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Graphene quantum dots (GQDs) can be highly beneficial in various fields due to their unique properties, such as having an effective charge transfer and quantum confinement. However, defects on GQDs hinder these properties, and only a few studies have reported fabricating high-quality GQDs with high crystallinity and few impurities. In this study, we present a novel yet simple approach to synthesizing high-quality GQDs that involves annealing silicon carbide (SiC) under low vacuum while introducing hydrogen (H) etching gas, no harmful chemicals are required in the process. The fabricated GQDs are composed of a few graphene layers and possess high crystallinity, few defects and high purity, while being free from oxygen functional groups. The edges of the GQDs are hydrogen-terminated. High-quality GQDs form on the etched SiC when the etching rates of Si and C atoms are monitored. The size of the fabricated GQDs and the surface morphology of SiC can be altered by changing the operating conditions. Collectively, a novel route to high-quality GQDs will be highly applicable in fields involving sensors and detectors.

Dementia, characterized by a progressive cognitive decline and a cumulative inability to behave independently, is highly associated with other diseases. Various cardiovascular disorders, such as coronary artery disease and atrial fibrillation, are well-known risk factors for dementia. Currently, increasing evidence suggests that sex factors may play an important role in the pathogenesis of diseases, including cardiovascular disease and dementia. Recent studies show that nearly two-thirds of patients diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease are women; however, the incidence difference between men and women remains vague. Therefore, studies are needed to investigate sex-specific differences, which can help understand the pathophysiology of dementia and identify potential therapeutic targets for both sexes. In the present review, we summarize sex differences in the prevalence and incidence of dementia by subtypes. This review also describes sex differences in the risk factors of dementia and examines the impact of risk factors on the incidence of dementia in both sexes.

Translocator protein (TSPO) is an interesting biological target because TSPO overexpression is associated with microglial activation caused by neuronal damage or neuroinflammation, and these activated microglia are involved in several central nervous system diseases. Herein, novel fluorinated ligands (14a–c and 16a–c) based on a 2-phenylpyrazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidin-3-yl acetamide scaffold were synthesized, and in vitro characterization of each of the novel ligands was performed to elucidate structure activity relationships. All of the newly synthesized ligands displayed nano-molar affinity for TSPO. Particularly, an in vitro affinity study suggests that 2-(5,7-diethyl-2-(4-(3-fluoro-2-methylpropoxy)phenyl)pyrazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidin-3-yl)-N,N-diethylacetamide (14a), which exhibited high nano-molar affinity for TSPO and proper lipophilicity, was suitable for in vivo brain studies. Thus, radiosynthesis from tosylate precursor 13a using fluorine-18 was performed, and [18F]14a was obtained in a 31% radiochemical yield (decay-corrected). Dynamic positron emission tomography (PET) imaging studies were performed in a lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced neuroinflammation rat model using [18F]14a to identify the location of inflammation in the brain with a high target-to-background signal ratio. In addition, we validated that the locations of inflammatory lesions found by PET imaging were consistent with the locations observed by histological examination of dissected brains using antibodies. These results suggest that [18F]14a is a novel promising PET imaging agent for diagnosing neuroinflammation, and it may also prove to be applicable for diagnosing other diseases, including cancers associated with altered TSPO expression, using PET techniques.

Excitatory corticofugal projections in the subcortical white matter (WM) convey signals arising from local neuronal activity in the gray matter (GM). We hypothesized that metabotropic glutamate receptor-5 (mGluR5) availability in GM, as a surrogate marker for local glutamatergic neuronal activity, correlates with WM properties in healthy brain. We examined the relationship in healthy individuals between GM mGluR5 availability measured in vivo using [

Objective Accelerated loss of muscle mass is common in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Various factors associated with CKD, such as nutritional deficiencies, metabolic acidosis, and chronic inflammation, contribute to muscle wasting. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between CKD and handgrip strength (HGS) in the Korean population. Design and Methods This is a population-based, cross-sectional study of a nationally representative sample of 18,765 patients aged ≥19 years from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey in 2014–2017. We measured HGS using a digital hand dynamometer and determined the cutoff for low HGS by deriving -2 standard deviation values of sex-matched healthy young adults (19-39 years old). We defined CKD as eGFR Results The prevalence of CKD was 4.0% in the total population. The cutoff values for the low HGS were 29.5 kg for men and 16.8 kg for women. The prevalence of low HGS was 6.2% in patients without CKD, and 25.2% in patients with CKD. There was a significant correlation between HGS and eGFR in both men and women. In multivariate logistic regression adjusted by age group, diabetes, hypertension, and obesity, CKD showed an independent relationship with low HGS in both men (odds ratio [OR] 1.910, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.468-2.485) and women (OR 1.570, 95% CI 1.202-2.052). Conclusions The prevalence of low HGS was higher in patients with CKD. We suggest that the sarcopenia should be evaluated in patients with CKD.

Acquiring density field of a flow is important to understand the flow structure, especially for studying aero-optics. Background-oriented schlieren (BOS) is one of a flow visualization technique which can obtain density field of the flow. Using BOS images density gradient can be acquired quantitatively and density field can be obtained when additional numerical method is applied. In this paper, density field of a hot jet is reconstructed from BOS images by assuming the jet as asymmetric flow and applying adaptive Fourier–Hankel Abel method. Reconstructed density field is evaluated by comparing with wavefront of the optical wave propagating through the hot jet. Optical path difference (OPD) is calculated from the reconstructed density field and compared with Shack–Hartmann (S–H) sensor measured OPD map. OPD obtained from the reconstructed density field and S–H sensor show similar tendency, especially when results are time averaged and turbulence characteristics are removed. Comparing RMS OPD of each time-averaged result show 8.8% error, which is within reasonable range. Thus, it seems that the density field acquisition using BOS technique is reliable for the hot jet flow.

