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The surging demand for sustainable energy has spurred intensive research into electrochemical conversion devices such as fuel cells, water splitting, and metal‐air batteries. The performance of oxygen electrocatalysts significantly impacts overall electrochemical efficiency. Recently, spinel oxides (AB2O4) have emerged as promising candidates; however, the scarcity of prior studies underscores the need for a thorough and comprehensive exploration. This study presents a computational framework that integrates machine learning and density functional theory (DFT) calculations for the systematic screening of 1240 spinel oxides. The data scarcity is addressed while enhancing prediction accuracy. Selected candidates are identified to outperform the benchmarking perovskite oxide. Additionally, their potential as mixed ionic and electronic conductors with a 3D network of ion diffusion pathways is highlighted. To further enhance the understanding and prediction of stability, catalytic activity, and reaction mechanisms, a new undemanding descriptor is introduced: the covalency indicator. This study offers a design principle for the development of high‐performance spinel oxide oxygen electrocatalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Purpose: Mitochondrial dysfunction contributes to the pathogenesis and maintenance of chemotherapy‐induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN), a significant limitation of cancer chemotherapy. Recently, the stimulation of mitophagy, a pivotal process for mitochondrial homeostasis, has emerged as a promising treatment strategy for neurodegenerative diseases, but its therapeutic effect on CIPN has not been explored. Here, we assessed the mitophagy‐inducing activity of 3,5‐dibromo‐2‐(2′,4′‐dibromophenoxy)‐phenol (PDE701), a diphenyl ether derivative isolated from the marine sponge Dysidea sp., and investigated its therapeutic effect on a CIPN model. Experimental Approach: Mitophagy activity was determined by a previously established mitophagy assay using mitochondrial Keima (mt‐Keima). Mitophagy induction was further verified by western blotting, immunofluorescence, and electron microscopy. Mitochondrial dysfunction was analysed by measuring mitochondrial superoxide levels in SH‐SY5Y cells and Drosophila larvae. A thermal nociception assay was used to evaluate the therapeutic effect of PDE701 on the paclitaxel‐induced thermal hyperalgesia phenotype in Drosophila larvae. Key Results: PDE701 specifically induced mitophagy but was not toxic to mitochondria. PDE701 ameliorated paclitaxel‐induced mitochondrial dysfunction in both SH‐SY5Y cells and Drosophila larvae. Importantly, PDE701 also significantly ameliorated paclitaxel‐induced thermal hyperalgesia in Drosophila larvae. Knockdown of ATG5 or ATG7 abolished the effect of PDE701 on thermal hyperalgesia, suggesting that PDE701 exerts its therapeutic effect through mitophagy induction. Conclusion and Implications: This study identified PDE701 as a novel mitophagy inducer and a potential therapeutic compound for CIPN. Our results suggest that mitophagy stimulation is a promising strategy for the treatment of CIPN and that marine organisms are a potential source of mitophagy‐inducing compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A fully biodegradable, ultra‐sensitive, and soft strain sensor is pivotal for temporary, real‐time monitoring of microdeformations, crucial in disease diagnosis, surgical precision, and prognosis of muscular, and vascular conditions. Nevertheless, the strain sensitivity of previous biodegradable sensors, denoted by gauge factor (GF) up to ≈100, falls short of requirements for complex biomedical monitoring scenarios, specifically monitoring cardio‐cerebrovascular diseases with microscale variations in vascular surface strain. Here, a fully biodegradable, ultra‐sensitive crack‐based flexible strain sensor is introduced achieving GF of 1355 at 1.5% strain through integration of molybdenum (Mo) film, molybdenum trioxide (MoO3) adhesion layer, and polycaprolactone (PCL) substrate. Analysis of crack morphology of biodegradable thin‐film metals, including Mo, tungsten (W), and magnesium (Mg), reveals material‐dependent sensitivity and repeatability of crack‐based strain sensors. The effect of the adhesion layer and polymer substrate is also investigated. Overall morphological studies on the sensor present a comprehensive understanding of metal film cracking behavior and corresponding performance characterization, showing significant potential for highly sensitive sensors. A hybrid membrane composed of candelilla wax (Cw), beeswax (Bw), and polybutylene adipate‐co‐terephthalate (PBAT) is introduced to provide hydrophobic, yet flexible encapsulation. In vivo, short‐term (≈3 days) monitoring of vascular pulsatility underscores the potential of the sensing tool for rapid, accurate, and temporal disease diagnosis and treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sodium superionic conductor (NASICON)‐type cathode materials are considered promising candidates for high‐performance sodium‐ion batteries (SIBs) because of the abundance and low cost of raw materials. However, NASICON‐type cathodes suffer from low capacities. This limitation can be addressed through the activation of sodium‐excess phases, which can enhance capacities up to theoretical values. Thus, this paper proposes the use of transition metal (TM)‐substituted Na3V2(PO4)2F3 (NVPF) to induce sodium‐excess phases. To identify suitable doping elements, an inverse design approach is developed, combining machine learning prediction and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Graph‐based neural networks are used to predict two crucial properties, i. e., the structural stability and voltage level. Results indicate that the use of TM‐substituted NVPF materials leads to about 150 % capacity enhancement with reduced time and resource requirements compared with the direct design approach. Furthermore, DFT calculations confirm improvements in cyclability, electronic conductivity, and chemical stability. The proposed approach is expected to accelerate the discovery of superior materials for battery electrodes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Injection of polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid (poly(I:C)) into experimental animals induces neuroimmunological responses and thus has been used for the study of neurological disorders such as anxiety, depression, and chronic fatigue. Here, we investigated the effects of vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) on poly(I:C)-induced neuroinflammation and associated behavioral consequences in rats. The microglia in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) displayed the activated form of morphology in poly(I:C)-injected rats and changed to a normal shape after acute VNS (aVNS). Production of phospho-NF-κB, phospho-IκB, IL-1β, and cleaved caspase 3 was elevated by poly(I:C) and downregulated by aVNS. In contrast, phospho-Akt levels were decreased by poly(I:C) and increased by aVNS. Neuronal production of fractalkine (CX3CL1) in the PFC was markedly reduced by poly(I:C), but recovered by aVNS. Fractalkine interaction with its receptor CX3CR1 was highly elevated by VNS. We further demonstrated that the pharmacological blockade of CX3CR1 activity counteracted the production of IL-1β, phospho-Akt, and cleaved form of caspase 3 that was modulated by VNS, suggesting the anti-inflammatory effects of fractalkine-CX3CR1 signaling as a mediator of neuron-microglia interaction. Behavioral assessments of pain and temperature sensations by von Frey and hot/cold plate tests showed significant improvement by chronic VNS (cVNS) and forced swimming and marble burying tests revealed that the depressive-like behaviors caused by poly(I:C) injection were rescued by cVNS. We also found that the recognition memory which was impaired by poly(I:C) administration was improved by cVNS. This study suggests that VNS may play a role in regulating neuroinflammation and somatosensory and cognitive functions in poly(I:C)-injected animals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Active surveillance (AS) is the preferred option for patients presenting with low-intermediate-risk prostate cancer. MRI now plays a crucial role for baseline assessment and ongoing monitoring of AS. The Prostate Cancer Radiological Estimation of Change in