Differences in Cognitive Trajectories of Dementia: Comparison of Alzheimer's Disease Dementia and Dementia with Lewy Bodies in a Korean Patient Cohort.

INTRODUCTION: Prediction of the dementia progression is important for patient management. We aimed to investigate the cognitive trajectories of Alzheimer's disease dementia (ADD) and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) according to the initial structural change measured by comprehensive visual rating scales (CVRS). METHODS: We retrospectively included the patients who initially visited the Dementia Clinic of Chonnam National University Hospital between 2010 and 2012. All patients underwent dementia workup including neuropsychological battery (Seoul Neuropsychological Screening Battery, SNSB). We recruited the participant who underwent SNSB annually for 3 years successively. A total of 136 patients of ADD and 63 patients of DLB were included for analysis. We analyzed the decline pattern of the cognitive profile according to the initial brain structural changes. RESULTS: The general cognitive trajectories between ADD and DLB patients were not different. However, DLB patients showed more rapid decline of cognitive function in language and related function, visual memory function, and frontal executive function. The scores were lower in participants with DLB with the lesser atrophy group in attention, visuospatial function, and frontal executive function. In analysis of the cognitive trajectories, the visual memory domain declined rapidly in the DLB with lesser atrophy group compared with the ADD with lesser atrophy group. CONCLUSION: We founded that the differences in the visual cognitive profile in ADD and DLB patients in serial follow-up of neuropsychological tests. It is prominent in the mild structural change group of ADD and DLB.

Assessing cognitive impairment and disability in older adults through the lens of whole brain white matter patterns.

INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to explore the potential of whole brain white matter patterns as novel neuroimaging biomarkers for assessing cognitive impairment and disability in older adults. METHODS: We conducted an in-depth analysis of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and amyloid positron emission tomography (PET) scans in 454 participants, focusing on white matter patterns and white matter inter-subject variability (WM-ISV). RESULTS: The white matter pattern ensemble model, combining MRI and amyloid PET, demonstrated a significantly higher classification performance for cognitive impairment and disability. Participants with Alzheimer's disease (AD) exhibited higher WM-ISV than participants with subjective cognitive decline, mild cognitive impairment, and vascular dementia. Furthermore, WM-ISV correlated significantly with blood-based biomarkers (such as glial fibrillary acidic protein and phosphorylated tau-217 [p-tau217]), and cognitive function and disability scores. DISCUSSION: Our results suggest that white matter pattern analysis has significant potential as an adjunct neuroimaging biomarker for clinical decision-making and determining cognitive impairment and disability. HIGHLIGHTS: The ensemble model combined both magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and amyloid positron emission tomography (PET) and demonstrated a significantly higher classification performance for cognitive impairment and disability. Alzheimer's disease (AD) revealed a notably higher heterogeneity compared to that in subjective cognitive decline, mild cognitive impairment, or vascular dementia. White matter inter-subject variability (WM-ISV) was significantly correlated with blood-based biomarkers (glial fibrillary acidic protein and phosphorylated tau-217 [p-tau217]) and with the polygenic risk score for AD. White matter pattern analysis has significant potential as an adjunct neuroimaging biomarker for clinical decision-making processes and determining cognitive impairment and disability.

Clinical Characteristics of Patients with De Novo Parkinson's Disease and a Positive Family History.

Background/Objectives: A family history of Parkinson's disease (PD) is an important risk factor for developing PD. Because only a few studies have investigated the clinical characteristics of PD patients based on family history, this study compared the clinical characteristics of PD patients with and without a family history of PD. Methods: The study involved 356 patients with de novo PD. The data on the patients' PD family histories were obtained from the patients and their caregivers. Motor and non-motor PD symptoms were assessed using the appropriate scales. Results: Out of the 356 PD patients, 26 (7.3%) had a family history of PD. Compared with patients without a family history of PD, those with a family history of PD tended to be younger at diagnosis (67.9 years vs. 62.2 years, respectively; p = 0.009) and exhibited significantly more severe rigidity (p = 0.036). Motor subtype was not different between the PD patients with and without a family history. PD patients with a family history experienced significantly fewer falls/cardiovascular symptoms within the Non-Motor Symptoms Scale domains (p = 0.001) compared to their counterparts, although this was not statistically significant upon adjusting for age (p = 0.119). Conclusions: In de novo PD patients, having a family history of PD is associated with a younger age at diagnosis and more severe rigidity.

