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Core-shell fibremats, comprising poly(acrylamide)- co -poly(diacetone-acrylamide)/adipic dihydrazide [poly(AM/DAAM)/ADH] core-nanofibres and hydrophobic polymer shell layers, are a new class of platforms for constructing various immobilised enzymes. In this study, to elucidate the impacts of the shell-layer material on fibremat properties and enzymatic activities, we synthesised core-shell fibremats with shell layers comprising nylon6 or acetyl cellulose (AcCel) instead of poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL), as in our previous study. Transmission and scanning electron microscopy images revealed that the lactase-encapsulated poly(AM/DAAM)/ADH-nylon6 and -AcCel fibremats were both constructed like the poly(AM/DAAM)/ADH-PCL one. Leakage measurements of the beforehand loaded molecules inside the core-nanofibres revealed that both fibremats exhibited efficient permeability for low-molecular-weight molecules and stable retention of enzyme molecules inside the core-nanofibres. Meanwhile, the fibremats' mechanical properties considerably depended on the choice of shell-layer material. The thermal analyses of the lactase-encapsulated fibremats revealed residual water inside the core nanofibres. The core-shell fibremats fabricated with a nylon6 or PCL shell exhibited excellent enzymatic activities (102 and 114%, respectively, compared to that of free lactase), superior to that of the same amount of free enzyme in a buffer. Furthermore, both core-shell fibremats retained over 95% of their initial enzymatic activities, even after they were re-used 10 times., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

P 2 O 5 -SiO 2 -Na 2 O-CaO glasses are promising therapeutic ion-releasing materials. Herein, we investigated the state of silicon (Si) in P 2 O 5 -SiO 2 -Na 2 O-CaO glass using a model with a composition of 55.0P 2 O 5 -21.3SiO 2 -23.7Na 2 O (mol%), incorporating a six-fold-coordinated silicon structure ( [6] Si). The model was constructed using a classical molecular dynamics method and relaxed using the first-principles method. Further, we experimentally prepared glasses, substituting Na 2 O for CaO, to investigate the dissolution of glass with varying [6] Si and PO 4 tetrahedra ( Q P n ) distributions ( n = number of bridging oxygens (BOs) to neighboring tetrahedra). [6] Si in the glass model preferentially coordinated with Q P 3 . When Si was surrounded by phosphate groups, phosphorus (P) induced the formation of [6] Si by elongating the Si-O distance, and [6] Si acted like a glass network former (NWF). Na + coordinated with [6] Si-O-P bonds via electrostatic interactions with BO. 31 P and 29 Si magic-angle-spinning-nuclear-magnetic-resonance spectra of three experimental glass samples with the compositions of 55.0P 2 O 5 -21.3SiO 2 - x CaO-(23.7 - x )Na 2 O (mol%, x = 0, 12.4, and 23.7) showed that Q P 3 and [6] Si increased with increasing Na 2 O. When each glass powder was immersed in a tris-HCl buffer solution at 37 °C, the dissolution of NWF ions and network modifier (NWM) ions increased almost monotonically with time for all samples, indicating that the solubility of the samples was suppressed by the coexistence of CaO and Na 2 O, attributed to the delocalization of the electron distribution of P in the [6] Si-coordinated Q P 3 units compared to that in the P- or [4] Si-coordinated Q P 3 units, which reduces hydrolysis., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

The orientation control and the formation of hierarchical structures of nanoscale components, such as bionanofibers and nanosheets, have attracted considerable research interest with the aim of achieving sophisticated functional materials. Herein, we report a simple and flexible strategy for constructing sophisticated hierarchical structures through electrophoretic and electrochemical deposition. Cellulose nanofibers (CNFs), which are used as model materials, are deposited on an anode in an aqueous dispersion and seamlessly oriented from horizontal to vertical relatively to the electrode by adjusting the applied voltage between the electrodes. The oriented CNF hydrogels not only exhibit anisotropic mechanical properties but also form complex orientations and hierarchical structures, such as cartilage- and plant stem-like configurations in response to electrode shape and applied voltage. This simple and flexible technique is expected to be applicable to various materials and contribute to a wide range of fields that include biomimicry, functional nanomaterials, and sustainable and functional moldings.

Although the importance of resting in bed for hospitalized older adults is known, current methods of interpreting physical activity (PA) recommend the use of a broad definition of sedentary behavior (SB) that includes 0−1.5 metabolic equivalents (METs) of sleep (SL) and sitting. We investigated the characteristics of PA by conducting a cross-sectional study of 25 older adults with trunk and lower extremity fractures. The intensity of their PA was interpreted as SL (0−0.9 METs), SB (1−1.5 METs), low-intensity PA (LIPA: 1.6−2.9 METs), and moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA: >3.0 METs). We calculated the correlation coefficients to clarify the relationship between each PA intensity level. Our analyses revealed that the PA time (min/day) was accounted for by SB (53.5%), SL (23.2%), LIPA (22.8%), and MVPA (0.5%). We observed negative correlations between SL and SB (r  =  −0.837) and between SL and LIPA (r  =  −0.705), and positive correlations between SB and LIPA (r  =  0.346) and between LIPA and MVPA (r  =  0.429). SL and SB were also found to have different trends in relation to physical function. These results indicate that SL and SB are trade-offs for PA during the day. Separate interpretations of the SL and SB of older hospitalized adults are thus recommended.

Skin has excellent capacity to regenerate, however, in the event of a large injury or burn skin grafts are required to aid wound healing. The regenerative capacity further declines with increasing age and can be further exacerbated with bacterial infection leading to a chronic wound. Engineered skin substitutes can be used to provide a temporary template for the damaged tissue, to prevent/combat bacterial infection and promote healing. In this study, the sol-gel process and electrospinning were combined to fabricate 3D cotton-wool-like sol-gel bioactive glass fibers that mimic the fibrous architecture of skin extracellular matrix (ECM) and deliver metal ions for antibacterial (silver) and therapeutic (calcium and silica species) actions for successful healing of wounds. This study investigated the effects of synthesis and process parameters, in particular sintering temperature on the fiber morphology, the incorporation and distribution of silver and the degradation rate of fibers. Silver nitrate was found to decompose into silver nanoparticles within the glass fibers upon calcination. Furthermore, with increasing calcination temperature the nanoparticles increased in size from 3 nm at 600 °C to ~25 nm at 800 °C. The antibacterial ability of the Ag-doped glass fibers decreased as a function of the glass calcination temperature. The degradation products from the Ag-doped 3D non-woven sol-gel glass fibers were also found to promote fibroblast proliferation thus demonstrating their potential for use in skin regeneration., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

We have pragmatically but accurately evaluated the natural capital of a small northern town, Shimokawa, Hokkaido, Japan. The key industries are forestry, wood manufacturing, and agriculture. From an environmental perspective, Shimokawa was nominated as a Japanese FutureCity. Consequently, the total natural capital value (NCV) of the forest and agricultural lands was calculated to be 1.326 billion USD/year (or 24,161 USD/ha/year) and 44 million USD/year (or 19,692 USD/ha/year), respectively, in 2012. The sum of these NCVs was more than 7 times greater than the yearly gross production of the town, although the forest had a higher NCV because of the larger area (54,862 ha for forest area), compared with 2953 ha for agricultural area. This substantial NCV is mainly generated by sustainable forest management. The timber account showed that the annual tree growth was greater than the annual harvest of trees. The CO 2 account derived from a one-year calculation showed that the town served as a CO 2 sink at 107,249 t-CO 2 /year due to the large amount of annual tree growth and CO 2 storage in the harvested wood products even if CO 2 was emitted from industries and households. The forestry and wood manufacturing industries, as well as agriculture, created socioeconomic effects for the townspeople, ranging from job creation, study tours, and social welfare. This NCV accounting for Shimokawa town ensures the sustainable use of valuable environmental assets and will help other communities recognize their own NCV accounts., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