Sequential Evaluation (PRECISE) recommendations aid radiological assessment of progression; however, current guidelines do not advise on MRI protocols nor on frequency. Biparametric (bp) imaging without contrast administration offers advantages such as reduced costs and increased throughput, with similar outcomes to multiparametric (mp) MRI shown in the biopsy naïve setting. In AS follow-up, the paradigm shifts from MRI lesion detection to assessment of progression, and patients have the further safety net of continuing clinical surveillance. As such, bpMRI may be appropriate in clinically stable patients on routine AS follow-up pathways; however, there is currently limited published evidence for this approach. It should be noted that mpMRI may be mandated in certain patients and potentially offers additional advantages, including improving image quality, new lesion detection, and staging accuracy. Recently developed AI solutions have enabled higher quality and faster scanning protocols, which may help mitigate against disadvantages of bpMRI. In this article, we explore the current role of MRI in AS and address the need for contrast-enhanced sequences. Clinical relevance statement: Active surveillance is the preferred plan for patients with lower-risk prostate cancer, and MRI plays a crucial role in patient selection and monitoring; however, current guidelines do not currently recommend how or when to perform MRI in follow-up. Key Points: Noncontrast biparametric MRI has reduced costs and increased throughput and may be appropriate for monitoring stable patients. Multiparametric MRI may be mandated in certain patients, and contrast potentially offers additional advantages. AI solutions enable higher quality, faster scanning protocols, and could mitigate the disadvantages of biparametric imaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a microstructure reconstruction framework with denoising diffusion models for the first time. The novelty and strength of the proposed model lie in its universality and generality for the microstructure characterization and reconstruction (MCR) that can be applied to various types of composite materials. The applicability of the diffusion-based models is validated with several types of microstructures (e.g., polycrystalline alloy, carbonate, ceramics, copolymer, fiber composite, etc.) that have different morphological characteristics. Moreover, an implicit probabilistic model (which yields non-Markovian diffusion processes) is formulated to accelerate the sampling process, thereby controlling the computational cost considering the practicability and reliability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the development of a deep learning approach for distinguishing cardiomegaly in chest X-ray images and its validation process are presented. Typically, radiologists diagnose cardiomegaly by examining X-ray images. However, their interpretations can vary owing to subjective judgments, and mild cardiomegaly can be missed. For this reason, there is ongoing research into the use of AI-based deep learning algorithms as an adjunct to X-ray interpretation. In this study, radiologists collected 10,000 public images, from which 718 useful images were selected to create a dataset. A DenseNet121 algorithm was then used to develop an AI model for cardiomegaly detection. The results demonstrate an accuracy of 0.95, a recall of 0.91, and an F1 score of 0.94. Additional validation was performed to ensure the accuracy of the cardiomegaly detection model. The validation methods included saliency maps and guided backpropagation, which indicated the significance of the model. In conclusion, this study demonstrates the potential to develop a high-quality AI model with fewer data than previous studies, suggesting its applicability in the medical field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study validates the attributes of the mineral carbonation process employing circulating fluidized bed combustion (CFBC) ash, which is generated from thermal power plants, as a medium for carbon storage. Furthermore, an examination was conducted on the properties of construction materials produced through the recycling of carbonated circulating fluidized bed combustion (CFBC) ash. The carbonation characteristics of circulating fluidized bed combustion (CFBC) ash were investigated by analyzing the impact of CO2 flow rate and solid content. Experiments were conducted to investigate the use of it as a concrete admixture by replacing cement at varying percentages ranging from 0% to 20% by weight. The stability and setting time were subsequently measured. To produce foam concrete, specimens were fabricated by substituting 0 to 30 wt% of the cement. Characteristics of the unhardened slurry, such as density, flow, and settlement depth, were measured, while characteristics after hardening, including density, compressive strength, and thermal conductivity, were also assessed. The findings of our research study validated that the carbonation rate of CFBC ash in the slurry exhibited distinct characteristics compared to the reaction in the solid–gas system. Manufactured carbonated circulating fluidized bed combustion (CFBC) ash, when used as a recycled concrete mixture, improved the initial strength of cement mortar by 5 to 12% based on the 7-day strength. In addition, it replaced 25 wt% of cement in the production of foam concrete, showing a density of 0.58 g/cm3, and the 28-day strength was 2.1 MPa, meeting the density standard of 0.6 grade foam concrete. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas L.) is susceptible to infection by the root knot nematode (RKN) Meloidogyne incognita, which results in significant reductions in the yield of this important tuber crop worldwide. Previously, transcriptome analysis revealed differential gene expression between the roots of RKN-susceptible and -resistant sweetpotato cultivars after RKN infection, raising the possibility of identifying the genes involved in protection against RKN infection. A number of trait-specific and/or response-specific genes were also identified, including RKN infection-responsive aquaporin protein encoded by the nodulin-26-like intrinsic protein (NIP) gene. Therefore, in this study, we investigated the role of NIP genes in the defense response to RKN infection in susceptible and resistant sweetpotato cultivars. A comparison of the nucleotide sequences of sweetpotato with those of its closely related species, morning glory, revealed a group of NIP genes that could be categorized into four different ortholog groups. These four groups contained several unique genes that showed changes in expression in sweetpotato roots after RKN infection. These results indicate that NIP genes could have a potential role in protecting sweetpotato roots from RKN infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Virtual reality offers ordinary users the ability to observe and interact with various abstract or concrete objects visualized in a three-dimensional space from different angles. Users can manipulate, transform, or reconstruct these objects similarly to how they might in a real environment. Manipulating objects in virtual reality is not as effortless as in the real world, due to the lack of sensory feedback and limited input freedom. However, it also offers new advantages that the real world cannot provide, such as the ability to easily select and control remote objects and the support of various auxiliary user interfaces. In particular, when it is necessary to alternately manipulate objects of various sizes, scaling the user's avatar symmetrically allows for more effective manipulation than in the real world. However, manual scaling interfaces can be cumbersome and may induce dizziness. This study proposes an interaction technique that allows users to conveniently manipulate objects of various sizes without manual scale adjustment, by automatically and instantly adjusting the scale factor according to the size of the selected object and its adjacent objects. To compensate for the change in scale, we also implement a position correction mechanism that adjusts the user's position in the virtual environment. Preliminary experiments with a small group of participants confirmed that automatic scale adjustment produces significant effects. Based on the feedback from these experiments, a more refined distance calculation method and the timing for scale adjustment were