Effect of rare-earth oxide (Eu2O3) on the physical, mechanical, acoustic and radiation shielding properties of the CaO-Gd2O3-SiO2-B2O3 glasses.

In this study, we examined the effectiveness of europium-doped calcium gadolinium silicoborate glasses for determining their physical, mechanical, acoustic and radiation shielding properties with compositions of 25Gd2O3-10CaO-10SiO2-xEu2O3 -(55-x) B2O3 (where, x is 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, and 0.4 mol%). These glasses were theoretically analyzed using the Geant4 toolkit and Phy-X PSD software to calculate their performance for x-ray energies ranging from 0.2 to 1.2 MeV. The physical, acoustic and mechanical properties were determined using the Makishima-Mackenzie (MM) model. As the content of Eu2O3 increases, the density of the glasses also increases. As the amount of Eu2O3 increases, the mechanical properties decrease. This means that certain mechanical properties of the material may be negatively affected, resulting in a decreased ability to maintain structural integrity and resist deformation when exposed to radiation. The elastic modulus reflects the material's stiffness or rigidity, and a lower value indicates that the material is more prone to deformation when subjected to mechanical stress. Bulk and Young's moduli show a decreasing trend from 255.49 to 253.10 GPa and 368.20 to 366.50 GPa with increasing Eu+3 concentration in the glass samples. The LAC values of EuGd4 glass is much smaller when compared to the other glasses. The presence of gadolinium and europium compounds in the glass increases its ability to absorb radiation due to the elements of high atomic numbers. This is because the higher effective atomic number (Zeff) of these compounds enhances the glass of shielding capabilities against neutron and gamma rays, resulting in improved radiation protection.

Barriers and enablers of vigorous intermittent lifestyle physical activity (VILPA) in physically inactive adults: a focus group study.

BACKGROUND: Vigorous Intermittent Lifestyle Physical Activity (VILPA) refers to brief bouts of vigorous intensity physical activity performed as part of daily living. VILPA has been proposed as a novel concept to expand physical activity options among the least active. As a nascent area of research, factors which impede or encourage VILPA in physically inactive adults are yet to be explored. Such information is pertinent in the design of future interventions. We examined the barriers and enablers of VILPA among physically inactive adults using the Capability, Opportunity, Motivation, Behavior (COM-B) model as a conceptual framework. METHODS: We recruited a sample of self-identified physically inactive middle-aged and older adults (N = 78) based in Australia to take part in 19 online focus groups across three age groups: young-middle (age 35-44), middle (age 45-59) and old (age 60-76). We analyzed interviews using a critical realist approach to thematic analysis. Identified barriers and enablers were subsequently mapped onto the COM-B model components. RESULTS: The data generated 6 barriers and 10 enablers of VILPA that corresponded to COM-B concepts. Barriers included physical limitations (physical capability), perceptions of aging, need for knowledge (psychological capability), environmental constraints (physical opportunity), perceptions of effort and energy, and fear (automatic motivation). Enablers included convenience, reframing physical activity as purposeful movement, use of prompts and reminders (physical opportunity), normalization of taking the active option, gamification (social opportunity), sense of achievement, health improvements, personally salient rewards (reflective motivation), identity fit, and changing from effortful deliberation to habitual action (automatic motivation). CONCLUSION: The barriers and enablers of VILPA span capability, opportunity, and motivation beliefs. Promoting the time-efficient nature and simplicity of VILPA requiring no equipment or special gym sessions, the use of prompts and reminders at opportune times, and habit formation strategies could capitalize on the enablers. Addressing the suitability of the small bouts, the development of specific guidelines, addressing safety concerns, and explicating the potential benefits of, and opportunities to do, VILPA could ameliorate some of the barriers identified. Future VILPA interventions may require limited age customization, speaking to the potential for such interventions to be delivered at scale.

An assessment of adherence to the WHO-delineated good manufacturing practice by the pharmaceutical companies in Kabul, Afghanistan.

