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Simple Summary: Animal welfare considerations with the 3R principles, Replacement, Reduction, and Refinement (3Rs), have become more important in regulatory toxicity testing. Modifying OECD inhalation toxicity test guidelines 412 and 413 aim to minimize animal use and maximize the number of endpoints that are measured for bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and lung burden measurement in toxicokinetics studies. The OECD test guidelines for animal experiments play an important role in evaluating the chemical hazards. Animal tests performed using OECD guidelines, especially when the good laboratory practice (GLP) principle is applied, reduce the duplication of toxicity testing and ensure the best mutual acceptance of data by the OECD's Mutual Acceptance of Data (MAD). The OECD inhalation toxicity test guidelines 412 (28 days) and 413 (90 days) have been revised. These OECD guidelines now reflect the inclusion of nanomaterials and recent scientific and technological developments. In particular, these test guidelines aim to evaluate the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid in the lungs for objective toxicity evaluation, along with the existing subjective histopathological evaluation. For solid particles, the lung burden measurement of particles is required for toxicokinetic studies and, in order to properly perform a toxicokinetic study, two post-exposure observations are recommended. In light of the revised OECD guidelines, we propose a method to reduce the number of animals when testing is conducted for nanomaterials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wooden Cultural Heritage (WCH) represents a significant portion of the world's historical and artistic heritage, consisting of immovable and movable artefacts. Despite the expertise developed since ancient times to enhance its durability, wooden artefacts are inevitably prone to degradation. Fungi play a pivotal role in the deterioration of WCH in terrestrial ecosystems, accelerating its decay and leading to alterations in color and strength. Reviewing the literature of the last 25 years, we aimed to provide a comprehensive overview of fungal diversity affecting WCH, the biochemical processes involved in wood decay, and the diagnostic tools available for fungal identification and damage evaluation. Climatic conditions influence the occurrence of fungal species in threatened WCH, characterized by a prevalence of wood-rot fungi (e.g., Serpula lacrymans, Coniophora puteana) in architectural heritage in temperate and continental climates and Ascomycota in indoor and harsh environments. More efforts are needed to address the knowledge fragmentation concerning biodiversity, the biology of the fungi involved, and succession in the degradative process, which is frequently centered solely on the main actors. Multidisciplinary collaboration among engineers, restorers, and life sciences scientists is vital for tackling the challenges posed by climate change with increased awareness. Traditional microbiology and culture collections are fundamental in laying solid foundations for a more comprehensive interpretation of big data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was carried out to demonstrate whether the radiation dose for patients in arms-down position can be reduced without affecting the diagnosis on abdominal computed tomography (CT). The patients were divided into two groups: group A, which included patients with arms-down position using dose modulation on, and group B, which included patients with arms-down position using dose modulation turned off. Quantitative evaluation was compared using Hounsfield units, standard deviation, and signal-to-noise ratio of the four regions. The qualitative evaluation was assessed for overall image quality, subjective image noise, and beam hardening artifacts. Dose evaluation for CT dose index (CTDI) and dose length product (DLP) was compared by comparing the CT images with dose modulation turned on and off. In the quantitative and qualitative evaluation, there was no statistically significant difference between groups A and B (p > 0.05). In the dose evaluation, the CT images with dose modulation turned off had significantly lower CTDI and DLP than the CT images with dose modulation turned on (p < 0.05). Our results suggest that, for the GE Revolution EVO CT scanner, turning off dose modulation and increasing the tube voltage can reduce the radiation dose for patients with the arms-down position without affecting the diagnosis. This study did not consider the change of tube potential according to the use of dose modulation, and we plan to conduct additional research in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conventional thermosetting composites exhibit advantageous mechanical properties owing to the use of an autoclave; however, their wide usage is limited by high production costs and long molding times. In contrast, the fabrication of thermoplastic composites involves out-of-autoclave processes that use press