Bactericidal effect of ultrasound on glutinous rice during soaking and its influence on physicochemical properties of starch and quality characteristics of sweet dumplings.

The soaking process of glutinous rice allows the growth and reproduction of microorganisms, which can easily cause food safety problems. In this work, the effects of different ultrasonic powers (150 W, 300 W, 450 W, and 600 W) on the bactericidal effect of glutinous rice, the physicochemical properties of starch and the quality characteristics of sweet dumplings were studied. Compared with soaking for 0 and 2 h, sonication of glutinous rice after soaking for 4 h was more effective at reducing the number of microorganisms in soaked glutinous rice, and the bactericidal effect increased with increasing ultrasound intensity. After 30 min, the total number of bacteria decreased by 2.04 log CFU/g. Moreover, ultrasonic treatment destroys the grain structure of glutinous rice starch, resulting in the formation of dents and cracks on the starch surface, increasing the amylose content, improving its expansion, reducing its short-range order and relative crystallinity, and altering its gelatinization characteristics. In addition, ultrasonic treatment increased the soup transparency of sweet dumplings from 51.8 % to 63.95 %, reducing their hardness, chewiness and adhesiveness. In summary, ultrasonic treatment can not only effectively kill microorganisms in soaked glutinous rice but also improve the quality of glutinous rice dumplings by changing the physicochemical properties of glutinous rice starch. The results of this study provide theoretical support for the application of ultrasonic technology in glutinous rice food production.

Comparative genomic analysis and multilocus sequence typing of Staphylococcus aureus reveals candidate genes for low-temperature tolerance.

Staphylococcus aureus is one of the most frequently detected foodborne pathogens in cold chain foods. Worryingly, small colony variants (SCVs) can survive in cold environments for a long time and can revert to rapidly growing cells in suitable environments, causing serious food safety issues. This study investigated the underlying mechanism of SCV formation at low temperature (4 °C) via comparative genomics. Multilocus sequence typing (MLST) of 105 strains of S. aureus was divided into 9 sequence types. The ST352 strains exhibited the greatest tolerance to low temperature, with a mean reduction in survival rate of 10.34 % (p < 0.05). Comparative genomics revealed a total of 1941 core genes in the three S. aureus strains, and BB-1 had 468 specific genes, which were enriched mainly in translation, DNA recombination, DNA repair, metabolic pathways, two-component systems, and quorum sensing. Molecular docking analysis revealed that the binding of the RsbW protein to the SigB protein of BB-1 decreased due to base mutations in rsbW, while the binding to the RsbV protein was enhanced. In addition, the results of real-time quantitative PCR showed that the RsbV-RsbW/SigB system of BB-1 may play a role in the low-temperature survival of S. aureus and the formation of SCVs. These results suggest that genes specific to BB-1 may contribute to the mechanism of adaptation to low temperature and the formation of SCVs. This study helps elucidate the causes of SCV formation by S. aureus at low temperature at the molecular level and provides a basis for exploring the safety control of cold chain food environments.

Cortical microstructural brain network mediates the association between personality trait of agreeableness and life satisfaction.

Personality traits are commonly regarded as relatively stable, whereas life satisfaction can fluctuate with time and circumstances, shaped by external influences and personal encounters. The correlation between personality traits and life satisfaction is well-established, yet the underlying neural mechanisms of the myelin-based microstructural brain network connecting them remain unclear. Here, we constructed individual-level whole-brain myelin microstructural networks from the MRI data of 1,043 healthy adults and performed correlation analysis to detect significant personality trait-related and life satisfaction-related subnetworks. A mediation analysis was used to verify whether the shared structural basis of personality traits and life satisfaction significantly mediated their association. The results showed that agreeableness positively correlated with life satisfaction. We identified a shared structural basis of the personality trait of agreeableness and life satisfaction. The regions comprising this overlapping network include the superior parietal lobule, inferior parietal lobule, and temporoparietal junction. Moreover, the shared microstructural connections mediate the association between the personality trait of agreeableness and life satisfaction. This large-scale neuroimaging investigation substantiates a mediation framework for understanding the microstructural connections between personality and life satisfaction, offering potential targets for assessment and interventions to promote human well-being.

Ultra-low loss SiN edge coupler interfacing with a single-mode fiber.

In this work, an ultra-low loss silicon nitride (SiN) edge coupler was designed and fabricated to interface with a single-mode fiber (SMF). Unlike other works that focus on the core structure, this work focuses on the cladding structure. First, it is demonstrated that the cladding structure ultimately determines the size and shape of the mode when the taper tip width is small enough. Then, the thickness of the up-cladding is optimized to provide enough space for mode expansion in the vertical direction. Air trenches are added to confine the mode laterally. In addition, the refractive index (RI) of the up-cladding layer is slightly increased to prevent light from leaking into the Si substrate. This edge coupler is then fabricated on the SiN platform at Chongqing United Microelectronics Center. For the TE mode at 1630 nm, a coupling loss of 0.67 dB/facet was obtained. At 1550 nm, 0.85 dB/facet and 1.09 dB/facet were measured for the TE and TM modes, respectively, which means that the polarization-dependent loss is 0.24 dB. Although the design method and the structure are based on a pure SiN platform, they are applicable to a silicon-on-insulator platform as well.

