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In this study, cordierite-based ceramics (2MgO·2Al2O3·5SiO2) were synthesized using high-purity MgO, Al2O3, and SiO2 as starting materials. The influence of the MgO/Al2O3 ratio on various properties, including the thermal behavior, pyrometric cone refractory behavior, phase formation, physical properties, and microstructure of the synthesized ceramics, was systematically analyzed. Increasing the MgO/Al2O3 ratio progressively weakened the cordierite network, leading to lower temperatures for liquid formation and melting. This resulted in reduced viscosity and increased fluidity. Subsequently, the thermal and refractory behaviors were observed at lower temperatures with higher deformation rates under higher MgO/Al2O3 ratios. The lower viscosity of the liquid formed at reduced temperatures contributed to an increase in the density of sintered bodies, reduced porosity, and enhanced shrinkage. X-ray diffraction analysis confirmed that cordierite was the predominant phase in samples sintered at 1300, 1350, and 1400 °C, with higher cordierite formation at higher temperatures. Conversely, the formation of secondary phases, such as spinel, cristobalite, and enstatite, decreased with increasing sintering temperature. Pyrometric cones were then constructed for a range of temperature settings, and their deformation characteristics at specific temperatures were used to evaluate the refractoriness under diverse conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nerve decompression is an emerging surgical treatment option for patients with occipital neuralgia. However, limited research is available on the efficacy of this treatment in South Korea. This retrospective study evaluates the efficacy of nerve decompression surgery in patients with chronic migraines, specifically focusing on occipital neuralgia, in South Korea. Between January 2019 and December 2022, six patients diagnosed with occipital neuralgia, who had not responded to conservative treatments, underwent nerve decompression surgery. This procedure, performed under local anesthesia, involved decompression of the greater and/or lesser occipital nerves. Patient data were analyzed for headache frequency and intensity (using the Numeric Rating Scale [NRS]) and the decrease in oral medications needed postsurgery. Results showed significant improvement in headache symptoms postsurgery, with the average preoperative NRS score of 7.9 dropping to 3.7 postoperatively. Additionally, the average number of medications used decreased from 3.2 to 1.3. No significant surgical complications were reported. The study highlights the potential of nerve decompression as an effective treatment for occipital neuralgia, particularly in cases resistant to traditional medical management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BackgroundGenetic markers are tools that can facilitate molecular breeding, even in species lacking genomic resources. An important class of genetic markers is those based on orthologous genes, because they can guide hypotheses about conserved gene function, a situation that is well documented for a number of agronomic traits. For under-studied species a key bottleneck in gene-based marker development is the need to develop molecular tools (e.g., oligonucleotide primers) that reliably access genes with orthology to the genomes of well-characterized reference species.ResultsHere we report an efficient platform for the design of cross-species gene-derived markers in legumes. The automated platform, named CSGM Designer (URL: http://tgil.donga.ac.kr/CSGMdesigner), facilitates rapid and systematic design of cross-species genic markers. The underlying database is composed of genome data from five legume species whose genomes are substantially characterized. Use of CSGM is enhanced by graphical displays of query results, which we describe as "circular viewer" and "search-within-results" functions. CSGM provides a virtual PCR representation (eHT-PCR) that predicts the specificity of each primer pair simultaneously in multiple genomes. CSGM Designer output was experimentally validated for the amplification of orthologous genes using 16 genotypes representing 12 crop and model legume species, distributed among the galegoid and phaseoloid clades. Successful cross-species amplification was obtained for 85.3% of PCR primer combinations.ConclusionCSGM Designer spans the divide between well-characterized crop and model legume species and their less well-characterized relatives. The outcome is PCR primers that target highly conserved genes for polymorphism discovery, enabling functional inferences and ultimately facilitating trait-associated molecular breeding.