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Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) phenomena have been widely studied to detect biomolecules because of their high sensitivity and ability to determine biomolecular interactions with kinetic information. However, highly selective detection in specific concentration ranges relevant to target biomolecules is still a challenging task. Recently, we developed bioresponsive nanoscale hydrogels to selectively intensify SPR signals through multivalent protein binding (MPB) events with target biomolecules, including IL-2, where we were able to demonstrate exceptional selectivity for target biomolecules with minimal responses to nonspecific and monovalent binding events. In this work, we systematically explored the relationship between the physical properties of MPB-capable nanoscale hydrogels and their SPR response induced in the presence of the programmed cell death protein 1 antibody (PD-1Ab) as a model target biomolecule. First, we developed a synthetic protocol by controlling various reaction parameters to construct a library of nanoscale poly(

Understanding pollen tube growth is critical for crop yield maintenance. The pollen tube provides a path for sperm cells for fertilization with egg cells. Cells must be subdivided into functionally and structurally distinct compartments for polar tip growth, and phosphoinositides are thought to be one of the facilitators for polarization during pollen tube growth. OsSNDP3 encodes Sec14-nodulin domain-containing protein and localizes in the nucleus and the microdomains of the plasma membrane in tobacco leaf epidermis cells. OsSNDP3 is thought to bind with phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate based on the data including the information of basic amino acids in the C-terminal and colocalization with 2X Pleckstrin homology domain of Phospholipase C delta-1. OsSNDP3 interacts with a protein that contains a class I nodulin domain. We discovered that OsSNDP3 plays a significant role in pollen tube germination using CRISPR/Cas9 systems, whereas another pollen-preferential Sec14-nodulin domain-containing protein, OsSNDP2, additively functions with OsSNDP3 during pollen tube germination. Gene Ontology analysis using downregulated genes in ossndp3 indicated that the expression of genes involved in the phosphatidylinositol metabolic process and tip growth was significantly altered in ossndp3. OsSNDP3 aids pollen polar tip growth by binding with phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate. We can better understand the roles of phosphoinositides during pollen tube growth by studying the functions of OsSNDP3 and OsSNDP2. And downregulated genes in ossndp3 might be useful targets for future research on polar tip growth.

The present study deals with the effect of hybrid ratio on the mechanical properties and thermal properties of kenaf, bamboo fiber-reinforced hybrid polypropylene (PP) composites. The present work deals with the fabricating and characterization of PP/glass fiber/kenaf/bamboo fiber-reinforced composite. The composite of PP reinforced with kenaf, bamboo fiber and kenaf/bamboo fiber was made using injection molding technique. Different fiber loadings of 100, 75, 50, 25, 0 wt% kenaf/bamboo composites were also prepared. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were performed for non-mixed fiber and mixed compounds. By observing FE_SEM, the random directionality of fiber direction was reduced as the KF content increased, thus improving the physical characteristic value. Moreover, since the kenaf and bamboo were mixed with the pp, PP/glass fiber/kenaf/bamboo fiber-reinforced composite had better physical, morphological and mechanical properties. However, variations in tensile and impact properties depend on the mixing ratio. The mechanical properties of PP/glass fiber/kenaf/bamboo fiber-reinforced composite compared with those of non-mixed stand-alone were also measured. The mechanical properties were higher when 75 wt% kenaf/bamboo fibers were mixed. And the calculation of the volume fraction also showed the tendency of increasing mechanical properties according to the increasing proportion of fibers.