We found that specific biomedical Ti and its alloys, such as CP Ti, Ti-29Nb-13Ta-4.6Zr, and Ti-36Nb-2Ta-3Zr-0.3O, form a bright white oxide layer after a particular oxidation heat treatment. In this paper, the interfacial microstructure of the oxide layer on Ti-29Nb-13Ta-4.6Zr and the exfoliation resistance of commercially pure (CP) Ti, Ti-29Nb-13Ta-4.6Zr, and Ti-36Nb-2Ta-3Zr-0.3O were investigated. The alloys investigated were oxidized at 1273 or 1323 K for 0.3-3.6 ks in an air furnace. The exfoliation stress of the oxide layer was high in Ti-29Nb-13Ta-4.6Zr and Ti-36Nb-2Ta-3Zr-0.3O, and the maximum exfoliation stress was as high as 70 MPa, which is almost the same as the stress exhibited by epoxy adhesives, whereas the exfoliation stress of the oxide layer on CP Ti was less than 7 MPa, regardless of duration time. The nanoindentation hardness and frictional coefficients of the oxide layer on Ti-29Nb-13Ta-4.6Zr suggested that the oxide layer was hard and robust enough for artificial tooth coating. The cross-sectional transmission electron microscopic observations of the microstructure of oxidized Ti-29Nb-13Ta-4.6Zr revealed that a continuous oxide layer formed on the surface of the alloys. The Au marker method revealed that both in- and out-diffusion occur during oxidation in Ti-29Nb-13Ta-4.6Zr and Ti-36Nb-2Ta-3Zr-0.3O, whereas only out-diffusion governs oxidation in CP Ti. The obtained results indicate that the high exfoliation resistance of the oxide layer on Ti-29Nb-13Ta-4.6Zr and Ti-36Nb-2Ta-3Zr-0.3O are attributed to their dense microstructures composing of fine particles, and a composition-graded interfacial microstructure. On the basis of the results of our microstructural observations, the oxide formation mechanism of the Ti-Nb-Ta-Zr alloy is discussed.

Aim: To identify factors contributing to visual improvement after treatment of macular edema (ME) secondary to branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO), and to assess the interaction between laser therapy and intravitreal ranibizumab (IVR)., Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of patients who had been treated for BRVO-related ME at our hospital. Records were traceable for at least 12mo, and evaluated factors included age, sex, medical history, smoking history, treatment methods, foveal hemorrhage, and change in visual acuity. Treatments included laser therapy, IVR, sub-Tenon's capsule injection of triamcinolone (STTA), a combination, or no intervention. Multivariate logistic regression analysis and interaction terms were used to assess the clinical efficacy of the treatments, and odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated., Results: Seventy-three patients (34 men, 39 women; 73 eyes) with a mean age of 69.4±12.1y were included. Patients who underwent IVR monotherapy, laser monotherapy, and STTA+laser had significantly higher best corrected visual acuity at 12mo compared to baseline ( P <0.001, <0.001, and 0.019, respectively). Logistic regression analysis without interaction terms found that IVR was a significant visual acuity recovery factor (adjusted OR: 3.89, 95%CI: 1.25-12.1, P =0.019). Adjusted OR using an interaction model by logistic regression was 16.6 (95%CI: 2.54-108.47, P =0.003) with IVR treatment, and 8.25 (95%CI: 1.34-50.57, P =0.023) with laser treatment. No interaction was observed (adjusted OR: 0.07, 95%CI: 0.01-0.75, P =0.029)., Conclusion: IVR contributes to improvements in visual acuity at 12mo in ME secondary to BRVO. No interaction is observed between laser therapy and IVR treatments., (International Journal of Ophthalmology Press.)

Phytophthora ramorum is an invasive, broad host range pathogen that causes ramorum blight and sudden oak death in forest landscapes of western North America. In commercial nurseries, asymptomatic infections of nursery stock by P. ramorum and other Phytophthora species create unacceptable risk and complicate inspection and certification programs designed to prevent introduction and spread of these pathogens. In this study, we continue development of a volatile organic compound (VOC)-based test for detecting asymptomatic infections of P. ramorum in Rhododendron sp. We confirmed detection of P. ramorum from volatiles collected from asymptomatic root-inoculated Rhododendron plants in a nursery setting, finding that the VOC profile of infected plants is detectably different from that of healthy plants, when measured from both ambient VOC emissions and VOCs extracted from leaf material. Predicting infection status was successful from ambient volatiles, which had a mean area under the curve (AUC) value of 0.71 ± 0.17, derived from corresponding receiver operating characteristic curves from an extreme gradient boosting discriminant analysis. This finding compares with that of extracted leaf volatiles, which resulted in a lower AUC value of 0.51 ± 0.21. In a growth chamber, we contrasted volatile profiles of asymptomatic Rhododendron plants having roots infected with one of three pathogens: P. ramorum , P. cactorum , and Rhizoctonia solani . Each pathogen induced unique and measurable changes, but generally the infections reduced volatile emissions until 17 weeks after inoculation, when emissions trended upward relative to those of mock-inoculated controls. Forty-five compounds had significant differences compared with mock-inoculated controls in at least one host-pathogen combination.

We propose a microscopic diffusion mechanism of protons and Na+ ions in phosphate glasses using first-principles molecular dynamic simulations. Protons hop and are chemisorbed onto non-bridging oxygen (NBO) of nearby PO4 tetrahedra through hydrogen bonds. The subsequent behavior depends on the morphology of the PO4 tetrahedra (QnP values). When a proton is adsorbed onto the NBO of a Q3P unit, it is desorbed on a short time scale of within 10 fs and re-adsorbed onto the NBO that was previously adsorbed. However, when a proton is adsorbed onto the NBO of a Q2P unit, another proton coordinated before adsorption is desorbed in a chain, resulting in the diffusion of protons. When a Na+ ion is present in the vicinity, the adsorption of a proton onto a Q2P unit leads to a decrease in the electrostatic interaction between Na+ and O- ions and induces the diffusion of Na+ ions. We conclude that the difference in the morphology of PO4 tetrahedra greatly affects the diffusion of protons and Na+ ions.

