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We present quad-layered reflective structural color filters generating vivid additive primary colors by controlling a mode number in a Fabry–Perot (FP) cavity and an anti-reflective (AR) coating layer, thus accomplishing high spectral contrast which is highly demanded in creating sharp colors. The reflection brightness of fabricated structural color filters is over 78% and a color gamut is comparable to the standard color gamut (sRGB). Higher-order resonant modes are exploited yielding a narrow passband with strong suppression of the reflection at shorter and longer wavelength ranges for a green color, while red and blue colors are produced by employing fundamental resonant modes. Besides, the structural color filters maintain both high brightness and high color purity at oblique incidence angles up to 40° due to a small angle of refraction by a cavity medium with high refractive index. Moreover, a large-scale fabrication is enabled owing to the simplicity of a device structure, where thin film deposition is used. The scheme presented in this work may open the door to a number of applications, such as reflective displays, imaging devices, colored photovoltaics, and decorations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a numerical simulation method for designing a buffer system in microchip electrophoresis (MCE) equipped with capacitively-coupled-contactless-conductivity detection (C4D). One of the key design considerations for MCE-C4D is background electrolyte (BGE). This is because a C4D typically exhibits low sensitivity, and optimizing BGE conditions (e.g., base and acid species, pH, and ionic strength) can improve its sensitivity. However, BGE has been traditionally designed through experience or trial and error, which is time- and reagent-consuming. In this study, we employ Simul 5, an open-source electrophoresis simulation software, for rational BGE design. Four BGEs including trimethylamine (TEA)/acetic acid (AcOH, pH 10.6), MES/His (pH 6.1), MES/TRIS (pH 8.1), and TRIS/HCl (pH 7.4), previously used in electrophoresis-C4D of amino acids and protein, were selected for evaluation of our numerical method. Glutamic acid (Glu) was selected as a model analyte for initial simulation verification. Our numerical simulation revealed that the best achievable detection sensitivity was 1.046 × 10–5 S/(m µM) in the TRIS/HCl buffer because anionic Glu species with a low mobility (27 × 10–9 m2/Vs) replaced Cl− co-ion of a high mobility (79.1 × 10–9 m2/Vs) in the analyte zone, leading to a significant negative conductivity peak. TEA/AcOH, MES/His, and MES/TRIS buffers exhibited progressively lower sensitivity. After the initial evaluation, trypsin inhibitor (TI), a more complex proteinous analyte was tested in the MES/His and MES/TRIS BGEs. The best detection sensitivity was 1.032 × 10–4 S/(m µM) in the MES/TRIS buffer because counter-ionic species TRIS+ of a high mobility (29.5 × 10–9 m2/Vs) was replaced by the ionic TI, characterized by a large charge (− 11.5) and a low mobility (8.08 × 10–9 m2/Vs), resulting in a strong negative peak. Based on a comprehensive analysis of the impacts of compositional changes in each ionic species of the analyte zone on conductivity-peak height, we propose a BGE design guideline for enhanced sensitivity. Subsequent MCE-C4D confirmation experiments demonstrated excellent qualitative agreement with the simulation results for the Glu and TI analytes. We anticipate that our numerical analysis method will find wide application in designing BGEs for portable MCE-C4D systems by enhancing sensitivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Recent advancements in positron emission tomograph (PET) using prostate specific membrane antigen (PSMA)-targeted radiopharmaceuticals have changed the standard of care for prostate cancer patients by providing more accurate information during staging of primary and recurrent disease. [68Ga]Ga-P16-093 is a new PSMA-PET radiopharmaceutical that demonstrated superior imaging performance in recent head-to-head studies with [68Ga]Ga-PSMA-11. To improve the availability of this new PSMA PET imaging agent, [18F]AlF-P16-093 was developed. The 18F-analog [18F]AlF-P16-093 has been synthesized manually at low activity levels using [18F]AlF2+ and validated in pre-clinical models. This work reports the optimization of the production of > 15 GBq of [18F]AlF-P16-093 using a custom automated synthesis platform. Results: The sensitivity of the radiochemical yield of [18F]AlF-P16-093 to reaction parameters of time, temperature and reagent amounts was investigated using a custom automated system. The automated system is a low-cost, cassette-based system designed for 1-pot syntheses with flow-controlled solid phase extraction (SPE) workup and is based on the Raspberry Pi Zero 2 microcomputer/Python3 ecosystem. The optimized none-decay-corrected yield was 52 ± 4% (N = 3; 17.5 ± 2.2 GBq) with a molar activity of 109 ± 14 GBq/µmole and a radiochemical purity of 98.6 ± 0.6%. Run time was 30 min. A two-step sequence was used: SPE-purified [18F]F− was reacted with 80 nmoles of freeze-dried AlCl3·6H2O at 65 °C for 5 min followed by reaction with 160 nmoles of P16-093 ligand at 40 °C for 4 min in a 1:1 mixture of ethanol:0.5 M pH 4.5 NaOAc buffer. The mixture was purified by SPE (> 97% recovery). The final product formulation (5 mM pH 7 phosphate buffer with saline) exhibited a rate of decline in radiochemical purity of ~ 1.4%/h which was slowed to ~ 0.4%/h when stored at 4 °C. Conclusion: The optimized method using a custom automated system enabled the efficient (> 50% none-decay-corrected yield) production of [18F]AlF-P16-093 with high radiochemical purity (> 95%). The method and automation system are simple and robust, facilitating further clinical studies with [18F]AlF-P16-093. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report a laser-micromachined electrolytic PCB micropump with an oil separation barrier. As advances in terms of miniaturization and performance from our previous mesoscale PCB electrolytic pump (Kim et al. in Sens Actuators A Phys 277:73–84, 2018), we employed a simple yet rapid tape-based laser-machining technique called tape-liner-supported plastic laser micromachining and pattern transfer to fabricate a microfluidic coverslip for a PCB electrode chip. Using our microfabrication technique, the coverslip is bonded to a PCB chip to form an enclosed microscale pump with a high machining precision and no need for alignment of intermediate adhesive tapes with structural layers as commonly done in previous tape-bonding work. The completed micropump demonstrated excellent pumping performance: flow rate up to 24.49 ml/min and backpressure up to 394 kPa. Electrochemical activation of electrodes consisting of a train of voltage pulses and sweeps improves the pumping performance. In order to prevent unwanted interspersion between the electrolyte and working fluid, various separation diaphragms were previously employed, but at the cost of limited working volume and flow rate as the diaphragms were permanently anchored to the pump body. Here we propose to use an oil plug as an untethered (mobile) separation barrier. After a systematic study of properties of common oils, we tested fluorinated oil (HFE-7500), hexadecane, and tetradecane as the candidate barrier materials. HFE-7500 was chosen because its interface was stable and did not degrade pumping performance for the flow-rate range of 8.47 μl/min–2.48 ml/min. We expect our micropump with the oil plug to be used as an excellent pressure source for integrated lab-on-a-chip devices, especially lab-on-a-PCBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three-dimensional cell culture systems offer greater understanding of the complex human body structure than monolayer cell cultures. Spheroids, which are the most useful and controllable types of three-dimensional cell formations, are discussed in this review. Conventional spheroid fabrication methods have limitations for the mass production of uniformly sized spheroids, which hinders their further application. As an alternative, microfabrication methods have been proposed to overcome the drawbacks of existing methods. Microfabrication technologies include micropatterning, 3D bioprinting, and microfluidics. Microwell arrays and surface-modified micropatterns can be fabricated through micropatterning methods, and these scaffolds result in the mass production of spheroids with size uniformity. 3D bioprinting technology enables uniformly sized spheroid production at desired locations, and microfluidics allows production of uniform size-controlled spheroids in a large quantity Recently, efforts have been made to apply 3D spheroid culture systems to regenerative medicine, the study of the tumor microenvironment, drug screening, and organoid fabrication. The 3D spheroid system is an attractive substitute for overcoming the limitations of the conventional 2D culture platform, which cannot precisely imitate in vivo physiological environments. Microfabrication methods for spheroids enhance the effectiveness of spheroid formation, allowing for mass production, size control, and spheroid localization. Microfabrication methods have remarkable potential for spheroid utilization in the biomedical field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spontaneous brain activity, measured with resting state fMRI (R-fMRI), is correlated among regions that are co-activated by behavioral tasks. It is unclear, however, whether spatial patterns of spontaneous activity within a cortical region correspond to spatial patterns of activity evoked by specific stimuli, actions, or mental states. The current study investigated the hypothesis that spontaneous activity in motor cortex represents motor patterns commonly occurring in daily life. To test this hypothesis 15 healthy participants were scanned while performing four different hand movements. Three movements (Grip, Extend, Pinch) were ecological involving grip and grasp hand movements; one control movement involving the rotation of the wrist was not ecological and infrequent (Shake). They were also scanned at rest before and after the execution of the motor tasks (resting-state scans). Using the task data, we identified movement-specific patterns in the primary motor cortex. These task-defined patterns were compared to resting-state patterns in the same motor region. We also performed a control analysis within the primary visual cortex. We found that spontaneous activity patterns in the primary motor cortex were more like task patterns for ecological than control movements. In contrast, there was no difference between ecological and control hand movements in the primary visual area. These findings provide evidence that spontaneous activity in human motor cortex forms fine-scale, patterned representations associated with behaviors that frequently occur in daily life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The microscopic origins of thermopower have been investigated to design efficient thermoelectric devices, but strongly correlated quantum states such as charge density waves and Mott insulating phase remain to be explored for atomic-scale thermopower engineering. Here, we report on thermopower and phonon puddles in the charge density wave states in 1T-TaS2, probed by scanning thermoelectric microscopy. The Star-of-David clusters of atoms in 1T-TaS2 exhibit counterintuitive variations in thermopower with broken three-fold symmetry at the atomic scale, originating from the localized nature of valence electrons and their interlayer coupling in the Mott insulating charge density waves phase of 1T-TaS2. Additionally, phonon puddles are observed with a spatial range shorter than the conventional mean free path of phonons, revealing the phonon propagation and scattering in the subsurface structures of 1T-TaS2. Microscopic origins of thermopower are investigated to design efficient thermoelectric devices. Here, the authors report thermopower and phonon puddles in the charge density wave states in 1T-TaS2 by scanning thermoelectric microscopy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we present and analyze a staggered discontinuous Galerkin method for Darcy flows in fractured porous media on fairly general meshes. A staggered discontinuous Galerkin method and a standard conforming finite element method with appropriate inclusion of interface conditions are exploited for the bulk region and the fracture, respectively. Our current analysis works on fairly general polygonal elements even in the presence of small edges. We prove the optimal convergence estimates in L 2 error for all the variables by exploiting the Ritz projection. Importantly, our error estimates are shown to be fully robust with respect to the heterogeneity and anisotropy of the permeability coefficients. Several numerical experiments including meshes with small edges and anisotropic meshes are carried out to confirm the theoretical findings. Finally, our method is applied in the framework of unfitted mesh. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report a quantitative and systematic method for determining 3D-printing and surface-treatment conditions that can help improve the optical quality of direct-printed microfluidic devices. Digital light processing (DLP)-stereolithography (SLA) printing was extensively studied in microfluidics owing to the rapid, one-step, cleanroom-free, maskless, and high-definition microfabrication of 3D-microfluidic devices. However, optical imaging or detection for bioassays in DLP-SLA-printed microfluidic devices are limited by the translucence of photopolymerized resins. Various approaches, including mechanical abrasions, chemical etching, polymer coatings, and printing on transparent glass/plastic slides, were proposed to address this limitation. However, the effects of these methods have not been analyzed quantitatively or systematically. For the first time, we propose quantitative and methodological determination of 3D-printing and surface-treatment conditions, based on optical-resolution analysis using USAF 1951 resolution test targets and a fluorescence microbead slide through 3D-printed coverslip chips. The key printing parameters (resin type, build orientation, layer thickness, and layer offset) and surface-treatment parameters (grit number for sanding, polishing time with alumina slurry, and type of refractive-index-matching coatings) were determined in a step-wise manner. As a result, we achieved marked improvements in resolution (from 80.6 to 645.1 lp/mm) and contrast (from 3.30 to 27.63% for 645.1 lp/mm resolution). Furthermore, images of the fluorescence microbeads were qualitatively analyzed to evaluate the proposed 3D-printing and surface-treatment approach for fluorescence imaging applications. Finally, the proposed method was validated by fabricating an acoustic micromixer chip and fluorescently visualizing cavitation microstreaming that emanated from an oscillating bubble captured inside the chip. We expect that our approach for enhancing optical quality will be widely used in the rapid manufacturing of 3D-microfluidic chips for optical assays. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report for the first time a microfluidic electrophoretic mobility reversal assay (MEMRA) for double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) detection using zinc-finger proteins (ZFPs) and a polyacrylamide-gel (PAG) sieving matrix. Microfluidic DNA analysis was actively studied because of its importance in biology and medicine. Most microfluidic DNA detection techniques rely on time-consuming denaturation and hybridization processes. To address this limitation, ZFP was employed as a novel affinity probe, which directly binds to a specific sequence of dsDNA without denaturation and renaturation. A mildly alkaline electrophoresis buffer (pH 8.6) was used for our MEMRA, instead of a strongly alkaline buffer (pH 10.75) for separating the ZFP–dsDNA complex from interfering species. At pH 8.6, the mobility of ZFP was reversed upon binding with dsDNA (complex pI = ~ 5.33), and unbound ZFP (pI = ~ 9.3) was excluded from loading. Therefore, the ZFP–dsDNA complex was detected without zone interferences. Furthermore, nonspecific interactions and band dispersion, observed in strongly alkaline buffer, were effectively mitigated in the MEMRA. The ZFP–dsDNA complex was fully separated (separation resolution ≥ 2.0) and detected rapidly (12–15 s at a separation distance of 160–240 μm) using on-chip photopatterned 3–16%T discontinuous PAG. The MEMRA performance was excellent, providing a detection limit of 50 pM and a detection range of 100 pM–500 nM for seb (Staphylococcus enterotoxin B) gene dsDNA oligonucleotides. We expect that our ZFP-based MEMRA will find broad utility in biology and medicine where the rapid, specific, and quantitative detection of dsDNA is of paramount importance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Osteoarthritis (OA) causes serious changes in the metabolic and signaling pathways of chondrocytes, including the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway. However, the role of sprouty RTK signaling antagonist 4 (SPRY4), an inhibitor of MAPK, in the human cartilage tissues and chondrocytes remains to be understood. Here, using SPRY4 gene delivery into healthy and degenerated chondrocytes, we elucidated the role of SPRY4 in preventing chondrocyte hypertrophy. In addition to using the human cartilage tissues with the destabilization of the medial meniscus (DMM) model in Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats, the role of SPRY4 in cartilage tissues and chondrocytes was explored through their molecular and histological analyses. In order to determine the effects of SPRY4 on healthy human chondrocyte hypertrophy, small interfering RNA (siRNA) was used to knock down SPRY4. Lentiviral transduction of SPRY4 into degenerated human chondrocytes allowed us to investigate its ability to prevent hypertrophy. SPRY4 expression levels were higher in healthy human cartilage tissue and chondrocytes than in degenerated human cartilage tissues and hypertrophy-induced chondrocytes. The knockdown of SPRY4 in healthy chondrocytes caused an increase in hypertrophy, senescence, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, and extracellular matrix (ECM) protease expression. However, all these factors decreased upon overexpression of SPRY4 in degenerated chondrocytes via regulation of the MAPK signaling pathway. We conclude that SPRY4 is a crucial indicator of osteoarthritis (OA) severity and could play an important role in preventing OA in the cartilage by inhibiting chondrocyte hypertrophy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to investigate the effects of low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) on replacement root resorption after replantation of avulsed teeth stored in a dry condition in dogs. A total of 73 premolar roots from four male mongrel dogs were intentionally avulsed with forceps and divided into four groups—HN, HL, DN, and DL—according to storage conditions and whether or not they received LIPUS treatment. Thirty-eight roots were kept in Hanks' Balanced Salt Solution for 30 min (HN and HL groups), whereas the remaining 35 roots were left to dry in the air for an hour (DN and DL groups) prior to replantation. Following replantation, the roots in the HL and DL groups (21 and 18 roots, respectively) received a 20-min daily LIPUS treatment for 2 weeks. The animals were euthanized 4 weeks after the operation. Micro-computed tomography images were acquired for each root and the amount of replacement root resorption was measured three-dimensionally. Histological assessments were also carried out. There was significantly less replacement root resorption for the roots in the DL group compared to the DN group (p < 0.01). Histological findings in the DN group demonstrated evident replacement root resorption, whereas the DL group revealed less severe resorption compared to the DN group. Within the limitations, these results suggest that LIPUS could attenuate the replacement resorption of avulsed teeth stored in a dry condition, thereby improving their prognosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the emergent dynamics of a mixed Kuramoto ensemble in the presence of both attractive and