Search

Purpose: Adrenergic stimulation affects lymphocyte autophagy and apoptosis by activating β1-adrenergic receptor (β1-AR) and G protein-coupled receptor kinase 2 (GRK-2) downstream signaling. This study investigated how combined aerobic and resistance exercise training on the interval or continuous pattern influences aerobic/muscular fitness and β1-AR/GRK-2 signaling, and corresponding apoptosis/autophagy of lymphocytes in sedentary males. Methods: Thirty-four sedentary males were randomized into interval training (IT, age = 22.5 ± 0.6 years, fitness level = 47.5 ± 0.9 mL/min/kg, body mass index (BMI) = 22.4 ± 0.4 kg/m2, n = 17) and continuous training (CT, age = 21.6 ± 0.4 years, fitness level = 45.2 ± 1.0 mL/min/kg, BMI = 22.2 ± 0.3 kg/m2, n = 17) groups. These subjects performed IT (bicycle exercise at alternating 40% and 80%VO2 reserve (VO2R) and isokinetic exercise at alternating 60°/s and 180°/s) or CT (bicycle exercise at continuously 60%VO2R and isokinetic exercise at continuously 120°/s) for 30 min/day, 5 days/week for 6 weeks. Aerobic capacity and muscular strength/endurance were determined by the graded exercise test (GXT) and isokinetic strength test, respectively. Blood lymphocyte autophagy/apoptosis and β1-AR/GRK-2 signaling were analyzed using flow cytometry. Results: Both IT and CT groups increased isokinetic strengths at various angular velocities, whereas only IT significantly enhanced muscle endurance, indicated by lowered fatigue index from 47.0 ± 1.3% to 41.8 ± 1.6% (P < 0.05). Moreover, the IT group (143 ± 7%) revealed a higher improvement in VO2peak than CT group (132 ± 6%) (P < 0.05). Acute GXT augmented (i) GRK-2 and protein kinase A expressions, (ii) LAMP-2 upregulation and acridine orange staining, (iii) mitochondrial transmembrane potential diminishing, caspase-3 activation, and phosphatidylserine (PS) exposure caused by epinephrine in blood lymphocytes. However, the degree of epinephrine-induced lymphocyte PS exposure potentiated by GXT was suppressed from 65.2 ± 5.2% to 47.4 ± 6.5% following 6 weeks of the IT (P < 0.05). Conclusion: The IT may be considered more beneficial than CT in terms of improving aerobic/muscular fitness and simultaneously ameliorating apoptosis of blood lymphocyte evoked by intense exercise or adrenergic stimulation in sedentary males. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Erythrocyte rheological properties contribute to the dynamic regulation of vascular resistance to flow shear force, facilitating blood delivery from the heart to peripheral tissues. Despite improved physical performance, the effects of eccentric cycling training (ECT) on erythrocyte rheological characteristics remain unclear. This study investigates the distinct effects of ECT and concentric cycling training (CCT) on muscular hemodynamic and erythrocyte rheological responses to exercise. Thirty‐nine sedentary healthy males were randomly assigned to either ECT (n = 13) or CCT (n = 13) at 45%–70% of the maximal workload for 30 min/day, 5 days/week for 6 weeks, or to a control group (n = 13) that did not receive any exercise intervention. A graded exercise test (GXT) was performed before and after the intervention. Muscular hemodynamic and erythrocyte rheological responses to the GXT were determined by near‐infrared spectroscopy and ektacytometry, respectively. Both ECT and CCT significantly enhanced perfusion (Δ[THb]VL) and O2 extraction (Δ[HHb]VL) in vastus lateralis during GXT. Before training, an acute GXT significantly reduced erythrocyte deformability and increased aggregability, whereas after 6 weeks of either ECT or CCT, the extent of erythrocyte rheological changes caused by GXT was diminished. Moreover, CCT elicited higher improvements in cardiac output (CO), VO2, and work‐rate at peak performance than ECT. In hierarchical regression, the change of maximal CO was the most influential factor affecting VO2max following CCT. In contrast, enhanced VO2max was significantly associated with Δ[HHb]VL and erythrocyte aggregability/deformability in ECT. Although CCT is superior to ECT for increasing aerobic capacity, either ECT or CCT effectively enhances aerobic efficiency by improving muscular hemodynamic and erythrocyte rheological responses to exercise. Highlights: Although concentric cycling training (CCT) is superior to eccentric cycling training (ECT) for increasing aerobic capacity, the two regimens effectively enhance aerobic efficiency by improving hemodynamic or/and hemorheological response(s) to exercise.ECT increases blood O2 delivery to and utilization by contracting muscles, while having lower exertional cardiovascular demand compared to CCT.Cardiac hemodynamic function is the most dominant factor affecting the change of aerobic capacity caused by CCT.Muscular hemodynamic and erythrocyte rheological functions are meaningfully associated with aerobic efficiency mediated by ECT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Land reclamation has a profound impact on coastal environments. On the Chinese coast, the new Xiang'an International Airport has been built on newly reclaimed land. The impact of the massive land reclamation project (finished in 2018) on water quality and coast conditions in a nearby semi-enclosed bay is investigated using remotely sensed data. Factors affecting surface water quality and coast conditions are further analyzed using multiple regression. All water quality and coast condition indices show no long-term trend from 2005 to 2021. The suspended solid concentration (with a maximum value of 96.11 mg/L) is much lower than the threshold of 188 mg/L. When considering variations in sediment concentration, the probability that the concentration reaches the threshold is less than 1 × 10 − 6 %; therefore, suspended solids have little threat to the local oyster-growing industry. The trend of dissolved inorganic nitrogen concentration is steady, implying little alteration to nutrient circulation in the semi-enclosed bay. Within the observation timeframe of 2005–2021, a recent sedimentation trend (surrogated by the normalized difference water index) appears after 2018 but it needs to be confirmed by a longer observation. Statistical models based on multiple regression highlight the following links: (1) the sediment source is outside the bay, (2) the overland runoff from newly claimed land dilutes nutrient concentrations, and (3) the coast conditions are mainly affected by tides and rainfall. Neither actively reclaimed or cumulative reclaimed areas form a direct causal relationship to water quality or coast conditions in the semi-enclosed bay. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We develop an approach to enhance the face recognition performance for masked faces. • The refinement layer makes the feature matchings between masked and unmasked faces more robust, thus improving face recognition performance. • The domain adaptation layer can utilize real-world masked face images to enable the system to handle real-world masked faces. Wearing facial masks has become a must in our daily life due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. However, the performance of a face recognition system is severely degraded due to the fact that the face images in the gallery are unmasked faces while the probe face images captured by the camera are masked faces, making the probe face images different from gallery face images in the activated region and the distribution domain. In this paper, we propose a novel face recognition system to address the issue. The system is integrated with a domain adaptation layer and a feature refinement layer. The feature refinement layer is based on the structure of the self-attention mechanism to align activated regions of unmasked faces with those of masked faces. The domain adaptation layer works by adapting the system from the unmasked face domain to the synthetically masked face domain and the real- world masked face domain. The system is tested on real-world data through face verification and face identification. The face verification accuracy is improved by 6.83% for the RMFD_FV dataset and 4.2% for the MFR2 dataset, and the face identification accuracy is improved by 15.43% for the MFRFI dataset. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Though infrared (IR) photodetection is popular, it faces several problems. First, the main materials, compound semiconductors, require high temperature, low pressure, and high energy consumption facilities. Second, compound semiconductor elements are rare on earth. Third, compound semiconductors are difficult to integrate with Si-based integrated circuit (IC) manufacturing process. To overcome these problems, we utilized a Si-based Schottky junction and internal photoemission to break the detection limit of a Si photodetector. The spectral detection limit extends from 1100 nm, the bandgap wavelength of Si, to ca. 1600 nm, the Schottky barrier wavelength of the metal/Si junction. The Schottky junction is composed by Ag and n-type Si through simple thermal evaporation. The light incident direction, metal thickness, and device temperature were analyzed. As a result, under normal temperature and pressure, the Schottky barrier height of the Ag/Si junction is 0.742 eV. The detection limit is 1670 nm. If the 1550-nm laser is a detected light source illuminating from the metal film, the responsivity is 0.02122 mA/W. If the same detected light source illuminates from the Si substrate, the responsivity improves to 0.04567 mA/W due to the light absorption enhancement. Furthermore, if the metal thickness is increased to 100 nm, the responsivity increases to 1.242 mA/W, which is about 585.3% of the original value. In addition, the influence of the temperature on the electric properties of the devices indicates that a Ag/Si Schottky device could be a candidate for temperature detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Standard 12‐lead electrocardiography (ECG) is the primary tool for detection and diagnosis of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Most wearable ECG devices only provide single limb‐lead measurement, limiting their practical use in CVD diagnosis. This study proposes a method of chest‐lead ECG reconstruction from a single limb lead using a temporal convolutional network (TCN). The TCN is learned in the variational mode decomposition domain to reduce the non‐stationary characteristics of ECG data. Experiments on two public databases suggested that automated diagnosis of CVDs in wearable ECG devices is likely to achieve through the proposed approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mechanistic pathways relevant to mineralization are not well‐understood fundamentally, let alone in the context of their biological and geological environments. Through quantitative analysis of ion association at near‐neutral pH, we identify the involvement of HCO3− ions in CaCO3 nucleation. Incorporation of HCO3− ions into the structure of amorphous intermediates is corroborated by solid‐state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, complemented by quantum mechanical calculations and molecular dynamics simulations. We identify the roles of HCO3− ions as being through (i) competition for ion association during the formation of ion pairs and ion clusters prior to nucleation and (ii) incorporation as a significant structural component of amorphous mineral particles. The roles of HCO3− ions as active soluble species and structural constituents in CaCO3 formation are of fundamental importance and provide a basis for a better understanding of physiological and geological mineralization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Die Grundlagen der Mineralisation und die entsprechenden Mechanismen sind noch nicht ausreichend verstanden. Dies ist insbesondere für biologische und geologische Systeme der Fall. In dieser Studie konnte die Beteiligung von HCO3−‐Ionen an der Nukleation von CaCO3 durch quantitative Untersuchungen der Ionenassoziationen im nahezu neutralen pH‐Bereich nachgewiesen werden. Der strukturelle Einbau von HCO3−‐Ionen in amorphe Intermediate konnte mittels ssNMR belegt werden und wird des Weiteren durch quantenmechanische Berechnungen sowie Simulationen der Moleküldynamik gestützt. Der Einfluss von HCO3−‐Ionen erstreckt sich dabei auf 1) eine konkurrierende Rolle in Gleichgewichten bezüglich der Bildung von Ionenpaaren und Ionenclustern vor der Nukleation sowie auf 2) den Einbau in amorphe Mineralpartikel als wichtige strukturelle Komponente. Der Einfluss dieser aktiv beteiligten löslichen Spezies auf die Bildung von Calciumcarbonat ist von fundamentaler Bedeutung, um die physiologische und geologische Mineralisation in ihren Grundsätzen besser zu verstehen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hypoxic exposure increases right ventricular (RV) afterload by triggering pulmonary hypertension, with consequent effects on the structure and function of the RV. Improved myocardial contractility is a critical circulatory adaptation to exercise training. However, the types of exercise that enhance right cardiac mechanics during hypoxic stress have not yet been identified. This study investigated how high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT) influence right cardiac mechanics during hypoxic exercise A total of 54 young and healthy sedentary males were randomly selected to engage in either HIIT (3-min intervals at 40% and 80% of oxygen uptake reserve, n = 18) or MICT (sustained 60% of oxygen uptake reserve, n = 18) for 30 min/day and 5 days/week for 6 weeks or were included in a control group (CTL, n = 18) that did not engage in any exercise. The primary outcome was the change in right cardiac mechanics during semiupright bicycle exercise under hypoxic conditions (i.e., 50 watts under 12% FiO2 for 3 min) as measured by two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography.: After 6 weeks of training, HIIT was superior to MICT in improving maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max). Furthermore, the HIIT group showed reduced pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR, pre-HIIT:1.16 ± 0.05 WU; post-HIIT:1.05 ± 0.05 WU, p < 0.05) as well as an elevated right ventricular ejection fraction (RVEF, pre-HIIT: 59.5 ± 6.0%; post-HIIT: 69.1 ± 2.8%, p < 0.05) during hypoxic exercise, coupled with a significant enhancement of the right atrial (RA) reservoir and conduit functions. HIIT is superior to MICT in dilating RV chamber and reducing radial strain but ameliorating radial strain rate in either systole (post-HIIT: 2.78 ± 0.14 s-1; post-MICT: 2.27 ± 0.12 s-1, p < 0.05) or diastole (post-HIIT: − 2.63 ± 0.12 s-1; post-MICT: − 2.36 ± 0.18 s-1, p < 0.05). In the correlation analysis, the changes in RVEF were directly associated with improved RA reservoir (r = 0.60, p < 0.05) and conduit functions (r = 0.64, p < 0.01) but inversely associated with the change in RV radial strain (r = − 0.70, p < 0.01) and PVR (r = − 0.70, p < 0.01) caused by HIIT. HIIT is superior to MICT in improving right cardiac mechanics by simultaneously increasing RA reservoir and conduit functions and decreasing PVR during hypoxic