To evaluate the effects of fragility fracture integrated rehabilitation management (FIRM) on the functional outcomes of sarcopenic and non-sarcopenic inpatients following hip fracture surgery. This prospective observational study was carried out with patients over 65 years of age who underwent hip surgery for fragility hip fracture and received multidisciplinary rehabilitation. Sarcopenia was defined according to the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia criteria. Demographic and functional characteristics were analyzed before and after rehabilitation during inpatient care to evaluate short-term outcomes. Sixty-eight patients were eligible for the study, and 32 (47.1%) satisfied the criteria for sarcopenia. The pre-fracture ambulatory status was lower in the sarcopenia group (KOVAL: 1.74 ± 1.42 vs. 1.22 ± 0.42, p = 0.022). The overall functional levels were significantly lower in the sarcopenia group before and after rehabilitation. Overall function was significantly improved in both groups after FIRM, and with the exception of Korean Instrumental Activities of Daily Living scores, there were no differences between the groups in the changes after FIRM. Pre-fracture independent ambulatory function was significantly correlated with short-term ambulatory functional recovery in both sarcopenia and non-sarcopenia groups [n = 22 (91.7%), p = 0.023 vs. n = 27 (84.4%), p = 0.028]. Our results suggest that FIRM was effective for short-term functional recovery in older patients with or without sarcopenia who have suffered fragility hip fracture. Considering sarcopenia, which has a detrimental effect on functional outcomes after rehabilitation, the impact of sarcopenia on FIRM should be investigated further over a longer period of time.

Complementarity across occupations and industries implies that the relative size of those with high productivity growth shrinks, reducing their contributions toward aggregate productivity growth and thereby resulting in its slowdown. This force, especially the shrinkage of occupations with above-average productivity growth through “routinization,” was present since the 1980s. Through the end of the 1990s, it was countervailed by the extraordinary productivity growth in the computer industry, of which output became an increasingly more important input in all industries (“computerization”). It was only when the computer industry’s productivity growth slowed that the negative effect of routinization on aggregate productivity became apparent.

Background Although amyloid beta (Aβ) imaging is widely used for diagnosing and monitoring Alzheimer’s disease in clinical fields, paralleling comparison between 18F-flutemetamol and 18F-florbetaben was rarely attempted in AD mouse model. We performed a comparison of Aβ PET images between 18F-flutemetamol and 18F-florbetaben in a recently developed APPswe mouse model, C57BL/6-Tg (NSE-hAPPsw) Korl. Results After an injection (0.23 mCi) of 18F-flutemetamol and 18F-florbetaben at a time interval of 2–3 days, we compared group difference of SUVR and kinetic parameters between the AD (n = 7) and control (n = 7) mice, as well as between 18F-flutemetamol and 18F-florbetaben image. In addition, bio-distribution and histopathology were conducted. With visual image and VOI-based SUVR analysis, the AD group presented more prominent uptake than did the control group in both the 18F-florbetaben and 18F-flutemetamol images. With kinetic analysis, the 18F-florbetaben images showed differences in K1 and k4 between the AD and control groups, although 18F-flutemetamol images did not show significant difference. 18F-florbetaben images showed more prominent cortical uptake and matched well to the thioflavin S staining images than did the 18F-flutemetamol image. In contrast, 18F-flutemetamol images presented higher K1, k4, K1/k2 values than those of 18F-florbetaben images. Also, 18F-flutemetamol images presented prominent uptake in the bowel and bladder, consistent with higher bio-distribution in kidney, lung, blood and heart. Conclusions Compared with 18F-flutemetamol images, 18F-florbetaben images showed prominent visual uptake intensity, SUVR, and higher correlations with the pathology. In contrast, 18F-flutemetamol was more actively metabolized than was 18F-florbetaben (Son et al. in J Nucl Med 58(Suppl 1):S278, 2017].

Metaphase spread preparation in adult abalone has not been successful, which has restricted the applications of karyotyping-based technologies. Here, we present a non-lethal method to enable preparation of metaphase spreads from live adult abalone using a tissue culture method. Mantle tissue fragments from live adult abalone were cultured in vitro and the cultured cells were used for metaphase spread preparation. To retrieve a sufficient number of proliferating cells required for metaphase spread preparation, at least 14 days of culture was required, and culturing the marginal zone of mantle was more optimal than culturing other areas. Additionally, it was shown that simple medium consisting of basal medium, fetal bovine serum and antibiotics could stimulate cellular proliferation followed by metaphase spread preparation.

A novel yet simple approach to fabricate and pattern wrinkled surfaces on polymers is presented. Only by irradiating an electron beam onto a polymer, wrinkles are created on the polymer surface. Electron irradiation produces a bilayer polymeric structure comprising a degrading upper layer and a pristine bottom layer. Electron irradiation also increases the polymer surface temperature to a point much higher than the glass-transition temperature of the upper layer, leading to drastic thermal expansion of the upper layer. As a result, significant compressive force is applied to form surface wrinkles. The mechanism behind the wrinkle formation and the effects of electron irradiation parameters on the wrinkle characteristics are discussed. In addition, by this electron irradiation approach, a patterned wrinkle structure is uniquely prepared.

