Artificial Stimulation Research Articles

The Biomimetic Electrical Stimulation System Inducing Osteogenic Differentiations of BMSCs.

Electrical stimulation has been used clinically as an adjunct therapy to accelerate the healing of bone defects, and its mechanism requires further investigations. The complexity of the physiological microenvironment makes it challenging to study the effect of electrical signal on cells alone. Therefore, an artificial system mimicking cell microenvironment in vitro was developed to address this issue. In this work, a novel electrical stimulation system was constructed based on polypyrrole nanowires (ppyNWs) with a high aspect ratio. Synthesized ppyNWs formed a conductive network in the composited hydrogel which contained modified gelatin with methacrylate, providing a conductive cell culture matrix for bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells. The dual-network conductive hydrogel had improved mechanical, electrical, and hydrophilic properties. It was able to imitate the three-dimensional structure of the cell microenvironment and allowed adjustable electrical stimulations in the following system. This hydrogel was integrated with cell culture plates, platinum electrodes, copper wires, and external power sources to construct the artificial electrical stimulation system. The optimum voltage of the electrical stimulation system was determined to be 2 V, which exhibited remarkable biocompatibility. Moreover, this system had significant promotion in cell spreading, osteogenic makers, and bone-related gene expression of stem cells. RNA-seq analysis revealed that osteogenesis was correlated to Notch, BMP/Smad, and calcium signal pathways. It was proven that this biomimetic system could regulate the osteogenesis procedure, and it provided further information about how the electrical signal regulates osteogenic differentiations.

Investigating the effects of artificial baroreflex stimulation on pain perception: A comparative study in no-pain and chronic low back pain individuals.

The autonomic nervous system (ANS) and pain exhibit a reciprocal relationship, where acute pain triggers ANS responses, whereas resting ANS activity can influence pain perception. Nociceptive signalling can also be altered by 'top-down' processes occurring in the brain, brainstem and spinal cord, known as 'descending modulation'. By employing the conditioned pain modulation (CPM) paradigm, we previously revealed a connection between reduced low-frequency heart rate variability and CPM. Individuals with chronic pain often experience both ANS dysregulation and impaired CPM. Baroreceptors, which contribute to blood pressure and heart rate variability regulation, may play a significant role in this relationship, although their involvement in pain perception and their functioning in chronic pain have not been sufficiently explored. In the present study, we combined artificial 'baroreceptor stimulation' in both pressure pain and CPM paradigms, seeking to explore the role of baroreceptors in pain perception and descending modulation. In total, 22 individuals with chronic low back pain (CLBP) and 29 individuals with no-pain (NP) took part in the present study. We identified a differential modulation of baroreceptor stimulation on pressure pain between the groups of NP and CLBP participants. Specifically, NP participants perceived less pain in response to baroreflex activation, whereas CLBP participants exhibited increased pain sensitivity. CPM scores were associated with baseline measures of baroreflex sensitivity in both CLBP and NP participants. Our data support the importance of the baroreflex in chronic pain and a possible mechanism of dysregulation involving the interaction between the ANS and descending pain modulation. KEY POINTS: Baroreflex stimulation has different effects on pressure pain in participants with chronic pain compared to matched individuals with no-pain. Baroreceptor activation decreases pain in participants with no-pain but increases pain perception in participants with chronic pain. Baroreflex sensitivity is associated with conditioned pain modulation in both groups of chronic pain and no-pain participants. The reactivity of the baroreflex during autonomic stress demonstrated a positive correlation with Pain Trait scores in participants with chronic back pain.

