Search Results (232)

This study introduces a novel food-grade protein–β-glucan nanoparticle system based on Fusarium venenatum protein isolate and Fuscoporia torulosa β-glucans, designed as a multifunctional ingredient for improving the physicochemical stability, bioaccessibility, and functional performance of peach juice beverages. Therefore, this study aimed to develop and evaluate a functional peach juice enriched with protein–β-glucan nanoparticles and to investigate their effects on physicochemical stability, gastrointestinal behavior, metabolic enzyme inhibition, antioxidant retention, and sensory acceptance. Protein–β-glucan nanoparticles produced from Fusarium venenatum protein isolate and Fuscoporia torulosa β-glucans were incorporated into peach juice formulations (V1–V4) and characterized using dynamic light scattering, zeta potential analysis, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). In vitro gastrointestinal digestion was performed to assess β-glucan bioaccessibility, protein digestibility, antioxidant activity, and release kinetics, while α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibition assays, sensory evaluation, digital sensory analysis, principal component analysis (PCA), and exploratory multivariate analysis were used to evaluate relationships among formulation characteristics and functional performance. The nanoparticles formed stable colloidal systems with mean particle sizes ranging from 176 to 229 nm and maintained structural integrity during 28 days of refrigerated storage. Nanoparticle-enriched formulations exhibited higher β-glucan bioaccessibility, improved antioxidant retention, and stronger α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities, with the greatest effects observed in V4. Protein digestibility remained high across all formulations, while sensory evaluation revealed improved overall liking and purchase intention. PCA indicated that nanoparticle concentration was the main factor differentiating the formulations based on their physicochemical and functional characteristics. Overall, protein–β-glucan nanoparticles enhanced the physicochemical, functional, and sensory properties of peach juice, supporting their application as multifunctional ingredients for functional beverage development. Full article

Neuropathic pain is a chronic condition resulting from injury or dysfunction of the nervous system, characterized by hyperalgesia, allodynia, and persistent alterations in sensory perception. Neuroligins, a family of postsynaptic adhesion proteins essential for synapse formation and maturation, have emerged as critical regulators of neuronal plasticity and nociceptive circuit excitability. Recent evidence suggests that dysregulation of neuroligin expression and function can modulate synaptic transmission in pain pathways, contributing to the onset and maintenance of neuropathic pain. This review highlights some findings on the role of neuroligins in neuropathic pain pathophysiology, underscoring molecular mechanisms, interactions with glutamatergic and GABAergic receptors, and their potential as innovative therapeutic targets for chronic pain management. Full article

Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V) cooperative object detection enhances environmental perception capabilities in complex traffic scenarios by sharing sensory information among vehicles, but limited transmission bandwidth and wireless channel noise can significantly affect the reliable transmission of cross-vehicle semantic features and lead to a degradation in detection performance at the receiver. Although existing semantic communication methods based on DeepJSCC can alleviate the cliff effect of traditional separated source–channel coding under low signal-to-noise ratio conditions, they typically rely on additional external autoencoder structures, which increase model complexity and the deployment burden on vehicular edge computing platforms. Meanwhile, under high compression ratios, these methods struggle to adequately preserve detection-related fine-grained information, such as object boundaries, spatial locations, and local structures. Motivated by these challenges, we develop Mamba-KGSC as a lightweight knowledge-guided semantic communication framework for robust V2V cooperative object detection. At the transmitter, Mamba-KGSC utilizes the internal time-scale parameters of the Mamba-YOLO-T backbone network to generate spatial semantic masks, realizing the sparse encoding and transmission of task-relevant features while avoiding the introduction of complex external codec networks. At the receiver, a multi-source knowledge base constraint verification module is constructed to refine the initial detection results by combining physical consistency screening with visual–physical spatial joint redundancy suppression, thereby suppressing physically inconsistent misdetections and repeated detections induced by channel noise. The experimental evaluation indicates that, under a 50% compression ratio, multiple SNR settings, and different channel models, the front-end semantic communication branch of Mamba-KGSC improves mAP@0.5:0.95 by an average of 1.90 percentage points over the DeepJSCC baseline. The multi-source knowledge base constraint verification module further reduces abnormal and duplicate candidate bounding boxes. Overall, Mamba-KGSC provides a balanced solution in terms of transmission cost, detection accuracy, model complexity, and physical consistency, offering a lightweight implementation scheme for robust V2V cooperative detection in challenging communication environments. Full article

