EXPRESS: Age-related contextual cueing features are more evident in reaction variability than in reaction time.

Visual-spatial contextual cueing learning underpins the daily lives of older adults, enabling them to navigate their surroundings, perform daily activities, and maintain cognitive function. While the contextual cueing effect has received increasing attention from researchers, the relationship between this cognitive ability and healthy aging remains controversial. To investigate whether visual-spatial contextual cueing learning declines with age, we examined the contextual learning patterns of older (60-71 years old) and younger adults (18-26 years old) using a contextual-guided visual search paradigm and response variability measurements. We observed significant contextual learning effects in both age groups, impacting response speed and variability, with these effects persisting for at least 24 days. However, older adults required more repetitions and memorized fewer repeated stimuli during initial learning. Interestingly, their long-term memory maintenance appeared stronger, as their contextual facilitation persisted in both response speed and variability, while younger adults only persisted in response speed but not variability. Overall, our results suggest an age-related complex and diverse contextual cueing pattern, with older adults showing weaker learning but stronger long-term memory maintenance compared to younger adults.

Post-translational modifications in stress granule and their implications in neurodegenerative diseases.

Stress granules (SGs) arise as formations of mRNAs and proteins in response to translation initiation inhibition during stress. These dynamic compartments adopt a fluidic nature through liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS), exhibiting a composition subject to constant change within cellular contexts. Research has unveiled an array of post-translational modifications (PTMs) occurring on SG proteins, intricately orchestrating SG dynamics. In the realm of neurodegenerative diseases, pathological mutant proteins congregate into insoluble aggregates alongside numerous SG proteins, manifesting resilience against disassembly. Specific PTMs conspicuously label these aggregates, designating them for subsequent degradation. The strategic manipulation of aberrant SGs via PTMs emerges as a promising avenue for therapeutic intervention. This review discerns recent strides in comprehending the impact of PTMs on LLPS behavior and the assembly/disassembly kinetics of SGs. By delving into the roles of PTMs in governing SG dynamics, we augment our cognizance of the molecular underpinnings of neurodegeneration. Furthermore, we offer invaluable insights into potential targets for therapeutic intervention in neurodegenerative afflictions, encompassing conditions like amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia.

Chemical constituents, pharmacological action, antitumor application, and toxicity of Strychnine Semen from Strychnons pierriana A.W.Hill.: A review.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: The dried and mature seeds of Strychnons pierriana A.W.Hill. have been called Strychnine Semen(S. Semen). It have been used in traditional Chinese medicine for nearly 400 years. In recent decades, scholars at home and abroad have widely used S. Semen in the treatment of tumor diseases, showing good anti-tumor effects. In this paper, the modern research achievements of S. Semen are reviewed, including traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacology, and toxicology. AIM OF THE STUDY: In recent years, the research on S. Semen has increased gradually, especially the research on its anti-tumor. This paper not only reviewed the traditional uses, chemical constituents and pharmacological activities of S. Semen, but also comprehensively listed the mechanisms of Strychnos in the treatment of different tumors, providing a review for further research and development of Strychnos resources. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A systematic review of the literature on Fuzi was performed using several resources, namely classic books on Chinese herbal medicine and various scientific databases, such as PubMed, the Web of Science, and the China Knowledge Resource Integrated databases. RESULTS: The main constituents of S. Semen include alkaloids, terpenoids, steroids, and their glycosides. Modern studies have proved that S. Semen has a wide range of pharmacological effects, including anti-inflammatory and analgesic, anti-thrombotic, myocardial cell protection, immune regulation, nerve excitation, and anti-tumor effects. Among them, the anti-tumor effect has been the focus of research in recent years. S. Semen have a certain therapeutic effect on many kinds of tumors, such as liver cancer, colon cancer, and stomach cancer in the digestive system, breast, cervical, and ovarian cancer in the reproductive system, myeloma and leukemia in the blood system, and those in the nervous system and the immune system. CONCLUSION: Strychnine has an inhibitory effect on a variety of tumors. However, modern studies of strychnine are incomplete, and more in-depth studies are needed on its stronger bioactive constituents and potential pharmacological effects. The antitumor effect of Strychnine is worth further exploration.

The interconnection of endoplasmic reticulum and microtubule and its implication in Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia.