A Comparative Study on the Carcass and Meat Chemical Composition, and Lipid-Metabolism-Related Gene Expression in Korean Hanwoo and Brindle Chikso Cattle.

The objective of this study was to elucidate the effect of cattle breed on carcass and meat chemical composition, fatty acid profiles, and lipid-metabolism-related genes. For this study, same-age Hanwoo and Chikso steers (n = 6 per breed) reared under identical conditions were used. Immediately after slaughter, muscle tissues were collected for analysis of mRNA expression. At 24 h post-mortem, the carcasses were assessed for carcass traits (marbling score, meat yield, etc.), and meat quality and fatty acid profiles in the longissimus lumborum (LL) and semimembranosus (SM) muscles. The results showed that no differences in the slaughter weight, dressing rate, back-fat thickness, trimmed fat, and total meat yield occurred between the two breeds (p > 0.05). However, Hanwoo cattle had a higher marbling score, intramuscular fat (IMF) content, and expression level of lipid-metabolism-related genes such as lipoprotein lipase, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma, and fatty acid binding protein 4, compared with Chikso (p < 0.05). Contrastingly, Chikso had a higher total unsaturated fatty acid content and expression level of stearoyl CoA desaturase 1 (p < 0.05). It may be said that the difference in the expression levels of lipid-metabolism-related genes could be the molecular factors underlying IMF deposition and fatty acid profile differences in the beef from the two breeds.

Ameliorative Effect of Ginsenoside Rg6 in Periodontal Tissue Inflammation and Recovering Damaged Alveolar Bone.

Periodontal disease is a chronic disease with a high prevalence, and in order to secure natural materials to prevent oral diseases, new materials that protect periodontal tissue from inflammation are being sought. Genes were identified using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), and proteins were confirmed using Western blot. Dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate (DCF-DA) analysis was used, and the antibacterial effects were confirmed through Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) and Minimal Bactericidal Concentration (MBC) analysis. To confirm this effect in vivo, Sprague-Dawley rats, in which periodontitis was induced using ligation or Lipopolysaccharide of Porphyromonas gingivalis (PG-LPS), were used. In vitro experiments using human periodontal ligament (HPDL) cells stimulated with PG-LPS showed that Ginsenoside Rg6 (G-Rg6) had anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antioxidant, and osteoblast differentiation properties. In vivo, G-Rg6 was effective in Sprague-Dawley rats in which periodontitis was induced using ligation or PG-LPS. Therefore, Ginsenoside Rg6 shows potential effectiveness in alleviating periodontitis.

Pushing or clicking the grocery cart? Health and economic concerns during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Online Grocery Shopping (OGS) has grown dramatically during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is unknown, however, how consumers weighed pandemic situational factors versus household production considerations of timesaving and cost. We collect and analyze survey data from a nationally representative sample to examine how consumers with different health and socio-demographic profiles consider these factors for OGS choices and how their choices changed in the first seven months of the pandemic. We find that consumers with moderate-to-high income, white, having insurance, and not in the labor force value the timesaving and convenience of OGS more than pandemic situational factors. Still, some consumers with health risks choose to shop in person because of the cost of OGS. Lung disease, diabetes, mental health conditions, age, income, and college degree explain the dynamics of OGS choice as the pandemic evolved. Our findings shed light on the development of technology-assisted adaptation to future public health emergencies.

Health insurance coverage during the COVID-19 pandemic: The role of Medicaid expansion.

Using data from the US Census Bureau's Household Pulse Survey, we analyzed the likelihood of loss of health insurance and enrollment into new health coverage during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Loss of employment was associated with a significant increase in the likelihood of loss of health insurance and, specifically, an increase in the likelihood of employer-sponsored health insurance. However, individuals in Medicaid expansion states experienced a lower likelihood of loss of health insurance compared with individuals in nonexpansion states. At the same time, there was a statistically significant increase in Medicaid enrollment in expansion states, by 3.2 percentage points. Reemployment or acquiring employment was associated with a gain in health insurance coverage. During an economic downturn, eligibility, and coverage gaps leave many without affordable coverage options, and the pandemic will likely bring renewed attention to gaps in Medicaid coverage in nonexpansion states.

Harmonisation of PET imaging features with different amyloid ligands using machine learning-based classifier.

