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Background The TFA-1 adhesive forehead sensor is a newly developed pulse oximeter for the measurement of the plethysmographic variability index (PVI) at the forehead, and for the rapid detection of changes in oxygen saturation during low perfusion. Objectives We evaluated the ability of the TFA-1 sensor to predict fluid responsiveness in children under general anaesthesia. Design Prospective cohort study. Setting Single tertiary care children's hospital. Patients Thirty-seven children aged 1 to 5 years under general anaesthesia and requiring invasive arterial pressure monitoring. Main outcome measures The baseline PVI of TFA-1 and finger sensors, respiratory variation of aorta blood flow peak velocity (ΔVpeak) and stroke volume index (SVI) obtained using transthoracic echocardiography were assessed. After fluid loading of 10 ml kg crystalloids over 10 min, SVI was reassessed. Responders were defined as those with an increase in SVI greater than 15% from the baseline. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to evaluate the predictive ability of the PVI of TFA-1 and finger sensors and ΔVpeak for fluid responsiveness. Results Seventeen (56.6%) patients responded to volume expansion. Before fluid loading, the PVI of TFA-1 and finger sensors and ΔVpeak (mean ± SD) of the responders were 11.2 ± 4.4, 11.4 ± 5.1 and 14.8 ± 3.9%, respectively, and those of the nonresponders were 7.4 ± 3.9, 8.1 ± 3.6 and 11.0 ± 3.3%, respectively. ROC curve analysis indicated that the PVI of TFA-1 and finger sensors and ΔVpeak could predict fluid responsiveness. The areas under the curve were 0.8 [P = 0.00; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.60 to 0.91], 0.7 (P = 0.02; 95% CI 0.53 to 0.87) and 0.8 (P = 0.00; 95% CI 0.59 to 0.91), respectively. The cut-off values for the PVI of TFA-1 and finger sensors and ΔVpeak were 6.0, 9.0 and 10.6%, respectively. Conclusion The PVI of TFA-1 forehead sensor is a good alternative, but is not superior to the finger sensor and ΔVpeak in evaluating fluid responsiveness in mechanically ventilated children under general anaesthesia. Clinical trial registration www.clinicaltrials.gov, NCT03132480.

Alachlor is one of the most widely used herbicides and can remain in agricultural soils and wastewater. The toxicity of alachlor to marine life has been rarely studied; therefore, we evaluated the ...

Carbonic anhydrases (CAs) are enzymes that can function at physiologic interfaces and catalyze the interfacial conversion of carbon dioxide (CO2) into bicarbonate (HCO3−) with an extraordinarily high catalytic efficiency. Even though CAs have potential to be used for CO2 sequestration, significant mass transfer resistance and poor enzyme stability at gas-liquid interface often limit the effectiveness of the enzyme. Here, we report a density-adjustable 3D-printed platform, which can accommodate electrospun polymer fibers with immobilized CA and enable the positioning of immobilized CA in an air-water biphasic system. By using 3D printing, we fabricate interfacial devices consisting of two floating units and different number of biocatalytic units. Two mesh structures of each biocatalytic unit are used to sandwich immobilized CA while two floating units, connected on either side of the biocatalytic units, have an internal hollow volume that enables controlling the position of the enzyme-loaded interfacial device at or near the air-water interface. The positioning of interfacial device directly at the biphasic interface accelerated CO2 conversion by 1.8- and 3.4-fold when compared to reactions performed with immobilized CA within the aqueous solution and a control interfacial device without immobilized CA, respectively. The CA-loaded interfacial device retained 99.3 % and 88.2 % of its initial CO2 conversion rate after ten recycles and after subsequent storage in an aqueous buffer at 4 °C for 459 days, respectively. Facile combination of interfacial devices and immobilized enzymes on polymer fibers has paved the way to practical uses of biocatalysts for interfacial CO2 sequestration.

To understand the protein functions within a cell, where proteins exist in an extremely crowded and confined state, various modeling and experimental methods have been proposed. Here, we propose a new experimental approach to modulate the macromolecular crowding and/or confinement effects by using mesoporous silicas with two different pore structures. SBA-15 and MSU-F with linear and mesocellular pore structures, respectively, were used to adsorb a model enzyme, glucose oxidase (GOx), in various concentrations ranging from 3 to 430 mg ml−1. The concentration of adsorbed GOx in the mesopores, representing the degree of crowding, showed a good correlation with thermal enzyme stability. Interestingly, the increase of thermal stability as a function of macromolecular crowding showed different correlations depending on the pore structure of mesoporous silicas. It represents that combination of crowding and confinement effects can promote different microenvironments for enzyme molecules, while mesoporous silicas can impose controlled crowding and confinement effects on enzymes due to their uniform and tunable pore structures. It is anticipated that this new and simple approach can provide a tool to elucidate crowding and confinement effects on the protein functions, including its stability in vivo, because the mesopore environments could mimic the real macromolecular cell system under crowding.

Carbonic anhydrases convert CO2 to bicarbonate at a high turnover rate up to 106 s–1, but their actual applications in CO2 conversion processes are hampered by their poor stability. This study repo...