derived. In the main experiment with 14 participants, it was confirmed that the automatic scale adjustment method proposed in this study led to higher accuracy and lower discomfort in task completion compared to the conventional manual scale adjustment method. We expect that the results of this study will effectively contribute to the creation of virtual reality content that requires interaction with objects of various sizes in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: While significant research exists on gut microbiota changes after anti-tumor necrosis factor-alpha (anti TNF-α) therapy for ulcerative colitis, little is known about the longitudinal changes related to the effects of anti TNF-α. This study aimed to investigate the dynamics of gut microbiome changes during anti TNF-α (adalimumab) therapy in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC). Results: The microbiota composition was affected by the disease severity and extent in patients with UC. Regardless of clinical remission status at each time point, patients with UC exhibited microbial community distinctions from healthy controls. Distinct amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) differences were identified throughout the course of Adalimumab (ADA) treatment at each time point. A notable reduction in gut microbiome dissimilarity was observed only in remitters. Remitters demonstrated a decrease in the relative abundances of Burkholderia-Caballeronia-Paraburkholderia and Staphylococcus as the treatment progressed. Additionally, there was an observed increase in the relative abundances of Bifidobacterium and Dorea. Given the distribution of the 48 ASVs with high or low relative abundances in the pre-treatment samples according to clinical remission at week 8, a clinical remission at week 8 with a sensitivity and specificity of 72.4% and 84.3%, respectively, was predicted on the receiver operating characteristic curve (area under the curve, 0.851). Conclusions: The gut microbiota undergoes diverse changes according to the treatment response during ADA treatment. These changes provide insights into predicting treatment responses to ADA and offer new therapeutic targets for UC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Tofacitinib is an oral Janus kinase inhibitor for the treatment of ulcerative colitis (UC). We aimed to identify the safety and effectiveness of tofacitinib in patients with UC in routine clinical settings in Korea. Methods: This open-label, observational, prospective, post-marketing surveillance study was conducted at 22 hospitals in the Republic of Korea. Patients with moderate to severe active UC who received tofacitinib were included and followed up for up to 52 weeks. Tofacitinib was administered at a dosage of 10 mg twice daily for at least 8 weeks, followed by 5 or 10 mg twice daily at the investigator's discretion based on clinical evaluation according to the approved Korean label. Safety including adverse events (AEs) and effectiveness including clinical remission, clinical response, and endoscopic mucosal healing were evaluated. Safety analysis set was defined as all patients registered for this study who received at least one dose of tofacitinib according to the approved Korean label and followed up for safety data. Effectiveness analysis set included patients in the safety analysis set who were evaluated for overall effectiveness assessment and excluded patients who had received tofacitinib less than 8 weeks. Results: A total of 110 patients were enrolled, of whom 106 patients were included in the safety population. The median duration of treatment was 370 days and the treatment duration ranged from 16 to 684 days for the safety population. AEs occurred in 42 patients (39.6%). Serious AEs (SAEs) occurred in 7 patients (6.6%) and of them, there were 2 cases of serious infections. These serious infections were reported as Adverse Event of Special Interest (AESI) in this study and no other AESI were reported. There were no cases of death during the study period. Clinical remission rates were 40.0%, 46.7%, 57.6%, and 55.1% at 8, 16, 24, and 52 weeks, and clinical response rates were 77.8%, 87.9%, 56.6%, and 81.4% at each visit, respectively. Endoscopic mucosal healing rates were 58.7% at 16 weeks and 46.2% at 52 weeks. Conclusion: Tofacitinib was effective in Korean patients with moderate to severe active UC and the safety findings were consistent with the known safety profile of tofacitinib. Summary: This study confirmed the safety and effectiveness of tofacitinib in Korean patients with moderate to severe active UC in routine clinical settings. Trial registration: This study is registered in the ClinicalTrials.gov under the identifier NCT04071405, registered on 28 August 2019. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The commercialisation of virtual reality (VR) headsets has made them more affordable and popular in gaming and entertainment. The natural interaction between the VR environment and users can maximise immersion and is crucial to VR gaming. Despite their growing popularity, educational VR games prioritise learning over immersion and require users to learn to interact with and play games using tutorials. Herein, we developed a game named Numverse with an accompanying tutorial. After selecting the tutorial content, we programmed the user interface and proposed a delivery method for the tutorial. We evaluated the user experience based on the effects of the presence or absence of the tutorial and its mode of delivery. The tutorials were of three types: no tutorial, instruction-screen tutorial, and context-sensitive tutorial, with the latter being the most preferred. The evaluation results show that presence, ability to learn controls, intrinsic motivation, and learning effectiveness are higher for the instruction-screen and context-sensitive tutorials than for no tutorial. On average, users experienced more motion sickness in the no-tutorial case, with a significant difference in nausea items. This study asserts the importance of tutorials in VR games, and its findings could improve user experience in future VR games. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cardiovascular disease is a major global health concern, with early detection being critical. This study assesses the effectiveness of a portable ECG device, based on Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) technology, for remote cardiovascular monitoring during daily activities. We conducted a clinical trial involving 2000 participants who wore the HiCardi device while engaging in hiking activities. The device monitored their ECG, heart rate, respiration, and body temperature in real-time. If an abnormal signal was detected while a physician was remotely monitoring the ECG at the IoMT monitoring center, he notified the clinical research coordinator (CRC) at the empirical research site, and the CRC advised the participant to visit a hospital. Follow-up calls were made to determine compliance and outcomes. Of the 2000 participants, 318 showed abnormal signals, and 182 were advised to visit a hospital. The follow-up revealed that 139 (76.37%) responded, and 30 (21.58% of those who responded) sought further medical examination. Most visits (80.00%) occurred within one month. Diagnostic approaches included ECG (56.67%), ECG and ultrasound (20.00%), ultrasound alone (16.67%), ECG and X-ray (3.33%), and general treatment (3.33%). Seven participants (23.33% of those who visited) were diagnosed with cardiovascular disease, including conditions such as arrhythmia, atrial fibrillation, and stent requirements. The portable ECG device using the patch-type electrocardiograph detected abnormal cardiovascular signals, leading to timely diagnoses and interventions, demonstrating its potential for broad applications in preventative healthcare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extensive research has been conducted on mission autonomy for multiple aircraft and air mobility operations because of the increasing demand for developing manned-unmanned teaming. Besides a few studies, research focusing on real terrain environments and non-linear dynamics for multiple large unmanned aircraft operations for high-speed maneuvers remains lacking. This study proposes an integrated framework that includes mission planning for low-level flight control laws in 3D terrain environments with complex non-linear flight dynamics. A genetic algorithm with