Carrageenan-induced conjugated oat protein isolate microgel particles as structure modulators in fat analogues and their digestion behaviors.

HYPOTHESIS: Engineering plant-based microgel particles (MPs) at a molecular scale is meaningful to prepare functional fat analogues. We hypothesize that oat protein isolate (OPI) and κ-carrageenan (CA) have synergy in MPs formation, using MPs with controllable structure, and further to fabricate fat analogues with adjustable characteristics is feasible. Their digestion fate will also be possibly modulated by interfacial coatings. EXPERIMENTS: OPI-based conjugated MPs with tunable rigidities by changing crosslinking densities were designed. The relationship between microgel structures, and emulsion gel properties was explored through spectroscopy, microstructure, rheology and tribology. The delivery to lycopene, as well as inhibiting digestion behaviors of fat analogues was evaluated in a simulated gastro-intestinal tract. FINDINGS: The rigidity of conjugated MPs could be tailored to optimize the performance of fat analogues. OPI-1 %CA MPs could stabilize emulsions up to 95 % oil fraction with fine texture. Tribological behaviors had a dependence on microgel elasticity and interfacial coatings, medium hard MP-stabilized emulsion was less disrupted without coalescence after oral processing. Digestion was delayed by denser and harder MPs by softening the interfacial particle layer or limiting lipase accessibility. Softer conjugated MPs possessed better flexibility and were broken down more easily leading to a higher rate of lipid digestion.

Multi-biomimetic Double Interlaced Wetting Janus Surface for Efficient Fog Collection.

Various methods to solve water scarcity have attracted increasing attention. However, most existing water harvesting schemes have a high demand for preparation methods and costs. Here, a multi-biomimetic double interlaced wetting Janus surface (DIWJS) was prepared by laser for effective fog collection. The as-prepared surfaces are composed of superhydrophilic points/hydrophobic substrates on the A-side and superhydrophilic stripes/hydrophobic substrates on the B-side. The interlaced wettability and superhydrophilic points on the A side are conducive to capture and permeation of droplets. The superhydrophilic stripes and interlaced wettability on the B-side are conducive to transportation and shedding of droplets. Therefore, the overall fog collection process is accelerated. The proposal of smart farm model validates broad application prospects of DIWJS. This work provides an advanced and multi-biomimetic surface and provides important insights for green, low-cost, and versatile strategies to solve water scarcity issues.

Droplet Bottom Expansion and Its Wettability Control Mechanism Based on Macroscopic Defects.

Biomimetic surfaces with special wettability have received much attention due to their promising prospects in droplet manipulation. Although some progress has been made, the manipulation of droplets by macroscopic defects of the millimeter structure and the wetting-state transition mechanism have rarely been reported. Herein, inspired by lotus leaves and desert beetles, biomimetic surfaces with macroscopic defects are prepared by laser processing and chemical modification. Various functions of droplet manipulation are achieved by controlling the millimeter-scale macroscopic defects, such as droplet capture, motion trajectory changing, and liquid well. And a droplet bottom expansion phenomenon is proposed: wetting-state transition in superhydrophobic regions around defects. The "edge failure effect" is proposed to explain the force analysis of droplet capture and the droplet bottom expansion to distinguish it from the adhesion phenomenon presented by the droplet sliding. 53.28° is defined as the expanded saturated angle of the as-prepared surface, which is used to distinguish whether the defect could cause the droplet bottom expansion. An enhanced edge failure effect experiment is designed to make the droplet bottom expansion more intuitive. This work provides a mechanistic explanation of the surfaces that utilize macroscopic defects for droplet manipulation. It can be applied to the monitoring of droplet storage limits, providing a perspective on the design and optimization of superhydrophobic surfaces with droplet manipulation.

Decoding the task specificity of post-error adjustments: Features and determinants.