Yap/Taz are well-established downstream effectors of the Hippo pathway, known to regulate organ size by directing proliferation and apoptosis. Although the functions of Yap/Taz have been extensively studied, little is known about their role in brain development. Here, through genetic ablation, we show that Yap/Taz are required for cerebellar morphogenesis. Yap/Taz deletion in neural progenitors causes defects in secondary fissure formation, leading to abnormal folia development. Although they seemed very likely to serve an important function in the development of cerebellar granule cell precursors, Yap/Taz are dispensable for their proliferation. Furthermore, Yap/Taz loss does not rescue the medulloblastoma phenotype caused by constitutively active Smoothened. Importantly, Yap/Taz are highly expressed in radial glia and play a crucial role in establishing the radial scaffold and cellular polarity of neural progenitors during embryogenesis. We found that Yap/Taz are necessary to establish and maintain junctional integrity of cerebellar neuroepithelium as prominent junction proteins are not maintained at the apical junction in the absence of Yap/Taz. Our study identifies a novel function of Yap/Taz in cerebellar foliation and finds that they are required to establish the radial glia scaffold and junctional stability.

This study analyses the solar noise effects on flash lidar systems for several visibility conditions. The Monte-Carlo radiative transfer method is used for the signal to noise ratio (SNR) calculation, and it is confirmed that the solar noise has adverse effects on the operation of the systems, giving rise to about 3 - 5 dB decrease in SNR.

The objectives were to determine the digestible energy and standardized ileal digestibility of amino acids (AA; Exp. 1) and to determine growth performance (Exp. 2) of two sources of dietary spray-dried plasma protein (SDPP) in nursery pigs. In Exp. 1, twelve nursery barrows (9.8 ± 0.9 kg) were assigned to a quadruplicated 3 × 2 Latin square design with three diets and two periods. Each period consisted of 5 d of adaptation, 2 d of fecal sampling, and 2 d of ileal collection. A basal diet was composed of corn, soybean meal, whey, and sucrose as the sole energy and AA sources. Experimental diets were prepared by replacing 15% of the energy and AA sources in the basal diet with SDPP 1 (manufactured in the United States; 78.2% crude protein and 4,862 kcal gross energy/kg as-is) or SDPP 2 (manufactured in Korea; 74.3% crude protein and 4,636 kcal gross energy/kg as-is). Spray-dried plasma protein 1 had greater digestible energy (P0.05), but less (P0.05) standardized ileal digestibility of Lys, Met, Trp, and Thr compared with SDPP 2. In Exp. 2, eighty-four nursery pigs (7.9 ± 0.7 kg) were allotted to three dietary treatments in a randomized complete block design with seven replicate pens and four pigs per pen. Three corn-soybean meal-whey-based diets contained fish meal (6% and 3.5% for days 0 to 14 and 14 to 28, respectively), SDPP 1 (4.5% and 2.7%), or SDPP 2 (5.0% and 3.0%) to maintain same energy and nutrient concentrations. During days 0 to 14 and overall period, pigs fed the diets containing SDPP gained more weight (P0.05) than those fed the fish meal diet with no difference between two SDPP sources. In conclusion, SDPP 1 contains greater digestible energy but less AA digestibility compared with SDPP 2. Growth-promoting effects of both SDPP sources in nursery diets have been clearly demonstrated in this work.Dietary spray-dried plasma protein (SDPP) is widely used in nursery pig diet due to its high nutrient contents and growth-promoting effects. In the present work, two sources of SDPP were evaluated for energy and amino acid (AA) digestibility and growth performance in nursery pigs. The SDPP 1 produced in the United States contained 78.2% crude protein and 4,862 kcal gross energy/kg and SDPP 2 produced in Korea contained 74.3% crude protein and 4,636 kcal gross energy/kg. Spray-dried plasma protein 1 had a greater digestible energy concentration, but less AA digestibility compared with SDPP 2. Pigs fed the diets containing SDPP consumed more feed and grew faster than those fed the fish meal diet with no difference between the two sources of SDPP. Taken together, SDPP 1 contains greater digestible energy but less AA digestibility compared with SDPP 2. Growth-promoting effects of two sources of SDPP on nursery pigs are greater than fish meal with no difference between the two sources of SDPP.

In this letter, an investigation of the use of a covariance matrix adaptation evolution strategy (CMA‐ES) algorithm is conducted as the phase‐locking method for multi‐channel coherent beam combining (CBC) for the first time. A comprehensive numerical analysis is carried out on the operational performances of the CMA‐ES based phase‐locking algorithm implemented into 7‐ and 19‐channel CBC systems in a filled‐aperture format. Through numerical simulations it can be verified that the CMA‐ES algorithm can readily lead to over 0.90 of normalised beam combining efficiency with appropriate algorithm parameter sets, which can also be optimised by a combinatorial study. The proposed CMA‐ES based phase‐locking algorithm is a feasible option for novel phase‐locking technique for a CBC system particularly when the local extremum issue becomes severe such as in CBC under turbulent atmospheric conditions.

Salinity is an important factor for regulating metabolic processes in aquatic organisms, however, its effects on toxicity and STX biosynthesis gene responses in dinoflagellates require further elucidation. Herein, we evaluated the physiological responses, toxin production, and expression levels of two STX synthesis core genes, sxtA4 and sxtG, in the dinoflagellate Alexandrium pacificum Alex05 under different salinities (20, 25, 30, 35, and 40 psu). Optimal growth was observed at 30 psu (0.12 cell division/d), but cell growth significantly decreased at 20 psu and was irregular at 25 and 40 psu. The cell size increased at lower salinities, with the highest size of 31.5 µm at 20 psu. STXs eq was highest (35.8 fmol/cell) in the exponential phase at 30 psu. GTX4 and C2 were predominant at that time but were replaced by GTX1 and NeoSTX in the stationary phase. However, sxtA4 and sxtG mRNAs were induced, and their patterns were similar in all tested conditions. PCA showed that gene transcriptional levels were not correlated with toxin contents and salinity. These results suggest that A. pacificum may produce the highest amount of toxins at optimal salinity, but sxtA4 and sxtG may be only minimally affected by salinity, even under high salinity stress.

