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This was a single-institutional retrospective cohort study. Wound infections are common following spine metastasis surgery and can result in unplanned reoperations. A recent study published an online wound complication risk calculator but has not yet undergone external validation. Our aim was to evaluate the accuracy of this risk calculator in predicting 30-day wound infections and 30-day wound reoperations using our operative spine metastasis population. An internal operative database was used to identify patients between 2012 and 2022. The primary outcomes were 1) any surgical site infection and 2) wound-related revision surgery within 30 days following surgery. Patient details were manually collected from electronic medical records and entered into the calculator to determine predicted complication risk percentages. Predicted risks were compared to observed outcomes using receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curves with areas under the curve (AUC). A total of 153 patients were included. The observed 30-day postoperative wound infection incidence was 5% while the predicted wound infection incidence was 6%. In ROC analysis, good discrimination was found for the wound infection model (AUC = 0.737; P = 0.024). The observed wound reoperation rate was 5% and the predicted wound reoperation rate was 6%. ROC analysis demonstrated poor discrimination for wound reoperations (AUC = 0.559; P = 0.597). The online wound-related risk calculator was found to accurately predict wound infections but not wound reoperations within our metastatic spine surgery cohort. We suggest that the model may be clinically useful despite underlying population differences, but further work must be done to generate and validate accurate prediction tools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the progression of diabetic kidney disease (DKD), renal lactate metabolism is rewired. The relationship between alterations in renal lactate metabolism and renal fibrosis in patients with diabetes has only been partially established due to a lack of biopsy tissues from patients with DKD and the intricate mechanism of lactate homeostasis. The role of lactate dehydrogenase A (LDHA)-mediated lactate generation in renal fibrosis and dysfunction in human and animal models of DKD was explored in this study. Measures of lactate metabolism (urinary lactate levels and LDHA expression) and measures of DKD progression (estimated glomerular filtration rate and Wilms' tumor-1 expression) were strongly negatively correlated in patients with DKD. Experiments with streptozotocin-induced DKD rat models and the rat renal mesangial cell model confirmed our findings. We found that the pathogenesis of DKD is linked to hypoxia-mediated lactic acidosis, which leads to fibrosis and mitochondrial abnormalities. The pathogenic characteristics of DKD were significantly reduced when aerobic glycolysis or LDHA expression was inhibited. Further studies will aim to investigate whether local acidosis caused by renal LDHA might be exploited as a therapeutic target in patients with DKD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract In recent years, much research has been conducted on wearable electronic devices based on human-friendly factors, and fibers having stretchability and electrical conductivity are required as a component technology of fiber-based wearable electronics. Here we demonstrate stretchable and electrically conductive polyurethane (PU)-silver/graphene composite fibers prepared by wet-spinning process, in which silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) are added as conductive fillers. Although the aspect ratio of AgNPs is relatively small compared to nanowires and nanotubes, high conductivity and stretchability have been observed in PU-AgNPs composites, which depends on the volume fraction of AgNPs in the composites. In addition, the conductivity was improved by curing treatment and addition of a small amount of GNPs, and a high conductivity of 82,874 S m−1 was achieved with a ∼150% strain. Conventional yarn-like conductive threads consisting of six strands of PU-AgNPs/GNPs composite fibers showed a relatively low resistance change up to 30% strain and operated as stretchable conductor up to 100% stretch in a circuit. Thus, it is expected that the PU-AgNPs/GNPs composite fibers can be applicable to human costume, industrial robots, and wearable electronics such as adaptive sensor for body movement measurement or medical monitoring, and biological integration systems for rehabilitation or injury prevention. Graphical abstract Image 1 Highlights • Stretchable conductive polyurethane-silver/graphene composite fibers were prepared by wet-spinning. • High conductivity of 82,874 S m−1 was achieved with a ∼150% strain. • The composite fibers showed negligible resistance change up to 30% strain. • Their conductive threads were operated as stretchable conductor up to 100% stretch in a circuit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We fabricated a conductive carbon nanosheet (CNS) film converted from brominated polystyrene (PS) and demonstrated that the CNS film can act as transparent electrode (TE) for polymeric photovoltaics (PPVs). The PS-converted CNS film was fabricated simply with spin-coating of a cost-effective PS solution, followed by stabilization via ion-beam irradiation and carbonization via heat treatment to convert PS to CNS. The analytical results revealed that the PS film was successfully stabilized by ion-beam irradiation and the conductive CNS with graphene-like structure was synthesized. The PPVs with the PS-converted CNS as a TE showed a feasible power conversion efficiency of ~0.61% under a standard 1 sun condition, thus, confirming