Objective It is unclear if stopping treatment with dabigatran, a new oral anticoagulant (NOAC), induces a paradoxical rebound prothrombotic state. We investigated if short-term (1-3 days) dabigatran cessation is associated with a higher thrombus volume than expected from a simple reversal of the anticoagulant effect. Methods Ten-week-old C57Bl/6 mice (n=338) received one of the following oral treatments: phosphate-buffered saline (PBS), dabigatran for 7 days with or without 1-4 day cessation, and aspirin in either a single dose or daily for 7 days. Some of the animals that ceased dabigatran for 1-3 days received single-dose aspirin. Thereafter, we induced FeCl3 -mediated carotid thrombosis in 130 mice, after which we performed microCT thrombus imaging. The other 208 mice underwent coagulation assays or platelet function tests. As an explorative pilot study, we reviewed the medical records of 18 consecutive patients with NOAC cessation-related cerebral infarction in a large acute stroke cohort. Results We observed a higher volume of carotid thrombus after dabigatran cessation at 1-3 days than after vehicle treatment and showed that this effect could be prevented by single-dose aspirin pretreatment. Dabigatran cessation unduly increased platelet aggregability for 2 days after drug cessation, an effect mediated through arachidonic acid or thrombin, which effect was significantly attenuated by single-dose aspirin pretreatment. In patients, short-term (≤3 day) cessation of NOAC therapy, compared with longer-term (≥5 days) cessation, tended to be associated with relatively high stroke severity. Interpretation We provide the first preclinical evidence that a rebound prothrombotic state follows short-term cessation of dabigatran therapy. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Background : Depression in adolescence is a social problem that has detrimental effects on an individual's physical and mental health and increases health care burden on families and society. This study investigates the connection between mental illness among parents and their adolescent children in Korea. Methods : The sample included parents of 5315 adolescents (12-24 years) and data were obtained from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Survey (KNHANES) from 2007 to 2017. Family based comprehensive questionnaires were used. Multivariate logistic regression models were performed to estimate odds ratios (ORs) at 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs). Results : The main findings showed that daughters with depressed mothers were 1.92 times more likely to experience depression and 1.64 times more likely to have suicidal ideations. In particular, when father was suicidal, his daughter had a 2.59 times higher risk of suicidal thoughts than father was not depressed and had no suicidal thoughts. Sons’ depressive mood was rarely affected by the psychological status of mothers and fathers. Limitation : There are under-report issue of feelings and study design is cross-sectional. Conclusions : This study showed gender differences in the association between parents’ and adolescents’ experience of depression. Thus, the daughter's psychological state was found to be strongly associated with the psychological state of both parents.

Background and aims Exercise training (ET) helps treat atherosclerosis. However, many patients stop regular ET for various reasons. The effect of detraining on atherosclerosis is not well studied. We examined the effects of ET vs. short-term detraining on atheromatous matrix-metalloproteinase (MMP) activity in preexisting plaque and circulating cytokines/lipids. Methods and results Eighteen-week-old apolipoprotein-E−/− mice (n = 56) on a Western diet underwent: 1) ET for 6-weeks (ET5+1), 2) ET for 5-weeks and detraining for 1-week (ET5+0), 3) ET for the last 1-week (ET0+1), or 4) no treadmill ET at all for 6-weeks (ET0+0). Atheromatous MMP-activity was visualized using molecular imaging with an MMP-2/9-activatable near-infrared-fluorescent probe. Compared with no ET (ET0+0), regular ET (ET5+1) decreased carotid atheromatous MMP activity, but this protective effect was significantly blunted by short-term detraining (ET5+0). Short-term detraining after longer-term ET showed a reduction in MMP-activity similar to short-term ET (ET0+1). Blood levels of lipids and cytokines paralleled the molecular imaging results: exercise caused higher levels of high-density lipoprotein, adiponectin, and interleukin-10 and lower levels of vascular cell adhesion molecule, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, interleukin-1β, and low-density lipoprotein. However, this beneficial effect was short-lived, with the ET5+0 group being similar to the ET0+0 group, and the ET0+1 group being similar to the ET5+1 group. The effect of exercise can be modeled with an exponential-decay of the protective factor of about 15%/day. Conclusions Even short-term detraining reduces atheroprotective effects, and tips the balance towards atherosclerosis. This suggests that ET, to be effective, needs to be prolonged and regular, and that detraining should be avoided.

Pharmacokinetic (PK) evaluation of nanomaterials are crucial for further clinical development of imaging nanomaterials. In spite of huge advances in nanoparticle-based biomedical research, PK assessment typically requires substantial resources. Here, we show a simple, inexpensive, and yet precise analytical method applicable to the PK interrogation of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) in the body. We have developed a UV-vis spectroscopic technique that utilizes mechanochemical treatments to separate AuNPs from tissues and then employs surface plasmon of extracted AuNPs to quantify their distribution in the body. This method allows the detection of 10 μg/mL of AuNPs in solution, as was confirmed by using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. We demonstrate biodistribution of fibrin-targeted AuNPs that enable microCT-based visualization of arterial thrombi in mice: blood and thrombi as well as various organs. We believe that our method is generally applicable to most PK studies utilizing AuNPs in medical applications.