BACKGROUND Semantic variant primary progressive aphasia (svPPA) has been associated with a variety of proteinopathies, mainly transactive response DNA-binding protein, but also with tau and β-amyloid. Recently selective tau tracers for positron emission tomography (PET) have been developed to determine the presence of cerebral tau deposits in vivo. Here, we investigated the topographical distribution of THK5351 in svPPA patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS Five svPPA patients, 14 Alzheimer's disease patients, and 15 age-matched normal controls underwent [F]-THK5351 PET scans, magnetic resonance imaging, and detailed neuropsychological tests. [F]-fluorodeoxyglucose PET was obtained in 3 svPPA patients, whereas the remaining 2 underwent amyloid PET using [F]-flutemetamol. Tau distribution among the 3 groups was compared using regions of interest-based and voxel-based statistical analyses. RESULTS In svPPA patients, [F]-THK5351 retention was elevated in the anteroinferior and lateral temporal cortices compared with the normal controls group (left>right), and in the left inferior and temporal polar region compared with Alzheimer's disease patients. [F]-THK5351 retention inversely correlated with glucose metabolism, whereas regional THK retention correlated with clinical severity. [F]-flutemetamol scans were negative for β-amyloid. CONCLUSIONS These findings show that [F]-THK5351 retention may be detected in cortical regions correlating with svPPA pathology.

Profit maximization of electric vehicle charging station (EVCS) operation yields an increasing investment for the deployment of EVCSs, thereby increasing the penetration of electric vehicles (EVs) and supporting high-quality charging service to EV users. However, existing model-based approaches for profit maximization of EVCSs may exhibit poor performance owing to the underutilization of massive data and inaccurate modeling of EVCS operation in a dynamic environment. Furthermore, the existing approaches can be vulnerable to adversaries that abuse private EVCS operation data for malicious purposes. To resolve these limitations, we propose a privacy-preserving distributed deep reinforcement learning (DRL) framework that maximizes the profits of multiple smart EVCSs integrated with photovoltaic and energy storage systems under a dynamic pricing strategy. In the proposed framework, DRL agents using the soft actor–critic method determine the schedules of the profitable selling price and charging/discharging energy for EVCSs. To preserve the privacy of EVCS operation data, a federated reinforcement learning method is adopted in which only the local and global neural network models of the DRL agents are exchanged between the DRL agents at the EVCSs and the global agent at the central server without sharing EVCS data. Numerical examples demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach in terms of convergence of the training curve for the DRL agent, adaptive profitable selling price, energy charging and discharging, sensitivity of the selling price factor, and varying weather conditions.

Three dimeric-triphenylmethane dyes were designed and synthesised for enhancing the rigidity of triphenylmethane moiety and three water-soluble dyes were prepared from them in order to manufacture water-based inks for high-speed ink-jet printing technology. The geometrical characteristics of the synthesised dyes were investigated by carrying out density functional theory calculations. Because of their highly twisted chemical structures and hydrophilic substituents, the synthesised dyes showed efficiently enhanced water solubility when formulated into water-based inks. All the prepared dyes exhibited superior molar extinction coefficients and photo stability than the commercially available acid blue dye. The prepared water-based inks showed the excellent long-term storage stability by optimising the physical and rheological properties of the inks. Moreover, they exhibited good ejection performance and well-ordered pattern arrays when applied to high-speed inkjet printing tests.

Transient receptor potential vanilloid 4 (TRPV4) is an osmosensory cation channel that respond to an increase in cell volume and participates in various physiological functions. Among organisms in aquatic environments, euryhaline teleost is are suitable experimental models to study ion channel proteins related to physiological functions involving osmosensing. Among the studies of various regulatory molecules that mediate osmotic regulation in fish, however, information is lacking, particularly on the TRP family. This study investigated the structural characteristics of theTRPV4 gene of chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) and their responses to changes in salinity and temperature. Interestingly, TRPV4 generates transcript variants of the intron-retention form through alternative splicing, resulting in a frameshift leading to the generation of transcripts of different structures. In particular, TRPV4 x1 and TRPV x2 mRNAs were predominant in the gill and skin including at the lateral line. The expression levels of chum salmon TRPV4 x1 were significantly increased with increase in salinity and temperature, whereas TRPV4 x2 mainly responded to temperature decrease. Overall, these results demonstrate for the first time the effects of salinity and temperature on the expression of two salmonid TRPV4 transcript variants, suggesting their contribution to the regulation of hydromineral balance.

This study aims to evaluate the clinical validity of [18F]THK5351 positron emission tomography (PET) for the assessment of disease progression and symptoms in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Fifty-one patients with AD dementia, 30 patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI), and 43 controls with normal cognition (NC) were included. All subjects underwent [18F]THK5351 PET, 3.0-T magnetic resonance imaging, and detailed neuropsychological tests. Regions of interest and voxel-based statistical analyses were performed. In patients with AD dementia, [18F]THK5351 retention was greater in most association cortices as well as the limbic area compared to NC or aMCI participants. Patients with aMCI also showed higher THK5351 retention in those areas compared to NC. [18F]THK5351 retention significantly correlated with neuropsychological test results. Negative correlations between [18F]THK5351 and [18F] fluorodeoxyglucose were observed in AD dementia and aMCI groups. Mirror images of [18F]THK5351 retention and glucose hypometabolism in [18F] fluorodeoxyglucose were noticeable in the focal variants of AD. [18F]THK5351 PET reflects disease severity and symptoms in AD. Our results suggest [18F]THK5351 is reflective of tau-related AD pathology.