Errors typically trigger post-error adjustments aimed at improving subsequent reactions within a single task, but little work has focused on whether these adjustments are task-general or task-specific across different tasks. We collected behavioral and electrophysiological (EEG) data when participants performed a psychological refractory period paradigm. This paradigm required them to complete Task 1 and Task 2 separated by a variable stimulus onset asynchrony (SOA). Behaviorally, post-error slowing and post-error accuracy exhibited task-general features at short SOAs but some task-specific features at long SOAs. EEG results manifest that task-general adjustments had a short-lived effect, whereas task-specific adjustments were long-lasting. Moreover, error awareness specifically conduced to the improvement of subsequent sensory processing and behavior performance in Task 1 (the task where errors occurred). These findings demonstrate that post-error adjustments rely on both transient, task-general interference and longer-lasting, task-specific control mechanisms simultaneously, with error awareness playing a crucial role in determining these mechanisms. We further discuss the contribution of central resources to the task specificity of post-error adjustments.

Regulation of fat crystals in water-in-oil emulsions by high-intensity ultrasound: Crystal size and tracing of droplet distribution.

In this paper, two emulsion systems with high and low solid fat contents were prepared from 20 % water phase and 80 % oil phase by adjusting the palm oil/palm stearin/soybean oil ratio. Different ultrasonic power and time were used for the pretreatment of emulsion with different solid fat content, and the application characteristics of ultrasonic in W/O emulsions were explored and evaluated. Directly using high-intensity ultrasound to prepare fatty emulsions would weaken the hardness and storage modulus G' of the samples. Although ultrasound reduced the size of fat crystals in emulsions, the interaction between water droplets and fat crystals needs to be considered. After ultrasonic treatment, water droplets were difficult to immobilize on the crystal surface and thus acted as an active filler to stabilize the emulsion together with the fat crystal network. In high solid fat emulsion systems, an increase in ultrasound power (from 100 W to 200 W) could more affect the crystallization behavior of fats than an increase in ultrasound duration (from 30 s to 60 s), and the distribution of crystals and droplets was more uniform. In the low solid fat emulsion system, the texture of the sample after ultrasonic treatment was softer, and the surface was more delicate and smoother. However, the higher ultrasonic intensity (200 W) was not conducive to the preparation of the spread. Although the ultrasound with excessive intensity promoted the formation of small crystals, it would also lead to the aggregation of small crystals. These small crystals cannot form a uniform crystal network, which increases the fluidity of emulsions.

The relationship between nonlinear viscoelasticity and baking performance in low-saturated puff pastry margarine.

The oil phase obtained by blending and oleogel methods has potential for the production of non­hydrogenated and low-saturated puff pastry margarine, thereby reducing intakes of both types of dietary fat. The crystal form, microstructure, rheology, and baking applications of puff pastry margarines prepared with anhydrous milk fat (AMF)/palm stearin (POs), POs/palm oil (PO), beef tallow (BT)/PO, or AMF/POs/diacetyl tartaric acid ester of mono(di)glycerides (DATEM) oleogels were investigated using X-ray scattering, polarized light microscope, and rheometer, respectively. All margarines exhibited ß'-form crystal and strongly viscoelastic at low strain. With the addition of DATEM oleogel, their crystal microstructure became more uniform and finer, and the croissants were less hard (1690) and chewiness (160). The chewiness of croissants produced using the margarines was significantly improved with POs content. The theoretical basis for preparation and application in non­hydrogenated and low-saturated puff pastry margarine was provided in the present study.

Bioinspired Photoelectronic Synergy Coating with Antifogging and Antibacterial Properties.

Optically transparent glass with antifogging and antibacterial properties is in high demand for endoscopes, goggles, and medical display equipment. However, many of the previously reported coatings have limitations in terms of long-term antifogging and efficient antibacterial properties, environmental friendliness, and versatility. In this study, inspired by catfish and sphagnum moss, a novel photoelectronic synergy antifogging and antibacterial coating was prepared by cross-linking polyethylenimine-modified titanium dioxide (PEI-TiO2), polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), and poly(acrylic acid) (PAA). The as-prepared coating could remain fog-free under hot steam for more than 40 min. The experimental results indicate that the long-term antifogging properties are due to the water absorption and spreading characteristics. Moreover, the organic-inorganic hybrid of PEI and TiO2 was first applied to enhance the antibacterial performance. The Staphylococcus aureus and the Escherichia coli growth inhibition rates of the as-prepared coating reached 97 and 96% respectively. A photoelectronic synergy antifogging and antibacterial mechanism based on the positive electrical and photocatalytic properties of PEI-TiO2 was proposed. This investigation provides insight into designing multifunctional bioinspired surface materials to realize antifogging and antibacterial that can be applied to medicine and daily lives.