equipment. In particular, induction-heating molding facilitates a quicker thermal cycle, reduced processing time, and improved durability of the thermoplastic polymers; thus, the process cost and production time can be reduced. In this study, carbon fiber/polyphenylene sulfide thermoplastic composites were manufactured using induction-heating molding, and the relationships among the process, structure, and mechanical properties were investigated. The composites were characterized using optical and scanning electron microscopy, an ultrasonic C-scan, and X-ray computed tomography. In addition, the composites were subjected to flammability tests. This study provides novel insights into the optimization of thermoplastic composite manufacturing and thermoset composite curing processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ammonia combustion is a promising energy source as a carbon free fuel without greenhouse gas emissions. However, since the auto-ignition temperature is 651 degrees Celsius and the range of flammability limit is not wide compared to other fuels, fundamental studies on ammonia fires have rarely been conducted so far. Therefore, this study aims to numerically estimate fire spread characteristics when ammonia fuel in a high-pressure state leaks to the outside, especially focusing on the flammability limit according to oxygen concentration. Three kinds of reaction mechanism for numerical analysis were adopted to compare the flame structure, flammability limit, and combustion characteristics. Plank-mean absorption coefficients of nitrogen species were taken for the radiation model, in addition to the optically thin model. The effect of radiation heat loss could be identified from the maximum flame temperature trend at a low strain rate. It was confirmed that the pyrolysis of ammonia in the preheated zone results in hydrogen production, and the generated hydrogen contributes to heat release rate in the flame zone. It is found that the contribution of hydrogen would be an important role in the flammability limit of ammonia combustion. Finally, Karlovitz and Peclet numbers showed well the extinction behaviors of ammonia combustion as a result of LOC (Limit Oxygen Concentration) analysis as a function of global strain rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reduced left-lateralized electroencephalographic (EEG) frontal alpha asymmetry (FAA), a biomarker for the imbalance of interhemispheric frontal activity and motivational disturbances, represents a neuropathological attribute of negative symptoms of schizophrenia. Unidirectional high-frequency transcranial random noise stimulation (hf-tRNS) can increase the excitability of the cortex beneath the stimulating electrode. Yet, it is unclear if hf-tRNS can modulate electroencephalographic FAA in patients with schizophrenia. We performed a randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled clinical trial to contrast hf-tRNS and sham stimulation for treating negative symptoms in 35 schizophrenia patients. We used electroencephalography to investigate if 10 sessions of hf-tRNS delivered twice-a-day for five consecutive weekdays would modulate electroencephalographic FAA in schizophrenia. EEG data were collected and FAA was expressed as the differences between common-log-transformed absolute power values of frontal right and left hemisphere electrodes in the alpha frequency range (8–12.5 Hz). We found that hf-tRNS significantly increased FAA during the first session of stimulation (p = 0.009) and at the 1-week follow-up (p = 0.004) relative to sham stimulation. However, FAA failed to predict and surrogate the improvement in the severity of negative symptoms with hf-tRNS intervention. Together, our findings suggest that modulating electroencephalographic frontal alpha asymmetry by using unidirectional hf-tRNS may play a key role in reducing negative symptoms in patients with schizophrenia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Schizophrenia is associated with increased resting-state large-scale functional network connectivity in the gamma frequency. High-frequency transcranial random noise stimulation (hf-tRNS) modulates gamma-band endogenous neural oscillations in healthy individuals through the application of low-amplitude electrical noises. Yet, it is unclear if hf-tRNS can modulate gamma-band functional connectivity in patients with schizophrenia. We performed a randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled clinical trial to contrast hf-tRNS (N = 17) and sham stimulation (N = 18) for treating negative symptoms in 35 schizophrenia patients. Short continuous currents without neuromodulatory effects were applied in the sham group to mimic real-stimulation sensations. We used electroencephalography to investigate if a five-day, twice-daily hf-tRNS protocol modulates gamma-band (33–45 Hz) functional network connectivity in schizophrenia. Exact low resolution electromagnetic tomography (eLORETA) was used to compute intra-cortical activity from regions within the default mode network (DMN) and fronto-parietal network (FPN), and functional connectivity was computed using lagged phase synchronization. We found that hf-tRNS reduced gamma-band within-DMN and within-FPN connectivity at the end of stimulation relative to sham stimulation. A trend was obtained between the change in within-FPN functional connectivity from baseline to the end of stimulation and the improvement of negative symptoms at the one-month follow-up (r = −0.49, p = 0.055). Together, our findings suggest that hf-tRNS has potential as a network-level approach to modulate large-scale functional network connectivity pertaining to negative symptoms of schizophrenia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Breeders persistently supply farmers with the best varieties in order to exceed consumer demand through plant-breeding processes that are resource-intensive. In order to motivate continuous innovation in variety development, a system needs to provide incentives for plant breeders to develop superior varieties, for example, exclusive ownership to produce and market those varieties. The most common system is the acquisition of intellectual property protection through plant variety protection, also known as the breeder's right. Most countries have adopted the system established by the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV). To be granted plant variety protection, the variety should prove to be unique by meeting three requirements: distinctness, uniformity, and stability. This review summarizes (1) the plant variety protection via UPOV convention, (2) technical methods for distinctness, uniformity, and stability testing via phenotype, molecular markers, and sequencing as well as their challenges and potentiality, and (3) additional discussions in essentially derived variety, value for cultivation and use testing, and open source seed initiative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current unpredictable climate changes are causing frequent and severe droughts. Such circumstances emphasize the need to understand the response of plants to drought stress, especially in rice, one of the most important grain crops. Knowledge of the drought stress response components is especially important in plant roots, the major organ for the absorption of water and nutrients from the soil. Thus, this article reviews the root response to drought stress in rice. It is presented to provide readers with information of use for their own research and breeding program for tolerance to drought stress in rice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Ankle-brachial index (ABI) is a simple method for diagnosing peripheral artery disease (PAD) but has limited reliability in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) because of medial artery calcification. Our study aims to investigate whether the toe brachial index (TBI) or the cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI) has a better detection over the ABI for diagnosing PAD in diabetic kidney disease (DKD). Materials and Methods: A cohort of 368 patients (mean age 68.59 ± 13.14 years, 190 males and 178 females) with type 2 DM underwent ABI, TBI, and CAVI measurements at our outpatient clinic. Results: Of all enrolled patients, the TBI is significant in evaluating PAD, especially in patients whose chronic kidney disease (CKD) stage 3a with adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 6.50, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.63–25.97, p = 0.0080, stage 3b AOR = 7.47, 95% CI 1.52–36.81, p = 0.0135, and stage 4–5 AOR = 20.13, 95% CI 1.34–94.24, p = 0.0116. CAVI is also significant in CKD stage 1 with AOR = 0.16, 95% CI 0.03–0.77, p = 0.0223, stage 2 with AOR = 0.18, 95% CI 0.04–0.74, p = 0.0180, and stage 3a AOR = 0.31, 95% CI 0.10–0.93, p = 0.0375. Conclusion: TBI has a better yield of detection of PAD compared to ABI among Taiwanese patients with DKD. CAVI may play a role in the early stage of DKD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Besides apple mosaic virus (ApMV), apple necrotic mosaic virus (ApNMV) has also been found to be associated with apple mosaic disease. Both viruses are unevenly distributed throughout the plant and their titer decreases variably with high temperatures, hence requiring proper tissue and time for early and real-time detection within plants. The present study was carried out to understand the distribution and titer of ApMV and ApNMV in apple trees from different plant parts (spatial) during different seasons (temporal) for the optimization of tissue and time for their timely detection. The Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) and Reverse Transcription-quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-qPCR) was carried out to detect and quantify both viruses in the various plant parts of apple trees during different seasons. Depending on the availability of tissue, both ApMV and ApNMV were detected in all the plant parts during the spring season using RT-PCR. During the summer, both viruses were detected only in seeds and fruits, whereas they were detected in leaves and pedicel during the