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Two identical visual disks moving towards one another on a two-dimensional display can be perceived as either “streaming through” or “bouncing off” each other after their coincidence/overlapping. A brief sound presented at the moment of the coincidence of the disks could strikingly bias the percept towards bouncing, which was termed the audiovisual bounce-inducing effect (ABE). Although the ABE has been studied intensively since its discovery, the debate about its origin is still unresolved so far. The present study used event-related potential (ERP) recordings to investigate whether or not early neural activities associated with cross-modal interactions play a role on the ABE. The results showed that the fronto-central P2 component ∼200 ms before the coincidence of the disks was predictive of subsequent streaming or bouncing percept in the unimodal visual display but not in auditory-visual display. More importantly, the cross-modal interactions revealed by the fronto-central positivity PD170 (125–175 ms after sound onset), as well as the occipital positivity PD190 (180–200 ms), were substantially enhanced on bouncing trials compared to streaming trials in the auditory-visual display. These findings provide direct electrophysiological evidence that early cross-modal interactions contribute to the origin of ABE phenomenon at the perceptual stage of processing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] To address the "trade-off" between conductivity and stability of anion exchange membranes (AEMs), we developed a series of crosslinked AEMs by using polybenzimidazole with norbornene (cPBI-Nb) as backbone and the crosslinked structure was fabricated by adopting click chemical between thiol and vinyl-group. Meanwhile, the hydrophilic properties of the dithiol cross-linker were regulated to explore the effect for micro-phase separation morphology and hydroxide ion conductivity. As result, the AEMs with hydrophilic crosslinked structure (PcPBI-Nb-C2) not only had apparent micro-phase separation morphology and high OH− conductivity of 105.54 mS/cm at 80 °C, but also exhibited improved mechanical properties, dimensional stability (swelling ratio < 15%) and chemical stability (90.22 % mass maintaining in Fenton's reagent at 80 °C for 24 h, 78.30 % conductivity keeping in 2 M NaOH at 80 °C for 2016 h). In addition, the anion exchange membranes water electrolysis (AEMWEs) using PcPBI-Nb-C2 as AEMs achieved the current density of 368 mA/cm2 at 2.1 V and the durability over 500 min operated at 150 mA/cm2 under 60 °C. Therefore, this work paves the way for constructing AEMs by introduction of norbornene into polybenzimidazole and formation of hydrophilic crosslinked structure based on "thiol-ene". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The deterioration of flaxseed oil (FSO) during heating greatly influences the quality of fried foods. FSOs heated at different temperatures (120 °C, 150 °C, 180 °C, and 210 °C) were investigated for volatile organic compound (VOC) and fatty acid compositions and physicochemical indices. In total, 84 VOCs were identified, including 20 aldehydes (37.43%–66.17%), 20 alcohols (31.19%–42.90%), 9 esters (0.28%–1.27%), 8 ketones (0.4%–1.58%), 19 alkanes (1.15%–19.96%), and 8 heterocyclics (0.68%–6.16%). Furthermore, 1-nonanal, 2,4-decadienal, hexanal, and trans, trans -2,4-heptadienal were identified as the characteristic aroma compounds to estimate the oxidation degree of heated FSO through the calculation of odor activity values. The polyunsaturated fatty acid content in FSO significantly (p < 0.05) decreased by 5.75 μg/g after heating at 210 °C. The physicochemical indices of FSO increased during heating with acid, peroxide, p -anisidine and thiobarbituric acid values ranging from 0.26 to 0.55 mg NaOH/g, 0.041–0.066 g/100 g, 0.12–0.88, and 0.025–0.088, respectively. Results of Pearson correlation analysis indicate that 2,4-decadienal and hexanal may be oxidation deterioration markers in FSO. This study provides a theoretical basis for evaluation of the suitability of FSO for household food preparation. • Most volatile compound types (45) were found in flaxseed oil (FSO) heated at 210 °C. • Aldehydes were dominant among the volatile compounds in the FSO samples. • Characteristic aroma compounds were identified in the FSO samples during heating. • During heating, 2,4-decadienal and hexanal could be the markers of FSO oxidation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Vagotomy mitigates Salmonella-induced systemic infection and