exercise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a semi‐passive smart contact lens platform for sensor and actuator applications. It focuses on design improvements made prior to human clinical trials involving basic considerations on comfort and safety, which are verified through animal studies. Observations of tissue temperature variation and post‐trial surgery examinations confirm that the 50 μW on‐lens wireless power delivery reduces the impact on tissue of previously reported SCL. Migration of wirelessly powered radio frequency identification (RFID)‐based passive SCL to semi‐passive systems is enabled with the proposed on‐lens power storage element. Furthermore, a switched capacitor converter extends the active time of the storage element and reduces electromagnetic influence. © 2024 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by Wiley Periodicals LLC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ChemSpectra, a web-based software to visualize and analyze spectroscopic data, integrating solutions for infrared spectroscopy (IR), mass spectrometry (MS), and one-dimensional 1H and 13C NMR (proton and carbon nuclear magnetic resonance) spectroscopy, is described. ChemSpectra serves as web-based tool for the analysis of the most often used types of one-dimensional spectroscopic data in synthetic (organic) chemistry research. It was developed to support in particular processes for the use of open file formats which enable the work according to the FAIR data principles. The software can deal with the open file formats JCAMP-DX (IR, MS, NMR) and mzML (MS) proposing these data file types to gain interoperable data. ChemSpectra can be extended to read also other formats as exemplified by selected proprietary mass spectrometry data files of type RAW and NMR spectra files of type FID. The JavaScript-based editor can be integrated with other software, as demonstrated by integration into the Chemotion electronic lab notebook (ELN) and Chemotion repository, demonstrating the implementation into a digital work environment that offers additional functionality and sustainable research data management options. ChemSpectra supports different functions for working with spectroscopic data such as zoom functions, peak picking and automatic peak detection according to a default or manually defined threshold. NMR specific functions include the definition of a reference signal, the integration of signals, coupling constant calculation and multiplicity assignment. Embedded into a web application such as an ELN or a repository, the editor can also be used to generate an association of spectra to a sample and a file management. The file management supports the storage of the original spectra along with the last edited version and an automatically generated image of the spectra in png format. To maximize the benefit of the spectra editor for e.g. ELN users, an automated procedure for the transfer of the detected or manually chosen signals to the ELN was implemented. ChemSpectra is released under the AGPL license to encourage its re-use and further developments by the community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We developed ChemScanner, a software that can be used for the extraction of chemical information from ChemDraw binary (CDX) or ChemDraw XML-based (CDXML) files and to retrieve the ChemDraw scheme from DOC, DOCX or XML documents. This can facilitate the reuse of chemical information embedded into diverse documents used as standard storage and communication instrument in chemical sciences (e.g. for student's theses, PhD theses, or publications). The extracted information is processed to reactions, molecules, as well as additional text and values and can be accessed via the ChemScanner UI. ChemScanner supports the export to Excel and CML, the direct import of the extracted data to the Open Source ELN Chemotion or the use via "copy and paste" of selected information. The software was designed with a focus on the processing of documents with embedded molecular structure information as CDX or CDXML as these are the most common file formats for chemical drawings. The project aims to support the chemists in their efforts to re-use chemistry research data by providing them missing tools for an automated assembly of reaction data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Prior studies have reported a potential relationship between depressive disorder (DD), immune function, and inflammatory response. Some studies have also confirmed the correlation between immune and inflammatory responses and Bell's palsy. Considering that the pathophysiology of these two diseases has several similarities, this study investigates if DD raises the risk of developing Bell's palsy. Methods: This nationwide propensity score-weighting cohort study utilized Taiwan National Health Insurance data. 44,198 patients with DD were identified as the DD cohort and 1,433,650 adult subjects without DD were identified as the comparison cohort. The inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) strategy was used to balance the differences of covariates between two groups. The 5-year incidence of Bell's palsy was evaluated using the Cox proportional-hazard model, presenting results in terms of hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results: The average age of DD patients was 48.3 ± 17.3 years, and 61.86% were female. After propensity score-weighting strategy, no significant demographic differences emerged between the DD and comparison cohort. The Cox proportional hazards model revealed a statistically significant adjusted IPTW-HR of 1.315 (95% CI: 1.168–1.481) for Bell's palsy in DD patients compared to comparison subjects. Further independent factors for Bell's palsy in this model were age (IPTW-HR: 1.012, 95% CI: 1.010–1.013, p < 0.0001), sex (IPTW-HR: 0.909, 95% CI: 0.869–0.952, p < 0.0001), hypertension (IPTW-HR: 1.268, 95% CI: 1.186–1.355, p < 0.0001), hyperlipidemia (IPTW-HR: 1.084, 95% CI: 1.001–1.173, p = 0.047), and diabetes (IPTW-HR: 1.513, 95% CI: 1.398–1.637, p < 0.0001) Conclusion: This Study confirmed that individuals with DD face an elevated risk of developing Bell's palsy. These findings hold significant implications for both clinicians and researchers, shedding light on the potential interplay between mental health and the risk of certain physical health outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Supplemental digital content is available in the text. Introduction: Physical exercise or hypoxic exposure influences erythrocyte susceptibility to osmotic stress, and the aquaporin 1 (AQP1) facilitates the transport of water in erythrocytes. This study investigated whether high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT) affect erythrocyte osmotic deformability by modulating AQP1 function under hypoxic stress. Methods: Forty-five healthy sedentary males were randomized to engage in either HIIT (3-min intervals at 40% and 80% V˙O2 reserve, n = 15) or MICT (sustained 60% V˙O2 reserve, n = 15) on a bicycle ergometer for 30 min·d−1, 5 d·wk−1 for 6 wk, or to a control group that did not perform any exercise (n = 15). All subjects were analyzed with osmotic gradient ektacytometry for assessing erythrocyte membrane stability and osmotic deformability after hypoxic exercise (HE) (100 W under 12%O2 for 30 min). Results: Before the intervention, HE increased the shear stress at 50% of maximal elongation (SS1/2) and the ratio of SS1/2 to maximal elongation index (SS1/2/EImax) on erythrocytes pretreated with 50 Pa of shear stress for 30 min and diminished HgCl2-depressed osmolality