autumn season. The RT-qPCR results showed that during the spring, the ApMV and ApNMV expression was higher in leaves, whereas in the summer and autumn, the titer was mostly detected in seeds and leaves, respectively. The leaves in the spring and autumn seasons and the seeds in the summer season can be used as detection tissues through RT-PCR for early and rapid detection of ApMV and ApNMV. This study was validated on 7 cultivars of apples infected with both viruses. This will help to accurately sample and index the planting material well ahead of time, which will aid in the production of virus-free, quality planting material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ever since research attention was first paid to phenomics, it has mainly focused on the use of high throughput phenotyping for characterizing traits in an accurate and fast manner. It was recently realized that its use has huge potential in precision agriculture. However, the focus so far has mainly been on "obtain large data set", not on "how to analyze them". Here, the expanded application of high throughput phenotyping combined with special dependence analysis is demonstrated to reveal the hidden field heterogeneity, using a kenaf field. Based on the method used in the study, the results showed that the growth of kenaf in the field was grouped into two, which led to a large variation of sources among replications. This method has potential to be applied to detect hidden heterogeneity, to be utilized and applied in plant breeding not only for better analysis, but also for better management of fields in precision agriculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Since there is no effective subsequent-line therapy for patients with cisplatin/gemcitabine-refractory advanced biliary tract cancer, there is an urgent need for new treatment options. This phase 1 and 2a study is the first clinical trial reporting the safety and the efficacy of allogeneic NK cells ("SMT-NK") in combination with pembrolizumab in patients with chemotherapy-refractory advanced biliary tract cancer. We found that the SMT-NK can be safely administered with pembrolizumab to patients with the chemotherapy-refractory advanced biliary tract cancer, and the combinational therapy of SMT-NK and pembrolizumab showed improved efficacy outcome compared to recent trials using pembrolizumab alone. This study provides evidence for a new possible treatment option for advanced biliary tract cancer patients. Background and Aim: This study investigated the administration of combination therapy, allogeneic natural killer (NK) cells and pembrolizumab in the treatment of advanced biliary tract cancer to determine the safety and tolerability (phase 1) and the efficacy and safety (phase 2a). Methods: Forty patients (phase 1, n = 6; phase 2a, n = 34) were enrolled between December 2019 and June 2021. The patients received highly activated allogeneic NK cells ("SMT-NK") on weeks 1 and 2 and pembrolizumab on week 1. This 3-week schedule (one cycle) was repeated until confirmed disease progression, intolerable adverse events (AEs), patient withdrawal, or finishing the maximum treatment schedule. The tumor response was evaluated after every three cycles. Results: In phase 1, four patients (66.7%) experienced seven AEs, but no severe AE was observed. In phase 2a, 126 AEs occurred in 29 patients (85.3%). Severe AEs (≥grade 3) were reported in 16 patients (47.1%). The overall response rate (ORR) was 17.4% in the full analysis set and 50.0% in the per-protocol set. Conclusions: SMT-NKs plus pembrolizumab resulted in no severe AEs directly related to the drug combination. The combination therapy also exerted antitumor activity with improved efficacy compared to the recent monotherapy with pembrolizumab in patients with advanced biliary tract cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although various neuropsychiatric symptoms are frequently accompanied with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and pose a substantial burden to both patients and caregivers, their neurobiological underpinnings remain unclear. This study investigated associations between regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) and neuropsychiatric symptom domains in early AD. A total of 59 patients with early AD underwent brain technetium-99m hexamethylpropylene amine oxime (99mTc-HMPAO) single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) scans. Neuropsychiatric symptoms were assessed by the Neuropsychiatric Inventory and clustered into the affective, apathy, hyperactivity, and psychotic domains. A voxel-wise multiple regression analysis was performed with four domain scores as independent variables and age, sex, and Mini-Mental State Examination scores as covariates. The affective domain score was negatively correlated with rCBF in the prefrontal cortex, thalamus, and caudate. The apathy domain score showed inverse correlations with rCBF in the prefrontal and pre/postcentral gyri and midbrain. Patients with higher hyperactivity domain scores had increased rCBF in the prefrontal