The autism spectrum disorder-associated SCN2A, ANK2, and SHANK-family genes encode molecularly distinct proteins that converge functionally on dendritic integration. Recent work established that ankyrin-B, encoded by ANK2, acts as an obligate dendritic scaffold for NaV1.2, encoded by SCN2A, in neocortical pyramidal neurons. Loss of this module mislocalizes dendritic NaV1.2, reduces dendritic Na⁺ influx, weakens backpropagating action potentials, and impairs synaptic maturation and long-term potentiation. SHANK proteins organize a complementary postsynaptic receptor scaffold within dendritic spines, coupling N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA), α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA), and metabotropic glutamate receptor (e.g., mGluR5) signaling to the actin cytoskeleton through layered PSD-95/GKAP/Homer interactions. Disruption of this scaffold can destabilize excitatory transmission, spine morphology, and plasticity. We propose that these dendritic shaft and spine-associated modules jointly regulate dendritic input–output gain and that their disruption may contribute to autism spectrum disorder by destabilizing, rather than uniformly shifting, excitatory integration across cortico-subcortical circuits relevant to sensory reactivity, behavioral flexibility, and social-valence processing. Here, we review the cortical evidence for this layered dendritic convergence and evaluate its potential relevance beyond the cortex. We assess the striatum, thalamus, and amygdala as subcortical sites where related dendritic scaffolding mechanisms may operate. The striatum provides the strongest current test case, with established roles for both NaV1.2 and SHANK3 in medium spiny neuron physiology and corticostriatal connectivity. Thalamic and amygdalar extensions are supported mainly by SHANK-related circuit and channelopathy data but lack direct evidence for ANK2–SCN2A involvement. The framework is experimentally testable: conditional Ank2 deletion in striatal, thalamic, and amygdalar cell types; dendritic Na⁺/Ca²⁺ imaging across Scn2a, Ank2, and Shank3 models; adult rescue experiments; and genetic-interaction designs would determine whether ankyrin-B supports dendritic excitability beyond the cortex and whether these genes converge on, rather than merely parallel, dendritic input–output gain. Validation in human subcortical tissue would then establish whether this dendritic scaffolding logic represents a shared point of convergence through which genetically distinct autism spectrum disorder-risk variants alter circuit function. Full article

This article examines the use of reproduced music during a large-scale summer blót organised by Ása-samfundet in Sweden. Based on ethnographic observation, it traces the unfolding of the ceremony and identifies when music is introduced and the roles it performs within the ritual process. Rather than treating music as a vehicle of symbolic meaning or religious identity, the analysis conceptualises it as part of ritual infrastructure. From this perspective, music functions as a material and sensory resource that structures ritual time, supports continuity between ritual actions, and contributes to the organisation of a spatially dispersed gathering. Focusing on the use of music by the Nordic project Wardruna, the article argues that the ritual significance of reproduced music lies less in the transmission of specific meanings than in its practical role within the unfolding of the ceremony. Particular attention is paid to how music accompanies transitions, bridges temporal gaps between ritual actions, and provides a continuous sonic environment in situations where participants are distributed across a large ritual space. By shifting attention from representation to mediation, the article contributes to discussions of materiality, atmosphere, and the infrastructural dimensions of contemporary ritual practice. Full article

