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ObjectiveThis study aimed to explore whether olfactory response can be a sign of consciousness and represent higher cognitive processing in patients with disorders of consciousness (DoC) using clinical and electroencephalogram data.MethodsTwenty-eight patients with DoC [13 vegetative states (VS)/unresponsive wakefulness syndrome (UWS) and 15 minimally conscious states (MCS)] were divided into two groups: the presence of olfactory response (ORES) group and the absence of olfactory response (N-ORES) group according to behavioral signs from different odors, i.e., vanillin, decanoic acid, and blank stimuli. We recorded an olfactory task-related electroencephalogram (EEG) and analyzed the relative power and functional connectivity at the whole-brain level in patients with DoC and healthy controls (HCs). After three months, the outcomes of DoC patients were followed up using the coma recovery scale-revised (CRS-R).ResultsA significant relationship was found between olfactory responses and the level of consciousness (χ2(1) = 6.892, p = 0.020). For olfactory EEG, N-ORES patients showed higher theta functional connectivity than ORES patients after stimulation with vanillin (p = 0.029; p = 0.027). Patients with N-ORES showed lower alpha and beta relative powers than HCs at the group level (p = 0.019; p = 0.033). After three months, 62.5% (10/16) of the ORES patients recovered consciousness compared to 16.7% (2/12) in the N-ORES group. The presence of olfactory response was significantly associated with an improvement in consciousness (χ2(1) = 5.882, p = 0.023).ConclusionOlfactory responses should be considered signs of consciousness. The differences in olfactory processing between DoC patients with and without olfactory responses may be a way to explore the neural correlates of olfactory consciousness in these patients. The olfactory response may help in the assessment of consciousness and may contribute to therapeutic orientation.

Background Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), as a non-invasive brain stimulation technique, has shown potentials for consciousness recovery of patients with disorders of consciousness (DoC), as, to a certain extent, it is effective in regulating the excitability of central nervous system. However, it is difficult to achieve satisfactory effect with “one size fits all” rTMS treatment due to different clinical conditions of patients. There is an urgent need to develop individualized strategy to improve the effectiveness of rTMS on patients with DoC. Methods Our protocol is a randomized double-blind sham-controlled crossover trial that includes 30 DoC patients. Each patient will received 20 sessions, in which 10 sessions will be rTMS-active stimulus, and the other 10 sessions will be sham stimulus, separated by no less than 10 days’ washout period. The rTMS-active will include 10 Hz rTMS over the individualized-targeted selection area for each patient according to the different insult regions of the brain. Coma Recovery Scale-Revised (CRS-R) will be used as primary outcome at baseline, after the first stage of stimulation, at the end of the washout period, and after the second stage of stimulation. Secondary outcomes will be measured at the same time, including efficiency, relative spectral power, and functional connectivity of high-density electroencephalograph (EEG). Adverse events will be recorded during the study. Discussion rTMS has obtained grade A evidence in treating patients with several central nervous system diseases, and there has been some evidence showing partial improvement on level of consciousness in DoC patients. However, the effectiveness of rTMS in DoC is only 30~36%, mostly due to the non-specific target selection. In this protocol, we present a double-blind crossover randomized sham-controlled trial based on the individualized-targeted selection strategy that aims to study the effectiveness of rTMS therapy for DoC, and the result may provide new insights to non-invasive brain stimulation. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT05187000. Registered on January 10, 2022.

BackgroundRecent studies have shown that patients with disorders of consciousness (DoC) can benefit from repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) therapy. The posterior parietal cortex (PPC) is becoming increasingly important in neuroscience research and clinical treatment for DoC as it plays a crucial role in the formation of human consciousness. However, the effect of rTMS on the PPC in improving consciousness recovery remains to be studied.MethodWe conducted a crossover, randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled clinical study to assess the efficacy and safety of 10 Hz rTMS over the left PPC in unresponsive patients. Twenty patients with unresponsive wakefulness syndrome were recruited. The participants were randomly divided into two groups: one group received active rTMS treatment for 10 consecutive days (n = 10) and the other group received sham treatment for the same period (n = 10). After a 10-day washout period, the groups crossed over and received the opposite treatment. The rTMS protocol involved the delivery of 2000 pulses/day at a frequency of 10 Hz, targeting the left PPC (P3 electrode sites) at 90% of the resting motor threshold. The primary outcome measure was the JFK Coma Recovery Scele-Revised (CRS-R), and evaluations were conducted blindly. EEG power spectrum assessments were also conducted simultaneously before and after each stage of the intervention.ResultrTMS-active treatment resulted in a significant improvement in the CRS-R total score (F = 8.443, p = 0.009) and the relative alpha power (F = 11.166, p = 0.004) compared to sham treatment. Furthermore, 8 out of 20 patients classified as rTMS responders showed improvement and evolved to a minimally conscious state (MCS) as a result of active rTMS. The relative alpha power also significantly improved in responders (F = 26.372, p = 0.002) but not in non-responders (F = 0.704, p = 0.421). No adverse effects related to rTMS were reported in the study.ConclusionsThis study suggests that 10 Hz rTMS over the left PPC can significantly improve functional recovery in unresponsive patients with DoC, with no reported side effects.Clinical trial registrationwww.ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier: NCT05187000.