at 50%EImax (Ohyper). However, both HIIT and MICT for 6 wk diminished the elevations of erythrocyte SS1/2 and SS1/2/EImax caused by HE. Moreover, HIIT also increased contents of erythrocyte AQP1 proteins while enhancing HgCl2-depressed Ohyper and area under elongation index–osmolarity curve after HE. Additionally, changes in erythrocyte AQP1 contents were associated with changes in HgCl2-depressed erythrocyte Ohyper and area under elongation index–osmolarity curve. Conclusions: Acute HE reduces erythrocyte membrane stability, whereas either HIIT or MICT attenuates the depression of erythrocyte membrane stability by HE. Moreover, HIIT increases the AQP1 content and facilitates the HgCl2-mediated osmotic deformability of erythrocytes after HE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Supplemental digital content is available in the text. Introduction: Improved myocardial contractility is a critical circulatory adaptation to exercise training. However, the types of exercise that enhance left ventricular (LV) contractile and diastolic functions have not yet been established. This study investigated how high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT) influence LV mechanics during exercise. Methods: Fifty-four healthy sedentary men were randomized to engage in either HIIT (3-min intervals at 40% and 80% of V˙O2max, n = 18) or MICT (sustained 60% of V˙O2max, n = 18) for 30 min·d−1, 5 d·wk−1 for 6 wk or to a control group (n = 18) that did not engage in exercise intervention. LV mechanics during semiupright bicycle exercise tests were measured by two-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography. Results: Before the interventions, acute bicycle exercise increased (i) peak basal/apical radial and circumferential and peak longitudinal strains and strain rates, (ii) peak basal/apical rotations and torsion, and (iii) peak systolic twisting and early diastolic untwisting velocities in the LV. After the interventions, the HIIT group exhibited greater LV mass and diastolic internal diameter as well as higher ratio of E wave to A wave and early diastolic propagation velocity than did the MICT group. Despite decreased peak apical rotation and torsion, HIIT enhanced peak apical radial strain and strain rate as well as shortened the time to reach peak untwisting velocity in the LV during exercise. However, the LV mechanics during exercise were unchanged in the control group. Conclusion: HIIT but not MICT induces eccentric myocardial hypertrophy. Moreover, HIIT effectively improves the LV mechanics during exercise by increasing contractile and diastolic functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a microfluidic apparatus embedded with microstructures was designed and aligned with a laser and dark-field microscope for real-time, long-term observation of photothermal effects on cells. Gold nanorods (AuNRs, 10 ppm) were incubated with MG-63 human osteosarcoma cells for 3 h. Then, the cells were exposed to a continuous-wave laser at a wavelength of 830 nm for 10, 20, and 30 min at 5, 9, 14, 24, and 32 W cm−2. Subsequent changes in morphology were observed. Under different conditions, cell membrane blebbing occurred at different times, indicating that actin filaments were destroyed in large quantities and apoptosis was induced. In suitable conditions, we first induced slight cell injury by causing cytoskeletal fractures with a high-energy laser; then, the cells were irradiated with a low-energy laser at 0.3 W cm−2. We found that among cells treated with the high-energy laser, cells treated additionally with a low-energy laser showed extended viability compared with cells that did not receive the additional treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nature produces hierarchical, functional materials by shaping amorphous mineral precursors under physiological conditions. Although biominerals inspire the architectures of synthetic counterparts, the biogenic phase transformations yielding precise crystalline forms, polymorphs and structures are unclear. Elucidating the transformation and structuration of amorphous minerals, herein we show distinct crystallization and structuration schemes synergistically controlled by environmental water contents and the Mg/Ca atomic ratio within amorphous mixed metal carbonates. Control of phase transformation, as well as resultant crystalline micro- and nano-structures, reflects the significance of the amorphous precursors of biominerals as disordered by design. Thereby, we complement the literature-known, suggested (bio)polymer-mediated ‘divide and protect’ mechanism of amorphous mineral stabilization by a Mg2+-based ‘unite and protect’ strategy. Altogether, this allows delineating a novel mechanism for mesocrystal formation based on the interface-coupled dissolution–re-precipitation of mesoscale amorphous precursors, which appear important in biomineralization. In the latter case, the recruitment of environmentally abundant Mg2+ species can also supplement the functions of biomolecules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The electrochemical stability is well improved upon the immobilization of DES in polymer matrix and introduction of Al 2 O 3 filler. • The battery performance is greatly improved by the synergistic effect exerted by the combination of immobilizing DES and incorporating Al 2 O 3 filler. • Al 2 O 3 filler is introduced into the system to further enhance the electrochemical properties of the electrolytes. • The electrolyte with 5 wt% Al 2 O 3 possess the highest ionic conductivity and the best cyclic performance. Deep-eutectic-solvent (DES), which is formed by mixing LiTFSI and N -methylacetamide in a molar ratio of 1:4, can be seen as a promising additive in electrolyte composition. In this study, DES is immobilized in the ultraviolet-cured poly(butyl acrylate- co -acrylonitrile) (PBA- co -PAN) cross-linked by 1,6-hexanediol diacrylate (HDDA) to serve as novel polymer electrolytes (PEs) for lithium batteries. Moreover, aluminum oxide (Al 2 O 3) filler is introduced into the system to further enhance the electrochemical properties of the electrolytes. The results indicate that the conductivity value reaches 6.8 × 10-4 S cm−1 and an improved electrochemical stability up to 4.6 V can be achieved by the sample with 5 wt% Al 2 O 3 addition (CPE5), which are much better than those of the system with DES as the electrolyte. By virtue of above superiority, the assembled Li//CPE5//LFP cell can deliver a discharge capacity of 155 mAh/g with a 95.3 % retention after 400 cycles at 0.2C rate at room temperature. Our study demonstrated that the battery performance is greatly improved by the synergistic effect exerted by the combination of immobilizing DES and incorporating Al 2 O 3 filler in PBA- co -PAN polymer matrix. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a case study of a 69-year-old man presented with depressed mood, crying spells, decreased interest in previously pleasurable activities, and psychomotor retardation, as well as she was feeling excessive guilt feelings, negative thinking, catastrophising thoughts of the possibility of acquiring diabetes mellitus and self-harm ideation. It mentions the patient were treated with hypokalaemia secondary to a neuroendocrine tumour.