Background/Objectives: The aim of this study was to precisely characterize neurological deficits in patients with idiophatic scoliosis (IS) by comparing preoperative clinical and neurophysiological examination results in patients with Lenke 1 and 3 spinal curvatures. Bracing alone (NTP) is commonly applied preoperatively in subjects with IS, but incorporating the concept of prerehabilitation with additional physiotherapy (TP) may further slow the progression of scoliosis. Methods: An interview regarding the development and conservative treatment of IS, clinical neurological assessment, and bilateral neurophysiological tests involving electromyography (sEMG) of motor unit activity in the paraspinal and lower extremity muscles, electroneurography (ENG) of neural impulse transmission in the peroneal nerve motor fibers and entire efferent conduction involving recordings of motor evoked potentials (MEPs) induced with transcranial magnetic field stimulation (TMS) were performed in patients with Lenke 1 (N = 33) and Lenke 3 (N = 27) spine curvatures in two groups (N = 30 each) that were treated (TP) or not treated (NTP) with physiotherapy. Results: Back pain, assessed on the VAS by all Lenke 3 patients, was 3.3 on average. Limited spine mobility (p < 0.001) was not associated with better results following physiotherapeutic treatment in either Lenke patient group. Sensory perception studies within the L3–S1 dermatomes and vibration sensation tests were found to be slightly decreased in Lenke 3 patients (p < 0.001), predominantly on the concave IS side, but less so in the TP group. Achilles tendon and patellar reflexes were detected as pathological (p < 0.001) only in Lenke 3 patients, and less frequently in the TP group. Asymmetry on the concave side of scoliosis in manual muscle testing scores was found (p < 0.001) in Lenke 3 patients, showing moderate muscle weakness in the distal lower extremities, mainly in the NTP group. sEMG recordings from the paraspinal muscles revealed moderate neurogenic abnormality that was more intense on the concave side of scoliosis curvature, both main and second; the pattern of muscle motor unit activity in the proximal and distal muscles of the lower extremities was consistent with the muscle strength deficits observed in manual muscle testing, though less so in the TP group. Deficits in MEP amplitudes recorded from lower extremity muscles and the peroneal nerve were found to be more commonly expressed on the concave side of the main scoliosis curvature and on the concave side of the second scoliosis curvature, particularly in Lenke 3 patients, but the significance of changes was lower in the TP group (p = 0.03–0.009). ENG studies showed moderate abnormalities in peripheral neural conduction of peroneal nerve motor fibers originating at the L5 ventral root, especially in Lenke 3 patients from the NTP group. Conclusions: Neurological diagnostic tests, supported by selected clinical neurophysiological studies, reveal greater motor and sensory abnormalities in IS patients with Lenke 3 than with Lenke 1 curvatures. The study indicates that patients in both groups who received only bracing had poorer outcomes than those who received additional physiotherapy. In the context of prerehabilitation, a combined conservative treatment approach including physiotherapy can provide functional benefits for the IS patient before the necessary surgical treatment. In this study, differences were observed between the groups treated with physiotherapy and those not treated; however, a causal link cannot be established. The results are consistent with a possible benefit of the physiotherapy, but they require further prospective studies to be proven. Full article

Although coconut water is recognized for its desirable sensory appeal and nutritional composition, its broader industrial use is constrained by the rapid deterioration that occurs after extraction. In this study, crossflow microfiltration of coconut water with a silicon carbide membrane was optimized by investigating pressure and temperature through a face-centered design (FCD) and artificial neural network modeling coupled with a genetic algorithm (ANN–GA). Permeate flux and fouling index were used as process responses, and the optimized condition was further examined in terms of hydraulic resistance, fouling behavior, and retention of minerals and primary metabolites. Pressure and temperature affected the process differently: permeate flux showed marked nonlinear behavior, whereas fouling index was governed mainly by pressure. At the sample level, ANN described permeate flux more accurately than FCD (R² = 0.99 vs. 0.96), whereas FCD showed better grouped cross-validated predictivity across unseen pressure–temperature conditions (Q² = 0.85 vs. 0.57). For the fouling index, FCD outperformed ANN in both sample-level fit and grouped validation (R² = 0.95 vs. 0.60; Q² = 0.70 vs. 0.61). Both approaches converged on the same favorable operating window, and experimental validation at 60 kPa and 35 °C yielded 1085.23 ± 23.12 L h⁻¹ m⁻² and 83.56 ± 1.56%. During concentration mode, flux decline was severe but predominantly reversible, with high clean-water permeance recovery after chemical cleaning. Resistance partition and fouling modeling indicated that the main hydraulic limitation was associated with concentration polarization and external cake-layer buildup rather than irreversible membrane damage. The clarified fraction also preserved high transmission of major minerals and relevant primary metabolites, indicating that the selected condition combined high productivity, manageable fouling, and satisfactory nutritional retention. Full article

