IoT-Based Research Equipment Sharing System for Remotely Controlled Two-Photon Laser Scanning Microscopy.

In this study, two-photon laser scanning microscopy (TPLSM) based on the internet of things (IoT) is proposed as a remote research equipment sharing system, which enables the remote sharing economy. IoT modules, where data are transmitted to and received from the remote users in the web service via IoT, instead of a data acquisition (DAQ) system embedded in the conventional TPLSM, are installed in the IoT-based TPLSM (IoT-TPLSM). The performance for each IoT module is evaluated independently, and it is confirmed that it works well even in a personal computer-free environment. In addition, a message queuing telemetry transport (MQTT) protocol is applied to the DAQ interface in the web service, and a graphic user interface for enabling the remote users to operate IoT-TPLSM remotely is also designed and implemented. For the image acquisition demonstration, the stained cellular images and the autofluorescent tissue images are obtained in IoT-TPLSM. Lastly, it is confirmed that the comparable performance is provided with the conventional TPLSM by evaluating the imaging conditions and qualities of the three-dimensional image stacks processed in IoT-TPLSM.

Eating Habits and Food Additive Intakes Are Associated with Emotional States Based on EEG and HRV in Healthy Korean Children and Adolescents.

PURPOSE: Recent study suggests that psychological issues and eating habits are closely related. In this study, we aimed to find the association between eating habits and intakes of artificial sweeteners with emotional states of schoolchildren using quantitatively analyzing objective biosignals. METHODS: The study was conducted at the National Standard Reference Data Center for Korean EEG as a cross-sectional study. Three hundred eighteen healthy children who have not been diagnosed with neurologic or psychiatric disorders were evaluated (168 girls and 150 boys; mean age of 11.8 ± 3.6 years). Analysis indicators were a dietary intake checklist for children's nutrition-related behavior score (NBS), consisting of 19 items; food frequency questionnaires (FFQs), consisting of 76 items; the Child Depression Inventory (CDI); State-Trait Anxiety Inventory-State (STAI-S); State-Trait Anxiety Inventory-Trait (STAI-T); electroencephalograph (EEG); and heart rate variability (HRV). RESULTS: Higher scores on the CDI, STAI-S, and STAI-T indicate negative emotions, and these scores were significantly decreased from the first to the fourth quartiles. The HRV results showed that the standard deviation of all normal-to-normal (SDNN) intervals was significantly higher in the first quartile than in the fourth quartile (p < 0.05). The intakes of artificial sweeteners and processed foods such as hamburgers correlate with higher theta/beta ratios, and intakes of natural foods such as legumes and fruits correlate with lower theta/beta ratios (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: From this result we confirmed a link between overall nutritional behavior, food additive intakes, and emotion in apparently healthy children and adolescents.

Serology and clinical relevance of Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis in native Korean goats (Capra hircus coreanae).

This study was conducted to assess the seroprevalence and clinical relevance of Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis, which is the causative agent of caseous lymphadenitis (CLA), in native Korean goats (Capra hircus coreanae). A total of 466 native Korean goats from 40 herds (11 to 12 samples per herd) were randomly selected throughout the nation and evaluated by direct palpation, bacterial isolation, ELISA, and PCR. In serological examinations, 267 (57.3 %) of the goats tested were positive against C. pseudotuberculosis. When seroprevalence was analyzed according to age, region, and season, statistically significant differences were observed in relation to all three parameters (P < 0.05). For clinical examination, the superficial lymph nodes of all goats were palpated to diagnose CLA. Pus samples taken from superficial abscesses were used for bacterial isolation. Among the 466 goats tested, 34 (7.3 %) were presumptively diagnosed with CLA, and C. pseudotuberculosis was isolated from 24 goats (70.6 % of goats with CLA lesions) whose infections were confirmed by PCR. Considering the high seroprevalence and bacterial isolation rate from most of the superficial CLA lesions, it is suspected that many internal CLA lesions exist in this goat population. These results suggest that C. pseudotuberculosis infection is widespread in native Korean goats, and appropriate control programs need to be established.

Inverse design of the absorbing layer for detection enhancement in near-infrared range.