PURPOSE: In this study, we used machine learning to develop a new method derived from a ligand-independent amyloid (Aß) positron emission tomography (PET) classifier to harmonise different Aß ligands. METHODS: We obtained 107 paired 18F-florbetaben (FBB) and 18F-flutemetamol (FMM) PET images at the Samsung Medical Centre. To apply the method to FMM ligand, we transferred the previously developed FBB PET classifier to test similar features from the FMM PET images for application to FMM, which in turn developed a ligand-independent Aß PET classifier. We explored the concordance rates of our classifier in detecting cortical and striatal Aß positivity. We investigated the correlation of machine learning-based cortical tracer uptake (ML-CTU) values quantified by the classifier between FBB and FMM. RESULTS: This classifier achieved high classification accuracy (area under the curve = 0.958) even with different Aß PET ligands. In addition, the concordance rate of FBB and FMM using the classifier (87.5%) was good to excellent, which seemed to be higher than that in visual assessment (82.7%) and lower than that in standardised uptake value ratio cut-off categorisation (93.3%). FBB and FMM ML-CTU values were highly correlated with each other (R = 0.903). CONCLUSION: Our findings suggested that our novel classifier may harmonise FBB and FMM ligands in the clinical setting which in turn facilitate the biomarker-guided diagnosis and trials of anti-Aß treatment in the research field.

Association between freezing of gait and bone mineral density in patients with Parkinson's disease.

Parkinson's disease (PD) patients are at risk for developing bone health problems, and freezing of gait (FOG) in PD is associated with a high risk of falling and fracture. This study aimed to determine the association between FOG and bone mineral density (BMD) in patients with PD. We included 148 PD patients. FOG was assessed using the FOG Questionnaire (FOG-Q), and BMD was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Of 148 PD patients, 102 (68.9%) had FOG. PD patients with FOG were older and had longer disease duration, higher levodopa equivalent dose, higher modified Hoehn and Yahr stage, higher Unified PD Rating Scale motor score, higher FOG-Q score, higher total Non-Motor Symptom Scale score, and lower BMD scores in the femoral neck area than those without FOG. Pearson correlation analysis revealed that age, sex, body mass index, and age at onset were significantly correlated with areal BMDs in all areas. FOG-Q scores correlated negatively with areal BMDs in the total hip area and femoral neck, but not with areal BMD in the lumbar spine. Multivariate regression analysis showed that FOG-Q score was significantly correlated with areal BMD in the femoral neck, but not with areal BMDs in the lumbar spine or total hip. FOG in PD patients correlates significantly with BMD in the femoral neck area. Therefore, PD patients with FOG should be screened for osteoporosis.

Cerebellar infarction presenting with isolated positional vertigo: differentiating factors for benign paroxysmal positional vertigo.

BACKGROUND: Isolated central positional vertigo (CPV) due to cerebellar infarction is often difficult to differentiate from benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV). Here, we aimed to evaluate whether vascular risk factors and serum vitamin D level can differentiate between positional vertigo types. METHODS: A total of 78 consecutive patients were consecutively enrolled from January 2017. All CPV patients had a National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score of 0 and cerebellar infarctions confirmed by brain MR imaging. Vascular risk factors and serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels were compared between the two groups of patients. RESULTS: The proportion of men was higher in the CPV than in the BPPV group (p = 0.004). Atrial fibrillation was common in the CPV group on univariate analysis (p = 0.046). However, there were no independent differentiating factors between the two groups. The proportion of patients according to the number of risk factors was significantly different between the two groups (linear by linear association test, p = 0.02). The mean serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D level did not differ. Also, the proportions of vitamin D insufficiency and deficiency did not differ significantly between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Increased number of vascular risk factors including male sex suggested more CPV than BPPV. However, the serum vitamin D level was below the normal range in both groups. Our results demonstrate that serum vitamin D level has little value in the differential diagnosis of positional vertigo. Efforts to identify differentiating factors are warranted, and accumulating evidences including our research may lead to a diagnostic algorithm for isolated positional vertigo.