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and microtubule (MT) network form extensive contact with each other and their interconnection plays a pivotal role in ER maintenance and distribution as well as MT stability. The ER participates in a variety of biological processes including protein folding and processing, lipid biosynthesis, and Ca2+ storage. MTs specifically regulate cellular architecture, provide routes for transport of molecules or organelles, and mediate signaling events. The ER morphology and dynamics are regulated by a class of ER shaping proteins, which also provide the physical contact structure for linking of ER and MT. In addition to these ER-localized and MT-binding proteins, specific motor proteins and adaptor-linking proteins also mediate bidirectional communication between the two structures. In this review, we summarize the current understanding of the structure and function of ER-MT interconnection. We further highlight the morphologic factors which coordinate the ER-MT network and maintain the normal physiological function of neurons, with their defect causing neurodegenerative diseases such as Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia (HSP). These findings promote our understanding of the pathogenesis of HSP and provide important therapeutic targets for treatment of these diseases.

Both Clathrin-Mediated and Membrane Microdomain-Associated Endocytosis Contribute to the Cellular Adaptation to Hyperosmotic Stress in Arabidopsis.

As sessile organisms, plants must directly deal with an often complex and adverse environment in which hyperosmotic stress is one of the most serious abiotic factors, challenging cellular physiology and integrity. The plasma membrane (PM) is the hydrophobic barrier between the inside and outside environments of cells and is considered a central compartment in cellular adaptation to diverse stress conditions through dynamic PM remodeling. Endocytosis is a powerful method for rapid remodeling of the PM. In animal cells, different endocytic pathways are activated in response to osmotic stress, while only a few reports are related to the endocytosis response pathway and involve a mechanism in plant cells upon hyperosmotic stress. In this study, using different endocytosis inhibitors, the microdomain-specific dye di-4-ANEPPDHQ, variable-angle total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy (VA-TIRFM), and confocal microscopy, we discovered that internalized Clathrin Light Chain-Green Fluorescent Protein (CLC-GFP) increased under hyperosmotic conditions, accompanied by decreased fluorescence intensity of CLC-GFP at the PM. CLC-GFP tended to have higher diffusion coefficients and a fraction of CLC-GFP molecules underwent slower diffusion upon hyperosmotic stress. Meanwhile, an increased motion range of CLC-GFP was found under hyperosmotic treatment compared with the control. In addition, the order of the PM decreased, but the order of the endosome increased when cells were in hyperosmotic conditions. Hence, our results demonstrated that clathrin-mediated endocytosis and membrane microdomain-associated endocytosis both participate in the adaptation to hyperosmotic stress. These findings will help to further understand the role and the regulatory mechanism involved in plant endocytosis in helping plants adapt to osmotic stress.

Multiregional profiling of the brain transmembrane proteome uncovers novel regulators of depression.

Transmembrane proteins play vital roles in mediating synaptic transmission, plasticity, and homeostasis in the brain. However, these proteins, especially the G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), are underrepresented in most large-scale proteomic surveys. Here, we present a new proteomic approach aided by deep learning models for comprehensive profiling of transmembrane protein families in multiple mouse brain regions. Our multiregional proteome profiling highlights the considerable discrepancy between messenger RNA and protein distribution, especially for region-enriched GPCRs, and predicts an endogenous GPCR interaction network in the brain. Furthermore, our new approach reveals the transmembrane proteome remodeling landscape in the brain of a mouse depression model, which led to the identification of two previously unknown GPCR regulators of depressive-like behaviors. Our study provides an enabling technology and rich data resource to expand the understanding of transmembrane proteome organization and dynamics in the brain and accelerate the discovery of potential therapeutic targets for depression treatment.

Hydrophobic Ionic Liquid Gel-Based Triboelectric Nanogenerator: Next Generation of Ultrastable, Flexible, and Transparent Power Sources for Sustainable Electronics.

Wearable devices have become a research hotspot due to their prospective applications in wireless sensor networks and the Internet of Things. However, these technologies demand the generation of new power sources, which are efficient, flexible, sustainable, and stable. Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs), as a new type of power supply, have been widely studied for environmental energy harvesting and self-powered sensing; however, they have vastly limited stretchability, flexibility, and stability. For the first time, we report a single-electrode TENG based on hydrophobic ionic liquid gel, which is simultaneously transparent (average transmittance of 89% for visible light), stretchable (400%), and has super-stability-up to 3 months in various weather conditions (from -25 to +60 °C and humidity up to 80%). This TENG was used to power a vast range of flexible electronics, including 30 green light-emitting diodes (LEDs), an arch-shaped finger-bending sensor, and a transparent keyboard. This work provides a creative platform to access the next-generation sustainable wearable electronics.