repulsive coupling strengths. To be precise, we consider coupled Kuramoto-type systems consisting of two ensembles in which the oscillators in the same group interact attractively with a positive intra-group coupling strength, whereas the oscillators in the different group communicate repulsively with a negative inter-group coupling strength. For the modeling perspective of the Kuramoto model (KM for brevity), two types of systems are treated in this paper: an attractive–repulsive inertial KM–KM and an attractive–repulsive KM–KM. For these two models, we provide sufficient frameworks leading to complete bi-polar synchronization in which asymptotic configuration tends to a bi-polar state. Our estimates mainly rely on the gradient-like flow formulation and the energy estimate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Genomic and precision medicine research has afforded notable advances in human cancer treatment, yet applicability to other species remains uncertain. Through whole-exome and transcriptome analyses of 191 spontaneous canine mammary tumors (CMTs) that exhibit the archetypal features of human breast cancers, we found a striking resemblance of genomic characteristics including frequent PIK3CA mutations (43.1%), aberrations of the PI3K-Akt pathway (61.7%), and key genes involved in cancer initiation and progression. We also identified three gene expression-based CMT subtypes, one of which segregated with basal-like human breast cancer subtypes with activated epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, low claudin expression, and unfavorable disease prognosis. A relative lack of ERBB2 amplification and Her2-enrichment subtype in CMT denoted species-specific molecular mechanisms. Taken together, our results elucidate cross-species oncogenic signatures for a better understanding of universal and context-dependent mechanisms in breast cancer development and provide a basis for precision diagnostics and therapeutics for domestic dogs. Comparison of spontaneous canine cancers and human cancers may illuminate future therapeutic avenues. Here, genomic analyses of these tumors highlights a convergence on PI3K-Akt oncogenic pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose a Lohe matrix model in a random environment where each oscillator can be regarded as an element of a general matrix Lie group G. In order to make the stochastic system stays on G for all time, we introduce suitable noise terms so that the underlying manifold G is positively invariant under the stochastic system. Then, we formally derive the Fokker-Planck type equation defined on G × g in which g denotes the Lie algebra corresponding to G. After identifying the target Fokker-Planck equation, we especially consider the unitary group G = U (d) and show that the equation on U (d) admits a global unique solution and that it can be rigorously derived using a stochastic mean-field limit procedure with a convergence rate of order O (1 / N) . Finally, we restrict our concern to G = SU (2) to provide explicit calculation and present the nonlinear stability of an incoherent state for the Fokker-Planck equation depending on the relation between parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rakotomamonjy (RO-CAI, pp 71–80, 2009) proposed an ROC-SVM that optimizes the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) particularly useful for unbalanced classification. In this article, we establish the piecewise linearity of the ROC-SVM solutions as a function of regularization parameter, and develop an efficient algorithm for computing the entire regularization paths of the ROC-SVM. Finally we develop an R package, rocsvm.path, now available in CRAN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The purpose of this retrospective study was to evaluate and compare the effects of fast- and slow-setting calcium silicate–based materials (CSMs) used for root-end filling on the outcome of endodontic microsurgery. Materials and methods: We searched a clinical database for patients who had received endodontic microsurgery between 2001 and 2016. Included cases were divided into two groups according to the type of CSM used for root-end filling: slow-setting CSM (SCSM) and fast-setting CSM (FCSM). The cases in two groups were subjected to 1:1 nearest neighbor propensity score matching for the following variables: age, sex, tooth type, quality of canal filling, lesion type, and postoperative restoration. For each matched case, the outcome was determined as success or failure according to clinical and radiographic evaluations performed at least 1 year after surgery. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to identify prognostic factors and estimate their effects. Results: In total, 304 cases of endodontic microsurgery (179 SCSM and 125 FCSM) were identified, and 1:1 propensity score matching finally included 122 cases from each group. After matching, all covariates were associated with an absolute standardized difference of < 0.1. The overall success rates were 85.2% and 93.4% for the SCSM and FCSM groups, respectively (p = 0.062). Age, tooth type, lesion type, and CSM type were significantly associated with the outcome of endodontic microsurgery (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Within the limitations, the outcome of endodontic microsurgery using FCSMs was comparable with that of SCSMs. The findings suggest that the type of CSM used for root-end filling, particularly in terms of the initial setting time, could affect the outcome of endodontic microsurgery. Clinical relevance: FCSMs could be considered for use as root-end filling materials in endodontic microsurgery, particularly in complicated clinical situations which require rapid initial setting of the materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We incorporated zwitterionic materials into light-curable fluoride varnish (LCFV) in order to inhibit biofilm accumulation and prevent dental caries, and the properties of LCFV with three different zwitterionic materials, namely, 2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine (MPC), carboxybetaine methacrylate (CBMA), and sulfobetaine methacrylate (SBMA) polymers (each at a weight percentage of 3%), were compared; unmodified LCFV without any zwitterionic material was used as a control. Material properties including film thickness and degree of conversion (DC) of each type of LCFV were evaluated. In addition, protein-repellent effects and inhibitory effects on Streptococcus mutans adhesion and saliva-derived biofilm accumulation of LCFV were estimated. Finally, the preventive effect of LCFV on enamel demineralization was assessed in vitro on extracted human teeth specimens stored in S. mutans-containing medium. The film thickness of LCFV significantly decreased with the incorporation of