Inhibitory Neural Network's Impairments at Hippocampal CA1 LTP in an Aged Transgenic Mouse Model of Alzheimer's Disease.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by a rapid accumulation of amyloid ß (Aß) protein in the hippocampus, which impairs synaptic structures and neuronal signal transmission, induces neuronal loss, and diminishes memory and cognitive functions. The present study investigated the impact of neuregulin 1 (NRG1)-ErbB4 signaling on the impairment of neural networks underlying hippocampal long-term potentiation (LTP) in 5xFAD mice, a model of AD with greater symptom severity than that of TG2576 mice. Specifically, we observed parvalbumin (PV)-containing hippocampal interneurons, the effect of NRG1 on hippocampal LTP, and the functioning of learning and memory. We found a significant decrease in the number of PV interneurons in 11-month-old 5xFAD mice. Moreover, synaptic transmission in the 5xFAD mice decreased at 6 months of age. The 11-month-old transgenic AD mice showed fewer inhibitory PV neurons and impaired NRG1-ErbB4 signaling than did wild-type mice, indicating that the former exhibit the impairment of neuronal networks underlying LTP in the hippocampal Schaffer-collateral pathway. In conclusion, this study confirmed the impaired LTP in 5xFAD mice and its association with aberrant NRG1-ErbB signaling in the neuronal network.

The significant influences of pH, temperature and fatty acids on meat myoglobin oxidation: a model study.

Colour is one of the important quality traits affecting the meat purchasing decision by consumers, and myoglobin is the principal heme protein responsible for the meat colour. This study aimed to investigate the effects of pH (5.3, 5.8, 6.4 and 7.4) and temperature (4 and 25 °C) on oxymyoglobin (OxyMb) oxidation in model reaction mixtures containing OxyMb, fatty acids (C18:2n-6 and C18:3n-3) and vitamin E. A decrease of the OxyMb concentration with increased acidity was observed for all the reaction mixtures with/without fatty acids and vitamin E. After 48 h of storage at 4 °C, the OxyMb concentration decreased by approximately 60-70%, 61-69%, 53.7-53.9% and 40.93-41.84% in the reaction mixtures containing [OxyMb + C18:2n-6 or C18:3n-3] at pH 5.3, 5.8, 6.4 and 7.4, respectively. While, after 48 h at 25 °C, the OxyMb concentration decreased by 95-98% in all the reaction mixtures containing [OxyMb + C18:2n-6 or C18:3n-3] under all the pH conditions. The presence of vitamin E significantly inhibited the OxyMb oxidation in the reaction mixtures containing fatty acids under acidic conditions, but a higher level of vitamin E may be required for meat(s) containing high n-3 fatty acids content that are stored at high temperature.

A new Centiloid method for 18F-florbetaben and 18F-flutemetamol PET without conversion to PiB.

PURPOSE: We developed a new method to directly calculate Centiloid (CL) units of 18F-florbetaben (FBB) and 18F-flutemetamol (FMM) without conversion to the PiB standardized uptake value ratio (SUVR). METHODS: Paired FBB and FMM PET scans were obtained from 20 Alzheimer's disease-related cognitive impairment patients, 16 old controls, and 20 young controls. We investigated the correlations between the FBB and FMM CL units using the direct comparison of FBB-FMM CL (dcCL) method and the standard CL method and compare differences in FBB and FMM CL units between dcCL method and the standard method. RESULTS: Following the conversion of FBB or FMM SUVRs into CL units, a direct relationship was formed between the FBB or FMM SUVRs and the CL units using dcCL method (FBB dcCL = 151.42 × FBB dcSUVR - 142.24 and FMM dcCL = 148.52 × FMM dcSUVR - 137.09). The FBB and FMM CL units were highly correlated in both our method (R2 = 0.97, FMM dcCL = 0.97 × FBB dcCL + 1.64) and the standard method (R2 = 0.97, FMM CLstandard = 0.79 × FBB CLstandard + 1.36). However, the CL variations between FBB and FMM were smaller when calculated by dcCL method (6.15) than when calculated by the previous method (10.22; P = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that our direct comparison of FBB-FMM method, rather than the standard method, is a reasonable way to convert FBB or FMM SUVRs into CL units, at least in environments where FBB or FMM ligands are used frequently.

Correction to: A new Centiloid method for 18F-florbetaben and 18F-flutemetamol PET without conversion to PiB.

Funding information from the original version of this article was incomplete. Complete information is presented here.

Application of an amyloid and tau classification system in subcortical vascular cognitive impairment patients.