Calcium carbonate is used as bone-filling material due to its good biocompatibility, bioactivity, and bioabsorbability, but the prevalence of infectious complications associated with calcium carbonate has created a persisting challenge in the treatment of bone defect. Therefore, this greatly necessitate the need to endow calcium carbonate with antibacterial properties. In this study, calcium carbonate powders loaded with silver nanoparticles (Ag-CaCO 3 ) were prepared in attempt to serve as a novel antibacterial inorganic filler material. This objective was achieved using ultrasonic spray-pyrolysis (USSP) route to produce Ag-CaCO 3 with 1, 5 and 10 mol% silver. The size of silver nanoparticles on CaCO 3 microspheres could be regulated by adjusting silver concentration to facilitate effective release of Ag + ions. This was demonstrated in Ag-CaCO 3 (1), where the lowest silver content at 1 mol% achieved the highest Ag + ions release over 28 days. This in turn gave rise to effective antibacterial efficiency against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. Furthermore, CaCO 3 (1) could also support osteoblast-like cells (MG-63) at a cell viability of 80%. Overall, this work extends the capabilities in employing USSP to produce inorganic filler materials with sustained antibacterial properties, bringing one step closer to the development of antibacterial products., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Reconstruction of organ-specific architecture is necessary to recover the original organ function. The anisotropic structure of bone tissue is strongly related to the collagen fibril alignment and bone apatite crystal direction. Bone regeneration indicates following two main process; first, restoration of bone mineral density (BMD; bone quantity), and second, restoring bone apatite c-axis orientation (bone quality). In addition to BMD, bone quality is the most important factor among bone mechanical properties. Recovery of the original bone function requires development of novel scaffolds with simultaneous reconstruction of bone quality and quantity. Herein, novel orthophosphosilicate glass (PSG)/poly(lactic acid) composite anisotropic scaffolds were developed to control cell alignment and enhance bone formation, which are important for the simultaneous reconstruction of bone quality and quantity. The strategy to control cell alignment and bone formation involved designing anisotropic scaffolds in combination with the release of therapeutic ions by PSGs. The morphology of fibrous scaffolds containing PSGs was quantitatively designed using electrospinning. This successfully modulated cell alignment and subsequent bone apatite c-axis orientation along the fiber-oriented direction. The released silicate and Mg 2+ ions from PSGs in scaffolds improved cell adhesion, proliferation, and calcification. To best of our knowledge, this is the first report demonstrating that the anisotropic scaffolds containing bioactive glasses regenerate bone tissues with simultaneous reconstruction of bone quality and quantity via stimulating osteoblasts by inorganic ions and designing morphology of scaffolds., (© 2020 The Authors. Journal of Biomedical Materials Research Part A published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Calcium phosphate glasses have a high potential for use as biomaterials because their composition is similar to that of the mineral phase of bone. Phosphate glasses can dissolve completely in aqueous solution and can contain various elements owing to their acidity. Thus, the glass can be a candidate for therapeutic ion carriers. Recently, we focused on the effect of strontium ions for bone formation, which exhibited dual effects of stimulating bone formation and inhibiting bone resorption. However, large amounts of strontium ions may induce a cytotoxic effect, and there is a need to control their releasing amount. This work reports fundamental data for designing quaternary CaO-SrO-P 2 O 5 -TiO 2 glasses with pyro- and meta-phosphate compositions to control strontium ion-releasing behavior. The glasses were prepared by substituting CaO by SrO using the melt-quenching method. The SrO/CaO mixed composition exhibited a mixed cation effect on the glassification degree and ion-releasing behavior, which showed non-linear properties with mixed cation compositions of the glasses. Sr 2+ ions have smaller field strength than Ca 2+ ions, and the glass network structure may be weakened by the substitution of CaO by SrO. However, glassification degree and chemical durability of pyro- and meta-phosphate glasses increased with substituted all CaO by SrO. This is because titanium groups in the glasses are closely related to their glass network structure by SrO substitution. The P-O-Ti bonds in pyrophosphate glass series and TiO 4 tetrahedra in metaphosphate glass series increased with substitution by SrO. The titanium groups in the glasses were crosslink and/or coordinate phosphate groups to improve glassification degree and chemical durability. Sr 2+ ion releasing amount of pyrophosphate glasses with >83% SrO substitution was larger than 0.1 mM at day seven, an amount that reported enhanced bone formation by stimulation of osteogenic markers.

Precis: Malposition of the tube through the ciliary sulcus is more frequently observed with the Ahmed glaucoma valve (AGV) than the Baerveldt drainage implant (BDI) due to the weaker rigidity of the Ahmed tube., Purpose: To report intraoperative and early postoperative complications of ciliary sulcus tube insertion of glaucoma drainage implants (GDIs)., Patients and Methods: We performed retrospective analysis of 104 eyes of 94 patients with GDI tube insertion through the ciliary sulcus were performed. The rigidities of tubes were also examined using a microcompression tester., Results: The mean observation period was 20.0 (range, 6 to 60) months. Thirteen eyes were treated with the BDI and 91 were with the AGV. The mean age of the patients was 69.3 (34 to 90) years. The mean intraocular pressure was 27.9 mm Hg before surgery and 12.9 mm Hg after surgery (P<0.01). Upon tube insertion 42/91 eyes (46%) with the AGV required reinsertion of the tube due to malpositioning, whereas only 1/13 (8%) eyes with BDI did (P<0.01). Transient hyphema (12 eyes) and hypotony (12 eyes) were observed as early postoperative complications with the AGV. Seven eyes with hypotony were treated by proline stenting of the tube. We could not accomplish sulcus insertions in 4 eyes. Microcompression analysis of the tubes showed that the BGI tube was more rigid than that of the AGV., Conclusions: Ciliary sulcus insertion of the tube is an effective method to control intraocular pressure. The tube of the AGV was more difficult to insert through the sulcus than the BDI due to its weaker rigidity., Competing Interests: Disclosure: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Phosphate glass dissolution can be tailored via compositional and subsequent structural changes, which is of interest for biomedical applications such as therapeutic ion delivery. Here, solid-state 31 P nuclear magnetic resonance characterisation of 45P 2 O 5 -xCaO - (55 -x)Na 2 O glasses was correlated with dissolution studies using time-dependent liquid 31 P NMR spectroscopy and quantitative chemical analysis. Glasses dissolved congruently in aqueous media, and the first dissolution stage was the hydration of phosphate chains. In deionised water and Tris buffer (pH 0 7.4 or 7.9), trimetaphosphate rings and orthophosphates were the predominant species in solution, indicating relatively fast degradation. By contrast, long phosphate chains were identified in EDTA (pH 0 10.0). Besides pH differences, coordination of phosphate species by metal cations appears to play a catalytic role in the hydrolysis mechanism via turning phosphorus atoms into suitable electrophiles for the subsequent nucleophilic attack by water. Hydrolysis rates were proportional to phosphate complex stability, with stronger complexes for chains than for rings. A competition between solvent and phosphate species for the metal ion occurred in the order EDTA > Tris > deionised water.

Phosphites have been used to control Sudden Oak Death; however, their precise mode of action is not fully understood. To study the mechanism of action of phosphites, we conducted an inoculation experiment on two open-pollinated tanoak families, previously found to be partially resistant. Stems of treatment group individuals were sprayed with phosphite, and seven days later, distal leaves were inoculated with the Sudden Oak Death pathogen Phytophthora ramorum . Leaves from treated and untreated control plants were harvested before and seven days after inoculation, and transcriptomes of both host and pathogen were analyzed. We found that tanoak families differed in the presence of innate resistance (resistance displayed by untreated tanoak) and in the response to phosphite treatment. A set of expressed genes associated with innate resistance was found to overlap with an expressed gene set for phosphite-induced resistance. This observation may indicate that phosphite treatment increases the resistance of susceptible host plants. In addition, genes of the pathogen involved in detoxification were upregulated in phosphite-treated plants compared to phosphite-untreated plants. In summary, our RNA-Seq analysis supports a two-fold mode of action of phosphites, including a direct toxic effect on P. ramorum and an indirect enhancement of resistance in the tanoak host.