double chromosomes was used for task allocation, and a rapidly exploring random tree star with a line-of-sight path optimization method was used for fast and optimal path planning. Further, spline interpolation was applied to generate flyable paths and trajectory commands for control laws. A demonstration was performed based on non-linear flight dynamics with incremental backstepping-based trajectory tracking control laws. In addition to integrating these methods, a trajectory envelope was introduced to consider the effects of the complex non-linear dynamics. The integrated method predicts whether the given trajectory will be stable for the selected rotorcraft unmanned aerial vehicles by checking the trajectory before the flight and converting it to a continuous connection of the maneuver library using flight regime recognition. Based on this simulation, the proposed framework for multiple aircraft operations with 3D terrain and non-linear flight dynamics proves its capabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The human tongue has been long believed to be a window to provide important insights into a patient's health in medicine. The present study introduced a novel approach to predict patient age, gender, and weight inferences based on tongue images using pretrained deep convolutional neural networks (CNNs). Our results demonstrated that the deep CNN models (e.g., ResNeXt) trained on dorsal tongue images produced excellent results for age prediction with a Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.71 and a mean absolute error (MAE) of 8.5 years. We also obtained an excellent classification of gender, with a mean accuracy of 80% and an AUC (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve) of 88%. ResNeXt model also obtained a moderate level of accuracy for weight prediction, with a Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.39 and a MAE of 9.06 kg. These findings support our hypothesis that the human tongue contains crucial information about a patient. This study demonstrated the feasibility of using the pretrained deep CNNs along with a large tongue image dataset to develop computational models to predict patient medical conditions for noninvasive, convenient, and inexpensive patient health monitoring and diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let B n be the unit ball in C n and H n be the homogeneous Siegel domain of the second kind which is biholomorphic to B n . We show that the Kähler potential of H n is unique up to the automorphisms among Kähler potentials whose differentials have constant norms. As an application, we consider a domain Ω in C n , which is biholomorphic to B n . We show that if Ω is affine homogeneous, then it is affine equivalent to H n . Assume next that its canonical potential with respect to the Kähler–Einstein metric has a differential with a constant norm. If the biholomorphism between Ω and B n is a restriction of a Möbius transformation, then the map is affine equivalent to a Cayley transform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantifying the formation and decomposition of amyloid is a crucial issue in the development of new drugs and therapies for treating amyloidosis. The current technologies for grasping amyloid formation and decomposition include fluorescence analysis using thioflavin-T, secondary structure analysis using circular dichroism, and image analysis using atomic force microscopy or transmission electron microscopy. These technologies typically require spectroscopic devices or expensive nanoscale imaging equipment and involve lengthy analysis, which limits the rapid screening of amyloid-degrading drugs. In this study, we introduce a technology for rapidly assessing amyloid decomposition using capillary flow-based paper (CFP). Amyloid solutions exhibit gel-like physical properties due to insoluble denatured polymers, resulting in a shorter flow distance on CFP compared to pure water. Experimental conditions were established to consistently control the flow distance based on a hen-egg-white lysozyme amyloid solution. It was confirmed that as amyloid is decomposed by trypsin, the flow distance increases on the CFP. Our method is highly useful for detecting changes in the gel properties of amyloid solutions within a minute, and we anticipate its use in the rapid, large-scale screening of anti-amyloid agents in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Intellectual disability is often the outcome of neurodevelopmental disorders and is characterized by significant impairments in intellectual and adaptive functioning. X‐linked intellectual disability (XLID) is a subset of these disorders caused by genetic defects on the X chromosome, affecting about 2 out of 1,000 males. In syndromic form, it leads to a broad range of cognitive, behavioral, ocular, and physical disabilities. Methods: Employing exome or genome sequencing, here we identified 4 missense variants (c.475C > G; p.H159D, c.1373C > A; p.T458N, and c.1585G > A; p.E529K, c.953C > T; p.S318L) and a putative truncating variant (c.1413_1414del; p.Y471*) in the SRPK3 gene in 9 XLID patients from 5 unrelated families. To validate SRPK3 as a novel XLID gene, we established a knockout (KO) model of the SRPK3 orthologue in zebrafish. Results: The 8 patients ascertained postnatally shared common clinical features including intellectual disability, agenesis of the corpus callosum, abnormal eye movement, and ataxia. A ninth case, ascertained prenatally, had a complex structural brain phenotype. Together, these data indicate a pathological role of SRPK3 in neurodevelopmental disorders. In post‐fertilization day 5 larvae (free swimming stage), KO zebrafish exhibited severe deficits in eye movement and swim bladder inflation, mimicking uncontrolled ocular movement and physical clumsiness observed in human patients. In adult KO zebrafish, cerebellar agenesis and behavioral abnormalities were observed, recapitulating human phenotypes of cerebellar atrophy and intellectual disability. Interpretation: Overall, these results suggest a crucial role of SRPK3 in the pathogenesis of syndromic X‐linked intellectual disability and provide new insights into brain development, cognitive and ocular dysfunction in both humans and zebrafish. ANN NEUROL 2024;96:914–931 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three preregistered studies examined whether 5‐year‐old children cheat consistently or remain honest across multiple math tests. We observed high consistency in both honesty and cheating. All children who cheated on the first test continued cheating on subsequent tests, with shorter cheating latencies over time. In contrast, 77% of initially honest children maintained honesty despite repeated failure to complete the tests successfully. A brief integrity intervention helped initially honest children remain honest but failed to dissuade initially cheating children from cheating. These findings demonstrate that cheating emerges early and persists strongly in young children, underscoring the importance of early prevention efforts. They also suggest that bolstering honesty from the start may be more effective than attempting to remedy cheating after it has occurred. Research Highlights: Our research examines whether 5‐year‐old children, once they have started cheating, will continue to do so consistently.We also investigate whether 5‐year‐old children who are initially honest will continue to be honest subsequently.We discovered high consistency in both honesty and cheating among 5‐year‐old children.Almost all the children who initially cheated continued this behavior, while those who were honest stayed honest.A brief integrity‐boosting intervention successfully helped 5‐year‐old children maintain their honesty. However, the same intervention failed to deter cheaters from cheating again.These findings underscore the importance of implementing integrity intervention as early as possible, potentially before children have had their first experience of cheating. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Ropeginterferon alfa-2b is a novel mono-pegylated proline-interferon. This clinical study aimed to evaluate its antiviral efficacy of ropeginterferon alfa-2b against SARS-CoV-2 infection. Methods: This is a multicenter, randomized, open-label study. Adult patients with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection with initial cycle threshold (Ct) value < 30 and symptom onset within 4 days were enrolled. Eligible patients were randomized in a 2:1 ratio to receive a single 250-µg dose of ropeginterferon alfa-2b subcutaneously plus standard of care (SOC) or to receive SOC alone. The primary endpoint was the proportion of patients with a negative RT-PCR result for SARS-CoV-2 or discharged from the hospital before Day 8. Change in clinical status based on the World Health Organization (WHO) clinical progression scale and pulmonary infiltrations through chest radiograph were also evaluated. Results: A total of 132 patients were enrolled and treated with study medication. Higher percentages of patients who achieved Ct ≥ 30 or were discharged from the hospital were observed on Day 8 and every other time point of assessment, i.e., Days 5, 11, 15, and 22, in the ropeginterferon alfa-2b group compared to the SOC alone group. However, the difference was statistically significant on Day 11 but not on Day 8. The primary endpoint was not met. The ropeginterferon alfa-2b group showed a higher improvement rate in lung infiltration on Day 5 (27.6% vs. 0.0%, p = 0.0087) and a higher improvement rate in WHO clinical progression scores on Day 8 (69.4% vs. 35.3%, p = 0.03) than those in the SOC group. No ropeginterferon alfa-2b-related serious adverse event was observed. Conclusion: Our data show that ropeginterferon alfa-2b with SOC shortened the duration of SARS-CoV-2 shedding compared with SOC alone. In addition, ropeginterferon alfa-2b as an additional therapy could be beneficial by improving lung infiltration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brown algae are gaining traction as biorefinery feedstocks due to their advantages such as rapid growth and carbon dioxide sequestration. Saccharina japonica has high potential due to its high carbohydrate content, especially mannitol (26.7%). In this study, a biorefinery process for S. japonica was designed, with focusing on sugar conversion and bioconversion into lactic acid, a valuable platform chemical utilized in various industries. The existing sugar conversion process of S. japonica has been investigated by focusing on enzymatic or acid‐catalyzed hydrolysis, but not hot water extraction although mannitol can be easily recovered using water. The effect of temperature (60–120°C) on the mannitol yield from S. japonica was investigated, and a mannitol yield of 208 g/kg biomass was achieved at the optimal temperature of 100°C (about 78% of the theoretical maximum yield). This study emphasizes that this simple process has considerable potential for application as over 80% of the fermentable carbohydrates in S. japonica were mannitol. Then, S. japonica extract was applied to lactic acid production. First, lactic acid production of four bacterial strains was tested in a mannitol medium, and Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus was selected as the superior producer, showing 1.93 to 2.92 times better lactic acid titer than others. Next, the optimal feeding concentration of mannitol was determined to be 20 g/L, which was all consumed by L. rhamnosus. Finally, S. japonica extract was applied to lactic acid production by L. rhamnosus, and the results showed similar fermentation profiles with the control medium: lactic acid production, 18.81 g/L (control: 18.97 g/L); lactic acid conversion, 95.1% (control: 95.9%); cell growth (OD600 nm), 8.9 (control: 7.4). The lactic acid yield in the designed biorefinery process was estimated to be 195.6 g/kg biomass, thus S. japonica has high potential as a biorefinery feedstock to produce valuable bioproducts, including lactic acid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposed a fine dust detection system using time-interleaved counters in which surface acoustic wave (SAW) sensors changed the resonance point characteristic. When fine dust was applied to the SAW sensor, the resonance point decreased. The SAW oscillator made of the SAW sensor and radio frequency (RF) amplifier generated an oscillation frequency that was the same as the resonance frequency. The oscillation frequency was transferred to digital data by a 20-bit asynchronous counter. This system has two channels: a sensing channel and a reference channel. Each channel has a SAW oscillator and a 20-bit asynchronous counter. The difference of the two channel counter results is the frequency difference. Through this, it is possible to know whether fine dust adheres to the SAW sensor. The proposed circuit achieved 0.95 ppm frequency resolution when it was operated at a frequency of 460 MHz. This circuit was implemented in a TSMC 130 nm CMOS process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sea buckthorn berries (SBB) are well known for being rich in natural bioactive compounds with high pharmacological activity. In this study, the optimization of extraction parameters was performed to recover phenolic compounds with high antioxidant activity from SBB. This study involved a systematic optimization approach, including screening for a variety of parameters, including temperature, time, ethanol concentration, agitation, and solid loading. On the basis of Plackett–Burman design (PBD) model, the two most significant parameters (agitation and solid loading) were selected, and the correlation model between those parameters and multiple responses was derived via response surface methodology (RSM). As a result, the optimal extraction condition for maximizing phenolic content and antioxidant activity was determined to be agitation at 109.54 rpm and a solid loading of 172.67 g/L. Under optimal conditions, SBB extract showed a total phenolic content of 0.21 mg/mL and ABTS and DPPH activities of 27.27% and 58.16%, respectively. The SBB extract prepared under optimal conditions was found to contain caffeic acid, vanillic acid, rutin, and vitamin B1 (thiamine). This work is the first challenge to design an optimization model for the efficient recovery of antioxidants from SBB and is significant in that the model can be applied simply and economically to conventional extraction processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To evaluate discrepant radio-pathological outcomes in biopsy-naïve patients undergoing prostate MRI and to provide insights into the underlying causes. Materials and methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 2780 biopsy-naïve patients undergoing prostate MRI at a tertiary referral centre between October 2015 and June 2022. Exclusion criteria were biopsy not performed, indeterminate MRI findings (PI-RADS 3), and clinically insignificant PCa (Gleason score 3 + 3). Patients with discrepant findings between MRI and biopsy results were categorised into two groups: MRI-negative/Biopsy-positive and MRI-positive/Biopsy-negative (biopsy-positive defined as Gleason score ≥ 3 + 4). An expert uroradiologist reviewed discrepant cases, retrospectively re-assigning PI-RADS scores, identifying any missed MRI targets, and evaluating the quality of MRI scans. Potential explanations for discrepancies included MRI overcalls (including known pitfalls), benign pathology findings, and biopsy targeting errors. Results: Patients who did not undergo biopsy (n = 1258) or who had indeterminate MRI findings (n = 204), as well as those with clinically insignificant PCa (n = 216), were excluded, with a total of 1102 patients analysed. Of these, 32/1,102 (3%) were classified as MRI-negative/biopsy-positive and 117/1102 (11%) as MRI-positive/biopsy-negative. In the MRI-negative/Biopsy-positive group, 44% of studies were considered non-diagnostic quality. Upon retrospective image review, target lesions were identified in 28% of cases. In the MRI-positive/Biopsy-negative group, 42% of cases were considered to be MRI overcalls, and 32% had an explanatory benign pathological finding, with biopsy targeting errors accounting for 11% of cases. Conclusion: Prostate MRI demonstrated a high diagnostic accuracy, with low occurrences of discrepant findings as defined. Common reasons for MRI-positive/Biopsy-negative cases included explanatory benign findings and MRI overcalls. Clinical relevance statement: This study highlights the importance of optimal prostate MRI image quality and expertise in reducing diagnostic errors, improving patient outcomes, and guiding appropriate management decisions in the prostate cancer diagnostic pathway. Key Points: • Discrepancies between prostate MRI and biopsy results can occur, with higher numbers of MRI-positive/biopsy-negative