Rice is an important food staple that is consumed by half of the human population. Therefore, understanding the regulatory mechanism of male fertility in rice can improve production by enhancing the efficiency of hybrid seed production. However, information on the control mechanism of male fertility by anther dehiscence or wall development in rice is very limited. To further understand the regulatory mechanism for anther dehiscence in rice, we carried out transcriptome analysis for two tissues: the anther wall and pollen at the anthesis stage. With the anatomical meta-expression data, in addition to these tissues, the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between the two tissues were further refined to identify 1,717 pollen-preferred genes and 534 anther wall-preferred genes. A GUS transgenic line and RT-qPCR analysis for anther wall-preferred genes supported the fidelity of our gene candidates for further analysis. The refined DEGs were functionally classified through Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment and MapMan analyses. Through the analysis of cis-acting elements and alternative splicing variants, we also suggest the feature of regulatory sequences in promoter regions for anther wall-preferred expression and provide information of the unique splicing variants in anther walls. Subsequently, it was found that hormone signaling and the resulting transcriptional regulation pathways may play an important role in anther dehiscence and anther wall development. Our result could provide useful insight for future research to broaden the molecular mechanism of anther dehiscence or anther wall development in rice.

Objective This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of Ecklonia stolonifera (E. stolonifera) extract addition on in vitro ruminal fermentation characteristics, methanogenesis and microbial populations. Methods One cannulated Holstein cow (450±30 kg) consuming timothy hay and a commercial concentrate (60:40, w/w) twice daily (09:00 and 17:00) at 2% of body weight with free access to water and mineral block were used as rumen fluid donors. In vitro fermentation experiment, with timothy hay as substrate, was conducted for up to 72 h, with E. stolonifera extract added to achieve final concentration 1%, 3%, and 5% on timothy hay basis. Results Administration of E. stolonifera extract to a ruminant fluid-artificial saliva mixture in vitro increased the total gas production. Unexpectedly, E. stolonifera extracts appeared to increase both methane emissions and hydrogen production, which is contrasts with previous observations with brown algae extracts used under in vitro fermentation conditions. Interestingly, real-time polymerase chain reaction indicated that as compared with the untreated control the ciliate-associated methanogen and Fibrobacter succinogenes populations decreased, whereas the Ruminococcus flavefaciens population increased as a result of E. stolonifera extract supplementation. Conclusion E. stolonifera showed no detrimental effect on rumen fermentation characteristics and microbial population. Through these results E. stolonifera has potential as a viable feed supplement to ruminants.

In this paper, the various optimized generators for H2O/LiBr absorption chiller with multi-heat sources are discussed. While the previous optimization has been mainly conducted for a single element, the integrated generation system including high/low temperature generator and waste heat recovery generator is optimized in this paper. A practical modeling method is proposed for the high/low temperature generator and it has been verified by comparing with experimental results. Meta-models for the volume and the generation rate are built with kriging method, and the generators are optimized by multi-objective optimization technique using the meta-models. The total volume is minimized and the total generation rate is maximized according to five design variables of the generators. It is found that from the optimization process the total volume is decreased by 59.06% and the total generation rate is increased by 31.46% compared to the baseline point. It is concluded that the contribution of the waste heat recovery generator and the high temperature generator are dominant for the total volume reduction and the total generation rate improvement, respectively. Moreover, the effects of the key variables on the performance of each generator are analyzed according to the optimization of the integrated generation system.

Pollen in angiosperms plays a critical role in double fertilization by germinating and elongating pollen tubes rapidly in one direction to deliver sperm. In this process, the secretory vesicles deliver cell wall and plasma membrane materials, and excessive materials are sequestered via endocytosis. However, endocytosis in plants is poorly understood. AP180 N-terminal homology (ANTH) domain-containing proteins function as adaptive regulators for clathrin-mediated endocytosis in eukaryotic systems. Here, we identified 17 ANTH domain-containing proteins from rice based on a genome-wide investigation. Motif and phylogenomic analyses revealed seven asparagine-proline-phenylalanine (NPF)-rich and 10 NPF-less subgroups of these proteins, as well as various clathrin-mediated endocytosis-related motifs in their C-terminals. To investigate their roles in pollen germination, we performed meta-expression analysis of all genes encoding ANTH domain-containing proteins in Oryza sativa (OsANTH genes) in anatomical samples, including pollen, and identified five mature pollen-preferred OsANTH genes. The subcellular localization of four OsANTH proteins that were preferentially expressed in mature pollen can be consistent with their role in endocytosis in the plasma membrane. Of them, OsANTH3 represented the highest expression in mature pollen. Functional characterization of OsANTH3 using T-DNA insertional knockout and gene-edited mutants revealed that a mutation in OsANTH3 decreased seed fertility by reducing the pollen germination percentage in rice. Thus, our study suggests OsANTH3-mediated endocytosis is important for rice pollen germination.