As a renewable nanomaterial, transparent nanopaper is one of the promising materials for electronic devices. Although conventional evaporation drying method endows nanopaper with superior optical properties, the long fabrication time limits its widely use. In this work, we propose a multi-stage drying method to achieve high-speed fabrication of clear transparent nanopaper. Drying experiments reveal that nanopaper's drying process can be separated into two periods. For the conventional single-stage evaporation drying, the drying condition is kept the same. In our newly proposed multi-stage drying, the relative humidity (RH), which is the key parameter for both drying time and haze, is set differently during these two periods. Applying this method in a humidity-controllable environmental chamber, the drying time can be shortened by 35% (from 11.7 h to 7.6 h) while maintaining the same haze level as that from single-stage drying. For a conventional humidity-uncontrollable oven, a special air flow system is added. The air flow system enables decrease of RH by removing water vapor at the water/air interface during the earlier period, thus fabricating clear transparent nanopaper in a relatively short time. Therefore, this humidity-controlled multi-stage drying method will help reduce the manufacturing time and encourage the widespread use of future nanopaper-based flexible electronics.

To clarify the early alterations of gene expression using a mouse model of glaucoma filtration surgery, we carried out microarray expression analysis. Using BALB/c mice, a filtration surgery model was made by incision of the limbal conjunctiva, followed by the insertion of a 33G needle tip into the anterior chamber, and 11-0 nylon sutures. Subgroups of mice were treated intraoperatively with 0.4 mg/ml mitomycin-C (MMC). At day 3 after surgery the bleb was maintained. The bleb region tissue was sampled 3 days after the filtration surgery, and gene expression analysis was carried out using a mouse Agilent 8 × 60 K array. We found 755 hyperexpressed transcripts in the bleb region compared to control conjunctiva. The hyperexpressed transcripts included epithelial cell metaplasia-related (Il1b, Krt16, Sprr1b), inflammation-related (Ccl2, Il6) and wound healing-related (Lox, Timp1) genes. We also found downregulation of a goblet cell marker gene (Gp2) in the bleb conjunctiva. MMC treatment suppressed elastin (Eln) gene expression and enhanced keratinization-related gene expression (Krt1, Lor) in the bleb region. Our results suggest the importance of epithelial wound healing after filtration surgery, and this filtration surgery model will be a useful tool for further pathophysiological analysis.

To prevent corneal endothelial cell loss, ciliary sulcus tube insertion is preferred for the pseudophakic eye. However, we sometimes encounter technical difficulties when inserting the tube through the sulcus. Even in cases in which we are able to insert a 23-G needle through the sulcus into the space between the iris and intraocular lens, the tube of Ahmed valve may stray into the vitreous cavity or under Elschnig pearls. To remedy such conditions, we developed a new tube insertion method using a 4-0 proline stent as a guide to insert the tube in the appropriate position.

Phytophthora megakarya and P. palmivora are oomycete pathogens that cause black pod rot of cacao ( Theobroma cacao ), the most economically important disease on cacao globally. While P. palmivora is a cosmopolitan pathogen, P. megakarya , which is more aggressive on cacao than P. palmivora , has been reported only in West and Central Africa where it has been spreading and devastating cacao farms since the 1950s. In this study, we reconstructed the complete diploid genomes of multiple isolates of both species using single-molecule real-time sequencing. Thirty-one additional genotypes were sequenced to analyze inter- and intra-species genomic diversity. The P. megakarya genome is exceptionally large (222 Mbp) and nearly twice the size of P. palmivora (135 Mbp) and most known Phytophthora species (∼100 Mbp on average). Previous reports pointed toward a whole-genome duplication (WGD) in P. palmivora In this study, we demonstrate that both species underwent independent and relatively recent WGD events. In P. megakarya we identified a unique combination of WGD and large-scale transposable element driven genome expansion, which places this genome in the upper range of Phytophthora genome sizes, as well as effector pools with 1,382 predicted RxLR effectors. Finally, this study provides evidence of adaptive evolution of effectors like RxLRs and Crinklers, and discusses the implications of effector expansion and diversification., (Copyright © 2020 Morales-Cruz et al.)

It is commonly assumed that asexual lineages are short-lived evolutionarily, yet many asexual organisms can generate genetic and phenotypic variation, providing an avenue for further evolution. Previous work on the asexual plant pathogen Phytophthora ramorum NA1 revealed considerable genetic variation in the form of Structural Variants (SVs). To better understand how SVs arise and their significance to the California NA1 population, we studied the evolutionary histories of SVs and the forest conditions associated with their emergence. Ancestral state reconstruction suggests that SVs arose by somatic mutations among multiple independent lineages, rather than by recombination. We asked if this unusual phenomenon of parallel evolution between isolated populations is transmitted to extant lineages and found that SVs persist longer in a population if their genetic background had a lower mutation load. Genetic parallelism was also found in geographically distant demes where forest conditions such as host density, solar radiation, and temperature, were similar. Parallel SVs overlap with genes involved in pathogenicity such as RXLRs and have the potential to change the course of an epidemic. By combining genomics and environmental data, we identified an unexpected pattern of repeated evolution in an asexual population and identified environmental factors potentially driving this phenomenon.

There are many reports on the special wettability of hierarchical surface structures in nature. Snail shells with three types of roughness of 10, 100, and 500 µm have a unique wetting behavior. In the present study, we investigate the influence of the surface structure on the water wettability using snail shells with different surface roughness. The wettability of a water droplet on the samples was evaluated. The three types of roughness on the surface structure of snail shell had higher water droplet spreading properties than the two types of roughness 500 µm and, 10 or 100 µm. Surface structures of snail shells with different surface roughness were simulated using epoxy resins to clarify the mechanism for the dynamics wetting behavior. The contact angle with a hydrophobic nature, of the epoxy resin with the three types of roughness decreased with increasing time, indicating a hydrophilic nature. The base diameter of the epoxy resins with the three types of roughness increased with increasing time. This was larger than that for a flat epoxy resin with hydrophilicity. Other epoxy resins with shell texture containing 100 and 500 or 10 and 500 µm roughness showed almost no change in the contact angle and diameter of the droplet base. The three types of roughness on the sample surface contributed to development of the water droplet spreading. The 10 µm roughness of the sample surface influenced the dynamic contact angles.

Efficient and large-scale removal of humic acid (HA) from aqueous environments is required since HA causes human health and esthetic issues. Hydro-garnet compounds, Ca 3 Al 2 (SiO 4 ) 3- x (OH) 4 x , have recently been suggested as HA adsorbents not only due to their superior adsorption behaviors but also because they are ubiquitous element-derived compounds. In this study, the adsorption behavior of formic acid to hydro-garnets was investigated by means of first-principles density functional theory (DFT) computations. Formic acid was chosen owing to its reasonable computational cost and inclusion of carboxylic acid as HA. Comparisons of adsorption energies for formic acid among various compounds (including platinum and kaolinite) indicate that hydro-garnet compounds are promising due to their lower (more stable) adsorption energies. Also, the optimization of composition x enables selective adsorption of formic acid against solvent water molecules. Relationships between surface electronic/atomistic structures and adsorption properties are discussed., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interest., (Copyright © 2020 American Chemical Society.)