Salmonella remains one of the most critical zoonotic pathogens in the poultry sector, linked to animal disease, foodborne illness, and the global crisis of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Poultry acts as a major reservoir, enabling Salmonella transmission from hatchery to retail products through horizontal, vertical, and environmental routes. Despite the use of biosecurity, vaccination, antibiotics, and chemical decontamination, effective and sustainable control across the poultry value chain remains difficult, particularly in the face of rising multidrug-resistant strains and growing consumer concerns over chemical residues. Bacteriophages (phages), viruses that selectively infect and lyse bacteria, have emerged as a promising biological alternative for Salmonella control. Although many studies have reported the effectiveness of phages against bacterial species, including Salmonella, in the poultry industry, reports on their full potential to combat antimicrobial-resistant Salmonella across the entire poultry value chain remain limited. Therefore, this review synthesizes current evidence on the application of phages throughout the poultry value chain, including on-farm interventions, processing plant decontamination, and food packaging and storage. Findings from the reviewed articles indicate over a 90% reduction in Salmonella spp. in poultry farms and post-harvest meat, along with lower mortality in phage-treated groups compared to untreated groups; however, these outcomes depend on several factors (e.g., phage strains, concentrations, application methods, and environmental conditions). Laboratory, pilot, and field studies consistently demonstrate that phage preparations, especially when formulated as cocktails or combined with complementary interventions, can achieve substantial reductions in Salmonella, including antibiotic-resistant serovars, in live birds, eggs, poultry environments, and meat products. Unlike antibiotics and chemical sanitizers, phages act with high specificity, preserving beneficial microbiota and maintaining the sensory and nutritional quality of poultry products. Their safety has been supported by toxicological and genomic assessments, and several phage-based products have obtained regulatory approval, including Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) status for food applications in the United States. By integrating efficacy, safety, regulatory, and practical deployment data, this review highlights bacteriophages as a scientifically validated and One Health–aligned tool capable of reducing Salmonella transmission from farm to fork across the poultry value chain, thereby laying the foundation for their future adoption in the poultry industry. Phage-based interventions offer a sustainable pathway to enhance food safety, limit antimicrobial resistance (AMR) dissemination, and strengthen consumer confidence in poultry products. However, the major limitation is the emergence of phage-resistant bacterial strains, as well as the potential involvement of some phages in the transfer of resistance and virulence genes, which could raise public concern. Nevertheless, the use of phage cocktails and whole-genome sequencing, involving tools such as ResFinder and virulence finder, can facilitate the selection of safe phages for application. Full article

The sustainable development of forest ecotourism relies on the effective stimulation of tourists’ environmentally responsible behavior, and the intervention of participatory art and aesthetics provides a new driving force for this process. Taking Xiqiaoshan National Forest Park (Nanhai Land Art Festival) as a case study, we propose an extended stimulus–organism–response (S-O-R) theoretical framework to reveal the psychological perception and transmission mechanism of participatory art and aesthetic experience in empowering the sustainable development of ecotourism. We used a hybrid approach combining PLS-SEM and artificial neural networks (ANNs) to analyze survey data from 596 Chinese tourists. The study found that sensory impressions driven by art and aesthetics significantly and positively influence tourists’ natural connections, perceived value, and ecotourism attitudes. These three constructs function as significant parallel mediators between sensory impressions and environmentally responsible behavior, while chain mediation effects are statistically significant but of small magnitude. The new environmental paradigm (NEP), conceptualized as an individual trait boundary condition, exhibits a significant negative moderating effect on the relationship between sensory impressions and connectedness to nature. ANN sensitivity analysis further complements the findings by demonstrating the prominent nonlinear predictive role of ecotourism attitudes in behavioral transformation. This study extends the application boundaries of the S-O-R theory to art-integrated ecotourism research, clarifies the internalization process of tourist experiences from sensory perception to behavioral enactment, and provides empirical evidence for forest tourism managers to optimize experience design and implement differentiated guidance strategies. Full article

