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Introduction: Alzheimer's disease dementia (ADD) has now become a crucial concern for modern society as a result of increased life expectancy. However, it is often difficult for a majority of the population to afford expensive medical imaging tests for accurate diagnosis. As a solution, quantitative analysis of electroencephalography (EEG) that aids in a sufficient description of brain activities can be employed as a cost-effective, safe and objective diagnostic tool. In the presented research, we employed diverse QEEG features at both channel- and source-level to enhance the robustness of our previously established artificial intelligence (AI) model that distinguishes non-ADD (NADD) data from ADD data.Method 594 NADD and 137 ADD subjects’ EEG data were employed for the presented research. artifact-free data were obtained through the application of independent component analysis (ICA) and bad epoch rejection. Absolute and relative power spectra at 19 channels were first computed, followed by the estimation of source-level power spectra through standardized low-resolution brain electromagnetic tomography (s-LORETA). Through further feature engineering, functional brain networks were also obtained. The established channel-level features were transformed into images that spatially allocate absolute and relative spectral powers, which were utilized for the training of deep neural network structures. Moreover, source-level spectral powers and functional brain networks were adopted for the training of a tree-based machine learning algorithm. Prediction probabilities of the established classification models were ensembled through the voting method and returned the final classification result.Results The best classification accuracies of the absolute and relative channel-level spectral power image-based deep neural network models were 85.3% and 86.5% respectively. The tree-based model that has been trained with source-level features resulted in an accuracy of 87.7%. The accuracy of the ensemble model was 88.5%, which demonstrates the compensatory interaction among the models.Conclusions The promising classification results indicate the potential behind EEG-AI models for the analysis of neurodegenerative disorders. Through continuous analysis of several independent QEEG features of varying aspects, we may soon be able to more aptly diagnose several neurological disorders.

Objective: Converging evidence ranging from basic pathophysiology to epidemiological and clinical data has described a potential relationship between Parkinson’s disease (PD) and diabetes mellitus (DM). This study aimed to explore the effect of sugar control on the treatment of motor manifestations in PD. Methods: A total of 124 de novo PD patients were included in the study. The participants were classified into three groups, non-DM (n = 45), well-controlled (n = 41) and less-controlled DM (n = 38), based on the glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) cut-off value of 7.0. Clinical parameters including Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS), Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) were evaluated serial twice apart from 1 year. Results: The less-controlled DM group revealed significantly lesser improvement in UPDRS III (baseline to follow-up, 38.1 ± 9.6 to 29.9 ± 7.8; p < 0.001) than those of either non-DM (36.6 ± 8.9 to 22.9 ± 5.7) and well-controlled group (37.0 ± 8.8 to 24.0 ± 6.0) after standard PD treatment for 1 year. A higher HbA1c was correlated with a lesser decline of UPDRS III (b, 0.47; p < 0.001) among PD with DM population. Less-controlled DM effectively predicted a lesser decline of UPDRS III (b = + 5.426; p < 0.001). Conclusions: Our results demonstrated a potential negative effect of sub-optimally controlled blood sugar on treating motor manifestations of PD. Careful glucose management might be a beneficial strategy to improve the burden of motor symptoms in PD who have coexisting DM.

Textile electronics are ideal for novel electronic devices owing to their flexibility, light weight, and wearability. In this work, wearable organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) with all-graphene electrodes, fabricated using hot pressing, are described. First, highly conductive and flexible electrodes consisting of a cotton textile substrate and electrochemically exfoliated graphene (EEG) were prepared via hot pressing. The EEG/textile electrodes exhibited a low sheet resistance of 1.3 Ω sq−1 and high flexibility; these were used as gate electrodes in the wearable OFETs. In addition, spray-coated EEG was also used as the source/drain (S/D) electrodes of the wearable OFETs, which recorded a sheet resistance of 14.8 Ω sq−1 after hot pressing. The wearable OFETs exhibited stable electrical performance, a field-effect mobility of 13.8 cm2 V−1 s−1, and an on–off current ratio of ~103 during 1000 cycles of bending. Consequently, the fabrication method for wearable transistors developed using textiles and hot-pressed graphene electrodes has potential applications in next-generation wearable devices.

As the control over radioactive species becomes critical for the contemporary human life, the development of functional materials for decontamination of radioactive substances has also become important. In this work, a three-dimensional (3D) porous carbon monolith functionalized with Prussian blue particles was prepared through removal of colloidal silica particles from exfoliated graphene/silica composite precursors. The colloidal silica particles with a narrow size distribution were used to act a role of hard template and provide a sufficient surface area that could accommodate potentially hazardous radioactive substances by adsorption. The unique surface and pore structure of the functionalized porous carbon monolith was examined using electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (EDS). The effective incorporation of PB nanoparticles was confirmed using diverse instrumentations such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). A nitrogen adsorption/desorption study showed that surface area and pore volume increased significantly compared with the starting precursor. Adsorption tests were performed with 133Cs ions to examine adsorption isotherms using both Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms. In addition, adsorption kinetics were also investigated and parameters were calculated. The functionalized porous carbon monolith showed a relatively higher adsorption capacity than that of pristine porous carbon monolith and the bulk PB to most radioactive ions such as 133Cs, 85Rb, 138Ba, 88Sr, 140Ce, and 205Tl. This material can be used for decontamination in expanded application fields.

Subjective cognitive complaints (SCCs) refer to self-perceived cognitive decline and are related to objective cognitive decline. SCCs in cognitively normal individuals are considered a preclinical sign of subsequent cognitive impairment due to Alzheimer’s disease, and SCCs in cognitively normal patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) are also gaining attention. The aim of this review was to provide an overview of the current research on SCCs in cognitively normal patients with PD. A systematic search found a lack of consistency in the methodologies used to define and measure SCCs. Although the association between SCCs and objective cognitive performance in cognitively normal patients with PD is controversial, SCCs appear to be predictive of subsequent cognitive decline. These findings support the clinical value of SCCs in cognitively normal status in PD; however, further convincing evidence from biomarker studies is needed to provide a pathophysiological basis for these findings. Additionally, a consensus on the definition and assessment of SCCs is needed for further investigations.