The objectives of this study are to analyze effects of design parameters of a generator with a steam heat source on condensation heat transfer and flow characteristics inside tubes and to design optimum configuration of the generator with minimum volume that satisfies design constraints for H2O/LiBr absorption chiller application. To that end, the heat transfer and flow characteristics of a straight-pipe tube and a tube with return bends were analyzed through numerical analysis according to the tube diameter, number of tubes, and the diameter of return bends. It was found that the minimum tube volume satisfying the design constraints was obtained for N t u b e = 2 and D t u b e = 12 m m in the case of the straight tube. The smaller the diameter of the return bend was, the greater the flow separation area, which caused a large local flow velocity. In the case of the return bend tubes, the smallest tube volume that satisfies both the flow and pressure drop constraints was obtained for N t u b e = 2 and D t u r n / D t u b e = 1.0. In the case D t u r n / D t u b e = 1.5 , where the pressure drop was the smallest, the pressure drop was higher by 9% compared to the pressure drop constraint (1 bar), but the tube volume that satisfies the flow constraints decreased by 49%.

OBJECTIVE Conventional methods for organotypic hippocampal tissue slice culture (OHSC) have shown several disadvantages or limitations regarding age of animals used, duration of culture and difficulty using neurodegenerative models. Therefore, we tried to establish OHSC from old 3xTg-Alzheimer's disease (AD) mice for longer period (over 4 weeks) and to validate utility of this system as a valid platform for translational neuroscience of AD. METHODS OHSC was performed with old 3xTg-AD mice (12-14 months), old wild type mice (12-14 months) and young 3xTg-AD mice (2-4 months) using serum-free medium for 4 weeks. Hippocampal structure was evaluated by 4', 6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI) intensity and neuronal metabolism was measured by Alamarblue assay. Pathologic characteristics of AD were also investigated; β-amyloid levels by ELISA, amyloid plaque deposition by Thioflavin-S staining, and glial activation by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS Following 4-week culture in serum-free media, hippocampal cells and layers were well preserved in cultured slices from old AD mice as was in those from young AD and old wild type mice. On the contrary, excessive regression of total visible cells was observed in conventional serum-containing medium regardless of genotype of mice. In parallel with this well preserved structure, major pathologic characteristics of AD were also well manifested in hippocampal slices from old AD mice. CONCLUSION Our findings suggest that long-term OHSC from old 3xTg-AD mouse can serve as a promising ex vivo system for studies on pathophysiology of AD, especially with the minimum number of sacrifice of experimental animals.

The X-ray-based reconstruction methods using anterior-posterior (AP) and lateral (LAT) images assumes that the angle between the AP and LAT images is perpendicular. However, it is difficult to maintain the perfect perpendicular angle between the AP and LAT images when taking those two images sequentially in real situations. In this study, the robustness of a three-dimensional (3D) whole spine reconstruction method using AP and LAT planar X-ray images was analyzed by investigating cases in which the AP and LAT images were not taken perpendicularly. 3D models of the patient-specific spine from five subjects were reconstructed using AP and LAT X-Ray images and the 3D template models of C1 to L5 vertebrae based on B-spline free-form deformation (FFD) technology. The shape error, projected area error, and relative error in length were quantified by comparing the reconstructed model (FFD model) to the reference model (CT model). The results indicated that the reconstruction method might be considered robust in case that there is a small angular error, such as 5°, between the AP and LAT images. This study suggested that simple technical indications to obtain the perpendicular AP and LAT images in real situations can improve accuracy of 3D spine reconstruction.