Optimality of multisensory integration while compensating for uncertain visual target information with artificial vibrotactile cues during reach planning

BackgroundPlanning and executing movements requires the integration of different sensory modalities, such as vision and proprioception. However, neurological diseases like stroke can lead to full or partial loss of proprioception, resulting in impaired movements. Recent advances focused on providing additional sensory feedback to patients to compensate for the sensory loss, proving vibrotactile stimulation to be a viable option as it is inexpensive and easy to implement. Here, we test how such vibrotactile information can be integrated with visual signals to estimate the spatial location of a reach target.MethodsWe used a center-out reach paradigm with 31 healthy human participants to investigate how artificial vibrotactile stimulation can be integrated with visual-spatial cues indicating target location. Specifically, we provided multisite vibrotactile stimulation to the moving dominant arm using eccentric rotating mass (ERM) motors. As the integration of inputs across multiple sensory modalities becomes especially relevant when one of them is uncertain, we additionally modulated the reliability of visual cues. We then compared the weighing of vibrotactile and visual inputs as a function of visual uncertainty to predictions from the maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) framework to decide if participants achieve quasi-optimal integration.ResultsOur results show that participants could estimate target locations based on vibrotactile instructions. After short training, combined visual and vibrotactile cues led to higher hit rates and reduced reach errors when visual cues were uncertain. Additionally, we observed lower reaction times in trials with low visual uncertainty when vibrotactile stimulation was present. Using MLE predictions, we found that integration of vibrotactile and visual cues followed optimal integration when vibrotactile cues required the detection of one or two active motors. However, if estimating the location of a target required discriminating the intensities of two cues, integration violated MLE predictions.ConclusionWe conclude that participants can quickly learn to integrate visual and artificial vibrotactile information. Therefore, using additional vibrotactile stimulation may serve as a promising way to improve rehabilitation or the control of prosthetic devices by patients suffering loss of proprioception.

Efficacy of Natural Artificial Saliva and Natural Saliva Stimulant in Xerostomia: A Review

Xerostomia, characterized by reduced salivary flow, leads to significant health issues that compromise oral health-related quality of life (OHRQOL). Current therapeutic approaches for xerostomia include artificial saliva and saliva stimulants, which aim to restore moisture and lubrication to oral surfaces. Natural products have been utilized in medical applications for centuries due to their bioactive compounds that exhibit a wide range of pharmacological activities. However, their efficacy in treating xerostomia remains unclear. This review aims to assess the efficacy of natural artificial saliva and natural saliva stimulants in treating xerostomia. Methods, the data synthesis followed a rapid review protocol by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis Protocols (PRISMA-P). Electronic databases were searched for articles published from 2004 to 2024 that evaluated the efficacy of natural artificial saliva and natural saliva stimulants for xerostomia Results obtained from PubMed and ScienceDirect databases identified 37 scientific articles, of which 7 met the inclusion criteria. This review study found that a combination of Malva sylvestris and Alcea digitata, lycopene-enriched virgin olive oil, a combination of Matricaria chamomilla and Linum usitatissimum, Althaea officinalis, and licorice improved xerostomia-related symptoms enhanced patient quality of life. Conclusion, natural compounds exhibit pharmacological activity in reducing xerostomia symptoms and improving quality of life (QoL). They show potential as constituents of artificial saliva and saliva stimulants.

Design and simulation of artificial retinal stimulation IC with switched capacitor using Si nanowire optical properties.

This study introduces an approach for converting the current from a sensor into controllable voltage. To this end, a switched-capacitor structure was integrated to provide efficient current-to-voltage conversion. The generated voltage was further regulated by an operational amplifier current source, enhancing stability and precision. An n-type metal oxide semiconductor field-effect transistor structure under an H-bridge was integrated into the system to achieve fine-tuned control over current stimulation. This component contributed to voltage regulation and enabled bi-directional control of current flow, offering versatility in adjusting current amplitudes using working and counter electrodes. This dynamic control mechanism was pivotal for effectively controlling the intensity of current stimulation. We applied Verilog-A modeling to simulate the optical characteristics of Si nanowires. The proposed system efficiently converted sensor-derived current into voltage using a switched-capacitor structure. Simultaneously, the precision was enhanced via operational amplifier regulation and n-type metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor-based H-bridge control. The simulation showed a current stimulus amplitude ranging from 2 to 13 μA for a variable photocurrent of Si nanowires (Rex: 10 kΩ, pulse: 100 Hz, 1 ms). The ability to finely control current stimulation intensity holds promise for diverse applications requiring accurate and adjustable current manipulation. This study contributes to the growing field of sensor technology by offering a unique perspective on the integration of nanostructures and electronic components for an enhanced control and functionality.