Soil erosion is part of the erosion-sedimentation cycle and a type of land degradation that can be caused by poor land management. This is expected to be exacerbated by climate change. The rainfall erosivity factor (R) of the Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) family of soil erosion models is one of the most important parameters being studied because it is heavily influenced by climate change. The determination of the R factor necessitates high-frequency precipitation data, which are unavailable for a significant portion of the globe. For decades, researchers in data-sparse regions have estimated the R factor using empirical equations that required only monthly or annual rainfall data. Unfortunately, many of these equations are outdated and susceptible to misuse. This study presents an empirical R equation based on the Modified Fournier Index (MFI) that has caused probably one of the most widespread and unnoticed errors in soil erosion research for at least 33 years. Our exhaustive literature search and analysis uncovered 125 papers with 28 incorrect R equation formulations. We discovered that the earliest incorrect publication dates back to 1989, and most of the studies were conducted in Asia (China and India). The 125 published papers have similar citation characteristics (three citations per year per paper) as other papers in the field of soil erosion modelling, and many of the 125 papers were published in well-known scientific journals. Together, they have been cited over 3300 times by international researchers. In addition, the number of incorrect papers has increased dramatically over the past few years (2015–2021), indicating that the equation is spreading more frequently than the general publication trend. Since using an incorrect R equation can result in a significant bias in estimating the R factor and, consequently, soil erosion, the incorrect use could significantly bias numerous studies. The inaccuracy also hinders global efforts like the "Global Applications of Soil Erosion Modelling Tracker (GASEMT)" to synthesize soil erosion studies worldwide to shed light on the global problem of soil erosion and to promote environmental education. Consequently, the primary objective of this paper is to contribute to the recognition of the use of incorrect R equations, thereby reducing or even preventing their further spread and thus limiting the number of studies publishing biased results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the traditional neural sensing microstructure, the limited metal line pitch and the metal layer numbers restrict the neural signal routing ability from electrodes to circuit chips. Miniature packaging and excessive noise interference bottlenecks are some of the challenges faced by the electrodes and circuit chips integration with traditional wire bonding. This paper proposes a 2.5-D heterogeneous integration neural sensing microsystem based on the silicon substrate to overcome these issues. With standard semiconductor and 3-D integration processes, high-channel-density (256 channels at 25 mm2) neural sensing microsystem is achieved. Through silicon via provides the shortest vertical interconnection and dramatically minimizes the packaging. Furthermore, the interposer can carry multiple chips to enhance the function of the biosensor. Electrical characteristics and reliability examinations reveal its high quality and great performance as compared to traditional approaches. This novel highly integrated neural sensing microsystem is expected to contribute to the biomedical field for exploring and solving unknown biological mysteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To persue sustainable developments, poly (N -vinylformamide) (PNVF) is investigated as a green, bio-derived and water-soluble binder for Li 4 Ti 5 O 12 (LTO) anode in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Electrochemical performance differences between PNVF electrodes and the conventional polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) electrodes are presented. The electrodes are characterized by peeling test, the galvanostatic charge/discharge cycle test, electrochemical impedance analysis (EIS), cyclic voltammetry (CV) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The electrode with 3 wt% PNVF shows higher peeling force than the one with 10 wt% PVDF. The electrodes with 3 wt% PNVF and 10 wt% PVDF exhibit similar rate capability, whereas the capacity retention at 1C-rate is 91.2% (144 mAh/g) and 76.1% (123 mAh/g) after 1000 cycles, respectively. EIS and CV results exhibit that the lithium-titanium oxide (LTO) electrode with optimal PNVF binder (3 wt%) shows lower R SEI and R ct values as compared to that with PVDF counterpart and optimal PNVF electrode exhibits high lithium-ion diffusion coefficient. To enhance the cyclability and high-rate performance, vinylene carbonate (VC) is added as an electrolyte additive afterwards, and the results improve accordingly. Therefore, the results present in this paper demonstrated that PNVF is a potential aqueous binder for LTO anode within green fabrication. [Display omitted] • PNVF is a green, bio-derived and water-soluble binder for lithium-ion batteries. • PNVF electrodes show comparable specific capacity and higher capacity retention. • These improved results are attributed to its polar side chain and better adhesion. • The electrode and SEI formed with PNVF binder is more stable than PVDF binder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We were intrigued by the soil erosion modeling conducted by Shi et al. (2021) on post-mining areas in China. However, we discovered that the authors employed an incorrect empirical equation to calculate the rainfall erosivity factor, which resulted in a severe underestimation of the true rate of soil erosion. We presented our findings and discussed a possible source for the true equation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] The first report of soluble bacterially expressed aragonite-associated protein. [•] MALDI-TOF detects more than one Ca2+ binding sites present within AP7. [•] CD suggests the recombinant AP7 is partially unstructured at neutral pH. [•] CaCO3 crystallization assay suggest AP7 can inhibit the crystal growth of calcite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Three similar rainfall erosivity factor equations from three different research are compared and contrasted. • All three equations cannot be found in the cited references. • A likely source of the correct rainfall erosivity equation is identified. Three similar equations of the rainfall erosivity factor from three separate studies published in Catena in 2021 and 2020 were compared and contrasted. All three studies appear to have cited the equations incorrectly because none of the equations can be found in the supporting references. This could have profound implications for the correctness of the results reported by the three studies and the interpretation of their findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Gender differences in alcohol use have narrowed in Western societies, but that in Asia has been less investigated. By comparing the 2014 and 2018 waves of the national survey in Taiwan, we aimed to examine the gender differences in population trends in past-month alcohol use, binge drinking, and harmful alcohol use.Methods: The national survey enrolled 17,837 participants in 2014 and 18,626 participants in 2018. Binge drinking was defined as having ≥5 drinks on one occasion in the past month, and harmful alcohol use as having an Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test score of ≥8.Results: There were significant decreases from 2014 to 2018 in the population's prevalence of past-month alcohol use, binge drinking, and harmful alcohol use. However, males and females had different trends: males showed significant reductions in all