Salience processing by glutamatergic neurons in the ventral pallidum.

Organisms must make sense of a constant stream of sensory inputs from both internal and external sources which compete for attention by determining which ones are salient. The ability to detect and respond appropriately to potentially salient stimuli in the environment is critical to all organisms. However, the neural circuits that process salience are not fully understood. Here, we identify a population of glutamatergic neurons in the ventral pallidum (VP) that play a unique role in salience processing. Using cell-type-specific fiber photometry, we find that VP glutamatergic neurons are robustly activated by a variety of aversion- and reward-related stimuli, as well as novel social and non-social stimuli. Inhibition of the VP glutamatergic neurons reduces the ability to detect salient stimuli in the environment, such as aversive cue, novel conspecific and novel object. Besides, VP glutamatergic neurons project to both the lateral habenula (LHb) and the ventral tegmental area (VTA). Together, our findings demonstrate that the VP glutamatergic neurons participate in salience processing and therefore provide a new perspective on treating several neuropsychiatric disorders, including dementia and psychosis.

Whole-Brain Mapping of Monosynaptic Afferent Inputs to Cortical CRH Neurons.

Corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) is a critical neuropeptide modulating the mammalian stress response. It is involved in many functional activities within various brain regions, among which there is a subset of CRH neurons occupying a considerable proportion of the cortical GABAergic interneurons. Here, we utilized rabies virus-based monosynaptic retrograde tracing system to map the whole-brain afferent presynaptic partners of the CRH neurons in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). We find that the ACC CRH neurons integrate information from the cortex, thalamus, hippocampal formation, amygdala, and also several other midbrain and hindbrain nuclei. Furthermore, our results reveal that ACC CRH neurons receive direct inputs from two neuromodulatory systems, the basal forebrain cholinergic neurons and raphe serotoninergic neurons. These findings together expand our knowledge about the connectivity of the cortical GABAergic neurons and also provide a basis for further investigation of the circuit function of cortical CRH neurons.

Reward Inhibits Paraventricular CRH Neurons to Relieve Stress.

Chronic, uncontrollable stress can lead to various pathologies [1-6]. Adaptive behaviors, such as reward consumption, control excessive stress responses and promote positive health outcomes [3, 7-10]. Corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRH) neurons in paraventricular nucleus (PVN) represent a key neural population organizing endocrine, autonomic, and behavioral responses to stress by initiating hormonal cascades along the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and orchestrating stress-related behaviors through direct projections to limbic and autonomic brain centers [11-18]. Although stress and reward have been reported to induce changes of c-Fos and CRH expression in PVN CRH neurons [19-23], it has remained unclear how these neurons respond dynamically to rewarding stimuli to mediate the stress-buffering effects of reward. Using fiber photometry of Ca2+ signals within genetically identified PVN CRH neurons in freely behaving mice [24-26], we find that PVN CRH neurons are rapidly and strongly inhibited by reward consumption. Reward decreases anxiety-like behavior and stress-hormone surge induced by direct acute activation of PVN CRH neurons or repeated stress challenge. Repeated stress upregulates glutamatergic transmission and induces an N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR)-dependent burst-firing pattern in these neurons, whereas reward consumption rebalances the synaptic homeostasis and abolishes the burst firing. Anatomically, PVN CRH neurons integrate widespread information from both stress- and reward-related brain areas in the forebrain and midbrain, including multiple direct long-range GABAergic afferents. Together, these findings reveal a hypothalamic circuit that organizes adaptive stress response by complementarily integrating reward and stress signals and suggest that intervention in this circuit could provide novel methods to treat stress-related disorders.

Average intensity of M × N Gaussian array beams in oceanic turbulence.

Based on the power spectrum of oceanic turbulence proposed by Nikishov, the analytical expressions for average intensity of M×N Gaussian array beams propagating in oceanic turbulence are derived, where the coherent and incoherent combinations are considered. Using the focused beam, the intensity can be received at the same point. The changes of the average intensity versus three oceanic parameters are investigated.

