization, yet there is a lack of evidence regarding how lateralizations are utilized to process information and promote a personality-based response to a particular situation. Here we show that simultaneous stimulus processing and organization of personality-based responses can be accomplished via differences in laterality between senses. We demonstrate this by examining novel object inspection in the weakly electric fish Gnathonemus petersii . We found that electrosensing is lateralized in this species, but differently between personality phenotypes: bold fish were lateralized towards the right hemisphere and timid fish the left. By contrast, visual laterality did not vary with personality; rather the left hemisphere was dominant across the population, as is common for fish when visually analysing unfamiliar objects. This evidence reveals differences in functional laterality between sensory systems and the role of personality in eliciting these differences. The species has a stronger input of electrical signals than visual signals in its brain; therefore, sensory representation in the brain might drive the laterality differences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• It investigates pain effect on temporal modulation of reward processing. • Pain increased the later P300 activity, but not the early FRN components. • Pain enhanced the delta but not theta power regarding to win feedback. • The influence of pain mainly acts on the evaluation process of rewards. Pain elicits the desire for a reward to alleviate the unpleasant sensation. This may be a consequence of facilitated neural activities in the reward circuit. However, the temporal modulation of pain on reward processing remains unclear. We addressed this issue by recording electroencephalogram when participants received win or loss feedback in a simple gambling task. Pain treatment was conducted on 33 participants with topical capsaicin cream and on 33 participants with hand cream as a control. Results showed that pain generally increased the P300 amplitude for both types of feedback but did not affect feedback-related negativity (FRN). A significant interaction effect of treatment (painful, non-painful) and outcome (win, loss) was observed on delta oscillation as pain only enhanced the power of win feedback. In addition, the FRN and theta oscillation responded more to loss feedback, but this effect was unaffected by pain. These findings indicate that pain may enhance secondary value representation and evaluation processes of rewards, but does not influence primary distinction of reward or reward expectation. The temporal unfolding of how pain affects reward-related neural activities highlights the prominent impact of pain on high-level cognitive processes associated with reward. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paucity of medications with novel mechanisms for pain treatment combined with the severe adverse effects of opioid analgesics has led to an imperative pursuit of non-opioid analgesia and a better understanding of pain mechanisms. Here, we identify the putative glutamatergic inputs from the paraventricular thalamic nucleus to the nucleus accumbens (PVTGlut→NAc) as a novel neural circuit for pain sensation and non-opioid analgesia. Our in vivo fiber photometry and in vitro electrophysiology experiments found that PVTGlut→NAc neuronal activity increased in response to acute thermal/mechanical stimuli and persistent inflammatory pain. Direct optogenetic activation of these neurons in the PVT or their terminals in the NAc induced pain-like behaviors. Conversely, inhibition of PVTGlut→NAc neurons or their NAc terminals exhibited a potent analgesic effect in both naïve and pathological pain mice, which could not be prevented by pretreatment of naloxone, an opioid receptor antagonist. Anterograde trans-synaptic optogenetic experiments consistently demonstrated that the PVTGlut→NAc circuit bi-directionally modulates pain behaviors. Furthermore, circuit-specific molecular profiling and pharmacological studies revealed dopamine receptor 3 as a candidate target for pain modulation and non-opioid analgesic development. Taken together, these findings provide a previously unknown neural circuit for pain sensation and non-opioid analgesia and a valuable molecular target for developing future safer medication. [Display omitted] ● PVTGlut→NAc circuit is activated by noxious stimuli. ● PVTGlut→NAc circuit bi-directionally regulates pain behaviors. ● PVTGlut→NAc circuit mediates the development of CFA persistent inflammatory pain. ● Inhibition of PVTGlut→NAc circuit has a non-opioid analgesic effect. ● Dopamine receptor 3 is a candidate target for non-opioid analgesic development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Mixed-methods investigation of the sense of joint agency in joint action. • Musical duets elicit stronger joint agency than synchronized tones. • Relations between partners' actions strengthen joint agency, beyond synchrony achieved. • Multiple cues contribute to multifaceted joint agency. When people perform joint actions together, they often experience a sense of joint agency ("we did that together"). The current study investigated whether relations between partners' actions within joint actions that require precise interpersonal synchrony influence joint agency, above and beyond the degree of synchrony partners achieve. We employed a mixed-methods approach that combined a quantitative experiment with a qualitative analysis of post-experiment interviews. Partners produced synchronized tone sequences that comprised either constant pitch sequences (simple temporal alignment between partners' actions) or musical duets (complex metrical and harmonic relations between partners' actions). Participants reported stronger joint agency for duets than constant pitches, when comparing trials with equally good synchronization. Post-experiment interviews revealed that joint agency was also influenced by participants' knowledge of the music and their perceptions of task performance, difficulty, and enjoyability. These findings further our understanding of joint agency for joint actions that require precise interpersonal synchrony. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We review the research on the association between personality and dietary restraint as measured by commonly-used self-report assessment instruments (Restraint Scale, TFEQ, DEBQ, and EDE-Q). In order to expand our understanding of the potentially different types of dieters, we examine the different personality profiles that emerge from existing studies of restraint and personality, including associations between restraint and body dissatisfaction and body focus, self-esteem, neuroticism, sensation seeking, impulsivity, perfectionism and narcissism. This research provides some preliminary evidence that different measures of restraint are associated not only with different eating behaviours, but that they capture different personality profiles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The taste sensing system is crucial for food recognition in insects and other animals. It is commonly believed that insect gustatory receptors (Grs) expressed in gustatory organs are indispensable for host plant selection. Many behavioral studies have shown that mono- or oligo-phagous lepidopteran insects use the balance between feeding attractants and feeding deterrents in host plants and that these are sensed by taste organs for host plant recognition. However, the molecular mechanism underlying taste recognition, especially of feeding deterrents, remains to be elucidated. To better understand this mechanism, we studied orphan Grs, including Bombyx mori Gr (BmGr) 16, BmGr18, and BmGr53, from the mono-phagous insect, Bombyx mori . Using Calcium imaging in mammalian cells, we first confirmed in lepidoptera insects that three of the putative bitter Grs widely responded to structurally different feeding deterrents. Although the phylogenetic distance of these Grs was considerable, they responded to partially overlapping deterrents of plant secondary metabolites. These findings suggest that not only these three Grs but also most of the Grs that have been assigned to putative bitter Grs are feeding-deterrent receptors that play a role in host plant recognition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

People with sequence-space synaesthesia visualize sequential concepts such as numbers and time as an ordered pattern extending through space. Unlike other types of synaesthesia, there is no generally agreed objective method for diagnosing this variant or separating it from potentially related aspects of cognition. We use a recently-developed spatial consistency test together with a novel questionnaire on naïve samples and estimate the prevalence of sequence-space synaesthesia to be around 8.1% (Study 1) to 12.8% (Study 2). We validate our test by showing that participants classified as having sequence-space synaesthesia perform differently on lab-based tasks. They show a spatial Stroop-like interference response, they show enhanced detection of low visibility Gabor stimuli, they report more use of visual imagery, and improved memory for certain types of public events. We suggest that sequence-space synaesthesia develops from a particular neurocognitive profile linked both to greater visual imagery and enhanced visual perception. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies showed stereotyped distortions in hand representations. People judge their knuckles as farther forward in the hand than they actually are. The cause of this bias remains unclear. We tested whether both visual and tactile information contribute to the bias. In Experiment 1, participants judged the location of their knuckles by pointing to the location on their palm with: (1) a metal baton (using vision and touch), (2) a metal baton while blindfolded (using touch), or (3) a laser pointer (using vision). Distal mislocalisations were found in all conditions. In Experiment 2, we investigated whether judgments are influenced by visual landmarks such as creases. Participants localized their knuckles on either a photograph of their palm or a silhouette. Distal mislocalisations were apparent in both conditions. These results show that distal biases are resistant to changes in stimulus information, suggesting that such mislocalisations reflect a conceptual mis-representation of hand structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Why are bodily sensations felt on specific body parts? This paper discusses the view according to which we need body representations to account for the felt location of bodily sensations. My aim will be to consider whether or not some claims linked with that view are substantiated (namely, that all of our grasp of the spatiality of our bodies must come from bodily sensations, that the representation of the body can determine bodily sensations surmounting sensory input, that the content of body representations cannot be action-oriented). To do this, I first introduce and assess Brian O’Shaughnessy’s seminal version of the representationalist approach to bodily sensations. Next, I will inquire into a purported objection to any version of the approach, showing its inadequacy. Finally, I will concentrate on Frédérique de Vignemont’s variant of the representationalist view, trying to pin down a few of her assertions. My conclusion will be that the scope and strength of the representationalist position in regard to the aforementioned claims is different from what it is usually thought to be. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tingling is a bodily sensation experienced under a variety of conditions from everyday experiences to experimental and therapeutic situations. It can be induced by both peripheral or afferent (external stimulation, peripheral pathology) and higher cognitive (expectation) processes. The paper summarizes the current scientific knowledge on the neurophysiological and psychological concomitants of the tingling sensation. Four possible models are identified and presented: the afferent, the attention-disclosed, the attention-evoked, and the efferent model. Of these, only the attention-disclosed model, i.e., attention discloses the sensation by opening the gate for suppressed sensory information, appears to be able to explain every aspect of the tingling phenomenon. Terminological issues and the possible role of the tingling phenomenon in medically unexplained symptoms, nocebo and placebo reactions, and body-oriented therapeutic interventions are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to understand the impact of vacuum mixing induced changes in the structural and physical characteristics of bread, which had extensively been investigated in the first two parts of the series of study, on human oral processing of baked bread and steamed bread. The chewing behaviour, dynamic texture perception and swallowing thresholds of twelve healthy panellists were characterised using surface electromyography (EMG), temporal dominance of sensation (TDS) and bolus characterization, respectively. There was no difference in the swallowing thresholds between the vacuum mixed bread and control bread, for either baked bread or steamed bread. Nevertheless, baked bread made from vacuum mixed dough required slightly longer chewing duration and greater muscle activities than the control baked bread, which was attributed to its denser structure and harder texture. On the other hand, steamed bread made from vacuum mixed dough required smaller muscle activities compared to the control steamed bread. Significance difference in texture perception was only observed between baked and steamed bread but not among the same type of bread made between vacuum and atmospheric mixing. Results indicated that vacuum mixing might be used as a technique to change bread structure that affects consumer's eating behaviour but not texture perception. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

TRPA1 of insects and several tetrapod vertebrates except for those of rodents have been reported to be activated by noxious chemicals and also by high temperature with a relatively clear threshold. We previously analyzed the characteristics of two TRPA1 paralogs of zebrafish (zTRPA1a, b) and demonstrated that zTRPA1a is specialized for chemical sensing while zTRPA1b responds to thermal stimulations, that zTRPA1b responds to both cold and heat stimuli, and that heat stimulation gradually activates zTRPA1b without a clear threshold. In the medaka genome, a single TRPA1 (olTRPA1) gene is present. To examine if functional properties of olTRPA1 are similar to TRPA1 of land animals or either of zTRPA1a or zTRPA1b, we isolated a TRPA1 cDNA from medaka and performed functional analyses. OlTRPA1 showed a sensitivity to four noxious chemicals (allyl isothiocyanate, caffeine, carvacrol, methyl anthranilate). We observed that cold stimulation does not activate olTRPA1, but heat stimulation gradually activates olTRPA1 with an unclear threshold. Results suggested that a single TRPA1 functions as a chemical and thermal sensor in medaka, and that a gradual heat-activation without clear threshold might be a common feature for TRPA1 of fish living in water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many people are understandably excited by the suggestion that the chemical senses can be digitized; be it to deliver ambient fragrances (e.g., in virtual reality or health-related applications), or else to transmit flavour experiences via the internet. However, to date, progress in this area has been surprisingly slow. Furthermore, the majority of the attempts at successful commercialization have failed, often in the face of consumer ambivalence over the perceived benefits/utility. In this review, with the focus squarely on the domain of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), we summarize the state-of-the-art in the area. We highlight the key possibilities and pitfalls as far as stimulating the so-called ‘lower’ senses of taste, smell, and the trigeminal system are concerned. Ultimately, we suggest that mixed reality solutions are currently the most plausible as far as delivering (or rather modulating) flavour experiences digitally is concerned. The key problems with digital fragrance delivery are related to attention and attribution. People often fail to detect fragrances when they are concentrating on something else; And even when they detect that their chemical senses have been stimulated, there is always a danger that they attribute their experience (e.g., pleasure) to one of the other senses – this is what we call ‘the fundamental attribution error’. We conclude with an outlook on digitizing the chemical senses and summarize a set of open-ended questions that the HCI community has to address in future explorations of smell and taste as interaction modalities [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our poor understanding of the connection between haptic effect engineering – using controllable parameters like frequency, amplitude and rhythm – and how sensations are comprehended by end-users hinders effective design. Haptic facets (categories of attributes that characterize collection items in different ways) are a way to describe, navigate and analyze the cognitive frameworks by which users make sense of qualitative and affective characteristics of haptic sensations. Embedded in tools, they will provide designers and end-users interested in customization with a road-mapped perceptual and cognitive design space. We previously compiled five haptic facets based on how people describe vibrations: physical, sensory, emotional, metaphoric , and usage examples . Here, we report a study in which we deployed these facets to identify underlying dimensions and cross-linkages in participants' perception of a 120-item vibration library. We show that the facets are crosslinked in people's minds, and discuss three scenarios where the facet-based organizational schemes, their linkages and consequent redundancies can support design, evaluation and personalization of expressive vibrotactile effects. Finally, we report between-subject variation (individual differences) and within-subject consistency (reliability) in participants' rating and tagging patterns to inform future progress on haptic evaluation. This facet-based approach is also applicable to other kinds of haptic sensations and even other modalities, and can inform multimodal experience design through a descriptive design language shared between different modalities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]