zwitterionic materials compared to the control LCFV, whereas there were no significant differences in the DC among all of the LCFV groups. Furthermore, the amount of adsorbed protein, adherent S. mutans colony-forming unit (CFU) counts, and saliva-derived biofilm thickness and biomass were all significantly lower for LCFV with incorporated zwitterionic materials compared with the control. All LCFV groups including the control showed certain preventive effects against enamel demineralization during a 14-day immersion in the medium with S. mutans and sucrose, and the depth of demineralization was significantly lower in LCFV with zwitterionic materials than in the control. Thus, the incorporation of zwitterionic materials such as MPC, CBMA, and SBMA appears to confer superior antifouling effects to LCFV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we study a flocking dynamics of the deterministic inertial spin (IS) model. The IS model was introduced for the collective dynamics of active particles with an internal angular momentum, or spin. When the generalized moment of inertia becomes negligible compared to spin dissipation (overdamped limit) and mutual communication weight is a function of a relative distance between interacting particles, the deterministic inertial spin model formally reduces to the Cucker–Smale (CS) model with constant speed constraint whose emergent dynamics has been extensively studied in the previous literature. We present several sufficient frameworks leading to the asymptotic mono-cluster flocking, in which spins and relative velocities tend to zero asymptotically. We also provide several numerical simulations for the decoupled and coupled inertial spin models to see the effect of the C–S velocity flocking and compare them with our analytical results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study a second-order extension to the first-order Lohe matrix model on the unitary group which can be reduced to the second-order Kuramoto model with inertia as a special case. For the proposed second-order model, we present several sufficient frameworks leading to the emergence of the complete and practical synchronizations in terms of the initial data and the system parameters. For the identical hamiltonians, we show that the complete synchronization emerges asymptotically. In contrast, for the non-identical hamiltonians, the practical synchronization occurs for some class of initial data when the product of the coupling strength and inertia is sufficiently small. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present particle and kinetic models for the description of swarming particles on a sphere in the presence of random noises, and study their stability properties. In the absence of noises, the proposed particle model can be reduced from the Lohe matrix model for quantum synchronization, and the kinetic model can be formally derived from the particle swarming model using the BBGKY hierarchy. For the particle model without noises, we show that it is uniformly stable with respect to initial data in a Lebesgue norm. This uniform stability and particle-in-cell method yield a global existence of a measure-valued solution to the corresponding inviscid kinetic model. We also show that the incoherent state for the kinetic model is nonlinearly stable, as long as the ratio between noise strength and coupling strength is sufficiently large. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes the mobile forensic reference set (MFReS), a mobile forensic investigation procedure and a tool for mobile forensics that we developed. The MFReS consists of repositories, databases, and services that can easily retrieve data from a database, which can be used to effectively classify meaningful data related to crime, among numerous data types in mobile devices. Mobile data consist of system data, application data, and multimedia data according to characteristics and format. We have developed a mobile forensic process that can effectively analyze information from installed applications and user behavior through these data. In particular, our tool can be useful for investigators because it can analyze the log files of all applications (apps) and analyze behavior based on timeline, geodata, and other characteristics. Our research can contribute to the study of mobile forensic support systems and suggest the direction of mobile data analysis tool development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The estimation of the load sharing ratio of the pre-installed column in typical top-down method building was carried out using three dimensional finite element analysis. The main focus was on quantifying the apparent load sharing ratio of the prebored and precast pile-which is the common form of a pre-installed column - throughout the construction process. Additional parametric study was conducted based on series of numerical analysis with special attention given to the pile load sharing ratio under different pile array, pile embedded length, structure height and rock type. Moreover, the load sharing ratio of a single pile was investigated based on the relative location of the pile in the raft (footing). The numerical model was verified based on the field data of two actual construction site using the prebored and precast pile and the top-down method. Based on the analysis results, it was shown that the pre-installed columns of top-down method building is capable of supporting a notable portion of the structural load throughout the construction process. Furthermore, it was also shown that the pile near the center of the raft carried more structure load compared to the piles in the side and the corner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Treatment of late-stage prostate cancer by targeted radiotherapeutics such as 131I-MIP-1095 and 177Lu-PSMA-617 has shown encouraging early results. Lu-177 is preferred to I-131 in clinical settings, but targeted radioligand therapy (RLT) with 177Lu-PSMA-617 has not reached its full potential due to insufficient dose delivery to the tumor. We recently developed a dual-targeting radioiodinated ligand, RPS-027, that targets PSMA and uses albumin binding to enable good tumor uptake and significantly reduced kidney uptake in a preclinical model. Further development of this ligand is limited by the inability to independently modify PSMA and albumin binding and the requirement of I-131 for therapeutic application. We therefore sought to devise a new class of trifunctional ligands for RLT with (1) a high-affinity PSMA-binding domain, (2) an albumin-binding group (ABG), and (3) a chelator for radiometals such as 68Ga3+, 177Lu3+ and 225Ac3+.Methods: Ligands incorporating a triazolylphenylurea-containing PSMA-targeting group, an Nε-(2-(4-iodophenyl)acetyl)lysine ABG