OBJECTIVE: To apply an AT (Aß/tau) classification system to subcortical vascular cognitive impairment (SVCI) patients following recently developed biomarker-based criteria of Alzheimer's disease (AD), and to investigate its clinical significance. METHODS: We recruited 60 SVCI patients who underwent the neuropsychological tests, brain MRI, and 18F-florbetaben and 18F-AV1451 PET at baseline. As a control group, we further recruited 27 patients with AD cognitive impairment (ADCI; eight Aß PET-positive AD dementia and 19 amnestic mild cognitive impairment). ADCI and SVCI patients were classified as having normal or abnormal Aß (A-/A+) and tau (T-/T+) based on PET results. Across the three SVCI groups (A-, A+T-, and A+T+SVCI), we compared longitudinal changes in cognition, hippocampal volume (HV), and cortical thickness using linear mixed models. RESULTS: Among SVCI patients, 33 (55%), 20 (33.3%), and seven (11.7%) patients were A-, A+T-, and A+T+, respectively. The frequency of T+ was lower in A+SVCI (7/27, 25.9%) than in A+ADCI (14/20, 70.0%, p = 0.003) which suggested that cerebral small vessel disease affected cognitive impairments independently of A+. A+T-SVCI had steeper cognitive decline than A-SVCI. A+T+SVCI also showed steeper cognitive decline than A+T-SVCI. Also, A+T-SVCI had steeper decrease in HV than A-SVCI, while cortical thinning did not differ between the two groups. A+T+SVCI had greater global cortical thinning compared with A+T-SVCI, while declines in HV did not differ between the two groups. CONCLUSION: This study showed that the AT system successfully characterized SVCI patients, suggesting that the AT system may be usefully applied in a research framework for clinically diagnosed SVCI.

Quality characteristics, fatty acid profiles, flavor compounds and eating quality of cull sow meat in comparison with commercial pork.

OBJECTIVE: Although the slaughter of cull sows (CS) for human consumption and meat products processing appears quite common throughout the world, relatively limited scientific information regarding the meat quality parameters of this pork type is available. The present study aimed at providing the technological quality characteristics and eating quality of CS meat, and comparing with those of commercial pork. METHODS: Longissimus thoracis et lumborum muscle samples of CS and finisher pigs (FP) at 24 h postmortem were collected and used for investigation of the meat quality traits (pH, color, shear force, cooking loss, water holding capacity), fatty acids, flavor compounds and sensory characteristics. RESULTS: The CS meat had significantly higher moisture content (p = 0.0312) and water holding capacity (p = 0.0213) together with lower cooking loss (p = 0.0366) compared to the FP meat. The CS meat also exhibited higher (p = 0.0409) contents of unsaturated fatty acids, especially polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA, p = 0.0213) and more desirable PUFA/total saturated fatty acids ratio (p = 0.0438) compared to the FP meat. A total of 56 flavor compounds were identified, amongst the amount of 16 compounds differed significantly between the two pork groups. Most of the PUFA-derived flavor compounds (e.g., hexanal, benzaldehyde, and hydrocarbons) showed higher amounts in the CS meat. While, 3-(methylthio)-propanal and 4-methylthiazole associated with pleasant aromas (meaty and roast odor notes) were only found in the FP meat. Furthermore, no differences were reported by panelists for flavor, juiciness, tenderness, and acceptability scores between the two pork groups studied. CONCLUSION: The sow meat exhibited better technological quality and its eating quality could be comparable to the commercial pork. This study provides meat processors and traders with valuably scientific information which may help to improve the utilization and consumption level of sow meat.

Estimation of carcass weight of Hanwoo (Korean native cattle) as a function of body measurements using statistical models and a neural network.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to develop a model for estimating the carcass weight of Hanwoo cattle as a function of body measurements using three different modeling approaches: i) multiple regression analysis, ii) partial least square regression analysis, and iii) a neural network. METHODS: Data from a total of 134 Hanwoo cattle were obtained from the National Institute of Animal Science in South Korea. Among the 372 variables in the raw data, 20 variables related to carcass weight and body measurements were extracted to use in multiple regression, partial least square regression, and an artificial neural network to estimate the cold carcass weight of Hanwoo cattle by any of seven body measurements significantly related to carcass weight or by all 19 body measurement variables. For developing and training the model, 100 data points were used, whereas the 34 remaining data points were used to test the model estimation. RESULTS: The R2 values from testing the developed models by multiple regression, partial least square regression, and an artificial neural network with seven significant variables were 0.91, 0.91, and 0.92, respectively, whereas all the methods exhibited similar R2 values of approximately 0.93 with all 19 body measurement variables. In addition, relative errors were within 4%, suggesting that the developed model was reliable in estimating Hanwoo cattle carcass weight. The neural network exhibited the highest accuracy. CONCLUSION: The developed model was applicable for estimating Hanwoo cattle carcass weight using body measurements. Because the procedure and required variables could differ according to the type of model, it was necessary to select the best model suitable for the system with which to calculate the model.