This study used an artificial neural network (ANN) regression model in wire-wrapped fuel assemblies to estimate the transition-to-turbulence flow regime boundary (RebT) and friction factor. The ANN models were trained and validated using existing experimental datasets. The bundle dataset comprised several design parameters, such as the number of rods, rod diameter, wire diameter, lattice pitch, edge pitch, and wire helical pitch. The log–log scale Reynolds number and linearity characteristics of the friction coefficient were used to over-sample the friction factor in the laminar and turbulent regimes for resolving the data imbalance. Three-quarters of the entire dataset was used for training, while the remainder was used for validation. The Levenberg–Marquardt approach with the Gauss–Newton approximation for the Hessian of the training cost function was used for training the model. The number of hidden layers for RebT was selected based on the minimum validation error. The pin number effect was additionally considered for the friction factor while selecting the number of hidden layers. The ANN model predicted using the oversampled data set had a 50% reduction in the root mean square error (RMSE) than the model predicted using the original data set. Compared to previous correlations, the prediction of ANN models for the friction factor demonstrated significantly low errors (0.10% mean error and 7.36% RMSE of 142 bundle data).

A mechanistic understanding of cesium (Cs) adsorption to soil mineral phases is essential for effective mitigation of Cs mobility in the subsurface environment. Todorokite, a common tunnel-structured manganese oxide in soil, exhibits sorption capacity for Cs comparable to the capacities of clay minerals. However, the adsorption sites and molecular species of Cs

We present a novel method for modal decomposition of a composite beam guided by a large-mode-area fiber by means of direct far-field pattern measurements with a multi-variable optimization algorithm. For reconstructing far-field patterns, we use finite-number bases of Hermite Gaussian modes that can be converted from all the guided modes in the given fiber and exploit a stochastic parallel gradient descent (SPGD)-based multi-variable optimization algorithm equipped with the D4σ technique in order for completing the modal decomposition with compensating the centroid mismatch between the measured and reconstructed beams. We measure the beam intensity profiles at two different distances, which justifies the uniqueness of the solution obtained by the SPGD algorithm. We verify the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed method both numerically and experimentally. We have found that the fractional error tolerance in terms of the beam intensity overlap could be maintained below 1 × 10−7 and 3.5 × 10−3 in the numerical and experimental demonstrations, respectively. As the modal decomposition is made uniquely and reliably, such a level of the error tolerance could be maintained even for a beam intensity profile measured at a farther distance.

Cudrania tricuspidata extracts (CTE) and Stewartia koreana extracts (SKE) are viable drugs for managing inflammation. We investigated the nitric oxide levels of CTE and a mixture of CTE/SKE (CTE mix) against lipopolysaccharide-induced RAW264.7 cells. In addition, we administered the CTE and CTE mix to mice with collagen-induced arthritis to confirm an anti-inflammatory effect against rheumatoid arthritis. We analyzed arthritis symptoms by oral administration of CTE mix using a CIA-induced animal model and analyzed the inhibitory activity of NO production with in vitro experiments. Both the CTE and CTE mix decreased nitric oxide levels, and a 2:1 ratio of CTE mix was most effective in vivo among the varying ratios of CTE mix tested. The spleen size increased by about 2.1 times, and the lymph node size decreased by about 2.5 times relative compared to the vehicle group. In blood biochemical analyses, tumor necrosis factor–α levels decreased by about three times, interleukin-1β and interleukin-6 levels were reduced by about eight times and three times, and PRG4 expression levels were increased by about 2.5 times relative to the vehicle group. We suggest that the CTE mix was superior to CTE alone and has potential as an anti-inflammatory treatment for patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

In cold water coastal regions, the marine dinoflagellate Alexandrium catenella (Group I) is associated with paralytic shellfish poisoning. Here, we characterized the transcriptome of A. catenella isolated from Korean coastal waters during spring. RNA sequencing generated 15.5 Gb nucleotides that were assembled into 103,362 unique transcripts (unigenes). Upon comparison with known proteins, 53,547 (51.81%) unigenes were successfully annotated in public databases, among which, 28,463 and 35,447 unigenes were assigned to gene ontology categories and evolutionary genealogy of genes with enhanced non-supervised orthologous groups, respectively. Notably, we identified numerous toxin- and cold response-related genes in this species. The conserved dinoflagellate spliced leader (dinoSL) was detected in many unigenes, thereby indicating the occurrence of trans-splicing mRNA processing. Moreover, the identification of second or third dinoSL relicts in a few genes indicate that they have been recycled in the past between the genome and mRNA and are potential sources of genome expansion in this species.

Toxic dinoflagellate Alexandrium spp. produce saxitoxins (STXs), whose biosynthesis pathway is affected by temperature. However, the link between the regulation of the relevant genes and STXs’ accumulation and temperature is insufficiently understood. In the present study, we evaluated the effects of temperature on cellular STXs and the expression of two core STX biosynthesis genes (sxtA4 and sxtG) in the toxic dinoflagellate Alexandrium catenella Alex03 isolated from Korean waters. We analyzed the growth rate, toxin profiles, and gene responses in cells exposed to different temperatures, including long-term adaptation (12, 16, and 20 °C) and cold and heat stresses. Temperature significantly affected the growth of A. catenella, with optimal growth (0.49 division/day) at 16 °C and the largest cell size (30.5 µm) at 12 °C. High concentration of STXs eq were detected in cells cultured at 16 °C (86.3 fmol/cell) and exposed to cold stress at 20→12 °C (96.6 fmol/cell) compared to those at 20 °C and exposed to heat stress. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) revealed significant gene expression changes of sxtA4 in cells cultured at 16 °C (1.8-fold) and cold shock at 20→16 °C (9.9-fold). In addition, sxtG was significantly induced in cells exposed to cold shocks (20→16 °C; 19.5-fold) and heat stress (12→20 °C; 25.6-fold). Principal component analysis (PCA) revealed that low temperature (12 and 16 °C) and cold stress were positively related with STXs’ production and gene expression levels. These results suggest that temperature may affect the toxicity and regulation of STX biosynthesis genes in dinoflagellates.