Background: Inhibitory processes in the nervous system are traditionally conceptualized as suppressive mechanisms; however, their fundamental role is the refinement and optimization of sensory information. In nociception, this function is mediated by the descending pain inhibitory system (DPIS), which modulates nociceptive transmission at multiple hierarchical levels. Biological sex and gender-related factors significantly influence these inhibitory pathways, yet they are often overlooked in clinical frameworks. Methods: A narrative review was conducted using PubMed, MEDLINE, and Scopus databases, focusing on studies published between 2010 and 2025. Search terms included “descending pain inhibitory system,” “nociplastic pain,” “aging,” “sex differences,” “gender,” and “gut–brain axis.” Approximately 30 key references were synthesized. Results: The DPIS enhances the precision of nociceptive signals through mechanisms analogous to lateral inhibition. In chronic and nociplastic pain, this refinement process is impaired, leading to “sensory blurring.” Aging exacerbates these changes through neurochemical depletion and neuroinflammation. Crucially, this decline follows sex-specific trajectories; estrogen depletion in post-menopausal females accelerates the loss of monoaminergic inhibitory reserves, while gender-related sociocultural stressors can further disrupt top-down executive control. Additionally, alterations in the gut–brain axis signaling—modulated by sex-specific gut microbiota profiles—further disrupt inhibitory control. Conclusions: Chronic pain may be conceptualized as a disorder of sensory refinement rather than excessive nociceptive input. Inclusion of sex and gender as biological variables is essential for precision pain management. Therapeutic strategies should focus on restoring inhibitory precision through both central and systemic approaches, tailored to the patient’s hormonal and physiological profile. Full article

In millimeter wave V2I communication systems, accurate beam prediction is crucial for optimizing network performance and improving signal transmission efficiency. Traditional beam prediction methods mainly rely on single-modal data, which often fails to capture the comprehensive environmental information required for high accuracy prediction. In contrast, multi-modal approaches leverage complementary information from different data sources and offer a more promising solution. However, many existing fusion methods primarily depend on real-time sensory inputs and do not fully exploit stable environmental features in V2I scenarios, limiting the effective use of each modality. To address these limitations, this paper proposes a environment-aware proactive beam prediction method based on a multi-modal prior mask map (MMPMM), which integrates offline mapping with an online beam prediction network. Specifically, the method fuses information from images, point clouds, positions, and the MMPMM to predict the optimal beam index. The MMPMM provides channel-related prior information by extracting static V2I scene features offline without incurring any additional online measurement overhead. Experimental results on real-world datasets demonstrate that the proposed method achieves a Top-3 beam prediction accuracy of up to 71.23% while maintaining stable performance under the evaluated dynamic and degraded conditions, demonstrating its effectiveness in the considered scenarios. Full article

The olfactory system plays a crucial role in mediating fish behaviour, including reproduction. Senegalese sole (Solea senegalensis) is an important aquaculture flatfish species in Europe, in which reproductive dysfunction in captive males has been linked to potential alterations in chemical communication. Despite the expanded repertoire of olfactory receptor genes described for this species, detailed information on the cellular organization of its olfactory organs remains limited. This study provides a comprehensive histological, immunohistochemical, lectin-histochemical, and ultrastructural characterization of the olfactory rosettes of S. senegalensis across multiple life stages, including premetamorphic larvae, fry, juveniles and adults. Although the olfactory organs undergo substantial structural changes following metamorphosis, differentiated and functionally active olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) are already present in premetamorphic larvae. Subsequently, two epithelial regions were distinguished along the olfactory lamellae: a sensory epithelium containing abundant OSNs and supporting cells, and a nonsensory epithelium dominated by goblet and other secretory cells. Ciliated and microvillous OSNs were distinguished from 60 dph onward based on morphological and ultrastructural features and supported by immunoreactivity with CR, CB, Gγ8 and PGP. Crypt cells showed immunolabelling with S100, NSE and CYK8. Furthermore, lectin histochemistry revealed ontogenetic changes in epithelial glycoconjugates, with early diffuse binding patterns evolving into stratified and region-specific distributions. Overall, these results demonstrate the structural and functional complexity of the olfactory epithelium in S. senegalensis, significantly enriching the limited available morphological and neurochemical information on the species. Full article

