An antigen-targeting assay for Lyme disease: Combining aptamers and SERS to detect the OspA protein.

Lyme disease is the fastest growing vector-borne disease in the United States. However, current testing modalities are ill suited to detection of Lyme disease, leading to the diagnosis of many cases after treatment is effective. We present an improved, direct method Lyme disease diagnosis, where the Lyme specific biomarker Outer Surface Protein A (OspA) in clinical serum samples is identified using a diagnostic platform combining surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) and aptamers. Employing orthogonal projections to latent structures discriminant analysis, the system accurately identified 91% of serum samples from Lyme patients, and 96% of serum samples from symptomatic controls. In addition, the OspA limit-of-detection, determined to be 1 × 10-4 ng/mL, is greater than four orders of magnitude lower than that found in serum samples from early Lyme disease patients. The application of this platform to detect this difficult-to-diagnose disease suggests its potential for detecting other diseases that present similar difficulties.

High-Speed Colloidal Quantum Dot Photodiodes via Accelerating Charge Separation at Metal-Oxide Interface.

With ever-growing technological demands in the imaging sensor industry for autonomous driving and augmented reality, developing sensors that can satisfy not only image resolution but also the response speed becomes more challenging. Herein, the focus is on developing a high-speed photosensor capable of obtaining high-resolution, high-speed imaging with colloidal quantum dots (QDs) as the photosensitive material. In detail, high-speed QD photodiodes are demonstrated with rising and falling times of τr = 28.8 ± 8.34 ns and τf = 40 ± 9.81 ns, respectively, realized by fast separation of electron-hole pairs due to the action of internal electric field at the QD interface, mainly by the interaction between metal oxide and the QD's ligands. Such energy transfer relations are analyzed and interpreted with time-resolved photoluminescence measurements, providing physical understanding of the device and working principles.

Bacillus-Dominant Airborne Bacterial Communities Identified During Asian Dust Events.

Asian dust (AD) events have received significant attention due to their adverse effects on ecosystems and human health. However, detailed information about airborne pathogens associated with AD events is limited. This study monitored airborne bacterial communities and identified AD-specific bacteria and the potential hazards associated with these bacteria during AD events. Over a 33-month period, 40 air samples were collected under normal atmospheric conditions (non-AD events; n = 34) and during AD events (n = 6). The airborne bacterial communities in the air samples collected during non-AD events (non-AD sample) and AD events (AD sample) were evaluated using both culture-dependent and culture-independent methods. The bacterial diversity increased significantly, along with the 16S rRNA gene copy number, in AD samples (p < 0.05) and was positively correlated with PM10 concentration. High throughput sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene revealed that the relative abundance of the phylum Firmicutes increased substantially in AD samples (44.3 ± 5.0%) compared with non-AD samples (27.8 ± 4.3%). Within the phylum Firmicutes, AD samples included a greater abundance of Bacillus species (almost 23.8%) than non-AD samples (almost 13.3%). Both culture-dependent and culture-independent methods detected common predominant species closely related to Bacillus cereus during AD events. Subsequent multilocus sequence typing (MLST) and enterotoxin gene assays confirmed the presence of virulence factors in B. cereus isolates from AD samples. Furthermore, the abundance of bceT, encoding enterotoxin in B. cereus, was significantly higher in AD samples (p < 0.05). The systematic characterization of airborne bacterial communities in AD samples in this study suggests that B. cereus pose risks to public health.

Inhibitory effect of the tricyclic antidepressant amitriptyline on voltage-dependent K+ channels in rabbit coronary arterial smooth muscle cells.