We investigated whether telomere length (TL) reflecting physical rather than chronological aging is associated with disease progression in the different cognitive stages of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Study participants included 89 subjects with amyloid pathology (A+), determined through amyloid PET or cerebrospinal fluid analysis, including 26 cognitively unimpaired (CU A+) individuals, 28 subjects with mild cognitive impairment (MCI A+), and 35 subjects with AD dementia (ADD A+). As controls, 104 CU A- individuals were selected. The participants were evaluated annually over two years from baseline. Compared to the highest TL quartile group of MCI A+ participants, the lowest TL quartile group yielded 2-year differences of -9.438 (95% confidence interval [CI] = -14.567 ~ -4.309), -26.708 (-41.576 ~ -11.839), 3.198 (1.323 ~ 5.056), and 2.549 (0.527 ~ 4.571) on the Mini-Mental State Examination, Consortium to Establish a Registry for AD, Clinical Dementia Rating-Sum of Boxes, and Blessed Dementia Scale-Activities of Daily Living, respectively. With this group, the lowest TL quartile group had a significantly greater probability of progressing to ADD than the highest TL quartile group (hazard ratio = 13.16, 95% CI = 1.11 ~ 156.61). Telomere shortening may be associated with rapid cognitive decline and conversion to dementia in MCI A+.

We investigated the relationship between hippocampal subfield volumes and cortical amyloid-beta (Aβ) deposition in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Fifty participants (11 cognitively unimpaired [CU], 10 with mild cognitive impairment [MCI], and 29 with AD) who underwent 18F-florbetaben positron emission tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and neuropsychological tests were enrolled. The hippocampal subfield volumes were obtained using an automated brain volumetry system with the Winterburn atlas and were compared among the diagnostic groups, and the correlations with the Aβ deposition and AD risk factors were determined. Patients with MCI and AD showed decreased volume in the stratum radiatum/lacunosum/moleculare (SRLM) of the cornu ammonis (CA)1 and CA4-dentate gyrus (DG) compared with the CU. Decreased SRLM and CA4-DG volumes were associated with an increased Aβ deposition in the global cortex (R = −0.459, p = 0.001; R = −0.393, p = 0.005, respectively). The SRLM and CA4-DG volumes aided in the distinction of AD from CU (areas under the receiver operating characteristic [AUROC] curve = 0.994 and 0.981, respectively, p < 0.001), and Aβ+ from Aβ− individuals (AUROC curve = 0.949 and 0.958, respectively, p < 0.001). Hippocampal subfield volumes demonstrated potential as imaging biomarkers in the diagnosis and detection of AD and Aβ deposition, respectively.

Background Neurofilament light chain (NFL) level has been suggested as a blood-based biomarker for neurodegeneration in dementia. However, the association between baseline NFL levels and cognitive stage transition or cortical thickness is unclear. This study aimed to investigate whether baseline NFL levels are associated with cognitive stage transition or cortical thickness in mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and cognitively unimpaired (CU) participants. Methods This study analyzed data on participants from the independent validation cohort of the Korea Brain Aging Study for the Early Diagnosis and Prediction of Alzheimer’s disease (KBASE-V) study. Among the participants of KBASE-V study, 53 MCI and 146 CU participants who were followed up for ≥ 2 years and had data on the serum NFL levels were eligible for inclusion in this study. Participants were classified into three groups according to baseline serum NFL levels of low, middle, or high. Results The Kaplan–Meier analysis showed association between the serum NFL tertiles and risk of cognitive stage transition in MCI (P = 0.002) and CU (P = 0.028) participants, analyzed separately. The same is true upon analysis of MCI and CU participants together (P < 0.001). In MCI participants, the highest serum NFL tertile and amyloid-beta positivity were independent predictors for cognitive stage transition after adjusting for covariates. For CU participants, only amyloid-beta positivity was identified to be an independent predictor. Conclusion The study shows that higher serum NFL tertile levels correlate with increased risk of cognitive stage transition in both MCI and CU participants. Serum NFL levels were negatively correlated with the mean cortical thickness of the whole-brain and specific brain regions.

The surface modification of recycled plastic film-based aggregates was investigated to improve the compatibility between the aggregates and a cement paste. Surface modification was performed using ultraviolet–ozone treatment (UV-O3), a silane coupling agent, O2 atmospheric pressure plasma, and acrylic binder coating methods. The surface properties of the modified aggregates were analyzed using a contact angle measuring instrument. The results revealed that for all surface modification methods, the contact angle decreased with an increase in the treatment time. According to the comparative evaluation results of the changes in the surface characteristics of the aggregates through various surface modification methods, the contact angle reduction rates were 58.9%, 51.4%, 25.5%, and 24.5% for the O2 atmospheric pressure plasma, the acrylic binder coating, the silane coupling agent, and the UV-O3 method, respectively. After 48 h, the contact angle had increased by 110.9%, 29.9%, 16.4%, and 5.9% for the O2 atmospheric pressure plasma, UV-O3, the silane coupling agent, and the acrylic binder coating, respectively. Namely, the surface modification using the acrylic binder coating method was found to be the most effective method in terms of the wettability increase effect and the long-term storage stability.

In this study we aimed to find the association between neuropsychological performance and body mass index (BMI) in patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). In addition, we investigated the effects of the apolipoprotein E (APOE) genotype in the relationship between the BMI and cognition in MCI.We enrolled a cohort of 3,038 subjects with MCI aged 65-90 from the Clinical Research Center for Dementia of South Korea and a dementia cohort of the Ewha Womans University Mokdong Hospital. MCI patients were classified into three subgroups according to the Asian standard of BMI. We compared cognitive performances between groups by one-way analysis of variance. To investigate the effects of the APOE genotype, we used multivariate linear regression models after adjusting for possible confounders.Even though normal BMI groups were younger, had more females, and had less comorbidities, the higher BMI groups had better cognitive functions. Among subjects with APOE ε4 carriers, there was a positive relationship between the BMI and the memory task alone.Our findings suggested that higher BMI in patients with MCI were associated with better cognitive performance. The effects of the APOE ε4 genotype in the associations between BMI and cognition were distinguishing. Therefore, according to physical status, APOE ε4 genotype-specific strategies in the assessments and treatments may be necessary in elderly patients with MCI.

A porous carbon foam (P-CF) with high porosity and large pore volume is developed to offer an efficient scaffold for radionuclides adsorption/decontamination. The three-dimensional (3D) porous structure can be easily formed by carbonization of petroleum pitch. During the heat treatment process, the volatile components from the petroleum pitch create highly interconnected pores without any templates, blowing and foaming agents. In addition, Prussian Blue (PB) nanoparticles are introduced onto the surface of the P-CF by a simple hydrothermal method. By combining the enhanced binding affinity to radionuclides with the increased porosity, the synthesized PB@P-CF exhibits the enhanced adsorption capacity for the Cesium ion (133Cs). This study provides a feasible way to utilize residual oil for preparing functionalized porous carbon-based adsorbents for the removal of radionuclides from aqueous solutions. The superior adsorption behaviors of the PB@P-CF make them promising candidates for radioactive materials adsorption/decontamination.