Objective Gelidium amansii (Lamouroux) is a red alga belonging to the family Gelidaceae and is commonly found in the shallow coasts of many East Asian countries, including Korea, China, and Japan. G. amansii has traditionally been utilized as an edible alga, and has various biological activities. The objective of this study was to determine whether dietary supplementation of G. amansii could be useful for improving ruminal fermentation. Methods As assessed by in vitro fermentation parameters such as pH, total gas, volatile fatty acid (VFA) production, gas profile (methane, carbon dioxide, hydrogen, and ammonia), and microbial growth rate was compared to a basal diet with timothy hay. Cannulated Holstein cows were used as rumen fluid donors and 15 mL rumen fluid: buffer (1:2) was incubated for up to 72 h with four treatments with three replicates. The treatments were: control (timothy only), basal diet with 1% G. amansii extract, basal diet with 3% G. amansii extract, and basal diet with 5% G. amansii extract. Results Overall, the results of our study indicate that G. amansii supplementation is potentially useful for improving ruminant growth performance, via increased total gas and VFA production, but does come with some undesirable effects, such as increasing pH, ammonia concentration, and methane production. In particular, real-time polymerase chain reaction indicated that the methanogenic archaea and Fibrobacter succinogenes populations were significantly reduced, while the Ruminococcus flavefaciens populations were significantly increased at 24 h, when supplemented with G. amansii extracts as compared with controls. Conclusion More research is required to elucidate what G. amansii supplementation can do to improve growth performance, and its effect on methane production in ruminants.

Objective Gelidium amansii (Lamouroux) is a red alga belonging to the family Gelidaceae and is commonly found in the shallow coasts of many East Asian countries, including Korea, China, and Japan. G. amansii has traditionally been utilized as an edible alga, and has various biological activities. The objective of this study was to determine whether dietary supplementation of G. amansii could be useful for improving ruminal fermentation. Methods As assessed by in vitro fermentation parameters such as pH, total gas, volatile fatty acid (VFA) production, gas profile (methane, carbon dioxide, hydrogen, and ammonia), and microbial growth rate was compared to a basal diet with timothy hay. Cannulated Holstein cows were used as rumen fluid donors and 15 mL rumen fluid: buffer (1:2) was incubated for up to 72 h with four treatments with three replicates. The treatments were: control (timothy only), basal diet with 1% G. amansii extract, basal diet with 3% G. amansii extract, and basal diet with 5% G. amansii extract. Results Overall, the results of our study indicate that G. amansii supplementation is potentially useful for improving ruminant growth performance, via increased total gas and VFA production, but does come with some undesirable effects, such as increasing pH, ammonia concentration, and methane production. In particular, real-time polymerase chain reaction indicated that the methanogenic archaea and Fibrobacter succinogenes populations were significantly reduced, while the Ruminococcus flavefaciens populations were significantly increased at 24 h, when supplemented with G. amansii extracts as compared with controls. Conclusion More research is required to elucidate what G. amansii supplementation can do to improve growth performance, and its effect on methane production in ruminants.

OBJECTIVE Due to the threat of global warming, the livestock industry is increasingly interested in exploring how feed additives may reduce anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions, especially from ruminants. This study investigated the effect of Rhodophyta supplemented bovine diets on in vitro rumen fermentation and rumen microbial diversity. METHODS Cannulated Holstein cows were used as rumen fluid donors. Rumen fluid:buffer (1:2; 15 mL) solution was incubated for up to 72 h in six treatments: a control (timothy hay only), along with substrates containing 5% extracts from five Rhodophyta species (Grateloupia lanceolata [Okamura] Kawaguchi, Hypnea japonica Tanaka, Pterocladia capillacea [Gmelin] Bornet, Chondria crassicaulis Harvey, or Gelidium amansii [Lam.] Lamouroux). RESULTS Compared with control, Rhodophyta extracts increased cumulative gas production after 24 and 72 h (p = 0.0297 and p = 0.0047). The extracts reduced methane emission at 12 and 24 h (p

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the components of walking adults who have no symptoms by integrating the temporal and spatial walking variables obtained from the GAITRite system. The following describes previous debates on weight-loaded walking training. The conclusion was as follows. First, there was a significant difference in walking distance between the 0% group and 1% group and between the 1% group and 2% group (P