BACKGROUND: Afghanistan, a low-income landlocked country, is continuously suffering from domestic war and conflicts; the country struggles to provide quality healthcare services, including affordable medicinal products in the required quantity. Moreover, the quality standards of domestic pharmaceutical companies have not been established yet. One of the internationally recognized guidelines for monitoring manufacturing processes in pharmaceutical companies is Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP), recommended by World Health Organization (WHO). Therefore, this study aimed to assess whether a pharmaceutical company in Kabul, Afghanistan adheres to the GMP standards established by WHO. METHOD: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the WHO-delineated GMP compliance of 25 pharmaceutical companies in Kabul, Afghanistan. The inspection checklist was developed by Afghanistan's National Medicine and Healthcare Products Regulatory Authority (NMHRA) using the WHO-delineated GMP guidelines. In addition, direct observation, interviews with respective delegates, and documentation reviews were conducted to collect research data. RESULT: Only 38.33% (1.14 ± 1.08) of GMP contents were complied. Personnel 66.67% (2 ± 1.15) and materials 58.67% (1.76 ± 1.11) were the most commonly complied components, whereas the product recall 12.98% (0.39 ± 0.85), quality assurance 16.44% (0.49 ± 0.81) and quality control laboratory 28.35% (0.85 ± 1.12) were the least complied ones. CONCLUSION: None of the GMP components was fully adhered to by the pharmaceutical companies in Kabul, Afghanistan. Quality control and assurance should be implemented immediately, including validation and qualification practices.

Molecular detection of fowl adenovirus 7 from slaughtered broiler chickens in Iran: the first report.

BACKGROUND: Fowl adenoviruses (FAdVs) are responsible for a variety of clinical symptoms, with an increasing significance in the poultry industry throughout the world. Typical diseases caused by FAdVs include inclusion body hepatitis (IBH), hepatitis-hydropericardium syndrome (HHS), gizzard erosion (GE), respiratory disease, and hemorrhage in muscles and organs. AIMS: During 2020, broiler chickens from the north of Iran showed ecchymotic and petechial hemorrhages in thigh and breast muscles at the slaughterhouse. Hemorrhages were observed in 10% to 60% (with an average of 20-30%) of chicks per flock. To find out the etiology of these lesions, the present study was conducted. METHODS: Different environmental factors were investigated, and FAdV, infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV), and chicken infectious anemia virus (CIAV) were detected using molecular assays. RESULTS: Among the viruses tested, FAdV was detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and sequence analysis clustered the virus into species E, serotype 7. CONCLUSION: This is the first report on FAdV-7 existence among poultry in Iran. Effective screening of the chicks at slaughtering age should be performed from the whole country.

Comparison of PCR and Conventional Serological Methods for Detection of Brucella spp. in Ovine and Caprine Blood Serum.

Brucellosis is an anthropozoonotic disease. Infection of livestock with Brucella is endemic in most parts of Iran. Sistan-Baluchestan is bordered on the east by the countries of Afghanistan and Pakistan. The high prevalence of brucellosis in livestock in the eastern neighboring countries results in transmission of the disease to this province. The present research aimed to determine the prevalence of brucellosis in small ruminants in the Sistan region of Iran and to compare serological and molecular tests for the detection of brucellosis. Blood samples were taken from 150 randomly selected sheep and goats, and sera were separated. All sera were analyzed by serological (Wright and 2-ME) and molecular (Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)) tests. Serological tests were carried out according to the instructions of the Iranian Veterinary Organization The degree of agreement between serological tests and PCR was determined by kappa value. In this study, 17 cases (11.3%) were identified as positive by the PCR method. Wright and 2-ME tests had the highest agreement with PCR in titers ≥2/80 and ≥2/40, respectively. The results of this study show that the brucellosis in sheep and goats has a greater prevalence in the Sistan region than in most other parts of Iran, and this is important in terms of public health. It is suggested that brucellosis vaccination coverage in livestock be increased in this area and that the people in Sistan region must be notified about methods for preventing brucellosis. Also, further studies to compare conventional serologic tests with the gold standard test are recommended.