ImportancePolygenic risk scores (PRSs), which aggregate the genetic effects of single-nucleotide variants identified in genome-wide association studies (GWASs), can help distinguish individuals at a high genetic risk for Alzheimer disease (AD). However, genetic studies have predominantly focused on populations of European ancestry.ObjectiveTo evaluate the transferability of a PRS for AD in the Korean population using summary statistics from a prior GWAS of European populations.Design, Setting, and ParticipantsThis cohort study developed a PRS based on the summary statistics of a large-scale GWAS of a European population (the International Genomics of Alzheimer Project; 21 982 AD cases and 41 944 controls). This PRS was tested for an association with AD dementia and its related phenotypes in 1634 Korean individuals, who were recruited from 2013 to 2019. The association of a PRS based on a GWAS of a Japanese population (the National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology; 3962 AD cases and 4074 controls) and a transancestry meta-analysis of European and Japanese GWASs was also evaluated. Data were analyzed from December 2020 to June 2021.Main Outcomes and MeasuresRisk of AD dementia, amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI), earlier symptom onset, and amyloid β deposition (Aβ).ResultsA total of 1634 Korean patients (969 women [59.3%]), including 716 individuals (43.6%) with AD dementia, 222 (13.6%) with aMCI, and 699 (42.8%) cognitively unimpaired controls, were analyzed in this study. The mean (SD) age of the participants was 71.6 (9.0) years. Higher PRS was associated with a higher risk of AD dementia independent of APOE ɛ4 status in the Korean population (OR, 1.95; 95% CI, 1.40-2.72; P APOE ɛ4 status. The PRS based on a transancestry meta-analysis of data sets comprising 2 distinct ancestries showed a slightly improved accuracy.Conclusions and RelevanceIn this cohort study, a PRS derived from a European GWAS identified individuals at a high risk for AD dementia in the Korean population. These findings emphasize the transancestry transferability and clinical value of PRSs and suggest the importance of enriching diversity in genetic studies of AD.

The relationship between sleep parameters and longitudinal shortening of telomere length is unclear. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between sleep parameters and the shortening of leukocyte telomere length (LTL) over a year.Among the participants in the validation cohort of the Korea Brain Aging Study for the Early Diagnosis and Prediction of Alzheimer's Disease, participants who measured both baseline and follow-up (two years later) of LTL were analyzed. They were dichotomized according to the degree of LTL attrition over two years. Clinical characteristics were compared between the faster and slower LTL shortening groups (cut-off points: -0.710 kbp,A total of 238 participants, aged 55-88 years, were included. Participants with faster LTL shortening had a shorter duration of sleep (Poor sleep quality, specifically short sleep duration, long sleep latency, and low sleep efficiency were associated with faster longitudinal shortening of LTL.

Background and purpose Two conversion scales between the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) have been validated for Korean patients with Parkinson's disease. The aim of the present study was to validate these conversion scales for all patients with cognitive impairments regardless of dementia subtype. Methods Medical records of 323 subjects who completed both MMSE and MoCA on the same day were retrospectively reviewed. Mean, median, and root mean squared error (RMSE) of the difference between true and equivalent MMSE scores were calculated. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) between true and equivalent MMSE scores were also calculated. The validity of MoCA-MMSE conversion scales was evaluated according to educational level (low educated: ≤6 years; high educated: ≥7 years) and subtypes of cognitive impairment. Results The difference between true and equivalent MMSE scores had a median value of 0, a mean value of 0.19 according to the van Steenoven scale, a mean value of 0.57 according to the Lawton scale, RMSE value of 2.2 according to the van Steenoven scale, and RMSE value of 0.42 according to the Lawton scale. Additionally, ICCs between true and equivalent MMSE scores were 0.92 and 0.90 on van Steenovan and Lawton conversion scales, respectively. These results were maintained in subgroup analyses. Conclusions Findings of the present study suggest that both van Steenovan and Lawton MoCA-MMSE conversion scales are applicable to transforming MoCA scores into MMSE scores in patients with cognitive impairments regardless of dementia subtype or educational level.

Background Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified a number of genetic variants for Alzheimer’s disease (AD). However, most GWAS were conducted in individuals of European ancestry, and non-European populations are still underrepresented in genetic discovery efforts. Here, we performed GWAS to identify single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with amyloid β (Aβ) positivity using a large sample of Korean population. Methods One thousand four hundred seventy-four participants of Korean ancestry were recruited from multicenters in South Korea. Discovery dataset consisted of 1190 participants (383 with cognitively unimpaired [CU], 330 with amnestic mild cognitive impairment [aMCI], and 477 with AD dementia [ADD]) and replication dataset consisted of 284 participants (46 with CU, 167 with aMCI, and 71 with ADD). GWAS was conducted to identify SNPs associated with Aβ positivity (measured by amyloid positron emission tomography). Aβ prediction models were developed using the identified SNPs. Furthermore, bioinformatics analysis was conducted for the identified SNPs. Results In addition to APOE, we identified nine SNPs on chromosome 7, which were associated with a decreased risk of Aβ positivity at a genome-wide suggestive level. Of these nine SNPs, four novel SNPs (rs73375428, rs2903923, rs3828947, and rs11983537) were associated with a decreased risk of Aβ positivity (p p −8). Prediction performance for Aβ positivity increased when rs73375428 were incorporated (area under curve = 0.75; 95% CI = 0.74–0.76) in addition to clinical factors and APOE genotype. Cis-eQTL analysis demonstrated that the rs73375428 was associated with decreased expression levels of FGL2 in the brain. Conclusion The novel genetic variants associated with FGL2 decreased risk of Aβ positivity in the Korean population. This finding may provide a candidate therapeutic target for AD, highlighting the importance of genetic studies in diverse populations.

Subjective cognitive complaints (SCCs) are gaining attention as a self-perceived symptom for cognitive impairment in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD), but there are few suitable tools for assessing SCCs in PD. This study aimed to develop and validate a questionnaire for assessing SCCs in PD, called the Subjective Cognitive Complaints Questionnaire for Parkinson's Disease (SCCQ-PD).The SCCQ-PD consists of 12 yes/no questions on subjective cognitive function, and the questionnaire was completed by patients with PD (score-P) and their caregivers (score-C). The cognitive function of patients was examined using comprehensive neuropsychological tests.This study included 73 patients (38 cognitively normal, 25 with mild cognitive impairment [MCI], and 10 demented) and their caregivers. Score-P and score-C had excellent reliability (Kuder-Richardson formula 20 coefficients of 0.893 and 0.931, respectively), and the scores exhibited a strong intercorrelation. Both score-P and score-C were negatively correlated with cognitive performance, and both were excellent in discriminating demented patients from those with normal cognition or MCI (areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.83 and 0.88, respectively).The SCCQ-PD is a reliable tool for assessing SCCs in patients with PD. SCCs measured using the SCCQ-PD are correlated with objective cognitive decline and useful for discriminating demented patients from nondemented patients.