Bisphenol A affects germination and tube growth in Picea meyeri pollen through modulating Ca2+ flux and disturbing actin-dependent vesicular trafficking during cell wall construction.

Bisphenol A (BPA), a widespread pollutant, is reportedly harmful to humans, animals and plants. However, the effect of BPA on plant pollen tube growth, as well as the mechanism involved, remains unclear. Here, we report that BPA significantly inhibited Picea meyeri pollen germination and tube elongation in a dose-dependent manner. Transmission electron microscopy showed that BPA was detrimental to organelles such as mitochondria and Golgi apparatus. Non-invasive detection revealed that BPA inhibited extracellular Ca(2+) influx and promoted intracellular Ca(2+) efflux at the pollen tube tip, thereby inducing a dissipated Ca(2+) gradient. Fluorescence labeling showed that BPA disorganized actin filaments (AFs), which subsequently led to abnormal vesicle trafficking. Furthermore, BPA reduced the activity of acid phosphatase, a typical exocytosis enzyme. Moreover, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis and subsequent fluorescence labeling revealed that BPA induced an abnormal deposition of cell wall components, including pectins and callose. Taken together, our results indicate that BPA, a ubiquitous environmental pollutant, disturbs Ca(2+) flux in P. meyeri pollen tubes, thus disrupting AF organization, resulting in abnormal actin-dependent vesicle trafficking and further affecting the deposition of cell wall components. These findings provide new insight into the mechanism of BPA toxicity in pollen tube tip growth.

Influence of oceanic turbulence on propagation of a radial Gaussian beam array.

The analytical expression for the root-mean-square (Rms) beam width of the radial Gaussian beam array propagating in oceanic turbulence is derived, where the coherent combination is considered. Meanwhile, the analytical expression for effect of the turbulence on the beam F is also obtained. Giving a comparison of results of F calculated by the analytical expression and the previously integrating one, it can be seen that the two results are in agreement with each other exactly. Further, the influences of the rate of dissipation of mean-squared temperatureχ(T), the rate of dissipation of kinetic energy per unit mass of seawater εand the ratio of temperature to salinity contribution to the refractive index spectrum w are investigated. The results indicate that the Rms beam width increases as χ(T) increases, εdecreases and the salinity-induced turbulence dominates. Moreover, the changings of effective radius of curvature with mentioned above parameters are studied. The strength of turbulence determines the value of effective radius of curvature, and which decreases asχ(T) and w increases, and εdecreases.

The effect of type II collagen on MSC osteogenic differentiation and bone defect repair.

The function of type II collagen in cartilage is well documented and its importance for long bone development has been implicated. However, the involvement of type II collagen in bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cell (BMSC) osteogenesis has not been well investigated. This study elucidated the pivotal role of type II collagen in BMSC osteogenesis and its potential application to bone healing. Type II collagen-coated surface was found to accelerate calcium deposition, and the interaction of osteogenic medium-induced BMSCs with type II collagen-coated surface was mainly mediated through integrin α2ß1. Exogenous type II collagen directly activated FAK-JNK signaling and resulted in the phosphorylation of RUNX2. In a segmental defect model in rats, type II collagen-HA/TCP-implanted rats showed significant callus formation at the reunion site, and a higher SFI (sciatic function index) scoring as comparing to other groups were also observed at 7, 14, and 21 day post-surgery. Collectively, type II collagen serves as a better modulator during early osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs by facilitating RUNX2 activation through integrin α2ß1-FAK-JNK signaling axis, and enhance bone defect repair through an endochondral ossification-like process. These results advance our understanding about the cartilaginous ECM-BMSC interaction, and provide perspective for bone defect repair strategies.

Two-wavelength ghost imaging through atmospheric turbulence.

Recent work has indicated that ghost imaging might find useful application in standoff sensing where atmospheric turbulence is a serious problem. There has been theoretical study of ghost imaging in the presence of turbulence. However, most work has addressed signal-wavelength ghost imaging. Two-wavelength ghost imaging through atmospheric turbulence is theoretically studied in this paper. Based on the extended Huygens-Fresnel integral, the analytical expressions describing atmospheric turbulence effects on the point spread function (PSF) and field of view (FOV) are derived. The computational case is also reported.