Clinical significance of amyloid ß positivity in patients with probable cerebral amyloid angiopathy markers.

PURPOSE: We investigated the frequency and clinical significance of amyloid ß (Aß) positivity on PET in patients with cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA). METHODS: We recruited 65 patients who met the modified Boston criteria for probable CAA. All underwent amyloid PET, MRI, APOE genotyping and neuropsychological testing, and we obtained information on MRI markers of CAA and ischemic cerebral small-vessel disease (CSVD). We investigated the CAA/ischemic CSVD burden and APOE genotypes in relation to Aß positivity and investigated the effect of Aß positivity on longitudinal cognitive decline. RESULTS: Among the 65 CAA patients, 43 (66.2%) showed Aß PET positivity (Aß+). Patients with Aß+ CAA had more lobar microbleeds (median 9, interquartile range 2-41, vs. 3, 2-8; P = 0.045) and a higher frequency of cortical superficial siderosis (34.9% vs. 9.1%; P = 0.025), while patients with Aß- CAA had more lacunes (1, 0-2, vs. 0, 0-1; P = 0.029) and a higher frequency of severe white matter hyperintensities (45.5% vs. 20.9%; P = 0.040). The frequency of ε4 carriers was higher in Aß+ patients (57.1%) than in Aß- patients (18.2%; P = 0.003), while the frequency of ε2 carriers did not differ between the two groups. Finally, Aß positivity was associated with faster decline in multiple cognitive domains including language (P < 0.001), visuospatial function (P < 0.001), and verbal memory (P < 0.001) in linear mixed effects models. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that a significant proportion of patients with probable CAA in a memory clinic are Aß- on PET. Aß positivity in CAA patients is associated with a distinct pattern of CSVD biomarker expression, and a worse cognitive trajectory. Aß positivity has clinical relevance in CAA and might represent either advanced CAA or additional Alzheimer's disease neuropathological changes.

Inhibitory effects of protopanaxatriol type ginsenoside fraction (Rgx365) on particulate matter-induced pulmonary injury.

Inhalation of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is associated with elevated pulmonary injury attributed to the loss of vascular barrier integrity. Black ginseng (BG), steamed 9 times and dried ginseng, and its major protopanaxatriol type ginsenosides (ginsenoside Rg4, Rg6, Rh4, Rh1, and Rg2) exhibited various biological activities including anti-septic, anti-diabetic, wound healing, immune-stimulatory, and anti-antioxidant activity. The aim of this study was to investigate the beneficial effects of Rgx365 (a protopanaxatriol type rare ginsenosides fraction) on PM-induced lung endothelial cell (EC) barrier disruption and pulmonary inflammation. Permeability, leukocyte migration, activation of proinflammatory proteins, generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and histology were examined in PM2.5-treated EC and mice. Rgx365 significantly scavenged PM2.5-induced ROS, inhibited ROS-induced activation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), activated Akt in purified pulmonary EC, which helped maintain endothelial integrity. Further, Rgx365 reduced vascular protein leakage, leukocyte infiltration, and proinflammatory cytokine release in bronchoalveolar lavage fluids in PM-induced mouse lung tissues. Data suggested that Rgx365 might exhibit protective effects in PM-induced inflammatory lung injury and vascular hyperpermeability.

Reflectance According to Cell Size, Foaming Ratio and Refractive Index of Microcellular Foamed Amorphous Polymer.

Microcellular foamed plastic has a cell size of approximately 0.1 to 10 microns inside a foamed polymer and a cell density in the range of 109 to 1015 cells/cm3. Typically, the formation of numerous uniform cells inside a polymer can be effectively used for various purposes, such as lightweight materials, insulation and sound absorbing materials. However, it has recently been reported that these dense cell structures, which are induced through microcellular foaming, can affect the light passing through the medium, which affects the haze and permeability and causes the diffused reflection of light to achieve high diffuse reflectivity. In this study, the effects of cell size, foaming ratio and refractive index on the optical performance were investigated by applying the microcellular foaming process to three types of amorphous polymer materials. Thus, this study experimentally confirmed that the advantages of porous materials can be implemented as optical properties by providing a high specific surface area as a small and uniform cell formed by inducing a high foaming ratio through a microcellular foaming process.