anxiety-like behavior. • Vagotomy alleviates the Salmonella-induced gut inflammation and neuroinflammation. • Vagotomy enhanced GABA production and related microbes abundance in the infected mice. • Vagotomy relies on GABA production to alleviate gut inflammation. The vagus nerve, a pivotal link within the gut-brain axis, plays a critical role in maintaining homeostasis and mediating communication between the gastrointestinal tract and the brain. It has been reported that gastrointestinal infection by Salmonella typhimurium (S. typhimurium) triggers gut inflammation and manifests as anxiety-like behaviors, yet the mechanistic involvement of the vagus nerve remains to be elucidated. In this study, we demonstrated that unilateral cervical vagotomy markedly attenuated anxiety-like behaviors induced by S. typhimurium SL1344 infection in C57BL/6 mice, as evidenced by the open field test and marble burying experiment. Furthermore, vagotomy significantly diminished neuronal activation within the nucleus of the solitary tract and amygdala, alongside mitigating aberrant glial cell activation in the hippocampus and amygdala. Additionally, vagotomy notably decreases serum endotoxin levels, counters the increase in splenic Salmonella concentration, and modulates the expression of inflammatory cytokines—including IL-6, IL-1β, and TNF-α—in both the gastrointestinal tract and brain, with a concurrent reduction in IL-22 and CXCL1 expression. This intervention also fostered the enrichment of beneficial gut microbiota, including Alistipes and Lactobacillus species, and augmented the production of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in the gut. Administration of GABA replicated the vagotomy's beneficial effects on reducing gut inflammation and anxiety-like behavior in infected mice. However, blockade of GABA receptors with picrotoxin abrogated the vagotomy's protective effects against gut inflammation, without influencing its impact on anxiety-like behaviors. Collectively, these findings suggest that vagotomy exerts a protective effect against infection by promoting GABA synthesis in the colon and alleviating anxiety-like behavior. This study underscores the critical role of the vagus nerve in relaying signals of gut infection to the brain and posits that targeting the gut-brain axis may offer a novel and efficacious approach to preventing gastrointestinal infections and associated behavioral abnormalities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the aim of making full use of the resource of Rubus Chingii Hu, this work comparatively investigated the structural characterization and antioxidant activities of pectin (RP) from unripe fruit pomaces of Rubus chingii Hu and ultrasonic-modified pectin (URP) from unripe fruit pomaces of Rubus Chingii Hu. Compared with the original RP, ultrasound treated RP (URP) significantly changed the chemical composition. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) results suggested that the conformation of RP was filiform, smooth and slim and a large number of spherical pectins were produced by ultrasonic modification. Both RP and URP exhibited the potential antioxidant activity and α-glucosidase inhibitory activity. Moreover, RP and URP effectively attenuated the oxidative damage induced by H 2 O 2 and reduced intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels in human hepatic L02 cells and URP showed higher activity than RP. These results suggested that the unripe fruit pomace of Rubus chingii Hu could be used as a potential resource to obtain the antioxidant pectin and the ultrasound-assisted modification could significantly change the physical structure of pectin and effectively improve its antioxidant activities. • Unripe fruit pomace of Rubus Chingii Hu is a resource to obtain antioxidant pectin. • Ultrasonic modification induces the physical structure changes of RP. • RP and URP have effective antioxidant and α -glucosidase inhibitory activities. • RP and URP effectively attenuated the oxidative damage in human hepatic L02 cells. • Ultrasonic modification is effective to improve the antioxidant activity of pectin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cadmium exposure is associated with renal dysfunction. However, the outcome of renal function in subjects who have had a reduction in cadmium exposure for years has not been completely clarified, particularly for individuals with normal baseline renal function. In this study, we used a nomogram model to predict renal dysfunction after a reduction in cadmium exposure in subjects with normal baseline renal function. In 1998, a survey was performed in 790 subjects living in control and cadmium-polluted areas. A total of 497 subjects was followed up in 2006. 