In spite of rapidly increasing demand and various applications of infrared (IR) detectors, their design process for the performance improvement has been mostly dependent on researchers' intuition and knowledge. We present two-dimensional unit structure design of the absorbing layer in IR detectors. A systematic approach is introduced to enhance the absorbing efficiency of incident beam in the near-infrared wavelength range. We derived a layered structure composed of a silicon nitride (Si3N4) layer and an amorphous silicon (a-Si) one in turn by the so called topology optimization in association with the time variant finite element analysis (FEA). It is confirmed that thickness at each layer is in associated with the IR wavelength so that detail dimensions of each layer are inferred. A prototype of the layered structure was fabricated and its performance has been verified through experimental measurement.

Photochemical degradation of atrazine in UV and UV/H2O2 process: pathways and toxic effects of products.

The degradation of atrazine in aqueous solution by UV or UV/H2O2 processes, and the toxic effects of the degradation products were explored. The mineralization of atrazine was not observed in the UV irradiation process, resulting in the production of hydroxyatrazine (OIET) as the final product. In the UV/H2O2 process, the final product was ammeline (OAAT), which was obtained by two different pathways of reaction: dechlorination followed by hydroxylation, and the de-alkylation of atrazine. The by-products of the reaction of dechlorination followed by hydroxylation were OIET and hydroxydeethyl atrazine (OIAT), and those of de-alkylation were deisopropyl atrazine (CEAT), deethyl atrazine (CIAT), and deethyldeisopropyl atrazine (CAAT). OIAT and OAAT appeared to be quite stable in the degradation of atrazine by the UV/H2O2 process. In a toxicity test using Daphnia magna, the acute toxic unit (TUa) was less than 1 of TUa (100/EC50, %) in the UV/H2O2 process after 30 min of reaction time, while 1.2 to 1.3 of TUa was observed in the UV process. The TUa values of atrazine and the degradation products have the following decreasing order: OIET> Atrazine> CEAT≈CIAT> CAAT. OIAT and OAAT did not show any toxic effects.

Semi-solid electrolyte with layered heterometallic low-valent electron-mediator enabling indirect destruction of gaseous toluene.

The electrochemical degradation of air pollutants, particularly volatile organic compounds (VOCs), at their gaseous state is a promising method. However, it remains at an infant stage due to sluggish solid-gas electron transfers at room temperature. We established a triphase reaction condition using a semi-solid electrolyte layer between the electrode and membrane to enhance the electron transfer at room temperature. A polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) gel layer was inserted between a bimetallic layered CuNi(CN)4 complex coated Cu foam electrode (TCNi-Cu) and Nafion 324 membrane for the degradation of gaseous toluene. The cyclic voltammetry of TCNi-Cu using a sodium hydroxide-coated copper mesh electrode at a triphase showed Cu1+ and Ni1+ stabilization at -0.7 and -0.9 V, respectively, which was similar to the liquid phase electron transfer behavior. The degradation capacity of gaseous toluene without using electrogenerated TCNi-Cu + PVA gel was 0.54 mg cm2 min-1, whereas that of TCNi-Cu + PVA gel layers was 1.17 mg cm-2min-1, which revealed the mediation effect at a triphase condition. Toluene was converted into oxygen-containing products, such as butanol, propanol, and acetone (without reduction products), which revealed that indirect oxidation occurred at the cathode using an in-situ generated oxidant, such as OH˙ radical. As an electron-mediator, Cu1+ was used to form oxidants for the degradation of toluene at -0.7 V. The toluene removal rate reached 1.4 µmol h-1, with an energy efficiency of 0.15 Wh L-1. This study is the first attempt to describe a liquid-electrolyte-free cathodic half-cell in electrochemical application to VOCs degradation, highlighting the electron transfer at room temperature.

Review on Multicomponent Hydrogel Bioinks Based on Natural Biomaterials for Bioprinting 3D Liver Tissues.