relative to MRI-negative/biopsy-positive cases. • MRI-positive/biopsy-negative cases were mostly overcalls or explainable by benign biopsy findings. • In about one-third of MRI-negative/biopsy-positive cases, a target lesion was retrospectively identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As fluoroscopy-guided interventional procedures gain popularity, the associated health threats from radiation exposure to interventionalists during these procedures are increasing. Therefore, an understanding of the potential risks of radiation and careful consideration on minimizing exposure to radiation during the procedures are of paramount importance. The Korean Pancreatobiliary Association has developed a clinical practice guideline to minimize radiation exposure during fluoroscopy-guided interventional procedures. This guideline provides recommendations to deal with the risk of radiation exposure to interventionalists who perform fluoroscopy-guided procedures, and emphasizes the importance of proper and practical approaches to avoid unnecessary radiation exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nickel monocarbonyl species with Ni(I) and Ni(0) have been synthesized and fully characterized by employing an acriPNP-Ph pincer ligand having a –C(Ph)2– bridge moiety to tether two aromatic rings. To see the effect of the bridge moiety, these complexes were structurally compared with the previously studied nickel complexes supported by PNP and acriPNP-Me ligands and methylation of the nickel carbonyl species was particularly investigated. Since a Ni(I)–CO species is known to be one of the key intermediates during the C–C coupling reaction to give an acetyl species, according to the paramagnetic mechanism of acetyl coenzyme A synthase (ACS), their reactivity toward MeI has been examined. Methylation of a nickel(I)–CO species reveals enhanced C–C coupling when both acriPNP-Me and acriPNP-Ph ligands were used. According to spin density analysis calculated by density functional theory, all Ni(I)–CO species reveal similar spin density at nickel and the carbon atom of CO. X-ray crystallographic data suggest that the corresponding selectivity may be related to the steric influence. For both (acriPNP-Ph)Ni–CO (2) and (acriPNP-Me)Ni–CO (2′), the nickel(I) site is sterically well protected, leading to selective interaction with a methyl radical to give a nickel acyl product. Steric influence was marginally observed when an anionic {(acriPNP-R)Ni–CO}− (R = Me or Ph) species reacted with MeI. The corresponding C–C coupled product was also observed from the methylation of nickel(0)–CO species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The tetradentate ligand, merging a carbazole unit with high triplet energy and dimethoxy bipyridine, renowned for its exceptional quantum efficiency in coordination with metals like Pt, is expected to demonstrate remarkable luminescent properties. However, instances of tetradentate ligands such as bipyridine-based pyridylcarbazole derivatives remain exceptionally scarce in the current literature. In this study, we developed a tetradentate ligand based on carbazole and 2,3′-bipyridine and successfully complexed it with Pt(II) ions. This novel compound (1) serves as a sky-blue phosphorescent material for use in light-emitting diodes. Based on single-crystal X-ray analysis, compound 1 has a distorted square-planar geometry with a 5/6/6 backbone around the Pt(II) core. Bright sky-blue emissions were observed at 488 and 516 nm with photoluminescent quantum yields of 34% and a luminescent lifetime of 2.6 μs. TD-DFT calculations for 1 revealed that the electronic transition was mostly attributed to the ligand-centered (LC) charge transfer transition with a small contribution from the metal-to-ligand charge transfer transition (MLCT, ~14%). A phosphorescent organic light-emitting device was successfully fabricated using this material as a dopant, along with 3′-di(9H-carbazol-9-yl)-1,1′-biphenyl (mCBP) and 9-(3′-carbazol-9-yl-5-cyano-biphenyl-3-yl)-9H-carbazole-3-carbonitrile (CNmCBPCN) as mixed hosts. A maximum quantum efficiency of 5.2% and a current efficiency of 15.5 cd/A were obtained at a doping level of 5%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Efficient, electrochemically stable blue phosphors are essential for advancing the organic light‐emitting diode (OLED) industry. Specifically, the characteristics of these phosphors must be further refined to realize commercially viable OLED devices with high stability, efficiency, and color purity. To that end, a new simple molecular design approach is devised in this study for synthesizing tetradentate‐ligand‐based Pt(II) complexes exhibiting intense blue emission. Essentially, novel Pt(II) complexes Pt3 and Pt4 are prepared by introducing the tert‐butyl and cyano groups to the ligand of previously reported highly stable, efficient Pt(II) complexes for preventing molecular aggregation and regulating the frontier levels, respectively, and then fully characterized. Both complexes display a blue emission band in solution and solid states with remarkably low full‐width‐at‐half‐maximum values. Additionally, multilayer phosphorescent OLEDs are fabricated using Pt3 or Pt4 as emitters and SiCzCz/SiTrzCz2 as a mixed‐host system. The devices demonstrate outstanding performance parameters, such as higher efficiencies than those of the devices containing the previously reported Pt(II) complexes and good color purity (CIEy ≈ 0.18). These findings suggest that the molecular design approach employed in this study for creating tetradentate‐ligand‐based Pt(II) blue phosphors is effective and can potentially expedite the commercialization of blue phosphorescent emitters in the OLED industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the expected sensitivity to the mixing between sterile and tau neutrinos directly from the tau neutrino disappearance in the high-energy fixed target experiment. Here, the beam energy is large enough to produce tau neutrinos at the target with large luminosity. During their propagation to the detector, tau neutrinos may oscillate into sterile neutrinos. By examining the energy spectrum of the observed tau neutrino events, we can probe the mixing between sterile and tau neutrinos directly. In this paper, we consider Scattering and Neutrino Detector (SND) at SHiP experiment as a showcase, which uses 400 GeV protons from SPS at CERN, and expect to observe 7,300 tau and anti-tau neutrinos from the 2 × 1020 POT for 5 years operation. Assuming the uncertainty of 10%, we find the sensitivity |Uτ4|2 ∼ 0.08 (90% CL) for ∆ m 41 2 ∼ 500 eV2 with 10% background to the signal. We also consider a far SND at the end of the SHiP Hidden Sector Decay Spectrometer (HSDS), in which case the sensitivity would be enhanced to |Uτ4|2 ∼ 0.02. Away from this mass, the sensitivity becomes lower than |Uτ4|2 ∼ 0.15 for ∆ m 41 2 ≲ 100 eV2 or ∆ m 41 2 ≳ 104eV2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to assess the usefulness of an attachable video laryngoscope (AVL) by attaching a camera and a monitor to a conventional Macintosh laryngoscope (CML). Normal and tongue edema airway scenarios were simulated using a manikin. Twenty physicians performed tracheal intubations using CML, AVL, Pentax Airwayscope® (AWS), and McGrath MAC® (MAC) in each scenario. Ten physicians who had clinical experience in using tracheal intubation were designated as the skilled group, and another ten physicians who were affiliated with other departments and had little clinical experience using tracheal intubation were designated as the unskilled group. The time required for intubation and the success rate were recorded. The degree of difficulty of use and glottic view assessment were scored by participants. All 20 participants successfully completed the study. There was no difference in tracheal intubation success rate and intubation time in the normal airway scenario in both skilled and unskilled groups. In the experienced group, AWS had the highest success rate (100%) in the tongue edema airway scenario, followed by AVL (60%), MAC (60%), and CML (10%) (p = 0.001). The time required to intubate using AWS was significantly shorter than that with AVL (10.2 s vs. 19.2 s) or MAC (10.2 s vs. 20.4 s, p = 0.007). The difficulty of using AVL was significantly lower than that of CML (7.8 vs. 2.8; p < 0.001). For the experienced group, AVL was interpreted as being inferior to AWS but better