Mathematical analysis of a stochastic model for spread of Coronavirus.

This paper is associated to investigate a stochastic SEIAQHR model for transmission of Coronavirus disease 2019 that is a recent great crisis in numerous societies. This stochastic pandemic model is established due to several safety protocols, for instance social-distancing, mask and quarantine. Three white noises are added to three of the main parameters of the system to represent the impact of randomness in the environment on the considered model. Also, the unique solvability of the presented stochastic model is proved. Moreover, a collocation approach based on the Legendre polynomials is presented to obtain the numerical solution of this system. Finally, some simulations are provided to survey the obtained results of this pandemic model and to identify the theoretical findings.

Implementation of Combinational Deep Learning Algorithm for Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Classification in Ultrasound Images.

BACKGROUND: Nowadays, fatty liver is one of the commonly occurred diseases for the liver which can be observed generally in obese patients. Final results from a variety of exams and imaging methods can help to identify and evaluate people affected by this condition. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to present a combined algorithm based on neural networks for the classification of ultrasound images from fatty liver affected patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In experimental research can be categorized as a diagnostic study which focuses on classification of the acquired ultrasonography images for 55 patients with fatty liver. We implemented pre-trained convolutional neural networks of Inception-ResNetv2, GoogleNet, AlexNet, and ResNet101 to extract features from the images and after combining these resulted features, we provided support vector machine (SVM) algorithm to classify the liver images. Then the results are compared with the ones in implementing the algorithms independently. RESULTS: The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) for the introduced combined network resulted in 0.9999, which is a better result compared to any of the other introduced algorithms. The resulted accuracy for the proposed network also caused 0.9864, which seems acceptable accuracy for clinical application. CONCLUSION: The proposed network can be used with high accuracy to classify ultrasound images of the liver to normal or fatty. The presented approach besides the high AUC in comparison with other methods have the independence of the method from the user or expert interference.

Identification of Conformational B-cell Epitopes in Diphtheria Toxin at Varying Temperatures Using Molecular Dynamics Simulations.

The changes in temperature levels can potentially affect the toxins in terms of stability and immunological properties via alteration of their structures. Diphtheria Toxin (DT) is highly considered by scientists since its mechanism of action is similar to those of most bacterial toxins, such as botulinum, tetanus, and anthrax. The protection of conformational B-cell epitopes is critically important in the process of diphtheria vaccine production. This study aimed to evaluate the conformational changes of the DT structure at three different temperature levels (27˚C, 37˚C, and 47˚C) using molecular dynamic simulations. Secondary structures were analyzed in YASARA software. According to the results, significant decreases were observed in percentages of the β-sheets, turns, and the helices of the DT structure at 47˚C in comparison with those at 27˚C and 37˚C. Furthermore, the tertiary structure of the DT was compared at different temperatures using the contact map. Accordingly, the results showed that the root-mean-square deviation of the DT structure increased upon temperature rising. In addition, amino acids D68, G128, G171, C186, and K534-S535 at 27˚C and 37˚C, as well as amino acids G26, P38, S291, T267, H384, A356, and V518 at 47˚C showed higher root mean square fluctuation values. The finding demonstrated that the stability of the DT structure decreased at high temperature (47˚C). The solvent-accessible surface area diagram showed that the hydrophobicity of the DT structure increased via temperature rising, and the amino acid residues belonging to B-cell epitopes extended through increasing temperature. However, B-cell epitopes belonging to the junction region of chains A and B were only present at 37˚C. The results of this study are expected to be applicable for determining a suitable temperature level for the production process of the diphtheria vaccine.

A mathematical model to examine the effect of quarantine on the spread of coronavirus.