404 subjects with normal baseline urinary β 2 -microglobulin (UBMG), 373 subjects with normal baseline urinary N-acetyl-β-d-glucosaminidase (UNAG) and 407 subjects with normal baseline urinary albumin (UALB) were included in this analysis. Cadmium in the blood (BCd) and urine (UCd) was detected using graphite-furnace atomic absorption spectrometry. A logistic regression model was used to identify potential predicting factors of renal function at follow-up. Nomograms were developed based on those predictive factors. Bootstrap self-sampling, calibration curves and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were performed to quantify our modeling strategy. Adjusted and unadjusted logistic regression models both showed that age, BCd and UBMG or UNAG at baseline were independent risk factors for renal tubular dysfunction. Baseline age, sex, BCd and UNAG or UBMG or UALB were used to construct the nomogam. The internal validation showed that the C-index was 0.70–0.74 for predicting renal dysfunction. The area under the curve of the nomogram was 0.70–0.74. Decision curve analysis verified the predictive value of the nomogram. A nomogram may be a useful risk assessment tool for predicting the progress of renal function in a cadmium-exposed population with normal baseline kidney function. • The BCd level is decreased after reduction in cadmium exposure. • Baseline age, sex, BCd and renal function are related with long-term renal outcome. • We establish a nomogram based on the above factors to predict Cd-related renal effect. • Nomogram is useful in predicting renal function after reduction of Cd exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cadmium (Cd) is associated with barite; however, its biogeochemical characteristics in environments impacted by barium (Ba) mining are not known. Here, we first revealed the characteristics of Cd concentrations, distributions, and chemical forms in the soil-rice system in Ba mining areas. The associated exposure and risk assessments of Cd via rice consumption were also conducted. Elevated levels of Cd with a wide range of 0.054–91 mg/kg were found in paddy soils, approximately 63% of which exceeded the national Grade II value for soil Cd levels in China (0.3 mg/kg). A significant positive correlation between the soil Cd and soil Ba demonstrated that large amounts of Cd were released into the environment from Ba mining. Cadmium accumulated remarkably in the rice grains (0.007–3.5 mg/kg). The chemical forms in the rice plants indicated that most of the Cd was in the pectate/protein fraction (F2, 92% in the grains and 61–71% in the other tissues), followed by the residual fraction (F3, 7.1% in the grains, 27–38% in the other tissues). A minor portion of Cd was in the soluble and aminophenol fraction (F1, 0.44% in the grains, 0.26–1.4% in the other tissues). The positive correlations observed between the grain Cd and F2 in the roots, stems and leaves suggested that Cd in the rice grain was mainly from F2. Similarly, the root F2 was also positively correlated with that in the stems/leaves, indicating the critical role of F2 in Cd2+ migration in rice tissues. The estimated average hazard quotient (2.5) and annual excess lifetime cancer risk (21 × 10−5 a−1) were higher than the safety levels of 1 and 5.0 × 10−5 a−1, respectively, showing that the dietary intake of Cd via rice consumption posed high health risks to residents. Our study demonstrated that more concerns should be paid to Cd contamination in Ba mining areas. • Soil Cd positively correlated with soil Ba suggests Ba mining is Cd source. • Rice can accumulate as high as 3.5 mg/kg Cd in grains. • Cd extracted with 0.6 M HCl is the predominant form among rice tissues. • High Cd exposure risk to residents via rice consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanosized magnetic iron oxide was facilely synthesized by a dispersion–precipitation method, which involved acetone-promoted precipitation of colloidal hydrous iron oxide nanoparticles and subsequent calcination of the precipitate at 250 °C. Characterization by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, nitrogen sorption, and vibrating-sample magnetometry revealed that the material was a composite of α-Fe 2 O 3 and γ-Fe 2 O 3 with primary particle size of 15–25 nm and specific surface area of 121 m 2 /g, as well as superparamagnetic property. The material was used as adsorbent for the removal of