three alcohol use behaviours (a decrease of 3.79%, 1.59%, and 2.60%, respectively), while females exhibited a significant rise in harmful alcohol use (from 1.32% to 1.72%), particularly among those aged 18-29 years.Conclusion: There was gender convergence in alcohol use in Taiwan, mainly due to men's decrease and women's increase in harmful alcohol use. Our findings have important implications for the intervention and prevention of the problematic use of alcohol in East Asia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phase transformation between calcite and aragonite isan importantissue in biomineralization. To shed more light on the mechanism ofthis process at the molecular level, we employ solid-state 43Ca NMR to study the phase transformation from calcite to aragoniteas regulated by magnesium ions, with 43Ca enrichment ata level of 6%. Using the gas diffusion approach, the phase of Mg-calciteis formed initially and the system subsequently transforms to aragoniteas the reaction time proceeds. Our 43Ca solid-state NMRdata support the dissolution-recrystallization mechanism for the calciteto aragonite transition. We find that the 43Ca NMR parametersof Mg-calcite are very similar to those of pure calcite. Under thehigh-resolution condition provided by magic-angle spinning at 4 kHz,we can monitor the variation of the 43Ca NMR parametersof the aragonite signals for the samples obtained at different reactiontimes. Our data suggest that in the presence of a significant amountof Mg2+ions, aragonite is the most stable polymorph ofcalcium carbonate. The initial precipitated crystallites of aragonitehave spine-like morphology, for which the 43Ca spin–latticerelaxation data indicate that the ions in the lattice have considerablemotional dynamics. As the crystallinity of aragonite improves further,the 43Ca T1parameter of thearagonite phase changes considerably and becomes very similar to thatobtained for pure aragonite. For the first time, the difference incrystal morphologies and crystallinity of the aragonite phase hasbeen traced down to the subtle difference in the motional dynamicsat the molecular level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid advance of semiconductor technology exposes multifrequency designs to severe reliability loss due to incomplete at-speed testing, which is induced by ignorance of timing-related defects between clocks. However, the reduced testability caused by core-based design strategy also aggravates the difficulty in applying on-chip at-speed testing. Although previous works were able to successfully increase the quality of the at-speed testing, the diversity of on-chip clock control schemes from different components may complicate the test integration, increasing the test costs. Therefore, to accelerate the time-to-market and the time-to-volume, the development of a plug-and-play at-speed testing based on a well-defined test interface has become increasingly urgent. In this paper, a fast test integration approach for multi-clock-domain at-speed testing based on IEEE Standard 1500 is proposed. The proposed framework has been successfully integrated into an IEEE 1500-wrapped ultrawide-band design and a simple SoC design. Experiment results also confirm the feasibility of the proposed approach. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Abstract: Research in obtaining the darkest shade of black color on the aluminum surface is challenging but worthwhile. The process starts with forming an anodic film on aluminum, then obtaining the darkest shade of black color using an electrolytic method. The coloring impact factors such as electrolyte concentration, bath temperature, voltage, and time duration were all investigated in the research. The conditions to obtain the darkest shade of black coating with approximately 0.03 of minimum visible light reflectivity and 17.6 of minimum L-value include a mixed solution of 35g/L copper sulfate, 10g/L sulfuric acid and 2g/L sodium sulfate, at a temperature of 40°C with a voltage of 30V and a duration of 50min. The research has found that the bath temperature is the most important coloring factor. The film has a stronger anti-corrosion ability when colored at a low bath temperature. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) caused a global pandemic in 2019—coronavirus disease (COVID-19). More and more Western medicine (WM) and Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) treatments have been used to treat COVID-19 patients, especially among Asian populations. However, the interactions between WM and CHM have not been studied. This study aims at using the network pharmacology approach to explore the potential complementary effects among commonly used CHM and WM in a clinical setting from a biomolecular perspective. Three well-published and widely used CHM formulas (National Research Institute of Chinese Medicine 101 (NRICM101), Qing-Fei-Pai-Du-Tang (QFPDT), Hua-Shi-Bai-Du-Formula (HSBDF)) and six categories of WM (Dexamethasone, Janus kinase inhibitors (JAKi), Anti-Interleukin-6 (Anti-IL6), anticoagulants, non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOAC), and Aspirin) were included in the network pharmacology analysis. The target proteins on which these CHM and WM had direct effects were acquired from the STITCH database, and the potential molecular pathways were found in the REACTOME database. The COVID-19-related target proteins were obtained from the TTD database. For the three CHM formulas, QFPDT covered the most proteins (714), and 27 of them were COVID-19-related, while HSBDF and NRICM101 covered 624 (24 COVID-19-related) and 568 (25 COVID-19-related) proteins, respectively. On the other hand, WM covered COVID-19-related proteins more precisely and seemed different from CHM. The network pharmacology showed CHM formulas affected several inflammation-related proteins for COVID-19, including IL-10, TNF-α, IL-6, TLR3, and IL-8, in which Dexamethasone and Aspirin covered only IL-10 and TNF-α. JAK and IL-6 receptors were only inhibited by WM. The molecular pathways covered by CHM and WM also seemed mutually exclusive. WM had advantages in cytokine signaling, while CHM had an add-on effect on innate and adaptive immunity, including neutrophil regulation. WM and CHM could be used together to strengthen the anti-inflammation effects for COVID-19 from different pathways, and the combination of WM and CHM may achieve more promising results. These findings warrant further clinical studies about CHM and WM use for COVID-19 and other diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein we propose a new "three-step" model of synthesizing graphite encapsulated nickel nanoparticles (Ni-GEM), including the pyrolysis reaction of organic compounds which the conventional two-step model ignores. According to the results of XRD, Raman, and TEM, we found that the Ni-GEM synthesized by using both PF resin and benzene vapor as the carbon sources has two favorable characteristics: thicker shells (~5–10 nm) and smaller particle sizes (~30 nm), which are much better than those using only PF resin or PF resin mixed with cyclohexane vapor (thinner shell less than 5 nm and larger particle sizes ~50 nm). Benzene decomposes into large aromatic molecules and tiny graphitic flakes at 1200–3500K, while cyclohexane prefers to decompose and form small hydrocarbon molecules at 1000K. As a result, the two compounds go through two different reaction paths. Benzene will decompose and directly attach onto the surface of Ni nanoparticles, forming smaller sized but thicker shell structured Ni-GEM, while cyclohexane