In this study, we propose a mathematical model about the spread of novel coronavirus. This model is a system of fractional order differential equations in Caputo's sense. The aim is to explain the virus transmission and to investigate the impact of quarantine on decreasing the prevalence rate of the virus in the environment. The unique solvability of the presented COVID-19 model is proved. Also, the equilibrium points and the reproduction number of the proposed model are discussed in two cases with and without considering the quarantine factor. Using the Adams-Bashforth-Moulton predictor-corrector method, some numerical simulations are implemented to survey the behavior of the considered model.

Giant isotope effect on phonon dispersion and thermal conductivity in methylammonium lead iodide.

Lead halide perovskites are strong candidates for high-performance low-cost photovoltaics, light emission, and detection applications. A hot-phonon bottleneck effect significantly extends the cooling time of hot charge carriers, which thermalize through carrier-optic phonon scattering, followed by optic phonon decay to acoustic phonons and finally thermal conduction. To understand these processes, we adjust the lattice dynamics independently of electronics by changing isotopes. We show that doubling the mass of hydrogen in methylammonium lead iodide by replacing protons with deuterons causes a large 20 to 50% softening of the longitudinal acoustic phonons near zone boundaries, reduces thermal conductivity by ~50%, and slows carrier relaxation kinetics. Phonon softening is attributed to anticrossing with the slowed libration modes of the deuterated molecules and the reduced thermal conductivity to lowered phonon velocities. Our results reveal how tuning the organic molecule dynamics enables control of phonons important to thermal conductivity and the hot-phonon bottleneck.

The risk of malignancies in patients receiving hematopoietic stem cell transplantation: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is widely used in the treatment of malignant and non-malignant diseases. Due to advances in the number of survivors of this treatment, the number of survivors is increasing, but the late complications of this therapeutic approach such as secondary cancers have been long term and have not been fully controlled. METHODS: The present meta-analysis study was performed by considering English-language articles in the databases including Web of Science, Scopus and PubMed. This meta-analysis included cohort studies that reported an incidence of cancer following stem cell transplantation (SCT). Random/fixed effect size meta-analyses were used to standardize the incidence ratio for different cancers. RESULTS: 22 studies that evaluated patients receiving SCT (n = 270,063) were included in the study. The study found 9233 cases of cancer after transplantation. Meta-analysis showed that the risk of cancer after SCT was SIR = 1.66 (95% CI 1.47-1.86). The most common cancers observed in SCT recipients were bone tissue, head and neck cancers, and melanoma, with SIRs of 10.04 (3.48-16.61), 6.35 (4.76-7.93) and 3.52 (2.65-4.39), respectively. CONCLUSION: The meta-analysis findings showed that the risk of secondary cancers after HSCT was significantly increased in most types of cancers. Consequently, diagnostic tests for common cancers should be included in the screening program of these patients for the prevention and early detection of high-risk cancers.

Nutritive value of treated Quercus infectoria and Quercus libani leaves with the tannin-degrading bacterium Klebsiella pneumoniae for ruminant feeding in vitro.

AIMS: This study was conducted to evaluate the chemical composition and in vitro gas production (GP) and fermentation parameters of Quercus infectoria and Quercus libani leaves following treatment with the Klebsiella pneumoniae, a tannin-degrading bacterium. METHODS AND RESULTS: This isolate was isolated on medium containing tannic acid as the sole source of carbon and energy, and identified based on 16S rRNA sequencing analysis. In both oak leaf species (i.e. Q. infectoria and Q. libani), inoculation with Klebsiella pneumoniae significantly increased (P < 0·05) dry matter (DM) loss. For Q. libani, crude protein content was increased (P = 0·02) by bacterial treatment vs. control. In both oak leaves, total phenolic content and total tannins were decreased (P < 0·05) as a consequence of bacterial treatment. However, bacterial processing didn't changed (P > 0·05) organic matter (OM), neutral detergent fibre, acid detergent fibre or acid detergent lignin content of treated leaves. In both oak leaves the measuring parameters including GP volume, in vitro digestibility of DM and OM, estimated metabolizable energy, total volatile fatty acids, acetate, ammonia nitrogen concentration, total protozoal population and the subfamily Isotricha in treatments were higher (P < 0·05) than control. CONCLUSIONS: It can be concluded that biological treatment of Q. infectoria and Q. libani leaves with K. pneumoniae represents a useful approach to decrease their phenolic compound content and improve their nutritive value as ruminant feed. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: This study demonstrated that biologically processing of tannin-containing by-products with K. pneumoniae could increase their nutritive value as ruminant feeds and increase animal productivity.