Orienting role of the putative human posterior infero-temporal area in visual attention.

The dorsal attention network (DAN) is a network of brain regions essential for attentional orienting, which includes the lateral intraparietal area (LIP) and frontal eye field (FEF). Recently, the putative human dorsal posterior infero-temporal area (phPITd) has been identified as a new node of the DAN. However, its functional relationship with other areas of the DAN and its specific role in visual attention remained unclear. In this study, we analyzed a large publicly available neuroimaging dataset to investigate the intrinsic functional connectivities (FCs) of the phPITd with other brain areas. The results showed that the intrinsic FCs of the phPITd with the areas of the visual network and the DAN were significantly stronger than those with the ventral attention network (VAN) areas and areas of other networks. We further conducted individual difference analyses with a sample size of 295 participants and a series of attentional tasks to investigate which attentional components each phPITd-based DAN edge predicts. Our findings revealed that the intrinsic FC of the left phPITd with the LIPv could predict individual ability in attentional orienting, but not in alerting, executive control, and distractor suppression. Our results not only provide direct evidence of the phPITd's functional relationship with the LIPv, but also offer a comprehensive understanding of its specific role in visual attention.

IL-6 significantly correlated with the prognosis in low-grade glioma and the mediating effect of immune microenvironment.

To screen immune-related prognostic biomarkers in low-grade glioma (LGG), and reveal the potential regulatory mechanism. The differential expressed genes (DEGs) between alive and dead patients were initially identified, then the key common genes between DEGs and immune-related genes were obtained. Regarding the key DEGs associated with the overall survival (OS), their clinical value was assessed by Kaplan-Meier, RCS, logistic regression, ROC, and decision curve analysis methods. We also assessed the role of immune infiltration on the association between key DEGs and OS. All the analyses were based on the TGCA-LGG data. Finally, we conducted the molecular docking analysis to explore the targeting binding of key DEGs with the therapeutic agents in LGG. Among 146 DEGs, only interleukin-6 (IL-6) was finally screened as an immune-related biomarker. High expression of IL-6 significantly correlated with poor OS time (all P < .05), showing a linear relationship. The combination of IL-6 with IDH1 mutation had the most favorable prediction performance on survival status and they achieved a good clinical net benefit. Next, we found a significant relationship between IL-6 and immune microenvironment score, and the immune microenvironment played a mediating effect on the association of IL-6 with survival (all P < .05). Detailly, IL-6 was positively related to M1 macrophage infiltration abundance and its biomarkers (all P < .05). Finally, we obtained 4 therapeutic agents in LGG targeting IL-6, and their targeting binding relationships were all verified. IL6, as an immune-related biomarker, was associated with the prognosis in LGG, and it can be a therapeutic target in LGG.

Multi-source domain adaptive network based on local kernelized higher-order moment matching for rotating machinery fault diagnosis.

Unsupervised domain adaptation has been extensively researched in rotating-machinery cross-domain fault diagnosis. A multi-source domain adaptive network based on local kernelized higher-order moment matching is constructed in this research for rotating-machinery fault diagnosis. Firstly, a multi-branch network is designed to map each source-target pair to a domain-specific shared space and to extract domain-invariant features using domain adversarial thought. Then, a local kernelized higher-order moment matching algorithm is proposed to perform fine-grained matching in shared category subspace. Finally, a feature fusion strategy based on the local domain distribution deviation is applied to synthesize the output features of multiple classifiers to obtain diagnostic results. The experimental validation of two-branch and three-branch networks on two public datasets is carried out and average diagnostic accuracies both exceed 99%. The results demonstrate the effectiveness and superiority of the approach.

Choice overload interferes with early processing and necessitates late compensation: Evidence from electroencephalogram.