Comparative Transcriptomic Analysis of Staphylococcus aureus Reveals the Genes Involved in Survival at Low Temperature.

In food processing, the temperature is usually reduced to limit bacterial reproduction and maintain food safety. However, Staphylococcus aureus can adapt to low temperatures by controlling gene expression and protein activity, although its survival strategies normally vary between different strains. The present study investigated the molecular mechanisms of S. aureus with different survival strategies in response to low temperatures (4 °C). The survival curve showed that strain BA-26 was inactivated by 6.0 logCFU/mL after 4 weeks of low-temperature treatment, while strain BB-11 only decreased by 1.8 logCFU/mL. Intracellular nucleic acid leakage, transmission electron microscopy, and confocal laser scanning microscopy analyses revealed better cell membrane integrity of strain BB-11 than that of strain BA-26 after low-temperature treatment. Regarding oxidative stress, the superoxide dismutase activity and the reduced glutathione content in BB-11 were higher than those in BA-26; thus, BB-11 contained less malondialdehyde than BA-26. RNA-seq showed a significantly upregulated expression of the fatty acid biosynthesis in membrane gene (fabG) in BB-11 compared with BA-26 because of the damaged cell membrane. Then, catalase (katA), reduced glutathione (grxC), and peroxidase (ahpC) were found to be significantly upregulated in BB-11, leading to an increase in the oxidative stress response, but BA-26-related genes were downregulated. NADH dehydrogenase (nadE) and α-glucosidase (malA) were upregulated in the cold-tolerant strain BB-11 but were downregulated in the cold-sensitive strain BA-26, suggesting that energy metabolism might play a role in S. aureus under low-temperature stress. Furthermore, defense mechanisms, such as those involving asp23, greA, and yafY, played a pivotal role in the response of BB-11 to stress. The study provided a new perspective for understanding the survival mechanism of S. aureus at low temperatures.

Topography of Visual Features in the Human Ventral Visual Pathway.

Visual object recognition in humans and nonhuman primates is achieved by the ventral visual pathway (ventral occipital-temporal cortex, VOTC), which shows a well-documented object domain structure. An on-going question is what type of information is processed in the higher-order VOTC that underlies such observations, with recent evidence suggesting effects of certain visual features. Combining computational vision models, fMRI experiment using a parametric-modulation approach, and natural image statistics of common objects, we depicted the neural distribution of a comprehensive set of visual features in the VOTC, identifying voxel sensitivities with specific feature sets across geometry/shape, Fourier power, and color. The visual feature combination pattern in the VOTC is significantly explained by their relationships to different types of response-action computation (fight-or-flight, navigation, and manipulation), as derived from behavioral ratings and natural image statistics. These results offer a comprehensive visual feature map in the VOTC and a plausible theoretical explanation as a mapping onto different types of downstream response-action systems.

In situ formation and superior lithium storage properties of tentacle-like ZnO@NC@CNTs composites.

As a typical conversion-type electrode, ZnO has high theoretical Li+ storage capacity and is low cost. However, its practical application is far away due to its limited rate performance and cycle stability. Herein, a novel structure of double carbon coated tentacle-like ZnO composite has been synthesized, which features in situ grown carbon nanotubes (CNTs) embedded in yolk-shell polyhedra, consisting of nitrogen-doped carbon layer (NC) coated ZnO nanoparticles (ZnO@NC@CNTs). Excellent rate performance and good cycling stability are observed in the obtained ZnO@NC@CNTs, including a high reversible capacity of 800 and 617 mA h g-1 at 0.1 and 1.0 A g-1 and a low capacity decay of only 0.019% per cycle during 1000 cycles at 1.0 A g-1. The unique structure of this double carbon NC@CNTs host can not only enhance electron transport throughout the whole electrode but also well accommodate the volume changes of ZnO during cycling, resulting in improved rate capability and cycle stability. In addition, the porous yolk-shell structure of the ZnO@NC@CNTs composite provides better contact between the electrolyte and active material, which enhances both capacity and rate performance of the electrode.

In Situ Synthesis and Unprecedented Electrochemical Performance of Double Carbon Coated Cross-Linked Co3O4.

Improving the structural stability and the electron/ion diffusion rate across whole electrode particles is crucial for transition metal oxides as next-generation anodic materials in lithium-ion batteries. Herein, we report a novel structure of double carbon-coated Co3O4 cross-linked composite, where the Co3O4 nanoparticle is in situ covered by nitrogen-doped carbon and further connected by carbon nanotubes (Co3O4 NP@NC@CNTs). This double carbon-coated Co3O4 NP@NC@CNTs framework not only endows a porous structure that can effectively accommodate the volume changes of Co3O4, but also provides multidimensional pathways for electronic/ionic diffusion in and among the Co3O4 NPs. Electrochemical kinetics investigation reveals a decreased energy barrier for electron/ion transport in the Co3O4 NP@NC@CNTs, compared with the single carbon-coated Co3O4 NP@NC. As expected, the Co3O4 NP@NC@CNT electrode exhibits unprecedented lithium storage performance, with a high reversible capacity of 1017 mA h g-1 after 500 cycles at 1 A g-1, and a very good capacity retention of 75%, even after 5000 cycles at 15 A g-1. The lithiation/delithiation process of Co3O4 NP@NC@CNTs is dominated by the pseudocapacitive behavior, resulting in excellent rate performance and durable cycle stability.