Amitriptyline, a tricyclic antidepressant (TCA) drug, is widely used in treatment of psychiatric disorders. However, the side effects of amitriptyline on vascular K+ channels remain to be determined. Therefore, we investigated the effect of the tricyclic antidepressant and serotonin reuptake inhibitor amitriptyline on voltage-dependent K+ (Kv) channels in freshly isolated rabbit coronary arterial smooth muscle cells, using the whole-cell patch clamp technique. The Kv current amplitudes were inhibited by amitriptyline in a concentration-dependent manner, with an apparent IC50 value of 2.2 ± 0.14 µmol/L and a Hill coefficient of 0.87 ± 0.03. Amitriptyline shifted the activation curve to a more positive potential, but had no significant effect on the inactivation curve, suggesting that amitriptyline altered the voltage sensitivity of Kv channels. Pretreatment with Kv1.5 and Kv1.2 channel inhibitors did not alter the inhibitory effect of amitriptyline on Kv channels. Additionally, application of train pulses (1 and 2 Hz) did not affect amitriptyline-induced inhibition of Kv currents, which suggested that the action of amitriptyline on Kv channels was not use (state)-dependent. From these results, we concluded that amitriptyline inhibited the channels in a concentration-dependent, but state-independent manner.

Hole Mobility Characteristics with Surface Roughness on Silicon-on-Insulator Substrate.

Hole mobility characteristics were investigated with surface roughness and silicon-on-insulator (SOI) thickness variations to investigate the influence of surface roughness to mobility. The root mean square roughness varied between 0.16, 0.85 and 10.6 nm in 220, 100 and 40 nm thick SOI samples. Hole mobility was measured and analyzed as a function of effective field and temperature with the variations of surface roughness. The hole mobility, determined by transconductance, greatly decreased with the increase of effective field due to the increased surface roughness scattering in 40 nm thick SOI samples. On the other hand, phonon scattering was a dominant mechanism with the increase of temperature, irrespective of surface roughness and SOI thickness. The induced surface roughness of the devices increases the phonon scattering, thereby reducing the electron and hole mobility. The hole mobility decreases with the roughening of the samples, with the increase of temperature due to increased phonon scattering. Therefore, for enhanced mobility, surface scattering and phonon scattering should be controlled even in atomic scale roughened samples.

A comparison study of the potential risks induced in arable land and forest soils by carcass-derived pollutants.

Improper decisions concerning animal carcass disposal sites pose grave threats to environmental biosecurity. However, only a few studies have focused on the effects of different land-use types on the composition of carcass-derived pollutants and microbial responses to the disturbances. This study was conducted using soil microcosms with minced pork built from arable land and forest soils for 5 weeks. To compare the risk induced from different land-use types by carcass burial, the soil properties, the microbial community, and multiple-antibiotic-resistant bacteria were evaluated for microcosm containing 0, 1.5 and 7.5 g of minced pork. The abiotic properties, including pH, organic carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus compounds, significantly increased, regardless of the land-use types and applied load masses. The microbial diversity indices of the forest soil were reduced, whereas those of the arable land remained relatively stable. The disturbances produced from carcass-derived pollutants altered the bacterial community structures differently for the different land-use types. The treatment increased multiple-antibiotic-resistant bacteria in the both soil samples, although the increase in the forest soil was significantly less compared to the arable land soils.

Heterogeneous Integration of Carbon-Nanotube-Graphene for High-Performance, Flexible, and Transparent Photodetectors.

Low-dimensional carbon materials, such as semiconducting carbon nanotubes (CNTs), conducting graphene, and their hybrids, are of great interest as promising candidates for flexible, foldable, and transparent electronics. However, the development of highly photoresponsive, flexible, and transparent optoelectronics still remains limited due to their low absorbance and fast recombination rate of photoexcited charges, despite the considerable potential of photodetectors for future wearable and foldable devices. This work demonstrates a heterogeneous, all-carbon photodetector composed of graphene electrodes and porphyrin-interfaced single-walled CNTs (SWNTs) channel, exhibiting high photoresponse, flexibility, and full transparency across the device. The porphyrin molecules generate and transfer photoexcited holes to the SWNTs even under weak white light, resulting in significant improvement of photoresponsivity from negligible to 1.6 × 10-2 A W-1 . Simultaneously, the photodetector exhibits high flexibility allowing stable light detection under ≈50% strain (i.e., a bending radius of ≈350 µm), and retaining a sufficient transparency of ≈80% at 550 nm. Experimental demonstrations as a wearable sunlight sensor highlight the utility of the photodetector that can be conformally mounted on human skin and other curved surfaces without any mechanical and optical constraints. The heterogeneous integration of porphyrin-SWNT-graphene may provide a viable route to produce invisible, high-performance optoelectronic systems.