A polymer-based nanofiber membrane with a high specific surface area, high porosity and abundant adsorption sites is demonstrated for selective trapping of radionuclides. The Prussian blue (PB)/poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) nanofiber composites were successfully prepared through a one-step, single-nozzle electrospinning method. Various analytical techniques were used to examine the physical and chemical properties of PB nanoparticles and electrospun nanofibers. It is possible to enhance binding affinity and selectivity to radionuclide targets by incorporation of the PB nanoparticles into the polymer matrix. It is noteworthy that the maximum 133Cs adsorption capacity of hte PB/PMMA nanofiber filter is approximately 28 times higher than that of bulk PB, and the removal efficiency is measured to be 95% at 1 ppm of 133Cs. In addition, adsorption kinetics shows that the PB/PMMA nanofiber has a homogenous surface for adsorption, and all sites on the surface have equal adsorption energies in terms of ion-exchange between cyano groups of the introduced PB nanoparticles and radionuclides.

With the development of microelectronic devices having miniaturized and integrated electronic components, an efficient thermal management system with lightweight materials, which have outstanding thermal conductivity and processability, is becoming increasingly important. Recently, the use of polymer-based thermal management systems has attracted much interest due to the intrinsic excellent properties of the polymer, such as the high flexibility, low cost, electrical insulation, and excellent processability. However, most polymers possess low thermal conductivity, which limits the thermal management applications of them. To address the low thermal conduction of the polymer materials, many kinds of thermally conductive fillers have been studied, and the carbon-based polymer composite is regarded as one of the most promising materials for the thermal management of the electric and electronic devices. In addition, the next generation electronic devices require composite materials with various additional functions such as flexibility, low density, electrical insulation, and oriented heat conduction, as well as ultrahigh thermal conductivity. In this review, we introduce the latest papers on thermally conductive polymer composites based on carbon fillers with sophisticated structures to meet the above requirements. The topic of this review paper consists of the following four contents. First, we introduce the design of a continuous three-dimensional network structure of carbon fillers to reduce the thermal resistance between the filler–matrix interface and individual filler particles. Second, we discuss various methods of suppressing the electrical conductivity of carbon fillers in order to manufacture the polymer composites that meet both the electrical insulation and thermal conductivity. Third, we describe a strategy for the vertical alignment of carbon fillers to improve the through-plane thermal conductivity of the polymer composite. Finally, we briefly mention the durability of the thermal conductivity performance of the carbon-based composites. This review presents key technologies for a thermal management system of next-generation electronic devices.

Background Alzheimer’s disease (AD) cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarker cutoffs from immunoassays with low interlaboratory variability in diverse ethnic groups are necessary for their use in clinics and clinical trials. With lack of cutoffs from fully automated immunoassay platforms in diverse races, the aim of this study is to evaluate the clinical utility of CSF AD biomarkers from the Lumipulse fully automated immunoassay based on β-amyloid (Aβ) positron emission tomography (PET) status comparing with these from two manual immunoassays, in Koreans. Methods Among 331 Korean participants enrolled from a prospective, 3-year longitudinal observational study of the validation cohort of Korean Brain Aging Study for the Early Diagnosis and Prediction of AD, 139 (29 CN, 58 SCD, 29 MCI, and 23 AD) provided CSF and 271 underwent baseline amyloid PET (n = 128 with overlapping CSF and Aβ-PET, and 143 without CSFs). Three annual cognitive and neuropsychiatric function tests were conducted. Aβ42, Aβ40, total-tau, and phosphorylated-tau181 were measured by Lumipulse fully automated immunoassay and two manual immunoassays (INNO-BIA AlzBio3, INNOTEST). Clinical utility of CSF biomarker cutoffs, based on 128 participants with Aβ-PET, was evaluated. Results Cognitive and neuropsychological scores differed significantly among the groups, with descending performance among CN>SCD>MCI>AD. Biomarker levels among immunoassays were strongly intercorrelated. We determined the Aβ-PET status in a subgroup without CSF (n = 143), and then when we applied CSF biomarker cutoffs determined based on the Aβ-PET status, the CSF biomarkers (cutoffs of 642.1 pg/mL for Aβ42, 0.060 for Aβ42/Aβ40, 0.315 for t-tau/Aβ42, and 0.051 for p-tau/Aβ42, respectively) showed good agreement with Aβ-PET (overall AUC ranges of 0.840–0.898). Use of the Aβ-PET-based CSF cutoffs showed excellent diagnostic discrimination between AD and CN (Aβ42, Aβ42/Aβ40, t-tau/Aβ42, and p-tau/Aβ42) with overall AUC ranges of 0.876–0.952. During follow-up, participants with AD-like CSF signature determined by Aβ-PET-based cutoffs from Lumipulse showed rapid progression of cognitive decline in 139 subjects, after adjustment for potential confounders, compared with those with a normal CSF signature. Conclusion CSF AD biomarkers measured by different immunoassay platforms show strong intercorrelated agreement with Aβ-PET in Koreans. The Korean-specific Aβ-PET-based CSF biomarker cutoffs measured by the Lumipulse assay strongly predicts progression of cognitive decline. The clinical utility of CSF biomarkers from fully-automated immunoassay platforms should be evaluated in larger, more diverse cohorts.

International audience; Nonlinear nanophotonics leverages engineered nanostructures to funnel light into small volumes and intensify nonlinear optical processes with spectral and spatial control. Owing to its intrinsically large and electrically tunable nonlinear optical response, graphene is an especially promising nanomaterial for nonlinear optoelectronic applications. Here we report on exceptionally strong optical nonlinearities in graphene–insulator–metal heterostructures, which demonstrate an enhancement by three orders of magnitude in the third-harmonic signal compared with that of bare graphene. Furthermore, by increasing the graphene Fermi energy through an external gate voltage, we find that graphene plasmons mediate the optical nonlinearity and modify the third-harmonic signal. Our findings show that graphene–insulator–metal is a promising heterostructure for optically controlled and electrically tunable nano-optoelectronic components.