Medical X-ray imaging procedures require digital flat detectors operating at low doses to reduce radiation health risks. Solution-processed organic-inorganic hybrid perovskites have characteristics that make them good candidates for the photoconductive layer of such sensitive detectors. However, such detectors have not yet been built on thin-film transistor arrays because it has been difficult to prepare thick perovskite films (more than a few hundred micrometres) over large areas (a detector is typically 50 centimetres by 50 centimetres). We report here an all-solution-based (in contrast to conventional vacuum processing) synthetic route to producing printable polycrystalline perovskites with sharply faceted large grains having morphologies and optoelectronic properties comparable to those of single crystals. High sensitivities of up to 11 microcoulombs per air KERMA of milligray per square centimetre (μC mGyair-1 cm-2) are achieved under irradiation with a 100-kilovolt bremsstrahlung source, which are at least one order of magnitude higher than the sensitivities achieved with currently used amorphous selenium or thallium-doped cesium iodide detectors. We demonstrate X-ray imaging in a conventional thin-film transistor substrate by embedding an 830-micrometre-thick perovskite film and an additional two interlayers of polymer/perovskite composites to provide conformal interfaces between perovskite films and electrodes that control dark currents and temporal charge carrier transportation. Such an all-solution-based perovskite detector could enable low-dose X-ray imaging, and could also be used in photoconductive devices for radiation imaging, sensing and energy harvesting.

Background Teleosts represent unique features in the regulation of muscle development and growth, with a great deal of myogenic plasticity. Muscle actins are major components to compose muscle fibers, and they play essential roles in cellular mobility and other related functions. In order to understand isoform-dependent roles of muscle actins in the mud loach (Misgurnus mizolepis), this study was aimed to characterize gene structure and expression pattern of the three muscle actin isoforms (α-skeletal, α-cardiac, and α-smooth muscle actins) isolated from this benthic fish species. Results Mud loach α-actin isoforms (ACTA1, ACTC1, and ACTA2) were fairly conserved in their primary structures and shared a high-sequence identity one another. At genomic level also, all the three isoforms exhibited the same exon-intron organization pattern characterized by eight translated exons. However, in mRNA expression patterns, these three actin isoforms were found to display an apparent isoform-dependency in tissue distribution (i.e., ACTA1 in the skeletal muscles, ACTC1 in the heart, and ACTA2 in the intestines) and developmental regulation (i.e., increased expression of ACTA1 and ACTC1 with the progress of myogenesis, and the significant elevation of ACTA2 during organ development in early larvae). Conclusion Data from this study suggest that three muscle actin isoforms have undergone certain functional differentiation with regard to their roles in the development and adult musculature, in spite of high structural similarity. Genetic information on muscle actins obtained in this study could provide a useful base to extend our understanding on evolutionary diversification of the myogenic regulation in teleosts.

Albinism, a congenital genetic mutation, is rarely found in natural populations of cyprinid loach Misgurnus anguillicaudatus (Cypriniformes; Cobitidae). The entire mitogenome of albino M. anguillicaudatus (16,647 bp), which is found in a tributary of Korean river, represents a structural organization typical of a vertebrate mtDNA comprising of 13 protein coding genes (PCGs), two ribosomal RNAs (rRNAs), 22 transfer RNA (tRNA) genes, one replication origin (OL), and one control region (D-loop). Phylogenetic analysis suggests that albino cyprinid loach in this study corresponds to the “introgressed” mitochondrial type of M. anguillicaudatus based on the mtDNA introgression hypothesis in genus Misgurnus. Mitogenome information from this study could be a useful basis for conservation and phylogenetics of the natural albino cyprinid loaches.

PURPOSE To determine the prevalence and clinical characteristics of pseudoexfoliation syndrome (PXS) within Korean population living in Woodo Island. METHODS Among the 625 residents aged 50 years or older, 305 residents (197 women and 108 men) participated in the study; a response rate of 48.8%. Participants filled out questionnaires on life style. Intraocular pressure and corneal endothelial cell function was measured. Both pupils were dilated. Fundus photographs and stereo disc photographs were taken. Vertical cup-to-disc ratio was determined. Pure tone audiometry threshold was measured at 0.5, 1, 2, 4, and 6 kHz of frequencies for each ear. RESULTS The prevalence rate of PXS among Woodo Island residents older than 50 years significantly increased with age, from 1.0% [95% confidence interval (CI), 0%-2.8%] in participants aged 50 to 59 years to 23.3% (95% CI, 8.2%-38.5%) in those aged over 80 years (P

Background Metal-responsive transcription factor-1 (MTF-1) is a key transcriptional regulator playing crucial roles in metal homeostasis and cellular adaptation to diverse oxidative stresses. In order to understand cellular pathways associated with metal regulation and stress responses in Pacific abalone (Haliotis discus hannai), this study was aimed to isolate the genetic determinant of abalone MTF-1 and to examine its expression characteristics under basal and experimentally stimulated conditions. Results The abalone MTF-1 shared conserved features in zinc-finger DNA binding domain with its orthologs; however, it represented a non-conservative shape in presumed transactivation domain region with the lack of typical motifs for nuclear export signal (NES) and Cys-cluster. Abalone MTF-1 promoter exhibited various transcription factor binding motifs that would be potentially related with metal regulation, stress responses, and development. The highest messenger RNA (mRNA) expression level of MTF-1 was observed in the testes, and MTF-1 transcripts were detected during the entire period of embryonic and early ontogenic developments. Abalone MTF-1 was found to be Cd inducible and highly modulated by heat shock treatment. Conclusion Abalone MTF-1 possesses a non-consensus structure of activation domains and represents distinct features for its activation mechanism in response to metal overload and heat stress. The activation mechanism of abalone MTF-1 might include both indirect zinc sensing and direct de novo synthesis of transcripts. Taken together, results from this study could be a useful basis for future researches on stress physiology of this abalone species, particularly with regard to heavy metal detoxification and thermal adaptation.