Extended Laterals and Hydraulic Fracturing Redevelop Tight Fractured Carbonates

_ This article, written by JPT Technology Editor Chris Carpenter, contains highlights of paper SPE 216292, “Redevelopment of Tight Fractured Carbonates Through Extended Laterals and Hydraulic Fracturing,” by Antonio Buono, Cameron Taylor, and Alyssa Dordan, SPE, ExxonMobil, et al. The paper has not been peer reviewed. _ In the complete paper, the authors compare development scenarios in a fractured carbonate play between historic vertical and short horizontal development and modern hydraulically fractured extended lateral development. Because of its long production history and recent redevelopment efforts, the Austin Chalk was chosen as a natural laboratory to test how recent artificial stimulation techniques can lead to additional production from a wider range of pore systems. Development of the Austin Chalk In recent years, application of modern unconventional multistage hydraulic fracturing techniques, coupled with adding proppant to support induced fracture networks, mitigated the steep decline seen in historic production profiles. These improvements were exemplified in a recent Austin Chalk redevelopment where modern completions led to an increase in estimated ultimate recovery (EUR) by 250% on average. In the targeted area of development, historic, short Austin Chalk laterals without modern completions exhibited a wide range of well performance. Some outlier wells achieved high recoveries from accessing an existing natural fracture network with the original completion, whereas others, after only a few months of economic production, were unable to achieve continuous flow without a propped stimulation. The differences in performance partially can be explained by the fact that the reservoir quality of different intervals within the Austin Chalk is likely highly variable. This is exemplified in the B-2 Zone, which contains a well-developed vertical fracture network with variable lengths. Data suggest that the natural fractures are confined within the B-2 and it is geomechanically less-susceptible to wellbore collapse than zones with higher clay concentrations. The B-2 is likely a stiffer interval than the E Zone. This implies that differences exist in the properties of these units that are caused by changes in mineralogy and cementation. The authors aim to characterize reservoir quality and hydrocarbon distributions of the fractured relatively clean zones compared with the hydraulically stimulated reservoir in relatively “dirty” chalky zones, and evaluate geomechanical properties and production expectations from each zone. Depositionally, these units can be characterized broadly as carbonate-rich with subordinate siliciclastic detritus composed of clay minerals and silt-sized quartz and plagioclase grains. These units all contain distinctive stylolite seams. The most-favorable hydrocarbon shows typically are in the lower members of the Austin Chalk. Production data show that natural-fracture-only production (heritage) generally has lower total EUR with highly variable well-to-well production profiles vs. fracture and matrix production, which the authors write that they believe is achieved when unconventional technology is applied to these reservoirs. To project from heritage chalk production to expected EUR using modern completions, the authors used a risked EUR scaling factor of 1.5×. Consequently, the potential uplift in economic viability was recognized through a multiwell Austin Chalk appraisal to assess well-to-well communication with Eagle Ford codevelopment. The authors’ appraisal evaluated reservoir-quality differences between the main landing zones in the Austin Chalk with those from the E Zone of the Austin Chalk and Upper Eagle Ford, respectively, to demonstrate how significant economic uplift can be realized in mature, tight carbonate fields with unconventional technology.

Insight into the Imbibition Behavior of Low-Frequency Artificial Vibration Stimulation in Tight Sandstone.