Actinidia arguta fruits are highly perishable due to their thin, glabrous skin and high respiration rate. The primary objective of this study was to investigate the effects of a coating composed of 1.2% cinnamon essential oil (CEO) combined with 1% chitosan (CH) on the storage quality, cell wall structure, and cell wall metabolism in A. arguta fruits after subjecting them to 25 ± 1 and 4 °C. Results showed that this coating composition effectively maintained fruits’ postharvest appearance and firmness, reduced the rate of weight loss, and preserved the fruit’s original sensory flavor. Furthermore, the coating treatment significantly delayed the conversion of protopectin to soluble pectin, the increase in cellulose content, and the decrease in acid-insoluble solid (AIS) content. Furthermore, low activities of polygalacturonase (PG), pectin methylesterase (PME), pectin lyase (PL), cellulase (Cx), β-glucosidase (β-Glu), and β-galacturonidase (β-Gal) were found in the treatment during storage. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) observed that the composite coating treatment strongly maintained the integrity of fruit cell wall structure and exhibited positive effects under room temperature conditions, with its protective effects further enhanced and prolonged under refrigerated conditions. In conclusion, this combination treatment extended the postharvest storage life of A. arguta, possibly by inhibiting cell wall degradation, maintaining fruit firmness, and regulating the activity of cell wall metabolism. Full article

The black soldier fly, Hermetia illucens (Linnaeus, 1758), is a globally recognized resource insect for waste bioconversion and sustainable resource provision. Understanding its larval sensory system is key to explaining feeding and environmental perception behaviors. This study used scanning and transmission electron microscopy to analyze the types, distribution, ultrastructure, and developmental consistency of sensilla on larval cephalic appendages. Five sensilla types were found on antennae, sensilla basiconica I–II, sensilla twig basiconica I–II, and sensilla campaniformia, each type comprising 2–6 sensilla. Mouthparts harbored ten types, including sensilla twig basiconica III–V, sensilla placodea, sensilla ligulate, sensilla digitiformia, sensilla trichodea, and sensilla chaetica I–III, with 2–9 sensilla per type. All sensilla showed constant numbers and positions throughout larval development. Ten sensillum types with cuticle pores were innervated by 2–6 sensory neurons, primarily suggesting chemoreceptors; these were concentrated at the tips of antennae and maxillary palps. Sensilla digitiformia on the palps possessed a non-porous cuticle and a single sensory cell, indicative of a thermo-/hygroreceptive role. Sensilla chaetica and trichodea, with non-porous cuticles and no dendrites, were mechanosensory. These results reveal the morphofunctional basis of larval sensation, supporting chemoreception studies and optimizing rearing via behavioral modulation. Full article

Background/Objectives: Sciatic nerve injuries are among the most common classes of peripheral nerve harm and have a strong impact on quality of life, as well as a significant negative economic impact for patients, society, and governments, since they represent a frequent cause of work-related disabilities and sick leave applications. Following nerve injury, neurons, Schwann, and satellite cells undergo marked changes in phenotype, metabolic activity, neuronal survival, nervous transmission, and an exacerbated activation of the inflammatory response. Leuprolide acetate (LA), a clinically available agonist of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), has shown clear neurotrophic properties and is considered a novel potential candidate for treating neural injuries, including sciatic nerve pathologies. This study aimed to analyze the effect of LA treatment on sensory function and dorsal root ganglia (DRG) changes in a rat sciatic nerve full-transection (SNT) model. Methods: Variations in cold and heat sensitivity were assessed using the thermal plate test, while DRG tissue sections were examined for modifications in reactive gliosis by immunofluorescence analysis, and axonal transport using a retrograde tracer. Also, changes in the expression of pro-regenerative genes Stat3, Socs3, Fos, Jun, Atf4, and Limk1 were quantified by qPCR. Results: Our results showed that LA treatment exerted a distinct neurotrophic effect, since it promoted the specific recovery of cold sensitivity, improved axonal transport, regulated the inflammatory response, and modulated the exacerbated expression of pro-regenerative genes in the SNT model. Conclusions: These findings indicate that LA therapy may have the potential to improve sensory recovery in patients with sciatic nerve injuries. Full article