An electrospinning technique was used to produce three-dimensional (3D) bioactive glass fibrous scaffolds, in the SiO 2 -CaO sol-gel system, for wound healing applications. Previously, it was thought that 3D cotton wool-like structures could only be produced from sol-gel when the sol contained calcium nitrate, implying that the Ca 2+ and its electronic charge had a significant effect on the structure produced. Here, fibres with a 3D appearance were also electrospun from compositions containing only silica. A polymer binding agent was added to inorganic sol-gel solutions, enabling electrospinning prior to bioactive glass network formation and the polymer was removed by calcination. While the addition of Ca 2+ contributes to the 3D morphology, here we show that other factors, such as relative humidity, play an important role in producing the 3D cotton-wool-like macrostructure of the fibres. A human dermal fibroblast cell line (CD-18CO) was exposed to dissolution products of the samples. Cell proliferation and metabolic activity tests were carried out and a VEGF ELISA showed a significant increase in VEGF production in cells exposed to the bioactive glass samples compared to control in DMEM. A novel SiO 2 -CaO nanofibrous scaffold was created that showed tailorable physical and dissolution properties, the control and composition of these release products are important for directing desirable wound healing interactions.

The heat transfer properties of a material strongly rely on its surface structure. The wings of the Morpho butterfly have a unique surface structure with features of order and disorder. In this work, the surface temperature and radiative heat flux of Morpho butterfly wings with structural colour when a ceramic heater attached to the opposite surface of the wings was heated to 250 °C were evaluated in terms of their heat transfer properties. Morpho menelaus butterfly (MM) wings and Cithaerias (CE) wings with no periodic structure on their surface, were used as samples. The MM wings had higher surface temperature and radiative heat flux than the CE wings, which is the first report of heat transfer properties of the wings. The surface structure of the MM wings was changed by heat treatment in order to investigate the effect of the surface structural change on their heat transfer properties. The treatment changed the colour of the wings to red and brown, distorting the periodic structure. The radiative heat flux increased due to the change in the structure on their surface. XPS spectra revealed that the treatment leads to a slight change in the chemical structure of the wings. The spectral analyses results showed there was no obvious change in the mid-infrared absorbance. The heat radiative properties of the MM wings were strongly influenced by the surface structural changes due to the heat treatment., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

A nanopaper sensor device that combines humidity sensing, wireless information transmission, and degradability has been fabricated using wood-derived nanopaper as the substrate and dielectric layers. The nanopaper shows excellent suitability for capacitor dielectric layers because of its high dielectric constant, insulating properties suitable for thin-film formation, and lamination properties. A wireless transmission circuit containing the nanopaper capacitor can transmit radio signals in the megahertz band, and the relative humidity change can be output as a change in the radio signal owing to the humidity sensitivity of the nanopaper capacitor. More than 95% of the total volume of the nanopaper sensor device decomposes in soil after 40 days. Because the nanopaper sensor device does not need to be recovered, it is expected to greatly contribute to a sustainable society through realization of hyperdense observation networks by mass installation of sensor devices.

The NA1 clonal lineage of Phytophthora ramorum is responsible for sudden oak death, an epidemic that has devastated California coastal forest ecosystems. An NA1 isolate, Pr102, derived from coast live oak in California, was previously sequenced and reported with a 65-Mb assembly containing 12 Mb of gaps in 2,576 scaffolds. Here, we report an improved 70-Mb genome in 1,512 scaffolds with 6,752 bp of gaps after incorporating PacBio P5-C3 long reads. This assembly contains 19,494 gene models (average gene length of 2,515 bp) compared with 16,134 genes (average gene length of 1,673 bp) in the previous version. We predicted 29 new RXLR genes and 76 new paralogs of a total 392 RXLR genes from this assembly. We predicted 35 CRN genes compared with 19 in an earlier version with six paralogs. Our long non-coding RNA prediction identified 255 candidates. This new resource will be invaluable for future evolution studies on the invasive plant pathogen.

In our previous study, we investigated the synergetic effects of inorganic ions, such as silicate, Mg 2+ and Ca 2+ ions on the osteoblast-like cell behaviour. Mg 2+ ions play an important role in cell adhesion. In the present study, we designed a new composite that releases a high concentration of Mg 2+ ions during the early stage of the bone-forming process, and silicate and Ca 2+ ions continuously throughout this process. Here, 40SiO 2 -40MgO-20Na 2 O glass (G) with high solubility and vaterite-based calcium carbonate (V) were selected as the source of silicate and Mg 2+ and Ca 2+ ions, respectively. These particles were mixed with poly(lactic- co -glycolic acid) (PLGA) using a kneading method at 110°C to prepare the composite (G-V/PLGA, G/V/PLGA = 4/56/40 (in weight ratio)). Most of the Mg 2+ ions were released within 3 days of immersion at an important stage for cell adhesion, and silicate and Ca 2+ ions were released continuously at rates of 70-80 and 180 ppm d -1 , respectively, throughout the experiment (until day 7). Mouse-derived osteoblast-like MC3T3-E1 proliferated more vigorously on G-V/PLGA in comparison with V-containing PLGA without G particles; it is possible to control the ion-release behaviour by incorporating a small amount of glass particles., Competing Interests: The authors declare we have no competing interests., (© 2019 The Authors.)

Silica-based films were prepared by radio-frequency magnetron sputtering to investigate the influence of the chemical compositions of the target glass on the structure and wettability of the sputtered films. The sputtered films were more hydrophilic than the untreated glasses. Oxygen defects formed in the silica units of the sputtered films and resulted in the formation of hydroxyl groups, regardless of the chemical composition of the glass. The three-phase contact lines were distorted by chemical heterogeneities on the surfaces of the sputtered films.

Phytophthora ramorum is a destructive pathogen that causes sudden oak death disease. The genome sequence of P. ramorum isolate Pr102 was previously produced, using Sanger reads, and contained 12 Mb of gaps. However, isolate Pr102 had shown reduced aggressiveness and genome abnormalities. In order to produce an improved genome assembly for P. ramorum , we performed long-read sequencing of highly aggressive P. ramorum isolate CDFA1418886 (abbreviated as ND886). We generated a 60.5-Mb assembly of the ND886 genome using the Pacific Biosciences (PacBio) sequencing platform. The assembly includes 302 primary contigs (60.2 Mb) and nine unplaced contigs (265 kb). Additionally, we found a 'highly repetitive' component from the PacBio unassembled unmapped reads containing tandem repeats that are not part of the 60.5-Mb genome. The overall repeat content in the primary assembly was much higher than the Pr102 Sanger version (48 versus 29%), indicating that the long reads have captured repetitive regions effectively. The 302 primary contigs were phased into 345 haplotype blocks and 222,892 phased variants, of which the longest phased block was 1,513,201 bp with 7,265 phased variants. The improved phased assembly facilitated identification of 21 and 25 Crinkler effectors and 393 and 394 RXLR effector genes from two haplotypes. Of these, 24 and 25 RXLR effectors were newly predicted from haplotypes A and B, respectively. In addition, seven new paralogs of effector Avh207 were found in contig 54, not reported earlier. Comparison of the ND886 assembly with Pr102 V1 assembly suggests that several repeat-rich smaller scaffolds within the Pr102 V1 assembly were possibly misassembled; these regions are fully encompassed now in ND886 contigs. Our analysis further reveals that Pr102 is a heterokaryon with multiple nuclear types in the sequences corresponding to contig 10 of ND886 assembly.