Spontaneous imbibition is the primary mechanism responsible for the enhanced oil production in a tight reservoir after hydraulic fracturing. In this article, a low-frequency artificial vibration physics stimulation method was employed to evaluate the effect of low-frequency vibration on imbibition recovery in tight sandstones. Furthermore, a high-precision in situ computed tomography (CT) scan was employed to investigate the effect of low-frequency vibration on the distribution of remaining oil micro-occurrence dynamic alterations in pore space. The findings of the study show that (1) low-frequency artificial physical vibration stimulation has been found to be highly effective in enhancing imbibition recovery in tight sandstone. The sensitivity of the vibration parameters on imbibition recovery from highest to lowest is vibration frequency, vibration intensity, and vibration time. The optimum vibration parameters for this process are a vibration frequency of 30 Hz, a vibration intensity of 2.0 m/s2, and a vibration time of 30 h. (2) Under the optimum low-frequency vibration, the imbibition recovery of tight sandstone with various physical properties can reach between 13.6 and 28.3%. This is remarkably higher than the spontaneous imbibition recovery, which ranges from 9.4 to 17.1%. Additionally, core samples with higher permeability and better pore structure show a more significant increase in imbibition recovery under the vibration treatment. Furthermore, low-frequency vibration stimulation effectively shortens the imbibition completion time, reducing the completion time from 81 h to approximately 55 h. (3) After the spontaneous imbibition process, the initial continuous oil phase present in the pore space is dispersed by the water phase imbibition process. The remaining oil is dominant in the form of a network type, which is concentrated in the central pore space area of the core. Low-frequency vibration treatment can effectively promote a positive imbibition process. The network remaining oil saturation in the core can be further dispersed, especially closer to the surface of the core area after frequency vibration treatment. Then, the cluster remaining oil type with a more dispersed and simpler individual structure has become the new dominant remaining oil micro-occurrence form in the pore space. The findings of this research investigate a novel technological approach to enhance the imbibition efficiency of a tight sandstone reservoir.

The effect of oral motor intervention with different initiation times to improve feeding outcomes in preterm infants: protocol for a single-blind, randomized controlled trial

BackgroundPremature infants commonly encounter difficulties with oral feeding, a complication that extends hospital stays, affects infants’ quality of life, and imposes substantial burdens on families and society. Enhancing preterm infants’ oral feeding skills and facilitating their transition from parenteral or nasal feeding to full oral feeding pose challenges for neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) healthcare professionals. Research indicates that oral motor interventions (OMIs) can enhance preterm infants’ oral feeding capabilities and expedite the transition from feeding initiation to full oral feeding. Nonetheless, the most suitable timing for commencing these interventions remains uncertain.MethodsThis is a single-blind, randomized controlled trial. Preterm with a gestational age between 29+0 to 34+6 weeks will be eligible for the study. These infants will be randomized and allocated to one of two groups, both of which will receive the OMIs. The intervention commences once the infant begins milk intake during the early OMIs. Additionally, in the late OMIs group, the intervention will initiate 48 h after discontinuing nasal continuous positive airway pressure.DiscussionOMIs encompass non-nutritive sucking and artificial oral stimulation techniques. These techniques target the lips, jaw, muscles, or tongue of premature infants, aiming to facilitate the shift from tube feeding to oral feeding. The primary objective is to determine the ideal intervention timing that fosters the development of oral feeding skills and ensures a seamless transition from parenteral or nasal feeding to full oral feeding among preterm infants. Furthermore, this study might yield insights into the long-term effects of OMIs on the growth and neurodevelopmental outcomes of preterm infants. Such insights could bear substantial significance for the quality of survival among preterm infants and the societal burden imposed by preterm birth.Trial registrationchictr.org.cn ChiCTR2300076721. Registered on October 17, 2023.

Neural populations within macaque early vestibular pathways are adapted to encode natural self-motion.