Background: Universal Alzheimer’s disease (AD) cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarker cutoffs from immunoassays with low interlaboratory variability could improve diagnostic accuracy and help predict disease progression. To determine the diagnostic cutoffs of CSF AD biomarkers measured with three immunoassay platforms, including fully automated Lumipulse based on b-amyloid (Ab) positron emission tomography (PET) status, to determine diagnostic utility and clinical predictability.Methods: Three hundred thirty-one Korean participants were enrolled from a prospective, 3-year longitudinal observational study of the validation cohort of Korean Brain Aging Study for the Early Diagnosis and Prediction of AD: 71 cognitively normal (CN), 99 with subjective cognitive decline (SCD), 89 with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and 72 with AD. Among these 331 participants, 139 (29, 58, 29, and 23 from each group, respectively) provided CSF and 271 underwent baseline amyloid PET. Three annual cognitive and neuropsychiatric function tests were conducted. Ab42, Ab40, total-tau and phosphorylated-tau181 were measured by Lumipulse fully automated immunoassay and two manual immunoassays (INNO-BIA AlzBio3, INNOTEST). Clinical utility of CSF biomarker cutoffs, based on 128 participants with Ab-PET, were evaluated.Results: Cognitive and neuropsychological scores differed significantly among the groups, with descending performance among CN > SCD > MCI > AD. Biomarker levels among immunoassays were strongly intercorrelated, and using the cutoffs for Ab-PET status with maximal AD diagnostic accuracy (n = 215), the levels showed excellent agreement with Ab-PET. Use of Ab-PET-based cutoffs for CSF biomarkers showed excellent diagnostic discrimination between AD and CN (Ab42, Ab42/Ab40, t-tau/Ab42 and p-tau/Ab42) with overall AUC ranges to discriminate AD and CN (0.876–0.952). During follow-up, participants with AD-like CSF signature determined by Ab-PET-based cutoffs from Lumipulse showed rapid progression of clinical scores, after adjustment for potential confounders, compared with those with a normal CSF signature.Conclusion: CSF AD biomarkers measured by different immunoassay platforms show strong intercorrelated agreement with Ab-PET. Ab-PET-based CSF biomarker cutoffs measured by immunoassays, including the Lumipulse, strongly predict progression of cognitive decline. The clinical utility of CSF biomarkers from fully automated immunoassay platforms should be evaluated in larger, more diverse cohorts.

Porous carbon electrodes that accumulate charges at the electrode/electrolyte interface have been extensively investigated for use as electrochemical capacitor (EC) electrodes because of their great attributes for driving high-performance energy storage. Here, we report porous carbon nanofibers (p-CNFs) for EC electrodes made by the formation of a composite of monodisperse silica nanoparticles and polyacrylonitrile (PAN), oxidation/carbonization of the composite, and then silica etching. The pore features are controlled by changing the weight ratio of PAN to silica nanoparticles. The electrochemical performances of p-CNF as an electrode are estimated by measuring cyclic voltammetry and galvanostatic charge/discharge. Particularly, the p-CNF electrode shows exceptional areal capacitance (13 mF cm&minus, 2 at a current of 0.5 mA cm&minus, 2), good rate-retention capability (~98% retention of low-current capacitance), and long-term cycle stability for at least 5000 charge/discharge cycles. Based on the results, we believe that this electrode has potential for use as high-performance EC electrodes.

Background Although amyloid PET of typical Alzheimer’s disease (AD) shows diffuse ß-amyloid (Aß) deposition, some patients show focal deposition. The clinical significance of this focal Aß is not well understood. We examined the clinical significance of focal Aß deposition in terms of cognition as well as Aß and tau cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels. We further evaluated the order of Aß accumulation by visual assessment. Methods We included 310 subjects (125 cognitively unimpaired, 125 mild cognitive impairment, and 60 AD dementia) from 9 referral centers. All patients underwent neuropsychological tests and 18F-flutemetamol (FMM) PET. Seventy-seven patients underwent CSF analysis. Each FMM scan was visually assessed in 10 regions (frontal, precuneus and posterior cingulate, lateral temporal, parietal, and striatum of each hemisphere) and was classified into three groups: No-FMM, Focal-FMM (FMM uptake in 1–9 regions), and Diffuse-FMM (FMM uptake in all 10 regions). Results 53/310 (17.1%) subjects were classified as Focal-FMM. The cognitive level of the Focal-FMM group was better than that of Diffuse-FMM group and worse than that of No-FMM group. Among the Focal-FMM group, those who had FMM uptake to a larger extent or in the striatum had worse cognitive levels. Compared to the Diffuse-FMM group, the Focal-FMM group had a less AD-like CSF profile (increased Aß42 and decreased t-tau, t-tau/Aß42). Among the Focal-FMM group, Aß deposition was most frequently observed in the frontal (62.3%) and least frequently observed in the striatum (43.4%) and temporal (39.6%) regions. Conclusions We suggest that focal Aß deposition is an intermediate stage between no Aß and diffuse Aß deposition. Furthermore, among patients with focal Aß deposition, those who have Aß to a larger extent and striatal involvement show clinical features close to diffuse Aß deposition. Further longitudinal studies are needed to evaluate the disease progression of patients with focal Aß deposition.

A higher levodopa dose is a strong risk factor for levodopa-induced dyskinesia (LID) in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD). However, levodopa dose can change during long-term medication. We explored the relationship between levodopa dose and time to onset of LID using longitudinal multicenter data. Medical records of 150 patients who were diagnosed with de novo PD and treated with levodopa until onset of LID were collected. Levodopa dose were assessed as the dose at 6 months from levodopa initiation and rate of dose increase between 6 months and onset of LID. The groups with earlier LID onset had higher levodopa and levodopa-equivalent dose at the first 6 months of treatment and rapid increase in both levodopa and levodopa-equivalent dose. Multivariable linear regression models revealed that female sex, severe motor symptom at levodopa initiation, and higher rate of increase in both levodopa and levodopa-equivalent dose were significantly associated with early onset of LID. The present results demonstrated that rapid increase in levodopa dose or levodopa-equivalent dose is associated with early onset of LID.