Background and Purpose— Quantitative imaging for the noninvasive assessment of thrombolysis is needed to advance basic and clinical thrombosis-related research and tailor tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA) treatment for stroke patients. We quantified the evolution of cerebral thromboemboli using fibrin-targeted glycol chitosan–coated gold nanoparticles and microcomputed tomography, with/without tPA therapy. Methods— We injected thrombi into the distal internal carotid artery in mice (n=50). Fifty-five minutes later, we injected fibrin-targeted glycol chitosan–coated gold nanoparticles, and 5 minutes after that, we treated animals with tPA or not (25 mg/kg). We acquired serial microcomputed tomography images for 24 hours posttreatment. Results— Thrombus burden at baseline was 784×10 3 ±59×10 3 μm 2 for the tPA group (n=42) and 655×10 3 ±103×10 3 μm 2 for the saline group (n=8; P =0.37). Thrombus shrinkage began at 0.5 to 1 hour after tPA therapy, with a maximum initial rate of change at 4603±957 μm 2 /min. The rate of change lowered to ≈61% level of the initial in hours 1 to 2, followed by ≈29% and ≈1% in hours 2 to 3 and 3 to 24, respectively. Thus, 85% of total thrombolysis over 24 hours (≈500 μm 2 , equivalent to 64% of the baseline thrombus burden) occurred within the first 3 hours of treatment. Thrombus burden at 24 hours could be predicted at around 1.5 to 2 hours. Saline treatment was not associated with significant changes in the thrombus burden. Infarct size was smaller in the tPA group versus saline group (18.1±2.3 versus 45.8±3.3 mm 2 ; P r =0.71; P Conclusions— Thromboembolic burden and the efficacy of tPA therapy can be assessed serially, noninvasively, and quantitatively using high-resolution microcomputed tomography and a fibrin-binding nanoparticle imaging agent.

In this study, we examine the thickness of the abdominal muscle and its activity during the performance of the three drawing-in methods. The subjects were 20 healthy male and female students in their 20s. Using ultrasonography and electromyography, the experimenter measured the thickness of the transversus abdominis (TrA) muscle, internal oblique (IO) muscle and external oblique (EO) muscle. The ultrasonography measurements for the drawing-in manoeuver (DI), abdominal bracing, and posterior pelvic tilt (PT) techniques were 0.64±0.20, 0.54±0.15, and 0.46±0.12, respectively, with significant differences for the TrA. The electromyography results of the DI, SA, and PT techniques were 4.35±1.72, 3.00±1.48, and 2.70±1.52, respectively, for the IO. There was a significant difference in the DI, SA, and PT techniques for the EO (5.10±3.30, 3.85±3.89, 2.25±1.29, respectively). The DI method activated the oblique abdominal muscles, but there was no great change in their thickness; the TrA, however, was selectively strengthened through changes in its thickness.

Recent technological advances in big data, machine learning, and robotics, have begun to have a negative influence on existing employment opportunities for human beings. Numerous studies have demonstrated a worrisome decline in low- and medium-income employment resulting from the replacement of human workforce with machines. A seminal study by Frey and Osborne in 2013 predicted that 47% of the 702 examined occupations in the United States faced a high risk of decreased employment rate within the next 10–25 years as a result of computerization. Despite the seemingly dystopian future foreshadowed by these numbers, the wholesale replacement of labor by machines will most likely not become a reality in the foreseeable future for an array of reasons, including the creativity required by many occupations and interventions by governments. However, despite the barriers, computerization is likely to have a significant effect on the current market. In this paper, we aim to track the relative quantities of jobs that are either susceptible or non-susceptible to computerization in the future, by developing and utilizing an analytical model using Markov chains. Various simulations performed using this model demonstrate the importance of intervention policies, such as improved technical education of the public, in controlling the rate of computerization. Moreover, the simulations identify the probable creation of new jobs that would facilitate new human employment. Although radical changes in technology and economy await humanity, adequate preparation will help to facilitate a smoother transition into the age of computers.

Background We have found that infarcted brain regions exhibit green channel autofluorescence (GCAF). Here, we compare ex vivo GCAF-imaging with 2,3,5-triphenylteterazolium chloride (TTC)-staining. New method C57BL/6 mice (n = 120) underwent GCAF-imaging after transient or permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO or pMCAO). Comparison with existing methods TTC-staining may not reflect subtle ischemic injury. TTC-stained tissues, when reused, are prone to processing artifacts related to prior TTC-staining. GCAF imaging requires little experimental manipulation of animals and brain tissues, and allows for more consistent measurements of infarct volume and reliable reuse of the fresh unstained tissues. Results Lesion volumes measured at 24-h after 1-h tMCAO by using GCAF-images were similar to those using TTC-staining: 87.6 ± 13.6 mm 3 vs. 83.8 ± 12.8 mm 3 in 1 mm-thick sections (n = 9 mice, 10 slices/mouse, p = 0.88; Pearson’s r = 0.91, p 0.001) and 75.1 ± 7.6 mm 3 vs. 73.6 ± 6.7 mm 3 in 2 mm-thick sections (n = 9 mice, 5 slices/mouse, p = 0.99; Pearson’s r = 0.87, p 0.001), respectively. In serial ex vivo imaging performed at 1, 2, 3, 6, 12, and 24-h after tMCAO, GCAF-imaging correlated well with TTC-staining at all time-points. In the pMCAO model however, the correlation was strong at later time-points (6–24-h); but at time points up to 3-h, GCAF-imaging was more sensitive than TTC-staining to detect ischemic areas, as verified by histology, where ischemic damage was observed in the GCAF-positive areas of the cerebral cortex and striatum, even in the face of normal TTC-staining. Conclusion GCAF-imaging is a reliable alternative to TTC-staining in the qualitative and quantitative assessments of focal brain ischemia, and more sensitive for detecting early ischemic damage in pMCAO.