How the activities of large neural populations are integrated in the brain to ensure accurate perception and behavior remains a central problem in systems neuroscience. Here, we investigated population coding of naturalistic self-motion by neurons within early vestibular pathways in rhesus macaques (Macacca mulatta). While vestibular neurons displayed similar dynamic tuning to self-motion, inspection of their spike trains revealed significant heterogeneity. Further analysis revealed that, during natural but not artificial stimulation, heterogeneity resulted primarily from variability across neurons as opposed to trial-to-trial variability. Interestingly, vestibular neurons displayed different correlation structures during naturalistic and artificial self-motion. Specifically, while correlations due to the stimulus (i.e., signal correlations) did not differ, correlations between the trial-to-trial variabilities of neural responses (i.e., noise correlations) were instead significantly positive during naturalistic but not artificial stimulation. Using computational modeling, we show that positive noise correlations during naturalistic stimulation benefits information transmission by heterogeneous vestibular neural populations. Taken together, our results provide evidence that neurons within early vestibular pathways are adapted to the statistics of natural self-motion stimuli at the population level. We suggest that similar adaptations will be found in other systems and species.

Artificial activation of sperm motility in vitro.

The sperm activation method is a modern methodological approach that is used more and more often in practice. The number of studies focused on methods of artificial activation of human sperm motility are constantly increasing. Standard sperm selection methods can fail in some cases, among other things, because very young sperm are isolated that have not yet completed their development. In these cases, artificial stimulation of their movement can have a positive effect and greatly facilitate and faster the process of selecting suitable sperm. Methylxanthines are most often used as activating agents. However, opinions on the safety of using these substances on sperm are not uniform. The aim of the thesis is to present current knowledge about artificial activation of sperm motility for in vitro fertilization and subsequent embryonic development. Research of relevant literature in Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed/Medline databases. The literature analysis shows that this method is safe and effective in the selection of immotile spermatozoa. Scientific studies have been conducted to verify the safety and reliability of this method. The conclusion of these studies is the positive impact of this method of selection, especially in cases of sperm obtained from testicular tissue after method testicular sperm extraction. In these cases, the method of artificial sperm activation facilitated and accelerated the selection of sperm before intracytoplasmic sperm injection. Undamaged spermatozoa, which are immobile due to incomplete maturation, were activated.

Perceptography unveils the causal contribution of inferior temporal cortex to visual perception

Neurons in the inferotemporal (IT) cortex respond selectively to complex visual features, implying their role in object perception. However, perception is subjective and cannot be read out from neural responses; thus, bridging the causal gap between neural activity and perception demands independent characterization of perception. Historically, though, the complexity of the perceptual alterations induced by artificial stimulation of IT cortex has rendered them impossible to quantify. To address this old problem, we tasked male macaque monkeys to detect and report optical impulses delivered to their IT cortex. Combining machine learning with high-throughput behavioral optogenetics, we generated complex and highly specific images that were hard for the animal to distinguish from the state of being cortically stimulated. These images, named “perceptograms” for the first time, reveal and depict the contents of the complex hallucinatory percepts induced by local neural perturbation in IT cortex. Furthermore, we found that the nature and magnitude of these hallucinations highly depend on concurrent visual input, stimulation location, and intensity. Objective characterization of stimulation-induced perceptual events opens the door to developing a mechanistic theory of visual perception. Further, it enables us to make better visual prosthetic devices and gain a greater understanding of visual hallucinations in mental disorders.

Engram reactivation mimics cellular signatures of fear

Engrams, or the physical substrate of memory, recruit heterogeneous cell types. Targeted reactivation of neurons processing discrete memories drives the behavioral expression of memory, though the underlying landscape of recruited cells and their real-time responses remain elusive. To understand how artificial stimulation of fear affects intra-hippocampal neuron-astrocyte dynamics as well as their behavioral consequences, we express channelrhodopsin-2 in an activity-dependent manner within dentate gyrus neurons while recording both cell types with fiber photometry in hippocampal ventral CA1 across learning and memory. Both cell types exhibit shock responsiveness, with astrocytic calcium events uniquely modulated by fear conditioning. Optogenetic stimulation of a hippocampus-mediated engram recapitulates coordinated calcium signatures time locked to freezing, mirroring those observed during natural fear memory recall. Our findings reveal cell-type-specific dynamics in the hippocampus during freezing behavior, emphasizing neuronal-astrocytic coupling as a shared mechanism enabling both natural and artificially induced memory retrieval and the behavioral expression of fear.