than MAC. Similarly, in the unskilled group, AVL had a similar success rate and tracheal intubation time as MAC in the tongue edema scenario, but this was not statistically significant. The difficulty of using AVL was significantly lower than that of CML (8.8 vs. 3.3; p < 0.001). AVL may be an alternative for VL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ultra-widefield (UWF) retinal imaging stands as a pivotal modality for detecting major eye diseases such as diabetic retinopathy and retinal detachment. However, UWF exhibits a well-documented limitation in terms of low resolution and artifacts in the macular area, thereby constraining its clinical diagnostic accuracy, particularly for macular diseases like age-related macular degeneration. Conventional supervised super-resolution techniques aim to address this limitation by enhancing the resolution of the macular region through the utilization of meticulously paired and aligned fundus image ground truths. However, obtaining such refined paired ground truths is a formidable challenge. To tackle this issue, we propose an unpaired, degradation-aware, super-resolution technique for enhancing UWF retinal images. Our approach leverages recent advancements in deep learning: specifically, by employing generative adversarial networks and attention mechanisms. Notably, our method excels at enhancing and super-resolving UWF images without relying on paired, clean ground truths. Through extensive experimentation and evaluation, we demonstrate that our approach not only produces visually pleasing results but also establishes state-of-the-art performance in enhancing and super-resolving UWF retinal images. We anticipate that our method will contribute to improving the accuracy of clinical assessments and treatments, ultimately leading to better patient outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This study evaluated pretreatment magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)–detected extramural venous invasion (pmrEMVI) as a predictor of survival after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC). Materials and methods: Medical records of 1184 patients with rectal adenocarcinoma who underwent TME between January 2011 and December 2016 were reviewed. MRI data were collected from a computerized radiologic database. Cox proportional hazards analysis was used to assess local, systemic recurrence, and disease-free survival risk based on pretreatment MRI-assessed tumor characteristics. After propensity score matching (PSM) for pretreatment MRI features, nCRT therapeutic outcomes according to pmrEMVI status were evaluated. Cox proportional hazards analysis was used to identify risk factors for early recurrence in patients receiving nCRT. Results: Median follow-up was 62.8 months. Among all patients, the presence of pmrEMVI was significantly associated with worse disease-free survival (DFS; HR 1.827, 95% CI 1.285–2.597, p = 0.001) and systemic recurrence (HR 2.080, 95% CI 1.400–3.090, p < 0.001) but not local recurrence. Among patients with pmrEMVI, nCRT provided no benefit for oncological outcomes before or after PSM. Furthermore, pmrEMVI(+) was the only factor associated with early recurrence on multivariate analysis in patients receiving nCRT. Conclusions: pmrEMVI is a poor prognostic factor for DFS and SR in patients with non-metastatic rectal cancer and also serves as a predictive biomarker of poor DFS and SR following nCRT in LARC. Therefore, for patients who are positive for pmrEMVI, consideration of alternative treatment strategies may be warranted. Clinical relevance statement: This study demonstrated the usefulness of pmrEMVI as a predictive biomarker for nCRT, which may assist in initial treatment decision-making in patients with non-metastatic rectal cancer. Key Points: • Pretreatment MRI-detected extramural venous invasion (pmrEMVI) was significantly associated with worse disease-free survival and systemic recurrence in patients with non-metastatic rectal cancer. • pmrEMVI is a predictive biomarker of poor DFS following nCRT in patients with LARC. • The presence of pmrEMVI was the only factor associated with early recurrence on multivariate analysis in patients receiving nCRT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The enthalpy and solubility of aqueous amino acid solutions are essential thermodynamic properties for the modeling of heat and mass balance, and these properties can be estimated by considering the activity coefficient in thermodynamic calculations. In this study, the parameters of a non‐random two‐liquid model were identified using heat capacity and solubility data together to calculate the acceptable activity coefficient for an aqueous amino acid system. As a result, a highly accurate activity coefficient model of an aqueous amino acid solution was developed, and inaccurate alternative solutions regressed with heat capacity or solubility only can be avoided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transparent radiative cooling holds the promise to efficiently manage thermal conditions in various electronic devices without additional energy consumption. Radiative cooling cover windows designed for foldable and flexible displays could enhance cooling capacities in the ubiquitous deployment of flexible electronics in outdoor environments. However, previous demonstrations have not met the optical, mechanical, and moisture-impermeable criteria for such cover windows. Herein, we report transparent radiative cooling metamaterials with a thickness of 50 microns as a cover window of foldable and flexible displays by rational design and synthesis of embedding optically-modulating microstructures in clear polyimide. The resulting outcome not only includes excellent light emission in the atmospheric window under the secured optical transparency but also provides enhanced mechanical and moisture-impermeable properties to surpass the demands of target applications. Our metamaterials not only substantially mitigate the temperature rise in heat-generating devices exposed to solar irradiance but also enhance the thermal management of devices in dark conditions. The light output performance of light-emitting diodes in displays on which the metamaterials are deployed is greatly enhanced by suppressing the performance deterioration associated with thermalization. In this work, authors synthesize transparent radiative cooling cover windows for flexible and foldable electronic devices. Besides demonstrated enhanced mechanical and moisture-impermeable properties, these mitigate temperature rise of devices under solar irradiation and improve overall thermal management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Several genetic studies have been undertaken to elucidate the intricate interplay between genetics and drug responses in bipolar disorder (BD). However, there has been notably limited research on biomarkers specifically linked to valproate, with only a few studies investigating integrated proteomic and genomic factors in response to valproate treatment. Therefore, this study aimed to identify biological markers for the therapeutic response to valproate treatment in BD. Patients with BD in remission were assessed only at baseline, whereas those experiencing acute mood episodes were evaluated at three points (baseline, 8 ± 2 weeks, and 6 ± 1 months). The response to valproate treatment was measured using the Alda scale, with individuals scoring an Alda A score ≥ 5 categorized into the acute-valproate responder (acute-VPAR) group. We analyzed 158 peptides (92 proteins) from peripheral blood samples using multiple reaction monitoring mass spectrometry, and proteomic result-guided candidate gene association analyses, with 1,627 single nucleotide variants (SNVs), were performed using the Korean chip. Results: The markers of 37 peptides (27 protein) showed temporal upregulation, indicating possible association with response to valproate treatment. A total of 58 SNVs in 22 genes and 37 SNVs in 16 genes showed nominally significant associations with the Alda A continuous score and the acute-VPAR group, respectively. No SNVs reached the genome-wide significance threshold; however, three SNVs (rs115788299, rs11563197, and rs117669164) in the secreted phosphoprotein 2 gene reached a gene-based false discovery rate-corrected significance threshold with response to valproate treatment. Significant markers were associated with the pathophysiological