Temperature may affect the production of saxitoxin (STX) and its derivatives (STXs); however, this is still controversial. Further, STX-biosynthesis gene regulation and the relation of its toxicity with temperature are not clearly understood. In the present study, we evaluated the effects of different temperatures (12 °C, 16 °C, and 20 °C) on the growth, toxin profiles, and expression of two core STX-biosynthesis genes, sxtA and sxtG, in the toxic dinoflagellate Alexandrium pacificum Alex05, isolated from Korean coasts. We found that temperature significantly affected cell growth, with maximum growth recorded at 16 °C, followed by 20 °C and 12 °C. HPLC analysis revealed mostly 12 of STXs from the tested cultures. Interestingly, the contents of STXs increased in the cells cultured at 16 °C and exposed to cold stress, compared to the 20 °C culture and heat stress; however, toxin components were much more diverse under heat stress. These toxin profiles generally matched with the sxtA and sxtG expression levels. Incubation at lower temperatures (12 °C and 16 °C) and exposure to cold stress increased sxtA and sxtG expressions in the cells, whereas heat stress showed little change or downregulated the transcription of both genes. Principal component analysis (PCA) showed low correlation between STXs eq and expressional levels of sxtA and sxtG in heat-stressed cells. These results suggest that temperature might be a crucial factor affecting the level and biosynthesis of STXs in marine toxic dinoflagellates.

Sufficient supply of dietary phosphorus (P) is critical for maximizing muscle and bone growth of pigs. The objective was to compare standardized total tract digestible (STTD) P requirements of growing pigs determined in the experiments and those estimated using modeling approach. Fifty-two experiments in the literature that empirically determined P requirements of pigs were employed. The basis for the determination of P requirements were growth performance (average daily gain or gain to feed ratio; n = 34) and bone development (n = 23). Based on the STTD P in the feed ingredients provided in NRC (2012) and ingredient composition used in the experiments, P requirements presented as total P, available P, and true total tract digestible P were converted to STTD P requirements. To obtain STTD P requirements (g/d) suggested by NRC (2012) for grow-finishing pigs (body weight > 20 kg), mean body weight and sex indicated in the experiments were input into the NRC model. The statistical model for comparing the empirical data with the NRC requirements included the basis for determining P requirements in the experiments as a fixed variable and body weight as a random variable. To quantify the deviations between NRC STTD P requirement estimates and empirically determined STTD P requirements, mean percentage difference was calculated. The STTD P requirements empirically determined based on growth performance were greater than the NRC STTD P requirement estimates (5.89 vs. 4.61 g/d, SEM = 0.27; P < 0.001). Moreover, the bone development-based STTD P requirements were greater than the NRC STTD P requirement estimates (6.63 vs. 4.46 g/d, SEM = 0.42; P < 0.001). In conclusion, the standardized total tract digestible P requirements suggested by the NRC are less than the experimentally determined requirements.

The gas barrier properties of polymers can be improved by reducing gas diffusivity and solubility by using graphene oxide (GO) of various lateral sizes (~3, ~25, ~45 µm). By using GO, the gas diffusion path of the polymer was effectively increased. To reduce the solubility, alkylated GO (AGO) was synthesized by an SN2 reaction between octyl amine and GO. The hydrophobicity of AGO was confirmed through contact angle measurements, and octylamine on the AGO surface was identified by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis. When GO and AGO with comparatively large lateral size (~45 µm) were homogeneously dispersed in polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and polyvinylidene chloride (PVDC), respectively, the oxygen transmission rates (OTR) of resulting PVA/GO and PVDC/AGO composite films were significantly reduced. The OTR of PVA/GO composite film reduced from 1.9 × 100 to 5.0 × 10−2 cm3/m2·day as compared to neat PVA; whereas, the OTR of PVDC/AGO composite film reduced from 1.2 × 100 to 6.8 × 10−1 cm3/m2·day. In addition, the water vapor transmission rate (WVTR) of the PVDC/AGO composite film remarkably decreased from 1.4 g/m2·day (neat PVDC) to ∼5.5·10−1 g/m2·day, where the lateral size of AGO was insignificant. The WVTR results of PVDC/AGO composite films are in contrast to those for PVA/GO composite films, which did not demonstrate any improvement in WVTR with the addition of GO. Based on the experimental results, it was determined that oxygen permeability and water vapor permeability are more affected by diffusivity and solubility, respectively.