Lithium–sulfur (Li–S) batteries are the most promising next-generation energy storage devices owing to their excellent theoretical specific capacity (1675 mA h g−1) and the abundant availability of sulfur resources at low costs. However, serious shuttle effects and sluggish reaction kinetics obstruct the practical implementation of Li–S batteries. Herein, a functional separator modified with polytetraphenylporphyrin cobalt adsorbed onto multi-walled carbon nanotubes (PTPPCo/MWCNT) was fabricated by a simple vacuum filtration method. Because of the excellent conductivity of the MWCNT as well as the enhanced chemical adsorption and powerful catalytic activity of PTPPCo, the shuttle effect was effectively suppressed and the reaction kinetics were greatly enhanced. Consequently, the Li–S cells with the modified functional separator PTPPCo/MWCNT showed a prominent initial reversible capacity of 1330 mA h g−1 at a current density of 0.2C, enhanced rate performance, outstanding cycling stability (with a slight average capacity decay of 0.038% per cycle at 2C for 500 cycles), and excellent anti-self-discharge ability.

ObjectiveWhen regaining consciousness, patients who emerge from a minimally conscious state (EMCS) present with different levels of functional disability, which pose great challenges for treatment. This study investigated the frontoparietal activity in EMCS patients and its effects on functional disability.Materials and methodsIn this preliminary study, 12 EMCS patients and 12 healthy controls were recruited. We recorded a resting-state scalp electroencephalogram (EEG) for at least 5 min for each participant. Each patient was assessed using the disability rating scale (DRS) to determine the level of functional disability. We analyzed the EEG power spectral density and sensor-level functional connectivity in relation to the patient’s functional disability.ResultsIn the frontoparietal region, EMCS patients demonstrated lower relative beta power (P < 0.01) and higher weighted phase lag index (wPLI) values in the theta (P < 0.01) and gamma (P < 0.01) bands than healthy controls. The frontoparietal theta wPLI values of EMCS patients were positively correlated with the DRS scores (rs = 0.629, P = 0.029). At the whole-brain level, EMCS patients only had higher wPLI values in the theta band (P < 0.01) than healthy controls. The whole-brain theta wPLI values of EMCS patients were also positively correlated with the DRS scores (rs = 0.650, P = 0.022). No significant difference in the power and connectivity between the frontoparietal region and the whole brain in EMCS patients was observed.ConclusionEMCS patients still experience neural dysfunction, especially in the frontoparietal region. However, the theta connectivity in the frontoparietal region did not increase specifically. At the level of the whole brain, the same shift could also be seen. Theta functional connectivity in the whole brain may underlie different levels of functional disability.