that the ion-beam based CNS-formation approach and the PS-converted CNS can be useful in transparent electrode applications. • Conductive carbon nanosheet (CNS) films were fabricatd from polystyrene (PS). • The PS film was effectively stabilized by the ion-beam and converted to CNS by the carbonization process. • The PS-converted CNS served as a transparent electrode for polymeric photovoltaics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ethyl pyruvate (EP) is a simple aliphatic ester of pyruvic acid and has been shown to have protective properties, which have been attributed to its anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative, and anti-apoptotic functions. In an effort to develop better derivatives of EP, we previously synthesized DEOPA (N,N-diethyl-2-oxopropanamide, a novel isoster of EP) which has greater neuroprotective effects than EP, probably due to its anti-inflammatory and anti-excitotoxic effects. In the present study, we synthesized 3 DEOPA derivatives, in which its diethylamino group was substituted with diisopropylamino, dipropylamino, or diisobutylamino groups. Among them, DIPOPA (N,N-diisopropyl-2-oxopropanamide) containing diisopropylamino group had a greater neuroprotective effect than DEOPA or EP when administered intravenously to a rat middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) model at 9 h after MCAO. Furthermore, DIPOPA had a wider therapeutic window than DEOPA and a marked reduction of infarct volume was accompanied by greater neurological and behavioral improvements. In particular, DIPOPA exerted robust anti-inflammatory effects, as evidenced by marked suppressions of microglia activation and neutrophil infiltration in the MCAO model, in microglial cells, and in neutrophil-endothelial cocultures at lower concentration, and did so more effectively than DEOPA. In particular, DIPOPA remarkably suppressed neutrophil infiltration into brain parenchyma, and this effect was attributed to the expressional inhibitions of cell adhesion molecules in neutrophils of brain parenchyma and in circulating neutrophils via NF-κB inhibition. Together, these results indicate the robust neuroprotective effects of DIPOPA are attributable to its anti-inflammatory effects and suggest that DIPOPA offers a potential therapeutic means of ameliorating cerebral ischemic injury and other inflammation-related pathologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

2-Hydroxy-4-trifluoromethylbenzoic acid (HTB) is a metabolite of triflusal (TF), and has been reported to exert anti-inflammatory effect. In this study, the authors investigated whether HTB has a neuroprotective effect against ischemic brain injuries. We showed that intravenous administration of HTB (5 mg/kg) 30 min before or 1, 3, or 6 h after middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) reduced brain infarct to 10.4 ± 3.3%, 16.9 ± 2.3%, 22.2 ± 1.5% and 40.7 ± 7.5%, respectively, of that of treatment-naive MCAO controls, and the therapeutic time window extended to 9 h after MCAO (40.7 ± 7.5%). Furthermore, HTB suppressed infarct formation, protected motor activities, and ameliorated neurological deficits more effectively than by TF or salicylic acid (SA). HTB markedly suppressed microglial activation and proinflammatory cytokines expressions in the postischemic brain and in BV2 cells and suppressed LPS-induced nitrite production by inhibiting IkB degradation. In addition, HTB suppressed NMDA-induced neuronal cell death more effectively than TF or SA in primary cortical neuron cultures. Together, these results indicate that HTB has multi-modal protective effects against ischemic brain damage that encompass anti-inflammatory, anti-excitotoxicity, and anti-Zn 2+ -toxicity effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The impact of occult lymph node metastasis on regional recurrence after prophylactic central neck dissection for preoperative, nodal-negative papillary thyroid cancer is controversial. We investigated risk factors for regional lymph node recurrence in papillary thyroid cancer patients who underwent total thyroidectomy and bilateral prophylactic central neck dissection. Analysis was according to clinicopathologic characteristics and occult lymph node metastasis patterns. Methods This multicenter study enrolled 211 consecutive patients who underwent total thyroidectomy with bilateral prophylactic central neck dissection for papillary thyroid cancer without evidence of central lymph node metastasis on preoperative imaging. Clinicopathologic features and central lymph node metastasis patterns were analyzed for predicting regional recurrence. Multivariate Cox regression analysis was used to identify independent factors for recurrence. Results Median follow-up time was 43 months (24–95 months). Ten patients (4.7%) showed regional lymph node recurrence. The estimated 5-year, regional recurrence-free survival was 95.2%. Tumor size ≥1 cm, central lymph node metastasis, lymph node ratio, and prelaryngeal lymph node metastasis were associated with regional recurrence in univariate analysis ( P < .05). In multivariate analysis, a lymph node ratio ≥ 0.26 was a significant risk factor for regional lymph node recurrence (odds ratio = 11.63, P = .003). Lymph node ratio ≥ 0.26 was an independent predictor of worse recurrence-free survival on Cox regression analysis (hazard ratio = 11.49, P = .002). Conclusion Although no significant association was observed between the presence of occult lymph node metastasis and regional recurrence, lymph node ratio ≥ 0.26 was an independent predictor of regional lymph node recurrence in papillary thyroid cancer patients who underwent total thyroidectomy and bilateral prophylactic central neck dissection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chemically