and the bifunctional chelator p-SCN-Bn-DOTA linked by a PEG-containing polymer containing 0,3,4,6,8 or 12 repeats were prepared. PSMA affinity was determined in LNCaP cells and uptake and tissue distribution was studied in mice bearing LNCaP tumor xenografts and compared to 177Lu-PSMA-617. Imaging studies were performed up to 24 h post-injection (p.i.) using 66Ga3+ and biodistribution studies at 4 h, 24 h and 96 h p.i. with 177Lu3+.Results: PSMA affinity was high (IC50 = 1-10 nM) and inversely proportional to the linker length. Tumor uptake correlated with binding affinity and was significantly greater than for 177Lu-PSMA-617 over 96 h. The highest uptake was achieved with 177Lu-RPS-063 (30.0 ± 6.9 %ID/g; 4 h p.i.). Kidney uptake was generally high, with the exception of the lowest affinity ligand 177Lu-RPS-067. Each of the compounds showed slower blood clearance than 177Lu-PSMA-617, with clearance proportional to linker length.Conclusions: The high tumor uptake achieved with these trifunctional ligands predicts larger (up to 4×) doses delivered to the tumor than can be achieved with 177Lu-PSMA-617. Although PSMA-mediated kidney uptake was also observed, the exceptional area under the curve (AUC) in the tumor warrants further investigation of these novel ligands as candidates for RLT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Systemic injection of a photosensitizer is a general method in photodynamic therapy, but it has complications due to the unintended systemic distribution and remnants of photosensitizers. This study focused on the possibility of suppressing luminal proliferative cells by excessive reactive oxygen species from locally delivered photosensitizer with biocompatible polyurethane, instead of the systemic injection method. We used human bladder cancer cells, hematoporphyrin as the photosensitizer, and polyurethane film as the photosensitizer-delivering container. The light source was a self-made LED (510 nm, 5 mW cm−2) system. The cancer cells were cultured on different doses of hematoporphyrin-containing polyurethane film and irradiated with LED for 15 minutes and 30 minutes each. After irradiating with LED and incubating for 24 hours, cell viability analysis, cell cycle analysis, apoptosis assay, intracellular and extracellular ROS generation study and western blot were performed. The cancer cell suppression effects of different concentrations of the locally delivered hematoporphyrin with PDT were compared. Apoptosis dominant cancer cell suppressions were shown to be hematoporphyrin dose-dependent. However, after irradiation, intracellular ROS amounts were similar in all the groups having different doses of hematoporphyrin, but these values were definitely higher than those in the control group. Excessive extracellular ROS from the intended, locally delivered photosensitizer for photodynamic treatment application had an inhibitory effect on luminal proliferative cancer cells. This method can be another possibility for PDT application on contactable or attachable lesions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Methylphenidate is a first-line therapeutic option for treating attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD); however, elicited changes on resting-state functional networks (RSFNs) are not well understood. This study investigated the treatment effect of methylphenidate using a variety of RSFN analyses and explored the collaborative influences of treatment-relevant RSFN changes in children with ADHD. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging was acquired from 20 medication-naïve ADHD children before methylphenidate treatment and twelve weeks later. Changes in large-scale functional connectivity were defined using independent component analysis with dual regression and graph theoretical analysis. The amplitude of low frequency fluctuation (ALFF) was measured to investigate local spontaneous activity alteration. Finally, significant findings were recruited to random forest regression to identify the feature subset that best explains symptom improvement. After twelve weeks of methylphenidate administration, large-scale connectivity was increased between the left fronto-parietal RSFN and the left insula cortex and the right fronto-parietal and the brainstem, while the clustering coefficient (CC) of the global network and nodes, the left fronto-parietal, cerebellum, and occipital pole-visual network, were decreased. ALFF was increased in the bilateral superior parietal cortex and decreased in the right inferior fronto-temporal area. The subset of the local and large-scale RSFN changes, including widespread ALFF changes, the CC of the global network and the cerebellum, could explain the 27.1% variance of the ADHD Rating Scale and 13.72% of the Conner's Parent Rating Scale. Our multivariate approach suggests that the neural mechanism of methylphenidate treatment could be associated with alteration of spontaneous activity in the superior parietal cortex or widespread brain regions as well as functional segregation of the large-scale intrinsic functional network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the interplay between dopaminergic and glutamatergic systems, N-Methyl-D-Asparate (NMDA) receptor genes are thought to be involved in the pathophysiology of ADHD. However, the phenotypical correlates of brain functions associated with NMDA receptor genes and dopamine receptor genes in ADHD are yet to be investigated. We examined the diagnosis, genotype and the diagnosis-genotype interaction effects of GRIN2B and DRD4 variants on the local functional connectivity (by using the mean of static regional homogeneity (ReHo) and the mean and standard deviation (SD) of dynamic ReHo) in 67 ADHD subjects and 44 controls (aged 6-17 years). GRIN2B genotypes were divided into the C/C group and T allele carrier group; DRD4 genotypes were divided into the 2R group and non-2R group. The correlation between the ReHo values showing significant diagnosis-genotype interaction and Children's Color Trails Test (CCTT) scores were examined. CCTT measures processing speed, sustained and divided attention. There were significant diagnosis (p < 0.001) and interaction (p = 0.02) effects of the GRIN2B variant on the static ReHo mean in the left superior parietal cluster, and the ReHo value was positively correlated with the CCTT interference score in the ADHD with T allele carrier subgroup (p = 0.012). There were significant diagnosis (p < 0.001) and interaction (p = 0.03) effects of the DRD4 variant on the dynamic ReHo SD in the right superior parietal cluster. These results suggest that alterations in the glutamate and dopamine system in ADHD may contribute to abnormalities in local functional connectivity and its dynamic repertoire in the superior parietal area, and these