Background: Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), as a non-invasive brain stimulation technique, has shown potentials for consciousness recovery of patients with disorders of consciousness (DoC), as it is effective in regulating the excitability of central nervous system. However it is difficult to achieve satisfactory effect with “one size fits all” rTMS treatment due to different clinical conditions of patients. There is an urgent need to develop individualized strategy to improve the effectiveness rTMS on patients with DoC.Methods: Our protocol is a randomized double-blind sham-controlled crossover trial that includes 30 DoC patients. Each patient will received 20 sessions, in which 10 sessions will be rTMS-active stimulus and the other 10 sessions will be sham stimulus, separated by no less than 10 days’ washout period. The rTMS-active will include 10 Hz rTMS over the individualized-targeted selection area for each patient according to the different insult regions of the brain. Coma Recovery Scale-Revised (CRS-R) will be used as primary outcome at baseline, after the first stage of stimulation, at the end of the washout period and after the second stage of stimulation. Secondary outcomes will be measured at the same time, including efficiency, relative spectral power and functional connectivity of high-density electroencephalo-graph (EEG). Adverse events will be recorded during the study.Discussion: rTMS has obtained Grade A evidence in treating patients with several central nervous system diseases, and there has been some evidence showing partial improvement on level of consciousness in DoC patients. However, the effectiveness of rTMS in DoC is only 30%~36%, mostly due to the non-specific target selection. In this protocol, we present a double-blind crossover randomized sham-controlled trial based on the individualized-targeted selection strategy that aims to study the effectiveness of rTMS therapy for DoC, and the result may provide new insights to non-invasive brain stimulation.Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT05187000. Registered on January 10, 2022.

Background: Neuropathic pain is a common chronic pain caused by a lesion or diseases of somatosensory nervous system, which has a significant impact on the quality of life. It has been found that its underling pathological mechanism is related to inflammation. Daphnetin is a natural product with a variety of biological activities such as anti-inflammatory and analgesic. It has been shown to be effective in the treatment of chronic inflammatory pain, but its underlying mechanisms are not completely understood. We aimed to evaluate the effect and regulatory mechanism of daphnetin on neuropathic pain.Methods: The experimental animals were divided into 8 groups: control group, model group, sham group, positive group (0.0375mg/kg), DAPH group (0.0625mg/kg), DAPL group (0.025mg/kg), P2X4 blocker group (1mg/kg) and P38 blocker group (5mg/kg). After constructing the subdural drug delivery system in rats, the neuropathic pain model was established by chronic constrictive injury (CCI), and the pain sensitivity was evaluated by measuring mechanical withdrawal threshold (MWT) and thermal withdrawal threshold (TWT). The protein expression of inflammatory factors and related pathways was measured by Western Blot. The activation of microglia and neurons and the expression of target protein in spinal dorsal horn were measured by immunofluorescence staining.Results: Compared with the sham group, MWT and TWT decreased significantly in model group, and the expression of IL-1 β, IL-6 and TNF-α increased. After intrathecal injection of daphnetin, the MWT and TWT of rats were significantly increased, and the protein expression of IL-1 β, IL-6 and TNF- α was significantly decreased compared with the model group. Compared with sham group, the expression of P2X4, IRF8, IRF5, BDNF, p-P38 / P38, p-JNK / JNK and p-ERK1/2 / ERK1/2 in model group increased significantly. After intrathecal injection of daphnetin, the expression of the above proteins was significantly down-regulated compared with model group. Compared with sham group, microglia and neurons in the spinal dorsal horn of model group were activated, and the expression of P2X4 and P38 in microglia increased. After intrathecal injection of daphnetin, compared with the model group, the activation of microglia and neurons in the spinal dorsal horn decreased significantly, and the expression of P2X4 and P38 in microglia decreased. Importantly, daphnetin could not improve neuropathic pain in CCI rats under the action of P2X4 and P38 blocker.Conclusion: daphnetin can alleviate neuropathic pain in CCI model rats by interfering with P2X4-P38 MAPK pathway of microglia, suggesting that daphnetin is a potential drug for the treatment of neuropathic pain.

Objective. This study is to explore key immune markers and changes of immune microenvironment in neuropathic pain (NeuP). Method. The data sets of GSE145199 and GSE145226 in Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database was used to analyze, and the key immune markers were verified by GSE70006 and GSE91396, and the infiltration degree of immune cells in different samples were analyzed by CIBERSORT analysis package. Results. In this study, we found a key immune marker, namely, LANCL1. Regulatory axis closely related to LANCL1 has also been found, namely, miR-6325/LANCL1 axis. In the immune infiltration analysis, we also found that the LANCL1 is positively correlated with T cells CD4 naïve ( r = 0.880 , p < 0.05 ). Conclusion. In this study, we found that LANCL1 may be a protective factor for NeuP, and the miR-6325/LANCL1 axis may be involved in the occurrence and development of NeuP. Cascade reactions including mast cells, macrophages, and T cells may be an important reason for the aggravation of nerve damage.