strengthened glass used for smartphones and tablets is cut into elaborate shapes by creating internal cracks using femtosecond laser pulses. The peak power is set at near ionization intensities of ∼10 14 W/cm 2 to initiate sub-surface cracks by strong nonlinear absorption underneath the stress-compressed glass surface at a 560 μm depth. Then sub-surface cracks are laterally guided with a feed-rate of 5–40 mm/s to realize accurate cutting along tensile-residual-stress lines formed around the material-modified zone inside the glass substrate. The cutting plane maintains a mirror-like cross-section profile without excessive flaws and thermal damage usually seen in conventional laser ablation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ethyl pyruvate (EP) is a simple aliphatic ester of pyruvic acid and has been shown to have robust protective effect in various pathological conditions. A variety of mechanisms have been reported to underlie the protective effects of EP, which include anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative, and anti-apoptotic functions. Recently, we reported that EP suppressed high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) release from primary microglial cells via direct Ca 2+ chelation. In the present study, we investigated whether and how EP chelates Zn 2+ in neurons when it is present at toxic levels. In cortical neurons treated with 40 μM of Zn 2+ for 24 h, both EP and pyruvate significantly suppressed neuronal cell death, although the potency of pyruvate was greater than that of EP, and that NAD replenishment contributed to the neuroprotective effects of both pyruvate and EP. However, when cortical neurons were exposed to acute treatment of Zn 2+ (400 μM, 15 min), EP, but not pyruvate, significantly suppressed neuronal death, despite the fact that NAD replenishment by EP was weaker than that by pyruvate. Spectrophotometric studies revealed that EP directly chelates Zn 2+ , and this was confirmed in physiological contexts, such as, NMDA-treated primary cortical cultures and OGD-subjected hippocampal slice cultures, in which EP suppressed intracellular Zn 2+ elevation and neuronal cell death. In addition, EP markedly reduced the expressions of PARP-1 and of the NADPH oxidase subunit in Zn 2+ -treated primary cortical neurons, well known Zn 2+ -induced downstream processes. Together, these results show EP suppresses Zn 2+ induced neurotoxicity via dual functions, chelating Zn 2+ and promoting NAD replenishment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Objective/Hypothesis: To assess changes in the symptoms and quality of life (QOL) of patients diagnosed with laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) after proton pump inhibitor (PPI) treatment. Study Design: Prospective study. Methods: One hundred eighty patients diagnosed with LPR were evaluated. All patients were prescribed Lansoprazole (15 mg) twice daily for 12 weeks. The Reflux Symptom Index (RSI), Reflux Finding Score (RFS), Short-Form 36-Item Health Survey version 2.0 (SF-36), and LPR–health-related quality of life (HRQOL) were collected from each patient at the initial visit and at 4- and 12-week follow-up visits. Results: Significant improvement was observed in RSI and RFS scores after treatment. The LPR-HRQOL score also showed gradual improvement after PPI treatment in the voice, cough, throat clearing, swallowing, and overall impact of acid reflux. Although each domain of the SF-36 had a low score at the baseline visit, seven domains of the SF-36 had improved, except for the physical functioning domain. Conclusions: We found that RSI, RFS, and most categories in the LPR-HRQOL and SF-36 improved 12 weeks after initiating PPI treatments. These findings indicate that PPI treatment for 3 months could improve the QOL of patients diagnosed with LPR. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The effects of long-term sea-level rise and offshore wave-height increase due to climate change on the stability of caisson breakwaters constructed in different water depths are analyzed by using a time-dependent performance-based design method. An artificial neural network is combined with the wave transformation model to reduce the computation time in the Monte Carlo simulation. The breakwater is designed by the conventional safety-factor method, while its performance is evaluated by the expected sliding distance. In general, the stability of the breakwater is reduced if the climate change effects are included, but it shows different trends depending on water depth. Outside the surf zone, the effect of sea-level rise decreases with increasing water depth, whereas that of wave-height increase increases with water depth. Inside the surf zone, however, both effects decrease with decreasing water depth, with greater effect of wave-height increase than sea-level rise. In the design of a caisson breakwater of ordinary importance, it is not necessary to take into account the effect of sea-level rise, whereas the effect of wave-height increase should be taken into account if the breakwater is constructed far outside the surf zone. However, it should be noted that different results should be obtained if the breakwater were designed based on the expected sliding distance. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In this study, a risk assessment system has been developed by performing the reliability analysis for wave run-up and armor stability of inclined coastal structures for various scenarios of long-term sea level rise due to climate change. The change of probability of failure for armor stability and wave run-up due to sea level rise has been calculated against various design parameters such as size of armor units, structure slope, and freeboard of the structure. It is found that the effect of sea level rise is negligible outside the surf zone. Inside the surf zone, however, the effect increases with decreasing water depth so that more increase of probability of failure is calculated in smaller water depth for the same sea level rise. By comparing the results before and after the sea level rise, it is possible to evaluate how the sea level rise influences wave run-up and armor stability of the structure. The results of the present study could be used for maintenance or reinforcement planning of existing structures as well as in the design of new structures to cope with future sea level rise. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Cerebral ischemia leads to brain injury via a complex series of pathophysiological events, and therefore, multi-drug treatments or multi-targeting drug treatments provide attractive options with respect to limiting brain damage. Previously, we reported that a novel multi-functional compound oxopropanoyloxy benzoic acid (OBA-09, a simple ester of pyruvate and salicylic acid) affords robust neuroprotective effects in the postischemic rat brain. OBA-09 exhibited anti-oxidative effects that appeared to be executed by OBA-09 and by the salicylic acid afforded by hydrolysis. Here, we report the anti-inflammatory effects of OBA-09. Microglial activation observed at 2 days post-middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO, 90min) and at 1 day after a LPS injection (0.5mg/kg, intravenously) in the brains of Sprague-Dawley rats were markedly suppressed by the administration of OBA-09 (10mg/kg). Inductions of proinflammatory markers (TNF-α, IL-1β, iNOS, and COX-2) were also suppressed by OBA-09 in both the LPS and MCAO models. Moreover, the anti-inflammatory effect of OBA-09 was accompanied by the suppression of infarct formation in the postischemic brain, but appeared to be independent of neuroprotection in LPS-treated rats. The inductions of proinflammatory markers were also inhibited by OBA-09 in LPS-treated BV2 cells (a microglia cell line) and in LPS-treated-primary neutrophils, possibly due to the suppression of NF-κB activity. Interestingly, the anti-inflammatory effect of OBA-09 was greater than that of equivalent co-treatment with pyruvate and salicylic acid. Together these results indicate that OBA-09 is a potent multi-modal neuroprotectant in the postischemic brain, and that its anti-inflammatory effect contributes to its neuroprotective function. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Ethyl pyruvate (EP), a simple ester of pyruvic acid, has been shown to act as an anti-inflammatory molecule under various pathological conditions, such as, during cerebral ischemia and sepsis in animal models. Here, the authors investigated the novel molecular mechanism underlying the anti-oxidative effect of EP in primary astrocyte cultures, particularly with respect to nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) activation and hemeoxygenase 1 (HO-1) induction. EP was found to induce Nrf2 translocation and the inductions of various genes downstream of Nrf2 and these resulted in the amelioration of the oxidative damage of H2O2. Furthermore, EP dose-dependently suppressed H2O2-induced astrocyte cell death (12h preincubation with 5mM EP increased cell survival after 1h exposure to 100μM H2O2 from 32.6±0.7% to 63±1.8%). HO-1 was markedly induced (4.9-fold) in EP-treated primary astrocyte cultures and Nrf2 was found to translocate from the cytosol to the nucleus and bind to the antioxidant response element (ARE) located on HO-1 promoter after EP treatment. siRNA-mediated HO-1 or Nrf2 knockdown and zinc protoporphyrin (ZnPP)-mediated inhibition of HO-1 activity showed that Nrf2 activation and HO-1 induction were responsible for the observed cytoprotective effect of EP, which was found to involve the ERK and Akt signaling pathways. Furthermore, EP-conditioned astrocyte culture media was found to have neuroprotective effects on primary neuronal cultures exposed to oxidative or excitotoxic stress, and this seemed to be mediated by glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) and glutathione (GSH), which accumulated in EP-treated astrocyte culture media. Interestingly, we also found that in addition to HO-1, EP-induced Nrf2 activation increased the expressions of various anti-oxidant genes, including GST, NQO1, and GCLM. The study shows that EP-mediated Nrf2 activation and HO-1 induction in astrocytes act via autocrine and paracrine mechanisms to confer protective effects. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: High mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) is a family of endogenous molecules that is released by necrotic cells and causes neuronal damages by triggering inflammatory processes. In the cerebral ischemic brain, sustained and regulated suppression of HMGB1 has been emerged as a therapeutic means to grant neuroprotection. HMGB1 consists of two HMG boxes (A and B) and an acidic C-terminal tail, and the A box peptide antagonistically competes with HMGB1 for its receptors. In the middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) in rats, a murine model of transient cerebral ischemia, administration of HMGB1 A box intraparenchymally, after encapsulated in biodegradable gelatin microspheres (GMS), which enhances the stability of peptide inside and allows its sustained delivery, at 1 h, 3 h, or 6 h after MCAO, reduced mean infarct volumes by, respectively, 81.3%, 42.6% and 30.7% of the untreated MCAO-brain, along with remarkable improvement of neurological deficits. Furthermore, the administration of HMGB1 A box/GMS suppressed proinflammatory cytokine inductions more strongly than the injection of non-encapsulated HMGB1 A box. Given that insulted brains-like