Hypertensive urgency is defined as a severe elevation of blood pressure (BP) without target organ damage. In emergency room, hypertensive urgency has been conventionally managed by antihypertensive medication. However, there has been increasing concern for the safety of antihypertensive medication in hypertensive urgency. Thus, this study was to compare the clinical efficacy of resting and antihypertensive medication in managing hypertensive urgency.For 138 hypertensive urgency patients admitting in emergency room of Veterans Health Service (VHS) medical center, a single-center, randomized controlled trial was conducted. Hypertensive urgency patients were randomly allocated into one group out of resting group and antihypertensive medication (telmisartan) group at admission. We serially checked their BP every 30 min for 2 h, and evaluated change levels and decline of BP. Primary end point of the study was mean BP reduction from 10 to 35%. Additionally, change and decline of SBP and DBP were serially compared over 2 h.The rate of individuals approaching primary end point was 68.5% in rest group and 69.1% in medication group (P = 0.775). The change levels of BP for 2 h had no significant difference in SBP (P = 0.882) and DBP (P = 0.411) between resting group and medication group. The decline of BP after 2 h also did not show any statistical difference in both SBP (P = 0.065) and DBP (P = 0.032) between both groups.There was no significant difference between resting and antihypertensive medication in reducing BP of hypertensive urgency patients. This finding suggests the clinical efficacy of resting in managing hypertensive urgency.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between specific symptom severity and D2/3 receptor availability in extrastriatal regions in outpatients with schizophrenia to shed light on the role of extrastriatal dopaminergic neurotransmission in the pathophysiology of symptoms of schizophrenia. Sixteen schizophrenia patients receiving relatively low-dose maintenance atypical antipsychotics and seventeen healthy controls underwent 3-Tesla magnetic resonance imaging and high-resolution positron emission tomography with [18F]fallypride. For D2/3 receptor availability, the binding potential with respect to non-displaceable compartment (BPND) was derived using the simplified reference tissue model. The BPND values were lower in patients on antipsychotic treatment than in controls across all regions with large effect sizes (1.03–1.42). The regions with the largest effect size were the substantia nigra, amygdala, and insula. Symptoms of schizophrenia were assessed using a five-factor model of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). The region of interest-based analysis showed that PANSS excitement factor score had a significant positive correlation with the [18F]fallypride BPND in the insula. The equivalent dose of antipsychotics was not significantly correlated with PANSS factor scores or regional BPND values. The voxel-based analysis also revealed a significant positive association between the PANSS excitement factor and the [18F]fallypride BPND in the insula. The present study revealed a significant association between excitement symptom severity and D2/3 receptor availability in the insula in schizophrenia, suggesting a possible important role of D2/3 receptor-mediated neurotransmission in the insula and related limbic system in the pathophysiology of this specific symptom cluster.

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the patterns of interregional correlations of serotonin transporter (SERT) availability with glucose metabolism using 7-Tesla magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and high-resolution positron emission tomography (PET) with 11C-3-amino-4-(2-dimethylaminomethylphenylthio)benzonitrile ([11C]DASB) and [18F]fluorodeoxyglucose ([18F]FDG) in antipsychotic-free patients with schizophrenia in order to shed new light on the disrupted functional connectivity in schizophrenia. Nineteen patients with schizophrenia and 18 healthy controls underwent high-resolution PET and MRI. The binding potential (BPND) of [11C]DASB and standardized uptake value ratio (SUVR) of [18F]FDG were obtained. In SERT availability, the region of interest (ROI)-based analyses showed no significant group differences in any region, except for the anterior hippocampus where the SERT availability was lower in patients with schizophrenia than in controls. The ROI- and voxel-based analyses revealed that the [18F]FDG SUVR values were significantly lower in patients than in controls in the right superior frontal gyrus and medial part of the left superior frontal gyrus. Regarding the interregional correlations of [11C]DASB BPND with [18F]FDG SUVR, more widespread positive correlations across the brain regions were observed in control subjects than in patients with schizophrenia. Notably, the patients and control subjects showed statistically significant differences in correlations between the SERT availability in the parietal and temporal cortices and the glucose metabolism in the posterior cingulate cortex. These results suggest abnormal functional connectivity between the higher-order cortical regions in schizophrenia and a possible important role of the posterior cingulate gyrus and its related circuitry in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia.

Neuroinflammation is heavily associated with various neurological diseases including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, and stroke. It is strongly characterized by the activation of microglia which can be visualized using position emission tomography (PET). Traditionally, translocator protein 18 kDa (TSPO) has been the preferred target for imaging the inflammatory progression of the microglial component. TSPO is expressed in the outer mitochondrial membrane and present in very low concentrations in the healthy human brain, but is markedly upregulated in response to brain injury and inflammation. Due to its value as a marker of microglial activation and subsequent utility for evaluating neuroinflammation in CNS disorders, several classes of TSPO radioligands have been developed and evaluated. However, the application of these second-generation TSPO radiotracers has been subject to several limiting factors, including a polymorphism that affects TSPO binding. This review focuses on recent developments in TSPO imaging, as well as current limitations and suggestions for future directions from a medical imaging perspective.