Quantum cascade lasers with Y2O3 insulation layer operating at 8.1 µm.

SiO2 is a commonly used insulation layer for QCLs but has high absorption peak around 8 to 10 µm. Instead of SiO2, we used Y2O3 as an insulation layer for DC-QCL and successfully demonstrated lasing operation at the wavelength around 8.1 µm. We also showed 2D numerical analysis on the absorption coefficient of our DC-QCL structure with various parameters such as insulating materials, waveguide width, and mesa angle.

Short-term Effects of Great Cormorant Droppings on Water Quality and Microbial Community of an Artificial Agricultural Reservoir.

Agricultural reservoirs are established to improve the management of water resources. Waterbirds in protected waters have become a nuisance, however, as nutrients from fecal deposits transported by the waterbirds have served to severely deteriorate water quality. Despite the importance of clean water resources, the microecology of small agricultural reservoirs regularly colonized by transitory waterbirds are seldom reviewed. To improve our understanding of the influence of waterbirds on small bodies of water, a microcosm study was conducted using water and sediment from an agricultural reservoir inhabited by 300 to 500 great cormorants. Temporal changes in total nitrogen, total phosphorous, chemical oxygen demand, NH-N, PO-P, and chlorophyll-a concentrations, in addition to the microbial community, were evaluated for microcosms containing 0, 0.5, 1.0, and 5.0 g of feces collected from a great cormorant colony. Chemical analysis of the water microcosm revealed that all microcosms showed both immediate and prolonged increases in nutrients due to the addition of feces. Additionally, a mere 0.5 g of feces doubled the concentration of chlorophyll-a from 2.1 ± 0.99 to 5.2 ± 1.1 µg L within 1 mo. Nonmetric multidimensional scaling of the microbial community structure revealed disturbances in both water and sediment microcosms. Disturbances to the microbial community in the water microcosm were significant only when 5.0 g of feces was added; however, disturbances to sediment microbial communities were induced by a smaller mass of feces. These results confirm the short-term water quality impairment and shift in microbial community structure caused by waterbird droppings and bird colony surface runoff in an agricultural reservoir.

Alternative Patterning Process for Realization of Large-Area, Full-Color, Active Quantum Dot Display.

Although various colloidal quantum dot (QD) coating and patterning techniques have been developed to meet the demands in optoelectronic applications over the past years, each of the previously demonstrated methods has one or more limitations and trade-offs in forming multicolor, high-resolution, or large-area patterns of QDs. In this study, we present an alternative QD patterning technique using conventional photolithography combined with charge-assisted layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly to solve the trade-offs of the traditional patterning processes. From our demonstrations, we show repeatable QD patterning process that allows multicolor QD patterns in both large-area and microscale. Also, we show that the QD patterns are robust against additional photolithography processes and that the thickness of the QD patterns can be controlled at each position. To validate that this process can be applied to actual device applications as an active material, we have fabricated inverted, differently colored, active QD light-emitting device (QD-LED) on a pixelated substrate, which achieved maximum electroluminescence intensity of 23 770 cd/m2, and discussed the results. From our findings, we believe that our process provides a solution to achieving both high-resolution and large-scale QD pattern applicable to not only display, but also to practical photonic device research and development.

Observation of a Biexciton Wigner Molecule by Fractional Optical Aharonov-Bohm Oscillations in a Single Quantum Ring.