Having a multitude of choices can be advantageous, yet an abundance of options can be detrimental to the decision-making process. Based on existing research, the present study combined electroencephalogram and self-reported methodologies to investigate the neural mechanisms underlying the phenomenon of choice overload. Behavioural data suggested that an increase in the number of options led to negative evaluations and avoidance of choice tendencies, even in the absence of time pressure. Event-related potential results indicated that the large choice set interfered with the early visual process, as evidenced by the small P1 amplitude, and failed to attract more attentional resources in the early stage, as evidenced by the small amplitude of P2 and N2. However, the LPC amplitude was increased in the late stage, suggesting greater investment of attentional resources and higher emotional arousal. Multivariate pattern analysis revealed that the difference between small and large choice set began at around 120 ms, and the early and late stages were characterised by opposite activation patterns. This suggested that too many options interfered with early processing and necessitate continued processing at a later stage. In summary, both behavioural and event-related potential (ERP) results confirm the choice overload effect, and it was observed that individuals tend to subjectively exaggerate the choice overload effect.

Fat analogue emulsions stabilized by peanut protein microgel particles: microscale and nanoscale structure and stabilization process analysis.

BACKGROUND: Biopolymer-based microgels are being regarded increasingly as promising building blocks in food applications. This study aimed to clarify the evolution process of the network for fat analogue emulsions stabilized by peanut protein isolate (PPI) microgel particles. It also investigated the interfacial structure and characteristics of emulsions (50% oil phase, w/w) stabilized by microgels under different pH conditions. RESULTS: There was an increasing interfacial adsorption capacity for PPI microgels over time (from 85.26% to the maximum of 89.78% at 24 h of storage) due to the aggregation of microgels around droplets and the development of cross-linking microgel chains between adjacent interfaces. The increased ß-sheet content (from 35.51% to 41.12%) of adsorbed microgels indicated unfolding and the enhanced aggregation of microgels, which led to stronger droplet interaction. The network evolution observed with different microscopes clarified the transition to a self-supporting emulsion. The uneven adsorption of large microgel aggregates at the oil-water interface promoted larger and deformed droplets, so more fat-like medium internal phase emulsion stabilized by PPI microgel could be obtained by adjusting the microgel pH to 4.5. The interfacial membranes observed by scanning electron microscopy were thicker and coarser at pH 3.0 and 4.5 than those at pH 7.0 and 9.0. The adsorption of PPI microgel aggregates enhanced the structural strength and improved emulsion stability. CONCLUSION: This work could form a basis for further studies relating physical properties to the design of plant protein-based fat analogues. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

An overview of edible foams in food and modern cuisine: Destabilization and stabilization mechanisms and applications.

Foam, as a structured multi-scale colloidal system, is becoming increasingly popular in food because it gives a series of unique textures, structures, and appearances to foods while maintaining clean labels. Recently, developing green and healthy food-grade foaming agents, improving the stability of edible foams, and exploring the application of foam structures and new foaming agents have been the focus of foam systems. This review comprehensively introduces the destabilization mechanisms of foam and summarizes the main mechanisms controlling the foam stability and progress of different food-grade materials (small-molecular surfactants, biopolymers, and edible Pickering particles). Furthermore, the classic foam systems in food and modern cuisine, their applications, developments, and challenges are also underlined. Natural small-molecular surfactants, novel plant/microalgae proteins, and edible colloidal particles are the research hotspots of high-efficiency food-grade foam stabilizers. They have apparent differences in foam stability mechanisms, and each exerts its advantages. However, the development of foam stabilizers remains to be enriched compared with emulsions. Food foams are diverse and widely used, bringing unique enjoyment and benefit to consumers regarding sense, innovation, and health attributes. In addition to industrial inflatable foods, the foam foods in molecular gastronomy are also worthy of exploration. Moreover, edible foams may have greater potential in structured food design, 3D/4D printing, and controlled flavor release in the future. This review will provide a reference for the efficient development of functional inflatable foods and the advancement of foam technologies in modern cuisine.

Edible polysaccharide-based oleogels and novel emulsion gels as fat analogues: A review.