ischemia have enhanced gelatinase activity than the normal brain, our results suggest that GMS-mediated delivery of therapeutic peptides is a promising means to provide efficient neuroprotection in the postischemic brain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: αB-crystallin is a member of the small heat shock proteins, which is abundantly expressed in various vertebrate tissues including the central nervous system. In our previous report, we showed αB-crystallin induction in activated astrocytes in the postischemic brain and in H2O2-treated primary astrocyte cultures. To investigate the functional significance of αB-crystallin induction in astrocytes, we generated a stable C6 astroglioma cell line overexpressing αB-crystallin. In these cells, hydrogen peroxide-induced apoptosis was reduced by 60% compared to parent cells. Furthermore, the repression of αB-crystallin expression by αB-crystallin siRNA transfection suppressed this protective effect, indicating that αB-crystallin is responsible for the protection against H2O2-induced apoptosis in C6 astroglioma cells. Similar level of aggravation in H2O2-induced apoptosis was observed in primary astrocyte cultures when αB-crystallin expression was suppressed by αB-crystallin siRNA transfection, confirming the importance of αB-crystallin. In addition, the induction of caspase-3 activity after H2O2 treatment was markedly suppressed in αB-crystallin-overexpressing cells, and immunoprecipitation proved binding between αB-crystallin and partially processed caspase-3 (a p24 intermediate). These results indicate that αB-crystallin confers protection against hydrogen peroxide-induced astrocytes apoptosis in part by inhibiting caspase-3 activation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A self-calibration algorithm is described that allows testing the out-of-plane error motion of two-dimensional profiling stages by using a flat artifact whose accuracy is unknown. The algorithm suppresses artifact-related calibration errors in consideration of the geometrical congruence of three separate profile measurements taken with different orientations of a single artifact. Usefulness of the self-calibration algorithm is verified through computer simulation as well as actual experimental testing. Test results show that the calibration accuracy is free from artifact imperfection and only minimally affected by random measurement errors encountered during the process of calibration. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A new method of thermal stabilization that uses gallium as an isothermal heat exchanger is presented. Gallium maintains a fixed temperature near 29 °C when it melts, and the resultant temperature sustains extremely good stability against ambient change of temperature and pressure. This thermo-physical property allows gallium to be utilized as an isothermal medium that is capable of performing precise thermal stabilization at near room temperature without intensive care on temperature sensing and heat control. In this investigation, an isothermal gallium chamber is designed and an ultraprecision level of temperature stabilization to ±1 mK is demonstrated with the aid of Fabry–Perot interferometry. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The activation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) has been implicated in the pathological changes accompanying inflammatory and apoptotic processes of various cell types including neurons. In a kainic acid (KA)-induced mouse seizure model, p38 MAPK is induced in reactive astrocytes in the CA3 region of the hippocampus where severe neuronal loss occurs. Here we report the delayed and protracted activation of p38 MAPK in the CA3 region of the hippocampus of mice treated with KA. In this model, the inhibition of p38 MAPK isoforms by SB203580, a specific inhibitor, attenuated neuronal loss in the CA3 and CA1 regions of the hippocampus, which was accompanied by the suppression of the p38 MAPK activation as well as astrogliosis. Thus, the delayed and sustained induction of p38 MAPK plays a crucial role in the neuronal damage of KA-induced brain seizures. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

We present a volumetric interferometer that has been specially designed to improve the measurement accuracy of the three-dimensional coordinate metrology by reducing excessive Abbe offsets. The interferometer is composed of two main parts; one is a three-dimensionally movable target and the other is a stationary two-dimensional array of photo-detectors. The target made of point diffraction sources emanates two spherical wavefronts, of which interference intensity is monitored by the photo-detectors. Applying phase shifting allows the phases of the photo-detectors to be precisely obtained, and the measured phases are fitted to a geometric model of multilateration so as to determine the xyz-location of the target by minimizing least square errors. A prototype built on a CMM demonstrates that the proposed interferometer is capable of measuring the xyz-coordinates of the probe with a volumetric uncertainty of less than 1.0 μm. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Global warming, contributing to the worsening climate crisis, has led to more frequent heavy snowfall and rainfall. This causes corrosion, mold, and structural damage to roofs, which shortens the roofs' lifespan and potentially creates safety hazards. Addressing these challenges, we propose an approach to develop a multifunctional roof crucial for proactive adaptation to extreme weather. In this article, we present hydrophobic laser-induced graphene (LIG) onto wood in a single-step process using femtosecond-laser-direct-writing (FsLDW) technology in ambient air without additional chemical treatment. This hydrophobic LIG, showcasing a high electrical conductivity of 10.0 Ω·sq⁻1 and a high contact angle of 148.8°, seamlessly integrates onto roofs, creating cost-effective, fast, eco-friendly, and smart roofing solutions. The hydrophobic surface of these LIG electrodes incorporates a heating function of LIG showcasing their versatility in providing waterproofing, drying wood, and facilitating de-icing functions. This eco-friendly invention, reliant solely on laser patterning on wood, not only extends roof lifespan but also relieves concerns about electronic waste and recycling, promising the integration of green, smart, and sustainable roofing solutions. We demonstrated the facile fabrication of hydrophobic laser-induced graphene (LIG) surfaces on natural wood using femtosecond laser in a single-step process, designed for multifunctional roofing applications. [Display omitted] • Hydrophobic femtosecond laser-induced graphene (LIG) was fabricated on natural wood in a single step. • High-quality hydrophobic LIG electrodes were produced on wood without requiring additional treatment. • The LIG exhibited low electrical conductivity (10.0 Ω·sq⁻1) and a high contact angle (148.8°). • Hydrophobic LIG-embedded wood demonstrated applications in waterproofing, wood moisture drying, and de-icing. • Multifunctional hydrophobic LIG was utilized for green, smart, and multifunctional roofing solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Noninvasive intranasal drug administration has been noted to allow direct delivery of drugs to the brain. In the present study, the therapeutic efficacy of intranasal small interfering RNA (siRNA) delivery was investigated in the postischemic rat brain. Fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-labeled control siRNA was delivered intranasally in normal adult rats using e-PAM-R, a biodegradable PAMAM dendrimer, as gene carrier. Florescence-tagged siRNA was found in the cytoplasm and processes of neurons and of glial cells in many brain regions, including the hypothalamus, amygdala, cerebral cortex, and striatum, in 1 hour after infusion, and the FITC-fluorescence was continuously detected for at least 12 hours. When siRNA for high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1), which functions as an endogenous danger molecule and aggravates inflammation, was delivered intranasally, the target gene was significantly depleted in many brain regions, including the prefrontal cortex and striatum. More importantly, intranasal delivery of HMGB1 siRNA markedly suppressed infarct volume in the postischemic rat brain (maximal reduction to 42.8 ± 5.6% at 48 hours after 60 minutes middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO)) and this protective effect was manifested by recoveries from neurological and behavioral deficits. These results indicate that the intranasal delivery of HMGB1 siRNA offers an efficient means of gene knockdown-mediated therapy in the ischemic brain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Spectral phase in a white-light interferogram contains information about the absolute optical path difference (OPD) in the interferometer. Evaluation of spectral phase is therefore important in applications such as profilometry with white light. In spectrally resolved white-light interferometry (SRWLI) the white-light interferogram is spectrally decomposed by a spectrometer in order to determine this phase. Several single-frame techniques in SRWLI have been proposed for the evaluation of the phase including Fourier transform, Hilbert transform, spatial phase shifting, windowed Fourier transform and wavelet transform. In this paper we present a comparative study of these techniques in this application in relation to the temporal phase-shifting technique which is a multi- frame method. Further, we also propose a modified method to remove the influence of source spectrum modulation in Hilbert transform procedure. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Fluoxetine is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) and one of the commonly prescribed antidepressants. Numerous clinical observations and animal studies indicate that fluoxetine enhances the anticonvulsant potencies of several antiepileptic drugs. In the previous report, we showed that fluoxetine strongly protects against delayed cerebral ischemic injury. In the present study, the authors investigated whether fluoxetine has a beneficial effect on KA-induced neuronal cell death. An intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) injection of 0.94 nmol (0.2 μg) of KA produced typical neuronal cell death both in CA1 and CA3 regions of the hippocampus. Although, there was no significant difference in the time course or severity of epileptic behavior, the systemic administration of fluoxetine 30 min before KA administration significantly attenuated this neuronal cell death. Fluoxetine was found to suppress neuronal cell loss when injected at 10 mg/kg and the effect was enhanced at 50 mg/kg. Furthermore, this fluoxetine-induced neuroprotection was accompanied by marked improvements in memory impairment, as determined by passive avoidance tests. KA-induced gliosis and proinflammatory marker (COX-2, IL-1β, and TNF-α) inductions were also suppressed by fluoxetine administration. It is interesting to note here that fluoxetine treatment suppressed NF-κB activity dose-dependently in KA-treated mouse brains, suggesting that this explains in part its anti-inflammatory effect. Together, these results suggest that fluoxetine has therapeutic potential in terms of suppressing KA-induced pathogenesis in the brain, and that these neuroprotective effects are associated with its anti-inflammatory effects. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Ethyl pyruvate (EP) is a pyruvate derivative, and has recently been reported to prevent lethality in mice with established lethal sepsis and systemic inflammation. In a previous study, we reported that EP has a neuroprotective effect in a rat cerebral ischemia model of middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO), in which it was found to be effective when injected as late as 12 h after MCAO/reperfusion. In the present study, we show that therapeutic window of pyruvate in this MCAO animal model is limited to 1 h (30 min before and 30 min after MCAO). Moreover, both pyruvate and EP have a neuroprotective effect during oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) or H2O2 challenge in primary cortical culture. In contrast, EP suppressed the LPS-induced activation of primary microglia in culture, but pyruvate did not. The suppression of microglia activation was evidenced by a reduction in nitric oxide release and by a proinflammatory factor induction in primary microglia culture, which were accompanied by the repression of nuclear factor-κB activation. These results suggest that EP has a strong protective effect and a wide therapeutic window, and that this protective effect of EP is related to its anti-inflammatory action. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In diamond turning for the manufacture of optical surfaces, a certain degree of relative vibration is inevitably encountered between the tool and work, deteriorating the surface quality. In this paper we first describe how the tool vibration affects the surface profiles in microscopic level, and then propose a metrological scheme to identify any existence of tool vibration with a minimum effort of surface measurement and analysis. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• 2-D instantaneous imaging of laser-induced photoacoustic wave. • Realization and verification of rigorous single pulse interferometry eliminating the background noise by spontaneous emission. • Single pulse and single shot imaging to obtain the entire phase map. • Ultrashort pulse imaging with sub-picosecond duration and large field of view. We perform ultrafast optical imaging by means of single pulse interferometry (SPI) using sub-picosecond ultrashort laser pulses. Laser-induced photoacoustic waves propagating at the sonic speed are captured in 2-D instantly without time-consuming area scanning or averaging-out of electronic noise. A common digital camera offering merely a millisecond-scale exposure is employed in synchronization with pulse picking so as to receive only a single pulse per camera frame. High fringe visibility is obtained with low background noise by blocking asynchronous spontaneous emission (ASE) mixed in source pulses by second harmonic filtering. Our proof-of-concept experimental scheme permits a 0.25 ps effective exposure time with almost ideal image contrast by optical coherence pulse gating. The 2-D ultrafast imaging capability is evaluated through a pump-probe measurement of a 60.8 MHz laser-induced photoacoustic wave in liquid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives To explore the epidemiological and clinical factors predictive of the case fatality rate (CFR) of Middle East respiratory syndrome-coronavirus (MERS-CoV) infection in an outbreak in Daejeon, the Republic of Korea. Methods We reviewed the outbreak investigation reports and medical records of 1 index case and 25 additional MERS cases in hospitals A (14 cases) and B (11 cases), and conducted an in-depth interview with the index case. Results The CFR in hospital B was higher than that in hospital A (63.6% vs. 28.6%, respectively). Higher MERS-CoV exposure conditions were also found in hospital B, including aggravated pneumonia in the index case and nebulizer use in a six-bed admission room. The host factors associated with high CFR were pre-existing pneumonia, smoking history, an incubation period of less than 5 days, leukocytosis, abnormal renal function at diagnosis, and respiratory symptoms such as sputum and dyspnea. Conclusions The conditions surrounding MERS-CoV exposure and the underlying poor pulmonary function due to a smoking history or pre-existing pneumonia may explain the high CFR in hospital B. The clinical features described above may enable prediction of the prognosis of MERS cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Compensation of the propagation effects for enhancement of the EUV harmonics yield. • Role of the band structure on the harmonics spectrum control. • Various control schemes of HHG spectra in MgO, sapphire, and quartz. • Optimization of anisotropic HHG for yield enhancement by an order of magnitude. High harmonic generation (HHG) from solids offers a convenient means of producing coherent extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation. However, the achievable harmonic yield is greatly affected by propagation effects that the driving laser pulse experiences with spatiotemporal distortion when passing through solids. Here, we intend to optimize EUV harmonics generated from crystals by pre-shaping the driving laser pulse via spectral phase modulation through a genetic algorithm. Our experimental results obtained from MgO, sapphire and quartz crystals demonstrate EUV yield improvements, without increasing the incident laser fluence, up to an order of magnitude along with cut-off extension and selective harmonic enhancement. As a practical tool of compensating laser propagation effects, our method is expected to facilitate solid-based HHG applications such as high-energy photon spectroscopy and multi-petahertz signal processing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In the present research, a corrective machining algorithm is introduced to improve the motion accuracy of linear motion