The development of miniaturized and highly integrated microelectronic products has motivated the current importance of synthesizing heat-dissipation materials with high thermal conductivity and excellent electrical insulation. Although graphene is attractive for improving the thermal conductivity of polymers owing to its high aspect ratio and outstanding thermal conductivity, it significantly deteriorates electrical insulation capability, limiting its practical application in polymer composites for thermal management of electronics and systems. In this work, we used planetary ball milling to synthesize a hybrid powder Al@EEG consisting of electrochemically exfoliated graphene (EEG) and surface-passivated aluminum particles. This ball milling prevents contact between graphene sheets by uniformly dispersing EEG in Al matrices without the conventional surface modification or chemical treatment process of graphene, thereby imparting thermal conductivity and electrical insulation to the hybrid powder. The resulting epoxy composite, containing 35- wt% Al@EEG hybrid, retains an electrical resistance of 1014 Ω·cm or higher and a thermal conductivity of 1.43 W m−1 K−1, which is 499% higher than that of neat epoxy. The as-designed material points the way to polymer-based, thermally conductive, electrically insulating composites for various electronic components such as printed circuit boards and light-emitting diode driver cases.

Background: Essential tremor is very common, but characterization is difficult because of its heterogeneity. Neuropathology is important to elucidate the characteristics of neurological disorders. However, pathological findings in essential tremor have been inconsistent among studies. Uric acid is a strong antioxidant and might be a biomarker in neurodegenerative process. We hypothesized that uric acid level would be reduced if essential tremor is a neurodegenerative disease. Our aim was to compare uric acid level between essential tremor patients and healthy individuals. Methods: This was a prospective, case-control, multicenter study with 92 essential tremor patients and 77 healthy subjects. For homogeneity, the essential tremor group was subdivided into two groups (hereditary and sporadic). Clinical and laboratory findings were compared among the essential tremor and healthy groups. Results: The demographic characteristics were comparable among the groups. The uric acid level was lower in the essential tremor group than in healthy subjects, but the difference did not reach statistical significance. There was a negative correlation between uric acid level and disease duration in the hereditary group (p = .046) and between uric acid level and age at onset in the sporadic group (p = .012). The mean values of total cholesterol were significantly lower in the sporadic group than in the other groups (p = .011). Total cholesterol was positively correlated with age at onset in the hereditary essential tremor group (p = .010). Conclusions: We did not find any evidence that uric acid levels suggested essential tremor is a neurodegenerative disease. However, further research with more patients might be needed given the negative correlations of disease duration and age at onset with uric acid level.

Background In acute ischemic stroke, blood pressure (BP) tends to rise initially and fall to a baseline level within 24–48 hours. Previous studies reported several different effects of BPs during acute ischemic stroke on clinical outcomes, which was partly due to the different time intervals from stroke onset to BP measurement. Methods All patients with acute ischemic stroke (onset ≤3 hours) who lived independently before the stroke, were consecutively enrolled for a 62-month period. BPs at 0, 12, and 24 hours after admission were collected. A favorable outcome was defined as a modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score 0–2 at discharge. For different standards of BP management, patients were grouped and analyzed according to intravenous (IV) tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) treatment and favorable outcome. Results Among the 446 enrolled patients, 227 patients underwent IV tPA treatment and 216 had mRS score 0–2 at discharge. Patients with favorable outcomes had lower initial NIH Stroke Scale (NIHSS) scores, less frequent progressive neurological deficits, and lower systolic BP (SBP) 12 and 24 hours after admission than patients with unfavorable outcomes, regardless of whether they underwent tPA treatment or not (p

We aimed to present the study design of an independent validation cohort from the Korean Brain Aging Study for the Early Diagnosis and Prediction of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) (KBASE-V) and to investigate the baseline characteristics of the participants according to the AD clinical spectrum. We recruited 71 cognitively normal (CN) participants, 96 with subjective cognitive decline (SCD), 72 with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and 56 with AD dementia (ADD). The participants are followed for three years. The Consortium to Establish a Registry for AD scores was significantly different between all of the groups. The logical memory delayed recall scores were significantly different between all groups, except between the MCI and ADD groups. The Mini-Mental State Examination score, hippocampal volume, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) amyloid-β42 level were significant difference among the SCD, MCI, and ADD groups. The frequencies of participants with amyloid pathology according to PET or CSF studies were 8.9%, 25.6%, 48.3%, and 90.0% in the CN, SCD, MCI, and ADD groups, respectively. According to ATN classification, A+/T+/N+ or A+/T+/N− was observed in 0%, 15.5%, 31.0%, and 78.3% in the CN, SCD, MCI, and ADD groups, respectively. The KBASE-V showed a clear difference according to the AD clinical spectrum in neuropsychological tests and AD biomarkers.

The performance and reliability of large-area graphene grown by chemical vapor deposition are often limited by the presence of wrinkles and the transfer-process-induced polymer residue. Here, we report a transfer approach using paraffin as a support layer, whose thermal properties, low chemical reactivity and non-covalent affinity to graphene enable transfer of wrinkle-reduced and clean large-area graphene. The paraffin-transferred graphene has smooth morphology and high electrical reliability with uniform sheet resistance with ~1% deviation over a centimeter-scale area. Electronic devices fabricated on such smooth graphene exhibit electrical performance approaching that of intrinsic graphene with small Dirac points and high carrier mobility (hole mobility = 14,215 cm2 V−1 s−1; electron mobility = 7438 cm2 V−1 s−1), without the need of further annealing treatment. The paraffin-enabled transfer process could open realms for the development of high-performance ubiquitous electronics based on large-area two-dimensional materials., The transfer process of as-grown graphene limits its electrical performance and reliability. Here, the authors develop a transfer approach using paraffin as a support layer and obtain wrinkle-reduced and clean large-area graphene retaining high mobility.

Objective To explore whether the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) can be used to screen for dementia or mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in less educated patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD). Methods We reviewed the medical records of PD patients who had taken the Korean MMSE (K-MMSE), Korean MoCA (K-MoCA), and comprehensive neuropsychological tests. Predictive values of the K-MMSE and K-MoCA for dementia or MCI were analyzed in groups divided by educational level. Results The discriminative powers of the K-MMSE and K-MoCA were excellent [area under the curve (AUC) 0.86–0.97] for detecting dementia but not for detecting MCI (AUC 0.64–0.85). The optimal screening cutoff values of both tests increased with educational level for dementia (K-MMSE < 15 for illiterate, < 20 for 0.5–3 years of education, < 23 for 4–6 years, < 25 for 7–9 years, and < 26 for 10 years or more; K-MoCA < 7 for illiterate, < 13 for 0.5–3 years, < 16 for 4–6 years, < 19 for 7–9 years, < 20 for 10 years or more) and MCI (K-MMSE < 19 for illiterate, < 26 for 0.5–3 years, < 27 for 4–6 years, < 28 for 7–9 years, and < 29 for 10 years or more; K-MoCA < 13 for illiterate, < 21 for 0.5–3 years, < 23 for 4–6 years, < 25 for 7–9 years, < 26 for 10 years or more). Conclusion Both MMSE and MoCA can be used to screen for dementia in patients with PD, regardless of educational level; however, neither test is sufficient to discriminate MCI from normal cognition without additional information.