Neuropathic pain (NP) is a common pain disease that seriously affects the quality of life and physical and mental health of patients. Daphnetin is extracted from the Daphne giraldii Nitsche and has the structure of 7,8-dihydroxy coumarin. As a natural product, daphnetin displays a wide range of pharmacological activities, such as analgesia and anti-inflammatory activities, but whether it is able to improve NP through anti-inflammatory effects is unknown. Therefore, this paper intends to investigate the mechanism of daphnetin in improving NP rats affected by the intrathecal injection of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) from the perspective of anti-inflammation. Our results showed that daphnetin significantly improved hyperalgesia in NP rats. Daphnetin inhibited the activation and polarization of glial cells and neurons in the spinal cord of NP rats and reduced the expression of mRNA and protein of inflammatory factors and chemokine pairs in the spinal cord. Daphnetin inhibited the polarization of human microglia cell 3 (HMC3) cells and human glioma cells (U251) cells toward M1 microglia and A1 astrocytes, respectively, and induced the conversion of M1 microglia and A1 astrocytes to M2 microglia and A2 astrocytes, respectively. In conclusion, daphnetin ameliorates NP by inhibiting the expression of inflammatory factors and chemokines and the polarization of glial cells in the spinal cord of NP rats. This study provides a theoretical basis for the treatment of NP with daphnetin to expand the clinical application of daphnetin.

The aim of this meta‐analysis was to review systematically and to identify the relationship between the severity and location of white matter hyperintensities (WMHs) and the degree of cognitive decline in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD). We searched the PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, Ovid, and Cochrane Library databases for clinical trials of the severity and location of WMHs on the degree of cognitive impairment in PD through October 2020. We conducted the survey to compare the association of WMH burden in patients with PD with mild cognitive impairment (PD‐MCI) versus those with normal cognition (PD‐NC) and in patients with PD with dementia (PDD) versus those with PD without dementia (PD‐ND). Nine studies with PD‐MCI versus PD‐NC and 10 studies with PDD versus PD‐ND comparisons were included. The WMH burden in PD‐MCI patients was significantly different compared to that in PD‐NC patients (standard mean difference, SMD = 0.39, 95% CI: 0.12 to 0.66, p = 0.005), while there was no correlation shown in the age‐matched subgroup of the comparison. In addition, PDD patients had a significantly higher burden of WMHs (SMD = 0.8, 95% CI: 0.44 to 1.71, p

The unique features of bioresources such as cellulose and bio-wax include renewability, biodegradability, low cost, and abundance on Earth. Therefore, their efficient use is essential for a sustainable economy. Herein, we report a facile method for the surface modification of pretreated cotton with a bio-wax emulsion in water and Fe3O4 nanoparticles to fabricate a green, durable, magnetic, and superhydrophobic/superoleophilic absorbent for the sorption of oil and organic solvents. Magnetic superhydrophobic cotton (MSC) was successfully prepared via a simple two-step dip-coating method without using any toxic organic reagents. The as-prepared MSC was used to selectively absorb various types of oils and organic solvents up to approximately 20-50 times its own weight. Furthermore, it exhibited a stable magnetic responsivity and high reusability in oil/water separation cycles. In addition, the removal and collection of the absorbed oil/organic solvents were easily achieved with distillation and a vacuum air pump. Moreover, the as-prepared MSC was used in a heavy oil/water gravity-separation filter system and in the continuous collection of a light oil from water surfaces using a pump. The proposed concept may provide a green and sustainable strategy for fabricating superhydrophobic/superoleophilic materials for efficient sorption of oils and organic solvents.

This paper investigates the impact of Variable Message Sign (VMS), stochasticity and hierarchy on the performance of a road network in the context of four typical Logit model types. These models are multinomial Logit (MNL), C-Logit (CL), Path Size Logit (PSL) and Cross-nested Logit (CNL). We quantify the road hierarchy and use the quantified hierarchy to calculate generalized path costs. Then, VMS information is quantified and integrated with the hierarchical property to calculate road “length. Furthermore, these calculation methods are applied to propose modified versions of the MNL, CL, PSL and CNL. Numerical calculations produce negative values of the dispersion elasticity and hierarchical elasticity of total travel time costs obtained from each Logit model. The results also show that the dispersion parameter, hierarchical structure and VMS information have significant and different impacts on the elasticity. The quantitative interactions among these factors, models and performance are practically useful for network design and management.