Protein cage nanoparticles are widely used as targeted delivery nanoplatforms, because they have well-defined symmetric architectures, high biocompatibility, and enough plasticity to be modified to produce a range of different functionalities. Targeting peptides and ligands are often incorporated on the surface of protein cage nanoparticles. In this research, we adopted the SpyTag/SpyCatcher protein ligation system to covalently display target-specific affibody molecules on the exterior surface of bacteriophage P22 virus-like particles (VLP) and evaluated their modularity and efficacy of targeted delivery. We genetically introduced the 13 amino acid SpyTag peptide into the C-terminus of the P22 capsid protein to construct a target-tunable nanoplatform. We constructed two different SpyCatcher-fused affibody molecules as targeting ligands, SC-EGFRAfb and SC-HER2Afb, which selectively bind to EGFR and HER2 surface markers, respectively. We produced target-specific P22 VLP-based delivery nanoplatforms for the target cell lines by selectively combining SpyTagged P22 VLP and SC-fused affibody molecules. We confirmed its target-switchable modularity through cell imaging and verified the target-specific drug delivery efficacy of the affibody molecules displaying P22 VLP using cell viability assays. The P22 VLP-based delivery nanoplatforms can be used as multifunctional delivery vehicles by ligating other functional proteins, as well as affibody molecules. The interior cavity of P22 VLP can be also used to load cargoes like enzymes and therapeutic proteins. We anticipate that the nanoplatforms will provide new opportunities for developing target-specific functional protein delivery systems.

This study aims at utilizing ferronickel slag (FNS) powder for replacing for ordinary Portland cement (OPC) in concrete. Three types of FNS in different fineness and replacement were used to find which is the most beneficial to be used as binder. FNS concrete was assessed at compressive, flexural, shear and splitting tensile strength tests along with measurement of setting time, hydration heat and drying shrinkage for physical performance. Durability was evaluated by the resistance to chemical degradation against chloride ion penetration, carbonation and sulfate attack. Hydration characteristics of the ferronickel slag paste were identified by scanning electron microscopy observation and pore size analysis. It was found that FNS concrete might have a lower strength at an early age, which was substantially overcame with time then to meet the strength for OPC concrete in a long term, presumably due to a latent hydration. When it comes to durability, chloride transport and sulfate attack were mitigated in FNS concrete, whilst carbonation could be more often prevailed. However, a reuse of industrial waste could enhance the economic benefit and simultaneously lower the CO2 emission in concrete production.

In this study, an experimental investigation was conducted on the rising height and contact angle of fluid in an annular wick-type heat pipe. The annular wick-type heat pipe was characterized by a small gap between the wick structure and tube wall, which compensated for the pressure drop along the porous media and created additional capillary force. To describe and model the advantage of this gap, the rising of a wetting liquid in the gap between a vertical solid plate and a mesh (with a small angle between them) was experimentally measured and analyzed. An additional experiment was performed to investigate the effect of curvature on the capillary rise using tubes and meshes of varying radii. Resultantly, we confirmed that the linear combination of the contact angles of the solid plate and mesh could be applied to calculate the rising height from the Laplace–Young equation. Furthermore, the effect of curvature on the rising height of the liquid was negligible. These results were extended to the investigation of finding the optimal gap distance for the annular wick-type heat pipe by referring to previous studies. We observed that a gap distance of 1.27 mm provided the largest permeability ([Formula: see text]) over the effective pore radius ([Formula: see text]) value for a heat pipe with ethanol, which in turn resulted in the highest capillary limitation. For a sodium heat pipe, a gap distance of 0.84 mm resulted in the highest capillary limitation.

Statement of problem Levels of bond strength between different types of resilient denture liner materials bonded to different denture base acrylic resins, CAD-CAM acrylic resins in particular, have not been well reported. Purpose The purpose of this in vitro study was to measure the tensile bond strength and durability of various combinations of 3 different resilient denture liners bonded to 3 different poly(methyl methacrylate) denture base materials. Material and methods The tensile bond strength of 3 resilient denture liners, namely Ufi Gel SC, Silagum-Comfort, and Vertex Soft, combined with heat-polymerized (Vertex Rapid Simplified), autopolymerized (Vertex Self-Curing), and computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD-CAM) (IvoBase CAD) denture base resins were tested by using a universal testing machine (total N=138). Half of the specimens were thermocycled between 5°C and 55°C for 1500 cycles before testing. After testing, modes of failure and interface surfaces were examined using light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy, respectively. Thermogravimetric analysis was carried out to analyze the differences in content between the 3 different denture base acrylic resins. Results The mean tensile bond strength values ranged from 0.36 ±0.1 MPa to 1.51 ±0.46 MPa. CAD-CAM denture base materials showed the lowest range of bond strength when coupled to resilient denture liners (0.36 to 0.42 MPa). No statistically significant differences (P=.74) were found in bond strength between the thermocycled (0.71 ±0.23 MPa) and non-thermocycled groups (0.74 ±0.21 MPa). Silicone-based resilient denture liners exhibited the highest tensile strength with each type of denture resin. All 3 types of failure modes (adhesive, cohesive, and mixed modes) were observed. Conclusions Silicone-based resilient denture liners produced the highest tensile bond strength to all denture bases tested. Resilient denture liners bonded to CAD-CAM denture bases produced the weakest tensile bond strengths. Thermocycling did not produce statistically significant differences in tensile bond strength of the resilient denture liners to the denture base resins.

The objectives of the present study were to determine the influence of thermal and non-thermal processing procedures on in vitro ileal disappearance (IVID) of dry matter (DM) and crude protein (CP) in chicken meat as dog foods using 2-step in vitro assays. In thermal processing experiments, IVID of DM and CP in chicken meat thermally processed at 70, 90, and 121 °C, respectively, with increasing processing time was determined. For non-thermal processing experiments, IVID of DM and CP in chicken meat processed by high-pressure, ultraviolet-light emitting diode (UV-LED), electron-beam, and gamma-ray was determined. Thermal processing of chicken meat at 70, 90, and 121 °C resulted in decreased IVID of CP (p &lt, 0.05) as heating time increased. In non-thermal processing experiment, IVID of CP in chicken meat was not affected by high-pressure processing or UV-LED radiation. In vitro ileal disappearance of CP in electron-beam- or gamma-ray-irradiated chicken meat was not affected by the irradiation intensity. Taken together, ileal protein digestibility of chicken meat for dogs is decreased by thermal processing, but is minimally affected by non-thermal processing methods.