Profiling of how nociceptor neurons detect danger - new and old foes.

The host evolves redundant mechanisms to preserve physiological processing and homeostasis. These functions range from sensing internal and external threats, creating a memory of the insult and generating reflexes, which aim to resolve inflammation. Impairment in such functioning leads to chronic inflammatory diseases. By interacting through a common language of ligands and receptors, the immune and sensory nervous systems work in concert to accomplish such protective functions. Whilst this bidirectional communication helps to protect from danger, it can contribute to disease pathophysiology. Thus, the somatosensory nervous system is anatomically positioned within primary and secondary lymphoid tissues and mucosa to modulate immunity directly. Upstream of this interplay, neurons detect danger, which prompts the release of neuropeptides initiating (i) defensive reflexes (ranging from withdrawal response to coughing) and (ii) chemotaxis, adhesion and local infiltration of immune cells. The resulting outcome of such neuro-immune interplay is still ill-defined, but consensual findings start to emerge and support neuropeptides not only as blockers of TH 1-mediated immunity but also as drivers of TH 2 immune responses. However, the modalities detected by nociceptors revealed broader than mechanical pressure and temperature sensing and include signals as various as cytokines and pathogens to immunoglobulins and even microRNAs. Along these lines, we aggregated various dorsal root ganglion sensory neuron expression profiling datasets supporting such wide-ranging sensing capabilities to help identifying new danger detection modalities of these cells. Thus, revealing unexpected aspects of nociceptor neuron biology might prompt the identification of novel drivers of immunity, means to resolve inflammation and strategies to safeguard homeostasis.

High rate filtration for local treatment of combined sewer overflow.

Combined sewer overflows (CSOs) pollute receiving waters and have a negative impact on ecosystem services. In urban areas rehabilitation of the sewer system to avoid CSOs is associated with high investment costs. Furthermore, not all CSOs can be closed due to the need for hydraulic reliability of the system. Local treatment of CSO with high rate filtration offers an alternative to rehabilitation of the sewer system that is flexible with respect to design and has lower investment cost than separating sewage and storm water runoff. Results from DESSIN, a 4-year EU demonstration project, are presented. The results showed on average 50% removal of particulate matter during CSO events, with higher removal (80%) in the initial first flush period. Other constituents, for example heavy metals, were removed through their association with particles. Potential impacts on ecosystem services in the catchment and the sustainability of the solution were assessed.

Tuning the Structure of Pt Nanoparticles through Support Interactions: An in Situ Polarized X-ray Absorption Study Coupled with Atomistic Simulations.