will lead to the formation of amorphous carbon coating on the Ni-GEM. By including the above two distinct hydrocarbon pyrolysis reactions, this study modifies the conventional model and successfully explains the formation processes of Ni-GEM with very different morphologies. Furthermore, the new model may help in controlling the morphologies of other GEM nanoparticles with a number of core-metals. Unlabelled Image • The new "three-step" mechanism model of synthesizing GEM nanoparticles in the arc-discharge system is presented. • Using benzene and cyclohexane vapors as the carbon source show different type of outer shell structure. • The synthesis process using PF resin with organic compound vapors are more efficient than the conventional method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study proposed a SU-8 based gas sensor, integrated with heater and sensing electrodes, to develop a multi-channel gas sensor with PEG/SWCNTs composite films. The impedance of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) on each sensing electrode was well controlled via dielectrophoresis technology. To investigate dielectrophoretic mobility characteristics, the concentric circular sensing electrode has three different spacing between the inner and outer electrodes, including 10 μm, 15 μm, and 20 μm. The electrodes were applied with a 5 MHz AC source with a voltage ranging from 1 Vpp to 5 Vpp. Polyethylene glycol (PEG) was deposited on the gas sensor via drop casting. The fabricated gas sensor was operated at different working temperatures, including 25 °C, 40 °C, 50 °C and 60 °C, to examine the sensing response. The response results revealed that the PEG/SWCNTs composites gas sensor with 60 °C working temperature exhibited the ability to detect 80 ppm ethanol vapor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of an electronic lab notebook (ELN) for researchers working in the field of chemical sciences is presented. The web based application is available as an Open Source software that offers modern solutions for chemical researchers. The Chemotion ELN is equipped with the basic functionalities necessary for the acquisition and processing of chemical data, in particular the work with molecular structures and calculations based on molecular properties. The ELN supports planning, description, storage, and management for the routine work of organic chemists. It also provides tools for communicating and sharing the recorded research data among colleagues. Meeting the requirements of a state of the art research infrastructure, the ELN allows the search for molecules and reactions not only within the user's data but also in conventional external sources as provided by SciFinder and PubChem. The presented development makes allowance for the growing dependency of scientific activity on the availability of digital information by providing Open Source instruments to record and reuse research data. The current version of the ELN has been using for over half of a year in our chemistry research group, serves as a common infrastructure for chemistry research and enables chemistry researchers to build their own databases of digital information as a prerequisite for the detailed, systematic investigation and evaluation of chemical reactions and mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and alcohol-related diseases (ARDs), including alcohol use disorder, alcohol-related psychiatric disorders, alcoholic liver disease, alcoholic polyneuropathy alcoholic cardiomyopathy, and alcoholic gastritis, are both highly prevalent conditions. Alcohol consumption is associated with a higher risk of sleep apnea. However, whether OSA increases the risk of ARD has not, as yet, been studied comprehensively. Our study aimed to determine whether OSA increases the subsequent risk of ARD.Methods: This study utilized the data from Taiwan's National Health Insurance Database between 2000 and 2015. We identified 7722 individuals newly diagnosed with OSA and randomly selected sex-, age-, and index date-matched (1:3) 22,166 controls without OSA, with a total of 29,888 subjects. We used the Fine and Gray's survival analysis to estimate the effects of OSA on ARD.Results: The OSA cohort had an adjusted hazard ratio of subsequent ARDs as 1.486 (95% Confidence Interval: 1.301-1.698), when comparing the cohort without OSA. The Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that the cumulative incidence of ARDs was significantly higher in the OSA cohort than in the controls in the first year of follow-up, till the end of the follow-up. A post-hoc analysis showed that OSA was associated with alcohol use disorder, alcohol-related psychiatric disorders, and alcoholic liver disease, but not alcoholic polyneuropathy, alcoholic cardiomyopathy, and alcoholic gastritis. The use of psychoactive medication, including the sedative-hypnotics, antidepressants or antipsychotics were associated with a lower risk of ARDs.Conclusions: Our study demonstrates that the OSA patients are at a higher risk of developing ARDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Cropland ESs are quantified through the field-data and InVEST modelling approaches. • Biophysical attributes and monetary values based on SEEA-EA for ESs are determined. • Soil carbon storage services contribute the significant portion among cropland ESs. • The field-data approach reveals higher ESs compared to the modelling approach. • ESs results indicate the importance of cropland and sustainable soil management. Ecosystem services, such as crop provision, carbon storage, water retention, and nutrient retention, are crucial for sustainable agriculture and local participation. Assessing and mapping these services is crucial for promoting sustainable agriculture and ensuring the active involvement of local communities. However, accurately estimating the values of agricultural ecosystem services is challenging due to the lack of accurate data and an effective economic decision-making system. To address these issues, this study combines field data and modeling approaches to quantify the physical and monetary values of cropland ecosystem services in Yunlin County, Taiwan. The results indicated that the service of crop provision (rice) ranges from 7.96 to 9.70 tonnes ha−1 yr−1, valued at approximately US$7,710 to US$10,650 ha−1 yr−1. The service of soil carbon storage exhibits a carbon stock ranging from 38.2 to 51.9 tonnes of carbon ha−1 yr−1, valued at approximately US$13,150 to US$17,890 ha−1 yr−1. Water retention services retain around 5,380 m3 ha−1 yr−1, valued at approximately US$5,530 ha−1 yr−1. Nutrient retention services retain 1.65 kg ha−1 yr−1 of phosphorus and 30.5 kg ha−1 yr−1 of nitrogen per year, valued at approximately US$60 ha−1 yr−1. We also found that employing the field data approach unveils a higher total ecosystem service value of US$34,105 per hectare per year, which is 28.5 % greater than the value derived from the modeling approach. The results provide insights into enhancing local participation in sustainable soil and agricultural resource management. The quantification of physical and monetary values of ecosystem services can support informed decision-making and promote local participation in sustainable soil and agricultural resource management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we focus on preparation of nano-suspension of organic pigment for different milling method to discuss optimum formula, milling effect, particle characterizations (particle size, sedimentation velocity and stability) by analytical centrifugation system. Due