Background: Although survival of transplanted stem cells in vivo and differentiation of stem cells into tenocytes in vitro have been reported, there have been no in vivo studies demonstrating that mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) could secrete their own proteins as differentiated tenogenic cells. Purpose/Hypothesis: Using a xenogeneic MSC transplantation model, we aimed to investigate whether MSCs could differentiate into the tenogenic lineage and secrete their own proteins. The hypothesis was that human MSCs would differentiate into the human tenogenic lineage and the cells would be able to secrete human-specific proteins in a rat tendon injury model. Study Design: Controlled laboratory study. Methods: The Achilles tendons of 57 Sprague Dawley rats received full-thickness rectangular defects. After the modeling, the defective tendons were randomly assigned to 3 groups: (1) cell group, implantation with human adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hASCs) and fibrin glue (106 cells in 60 μL); (2) fibrin group, implantation with fibrin glue and same volume of cell media; and (3) sham group, identical surgical procedure without any treatment. Gross observation and biomechanical, histopathological, immunohistochemistry, and Western blot analyses were performed at 2 and 4 weeks after modeling. Results: hASCs implanted into the defective rat tendons were viable for 4 weeks as detected by immunofluorescence staining. Tendons treated with hASCs showed better gross morphological and biomechanical recovery than those in the fibrin and sham groups. Furthermore, the expression of both human-specific collagen type I and tenascin-C was significantly higher in the cell group than in the other 2 groups. Conclusion: Transplantation of hASCs enhanced rat tendon healing biomechanically. hASCs implanted into the rat tendon defect model survived for at least 4 weeks and secreted human-specific collagen type I and tenascin-C. These findings suggest that transplanted MSCs may be able to differentiate into the tenogenic lineage and contribute their own proteins to tendon healing. Clinical Relevance: In tendon injury, MSCs can enhance tendon healing by secreting their own protein and have potential as a therapeutic option in human tendinopathy.

A novel approach for the thin film encapsulation (TFE) of organic photo-diode (OPD) for the next generation of organic/inorganic hybrid complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor is reported. The TFE is composed of two different metal-oxides stacked in bi-layer thin film architecture. The first layer is composed of aluminum oxide (AlOx) deposited by atomic layer deposition (ALD) at a moderate temperature of 100 °C to avoid any damage to the organic active layer. The first layer acts as a water barrier layer and also as a first protective layer for the deposition of a second silicon oxynitride (SiON) layer that could be processed by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) at higher temperatures. The second layer ensures a better mechanical and chemical stability of the whole structure and also serves as a second protective layer from damages induced during the additional processing stages, such as photolithography or microlensing. With the TFE architecture the overall device stability at 85 °C and 85% relative humidity exceeded 1000 h without observable device performance decrease. This was confirmed by fabricating a green-light sensitive OPD characterized by a stable external quantum efficiency of 60–70%.

This paper aims to provide a practical method for forecasting potential container cargo volume that can be induced by a port development project on a container transport network by combining port choice and an autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) model. The entrance channel improvement plan for Incheon New Port in South Korea is used as a case study. Based on the stated preference data collected from domestic shippers, a discrete choice analysis is performed to estimate the future market share of three major ports in South Korea: Busan, Gwangyang, and Incheon. The estimated market share of Incheon New Port is used to forecast its future container volume derived by the ARIMA model and the potential port development scenarios.

A hybrid gate dielectric material for flexible OTFT is developed by using core–shell nanoparticles (SiO2@PSRXL) where the core and the shell consist of silica nanoparticles and polysiloxane resin, respectively. Since polysiloxane resin contains both thermal- and photo-crosslinkable functional groups, densely-crosslinked thin gate dielectric films can be easily prepared on various substrates by conventional solution casting followed by dual crosslinking. SiO2@PSRXL films exhibit high thermal stability (weight loss at 300 °C is smaller than 3 wt%). The dielectric films made of SiO2@PSRXL show an exceptionally low leakage current and no breakdown voltage up to 4.3 MV cm−1, which are comparable to those of silica dielectrics prepared by CVD. OTFT devices based on dibenzothiopheno[6,5-b:6′,5′-f]thieno[3,2-b]thiophene (DTBTT) as a semiconductor and SiO2@PSRXL as a gate dielectric exhibit good hole mobility (2.5 cm2 V−1 s−1) and Ion/Ioff ratio (106).

Regularly monitoring the variations in soil composition is an essential part of proper cultivation management. Some conventional soil characterization methods are often costly and require experienced labor. The spectroscopic method is a simpler procedure that minimizes experimental steps and is faster and more economical than conventional methods. Wide-ranging analytical methods have been developed to determine soil phosphorus concentrations in the field; however, no method has been commercialized. Analytical methods based on colorimetric Mehlich-3 and Lancaster soil tests, developed to reduce measurement time in laboratories in the U.S. and South Korea, have been efficient. However, due to laboratory procedures, the soil was pretreated and not verified with field soil. We tested the rapid colorimetric method, which is for on-site plant-available soil phosphorus tests in the field and allows reduced analysis time. The target accuracy of the field tests was >70% correlation with laboratory test results. This method consists of three steps: fast extraction, fast filtration, and fast color development. In a comparison of the rapid colorimetric method and the standard laboratory procedure, the R2 values were 0.78, 0.71, 0.72, and 0.74, respectively, for field soils collected in four regions of South Korea. However, the results showed significant differences in some areas. When the moisture content and electrical conductivity of soil from each region were included in the multiple regression analysis, the cross-validation results showed superior output with no significant difference (p > 0.05). Keywords: Colorimetry, Phosphorus, Precision agriculture, Sensor, Soil.

The purpose of this study is to empirically analyze the impact of logistics efficiency on trade volume growth, and to examine the effects of lower tariffs resulting from free trade agreements. In order to measure the impact of logistics efficiency on trade volume growth, the export and import trade volume among 53 countries was introduced as the dependent variable. Macroeconomic indicators including annual average tariff rate, logistics efficiency indicators for port, air, railroad, road and container vessel connectivity, as well as dummy variables such as whether a free trade agreement was signed, were introduced as the explanatory variables. Bilateral panel data between trading nations was used to estimate the gravity panel model, and analysis followed the categorization: 1) separate inputs of the five logistics efficiency variables and 2) one aggregated input of the five variables as a single indicator. The analysis found that logistics efficiency had a statistically significant impact on bilateral trade volume growth, while the impact of lowering tariff rates on increasing trade was insignificant. In addition, logistics efficiency was found to have a greater impact on increasing trade volume than free trade agreements. These results imply that trade can be promoted more effectively by establishing and efficiently operating logistics-related infrastructure rather than traditional methods of reducing trade barriers such as lowering tariffs and signing free trade agreements.