abnormalities would be related to dysfunction in sustained and divided attention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose two variable selection methods using signomial classification. We attempt to select, among a set of the input variables, the variables that lead to the best performance of the classifier. One method repeatedly removes variables based on backward selection, whereas the second method directly selects a set of variables by solving an optimization problem. The proposed methods conduct variable selection considering nonlinear interactions of variables and obtain a signomial classifier with the selected variables. Computational results show that the proposed methods more effectively selects desirable variables for predicting output and provide the classifiers with better or comparable test error rates, as compared with existing methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Current clinical imaging of PSMA-positive prostate cancer by positron emission tomography (PET) mainly features Ga-labeled tracers, notably [Ga]Ga-PSMA-HBED-CC. The longer half-life of fluorine-18 offers significant advantages over Ga-68, clinically and logistically. We aimed to develop high-affinity PSMA inhibitors labeled with fluorine-18 as alternative tracers for prostate cancer. Methods: Six triazolylphenyl ureas and their alkyne precursors were synthesized from the Glu-urea-Lys PSMA binding moiety. PSMA affinity was determined in a competitive binding assay using LNCaP cells. The [F]triazoles were isolated following a Cu(I)-catalyzed click reaction between the alkynes and [F]fluoroethylazide. The F-labeled compounds were evaluated in nude mice bearing LNCaP tumors and compared to [Ga]Ga-PSMA-HBED-CC and [F]DCFPyL. Biodistribution studies of the two tracers with the highest imaged-derived tumor uptake and highest PSMA affinity were undertaken at 1 h, 2 h and 4 h post-injection (p.i.), and co-administration of PMPA was used to determine whether uptake was PSMA-specific. Results: F-18-labeled triazolylphenyl ureas were prepared with a decay-corrected RCY of 20-40 %, >98 % radiochemical and chemical purity, and specific activity of up to 391 GBq/μmol. PSMA binding (IC) ranged from 3-36 nM. The position of the triazole influenced tumor uptake (3 > 4 > 2), and direct conjugation of the triazole with the phenylurea moiety was preferred to insertion of a spacer group. Image-derived tumor uptake ranged from 6-14 %ID/g at 2 h p.i., the time of maximum tumor uptake; uptake of [Ga]Ga-PSMA-HBED-CC and [F]DCFPyL was 5-6 %ID/g at 1-3 h p.i., the time of maximum tumor uptake. Biodistribution studies of the two most promising compounds gave maximum tumor uptakes of 10.9 ± 1.0 % and 14.3 ± 2.5 %ID/g, respectively, as compared to 6.27 ± 1.44 %ID/g for [Ga]Ga-PSMA-HBED-CC. Conclusions: Six [F]triazolylphenyl ureas were prepared in good radiochemical yield. Compounds showed PSMA-specific uptake in LNCaP tumors as high as 14 % ID/g, more than a 2-fold increase over [Ga]Ga-PSMA-HBED-CC. The facile and high-yielding radiosynthesis of these F-labeled triazoles as well as their promising in vitro and in vivo characteristics make them worthy of clinical development for PET imaging of prostate cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has been a serious concern to cope with noise and vibration problems due to thermoacoustic instability in design and operation of large industrial furnaces. In this work Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) simulation was performed with resulting mean scalar fields provided as an input for acoustic analysis at the Maximum continuous rating (MCR) and 50 % MCR loads. Large Eddy simulation (LES) was performed for a single burner to investigate shear layer oscillations leading to vortex shedding which was suspected to be an excitation source. The Rayleigh parameter was estimated to check mutual correlation and any positive feedback of fluctuating pressure and heat release throughout the single burner domain. The flame transfer function in terms of n and τ was obtained for simplified network analysis from LES results. The peak frequency in turbulence energy spectrum was in good agreement with the measured resonant frequency with positive Rayleigh parameters around the region of shear layer oscillation at the MCR load. No instability was predicted at 50 % MCR load to be consistent with test results, with negative Rayleigh parameters throughout the domain. And the energy spectrum analysis confirms that there is mismatch between the peak frequency and the eigenfrequencies of the furnace at 50 % MCR load. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Far-red fluorescent proteins are beneficial for imaging in mammals. Here, starting from mCherry, the most commonly used among the different types of red fluorescent proteins (RFP), not having a H-bond network in its original form, we sought to recover the hydrogen bond network in mCherry. By comparing the structure of wtGFP and mCherry, we focused on a few key residues involved in a proton wire, and discovered an I197T mutant that showed a more red-shifted fluorescence. The detailed optical and photo-switching properties of related engineered RFPs are described. This study will guide further development of monomeric far-red FPs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In today's competitive business environment, the timely identification of potential technology opportunities is becoming increasingly important for the strategic management of technology and innovation. Existing studies in the field of technology opportunity discovery (TOD) focus exclusively on patent textual information. In this article, we introduce a new method that tackles TOD via technology convergence, using both patent textual data and patent citation networks. We identify technology groups with high convergence potential by measuring connectivity between clusters of patents. From such technology groups we select pairs of core patents based on their technological relatedness, on their past involvement in convergence, and on the impact of their new potential convergence. We finally carry out TOD by extracting representative keywords from the text of the selected patent pairs and organizing them into the basic description of a new invention, which the potential convergence of the patent pair might produce. We illustrate our proposed method using a data set of U.S. patents in the field of digital information and security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Demyelination is the pathological process by which myelin sheaths are lost from around axons, and is usually caused by a direct insult targeted at the oligodendrocytes in the vertebrate central nervous system (CNS). A demyelinated CNS is usually remyelinated by a population of oligodendrocyte