and temporal lobes. The psychotic symptom domain was positively correlated with rCBF in the cuneus and negatively associated with rCBF in the prefrontal, cingulate, and occipital regions and putamen. The score of each neuropsychiatric symptom domain showed the differential correlates of brain perfusion, while altered rCBF in the prefrontal cortex was found in all domains. Although preliminary, our results may suggest common and distinct patterns of rCBF underlying neuropsychiatric symptoms in early AD. Further studies with larger samples and control participants are warranted to confirm these findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global warming is not an expectation but a reality in the "oreums" (common local name for rising, small defunct volcanoes on Jeju Island, Republic of Korea). The oreums exhibit wide biodiversity. However, their ecology is threatened by its associated climate change and their ecological changes have rarely been monitored or recorded. We used three years of Sentinel-2 image data to generate a normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) map of the Geum-oreum area. We found that the NDVI was highly associated with temperature, implying that Sentinel-2 images could be utilized to monitor the temperature variation in the oreums to assist in planning and preparation to conserve their ecosystems before they are jeopardized. The results indicated that the NDVI maps derived from Sentinel-2 images were highly associated with temperature in Geum-oreum. We expect this method could be applied in other regions to detect temperature variation for ecological management planning in large areas (such as forests). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Preclinical studies have suggested that low-intensity transcranial focused ultrasound (tFUS) may have therapeutic potential for Alzheimer's disease (AD) by opening the blood–brain barrier (BBB), reducing amyloid pathology, and improving cognition. This study investigated the effects of tFUS on BBB opening, regional cerebral metabolic rate of glucose (rCMRglu), and cognitive function in AD patients. Eight patients with AD received image-guided tFUS to the right hippocampus immediately after intravenous injection of microbubble ultrasound contrast agents. Patients completed magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), 18F-fluoro-2-deoxyglucose positron emission tomography (PET), and cognitive assessments before and after the sonication. No evidence of transient BBB opening was found on T1 dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI. However, immediate recall (p = 0.03) and recognition memory (p = 0.02) were significantly improved on the verbal learning test. PET image analysis demonstrated increased rCMRglu in the right hippocampus (p = 0.001). In addition, increases of hippocampal rCMRglu were correlated with improvement in recognition memory (Spearman's ρ = 0.77, p = 0.02). No adverse event was observed. Our results suggest that tFUS to the hippocampus of AD patients may improve rCMRglu of the target area and memory in the short term, even without BBB opening. Further larger sham-controlled trials with loger follow-up are warranted to evaluate the efficacy and safety of tFUS in patients with AD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Negative symptoms represent an unmet need for schizophrenia treatment. The effect of theta frequency transcranial alternating current stimulation (theta-tACS) applied during working memory (WM) tasks on negative symptoms has not been demonstrated as of yet. We conducted a randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled trial of 36 stabilized schizophrenia patients, randomized to receive either twice daily, 6 Hz 2 mA, 20 min sessions of in-phase frontoparietal tACS or sham for five consecutive weekdays. Participants were concurrently engaged in WM tasks during stimulation. The primary outcome measure was the change over time in the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) negative subscale score measured from baseline through to the 1-month follow-up. Secondary outcome measures were other symptom clusters, neurocognitive performance, and relevant outcomes. The intention-to-treat analysis demonstrated greater reductions in PANSS negative subscale scores at the end of stimulation in the active (−13.84%) than the sham (−3.78%) condition, with a large effect size (Cohen's d = 0.96, p = 0.006). The positive effect endured for at least one month. Theta-tACS also showed efficacies for cognitive symptoms, WM capacity, and psychosocial functions. Online theta-tACS offers a novel approach to modulate frontoparietal networks to treat negative symptoms of schizophrenia. The promising results require large-scale replication studies in patients with predominantly negative symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphene derivatives have immense potential in stem cell research. Here, we report a three-dimensional graphene/arginine-glycine-aspartic acid (RGD) peptide nanoisland composite effective in guiding the osteogenesis of human adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADSCs). Amine-modified silica nanoparticles (SiNPs) were uniformly coated onto an indium tin oxide electrode (ITO), followed by graphene oxide (GO) encapsulation and electrochemical deposition of gold nanoparticles. A RGD-MAP-C peptide, with a triple-branched repeating RGD sequence and a terminal cysteine, was self-assembled onto the gold nanoparticles, generating the final three-dimensional graphene-RGD peptide nanoisland composite. We generated substrates with various gold nanoparticle-RGD peptide cluster densities, and found that the platform with the maximal number of clusters was most suitable for ADSC adhesion and spreading. Remarkably, the same platform was also highly efficient at guiding ADSC osteogenesis compared with other substrates, based on gene expression (alkaline phosphatase (ALP), runt-related transcription factor 2), enzyme activity (ALP), and calcium deposition. ADSCs induced to differentiate into osteoblasts showed higher calcium accumulations after 14-21 days than when grown on typical GO-SiNP complexes, suggesting that the platform can accelerate ADSC osteoblastic differentiation. The results demonstrate that a three-dimensional graphene-RGD peptide nanoisland composite can efficiently derive osteoblasts from mesenchymal stem cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peanut (Arachis hypogaea) is a crop that can produce resveratrol, a compound with various biological properties, such as those that exert antioxidant, anticancer, and anti-inflammatory effects. In this study, trans-resveratrol was detected in the roots, leaves, and stems of tan and purple seed coat peanuts (Arachis hypogaea) cultivated in a growth chamber. Both cultivars showed higher levels of resveratrol in the roots than the other plant parts. Thus, both cultivars were inoculated with Agrobacterium rhizogenes, in vitro, to promote hairy root development, thereby producing enhanced levels of t-resveratrol. After 1 month of culture, hairy roots from the two cultivars showed higher levels of fresh weight than those of seedling roots. Furthermore, both cultivars contained higher t-resveratrol levels than those of their seedling roots (6.88 ± 0.21 mg/g and 28.07 ± 0.46 mg/g, respectively); however, purple seed coat peanut hairy roots contained higher t-resveratrol levels than those of tan seed coat peanut hairy roots, ranging from 70.16 to 166.76 mg/g and from 46.61 to 54.31 mg/g, respectively. The findings of this study indicate that peanut hairy roots could be a good source for t-resveratrol production due to their rapid growth, high biomass, and substantial amount of resveratrol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Edible flowers have been used in the food and beverage industries because of their high nutritional value, flavor, and scent. For the storage of edible flowers used in these industries, drying is a necessity to store the materials more easily and prevent the damage of metabolites in the flowers. However, drying may affect metabolite retention because drying conditions can differ according to the various methods. In this study, Agastache rugosa flowers were dried using four different methods (oven drying at 25 ± 1 °C, 50 ± 1 °C, 80 ± 1 °C, and freeze drying) and primary and secondary metabolites were analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and gas chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC-TOF/MS). Freeze-dried flower samples contained higher levels of carotenoids (lutein, 13Z-β-carotene, β-carotene, and 9Z-β-carotene) and phenolics (rosmarinic acid, ferulic acid, and sinapic acid). Contrarily, the 80 °C oven-dried flower samples contained higher levels of most amino acids and flavonoids (including acacetin and tilianin) and at 25 °C and 50 °C contained higher levels of carbohydrates. Therefore, freeze-drying is a suitable method for retaining carotenoids and phenolics. In contrast, oven drying at 50 °C was highly recommended to retain amino acids and flavonoids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we report the carbon fiber-based wire-type asymmetric supercapacitors (ASCs). The highly conductive carbon fibers were prepared by the carbonized and graphitized process using the polyimide (PI) as a carbon fiber precursor. To assemble the ASC device, the CoMnO2-coated and Fe2O3-coated carbon fibers were used as the cathode and the anode materials, respectively. Herein, the nanostructured CoMnO2 were directly deposited onto carbon fibers by a chemical oxidation route without high temperature treatment in presence of ammonium persulfate (APS) as an oxidizing agent. FE-SEM analysis confirmed that the CoMnO2-coated carbon fiber electrode exhibited the porous hierarchical interconnected nanosheet structures, depending on the added amount of APS, and Fe2O3-coated carbon fiber electrode showed a uniform distribution of porous Fe2O3 nanorods over the surface of carbon fibers. The electrochemical properties of the CoMnO2-coated carbon fiber with the concentration of 6 mmol APS presented the enhanced