[11C]Raclopride is one of the most popular PET tracers used in Parkinson's disease studies. We previously prepared [11C]raclopride with reasonable yields using NaOH as an inorganic base, but the reaction patterns fluctuated. In this study, we describe the successful application of a commercially available 'super basic' proton sponge, TMGN, as a base for the [11C]methylation step using [11C]CH3OTf. This novel TMGN method produced better radiochemical yields, as well as enhanced reproducibility and a reduction in side products. Under optimal conditions (1.2 equiv. of TMGN), the radiochemical yield was 14.4±0.2% (ndc, EOS, n=5) and the specific activity was 66.6±13.3 GBq/mmol (n=5).

We present a novel approach to preparing non-toxic sunscreen active ingredients by electron irradiation of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) and polystyrene (PS) nanoparticles (NPs). Electron irradiation modifies the molecular structure of the polymers, generating conjugated aliphatic carbon–carbon double bonds in PMMA and conjugated aromatic rings in PS. The conjugation length increases as the electron fluence increases, leading to hyperchromic and bathochromic shifts in the UV-vis absorption spectra of the irradiated polymer NPs. Consequently, the irradiated polymer NPs become capable of UV absorption and the UV-absorbing properties are improved with increasing electron fluence. The UV-screening performance of the electron-irradiated polymer NPs are found to be superior to those of commercially available sunscreen ingredients. In addition, in vitro cytotoxicity and phototoxicity test results show that the irradiated polymer NPs exhibit excellent biocompatibility.

S100A9 is a potential therapeutic target for various disease including prostate cancer, colorectal cancer, and Alzheimer’s disease. However, the sparsity of atomic level data such as protein-protein interaction of S100A9 with MD2/TLR4/CD147 makes rational drug design of S100A9 inhibitors more challengeable. Herein we firstly report predictive models of S100A9 inhibitory effect by applying machine learning classifiers on 2D-molecular descriptors. The models were optimized through feature selectors as well as classifiers to produce the top eight random forest models with robust predictability as well as high cost-effectiveness. Notably, the optimal feature sets were obtained after the reduction of 2798 features into dozens of features with the chopping of fingerprint bits. In addition, the high efficiency of compact feature sets allowed us to further screen a large-scale dataset (over 6,000,000 compounds) within a week. Through the consensus vote of the top models, 46 hits (hit rate = 0.000713%) were identified as potential S100A9 inhibitors. We expect that our models will facilitate the drug discovery process by providing high predictive power as well as cost-reduction ability and give insights into the design of the novel drugs targeting S100A9.

Background The risk factors for renal cancer include smoking, obesity, hypertension, and exposure to trichloroethylene. Recent studies have shown that low sunlight exposure increases the risk of developing a range of cancers, including renal cancer. Given that most of the daytime is spent at work, a lack of occupational sunlight exposure can be a risk factor for renal cancer. Therefore, this study examined the relationship between occupational sunlight exposure and the incidence of renal cancer. Methods This was a university hospital-based case-control study on renal cancer. Of the 706 newly diagnosed patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC), 633 cases were selected; 73 who had no occupational history were excluded. In addition, 633 controls were selected from the general population after 1:1 matching with respect to sex, age (within 5 years), and residential area (constituency-level). Information on sunlight exposure by the occupational group was referred to data from France. To estimate the association between occupational sunlight exposure and the RCC risk, the odds ratios (ORs) were calculated using conditional logistic regression analysis. Results Sunlight exposure was divided into quartiles and the risk of RCC was analyzed. The adjusted OR of RCC (OR: 0.664, 95% confidence interval: 0.449-0.983) was significantly lower for the Q4 group than Q1 group but the Q2 and Q3 groups did not show significant results. The risk of RCC tended to decrease with increasing exposure to sunlight (p for trend < 0.028). Conclusions Higher occupational sunlight exposure reduces the risk of RCC.

To investigate 24-hour nyctohemeral intraocular pressure (IOP)-related patterns with contact lens sensors (CLSs) in eyes with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) with normal baseline IOP (i.e., normal-tension glaucoma [NTG]) and healthy controls.Prospective, case-control study.Thirty eyes of 30 patients with NTG, who had had a wash-out period for their IOP-lowering treatment, and 20 eyes of 20 healthy volunteer subjects.Patients and subjects were hospitalized for the purposes of 24-hour CLS (SENSIMED Triggerfish; Sensimed AG, Lausanne, Switzerland) measurement. The IOP-related patterns during wake and sleep times over the course of the 24 hours were compared between the 2 groups. The 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure and posture were monitored simultaneously. A generalized linear model was used to find the factors associated with NTG.The IOP-related patterns, including mean and standard deviation (SD) of measurements, amplitude of cosine-fit curve, acrophase (signal peak), and bathyphase (signal trough) values (millivolt equivalents [mVEq]).The SDs of the 24-hour CLS measurements were significantly greater in NTG eyes than in healthy controls (112.51±26.90 vs. 85.18±29.61 mVEq, P = 0.002). The amplitudes of cosine-fit curve (141.88±39.96 vs. 106.08±41.49 mVEq, P = 0.004) and acrophase values (277.74±129.80 vs. 190.58±127.88 mVEq, P = 0.024), mostly measured during nocturnal period, were significantly greater in NTG eyes than in healthy controls. The NTG subjects slept longer in the lateral decubitus posture than the healthy controls (199.1±137.8 vs. 113.2±86.2 minutes, P = 0.009). In the multivariable generalized linear model, the greater amplitude of cosine-fit curve (β = 0.218, P = 0.012) and greater time of decubitus posture during sleep (β = 0.180, P = 0.004) were found to be significantly associated with NTG.Continuous monitoring of 24-hour IOP-related values with CLS can be useful for assessment of glaucoma risk, especially for patients with NTG whose IOP appears to be in the normal range. Fluctuation of 24-hour IOP-related values and posture during sleep time might be associated with NTG.