The Aharonov-Bohm effect in ring structures in the presence of electronic correlation and disorder is an open issue. We report novel oscillations of a strongly correlated exciton pair, similar to a Wigner molecule, in a single nanoquantum ring, where the emission energy changes abruptly at the transition magnetic field with a fractional oscillation period compared to that of the exciton, a so-called fractional optical Aharonov-Bohm oscillation. We have also observed modulated optical Aharonov-Bohm oscillations of an electron-hole pair and an anticrossing of the photoluminescence spectrum at the transition magnetic field, which are associated with disorder effects such as localization, built-in electric field, and impurities.

Group- and Home-Based Cognitive Intervention for Patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: We examined the efficacy of group-based cognitive intervention (GCI) and home-based cognitive intervention (HCI) in amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) and intervention effects on serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). METHODS: In this randomized and rater-blinded trial, 293 patients with aMCI from 18 nationwide hospitals were randomized: 96 to the GCI group, 98 to the HCI group and 99 to the control group. For 12 weeks, subjects receiving GCI participated twice per week in group sessions led by trained instructors, and those receiving HCI completed homework materials 5 days per week. They were assessed at baseline, postintervention (PI) and at the 6-month follow-up after the intervention. The primary endpoint was the change from baseline to PI in the modified Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale-cognitive subscale (ADAS-Cog). RESULTS: In comparison to the controls (a 0.8-point decrease), the subjects receiving GCI (a 2.3-point decrease, p = 0.01) or HCI (a 2.5-point decrease, p = 0.02) showed significant improvements in the modified ADAS-Cog at PI, respectively. By the 6-month follow-up, those receiving GCI or HCI had better scores in the modified ADAS-Cog than the controls. The changes in BDNF levels significantly correlated with the changes in the modified ADAS-Cog in the GCI (r = -0.29, p = 0.02 at PI) and HCI (r = -0.27, p = 0.03 at 6-month follow-up) groups, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The GCI and HCI resulted in cognitive improvements in aMCI. An enhanced brain plasticity may be a component of the mechanism underpinning the cognitive improvements associated with the cognitive interventions.

Simultaneous enhancement of upconversion and downshifting luminescence via plasmonic structure.

We describe a metal nanodisk-insulator-metal (MIM) structure that enhances lanthanide-based upconversion (UC) and downshifting (DS) simultaneously. The structure was fabricated using a nanotransfer printing method that facilitates large-area applications of nanostructures for optoelectronic devices. The proposed MIM structure is a promising way to harness the entire solar spectrum by converting both ultraviolet and near-infrared to visible light concurrently through resonant-mode excitation. The overall photoluminescence enhancements of the UC and DS were 174- and 29-fold, respectively.

Analysis of fish DNA biomarkers as a molecular-level approach for ecological health assessments in an urban stream.

This study was performed to determine the ecosystem health of an urban stream using DNA damage biomarkers of sentinel fish species along with chemical analyses of water and sediments in the impacted and reference zones. The results based on single-cell gel electrophoresis showed that the extent of DNA damage was significantly elevated in the polluted zone. The severity of DNA damage in the impacted zone was largely attributed to high levels of heavy metals, such as As, Zn, Pb, and Ni. The DNA damage biomarker in benthic fish was sensitive to habitat change, which suggested that this fish species and biomarker are excellent tools for risk assessment. The acute toxicity tests demonstrated that SCGE was sufficient to reflect the different genotypes and pollution statuses and to propose the possibility of zebrafish erythrocytes as competitive materials.

Side-Stream Enhanced Biological Phosphorus Removal (S2EBPR) enables effective phosphorus removal in a pilot-scale A-B stage shortcut nitrogen removal system for mainstream municipal wastewater treatment.