Purpose : Venting slits are widely used as an effective method to avoid the high intraocular pressure (IOP) phase immediately after the implantation of non-valved glaucoma drainage devices. However, there have been no detailed reports comparing the types of needles used and the numbers of slits made. In this study we investigated the effects of different needle types and the number of venting slits. Methods : IOP was measured using a Keyence NR-600 transducer connected to the limbus of a pig eye with a 27G needle. A microsyringe pump was also connected to the corneal limbus using a 27 G needle to make a continuous perfusion system at the rate of 200 μl/hr. The silicone tube of a Baerveldt glaucoma drainage implant (BG101-350) was ligated near the plate and then implanted in the anterior chamber of the pig eye. The tube was covered with scleral tissue of another pig eye after 1 or 3 venting slits were created in the middle of the outer diameter using different types of needles (7-0 Vicryl®, 7-0 PDSⅡ®, 5-0 PDSⅡ®, 3-0 PDS Plus®). IOP measurement was started from 50 mmHg and then we monitored the chronological changes of IOP for 15 minutes. Results : The IOPs at 15 minutes after continuous perfusion with the venting slits made using 7-0 Vicryl needles were 29.0 ± 2.5 mmHg (1 slit) and 23.1 ± 8.3 mmHg (3 slits). The IOPs were 23.1 ± 3.1 mmHg and 23.5 ± 4.7 mmHg with 7-0 PDS needles (1 slit and 3 slits, respectively), 21.8 ± 2.2 mmHg and 20.8 ± 4.3 mmHg with 5-0 PDS needles (1 slit and 3 slits, respectively), and with 3-0 PDS needles they were 12.2 ± 3.0 mmHg for one slit and 13.2 ± 3.5 mmHg for 3 slits. Conclusions : Usage of a round (PDS) needles produces more predictable IOP than a spatulated (Vicryl) needle.

Hypothesis: There are many natural surfaces with special wettabilities. Snail shells have unique rough structures, which indicates a specific wettability. In this study, the surface of a snail shell was simulated using epoxy resins, and water droplet dynamics on original and simulated snail shells were investigated to understand its special wettability., Experiments: The shell of the Euhadra sandai species of snails was used. The surface structure of the snail shell was simulated using epoxy resins. The surface of this EP resin was treated with UV-O 3 for different periods of time. Wettabilities and dynamics of water droplet on the samples were characterized., Findings: The surface of the snail shell with a water contact angle of approximately 85° caused the droplet to spread, which is the first report of water droplet dynamics on the shell surface. The behavior of a water droplet on the shell transformed from the Cassie state into the Wenzel state. Changes in the contact angle and diameter of the droplet base on the snail shell were larger than those on the epoxy resins. The surface roughness and chemical heterogeneity of the snail shell led to distortion of the three-phase contact line and enhancement of the spreading of the water droplet., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Hybridization may be a major driver in the evolution of plant pathogens. In a high elevation Alpine larch stand in Montana, a novel hybrid fungal pathogen of trees originating from the mating of Heterobasidion irregulare with H. occidentale has been recently discovered. In this study, sequence analyses of one mitochondrial and four nuclear loci from 11 Heterobasidion genotypes collected in the same Alpine larch stand indicated that hybridization has increased allelic diversity by generating novel polymorphisms unreported in either parental species. Sequence data and ploidy analysis through flow cytometry confirmed that heterokaryotic ( n  +  n ) genotypes were not first-generation hybrids, but were the result of multiple backcrosses, indicating hybrids are fertile. Additionally, all admixed genotypes possessed the H. occidentale mitochondrion, indicating that the hybrid progeny may have been backcrossing mostly with H. occidentale . Based on reticulate phylogenetic network analysis by PhyloNet, Bayesian assignment, and ordination tests, alleles can be defined as H. irregulare -like or H. occidentale -like. H. irregulare -like alleles are clearly distinct from all known H. irregulare alleles and are derived from the admixing of both Heterobasidion species. Instead, all but one H. occidentale alleles found in hybrids, although novel, were not clearly distinct from alleles found in the parental H. occidentale population. This discovery demonstrates that Alpine larch can be a universal host favouring the interspecific hybridization between H. irregulare and H. occidentale and the hybridization-mediated evolution of a nucleus, derived from H. irregulare parental species but clearly distinct from it., Competing Interests: None declared.

Combinatorial effects of three ions, namely silicate (Si), calcium (Ca), and magnesium (Mg) ions, on the adhesion and proliferation of MC3T3-E1 mouse osteoblast-like cells were evaluated. The cells were cultured in single-, dual-, or triple-ion-conditioned culture media with systematically changed ion concentrations. The ranges of Si, Ca, and Mg ion concentrations were set as 10-70, 80-400, and 25-500 ppm, respectively. The numbers of adherent live cells were measured after culturing for 3 h and for 1, 3, and 5 days to examine cell adhesion and proliferation, respectively. Mg ions predominantly enhanced cell adhesion in both the dual-ion (xSi-zMg and yCa-zMg) and triple-ion (xSi-yCa-zMg) systems but had no effect when they acted individually in the single-ion system. Conversely, Si ions predominantly enhanced cell proliferation in most single- and triple-ion-conditioned media. Evaluation of the combinatorial effects of the three ions on cell adhesion and proliferation revealed that the dual- and triple-ion-conditioned media mainly conferred synergistic effects on adhesion but antagonistic effects on proliferation. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 107A: 1042-1051, 2019., (© 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

During the bone regeneration process, the anisotropic microstructure of bone tissue (bone quality) recovers much later than bone mass (bone quantity), resulting in severe mechanical dysfunction in the bone. Hence, restoration of bone microstructure in parallel with bone mass is necessary for ideal bone tissue regeneration; for this, development of advanced bifunctional biomaterials, which control both the quality and quantity in regenerated bone, is required. We developed novel oriented bioactive glass/poly(lactic acid) composite scaffolds by introducing an effective methodology for controlling cell alignment and proliferation, which play important roles for achieving bone anisotropy and bone mass, respectively. Our strategy is to manipulate the cell alignment and proliferation by the morphological control of the scaffolds in combination with controlled ion release from bioactive glasses. We quantitatively controlled the morphology of fibermats containing bioactive glasses by electrospinning, which successfully induced cell alignment along the fibermats. Also, the substitution of CaO in Bioglass®(45S5) with MgO and SrO improved osteoblast proliferation, indicating that dissolved Mg 2+ and Sr 2+ ions promoted cell adhesion and proliferation. Our results indicate that the fibermats developed in this work are candidates for the scaffolds to bone tissue regeneration that enable recovery of both bone quality and bone quantity. © 2019 The Authors. journal Of Biomedical Materials Research Part A Published By Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 107A: 1031-1041, 2019., (© 2019 The Authors. Journal of Biomedical Materials Research Part A published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1098/rsos.172023.].