[Purpose] This study aims to determine the effects of various wheelchair handle grip directions on the muscle activities of the upper body of an assistant during movement on ascending and descending ramps. [Subjects and Methods] The study subjects were 17 young and healthy participants whose mean age, height, and weight was 23.0 ± 2.7 years, 175.5 ± 4.7 cm, and 70.0 ± 14.2 kg, respectively; all subjects voluntarily consented to participate. Three grip directions were tested: general grip, medial grip, and neutral grip. Muscle activities in the serratus anterior, rhomboid, erector spine, biceps brachii, triceps brachii, bracioradialis, flexor carpi radialis, and extensor carpi radialis were measured using an electromyograph (EMG). [Results] Significant differences were seen in the muscle activities of the biceps brachii, bracioradialis, and flexor carpi radialis during wheelchair movement on an ascending ramp and in the biceps brachii and triceps brachii during movement on a descending ramp. [Conclusion] Measurement results showed that the general grip resulted in the highest muscle activities in the upper body of assistants during wheelchair movement on both ascending and descending ramps.

The rate of hippocampal neurogenesis declines with aging. This is partly explained by decreased neural responsiveness to various cues stimulating metabolism. AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), a pivotal enzyme regulating energy homeostasis in response to metabolic demands, showed the diminished sensitivity in peripheral tissues during aging. AMPK is also known to be involved in neurogenesis. We aimed to see whether AMPK reactivity is also blunted in the aged hippocampus, and thus is associated with aging-related change in neurogenesis. Following subchronic (7days) intraperitoneal and acute intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) administration of either 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide ribonucleoside (AICAR; AMPK activator) or saline (sham) to young (16-week-old) and old (72-week-old) mice, we measured changes in AMPK activity, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression or neurogenesis in the hippocampus. AICAR-induced changes in AMPK activity were observed in the hippocampus of young mice after acute i.c.v. injection. However, neither subchronic nor acute treatment induced significant changes in AMPK activity in old mice. Intriguingly, directions of AICAR-induced changes in AMPK activity were opposite between the hippocampus (decrease) and skeletal muscle (increase). ATP levels were inversely correlated with hippocampal AMPK activity, suggesting that the higher energy levels achieved by AICAR treatment might deactivate neuronal AMPK in young mice. The blunted response of AMPK to AICAR in old age was also indicated by the observations that the levels of neurogenesis and BDNF expression were significantly changed only in young mice upon AICAR treatment. Our findings suggest that the blunted response of neuronal AMPK in old age might be responsible for aging-associated decline in neurogenesis. Therefore, in addition to activation of AMPK, recovering its sensitivity may be necessary to enhance hippocampal neurogenesis in old age.

The study aimed to examine the effects of changes in the angle and height on movements and ground reaction forces in the feet. Subjects were instructed to sit and stand on different angles and heights; 0° (43 cm), 10° (51 cm), and 15° (58 cm). The motion required in this study is similar to that of standing up from sitting on a chair. The Tumble Forms Wedges (10° [8 cm], 15° [15 cm]) were placed on the toilet seat to create angles and heights at 0° (43 cm), 10° (51 cm), and 15° (58 cm). The side-to-side travel distances when the subjects stood up from sitting were 103.70±12.46 at 0° (43 cm), 96.99±12.11 at 10° (51 cm), and 99.12±12.00 at 15° (58 cm). The forward and backward travel distances when the subjects stood up from sitting were 235.93±10.60 at 0° (43 cm), 194.17±8.07 at 10° (51 cm), and 181.63±8.66 at 15° (58 cm). The ground reaction forces when the subjects stood up from sitting were 1.09±0.02 at 0° (43 cm), 1.08±0.22 at 10° (51 cm), and 1.07±0.21 at 15° (58 cm). Increases in the angle and height of the toilet seat affected forward-and-backward swaying during standing up, but did not affect the ground reaction force and side-to-side swaying.