arsenite in water. Batch experiments showed that the adsorption isotherms at pH 3.0–11.0 fit the Langmuir equation and the adsorption obeys pseudo-second-order kinetics. Its maximum sorption capability for arsenite is 46.5 mg/g at pH 7.0. Coexisting nitrate, carbonate, sulfate, chloride, and fluoride have no significant effect on the removal efficiency of arsenite, while phosphate and silicate reduce the removal efficiency to some extent. The As(III) removal mechanism is chemisorption through forming inner-sphere surface complexes. The efficiency of arsenic removal is still maintained after five cycles of regeneration–reuse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Underwater acoustic sensor based on microfiber knot resonator. • The microfiber knot hydrophone has a simple fabrication. • The feasibility of the hydrophone is proved with theory and experiment. • The hydrophone has the high sensitivity and wide working bandwidth. In this paper, a water acoustic sensor based on a microfiber knot resonator is proposed. It utilizes microfiber technology, resulting in a smaller sensor size and excellent detection capability for low-frequency signals. By developing suitable packaging techniques to protect the sensor, it becomes more suitable for underwater detection environments and increases the stability of the device. Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) has a lower refractive index than silicon dioxide and exhibits good transmission performance. PDMS is used for encapsulation on both the top and bottom of the fabricated microfiber knot resonator, which improves its Q-factor and provides better protection for the resonator underwater. We employ filtering and amplification techniques to demodulate the received sound signals. The test results demonstrate that the sensor has an average sensitivity of −135.8 dB within the frequency range of 10 Hz to 2 kHz and an average signal-to-noise ratio of 53.2 dB. At 400 Hz, the sensitivity reaches −113.6 dB, with a signal-to-noise ratio of 80 dB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: SERCA2, one of the P-type pumps encoded by gene ATP2A2 , is the only calcium reflux channel of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and participates in maintaining calcium homeostasis. The present study was designed to explore SERCA2 expression pattern in auditory hair cells and the possible mechanism underlying the effects of SERCA2 on cisplatin-induced ototoxicity. Main methods: The SERCA2 expression pattern in cochlea hair cells and HEI-OC1 cells was measured by Western blot (WB) and immunofluorescence staining. The apoptosis and its related factors were detected by TUNEL assay and WB. The expression levels of ER stress-related factors, ATF6, PERK, IRE1α, and GRP78, were measured via WB. As for the determination of SERCA2 overexpression and knockdown, plasmids and lentiviral vectors were constructed, respectively. Key findings: We found that SERCA2 was highly expressed in cochlea hair cells and HEI-OC1 cells. Of note, the level of SERCA2 expression in neonatal mice was remarkably higher than that in adult mice. Under the exposure of 30 μM cisplatin, SERCA2 was down-regulated significantly compared with the control group. In addition, cisplatin administration triggered the occurrence of ER stress and apoptosis. Those events were reversed by overexpressing SERCA2. On the contrary, SERCA2 knockdown could aggravate the above processes. Significance: The findings from the present study disclose, for the first time, that SERCA2 is abundantly expressed in cochlea hair cells, and the suppression of SERCA2 caused by cisplatin could trigger ER homeostasis disruption, thereby implying that SERCA2 might be a promising target to prevent cisplatin-induced cytotoxicity of hair cells. • SERCA2 displays an age-dependent expression pattern in cochlea basilar membranes. • The suppression of SERCA2 caused by cisplatin triggers ER homeostasis disruption. • SERCA2 overexpression prevents cisplatin-induced cytotoxicity of hair cells. • SERCA2 might be a promising target to prevent cisplatin-induced cytotoxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ferroptosis is a novel form of cell death characterized by heavy iron accumulation and lipid peroxidation that plays a critical role in the tumor microenvironment. However, promising biomarkers associated with tumor immune cell infiltration and the immunotherapy response to ferroptosis regulators remain to be elucidated in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) patients. In this study, we defined ferroptosis