Adaptive optical ghost imaging through atmospheric turbulence.

We demonstrate for the first time (to our knowledge) that a high-quality image can still be obtained in atmospheric turbulence by applying adaptive optical ghost imaging (AOGI) system even when conventional ghost imaging system fails to produce an image. The performance of AOGI under different strength of atmospheric turbulence is investigated by simulation. The influence of adaptive optics system with different numbers of adaptive mirror elements on obtained image quality is also studied.

Light filaments with higher-order Kerr effect.

The influence mechanism of higher-order Kerr effect on the propagation of laser beam is investigated by a modified model, which indicates that a collapsing wave will transform into a universe blowup profile. The analysis of higher-order terms of the nonlinear refractive index shows that the filamentation process can be induced by Kerr self-focusing without the occurrence of the ionization effect. The determining role of the combination of self-focusing and spontaneous defocusing and the energy reservoir in formation of lengthy filament is confirmed visually.

Primitive results after medial-pivot knee arthroplasties: a minimum 5-year follow-up study.

Paradoxical anterior movement of the femoral condyles after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) often attenuates the extension mechanism and causes a suboptimal outcome. The medial-pivot implant design aimed to confine anterior movement and emulate physiologic knee kinematics. In our study, a consecutive series of 58 medial-pivot TKA were enrolled with a minimum 5-year follow-up. The Knee Society score improved from 30.5 to 91.1 in objective and from 36.7 to 82.3 in functional scale. The average range of motion was 115.4 degrees . The medial-pivot TKA provided significant improvement in the postoperative range of motion, objective Knee Society score, pain scale, and functional score (P < .05) statistically. A larger sample and longer follow-up are recommended to draw definitive conclusions of this new implant design.

Acetabular revision arthroplasty using jumbo cups: an experience in Asia.

INTRODUCTION: Variable degrees of bony deficiencies often complicate revisional arthrolasties of acetabular components and represent challenges to orthopedic surgeons. Many solutions exist and cementless jumbo cup reconstruction had been proven to be a feasible and successful method. Our study aimed to access the results of these cementless giant cups for managing acetabular bony defect at one institute. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between March 2000 and March 2003, 47 revisions of the failed acetabular components using the so-called "Jumbo Acetabular Cups" were enrolled in our study. All cases were followed for at least 4 years. We defined the size of the jumbo cups for the Asians to be of an outside diameter of 64 mm for men and 60 mm for women, which were 2 mm smaller than the commonly used definition in the Western countries. The radiographic outcomes and the migration of hip centers were analyzed. The endurance of these giant sockets was estimated by the Kaplan-Meier analysis. RESULTS: After a mean follow-up of 65 months, only three implant failures requiring re-revision were identified. The estimated 5-year survival rate according to the Kaplan-Meier analysis was 94.5%. Radiographic analysis demonstrated an improvement of vertical hip center from 31 to 27 mm proximal to the interteardrop line. Eight (17%) cups exhibited radiolucent line around the bone-prosthesis interface but did not attenuate implant instability. The complication rate was not high. Dislocation happened in five (11%) patients. One deep infection was successfully reconstructed in stage surgeries after eradication of the infection. CONCLUSION: With the aid of novel implant-coating technique and materials, jumbo cup reconstruction can achieve stability and longevity through an adequate peripheral ring-contact, regardless of inadequate implant to host bone contact. We believe that this is a reliable and easily performed reconstruction for acetabular defect.

Interlocking nails for displaced metaphyseal fractures of the distal tibia.

Metaphyseal fractures of the distal tibia near the ankle joint are difficult to manage. Poor soft tissue coverage and comminution of the fracture complicate open reduction. This prospective study aims to evaluate the practicability of using interlocking nails to treat such fractures. Using the method of closed reduction and internal fixation with a shortened tibial interlocking nail, 20 consecutive cases of distal tibial metaphyseal fractures within 4 cm of the ankle joint line were enrolled from 1997 to 2001. All patients received regular post-operative radiographic check-up and the ankle function was evaluated with the Iowa Ankle-Evaluation rating system. Our result was satisfactory and all of the fractures united solidly with a mean union time of 17.2 weeks. No major complication occurred. We conclude that tibial interlocking nailing is a reliable and safe method for managing metaphyseal fractures of the distal tibia near the ankle joint.