Interactions of nanoparticles (NPs) with their environment may have a pronounced effect on their structure and shape as well as on their functionality in applications such as catalysis. It is therefore crucial to disentangle the particle-adsorbate and particle-support interaction effects on the particle shape, its local structure, atomic dynamics, and its possible anisotropies. In order to gain insight into the support effect, we carried out an X-ray absorption fine-structure spectroscopy (XAFS) investigation of adsorbate- and ligand-free size-selected Pt NPs deposited on two different supports in ultrahigh vacuum. Polarization-dependent XAFS measurements, neural network-based analysis of X-ray absorption near-edge structure data, and reverse Monte Carlo (RMC) simulations of extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) were used to resolve the 3D shape of the NPs and details of their local structure. A synergetic combination of advanced in situ XAFS analysis with atomic force microscopy and scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) imaging provides uniquely detailed information about the particle-support interactions and the NP/support buried interface, not accessible to any experimental technique, when considered alone. In particular, our combined approach reveals differences in the structure of Pt NPs deposited on TiO2(110) and SiO2/Si(111). Pt NPs on SiO2 assume a spherical-like 3D shape and weakly interact with the support. In contrast, the effective shape of analogously synthesized Pt NPs on TiO2(110) after annealing at 600 °C is found to be a truncated octahedron with (100) top and interfacial facets that are encapsulated by the TiO2 support. Modeling disorder effects in these NPs using an RMC approach reveals differences in bond-length distributions for NPs on different supports and allows us to analyze their anisotropy, which may be crucial for the interpretation of support-dependent atomic dynamics and can have an impact on the understanding of the catalytic properties of these NPs.

Salivary Biomarkers in Denture Stomatitis: A Systematic Review.

OBJECTIVE: Denture stomatitis (DS) is an oral biofilm-associated inflammation of the denture-bearing mucosa. The objective of this review was to identify and evaluate the quality of evidence on the association between the levels of salivary biomarkers and DS among adults with and without palatal DS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Following the PRISMA guidelines, Medline, PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Central Register for Controlled Trials were searched for eligible studies from the beginning of the archives until December 2018. Experimental and observational studies with adult participants were included that had a control group or subgroup analysis and provided data on salivary biomarkers and DS. Articles in languages other than English or French were excluded. The level of evidence and grades of recommendation were established with the 2011 scale of the Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine. Additionally, the assessment of methodological quality was conducted with the STROBE statement (Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology) and graded according to the Olmos scale. RESULTS: From 1,008 citations, 9 studies were included in the systematic review (8 observational, 1 clinical trial). Seven studies suggested a statistically significant difference in the levels of salivary cytokines (IL-6, CCL3, TGF-ß, CXCL8, GM-CSF, and TNF-α) between participants with DS and controls (P < 0.05). In contrast, 2 studies concluded that the difference in the levels of several salivary cytokines (IL2, IL12, IFN-g, IL-4, IL-8, IL-10, IL-17, TNF-α, and ICAM-1) between the groups was not statistically significant. The level of evidence for the majority of studies was 3, while the grade of recommendation for all the studies was B, interpreted as "favorable." In terms of methodological quality, most studies met 50% to 80% of STROBE criteria and were graded B. CONCLUSION: Palatal inflammation in DS is significantly associated with the levels of salivary cytokines. KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER STATEMENT: The results of this study identified altered levels of specific salivary biomarkers associated with denture stomatitis, which may aid in the early diagnosis and treatment of this disease.

Determination of neutron flux parameters (f, α, φth and φe) of the irradiation sites of Isfahan MNSR reactor using empirical and MCNPX2.6 simulation approaches.

Miniature Neutron Source reactors (MNSRs) are ideal for applications such as nuclear research, neutron activation analysis, etc., provided that their neutron flux parameters (φth, φe, f and α) are known. This paper present the results of the neutron flux parameters at inner and outer irradiation sites of Isfahan MNSR reactor determined through simulation with MCNPX2.6 code and experimentally using bare and cadmium-covered gold foils irradiation and bare triple (AuZr) monitor methods. In empirical approach, the obtained φth, φe, f [fbare] and α-values were 5.02 × 1011 ncm-2s-1 (±4.5%), 3.13 × 1010 ncm-2s-1 (±2.3%), 16.0 (±6.7%) [17.3 (±9.9%)] and -0.121 (±0.2%), for inner site; and 2.93 × 1011 ncm-2s-1 (±2.3%), 6.48 × 109 ncm-2s-1 (±3.1%), 45.2 (±5.4%) [42.5 (±7.1%)] and -0.011 (±1.8%), respectively, for outer site. In simulation approach, while, they were found to be 4.76 × 1011 ncm-2s-1 (±0.9%), 2.00 × 1010 ncm-2s-1 (±2.2%), 23.8 (±3.1%) and -0.078 (±0.13%), for the inner site; and 2.67 × 1011 ncm-2s-1 (±1.1%), 3.79 × 109 ncm-2s-1 (±5.4%), 70.4 (±6.5%) and -0.017 (±0.4%) for the outer site, respectively. Comparison of empirical and simulation results clearly revealed that: the inner site's φth and f values correspond with those measured during the first startup of the reactor; the values of φth are more reliable than φe,-values, as are the inner site's f and α results in comparison with outer site's values; the inner site's φth and φe are ∼1.7 and 5 times, respectively, larger than those of outer site; and the inner site 's α and f-values are more than 4.8 and 2.4 times larger and less than the outer site's values, respectively.