The push-off mechanism to generate forward movement in skating has been analyzed by using high-speed cameras and specially designed skates because it is closely related to skater performance. However, using high-speed cameras for such an investigation, it is hard to measure the three-dimensional push-off force, and a skate with strain gauges is difficult to implement in the real competitions. In this study, we provided a new method to evaluate the three-dimensional push-off angle in short-track speed skating based on motion analysis using a wearable motion analysis system with inertial measurement unit sensors to avoid using a special skate or specific equipment insert into the skate for measurement of push-off force. The estimated push-off angle based on motion analysis data was very close to that based on push-off force with a small root mean square difference less than 6% when using the lateral marker in the left leg and the medial marker in the right leg regardless of skating phase. These results indicated that the push-off angle estimation based on motion analysis data using a wearable motion capture system of inertial measurement unit sensors could be acceptable for realistic situations. The proposed method was shown to be feasible during short-track speed skating. This study is meaningful because it can provide a more acceptable push-off angle estimation in real competitive situations.

The purpose of this study was to investigate effects of abdominal drawing-in maneuver (ADIM) on the muscular activity of the trunk and the lower limbs during stair ascent. The subjects were healthy 15 men and 8 women who were in their 20s. After maintaining ADIM by using a pressure biofeedback unit for 15 min, the subjects performed stair ascent and their muscular activity of the right trunk and the legs was measured to determine difference between when the subjects maintained ADIM and did not. The activities of the sternocleidomastoid, the splenius capitis, the rectus abdominis (ABD), the external abdominal oblique (EO), the transverse abdominis (TRA), the elector spinae (ES), the vastus medialis (VM), and the vastus lateralis (VL) were measured using surface electromyogram (TM DTS). The collected data were statistically processed by the SPSS ver. 18.0 and analyzed with a paired t-test. The muscular activities of the TRA, VM, and VL significantly increased (P

We recently generated a high-resolution supratentorial vascular topographic atlas using diffusion-weighed MRI in a population of large artery infarcts. These MRI-based topographic maps are not easily applicable to CT scans, because the standard-reference-lines for axial image orientation (i.e., anterior-posterior commissure line versus orbito-meatal line, respectively) are ‘not parallel’ to each other. Moreover, current, widely-used CT-based vascular topographic diagrams omit demarcation of the inter-territorial border-zones. Thus, we aimed to generate a CT-specific high-resolution atlas, showing the supratentorial cerebrovascular territories and the inter-territorial border-zones in a statistically rigorous way. The diffusion-weighted MRI lesion atlas is based on 1160 patients (67.0 ± 13.3 years old, 53.7% men) with acute (50%) stenosis or occlusion of a single large cerebral artery: anterior, middle, or posterior cerebral artery. We developed a software package enabling the transformation of our MR-based atlas into a re-oriented CT space corresponding to the axial slice orientations used in clinical practice. Infarct volumes are individually mapped to the three vascular territories on the CT template-set, generating brain maps showing the voxelwise frequency of infarct by the affected parent vessel. We then mapped the three vascular territories collectively, generating a dataset of Certainty-Index (CI) maps to reflect the likelihood of a voxel being a member of a specific vascular territory. Border-zones could be defined by using either relative infarct frequencies or CI differences. The topographic vascular territory atlas, revised for CT, will allow for easier and more accurate delineation of arterial territories and borders on CT images.

The current commercial access point (AP) selection schemes are mostly based on received signal strength, but perform poorly in many situations. To address this problem, a number of alternative schemes collect and analyze the actual load of every candidate AP. However, these schemes may incur significant latency and signaling overhead in dense wireless local area networks (WLANs). To mitigate such overhead, we propose a user application-based AP selection scheme that considers historical information about AP performance. Without inducing any signaling activity, our scheme monitors the amount of network traffic used by applications and estimates the achievable throughput of APs. Our scheme employs the characteristics of application traffic with the intent of accurately predicting AP performance. Using a measurement study in dense WLAN environments, we show that our scheme achieves higher throughput and lower association latency than those of existing schemes in places highly accessible to the user.