regulators in LUAD through database analysis and experimental validation to determine the implementation of genes associated with clinical relevance, immunotherapy response and tumor microenvironment in LUAD patients. Multiomics data analysis was performed to explore the CNV features, molecular mechanisms and immunogenic characteristics of ferroptosis regulators in LUAD patients. Then, univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were used to identify three genes (DDIT4 , RRM2 , and SLC2A1) that were closely associated with the prognosis of LUAD patients. The prognostic model based on the determination of these three genes was an independent prognostic factor (p < 0.05, HR = 2.838), and patients with superior predictive performance and higher prognostic risk were more likely to have poor survival rates than those with lower prognostic risk in the training group (p < 0.001, HR = 3.19) and the test group (p < 0.001, HR = 2.94; p < 0.001, HR = 3.44). Activated immune cells, including T helper cells and activated CD8 T cells, were lower in the high-risk group, while type 2 T cells were higher (p < 0.05). Patients with higher prognostic risk were less likely to benefit from immunotherapy, partly due to low CTLA4 levels and an immunosuppressive microenvironment (p < 0.05). Combined with LUAD tissue samples and mouse trials, RRM2 was found to influence lung cancer progression and affect tumor immune cell infiltration. RRM2 inhibition effectively promoted M1 macrophage polarization and suppressed M2 macrophage polarization in vitro and in vivo. And ferroptosis inhibitor ferrostatin-1 treatment effectively re-blanced macrophage polarization mediated by RRM2 inhibition. Taken together, the results of the multiomics data analysis and experimental validation identified ferroptosis regulators as promising biomarkers and therapeutic targets associated with tumor immune infiltration in LUAD patients. [Display omitted] • Ferroptosis regulators in LUAD patients were defined and analyzed by multi-omics. • Superior specificity and sensitivity of our ferroptosis signature model in diagnostic and prognostic predictive performance. • The ferscore can predict patient response to immunotherapy with high specificity and sensitivity. • Higher ferscore with less benefit of immunotherapy partly due to low CTLA4 and immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. • Ferroptosis regulator RRM2 promoted lung cancer progression and affected the tumor immune cell infiltration. • RRM2 inhibition effectively promoted M1 macrophage polarization and suppressed M2 polarization in vitro and in vivo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Color is considered an index to evaluate the quality of the unripe fruit of Rubus chingii Hu in China. This study compared the contents of the active polyphenolic constituents in unripe differently colored fruits. The data showed that there were significant differences between the yellow fruit (YF) and green fruit (GF) in the composition of ellagitannins (ETs) and ellagic acid (EA). Then, the structure-activity relationship of the main ellagitannins (lambertianin A, sanguiin H-6, casuarictin) and ellagic acid in unripe fruits were investigated by the antioxidant activities assay, non-enzymatic glycation inhibitory activity assay and glucose uptake assay in L6 cells. The results showed that the number of hydroxyl groups and galloyl configuration at the glucose C-1 significantly affected the activity of ellagitannins. However, ellagic acid, which had fewer hydroxyl groups, exhibited the highest bioactive properties. Moreover, the fluorescence quenching analysis and molecular docking results demonstrated that ellagitannin was a concentration-dependent antiglycation compound. This study suggested that EA and ETs had different action mode and the content of ETs was an important factor influencing the unripe fruits of Rubus chingii Hu. • Ellagitannin composition between two color of Rubus Chingii Hu have difference. • The hydroxyl group and configuration galloyl affect activity of ellagitannins. • Ellagitannin is an antiglycation compound related to the concentration. • Ellagic acid is more effective on antiglycation activity and glycose uptake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] We investigated Gli1 as a novel partner of Wwox. [•] We observed a physical association between Wwox and the Gli1. [•] Wwox–Gli1 interaction affects Gli1 intracellular localization. [•] Gli1 Blocks Wwox-induced growth inhibition and apoptosis in T47D cells. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]