Gluconic acid, an oxidized cellulose degradation product, could be produced from cellulosic biomass. Glycerol is an inexpensive and renewable resource for fuels and chemicals production and is available as a byproduct of biodiesel production. Gluconate is a more oxidized substrate than glucose, whereas glycerol is a more reduced substrate than glucose. Although the production of homoethanol from glucose can be achieved, the conversion of gluconate to ethanol is accompanied by the production of oxidized byproduct such as acetate, and reduced byproducts such as 1,3-propanediol are produced, along with ethanol, when glycerol is used as the carbon source. When gluconate and glycerol are used as the sole carbon source by Klebsiella oxytoca BW21, the ethanol yield is about 62 to 64%. Coutilization of both gluconate and glycerol in batch fermentation increased the yield of ethanol to about 78.7% and decreased by-product accumulation (such as acetate and 1,3-propanediol) substantially. Decreasing by-product formation by deleting the pta , frd , ldh , pflA , and pduC genes in strain BW21 increased the ethanol yield to 89.3% in the batch fermentation of a glycerol-gluconate mixture. These deletions produced the strain K. oxytoca WT26. However, the utilization rate of glycerol was significantly slower than that of gluconate in batch fermentation. In addition, substantial amounts of glycerol remain unutilized after gluconate was depleted in batch fermentation. Continuous fed-batch fermentation was used to solve the utilization rate mismatch problem for gluconate and glycerol. An ethanol yield of 97.2% was achieved in continuous fed-batch fermentation of these two substrates, and glycerol was completely used at the end of the fermentation. IMPORTANCE Gluconate is a biomass-derived degradation product, and glycerol can be obtained as a biodiesel byproduct. Compared to glucose, using them as the sole substrate is accompanied by the production of by-products. Our study shows that through pathway engineering and adoption of a fed-batch culture system, high-yield homoethanol production that usually can be achieved by using glucose as the substrate is achievable using gluconate and glycerol as cosubstrates. The same strategy is expected to be able to achieve homofermentative production of other products, such as lactate and 2,3-butanediol, which can be typically achieved using glucose as the substrate and inexpensive biodiesel-derived glycerol and biomass-derived gluconate as the cosubstrates., (Copyright © 2019 American Society for Microbiology.)

The discharge of phosphate species into aqueous environments is a key issue for eutrophication prevention. In this study, we investigate a mechanochemical treatment of calcium silicate hydrate (C-S-H) gel with different organic solvents with the aim of changing its structure and improving its phosphate species removal properties. The treatment leads to a collapse of the gel structure, resulting in the formation of defective structures in the silicate anion chains. The C-S-H gel sample milled with acetone exhibits better phosphate species recovery characteristics than does the unmilled C-S-H gel sample or the C-S-H gel sample milled with 1-propanol. Ultraviolet irradiation during phosphate recovery using the C-S-H gel sample milled with acetone further enhances the recovery properties., Competing Interests: We declare we have no competing interests.

Objective: To characterize the genetic and clinical features of patients with autosomal dominant adult-onset demyelinating leukodystrophy (ADLD) carrying duplication and deletion upstream of lamin B1 ( LMNB1 )., Methods: Ninety-three patients with adult-onset leukoencephalopathy of unknown etiology were genetically analyzed for copy numbers of LMNB1 and its upstream genes. We examined LMNB1 expression by reverse transcription-qPCR using total RNA extracted from peripheral leukocytes. Clinical and MRI features of the patients with ADLD were retrospectively analyzed., Results: We identified 4 patients from 3 families with LMNB1 duplication. The duplicated genomic regions were different from those previously reported. The mRNA expression level of LMNB1 in patients with duplication was significantly increased. The clinical features of our patients with LMNB1 duplication were similar to those reported previously, except for the high frequency of cognitive impairment in our patients. We found 2 patients from 1 family carrying a 249-kb genomic deletion upstream of LMNB1 . Patients with the deletion exhibited relatively earlier onset, more prominent cognitive impairment, and fewer autonomic symptoms than patients with duplication. The presence of cerebellar symptoms and lesions may be characteristic in our patients with the deletion compared with the previously reported family with the deletion. Magnetic resonance images of patients with the deletion exhibited a widespread distribution of white matter lesions including the anterior temporal region., Conclusions: We identified 4 Japanese families with ADLD carrying duplication or deletion upstream of LMNB1 . There are differences in clinical and MRI features between the patients with the duplication and those with the deletion upstream of LMNB1 .

Background: Accumulating evidence suggests that genome plasticity allows filamentous plant pathogens to adapt to changing environments. Recently, the generalist plant pathogen Phytophthora ramorum has been documented to undergo irreversible phenotypic alterations accompanied by chromosomal aberrations when infecting trunks of mature oak trees (genus Quercus). In contrast, genomes and phenotypes of the pathogen derived from the foliage of California bay (Umbellularia californica) are usually stable. We define this phenomenon as host-induced phenotypic diversification (HIPD). P. ramorum also causes a severe foliar blight in some ornamental plants such as Rhododendron spp. and Viburnum spp., and isolates from these hosts occasionally show phenotypes resembling those from oak trunks that carry chromosomal aberrations. The aim of this study was to investigate variations in phenotypes and genomes of P. ramorum isolates from non-oak hosts and substrates to determine whether HIPD changes may be equivalent to those among isolates from oaks., Results: We analyzed genomes of diverse non-oak isolates including those taken from foliage of Rhododendron and other ornamental plants, as well as from natural host species, soil, and water. Isolates recovered from artificially inoculated oak logs were also examined. We identified diverse chromosomal aberrations including copy neutral loss of heterozygosity (cnLOH) and aneuploidy in isolates from non-oak hosts. Most identified aberrations in non-oak hosts were also common among oak isolates; however, trisomy, a frequent type of chromosomal aberration in oak isolates was not observed in isolates from Rhododendron., Conclusion: This work cross-examined phenotypic variation and chromosomal aberrations in P. ramorum isolates from oak and non-oak hosts and substrates. The results suggest that HIPD comparable to that occurring in oak hosts occurs in non-oak environments such as in Rhododendron leaves. Rhododendron leaves are more easily available than mature oak stems and thus can potentially serve as a model host for the investigation of HIPD, the newly described plant-pathogen interaction.

Discharge of humic acid (HA) in aqueous environments is a key health and aesthetic issue. The present work investigates the use of hydrogarnet as a novel adsorbent for HA. Hydrogarnet was hydrothermally synthesized with different solvents to control the chemical composition. Hydrogarnet with three types of chemical compositions had better adsorption properties for HA than hydrogarnet with a single chemical composition. Controlling the chemical composition of hydrogarnet increased the number of hydroxyl groups and the overall binding energy of the system, leading to changes in the zeta potential. The enhancement of these adsorption properties is related to the increased numbers of hydroxyl groups on the surface and their diverse binding energies., Competing Interests: We declare we have no competing interests.