Significance This report describes an opportunity for the bacterial cellulose nanofiber (BCNF) membrane, which has recently been attracting much attention due to its sustainability and high thermal stability, as a “single-layer,” good alternative membrane to the existing chemical-derived one in batteries, and thus allows us to find possible solutions to the environmental and safety issues. We achieved highest BCNF yield ever reported so far and fabricated a cylindrical lithium ion battery (LIB) by roll-to-roll process to realize remarkable cycle stability with 80% capacity retention even after 1,000 cycles, which is comparable to those of commercialized batteries. Finally, we introduced a Lewis base to improve thermal safety of the battery to a level comparable to that of a commercial ceramic-coated separator.

Although a few trials have explored the relationship between postoperative delirium (POD) and incident dementia in patients with hip surgery, the numbers of participants in each study are relatively small. Thus, we performed a meta-analysis to examine whether POD after hip surgery is a risk factor for incident dementia.Six prospective cohort studies investigating the development of incident dementia in patients with POD after hip surgery were retrieved from PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library. We performed a pairwise meta-analysis using fixed- and random- effect models.POD significantly increased the risk of incident dementia and cognitive decline (overall odds ratio [ORs] = 8.957; 95 % confidence interval [CI], 5.444-14.737; P 0.001 in fixed-effects model; overall ORs = 8.962; 95 % CI, 5.344-15.029; P 0.001 in random-effects model). A publication bias was not evident in this study.Our meta-analysis revealed that POD after hip surgery is a risk factor for incident dementia. Early identification of cognitive function should be needed after surgery and appropriate prevention and treatment for dementia will be required, especially in cases with POD.

Background To report the successful treatment of ocular toxoplasmosis and present the use of multimodal imaging to describe the changes in ocular toxoplasmic lesions subsequent to treatment. Case presentation A 73-year-old female visited the clinic with decreased visual acuity in the left eye. Fundus examination showed severe vitreous haze with yellow-white infiltrates near the foveal center. Spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) revealed disorganization of the retinal structure with markedly thickened choroid beneath the active lesion. Highly elevated serum titers of IgG antibodies against Toxoplasma gondii were observed. Topical and systemic steroids with oral Bactrim were administered after a diagnosis of ocular toxoplasmosis was made. After improvement in the severity of vitritis, structural en face swept-source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT) imaging demonstrated diffuse choroidal dilation with many collateral vascular branches surrounding the active lesion. Eight intravitreal injections of clindamycin (1 mg/0.1 ml) were administered at 1- to 2-week intervals along with systemic antibiotics and steroids. After the treatment, the toxoplasmic lesion resolved to an atrophic chorioretinal scar. Dilated choroidal vessel size was normalized and collateral vascular branches were markedly constricted on structural en face SS-OCT images. Conclusions This is the first detailed report on the morphological changes in the choroidal vasculature surrounding ocular toxoplasmic lesions that were characterized using SS-OCT-A imaging. Multimodal imaging with SS-OCT-A can be valuable in clinical diagnosis as well as in clarifying the mechanism of choroidal structural changes in ocular toxoplasmosis.

This paper presents a data-driven approach that leverages reinforcement learning to manage the optimal energy consumption of a smart home with a rooftop solar photovoltaic system, energy storage system, and smart home appliances. Compared to existing model-based optimization methods for home energy management systems, the novelty of the proposed approach is as follows: (1) a model-free Q-learning method is applied to energy consumption scheduling for an individual controllable home appliance (air conditioner or washing machine), as well as the energy storage system charging and discharging, and (2) the prediction of the indoor temperature using an artificial neural network assists the proposed Q-learning algorithm in learning the relationship between the indoor temperature and energy consumption of the air conditioner accurately. The proposed Q-learning home energy management algorithm, integrated with the artificial neural network model, reduces the consumer electricity bill within the preferred comfort level (such as the indoor temperature) and the appliance operation characteristics. The simulations illustrate a single home with a solar photovoltaic system, an air conditioner, a washing machine, and an energy storage system with the time-of-use pricing. The results show that the relative electricity bill reduction of the proposed algorithm over the existing optimization approach is 14%.

Salmonid fishes, chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) have the developed adaptive strategy to withstand wide salinity changes from the early life stage. This study investigated gene expression patterns of cell membrane proteins in the gill of chum salmon fry on the transcriptome level by tracking the salinity acclimation of the fish in changing environments ranging from freshwater (0 ppt) to brackish water (17.5 ppt) to seawater (35 ppt). Using GO analysis of DEGs, the known osmoregulatory genes and their functional groups such as ion transport, transmembrane transporter activity and metal ion binding were identified. The expression patterns of membrane protein genes, including pump-mediated protein (NKA, CFTR), carrier-mediated protein (NKCC, NHE3) and channel-mediated protein (AQP) were similar to those of other salmonid fishes in the smolt or adult stages. Based on the protein-protein interaction analysis between transmembrane proteins and other related genes, we identified osmotic-related genes expressed with salinity changes and analyzed their expression patterns. The findings of this study may facilitate the disentangling of the genetic basis of chum salmon and better able an understanding of the osmophysiology of the species.