to the variation of centrifugal force, time scales and space variations occur in the suspension such that during the migration of particles, the light transmission, and the vanishing coordinates are plotted on a profile. Therefore, objective of the article was evaluated to predict the particle characterizations between the particle distribution state and long-term stability as accelerated test during centrifugation. Besides, we were also used to observe nano-suspension of organic pigment the mean size, aggregation phenomena and dispersibility of the pigment particles by SEM and TEM. Additionally, we applied to manufacture the LCD-based blue filter and discussed performance of the blue filer by transmission of UV light, color evolution and adhesion ability assessments in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chemotion, ein Repositorium für Forschungsdaten aus der Chemie, das praktikable Lösungen für die aktuellen Herausforderungen zur Speicherung von Forschungsdaten bietet, wird vorgestellt. Es ermöglicht die Erhaltung domänenspezifischer Informationen in einem maschinenlesbaren Format. Seine umfassende Funktionalität bietet Optionen zur Sammlung, Aufbereitung und Wiederverwendung von Daten mit disziplinspezifischen Methoden und Datenverarbeitungswerkzeugen. Um die Kuration der Daten zu erleichtern, wurden für ausgewählte analytische Daten automatisierte Verfahren zu deren Prüfung implementiert. Chemotion bietet Funktionen für einen einfachen Datenveröffentlichungsprozess, einschließlich automatisierter DOI‐Generierung, Peer‐Review‐Workflows für die Begutachtung der Einreichungen und das Setzen von Embargo‐Zeiten. Die beschriebenen Entwicklungen wurden genutzt, um eine Forschungsdateninfrastruktur zum Aufbau einer neuen Forschungsdateninfrastruktur für ein neues, gemeinschaftsgetriebenes Repositorium als umfassende Alternative zu kommerziellen Datenbanken aufzubauen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphite encapsulated metal (GEM) nanoparticles are a core-shell nanostructure material with an inner nanocrystalline metal core and outer protective shells of turbostratic graphite, which can protect the inner particles in a severe environment. Using ethanol in an arc-discharge process, we had earlier successfully synthesized Co-GEM and Ni-GEM nanoparticles with much higher yield and encapsulation efficiency. In this more detailed study, we use five liquid organic compounds: cyclohexane, benzene, and three alcohols, i.e., ethanol, n-propanol, and 2-propanol, to facilitate the synthesis of GEM. The preliminary results show that all five liquids, with increasing carbon content, yield increasing encapsulation efficiency until reaching a maximum value of about 75%. While the particle sizes show a less obvious relationship, only that of the three alcohols have an opposite trend to the carbon content. Preliminary results show it is possible to control the average sizes of Co-GEM by using different alcohol mixtures. This study sheds light on the inexpensive mass production of GEM and future practical applications. The complicated formation mechanism of GEM with the new liquid carbon source, however, remains unclear. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examined the mineralization performance of a nacre protein, AP7, within seawater mineralization assays that form aragonite and magnesium calcite. Under these conditions AP7 forms hydrogel particles that vary in size and complexity depending upon ionic conditions. These hydrogels “hijack” the mineralization process by limiting nucleation in bulk solution and promoting nucleation within the hydrogels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: There is compelling evidence for an association between structural brain deformities and psychiatric disorders. We report the case of an adolescent boy who was diagnosed with both attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and Tourette''s syndrome. A full-blown manic episode occurred when he was 13 years old. During his admission to a psychiatric ward, closed-lip schizencephaly in the left frontal lobe and the right parietal lobe was identified through brain imaging. Effective control of his manic symptoms was achieved with quetiapine monotherapy within 3 weeks. This case report implies that the pathophysiology of psychiatric disorders, especially in young patients with multiple comorbid conditions, may be associated with abnormalities in the anatomical and functional development of the brain. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: The intimal flap of aortic dissection may extend to the abdominal branches and probably lead to malperfusion syndrome. Renal malperfusion and renal atrophy are significantly related to patient outcomes. Purpose: To study the extent of the intimal flap and predisposing factors for renal atrophy in patients with aortic dissection. Material and Methods: From January 2001 to June 2008, 176 (137 men, aged 21-86 years, mean 51.9 years) of 225 subjects with aortic dissection and computed tomography (CT) met the inclusion criteria for this study. Of these 176 patients, 35 (19.9%) developed unilateral renal atrophy. A review of the CT was conducted to classify aortic branch vessel perfusion into three types: type 1, in which the branch vessels are perfused exclusively from the true lumen; type 2, in which the branches are perfused from both the true and false lumens; and type 3, in which the branches are perfused exclusively from the false lumen. Variables including age, gender, type of aortic dissection, type of perfusion of the abdominal branches, and the presence of thrombi in the false lumen were analyzed to determine whether these factors were related to the left or right side and global or focal renal atrophy. Results: Of 880 abdominal branches in 176 patients, 622 (70.7%) were classed as perfusion type 1, 50 (5.7%) as type 2, and 208 (23.6%) as type 3. Type 3 perfusion was most commonly observed in the left renal artery, at a frequency of 31.7% (66/208). Partial thrombosis in the false lumen above the level of the renal arteries was seen in 68.8% of patients; such thrombi and type 3 perfusion of the renal artery were significantly related to renal atrophy. The laterality (left or right) and extent (global or focal) of renal atrophy were not related to age, gender, type of aortic dissection, or perfusion type. Conclusion: Type 3 perfusion is most frequent in the left renal artery, and such perfusion and partial thrombi in the false lumen above the renal arteries are significantly related to the development of renal atrophy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The InGaN-based light-emitting diodes (LEDs) with a roughened patterned backside on the N-face GaN surface were fabricated through a crystallographic etching process to increase light-extraction efficiency. After laser decomposition, laser scribing, and a lateral crystallographic wet etching process at the GaN/Al2O3 interface, stable crystallographic etching planes were formed as the GaN {1011} planes that included an angle with the top GaN (0001) plane measured at 58°. The GaN buffer layer acted as the sacrificial layer for the laser decomposition process and the lateral wet etching process with a 26 μm/min etching rate. The LED with the inverted pyramidal N-face GaN surface close to the GaN/Al2O3 interface has a larger light-scattering process than the conventional LED. The light-output power of the LED with the backside roughened surface had a 47% enhancement when measured in LED chip form. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]