processes of bipolar disorders, including the immune response, acute phase reaction, and coagulation cascade. These results suggest that valproate effectively suppresses mechanisms associated with disease progression. Conclusions: The markers identified in this study could be valuable indicators of the underlying mechanisms associated with response to valproate treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is characterized, at least in part, by autoimmunity through amplified T helper 1 and 17 (Th1 and Th17) immune responses. The loss of immune tolerance controlled by programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) may contribute to this. Objectives: We studied the tolerogenic role of PD-L1+ dendritic cells (DCs) and their subtypes in relation to specific T cell immunity and the clinical phenotypes of COPD. Methods: We used flow cytometry to analyze PD-L1 expression by the DCs and their subtypes in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from normal participants and those with COPD. T cell proliferation and the signature cytokines of T cell subtypes stimulated with elastin as autoantigens were measured using flow cytometry and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA), respectively. Measurement and main results: A total of 83 participants were enrolled (normal, n = 29; COPD, n = 54). A reduced PD-L1+ conventional dendritic cell 1 (cDC1) ratio in the PBMCs of the patients with COPD was shown (13.7 ± 13.7%, p = 0.03). The decrease in the PD-L1+ cDC1 ratio was associated with a rapid decline in COPD (p = 0.02) and correlated with the CD4+ T cells (r = −0.33, p = 0.02). This is supported by the NCBI GEO database accession number GSE56766, the researchers of which found that the gene expressions of PD-L1 and CD4, but not CD8 were negatively correlated from PBMC in COPD patients (r = −0.43, p = 0.002). Functionally, the PD-L1 blockade enhanced CD4+ T cell proliferation stimulated by CD3/elastin (31.2 ± 22.3%, p = 0.04) and interleukin (IL)-17A production stimulated by both CD3 (156.3 ± 54.7, p = 0.03) and CD3/elastin (148 ± 64.9, p = 0.03) from the normal PBMCs. The PD-L1 blockade failed to increase IL-17A production in the cDC1-depleted PBMCs. By contrast, there was no significant change in interferon (IFN)-γ, IL-4, or IL-10 after the PD-L1 blockade. Again, these findings were supported by the NCBI GEO database accession number GSE56766, the researchers of which found that only the expression of RORC, a master transcription factor driving the Th17 cells, was significantly negatively correlated to PD-L1 (r = −0.33, p = 0.02). Conclusions: Circulating PD-L1+ cDC1 was reduced in the patients with COPD, and the tolerogenic role was suppressed with susceptibility to self-antigens and linked to rapid decline caused by Th17-skewed chronic inflammation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the design of a two-port dual-band dual-circularly-polarized dielectric resonator antenna (DRA). The proposed DRA is formed by stacking two dielectric resonators (DRs) of different shapes, including a hexagonal DR on top and a cross-shaped DR on the bottom. It is designed to resonate at two near-degenerate orthogonal modes of TE111 and TE113, and an aperture-coupled feeding through a cross-like slot is used to achieve dual-band impedance matching simultaneously for right- and left-handed circular polarizations. Tests were conducted on a prototype working in C-band to verify the design concept. The experiment results demonstrate that the proposed DRA has exceptional performance with measured −10 dB reflection bandwidths of 24.4% and 17.4%, 3 dB axial ratio bandwidths of 21.2% and 16.3%, and maximum gains of 5.64 and 8.13 dBic for the lower and upper bands, respectively. Moreover, the measured channel isolation is more than 15.8 dB. The results obtained from the experiments show good agreement with the simulation, and hence, it can be concluded that the proposed DRA is a promising solution that can be used for various wireless communication applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acquiring reliable microstructure datasets is a pivotal step toward the systematic design of materials with the aid of integrated computational materials engineering (ICME) approaches. However, obtaining three-dimensional (3D) microstructure datasets is often challenging due to high experimental costs or technical limitations, while acquiring two-dimensional (2D) micrographs is comparatively easier. To deal with this issue, this study proposes a novel framework called 'Micro3Diff' for 2D-to-3D reconstruction of microstructures using diffusion-based generative models (DGMs). Specifically, this approach solely requires pre-trained DGMs for the generation of 2D samples, and dimensionality expansion (2D-to-3D) takes place only during the generation process (i.e., reverse diffusion process). The proposed framework incorporates a concept referred to as 'multi-plane denoising diffusion', which transforms noisy samples (i.e., latent variables) from different planes into the data structure while maintaining spatial connectivity in 3D space. Furthermore, a harmonized sampling process is developed to address possible deviations from the reverse Markov chain of DGMs during the dimensionality expansion. Combined, we demonstrate the feasibility of Micro3Diff in reconstructing 3D samples with connected slices that maintain morphologically equivalence to the original 2D images. To validate the performance of Micro3Diff, various types of microstructures (synthetic or experimentally observed) are reconstructed, and the quality of the generated samples is assessed both qualitatively and quantitatively. The successful reconstruction outcomes inspire the potential utilization of Micro3Diff in upcoming ICME applications while achieving a breakthrough in comprehending and manipulating the latent space of DGMs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A unified diagnostic criterion has yet to be established for sarcopenia. Therefore, we analyzed the reliability and validity of sarcopenia diagnosis using bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) compared with the gold standard, dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA), and evaluated the predictive accuracy of BIA for diagnosis. The clinical trial, involving a total of 239 participants, was conducted between December 2018 and September 2019 on healthy volunteers without significant medical histories. The participants underwent health assessments, followed by sequential DEXA and BIA measurements. In both the low and normal appendicular skeletal muscle (ASM) groups, there were significant differences in the right arm, left arm, right leg, left leg, ASM, and ASM index (ASMI) between DEXA and BIA across all age groups (p < 0.05). BIA tended to overestimate compared to DEXA, but ASMI values for males and females were consistent with the criteria for sarcopenia. Bland–Altman analysis showed that each segment in both the low and normal ASM groups fell within the limits of agreement (LOA). The diagnosis of sarcopenia using BIA was significantly different from that using DEXA. However, it exhibited a significantly high correlation, fell within the LOA, and demonstrated high predictive accuracy. BIA can be considered an effective tool for diagnosing sarcopenia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Protonic ceramic electrochemical cells (PCECs) hold great promise as an energy conversion and storage technology at lower temperatures (400–650 °C). However, the sluggish reaction kinetics at the oxygen electrode hinder the electrochemical activity of PCECs. Herein, a series of bifunctional oxygen electrodes based on bimetal‐doped BaCoO3‐훿 (BCO) are reported. Doping hampers hexagonal perovskite formation and transforms BCO into cubic perovskite, improving water uptake and hydration abilities. Density functional theory calculations highlight the effects of phase transformation on the proton transport properties of oxygen electrodes. Notably, PCECs incorporating the bimetal‐doped electrodes exhibit maximum power densities of 3.15 W cm−2 (650 °C) and 2.25 W cm−2 (600 °C) in fuel cell mode, as well as a current density of 4.21 A cm−2 at 1.3 V (650 °C) in electrolysis cell mode, setting record‐high values. The findings provide insights into the rational design of bifunctional oxygen electrodes for high‐performance PCECs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]