Prevalence and clinical-epidemiological profile of Chagas Disease in individuals with indication for artificial cardiac stimulation in a tertiary service in Rio Grande do Norte (RN)

Prevalence and clinical-epidemiological profile of Chagas Disease in individuals with indication for artificial cardiac stimulation in a tertiary service in Rio Grande do Norte (RN)

Hybrid artificial cathode-electrolyte interphase stimulation layer (A-CEISL) to simultaneously improve stability and safety for lithium metal batteries

In recent years, there has been significant interest in lithium metal batteries (LMBs) because of the reduced redox level and impressive specific capacity of approximately 3860 mAhg−1. Nonetheless, the high reactivity of lithium metal with combustible electrolytes poses technical barriers, including issues with unstable cycling behavior and safety challenges. In this research, a hybrid artificial cathode electrolyte interphase stimulation layer (A-CEISL) that combines an inorganic metal hydroxide (i.e., Mg(OH)2) composite with an organic dimethyl methylphosphonate (DMMP) compound is developed. The hybrid A-CEISL generates a robust and thin CEI layer (∼10 nm) during electrochemical cycling, maintaining an enhanced Coulombic efficiency as ∼99.1%. This leads to the enhanced discharge capacity on subsequent cycles. It is not only the improvement in the electrochemical properties, but also the flame-retardant and self-extinguishing features that make the hybrid A-CEISL a suitable application for LMBs. Despite multiple attempts to ignite the A-CEISL, the flame was immediately suppressed (<1 s) owing to the collaborative fire-extinguishing process between Mg(OH)2 and DMMP. Furthermore, the A-CEISL exhibits strong thermal stability, retaining its structural integrity up to 220 °C, and it still preserves its fundamental form even exposed to 300 °C. This study proposes a novel and practical approach, which benefits from the synergetic effects between Mg(OH)2 and DMMP, to concurrently tackle the primary challenges of LMBs.

Unconventional Reservoir Characterization and Formation Evaluation: A Case Study of a Tight Sandstone Reservoir in West Africa

Unconventional reservoirs, including gas shales and tight gas sands, have gained prominence in the energy sector due to technological advancements and escalating energy demands. The oil industry is eagerly refining techniques to decipher these reservoirs, aiming to reduce data collection costs and uncertainties in reserve estimations. Characteristically, tight reservoirs exhibit low matrix porosity and ultra-low permeability, necessitating artificial stimulation for enhanced production. The efficacy of the stimulation hinges on the organic material distribution, the rock’s mechanical attributes, and the prevailing stress field. Comprehensive petrophysical analysis, integrating standard and specialized logs, core analyses, and dynamic data, is pivotal for a nuanced understanding of these reservoirs. This ensures a reduction in prediction uncertainties, with parameters like shale volume, porosity, and permeability being vital. This article delves into an intricate petrophysical evaluation of the Nene field, a West African unconventional reservoir. It underscores the geological intricacies of the field, the pivotal role of data acquisition, and introduces avant-garde methodologies for depth matching, rock typing, and the estimation of permeability. This research highlights the significance of unconventional reservoir exploration in today’s energy milieu, offering a granular understanding of the Nene field’s geological challenges and proffering a blueprint for analogous future endeavours in unconventional reservoirs.

Serotonin neurons in mating female mice are activated by male ejaculation

Sexual stimulation triggers changes in female physiology and behavior, including sexual satiety and preparing the uterus for pregnancy. Serotonin (5-HT) is an important regulator of reproductive physiology and sexual receptivity, but the relationship between sexual stimulation and 5-HT neural activity in females is poorly understood. Here, we investigated dorsal raphe 5-HT neural activity in female mice during sexual behavior. We found that 5-HT neural activity in mating females peaked specifically upon male ejaculation and remained elevated above baseline until disengagement. Artificial intravaginal mechanical stimulation was sufficient to elicit increased 5-HT neural activity but the delivery of ejaculatory fluids was not. Distal penis expansion ("penile cupping") at ejaculation and forceful expulsion of ejaculatory fluid each provided sufficient mechanical stimulation to elicit 5-HT neuron activation. Our study identifies a female ejaculation-specific signal in a major neuromodulatory system and shows that intravaginal mechanosensory stimulation is necessary and sufficient to drive this signal.