Nanopaper prepared from holocellulose pulp is one of the best substrates for flexible electronics because of its high thermal resistance and high clear transparency. However, the clearness of nanopaper decreases with increasing concentration of the starting cellulose nanofiber dispersion-with the use of a 2.2 wt % dispersion, for example-resulting in translucent nanopaper with a high haze of 44%. To overcome this problem, we show that the dilution of this high-concentration dispersion with water followed by sonication for 10 s reduces the haze to less than 10% while maintaining the high thermal resistance of the nanopaper. Furthermore, the combination of water dilution and a short sonication treatment improves the clearness of the nanopaper, which would translate into cost savings for the transportation and storage of this highly concentrated cellulose nanofiber dispersion. Finally, we demonstrate the improvement of the electrical conductivity of clear transparent nanopaper prepared from an initially high-concentration dispersion by dropping and heating silver nanowire ink on the nanopaper. These achievements will pave the way toward the realization of the mass production of nanofiber-based flexible devices., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Phytophthora ramorum is an invasive and devastating plant pathogen that causes sudden oak death in coastal forests in the western United States and ramorum blight in nursery ornamentals and native plants in various landscapes. As a broad host-range quarantine pest that can be asymptomatic in some hosts, P. ramorum presents significant challenges for regulatory efforts to detect and contain it, particularly in commercial nurseries. As part of a program to develop new detection methods for cryptic infections in nursery stock, we compared volatile emissions of P. ramorum-inoculated and noninoculated Rhododendron plants using three gas chromatography-mass spectrometry methods. The first used a branch enclosure combined with headspace sorptive extraction to measure plant volatiles in situ. Seventy-eight compounds were found in the general Rhododendron profile. The volatile profile of inoculated but asymptomatic plants (121 days post-inoculation) was distinguishable from the profile of the noninoculated controls. Three compounds were less abundant in inoculated Rhododendron plants relative to noninoculated and mock-inoculated control plants. A second method employed stir bar sorptive extraction to measure volatiles in vitro from leaf extractions in methanol; 114 volatiles were found in the overall profile with 30 compounds less abundant and one compound more abundant in inoculated Rhododendron plants relative to mock-inoculated plants. At 128 days post-inoculation, plants were asymptomatic and similar in appearance to the noninoculated controls, but their chemical profiles were different. In a third technique, volatiles from water runoff from the soil of potted healthy and inoculated Rhododendron plants were compared. Runoff from the inoculated plants contained four unique volatile compounds that never appeared in the runoff from mock-inoculated plants. These three volatile detection techniques could lead to innovative approaches that augment detection and diagnosis of P. ramorum and oomycete pathogens in nurseries and other settings. Graphical abstract Detection of volatile signatures may aid in discriminating healthy vs. infected but asymptomatic plants in nursery and greenhouse facilities.

Optically transparent cellulose nanopaper is a promising candidate for flexible device substrates because of its light weight, surface smoothness, and high dimensional stability with respect to temperature. Conventionally, clear transparent nanopaper has been fabricated from cellulose nanofiber dispersions with quite low concentration: less than 0.5 wt%. However, this diluteness leads to several problems, such as huge energy consumption and long operation time for drying. Therefore, nanopaper should be fabricated from a concentrated dispersion to mitigate these problems. In this study, transparent nanopaper was fabricated from cellulose nanofiber dispersions with various concentrations (0.24-1.81 wt%). Optical experiments revealed that the haze of the transparent nanopaper increased monotonically with cellulose nanofiber dispersion concentration, when the cellulose nanofiber dispersion was prepared from holocellulose pulp and conventional over-drying was applied. Based on our insight into the origin of this increase in the haze of transparent nanopaper, we developed high-humidity drying, which successfully produced clear transparent nanopaper from a concentrated dispersion without prolonged drying time., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

Organic-inorganic composites are novel bone substitutes that can ameliorate the mismatch of Young's moduli between natural bone and implanted ceramics. Phosphate groups contribute to the formation of apatite in a simulated body fluid (SBF) and the adhesion of osteoblast-like cells. Therefore, modification of a polymer with these functional groups is expected to enhance the ability of the organic-inorganic composite to bond with bone. Two phosphate groups have been used, phosphonic acid (-C-PO 3 H 2 ) and phosphoric acid (-O-PO 3 H 2 ). However, the effects of structural differences between these phosphate groups have not been clarified. In this study, the apatite formation of copolymers modified with Ca 2+ and either -C-PO 3 H 2 or -O-PO 3 H 2 was examined. The mechanism of apatite formation is discussed based on analytical and computational approaches. The copolymers containing -O-PO 3 H 2 , but not those containing -C-PO 3 H 2 , formed apatite in the SBF, although both released similar amounts of Ca 2+ into the SBF. Adsorption of HPO 4 2- from -O-PO 3 H 2 in the SBF following Ca 2+ adsorption was confirmed by zeta-potential measurement and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The measurement of the complex formation constant revealed that the -O-PO 3 2- Ca 2+ complex was thermodynamically unstable enough to convert into CaHPO 4 , which was not the case with -C-PO 3 2- Ca 2+ . The formation of CaHPO 4 -based clusters was found to be a key factor for apatite nucleation. In conclusion, this study revealed that modification with -O-PO 3 H 2 was more effective for enhancing apatite formation compared with -C-PO 3 H 2 .

Objective: To investigate the association between visual impairment and the risk of falls in hospitalized patients., Design: Individually matched case-control study., Methods: The medical records of patients who fell while hospitalized at Juntendo Tokyo Koto Geriatric Medical Center (JTKGMC) from January to December 2014 were reviewed retrospectively. Among them, 36 patients who were recorded as visiting the Ophthalmology Outpatient Clinic from 1 year before to 1 year after the fall were included as cases. As the control subjects, 36 individually matched patients were chosen who were hospitalized in the same beds in the same hospital wards. Visual impairment and blindness were defined according to U.S. criteria. Conditional logistic regression analysis was used for both univariate and multivariate analyses. Based on previous reports, multivariate analysis was performed with adjustment for age, sex, a history of falls, and use of walking aids. This study was approved by the institutional review board of JTKGMC and was performed according to the tenets of the Declaration of Helsinki., Results: The crude odds ratio (OR) for visual impairment was 6.0 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.72-49.83). For a history of falls and use of walking aids, the crude OR (95% CI) was 2.5 (0.97-6.44) and 2.8 (0.88-8.64), respectively. After adjustment for age, sex, a history of falls, and use of walking aids, the association between falls and visual impairment was significant (OR: 13.9; 95% CI: 1.0004-194.41)., Conclusion: These findings suggest that visual impairment could be an independent risk factor for falls among hospitalized patients., (Copyright © 2017 Canadian Ophthalmological Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Novel CaO-P 2 O 5 -Nb 2 O 5 -Ag 2 O invert glasses with substitution Ag 2 O for Nb 2 O 5 were successfully prepared using a melt-quenching method. Ag 2 O in the glasses act as a network modifier oxide, playing the same role as Na 2 O, which breaks the phosphate chains. Analysis of the ultraviolet-visible absorption spectra of the glasses showed that the glass matrix contained ionic silver species and silver nanoparticles. Approximately 0.05 mM of Nb 5+ ions released from the glasses, which would be expected to stimulate osteoblast differentiation. A glass containing 1 mol % Ag 2 O showed a linear increase in the releasing amount of Ag + ions with increasing soaking time, whereas glasses containing 3-5 mol % Ag 2 O showed Ag + ion concentrations of around 13 μM at day 3, and then maintained similar values until day 7. When the solution was replaced with fresh solution every 2 days, the Ag + ion dissolution amounts indicated almost constantly 13 μM due to AgCl formation. There were no differences in the numbers of primary osteoblast cells on silver-free and silver-containing glasses after cultivation for 1-7 days. The silver-containing calcium phosphate invert glasses showed cytocompatibility with simultaneous antibacterial activity to Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 105A: 3127-3135, 2017., (© 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Understanding the structural role of TiO 2 in calcium phosphate invert glasses is key for developing a new glass design for biomedical applications. Experimental and computational analysis methods were used to investigate the impact of TiO 2 substitution in these glasses. Spectroscopic analyses indicated that titanium oxide exists as both TiO 4 and TiO 6 units, leading to the formation of Ti-O-P bonds, in spite of depolymerization of the phosphate chains. Classical molecular dynamics showed that the presence of TiO 2 influences the phosphate units and CaO polyhedral structures. The formation of the Ti-O-P bonds caused an increase in the network connectivity of the invert glasses, leading to the improvement of the glass forming ability and wettability. The addition of TiO 2 to calcium phosphate invert glasses led to the introduction of bioactivity.