Graphene grown by chemical vapor deposition is transferred by a very simple, yet effective approach from the growth substrate onto substrates with rough features. This novel and facile method not only results in satisfactory transfer on substrates with terraces or grooves, but also gives rise to a successful result for uneven growth substrates.

Neurodegeneration with brain iron accumulation (NBIA) represents a group of inherited disorders characterized by iron deposition in the brain, and NBIA exhibits the clinical features of movement disorders [1]. Over the last decade, several causative genes, directly involved in iron homeostasis, mitochondrial function, lipid metabolism, and autophagic activity, have been identified including FTL, CP, PANK2, PLA2G6, C19orf12, COASY, FA2H, WDR45, and ATP13A2 [2]. Of the known causes of NBIA, the most common cause of NBIA is pantothenate kinase-associated neurodegeneration (PKAN) due to mutations in the PANK2 gene, followed by PLA2G6-related neurodegeneration (PLAN) due to mutations in the PLA2G6 gene [1,3]. The diagnosis of NBIA is made by combining clinical features and magnetic resonance imaging evidence of iron accumulation in the brain [3]. NBIA patients commonly exhibit mixed extrapyramidal and pyramidal features [1,4]. However, the clinical spectrum ranges from global neurodevelopmental delay in infancy to dystonia-parkinsonism in adulthood, with wide phenotypic variability within the specific NBIA subtypes [1,3,5]. In PKAN, the classic form is characterized by early childhood onset with rapid progression [1,6]. The atypical variant presents in the second or third decade of life with less severe and slow-progressive extrapyramidal and pyramidal signs [1,6]. Cognitive impairment and neuropsychiatric symptoms may be prominent [1,6]. Similar age-dependent presentations have also been recognized in PLAN [1,3,4]. Adult-onset NBIA may also mimic the clinical presentations of other neurodegenerative diseases, making the diagnosis challenging [4]. To date, reports on the clinical and genetic profile of Korean patients with NBIA have been restricted to single cases or case series that were lacking in detailed data [7-18]. To investigate the current status of NBIA in Korea, we collected NBIA data from twelve nationwide referral hospitals and from a review of the literature. We also conducted a study to describe the phenotypic and genotypic characteristics of Korean adults with atypical PKAN.

Background and purpose Impulse-control disorder is an important nonmotor symptom of Parkinson's disease (PD) that can lead to financial and social problems, and be related to a poor quality of life. A nationwide multicenter prospective study was performed with the aim of validating the Korean Version of the Questionnaire for Impulsive-Compulsive Disorders in Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (K-QUIP-RS). Methods The K-QUIP-RS was constructed using forward and backward translation, and pretesting of the prefinal version. PD patients on stable medical condition were recruited from 27 movement-disorder clinics. Participants were assessed using the K-QUIP-RS and evaluated for parkinsonian motor and nonmotor statuses and for PD-related quality of life using a predefined evaluation battery. The test-retest reliability of the K-QUIP-RS was assessed over an interval of 10-14 days, and correlations between the KQUIP-RS and other clinical scales were analyzed. Results This study enrolled 136 patients. The internal consistency of the K-QUIP-RS was indicated by a Cronbach's α coefficient of 0.846, as was the test-retest reliability by a Guttman split-half coefficient of 0.808. The total K-QUIP-RS score was positively correlated with the scores for depression and motivation items on the Unified PD Rating Scale (UPDRS), Montgomery-Asberg Depression Scale, and Rapid-Eye-Movement Sleep-Behavior-Disorders Questionnaire. The total K-QUIP-RS score was also correlated with the scores on part II of the UPDRS and the PD Quality of Life-39 questionnaire, and the dopaminergic medication dose. Conclusions The K-QUIP-RS appears to be a reliable assessment tool for impulse-control and related behavioral disturbances in the Korean PD population.

Background and purpose This study aimed to determine the clinimetric properties of the Korean version of Parkinson's Disease Sleep Scale-2 (K-PDSS-2) and whether distinct subtypes of sleep disturbance can be empirically identified in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) using the cross-culturally validated K-PDSS-2. Methods The internal consistency, test-retest reliability, scale precision, and convergent validity of K-PDSS-2 were assessed in a nationwide, multicenter study of 122 patients with PD. Latent class analysis (LCA) was used to derive subgroups of patients who experienced similar patterns of sleep-related problems and nocturnal disabilities. Results The total K-PDSS-2 score was 11.67±9.87 (mean±standard deviation) at baseline and 12.61±11.17 at the retest. Cronbach's α coefficients of the total K-PDSS-2 scores at baseline and follow-up were 0.851 and 0.880, respectively. The intraclass correlation coefficients over the 2-week study period ranged from 0.672 to 0.848. The total K-PDSS-2 score was strongly correlated with health-related quality of life measures and other corresponding nonmotor scales. LCA revealed three distinct subtypes of sleep disturbance in the study patients: "less-troubled sleepers," "PD-related nocturnal difficulties," and "disturbed sleepers." Conclusions K-PDSS-2 showed good clinimetric attributes in accordance with previous studies that employed the original version of the PDSS-2, therefore confirming the cross-cultural usefulness of the scale. This study has further documented the first application of an LCA approach for identifying subtypes of sleep disturbance in patients with PD.

The cholinergic system arising from the basal forebrain plays an important role in cognitive performance in Parkinson’s disease (PD). Here, we analyzed cholinergic status-dependent cortical and subcortical resting-state functional connectivity in PD. A total of 61 drug-naïve PD patients were divided into tertiles based on normalized substantia innominata (SI) volumes. We compared the resting-state network from seed region of interest in the caudate, posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), and SI between the lowest (PD-L) and highest tertile (PD-H) groups. Correlation analysis of the functional networks was also performed in all subjects. The functional network analysis showed that PD-L subjects displayed decreased striato-cortical functional connectivity compared with PD-H subjects. Selecting the PCC as a seed, the PD-L patients displayed decreased functional connectivity compared to PD-H patients. Meanwhile, PD-L subjects had significantly increased cortical functional connectivity with the SI compared with PD-H subjects. Correlation analysis revealed that SI volume had a positive correlation with functional connectivity from the right caudate and PCC. The present study demonstrated that PD patients exhibited unique functional connectivity from the caudate and the PCC that may be closely associated with cholinergic status, suggesting an important role for the cholinergic system in PD-associated cognition.