Herein, we report a synthesis of multicomponent Pt/PtTe2/NiCoTe2 and N, P, F ternary doped carbon composites showing a morphology of folded hollow microspheres (Pt/PtTe2/NiCoTe2/NPFC HFSs) by a facile hydrothermal method with the assistance of ionic liquid. Pt, PtTe2, and NiCoTe2 produced by one step of tellurization process were encapsulated in carbon, which protected Pt/PtTe2/NiCoTe2 from corrosion in acidic and alkaline conditions. The synergistic effects of Pt/PtTe2/NiCoTe2 can improve the HER performance. With the addition of ionic liquid, abundant folds and N, P, F ternary doped carbon were obtained, leading to increased specific surface area, faster electron transfer, as well as more active sites. Thanks to these advantages, Pt/PtTe2/NiCoTe2/NPFC HFSs show excellent performance in HER (when the current density achieved 10 mA cm−2, the overpotentials were respectively 34, 43, and 36 mV in acidic (0.5 M H2SO4), alkaline (1 M KOH), and neutral (1.0 M PBS) solutions. This study offers a simple strategy for modifying the morphology and element doping to enhance electrochemical performance.

A fairy simple and environmental hydrothermal method is successfully found to synthesize the anode materials integrated by NiFe2O4 (NFO) and ultrathin flake graphite (UFG)，which are denoted as NFO/UFG composites. Then a couple of experiments have been implemented in order to search for the most profitable proportion of UFG in the composite. And it's finally attested that NFO/UFG-2 composite exhibits the most beneficial morphology structure which is characterized as three-dimensional floral NFO microspheres assembled by many porous nanosheets anchored on the pedestal of UFG by SEM test and further TEM measurement. Not only that, the NFO/UFG-2 composite is also investigated to acquire the best electrochemical performances. It shows a most stable long-term cycling performance with a high initial coulombic efficiency of 83.4% and even obtains a high specific capacity of 963.4 mAh g-1 after 300 cycles at a current density of 200 mA g-1 and remarkable reversibility not only at low current densities but also at high current densities. Satisfactorily the good synergy of porous NFO and UFG significantly enhances the electronic conductivity and relieves the huge bulk expansion of traditional transition metal oxide. This unique electrode material is demonstrated to be a promising candidate for the new-generation LIBs.

This paper firstly establishes four variational inequalities for stochastic traffic assignment by quantifying information utility of Variable Message Signs (VMS) and hierarchy of transport network. When VMS systems are operated in the higher level of roads such as arterials, the attenuation factor of information utility is integrated with information quantity to define a new formulation of the impact coefficient of VMS on traffic flow, which appears in the definitions of link and path lengths, and allocation parameters. Furthermore, equivalent Variational Inequalities (VIs) of Logit models considering these elements are developed and proved. A case study was conducted using the VI models on a hierarchical road network. We get some practically meaningful results, for example, VMS information can improve hierarchical network performance by interacting with traffic flow in all models except the C-Logit model and hierarchical level can improve network performance. Among the results, the most important is that the C-Logit or path-size Logit will produce a flow pattern with less fluctuation of traffic densities among links and is less affected by stochastic factors than the multinomial Logit and cross-nested Logit in a stochastic hierarchical road network.

It has been well documented that speakers produce rapid compensatory vocal adjustments for errors they perceive in their auditory feedback. The fact that they differ greatly in the degree to which they compensate for perceived errors, however, has received much less attention. The present study investigated whether intrinsic brain activity during resting can predict an individual's behavioral and cortical responses in compensating for pitch-shifted auditory feedback during vocalization. This relationship was investigated by correlating the regional homogeneity (ReHo) of resting-state fMRI signals with the vocal compensation and event-related potentials (N1 and P2) in response to pitch shifts of -200 and -500 cents. Behaviorally, the magnitudes of vocal compensation were significantly correlated with the ReHo values in the right supplementary motor area (SMA) for both -200 and -500 cents, the right primary motor cortex (M1) for -200 cents, and the left premotor cortex (PMC) for -500 cents. For both pitch shift sizes, there were significant correlations between ReHo and N1 amplitude in the left inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), right superior temporal gyrus (STG), bilateral M1, and left SMA. Significant correlations between ReHo and P2 amplitude were observed in the bilateral IFG, right STG, left SMA and M1 for -200 and -500 cents, the left PMC for -200 cents, and the right SMA for -500 cents. These findings provide the first evidence that regional homogeneity of intrinsic brain activity can predict behavioral and cortical responses in compensating for pitch errors in voice auditory feedback.