progenitor cells, which are widely distributed throughout the adult CNS. However, myelin disruption and remyelination failure affect the normal function of the nervous system, causing human diseases such as multiple sclerosis. In spite of numerous studies aimed at understanding the remyelination process, many questions still remain unanswered. Therefore, to study remyelination mechanisms in vivo, a demyelination animal model was generated using a transgenic zebrafish system in which oligodendrocytes are conditionally ablated in the larval and adult CNS. In this transgenic system, bacterial nitroreductase enzyme (NTR), which converts the prodrug metronidazole (Mtz) into a cytotoxic DNA cross-linking agent, is expressed in oligodendrocyte lineage cells under the control of the mbp and sox10 promoter. Exposure of transgenic zebrafish to Mtz-containing media resulted in rapid ablation of oligodendrocytes and CNS demyelination within 48 h, but removal of Mtz medium led to efficient remyelination of the demyelinated CNS within 7 days. In addition, the demyelination and remyelination processes could be easily observed in living transgenic zebrafish by detecting the fluorescent protein, mCherry, indicating that this transgenic system can be used as a valuable animal model to study the remyelination process in vivo, and to conduct high-throughput primary screens for new drugs that facilitate remyelination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The generation of various subtypes of neurons and glial cells at the right time and place is crucial for the proper development of the vertebrate CNS. Although the mechanisms and factors for the regulation of neuronal diversity in the CNS have been well studied, the mechanisms regulating the sequential production of neuronal and glial cells from neural precursors remain poorly understood. This study shows that Tcf3, a member of the Lef/Tcf family of proteins, is required to inhibit the premature oligodendroglial fate specification of spinal cord precursors using the transgenic zebrafish, which expresses a dominant repressor form of Tcf3 under the control of a heat-shock inducible promoter. In addition, the data revealed that Tcf3 function in oligodendroglial fate specification is mediated independently of canonical Wnt signaling. Altogether, these results show a novel function for Tcf3 in regulating the timing of oligodendroglial fate specification in the spinal cord. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies of naturally occurring cancers in dogs, which share many genetic and environmental factors with humans, provide valuable information as a comparative model for studying the mechanisms of human cancer pathogenesis. While individual and small-scale studies of canine cancers are underway, more generalized multi-omics studies have not been attempted due to the lack of large-scale and well-controlled genomic data. Here, we produced reliable whole-exome and whole-transcriptome sequencing data of 197 canine mammary cancers and their matched controls, annotated with rich clinical and biological features. Our dataset provides useful reference points for comparative analysis with human cancers and for developing novel diagnostic and therapeutic technologies for cancers in pet dogs. Design Type(s) disease state design • transcription profiling design • parallel group design Measurement Type(s) transcription profiling assay • exome Technology Type(s) RNA sequencing • DNA sequencing Factor Type(s) breed • age • experimental condition • diagnosis Sample Characteristic(s) Canis lupus familiaris • tissue Machine-accessible metadata file describing the reported data (ISA-Tab format) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We evaluated the efficacy of light-curable fluoride varnish (LCFV) that contains 2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine (MPC) in terms of anti-biofouling properties and prevention of tooth enamel demineralization. MPC was mixed with and incorporated into LCFV at 0 (control), 1.5, 3.0, 5.0, 10.0, 20.0, and 40.0 weight percentage (wt%). Addition of high wt% of MPC resulted in increased film thickness and decreased the degree of conversion, indicating loss of the advantageous properties of LCFV. Addition of 1.5, 3, or 5 wt% MPC significantly reduced the amount of bovine serum albumin adsorbed from a solution and proteins adsorbed from brain heart infusion medium compared to the control (P < 0.001). A similar pattern was observed for bacterial adhesion: significantly less Streptococcus mutans cells adhered on the surface of LCFV with 1.5, 3, or 5 wt% MPC (P < 0.001) than on the control, and similar results were obtained for Actinomyces naeslundii and Streptococcus sanguinis adherence to LCFV with 3 wt% MPC. Finally, bacterial adhesion, surface microhardness loss, and the depth of demineralization were substantially lower on bovine tooth enamel surface coated with LCFV containing 3 wt% of MPC than in the control treatment (0 wt% MPC). Therefore, this novel LCFV containing a low concentration of MPC (e.g., 3 wt%) would be effective in anti-biofouling while maintaining the important advantageous features of light-curable fluoride in preventing demineralization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A correction to this article has been published and is linked from the HTML and PDF versions of this paper. The error has not been fixed in the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stem cell therapy that can restore function to damaged tissue, avoid host rejection and reduce inflammation throughout body without use of immunosuppressive drugs. The established methods were used to identify and to isolate specific stem cell markers by FACS or by immunomagnetic cell separation. The procedures for distinguishing population of stem cells took a time and needed many preparations. Here we suggest an electrotaxis analysis as a new method to evaluate the homogeneity of mesenchymal stem cells which can observe the stem cell population in culture condition and wide use to various types of stem cells. Human mesenchymal stem cell, adipose derived stem cell, tonsil derived stem cell and osteogenic differentiated cells migrated toward anode but the migration speed of differentiated cells was significantly decreased versus that of stem cells. In mixture of stem cells and differentiated cells condition, we identified that the ratio of stem cell versus differentiated cell was matched with the homogeneity evaluation data of stem cells based on electrotaxis analysis. As a result, our evaluation tool has the possibility of the wide use to stem cell homogeneity evaluation and might be used as the stem cell quality control during stem cell culture without any additional antibodies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]