While the adsorption/bio-oxidation (A/B) process has been widely studied for carbon capture and shortcut nitrogen (N) removal, its integration with enhanced biological phosphorus (P) removal (EBPR) has been considered challenging and thus unexplored. Here, full-scale pilot testing with an integrated system combining A-stage high-rate activated sludge with B-stage partial (de)nitrification/anammox and side-stream EBPR (HRAS-P(D)N/A-S2EBPR) was conducted treating real municipal wastewater. The results demonstrated that, despite the relatively low influent carbon load, the B-stage P(D)N-S2EBPR system could achieve effective P removal performance, with the carbon supplement and redirection of the A-stage sludge fermentate to the S2EBPR. The novel process configuration design enabled a system shift in carbon flux and distribution for efficient EBPR, and provided unique selective factors for ecological niche partitioning among different key functionally relevant microorganisms including polyphosphate accumulating organisms (PAOs) and glycogen-accumulating organisms (GAOs). The combined nitrite from B-stage to S2EBPR and aerobic-anoxic conditions in our HRAS-P(D)N/A-S2EBPR system promoted DPAOs for simultaneous internal carbon-driven denitrification via nitrite and P removal. 16S rRNA gene-based oligotyping analysis revealed high phylogenetic microdiversity within the Accumulibacter population and discovered coexistence of certain oligotypes of Accumulibacter and Competibacter correlated with efficient P removal. Single-cell Raman micro-spectroscopy-based phenotypic profiling showed high phenotypic microdiversity in the active PAO community and the involvement of unidentified PAOs and internal carbon-accumulating organisms that potentially played an important role in system performance. This is the first pilot study to demonstrate that the P(D)N-S2EBPR system could achieve shortcut N removal and influent carbon-independent EBPR simultaneously, and the results provided insights into the effects of incorporating S2EBPR into A/B process on metabolic activities, microbial ecology, and resulted system performance.

A1E inhibits proliferation and induces apoptosis in NCI-H460 lung cancer cells via extrinsic and intrinsic pathways.

It has been reported that extracts from Asian traditional/medical herbs possess therapeutic agents against cancers, metabolic diseases, inflammatory diseases, and other intractable diseases. In this study, we assessed the molecular mechanisms involved in the anticancer effects of A1E, the extract of Korean medicinal herbs. We examined the role of the cytotoxic and apoptotic pathways in the cancer chemopreventive activity in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cell lines NCI-H460 and NCI-H1299. A1E inhibited the proliferation of NCI-H460 more efficiently than NCI-H1299 (p53(-/-)) cells. The apoptosis was detected by nuclear morphological changes, annexin V-FITC/PI staining, cell cycle analysis, western blot, RT-PCR, and measurement of mitochondrial membrane potential. A1E induced cellular morphological changes and nuclear condensation at 24 h in a dose-dependent manner. A1E also perturbed cell cycle progression at the sub-G1 stage and altered cell cycle regulatory factors in NCI-H460 cells. Furthermore, A1E inhibited the PI3K/Akt and NF-κB survival pathways, and it activated apoptotic intrinsic and extrinsic pathways. A1E increased the expression levels of members of the extrinsic death receptor complex FasL and FADD. In addition, A1E treatment induced cleavage of caspase-8, caspase-9, caspase-3, and poly ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP), whereas the expression levels of Bcl-2 and Bcl-xl were downregulated. A1E induced mitochondrial membrane potential collapse and cytochrome C release. Our results suggest that A1E induces apoptosis via activation of both extrinsic and intrinsic pathways and inhibition of PI3K/Akt survival signaling pathways in NCI-H460 cells. In conclusion, these data demonstrate the potential of A1E as a novel chemotherapeutic agent in NSCLC.

Microstructural changes in the hippocampus and posterior cingulate in mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease: a diffusion tensor imaging study.

Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) is a sensitive MRI technique in the detection of white matter degeneration. We sought to demonstrate microstructural changes in normal controls, patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) and to determine which DTI parameters could be a reliable tool for the early diagnosis of AD. In total, 90 participants (35 normal, 20 aMCI, 35 AD) were recruited. We included early AD patients with clinical dementia rating scores of 0.5 and 1. The fractional anisotropy and mean diffusivity values, DTI parameter, were measured with the regions of interest method in the bilateral hippocampal body and posterior cingulate. Clinical history, neurological examination, and neuropsychological assessments were conducted. The DTI parameters in the bilateral hippocampus and posterior cingulate in aMCI and AD were different from those in normal controls. No difference was found in DTI parameters of the posterior cingulate between aMCI and AD. However, hippocampal DTI parameters were different between aMCI and AD. Cognitive summary measures were significantly correlated with DTI parameters, especially FA values in the hippocampus. The DTI analysis technique demonstrated significant microstructural alterations in the hippocampus and posterior cingulate already in prodromal stage of AD. DTI parameters in the hippocampus may be a more sensitive method to determine microstructural changes in early AD states and more correlated with cognition than DTI parameters in the posterior cingulate.

Genome-wide analysis of the CSN genes in land plants and their expression under various abiotic stress and phytohormone conditions in rice.

The CONSTITUTIVE PHOTOMORPHOGENIC9 (COP9) signalosome (CSN) is a multi-functional protein complex, which is involved in plant growth and abiotic stress response. However, the evolution and function of the CSN genes in land plants are still largely unclear. Here, we have identified 124 CSN genes and constructed phylogenetic trees of these CSN proteins to elucidate their feature and evolution in twelve land plants. Analysis of gene structure, protein property and protein motif composition shows the evolutional conservation and variation of the CSN proteins in land plants. These CSN genes might evolve through whole genome duplication (WGD)/segmental duplication (SD) and tandem duplication (TD). Analysis of promoter cis-elements shows that the CSN genes are implicated in diverse biological processes and different signaling pathways. RT-qPCR indicates that the transcript abundance of the OsCSN genes is up-regulated or down-regulated in response to abiotic stress and treatment with various hormones in rice. These results provide new insights into the CSN gene evolution and its possible function in land plants.

Spatiotemporal informer: A new approach based on spatiotemporal embedding and attention for air quality forecasting.

Accurate prediction of air pollution is essential for public health protection. Air quality, however, is difficult to predict due to the complex dynamics, and its accurate forecast still remains a challenge. This study suggests a spatiotemporal Informer model, which uses a new spatiotemporal embedding and spatiotemporal attention, to improve AQI forecast accuracy. In the first phase of the proposed forecast mechanism, the input data is transformed by the spatiotemporal embedding. Next, the spatiotemporal attention is applied to extract spatiotemporal features from the embedded data. The final forecast is obtained based on the attention tensors. In the proposed forecast model, the input is a 3-dimensional data that consists of air quality data (AQI, PM2.5, O3, SO2, NO2, CO) and geographic information, and the output is a multi-positional, multi-temporal data that shows the AQI forecast result of all the monitoring stations in the study area. The proposed forecast model was evaluated by air quality data of 34 monitoring stations in Beijing, China. Experiments showed that the proposed forecast model could provide highly accurate AQI forecast: the average of MAPE values for from 1 h to 20 h ahead forecast was 11.61%, and it was much smaller than other models. Moreover, the proposed model provided a highly accurate and stable forecast even at the extreme points. These results demonstrated that the proposed spatiotemporal embedding and attention techniques could sufficiently capture the spatiotemporal correlation characteristics of air quality data, and that the proposed spatiotemporal Informer could be successfully applied for air quality forecasting.

A Case of Spontaneous Hemothorax with a Ruptured Variceal Phrenic Vein.

Spontaneous hemothorax is rare, with limited data available on its etiology and treatment. We report a case of massive spontaneous hemothorax with a ruptured variceal phrenic vein during pregnancy, likely a complication of the Kasai procedure. Despite closed thoracostomy, the patient's symptoms and imaging findings did not improve. Emergent open thoracotomy and bleeding control were performed.