Background Cranial Electrotherapy Stimulation (CES) is a promising non-invasive brain stimulation technique with the potential to alleviate anxiety. We examined the effectiveness of home-based CES with novel, headphone-like, in-ear electrodes on anxiety-related symptoms and resting-state brain activity. Methods This study spanned 3-weeks, with randomized, double blind, and active-controlled design. Nonclinical volunteers experiencing daily anxiety were randomly assigned to either the active or the sham groups. CES provides an alternating current (10 Hz frequency, 500 μA intensity), connected to smartphone recording treatment logs. Participants treated themselves with 20 trials of CES at home. We evaluated the effectiveness using State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Wisconsin Card Sort Test (WCST), and resting-state electroencephalography (EEG). Results The active group showed a significant improvement in state-anxiety compared to sham, while there was a statistical trend in the WCST-Category Completed (p = .061) and no change in depression. In EEG analysis, the active group showed significantly increased relative power for theta in the left frontal region compared with the sham, and this significantly correlated with the changes in state-anxiety. The active group exhibited significantly increased high-beta source activity in cuneus and middle occipital gyrus after intervention compared with the baseline. Limitations This study had a relatively short treatment period and small sample size. Conclusions Our findings provide the first electrophysiological evidence for CES for novel in-ear electrodes to improve anxiety. The modulatory effects of CES on resting-state oscillations of EEG imply that CES could beneficially affect functional brain activity.

The chloroacetanilides are among the most commonly used herbicides worldwide, which contaminate aquatic environments and affect aquatic phototrophs. Their sub-lethal toxicity has been evaluated using freshwater algae; however, the modes of cellular toxicity and levels of toxicity to marine organisms are not fully understood. In the present study, we assessed the cellular and molecular effects of chloroacetanilides on marine phototrophs using the dinoflagellate Prorocentrum minimum and the herbicide metazachlor (MZC). The MZC treatment led to a considerable reduction in cell number and pigment, and the EC50 of MZC was calculated to be 0.647 mg/L. The photosynthetic parameters, Fv/Fm and chlorophyll fluorescence significantly decreased with MZC exposure time in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, MZC significantly induced photosynthesis genes, including PmpsbA, PmpsaA, and PmatpB, and the antioxidant PmGST, but not PmKatG. These findings were well matched to reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in MZC-treated cells. Interestingly, we observed inflated vacuoles, undivided chloroplasts, and breakdown of thylakoid membranes in MZC-treated cells. These results support the hypothesis that MZC severely damages chloroplasts, resulting in dysfunction of the dinoflagellate photosynthesis and possibly marine phototrophs in the environment.

Select subsets of immune effector cells have the greatest propensity to mediate antitumor responses. However, procuring these subsets is challenging, and cell-based immunotherapy is hampered by limited effector-cell persistence and lack of on-demand availability. To address these limitations, we generated a triple-gene-edited induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC). The clonal iPSC line was engineered to express a high affinity, non-cleavable version of the Fc receptor CD16a and a membrane-bound interleukin (IL)-15/IL-15R fusion protein. The third edit was a knockout of the ecto-enzyme CD38, which hydrolyzes NAD+. Natural killer (NK) cells derived from these uniformly engineered iPSCs, termed iADAPT, displayed metabolic features and gene expression profiles mirroring those of cytomegalovirus-induced adaptive NK cells. iADAPT NK cells persisted in vivo in the absence of exogenous cytokine and elicited superior antitumor activity. Our findings suggest that unique subsets of the immune system can be modeled through iPSC technology for effective treatment of patients with advanced cancer. acceptedVersion

We present an all-fiberized ball-lens resonator-based reflectometer sensor that detects sound waves with high sensitivity, which is based on the coupling between the whispering gallery mode formed within the ball-lens and sound waves.

Branched flow is a natural wave phenomenon with the beam diving into multiple narrow, collimated beams. We observe the optical branched flow of multi-wavelength light inside a soap membrane with a supercontinuum light source.

We present a flexible random laser with unique properties, such as curvature-dependent wavelength tunability, easy and low-cost fabrication, and flexibility with the application in an optical bend sensor.

Microalgae have been attracting attention as feedstock for biorefinery because they have various advantages, such as carbon fixation, high growth rate and high energy yield. The bioactive compounds and lutein contained in microalgae are known to be beneficial for human health, especially eye and brain health. In this study, in order to improve the recovery of bioactive extracts including lutein from Tetraselmis suecica with higher efficiency, an effective solvent was selected, and the extraction parameters such as temperature, time and solid loading were optimized by response surface methodology. The most effective solvent for lutein recovery was identified as 100% methanol, and the optimum condition was determined (42.4 °C, 4.0 h and 125 g/L biomass loading) by calculation of the multiple regression model. The maximum content of recovered lutein was found to be 2.79 mg/mL, and the ABTS radical scavenging activity (IC50) and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) value were about 3.36 mg/mL and 561.9 μmol/L, respectively. Finally, the maximum lutein recovery from T. suecica through statistical optimization was estimated to be 22.3 mg/g biomass, which was 3.1-fold improved compared to the control group.