Brain-machine interface learning is facilitated by specific patterning of distributed cortical feedback.

Neuroprosthetics offer great hope for motor-impaired patients. One obstacle is that fine motor control requires near-instantaneous, rich somatosensory feedback. Such distributed feedback may be recreated in a brain-machine interface using distributed artificial stimulation across the cortical surface. Here, we hypothesized that neuronal stimulation must be contiguous in its spatiotemporal dynamics to be efficiently integrated by sensorimotor circuits. Using a closed-loop brain-machine interface, we trained head-fixed mice to control a virtual cursor by modulating the activity of motor cortex neurons. We provided artificial feedback in real time with distributed optogenetic stimulation patterns in the primary somatosensory cortex. Mice developed a specific motor strategy and succeeded to learn the task only when the optogenetic feedback pattern was spatially and temporally contiguous while it moved across the topography of the somatosensory cortex. These results reveal spatiotemporal properties of the sensorimotor cortical integration that set constraints on the design of neuroprosthetics.

In vivo spontaneous activity and coital-evoked inhibition of mouse accessory olfactory bulb output neurons

Little is known about estrous effects on brain microcircuits. We examined the accessory olfactory bulb (AOB) invivo, in anesthetized naturally cycling females, as model microcircuit receiving coital somatosensory information. Whole-cell recordings demonstrate that output neurons are relatively hyperpolarized in estrus and unexpectedly fire high frequency bursts of action potentials. To mimic coitus, a calibrated artificial vagino-cervical stimulation (aVCS) protocol was devised. aVCS evoked stimulus-locked local field responses in the interneuron layer independent of estrous stage. The response is sensitive to α1-adrenergic receptor blockade, as expected since aVCS increases norepinephrine release in AOB. Intriguingly, only in estrus does aVCS inhibit AOB spike output. Estrus-specific output reduction coincides with prolonged aVCS activation of inhibitory interneurons. Accordingly, in estrus the AOB microcircuit sets the stage for coital stimulation to inhibit the output neurons, possibly via high frequency bursting-dependent enhancement of reciprocal synapse efficacy between inter- and output neurons.

Photocatalysis in Water-Soluble Supramolecular Metal Organic Complex.

As an emerging subset of organic complexes, metal complexes have garnered considerable attention owing to their outstanding structures, properties, and applications. In this content, metal-organic cages (MOCs) with defined shapes and sizes provide internal spaces to isolate water for guest molecules, which can be selectively captured, isolated, and released to achieve control over chemical reactions. Complex supramolecules are constructed by simulating the self-assembly behavior of the molecules or structures in nature. For this purpose, massive amounts of cavity-containing supramolecules, such as metal-organic cages (MOCs), have been extensively explored for a large variety of reactions with a high degree of reactivity and selectivity. Because sunlight and water are necessary for the process of photosynthesis, water-soluble metal-organic cages (WSMOCs) are ideal platforms for photo-responsive stimulation and photo-mediated transformation by simulating photosynthesis due to their defined sizes, shapes, and high modularization of metal centers and ligands. Therefore, the design and synthesis of WSMOCs with uncommon geometries embedded with functional building units is of immense importance for artificial photo-responsive stimulation and photo-mediated transformation. In this review, we introduce the general synthetic strategies of WSMOCs and their applications in this sparking field.

Preparation of Continuous Silicate Fiber: Comparison of Natural Basalt and Artificial Stimulant with the Same Chemical Composition

Preparation of Continuous Silicate Fiber: Comparison of Natural Basalt and Artificial Stimulant with the Same Chemical Composition