Versatile poly(diallyl dimethyl ammonium chloride)-layered nanocomposites for removal of cesium in water purification

In this work, we elucidate polymer-layered hollow Prussian blue-coated magnetic nanocomposites as an adsorbent to remove radioactive cesium from environmentally contaminated water. To do this, Fe3O4 nanoparticles prepared using a coprecipitation method were thickly covered with a layer of cationic polymer to attach hollow Prussian blue through a self-assembly process. The as-synthesized adsorbent was confirmed through various analytical techniques. The adsorbent showed a high surface area (166.16 m2/g) with an excellent cesium adsorbent capacity and removal efficiency of 32.8 mg/g and 99.69%, respectively. Moreover, the superparamagnetism allows effective recovery of the adsorbent using an external magnetic field after the adsorption process. Therefore, the magnetic adsorbent with a high adsorption efficiency and convenient recovery is expected to be effectively used for rapid remediation of radioactive contamination

Multisensory integration in the mammalian brain: diversity and flexibility in health and disease

Multisensory integration (MSI) occurs in a variety of brain areas, spanning cortical and subcortical regions. In traditional studies on sensory processing, the sensory cortices have been considered for processing sensory information in a modality-specific manner. The sensory cortices, however, send the information to other cortical and subcortical areas, including the higher association cortices and the other sensory cortices, where the multiple modality inputs converge and integrate to generate a meaningful percept. This integration process is neither simple nor fixed because these brain areas interact with each other via complicated circuits, which can be modulated by numerous internal and external conditions. As a result, dynamic MSI makes multisensory decisions flexible and adaptive in behaving animals. Impairments in MSI occur in many psychiatric disorders, which may result in an altered perception of the multisensory stimuli and an abnormal reaction to them. This review discusses the diversity and flexibility of MSI in mammals, including humans, primates and rodents, as well as the brain areas involved. It further explains how such flexibility influences perceptual experiences in behaving animals in both health and disease. This article is part of the theme issue 'Decision and control processes in multisensory perception'.11Nsciescopu

Selectivity of neuromodulatory projections from the basal forebrain and locus ceruleus to primary sensory cortices

Acetylcholine and noradrenaline are major neuromodulators that affect sensory processing in the cortex. Modality-specific sensory information is processed in defined areas of the cortex, but it is unclear whether cholinergic neurons in the basal forebrain (BF) and noradrenergic neurons in the locus ceruleus (LC) project to and modulate these areas in a sensory modality-selective manner. Here, we mapped BF and LC projections to different sensory cortices of the mouse using dual retrograde tracing. We found that while the innervation of cholinergic neurons into sensory cortices is predominantly modality specific, the projections of noradrenergic neurons diverge onto multiple sensory cortices. Consistent with this anatomy, optogenetic activation of cholinergic neurons in BF subnuclei induces modality-selective desynchronization in specific sensory cortices, whereas activation of noradrenergic LC neurons induces broad desynchronization throughout multiple sensory cortices. Thus, wedemonstrate a clear distinction in the organization and function of cholinergic BF and noradrenergic LC projections into primary sensory cortices: cholinergic BF neurons are highly selective in their projections and modulation of specific sensory cortices, whereas noradrenergic LC neurons broadly innervate and modulate multiple sensory cortices.N

NGL-1/LRRC4C-Mutant Mice Display Hyperactivity and Anxiolytic-Like Behavior Associated With Widespread Suppression of Neuronal Activity

© Copyright © 2019 Choi, Park, Kang, Jung, Kweon, Kim, Choi, Lee, Choi, Lee and Kim.Netrin-G ligand-1 (NGL-1), encoded by Lrrc4c, is a post-synaptic adhesion molecule implicated in various brain disorders, including bipolar disorder, autism spectrum disorder, and developmental delay. Although previous studies have explored the roles of NGL-1 in the regulation of synapse development and function, the importance of NGL-1 for specific behaviors and the nature of related neural circuits in mice remain unclear. Here, we report that mice lacking NGL-1 (Lrrc4c–/–) show strong hyperactivity and anxiolytic-like behavior. They also display impaired spatial and working memory, but normal object-recognition memory and social interaction. c-Fos staining under baseline and anxiety-inducing conditions revealed suppressed baseline neuronal activity as well as limited neuronal activation in widespread brain regions, including the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), motor cortex, endopiriform nucleus, bed nuclei of the stria terminalis, and dentate gyrus. Neurons in the ACC, motor cortex, and dentate gyrus exhibit distinct alterations in excitatory synaptic transmission and intrinsic neuronal excitability. These results suggest that NGL-1 is important for normal locomotor activity, anxiety-like behavior, and learning and memory, as well as synapse properties and excitability of neurons in widespread brain regions under baseline and anxiety-inducing conditions11Nsciescopu

Porous 3D Prussian blue/cellulose aerogel as a decorporation agent for removal of ingested cesium from the gastrointestinal tract

Abstract In the present study, we successfully synthesized a porous three-dimensional Prussian blue-cellulose aerogel (PB-CA) composite and used it as a decorporation agent for the selective removal of ingested cesium ions (Cs+) from the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. The safety of the PB-CA composite was evaluated through an in vitro cytotoxicity study using macrophage-like THP-1 cells and Caco-2 intestinal epithelial cells. The results revealed that the PB-CA composite was not cytotoxic. An adsorption study to examine the efficiency of the decorporation agent was conducted using a simulated intestinal fluid (SIF). The adsorption isotherm was fitted to the Langmuir model with a maximum Cs+ adsorption capacity of 13.70 mg/g in SIF that followed pseudo-second-order kinetics. The PB-CA composite showed excellent stability in SIF with a maximum Cs+ removal efficiency of 99.43%. The promising safety toxicology profile, remarkable Cs+ adsorption efficacy, and excellent stability of the composite demonstrated its great potential for use as an orally administered drug for the decorporation of Cs+ from the GI tract