We give a classification of maximal elements of the set of finite groups that can be realized as the automorphism groups of polarized abelian threefolds over finite fields., Any comments will be appreciated. arXiv admin note: substantial text overlap with arXiv:1809.06251, arXiv:2002.05535

Marine dinoflagellates Alexandriumare known to produce saxitoxin (STX) and cause paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) which can result in mortality in human. SxtA is considered a core gene for the biosynthesis of STX. However, its gene coding structure and evolutionary history have yet to be fully elucidated. Here, we determined the full-length sequences of sxtA cDNA and genomic coding regions from two toxic dinoflagellates, Alexandrium catenella (LIMS-PS-2645 and LIMS-PS-2647) andA. pacificum (LMBE-C4), characterised their domain structures, and resolved evolutionary events. The sxtA gene was encoded on the genome without introns, and was identical in length (4002 bp) between two A. catenella strains, but their sequences differed from A. pacificum (5031 bp). SxtA consists of four domains, sxtA1, sxtA2, sxtA3, and sxtA4; however, A. pacificum has an extra domain TauD near sxtA1. Each domain had64.4% GC content, with the highest being 71.6% in sxtA3. Molecular divergence was found to be significantly higher in sxtA4 than in the other domains. Phylogenetic trees of sxtA and separate domains showed that bacteria diverged earliest, followed by non-toxic, toxic cyanobacteria, toxic dinoflagellates. While sxtA domains in Alexandrium were similar to the PKS-like structure with the conserved sxtA1, sxtA2, and sxtA3. PKS_KS may be replaced by sxtA4 in toxic Alexandrium. These suggest that sxtA in Alexandrium may have evolved by acquiring specific domains, whose modification and complexity markedly affect toxin biosynthesis.

Sufficient supply of dietary phosphorus (P) is critical for maximizing muscle and bone growth of pigs. The objective was to compare standardized total tract digestible (STTD) P requirements of growing pigs determined in the experiments and those estimated using modeling approach. Fifty-two experiments in the literature that empirically determined P requirements of pigs were employed. The basis for the determination of P requirements were growth performance (average daily gain or gain to feed ratio; n = 34) and bone development (n = 23). Based on the STTD P in the feed ingredients provided in NRC (2012) and ingredient composition used in the experiments, P requirements presented as total P, available P, and true total tract digestible P were converted to STTD P requirements. To obtain STTD P requirements (g/d) suggested by NRC (2012) for grow-finishing pigs (body weight > 20 kg), mean body weight and sex indicated in the experiments were input into the NRC model. The statistical model for comparing the empirical data and the NRC requirements included the basis for determining P requirements in the experiments as a fixed variable and body weight as a random variable. To quantify the deviations between NRC STTD P requirement estimates and empirically determined STTD P requirements, mean percentage difference was calculated. The STTD P requirements empirically determined based on growth performance were greater than the NRC STTD P requirement estimates (5.89 vs. 4.61 g/d, SEM = 0.27; P < 0.001). Moreover, the bone development-based STTD P requirements were greater than the NRC STTD P requirement estimates (6.63 vs. 4.46 g/d, SEM = 0.42; P < 0.001). In conclusion, the standardized total tract digestible P requirements suggested by the NRC are less than the experimentally determined requirements.

Hospital case volume is shown to be associated with postoperative outcomes in various types of surgery. However, conflicting results of volume-outcome relationship have been reported in hip fracture surgery. This retrospective cohort study aimed to evaluate the association between hospital case volume and postoperative outcomes in patients who had hip fracture surgery. We hypothesized that higher case volume would be associated with lower risk of in-hospital and one-year mortality after hip fracture surgery.Data for all patients who underwent surgery for hip fracture from January 2008 to December 2016 were extracted from the Korean National Healthcare Insurance Service database. According to mean annual case volume of surgery for hip fracture, hospitals were classified into very low (30 cases/year), low (30 to 50 cases/year), intermediate (50 to 100 cases/year), high (100 to 150 cases/year), or very high (150 cases/year) groups. The association between hospital case volume and in-hospital mortality or one-year mortality was assessed using the logistic regression model to adjust for age, sex, type of fracture, type of anaesthesia, transfusion, comorbidities, and year of surgery.Between January 2008 and December 2016, 269,535 patients underwent hip fracture surgery in 1,567 hospitals in Korea. Compared to hospitals with very high volume, in-hospital mortality rates were significantly higher in those with high volume (odds ratio (OR) 1.10, 95% confidence interval ((CI) 1.02 to 1.17, p = 0.011), low volume (OR 1.22, 95% CI 1.14 to 1.32, p0.001), and very low volume (OR 1.25, 95% CI 1.16 to 1.34, p0.001). Similarly, hospitals with lower case volume showed higher one-year mortality rates compared to hospitals with very high case volume (low volume group, OR 1.15, 95% CI 1.11 to 1.19, p0.001; very low volume group, OR 1.10, 95% CI 1.07 to 1.14, p0.001).Higher hospital case volume of hip fracture surgery was associated with lower in-hospital mortality and one-year mortality in a dose-response fashion. Cite this article

We herein describe a portable glucose meter (PGM)-utilized label-free and washing-free method for the facile determination of telomerase activity that relies on the kinase-catalyzed cascade enzymatic reaction (KCER) that transduces the telomerase activity to the glucose level. In the sensor, the telomerase that elongates telomere sequences ((TTAGGG)n) from the 3'-terminus of telomerase substrate primer (TSP) consumes deoxynucleoside triphosphate (dNTP), which serves as a phosphate source for KCER promoted by hexokinase and pyruvate kinase. Thus, the presence of telomerase protects KCER from working effectively, resulting in the maintenance of an initial, high glucose level that is readily determined using hand-held PGM. With this strategy, the telomerase activities in various types of cell lines were successfully determined with high sensitivity. Furthermore, the ability of this method to screen candidate inhibitors for telomerase activity was also verified.