Data and materials availability: All data needed to evaluate the conclusions in the paper are present in the paper and/or the Supplementary Materials, The ability to confine light into tiny spatial dimensions is important for applications such as microscopy, sensing and nanoscale lasers. While plasmons offer an appealing avenue to confine light, Landau damping in metals imposes a trade-off between optical field confinement and losses. We show that a graphene-insulator-metal heterostructure can overcome that trade-off, and demonstrate plasmon confinement down to the ultimate limit of the lengthscale of one atom. This is achieved by far-field excitation of plasmon modes squeezed into an atomically thin hexagonal boron nitride dielectric h-BN spacer between graphene and metal rods. A theoretical model which takes into account the non-local optical response of both graphene and metal is used to describe the results. These ultra-confined plasmonic modes, addressed with far-field light excitation, enables a route to new regimes of ultra-strong light-matter interactions., The authors thank Gerasimos Konstantatos and Valerio Pruneri for the intensive use of their respective FTIRs, very insightful discussions with Marco Polini, Thomas Christensen, Asger Mortenson and Javier Aizpurua on non-local effects and with Achim Woessner on simulation and modelling of graphene acoustic plasmonsmodes. Funding: We acknowledge financial support from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, through the Severo Ochoa Programme for Centres of Excellence in R&D (SEV-2015-0522), support by Fundacio Cellex Barcelona, the Mineco grants Ramon y Cajal (RYC-2012-12281), Plan Nacional (FIS201347161-P and FIS2014-59639-JIN), and the Government of Catalonia trough the SGR grant (2014-SGR-1535). Furthermore, the research leading to these results has received funding from the European Union H2020 Programme under grant agreement no. 604391 Graphene Flagship, the ERC starting grant (307806, CarbonLight) and project GRASP (FP7-ICT-2013613024-GRASP).D.A.I.acknowledges the FPI gran tBES-2014-068504. N.M.R.P.andE.J.C.D acknowledge support from the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) in the framework of the Strategic Financing UID/FIS/04650/2013. This work was supported in part by the Center for Excitonics, an Energy Frontier Research Center funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Office of Basic Energy Sciences under Award No. de-sc0001088, and the Army Research Office (grant number 16112776). J.-Y.H. and J.K. acknowledge support from the USA FOSRFATEMURI, GrantNo. FA9550-15-1-0514. Author contributions: F.H.L.K, D.A.I. and S.N. conceived the idea; E.J.C.D and N.M.R.P. developed the analytical model; S.N., C.P., J.O.,D.E. and D.A.I. fabricated the devices; S.N., R.P.and D.A.I.performed measurements; D.A.I., M.L., I.E., and S.N. performed data analysis; J.Y.H. and J.K. provided h-BN; D.A.I., S.N., E.J.C.D., N.M.R.P, I.E., D.E. and F.H.L.K wrote the manuscript; D.E. and F.K. supervised the project. Competing interests: None of the authors have competing interests., info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

As an indicator of synchronous neural activity, resting-state functional networks are influenced by neuropathological and neurochemical changes in degenerative diseases. To further advance understanding about neurochemical and neuropathological basis for resting-state functional maps, we performed a comparative analysis of resting-state functional connectivity in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) and drug induced parkinsonism (DIP). Resting-state neuroimaging data were analyzed with a seed-based approach to investigate striatocortical functional connectivity and cortical functional connectivity within the default mode network, executive control network, and the dorsal attention network. The striatal subregions were divided into the more or less affected sides in terms of dopamine transporter uptake. Compared with DIP, PD exhibited an increased cerebellar connectivity from the more affected side of the caudate and the less affected sides of the anterior and the posterior putamen. Additionally, PD showed increased functional connectivity in the anterior prefrontal areas from the more affected side of the anterior putamen and from the less affected side of the posterior putamen. However, PD exhibited decreased cortical functional connectivity from the posterior cingulate cortex in the left temporal area. Finally, DIP patients showed decreased cortical functional connectivity from the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in frontal and parietal areas compared with PD patients. In summary, the present study demonstrates that PD patients exhibited a unique resting state functional connectivity that may be associated with PD-related pathological changes beyond the dopaminergic system, whereas DIP patients showed altered functional connectivity within executive control network.

Functionalized graphene aerogel with high porosity and hydrophobicity is prepared by surface modification of self-assembled graphene oxide aerogels. Fluorinated functional groups are introduced into the surface of three-dimensionally macroporous graphene aerogel through a one-step solution immersion method. Successful fabrication and surface modification of graphene aerogel are confirmed by various techniques. The functionalized graphene aerogel represents superior physical features, including low density (bulk density of 14.4 mg cm −3 ), high porosity (>87%), mechanical stability (supports at least 2600 times its own weight), and hydrophobicity (contact angle of 144°). By combining the structural features and hydrophobic surface property, the functionalized graphene aerogel not only exhibits excellent absorption performance for various types of oils and organic solvents (capacity up to 11,200% of its weight), but also shows a remarkable regeneration capability (no obvious change in absorption capacity), making them an ideal candidate for eliminating spilled oils and other toxic organic pollutants.

There is much evidence to support a close relationship between olfaction and emotion [1,2]. Certain odors reproducibly induce emotional states, and emotional induction modifies odor perception [2]. Olfaction and emotion share common neuroanatomical substrates, such as the amygdala, hippocampus, insula, anterior cingulate cortex, and orbitofrontal cortex [2]. Accordingly, dysosmia patients often experience depressive mood disorders and show a higher level of depressive tendencies when compared with normosmia controls [2–4]. Olfactory and emotional dysfunctions, such depression, anxiety and apathy, are very common in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) [5,6]. These dysfunctions often present in the premotor phase of PD [7]. Lewy bodies are found in the olfactory bulb and anterior olfactory nucleus in the PD brain [8]. The mechanism underlying emotional dysfunction in PD is unclear, although dysfunction of the mesocorticolimbic pathway and frontostriatal loop has been suggested [9]. Therefore, it is conceivable that olfactory and emotional dysfunctions are closely related in PD, i.e., patients with greater olfactory dysfunction may show greater emotional dysfunction. Only a few studies have investigated this relationship, and these have shown controversial results [10,11]. Cramer et al. [10] have found that olfactory impairment correlated with apathy in PD; however, Morley et al. [11] observed no significant association between olfaction and mood measures. Here we evaluated the association between olfactory dysfunction and emotional dysfunction in Korean patients with PD.