Several studies have shown sensorimotor deficits in speech processing in individuals with idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD). The underlying neural mechanisms, however, remain poorly understood. In the present event-related potential (ERP) study, 18 individuals with PD and 18 healthy controls were exposed to frequency-altered feedback (FAF) while producing a sustained vowel and listening to the playback of their own voice. Behavioral results revealed that individuals with PD produced significantly larger vocal compensation for pitch feedback errors than healthy controls, and exhibited a significant positive correlation between the magnitude of their vocal responses and the variability of their unaltered vocal pitch. At the cortical level, larger P2 responses were observed for individuals with PD compared with healthy controls during active vocalization due to left-lateralized enhanced activity in the superior and inferior frontal gyrus, premotor cortex, inferior parietal lobule, and superior temporal gyrus. These two groups did not differ, however, when they passively listened to the playback of their own voice. Individuals with PD also exhibited larger P2 responses during active vocalization when compared with passive listening due to enhanced activity in the inferior frontal gyrus, precental gyrus, postcentral gyrus, and middle temporal gyrus. This enhancement effect, however, was not observed for healthy controls. These findings provide neural evidence for the abnormal auditory-vocal integration for voice control in individuals with PD, which may be caused by their deficits in the detection and correction of errors in voice auditory feedback. Hum Brain Mapp 37:4248-4261, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Instructing individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD) to speak loudly and clearly with external cues leads to improvements of their speech in loudness, pitch, and articulatory movement, but the underlying neural mechanisms are largely unknown. The present event-related potential study investigated whether and how external cueing can facilitate auditory-motor control of speech production in PD. Individuals with PD and healthy controls produced sustained vowels with internal and external auditory cues while hearing their voice pitch-shifted -200 cents. Individuals with PD produced significantly larger vocal compensations than healthy controls in the internally cued condition and exhibited a significant decrease in the magnitudes of vocal compensations with external cueing. Moreover, individuals with PD produced significantly smaller N1 responses and larger P2 responses in the externally versus internally cued condition and exhibited a significant correlation between decreased vocal compensations and increased P2 amplitudes after external cueing. These findings provide the first neurobehavioral evidence that external auditory cueing can compensate for impaired auditory-motor processing of vocal feedback errors associated with PD in a top-down manner.

A new route for the in-situ formation of silver-polypyrrole (Ag-PPy) on the layer of SiO2@poly(sodium styrene sulphonate) (SiO2@PSS/Ag-PPy) composite particles, using SiO2@poly(sodium styrene sulphonate) (SiO2@PSS) particles as a template is presented. The template SiO2@PSS consisting of a SiO2 core and PSS on the surface was prepared by the ‘grafting from’ approach. SiO2@PSS/Ag-PPy was characterised by transmission electron microscopy, X-ray powder diffraction, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopic analysis, thermo-gravimetric analysis and differential thermal analysis. The results showed that the SiO2@PSS/Ag-PPy composites consisting of a spherical structure with a diameter of about 80 nm were successfully fabricated.

A polypyrrole (PPy) using TiO2 nanotube@poly(sodium styrene sulfonate) (TiO2@PSS) as dopant and template was synthesized by chemical oxidation polymerization. The template TiO2@PSS consisting of a TiO2 nanotube core and PSS on the surface was prepared by a “grafting from” approach. PPy on the layer of TiO2@PSS (TiO2@PSS/PPy) was characterized by transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Fourier-transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR), Raman spectroscopic analysis, UV-visible (UV-vis) spectroscopy, thermo gravimetric analysis, and electrical conductivity analysis. Results showed that TiO2@PSS/PPy was successfully fabricated. The electrical conductivity of the TiO2@PSS/PPy nanocomposites at room temperature was 11.6 S cm−1, which was higher than that of the PPy (4.2 S cm−1). This result was consistent with those based on FTIR, UV-vis spectroscopy, and XPS analyses. The nanocomposites have nanoparticle size and controllable morphology and thus potential applications in photoelectrochemical devices, photocatalytic devices, conductive inks, electronic printing sensors, and electrodes. POLYM. COMPOS., 2014. © 2014 Society of Plastics Engineers

Temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) is the most common drug-refractory focal epilepsy in adults. Previous research has shown that patients with TLE exhibit decreased performance in listening to speech sounds and deficits in the cortical processing of auditory information. Whether TLE compromises auditory-motor integration for voice control, however, remains largely unknown. To address this question, event-related potentials (ERPs) and vocal responses to vocal pitch errors (1/2 or 2 semitones upward) heard in auditory feedback were compared across 28 patients with TLE and 28 healthy controls. Patients with TLE produced significantly larger vocal responses but smaller P2 responses than healthy controls. Moreover, patients with TLE exhibited a positive correlation between vocal response magnitude and baseline voice variability and a negative correlation between P2 amplitude and disease duration. Graphical network analyses revealed a disrupted neuronal network for patients with TLE with a significant increase of clustering coefficients and path lengths as compared to healthy controls. These findings provide strong evidence that TLE is associated with an atypical integration of the auditory and motor systems for vocal pitch regulation and that the functional networks that support the auditory-motor processing of pitch feedback errors differ between patients with TLE and healthy controls.

The impacts of advanced traveler information system’s (ATIS’s) penetration and compliance rates on network performances during hybrid traffic emergency evacuation are investigated in a degraded road network. Before traffic incident a Path-Size Logit (PSL) route choice model is integrated with constraints on the level of service (LOS) of traffic to formulate a bilevel programming model. It aims at minimizing traffic demand in road network which may locally deteriorate the LOS. The lower level is a PSL-stochastic user equilibrium model for multiple classes of users. During the ongoing incident, a multiobjective multiuser-class stochastic optimization model is established with the objectives of maximizing evacuation reliability and minimizing expected network travel time. Furthermore, computations and analyses are completed for five designated scenarios including a method proposed in previous literature. The results show that the evacuation reliability and different kinds of total expected travel time costs regularly increase with emergency traffic’s ATIS compliance rate and decrease with general traffic’s ATIS penetration rate. The research will help improve transport network performance when considering ATIS’s effect on hybrid traffic.

Several studies have shown sensorimotor deficits in speech processing in individuals with idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD). The underlying neural mechanisms, however, remain poorly understood. In the present event‐related potential (ERP) study, 18 individuals with PD and 18 healthy controls were exposed to frequency‐altered feedback (FAF) while producing a sustained vowel and listening to the playback of their own voice. Behavioral results revealed that individuals with PD produced significantly larger vocal compensation for pitch feedback errors than healthy controls, and exhibited a significant positive correlation between the magnitude of their vocal responses and the variability of their unaltered vocal pitch. At the cortical level, larger P2 responses were observed for individuals with PD compared with healthy controls during active vocalization due to left‐lateralized enhanced activity in the superior and inferior frontal gyrus, premotor cortex, inferior parietal lobule, and superior temporal gyrus. These two groups did not differ, however, when they passively listened to the playback of their own voice. Individuals with PD also exhibited larger P2 responses during active vocalization when compared with passive listening due to enhanced activity in the inferior frontal gyrus, precental gyrus, postcentral gyrus, and middle temporal gyrus. This enhancement effect, however, was not observed for healthy controls. These findings provide neural evidence for the abnormal auditory–vocal integration for voice control in individuals with PD, which may be caused by their deficits in the detection and correction of errors in voice auditory feedback. Hum Brain Mapp 37:4248–4261, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Working memory training can improve the performance of tasks that were not trained. Whether auditory-motor integration for voice control can benefit from working memory training, however, remains unclear. The present event-related potential (ERP) study examined the impact of working memory training on the auditory-motor processing of vocal pitch. Trained participants underwent adaptive working memory training using a digit span backwards paradigm, while control participants did not receive any training. Before and after training, both trained and control participants were exposed to frequency-altered auditory feedback while producing vocalizations. After training, trained participants exhibited significantly decreased N1 amplitudes and increased P2 amplitudes in response to pitch errors in voice auditory feedback. In addition, there was a significant positive correlation between the degree of improvement in working memory capacity and the post-pre difference in P2 amplitudes. Training-related changes in the vocal compensation, however, were not observed. There was no systematic change in either vocal or cortical responses for control participants. These findings provide evidence that working memory training impacts the cortical processing of feedback errors in vocal pitch regulation. This enhanced cortical processing may be the result of increased neural efficiency in the detection of pitch errors between the intended and actual feedback.