The spread of plasmid-mediated colistin resistance has posed a serious threat to public health owing to its effects on the emergence of pandrug-resistant bacteria. In this study, we investigated the prevalence and characteristics of

Alachlor is one of the most widely used herbicides and can remain in agricultural soils and wastewater. The toxicity of alachlor to marine life has been rarely studied; therefore, we evaluated the physiological and transcriptional responses in the marine dinoflagellate

Antimicrobial-resistant bacteria in poultry meat pose a threat to public health. This article is the first to report the prevalence of antimicrobial-resistant Escherichia coli in retail poultry meat labeled with various claims of antibiotic use in Korea. A total of 719 E. coli strains were isolated from 1,107 raw poultry (chicken and duck) meat samples purchased from nationwide retail stores between 2017 and 2019. All strains were tested for antimicrobial susceptibility with a broth microdilution method. The prevalence of antimicrobial-resistant E. coli in chicken was significantly higher than that in duck for almost all antibiotics tested, and 87.9% of E. coli strains in chicken samples were multidrug resistant. The most prevalent types of antimicrobial resistance in these E. coli strains from poultry meat were to nalidixic acid (75.7%), ampicillin (69.1%), and tetracycline (64.0%), consistent with national sales data for veterinary antibiotics in the Korean poultry production industry. Organic or antibiotic-free and conventional chicken products were equally likely to be contaminated with antimicrobial-resistant E. coli. Contamination may occur during slaughtering and subsequent processing, and antibiotic use is permitted in certain cases under organic or antibiotic-free poultry standards. Therefore, close surveillance is required throughout the chicken production chain to prevent the spread of antimicrobial-resistant E. coli strains. HIGHLIGHTS

Objective Despite the clinical effectiveness of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS), the comparability of these interventions in neurophysiological aspects have not been thoroughly investigated. Thus, we aimed to directly compare the electrophysiological effects of single-session tDCS and gamma-tACS in healthy subjects, matching the intervention protocol as closely as possible. Methods: This was a randomized, double-blinded, and active-controlled study. Sixty healthy college students were enrolled in the study. Both tACS with, at 40 Hz frequency, and tDCS have the same current intensity (2 mA, 30 min) within the same target area (right and left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex). Resting-state electroencephalography (EEG) was recorded before and after single-session stimulation. Results Significant differences in theta, alpha, low-beta, and gamma frequencies were found between tDCS, tACS, and the sham groups. Low-beta source activity of the middle temporal gyrus was decreased only after an intervention with tACS. Conclusion: The present study indicates that tDCS and tACS resulted in an increased range of frequency activity, including slow- and fast-wave bands. Specifically, tDCS modulates the frontal region, while tACS modulates neural oscillations at the fronto-central, parietal, and temporal areas. The tACS also decreased low-beta source activity in the middle temporal gyrus. Identifying the common and unique EEG patterns of tDCS and tACS may help shed light on their potential clinical benefits and distinctive neuropathology in various clinical symptoms.

Variegated expression of killer immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIR) in human natural killer (NK) cells is a stochastic process exclusive to subsets of mature NK cells and CD8(+) T cells. Allele-specific KIR expression is maintained by DNA methylation within the proximal promoter regions. Because KIR genes are densely methylated in NK cell progenitors, there is an implied stage of human NK cell development where DNA demethylation takes place to allow for active transcription. When and how this process occurs is unknown. Here, we show that KIR proximal promoters are densely methylated in less mature CD56(bright) NK cells and are progressively demethylated in CD56(dim) NK cells as they mature and acquire KIR. We hypothesized that ten-eleven translocation (TET) enzymes, which oxidize 5mC on DNA could mediate KIR promoter demethylation. The catalytic efficiency of TET enzymes is known to be enhanced by ascorbic acid. We found that the addition of ascorbic acid to ex vivo culture of sorted CD56(bright) NK cells increased the frequency of KIR expression in a dose-dependent manner and facilitated demethylation of proximal promoters. A marked enrichment of the transcription factor Runx3 as well as TET2 and TET3 was observed within proximal KIR promoters in CD56(bright) NK cells cultured with ascorbic acid. Additionally, overexpression of TET3 and Runx3 promoted KIR expression in CD56(bright) NK cells and NK-92 cells. Our results show that KIR promoter demethylation can be induced in CD56(bright), and this process is facilitated by ascorbic acid.

BackgroundThe long-term incidence of chronic postsurgical pain (CPSP) after thoracic surgery has not yet been reported.MethodsWe retrospectively reviewed the electronic medical records of 4218 consecutive patients who underwent thoracic surgery for lung cancer between 2007 and 2016. We evaluated the long-term incidence of CPSP after thoracic surgery at intervals of 3 months for 36 months. A Cox proportional hazard regression analysis was performed to investigate the predictors of CPSP after thoracic surgery.ResultsA total of 3200 patients were included in the analysis. Of these, 459 (14.3%) and 558 (17.4%) patients were diagnosed with CPSP within 3 and 36 months after surgery, respectively. Furthermore, the incidence of CPSP decreased over time. Additionally, 99 (3.1%) patients were newly diagnosed with CPSP at least 6 months after surgery. Female sex (HR 1.20, 95% CI 1.00 to 1.43; p=0.04), longer duration of surgery (HR 1.11, 95% CI 1.03 to 1.20; pConclusionOur study showed a decreasing trend in the incidence of CPSP as well as delayed-onset or recurrent CPSP after thoracic surgery. A better understanding of the progression of CPSP after thoracic surgery may provide important information on its prediction and treatment.