Polysaccharide-based oleogels and emulsion gels have become novel strategies to replace solid fats due to safe and plentiful raw material, healthier fatty acid composition, controllable viscoelasticity, and more varied nutrition/flavor embedding. Recently, various oleogelation techniques and novel emulsion gels have been reported further to enrich the potential of polysaccharides in oil structuring, in which a crucial step is to promote the formation of polysaccharide networks determining gel properties through different media. Meanwhile, polysaccharide-based oleogels and emulsion gels have good oil holding, nutrient/flavor embedding, and 3D food printability, and their applications as fat substitutes have been explored in foods. This paper comprehensively reviews the types, preparation methods, and mechanisms of various polysaccharide-based oleogels and emulsion gels; meanwhile, the food applications and new trends of polysaccharide-based gels are discussed. Moreover, some viewpoints about potential developments and application challenges of polysaccharide-based gels are mentioned. In the future, polysaccharide-based gels may be flexible materials for customized nutritional foods and molecular gastronomy. However, it is still a challenge to select the appropriate oleogels or emulsion gels to meet the requirements of the products. Once this issue is addressed, oleogels and emulsion gels are anticipated to be used widely.

The role of distractors in rapid serial visual presentation reveals the mechanism of attentional blink by EEG-based univariate and multivariate analyses.

Attentional blink pertains to the performance of participants with a severe decline in identifying the second target presented after the first target reported correctly within 200-500 ms in a rapid serial visual presentation. The current study was conducted to investigate the neural mechanism of the effect of the distractor (D1) that immediately follows first target to attentional blink by altering whether D1 was substituted with a blank with electroencephalography recording. The results showed that D1 interfered with the attentional enhancement and working memory encoding in both single-target rapid serial visual presentation task and dual-target rapid serial visual presentation task, which were mainly manifested in delayed and attenuated P3a and diminished P3b of first target. Single-trial analysis indicated that first target and second target will compete with each other for working memory encoding resources in short lag, but not in the long lag. In addition, D1 interfered with the working memory encoding of second target under short lag rather than long lag in the dual-target rapid serial visual presentation task. These results suggested that attentional blink can be attributed to the limited working memory encoding resource, whereas the amount of available resources is subject to modulation by attention. The D1 hinders the attention enhancement of first target, thereby exacerbating attentional blink.

Rewarding outcomes enhance attentional capture and delay attentional disengagement.

Attentional capture and disengagement are distinct process involved in attentional orienting. Most current studies have examined either the process of attentional capture or disengagement by manipulating stimuli associated with either positive (gains) or negative outcomes (losses). However, few studies have investigated whether attentional capture and disengagement are modulated by reward and loss outcomes. In the current study, we want to examine whether positive or negative outcomes could modulate distinguishing process of attentional capture and disengagement. Here, we manipulated different colored singleton stimuli associated with reward or loss outcomes; these stimuli were either presented at the center of screen or at the peripheral location. The participants' task was to search the target and identify the orientation of line segment in target as quickly as possible. The results showed that people had difficulty disengaging from a central reward-distractor, in comparison to loss- and neutral-distractor when target was presented at peripheral location. Similarly, peripheral reward-distractor captured more attention than loss- and neutral-distractor when target was presented at the center of screen after central fixation disappeared. Through our discoveries, we can conclude that positive rewards can increase attentional capture and delay attentional disengagement in healthy people.

A novel fault classification feature extraction method for rolling bearing based on multi-sensor fusion technology and EB-1D-TP encoding algorithm.

To improve the accuracy of bearing fault diagnosis in a multisensor monitoring environment, it is necessary to obtain more accurate and effective fault classification features for bearings. Accordingly, a bearing fault classification feature extraction method based on multisensor fusion technology and an enhanced binary one-dimensional ternary pattern (EB-1D-TP) algorithm were proposed in this study. First, an optimal equalization weighting algorithm was established to realize high-precision fusion of bearing signals by introducing an optimal equalization factor and determining the theoretical optimal equalization factor value. Second, an enhanced binary encoding method similar to balanced ternary encoding was developed, which increases the difference between the different fault features of the bearing. Finally, the new sequence obtained after encoding was used as the input to a support vector machine to classify and diagnose the faults of the rolling bearing. The experimental results show that the algorithm can significantly improve the accuracy and speed of rolling-bearing fault classification. Combining fusion-encoding features with other intelligent classification methods, the classification results were improved.