HDAC2 dysregulation in the nucleus basalis of Meynert during the progression of Alzheimer's disease.

AIMS: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by degeneration of cholinergic basal forebrain (CBF) neurons in the nucleus basalis of Meynert (nbM), which provides the major cholinergic input to the cortical mantle and is related to cognitive decline in patients with AD. Cortical histone deacetylase (HDAC) dysregulation has been associated with neuronal degeneration during AD progression. However, whether HDAC alterations play a role in CBF degeneration during AD onset is unknown. We investigated global HDAC protein levels and nuclear HDAC2 immunoreactivity in tissue containing the nbM, changes and their association with neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) during the progression of AD. METHODS: We used semi-quantitative western blotting and immunohistochemistry to evaluate HDAC and sirtuin (SIRT) levels in individuals that died with a premortem clinical diagnosis of no cognitive impairment (NCI), mild cognitive impairment (MCI), mild/moderate AD (mAD) or severe AD (sAD). Quantitative immunohistochemistry was used to identify HDAC2 protein levels in individual cholinergic nbM nuclei and their colocalization with the early phosphorylated tau marker AT8, the late-stage apoptotic tau marker TauC3 and Thioflavin-S, a marker of ß-pleated sheet structures in NFTs. RESULTS: In AD patients, HDAC2 protein levels were dysregulated in the basal forebrain region containing cholinergic neurons of the nbM. HDAC2 nuclear immunoreactivity was reduced in individual cholinergic nbM neurons across disease stages. HDAC2 nuclear reactivity correlated with multiple cognitive domains and with NFT formation. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that HDAC2 dysregulation contributes to cholinergic nbM neuronal dysfunction, NFT pathology, and cognitive decline during clinical progression of AD.

Flexible MRI Compatible Brain Probes.

The exact localization of signal recording probes or deep stimulation probes by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has significant importance in studying and understanding how the brain functions. But the magnetic susceptibility of the probes itself distorts the MRI image and creates error in position measurement. In this paper we propose an MRI compatible flexible probe with magnetic susceptibility that is well matched with the brain tissue. The well-matched magnetic susceptibility of the probe enables high resolution structural and functional MRI even at ultra-high Bfield strengths. The MRI images shows almost zero artifacts around the implanted probe in the phantom tissue.

A Super-Capacitive Pressure Sensor for a Urethral Catheter.

Urinary incontinence can be due to neuromuscular or structural problems in either the bladder or the urethra. Urodynamics is often used to analyze the patientspecific cause of urinary incontinence. In urodynamics, a challenging part of the studies involves measurement of the urethral (contact) pressure profile. Here we present an instrumented urethral catheter that is equipped with a novel super-capacitive pressure transducer that is highly sensitive to the applied pressure. A solid ionic electrolyte is used to create a high capacitance device. Through an innovative design the solid electrolyte is made and bounded to a 3d printed soft balloon and then assembled on a 6 Fr urethral catheter. In this paper the design, fabrication and evaluation of the highly-sensitive instrumented catheter's performance are discussed.