electrochemical activity, probably due to its porous morphologies and good conductivity. Further, to reduce the interfacial contact resistance as well as improve the adhesion between transition metal nanostructures and carbon fibers, the carbon fibers were pre-coated with the Ni layer as a seed layer using an electrochemical deposition method. The fabricated ASC device delivered a specific capacitance of 221 F g−1 at 0.7 A g−1 and good rate capability of 34.8% at 4.9 A g−1. Moreover, the wire-type device displayed the superior energy density of 60.2 Wh kg−1 at a power density of 490 W kg−1 and excellent capacitance retention of 95% up to 3000 charge/discharge cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dizziness is a common symptom among the general population, especially in the elderly. Previous studies have reported that dizziness may be associated with various cognitive functions including memory impairment. However, few studies have investigated the neural correlates of dizziness in patients with cognitive impairment. The aim of this study was to examine regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in mild cognitive impairment (MCI) patients with or without dizziness using single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). A total of 50 patients with MCI were recruited. All participants underwent technetium-99m ethyl cysteinate dimer brain SPECT and a neuropsychological battery and completed the Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI). Participants were divided into a dizziness group (DHI ≥ 1, n = 18) and a non-dizziness group (DHI = 0, n = 32). Voxel wise differences in rCBF between the groups were estimated. SPECT analysis revealed decreased rCBF in the left superior temporal gyrus, left lateral orbital gyrus, and right middle frontal gyrus in the dizziness group compared with the non-dizziness group (p < 0.005). No significant clusters of increased rCBF were observed in the dizziness group compared with the non-dizziness group. Results of the neuropsychological tests showed a significant difference in Controlled Oral Word Association Test performance between MCI patients with and without dizziness. In conclusion, MCI patients with dizziness showed multifocal frontal and left temporal hypoperfusion compared with patients without dizziness. Our results suggest that hypoperfusion in the frontal and temporal cortices might be reflecting the negative impact of dizziness in MCI patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Betaine is one of the most competitive compounds that accumulate in different cellular compartments to adjust osmotic balance. Among the various stressors, salinity stress often leads to osmotic and ionic stress in plants, either increasing or decreasing certain secondary plant metabolites. In this study, different concentrations of NaCl, betaine, and combined NaCl and betaine were used in time-course experiments to investigate growth pattern variation and accumulation of phenylpropanoid compounds in buckwheat sprouts. A significant increase in growth was observed with the application of 0.1–1.0 mM betaine. Although overall, the total phenylpropanoid compounds were lower compared to the control, the sole application of 50 mM NaCl and 1.0 mM betaine especially enhanced the accumulation of some of these compounds in comparison to others. Betaine application at lower concentrations was found to enhance the growth of buckwheat sprouts slightly. The results of this study show that phenylpropanoid content did not increase significantly in any of the treatments. However, it was proven that the phenylpropanoid biosynthetic pathway is stimulated under abiotic stress, resulting in a higher accumulation of various phenylpropanoid compounds. This suggests that the level of accumulation of phenylpropanoid compounds due to abiotic stress may be species-dependent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Charge separation is the most important factor in determining the photocatalytic activity of a 2D/2D heterostructure. Despite the exclusive advantages of 2D/2D heterostructure semiconductor systems such as large surface/volume ratios, their use in photocatalysis is limited due to the low efficiency of charge separation and high recombination rates. As a remedy for the weak interlayer binding and low carrier transport efficiency in 2D/2D heterojunctioned semiconductors, we suggested an impurity intercalation method for the 2D/2D interface. PtS2/C3N4, as a prototype heterojunction material, was employed to investigate the effect of anion intercalation on the charge separation efficiency in a 2D/2D system using density functional theory. With oxygen intercalation at the PtS2/C3N4 interface, a reversed and stronger localized dipole moment and a built-in electric field were induced in the vertical direction of the PtS2/C3N4 interface. This theoretical work suggests that the anion intercalation method can be a way to control built-in electric fields and charge separation in designs of 2D/2D heterostructures that have high photocatalytic activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Utilization of remote sensing is a new wave of modern agriculture that accelerates plant breeding and research, and the performance of farming practices and farm management. High-throughput phenotyping is a key advanced agricultural technology and has been rapidly adopted in plant research. However, technology adoption is not easy due to cost limitations in academia. This article reviews various commercial unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) platforms as a high-throughput phenotyping technology for plant breeding. It compares known commercial UAV platforms that are cost-effective and manageable in field settings and demonstrates a general workflow for high-throughput phenotyping, including data analysis. The authors expect this article to create opportunities for academics to access new technologies and utilize the information for their research and breeding programs in more workable ways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Data phenotyping traits on soybean seeds such as shape and color has been obscure because it is difficult to define them clearly. Further, it takes too much time and effort to have sufficient number of samplings especially length and width. These difficulties prevented seed morphology to be incorporated into efficient breeding program. Here, we propose methods for an image acquisition, a data processing, and analysis for the morphology and color of soybean seeds by high-throughput method using images analysis. As results, quantitative values for colors and various types of morphological traits could be screened to create a standard for subsequent evaluation of the genotype. Phenotyping method in the current study could define the morphology and color of soybean seeds in highly accurate and reliable manner. Further, this method enables the measurement and analysis of large amounts of plant seed phenotype data in a short time, which was not possible before. Fast and precise phenotype data obtained here may facilitate Genome Wide Association Study for the gene function analysis as well as for development of the elite varieties having desirable seed traits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Currently, proposed nomograms are mainly based on post-operative histopathology. The purpose of this study was to identify preoperative computed tomography (CT) and clinical information that allow prediction of disease-free (DFS) and overall survival (OS) of patients surgically treated for pancreatic head cancer. Methods: A total of 136 patients who underwent curative-intent surgery were retrospectively reviewed. Based on results from multivariate Cox regression analysis, a prediction model was constructed with preoperative CT features and clinical information. Overall performance of the nomogram was calculated by Harrell's C-index. Results: Symptoms at diagnosis, preoperative serum CA 19-9 ≥ 34 U/mL, and four imaging features (necrosis (DFS, P = 0.066; OS, P = 0.002), possible venous invasion (DFS, P = 0.150, OS, P = 0.055), suspected metastatic regional lymph node (DFS, P = 0.001; OS, P = 0.099), and associated pancreatitis or pseudocyst (DFS, P = 0.013; OS, P = 0.041)) were included to build the nomogram. The c-statistics for the discrimination power of the proposed nomogram was 0.6496 for DFS and 0.6746 for OS. Conclusion: A nomogram derived from preoperative CT and clinical information could estimate the risk of recurrence and all-cause death after curative-intent surgery for radiologically resectable pancreatic head cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the presence of aggressive treatment strategies, glioblastoma remains intractable, warranting a novel therapeutic modality. An oral antipsychotic agent, penflurido (PFD), used for schizophrenia treatment, has shown an antitumor effect on various types of cancer cells. As glioma sphere-forming cells (GSCs) are known to mediate drug resistance in glioblastoma, and considering that antipsychotics can easily penetrate the blood-brain barrier, we investigated the antitumor effect of PFD on patient-derived GSCs. Using five GSCs, we found that PFD exerts an antiproliferative effect in a time- and dose-dependent manner. At IC50, spheroid size and second-generation spheroid formation were significantly suppressed. Stemness factors, SOX2 and OCT4, were decreased. PFD treatment reduced cancer cell migration and invasion by reducing the Integrin α6 and uPAR levels and suppression of the expression of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) factors, vimentin and Zeb1. GLI1 was found to be involved in PFD-induced EMT inhibition. Furthermore, combinatorial treatment of PFD with temozolomide (TMZ) significantly suppressed tumor growth and prolonged survival in vivo. Immunostaining revealed decreased expression of GLI1, SOX2, and vimentin in the PFD treatment group but not in the TMZ-only treatment group. Therefore, PFD can be effectively repurposed for the treatment of glioblastoma by combining it with TMZ. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]