Development and validation of the thyroid cancer self-perceived discrimination scale to identify patients at high risk for psychological problems.

Objective: To develop a Thyroid Cancer Self-Perceived Discrimination Scale (TCSPDS) to identify patients at high risk for psychological problems and to test its reliability, validity and acceptability. Methods: Using classical test theory, a total of 176 thyroid cancer patients from November 2021 to October 2022 were recruited to develop the TCSPDS. Item analysis was used to improve the preliminary TCSPDS. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and structural equation model (SEM) were used to test the construct validity of the final TCSPDS. Pearson correlation coefficient was used to analyze the validity coefficient between TCSPDS and EORTC QLQ-C30 to test the criterion-related validity (CRV) of the final TCSPDS. The internal consistency coefficient (Cronbach's alpha coefficient), split half reliability (Spearman-Brown coefficient) and test-retest reliability were used to verify the reliability of the final TCSPDS. The questionnaire completion time and effective response rate were used to validate the acceptability of the final TCSPDS. Results: The TCSPDS consisted of 20 items and was divided into 3 subscales: 8 items for stigma, 6 items for self-deprecation, and 6 items for social avoidance. The TCSPDS had good validity (χ2/df=1.971, RMSEA=0.074, GFI=0.921, CFI= 0.930, IFI=0.932, TLI=0.901, Validity coefficient=0.767), reliability (Cronbach's alpha=0.867, Spearman-Brown coefficient=0.828, test-retest reliability coefficient=0.981) and acceptability [average completion time (15.01 ± 1.348 minutes) and an effective response rate of 95.14%]. Patients with higher TCSPDS scores reported a lower quality of life (P<0.05). Conclusion: The TCSPDS could be used for early identification and assessment of the level of self-perceived discrimination in patients with thyroid cancer, which may provide a scientific basis for health education, social support and psychosocial oncology services in the future, especially in Southwest China.

Differences of wax-based emulsion gel in 3D printing performance: Crystal distribution and droplet stability.

Six kinds of natural waxes were used for emulsion gels preparation. The differences in printing performance were explored based on the crystal distribution and droplet stability. Firstly, the effect of crystal distribution was investigated through microstructures and rheological properties. It was found that the dense crystal network/interfacial crystallization could stabilize the droplet and provide modulus to ensure the self-supporting behavior after printing, whereas excessive crystal could lead to droplet rupture and coalescence. Furthermore, all emulsion gels could recrystallize by heating, which could enhance the performance of 3D printing. Then, the droplet stability was investigated after storing/freeze-thawing. It was found that emulsion gels with dense crystal networks/interfacial crystallization had more stable droplets, which ensure the continuous extrusion during printing. Finally, printing performance was investigated comprehensively. Three emulsion gels with denser crystal networks/interfacial crystallization had higher recovery rates (16.17-21.15%) and more stable droplets, which perform better in 3D printing correspondingly.

Network Structure and Nanoplatelet Characterization of the Edible Fat Crystallization in Low-Fat W/O Emulsions.

Fat crystals provided the strength of the colloidal network in W/O emulsions and stabilized water droplets. To understand the stabilizing effect of fat-regulated emulsions, W/O emulsions with different edible fats were fabricated. The result indicated that more stable W/O emulsions were produced by palm oil (PO) and palm stearin (PS), whose proportions of fatty acids were similar. Meanwhile, water droplets inhibited the crystallization of emulsified fats but participated in the formation of the colloidal network with fat crystals in emulsions, and the Avrami equation showed a slower crystallization rate of emulsified fats than the corresponding fat blends. However, water droplets participated in the formation of a colloidal network of fat crystals in emulsions, and the adjacent fat crystals were connected through a bridge constructed by water droplets. Fats in the emulsion containing palm stearin crystallized faster and more easily formed the ß-polymorph. The small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) data were interpreted by the unified fit model to determine the average size of crystalline nanoplatelets (CNPs). The larger CNPs (>100 nm) with a rough surface of emulsified fats and a uniform distribution of their aggregates was confirmed.