bearing tables. The algorithm commences with reverse analysis, in which the rail form error is estimated from the measured linear and angular motion errors. In the next step, the rail is remachined to reduce the estimated form error. Then, the motion errors are measured again, and the procedure is repeated until the measured errors are sufficiently small. A transfer function, which represents the bearing force variation of a bearing block with respect to the spatial frequency components of the rail form error, is used to describe the characteristics of the linear motion bearings. Computations are carried out via the Hertz contact theory. From the theoretical evaluation, it is evident that the magnitude of the normalized transfer function quantitatively represents the accuracy averaging effect at each spatial frequency and that motion errors are not affected by the preload and the stiffness of the bearings. It is also clear that the algorithm can be used to estimate the equivalent rail form error in terms of motion errors. As a practical application, the algorithm is utilized to improve the motion errors of an XY table with linear motion bearings. The experimental results show that the motion accuracy of a linear motion bearing table can be improved to about 1μm of linear motion error and about 1–2arcsec of angular motion error by applying the proposed algorithm. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper describes a three-probe system that can be used to measure the parallelism and straightness of a pair of rails simultaneously. The parallelism is measured using a modified reversal method, while the straightness is measured using a sequential two-point method. The measurement algorithms were analyzed numerically using a pair of functionally defined rails to validate the three-probe system. Tests were also performed on a pair of straightedge rails with a length of 250mm and a maximum straightness deviation of 0.05μm, as certified by the supplier. The experimental results demonstrated that the parallelism measurement algorithm had a cancellation effect on the probe stage motion error. They also confirmed that the proposed system could measure the slope of a pair of rails with an accuracy of about 0.06μrad. Therefore, by combining this technique with a sequential differential method to measure the straightness of the rails simultaneously, the surface profiles can be determined accurately and the stage error eliminated. The measured straightness deviation of each straightedge was less than 0.05μm, consistent with the certified value. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A rise in pressure is generated when a vacuum-compatible air bearing stage moves in a vacuum condition. This study analyzed this pressure rise phenomenon theoretically and verified it experimentally. Results indicate that the pressure rise was caused by additional leakage resulting from stage velocity, along with adsorption and outgassing of gas molecules from the guide rail surface. Tilting of the stage had a negligible effect because the tilting time was very short. Additional leakage caused by stage velocity was inevitable if the stage incorporated mechanical movements, but rises in pressure caused by adsorption and outgassing could be suppressed by coating the guide rail surface with titanium nitride, to which gas molecules are less likely to adhere. The results also indicate that the pressure rise ratio increased when the air bearing stage operated under high-vacuum conditions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A new metrological method is presented that performs simultaneous real-time measurements and compensates for 5-DOF parasitic motion errors in translation stages for precision profiling of optical surfaces. Two plane mirrors are used to obtain motion-dependent interferometric fringes generated by the optical principles of Twyman–Green interferometry. The fringes generated are monitored using high-speed 2D photodiode arrays and analyzed to determine the five separate motion error components in real time. Simultaneously, null control is performed to suppress the measured motion errors independently using piezoelectric actuators through real-time feedback control while the machine axis is moving. The experimental results demonstrate that 5-DOF parasitic motion errors are effectively measured and compensated to within 10nm for translational motions and 0.15arcsec for angular motions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper describes an estimation and correction method for the two-dimensional (2D) position errors of a planar XY stage that is driven along the Y-axis by two linear motors. The 2D position errors of the stage were estimated and corrected based on measured motion errors from a conventional laser interferometer system. To compensate for the planar XY stage 2D position errors, corrections were introduced for the yaw, perpendicular, straightness and 1D position errors along each axis, which are predominantly caused by linear scale, yaw, and pitching motion errors. The effect of the motion error corrections was evaluated by diagonal measurements based on the ISO230-6 standard and six different 1D position error measurements along the X and Y-axes. By applying error motion corrections, the diagonal systematic deviation at the center point was improved from 499.7μm to 1.16μm, and the estimated maximum 2D position errors were improved to −0.263 and 0.530μm in the X and Y directions, respectively. The diagonal systematic deviation at a corner point was 1.23μm and the estimated maximum difference between the corner and center points improved from −2.603 and 2.603μm to −0.05 and 0.12μm in the X and Y directions respectively. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]