Three-dimensional (3D)-printed in vitro tissue models have been used in various biomedical fields owing to numerous advantages such as enhancements in cell response and functionality. In liver tissue engineering, several studies have been reported using 3D-printed liver tissue models with improved cellular responses and functions in drug screening, liver disease, and liver regenerative medicine. However, the application of conventional single-component bioinks for the printing of 3D in vitro liver constructs remains problematic because of the complex structural and physiological characteristics of the liver. The use of multicomponent bioinks has become an attractive strategy for bioprinting 3D functional in vitro liver tissue models because of the various advantages of multicomponent bioinks, such as improved mechanical properties of the printed tissue construct and cell functionality. Therefore, it is essential to review various 3D bioprinting techniques and multicomponent hydrogel bioinks proposed for liver tissue engineering to suggest future directions for liver tissue engineering. Accordingly, we herein review multicomponent bioinks for 3D-bioprinted liver tissues. We first describe the fabrication methods capable of printing multicomponent bioinks and introduce considerations for bioprinting. We subsequently categorize and evaluate the materials typically utilized for multicomponent bioinks based on their characteristics. In addition, we also review recent studies for the application of multicomponent bioinks to fabricate in vitro liver tissue models. Finally, we discuss the limitations of current studies and emphasize aspects that must be resolved to enhance the future applicability of such bioinks.

Emissions of Fungal Volatile Organic Compounds in Residential Environments and Temporal Emission Patterns: Implications for Sampling Methods.

Currently, little is known about the occurrences of fungi-derived microbial volatile organic compounds (mVOCs) in various indoor materials and their detection in residential environments, despite mVOCs being linked to several acute health effects. We identified various mVOCs emitted from fungi grown on PVC wallpaper, silicone rubber, and malt extract agar. We also investigated mVOCs temporal emission and whether fungi-derived VOCs concentration can be used to estimate fungal concentration in the air using active and passive air sampling methods. Among the three fungal growth media included in this study, silicone rubber produced the most variety of mVOCs: 106 compounds (from Aspergillus niger), 35 compounds (from Alternaria alternata), and 85 compounds (from Penicillium chrysogenum). We also found the emission patterns of eight chemical classes (i.e., aromatics, ethers, aliphatics, alcohols, ketones, aldehydes, chlorides, and nitrides) from the three different fungi. From the results of our field experiments in 11 residential environments, passive air samplers led to higher correlations coefficients (0.08 to 0.86) between mVOCs' air concentrations and airborne fungal concentrations, compared with active air samplers, which showed negative correlation coefficients (-0.99 to -0.02) for most compounds. This study elucidated the occurrence and temporal emission patterns of fungal VOCs in residential environments.

MgO modified zeolite facilitated low temperature chemisorptive removal of gaseous acetaldehyde into value added intermediate as desorption product.

The adsorptive removal of acetaldehyde is more compatible for real-world applications. However, it must be upgraded from simple adsorption to a high efficiency process with value added products. This study develops a modified zeolite with Mg2+ ions that possesses acid-base sites for the removal of acetaldehyde at room temperature. Through a modified procedure, MgO is coated on commercial zeolite (13x), achieving a porosity of 501 m2 g-1 with MgO particles of 100 nm and pore diameter of 2.6 nm, and high breakthrough capacity of 50.00 mg/g. The initial pH and concentration of Mg2+ ion 12.5 and 0.2 M, respectively, with a maximum breakthrough capacity of 12.72 mg/g at 10% humidity. Significant variations in breakthrough capacity with respect to humidity in the presence of H2S and NH3 demonstrate the effects of water and gases on adsorption efficiency. Desorptive oxidation of adsorbed acetaldehyde at 250 °C yielded a high molecular weight intermediate ethylene oxide formation. The oxidation is followed by aldol condensation and hydrogenation. The higher breakthrough capacity and the intermediate product yielded using the developed MgO-zeolite proves the acid-base reaction sites involved in acetaldehyde removal follows chemisorption and possible process scale-up.

Porous Clay Heterostructure with Alginate Encapsulation for Toluene Removal.

A volatile organic compound adsorbent based on a porous clay heterostructure (PCH) with alginate biopolymer was successfully prepared. From N2 adsorption-desorption analysis, the specific surface area, pore volume, and pore size of bentonite were dramatically increased after introducing the porous structure. Following complexation with alginate (Alg-PCH), the pore volume and pore size were not significantly affected by pore structure. The thermal stability of Alg-PCH shows enhanced thermal stability compared to alginate and alginate beads. The morphology layered structure of Alg-PCH was carried out by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), suggesting the disorder and re-order of the c-axis layer stacking by porous structure and complexation with alginate, respectively, which was well-matched with X-ray diffraction results. To optimize the preparation of Alg-PCH, various reaction conditions (alginate, CaCl2 concentration, bead size, and weight ratio between alginate and PCH) were utilized. According to the toluene adsorption-desorption experiments, the preparation conditions for Alg-PCH were selected as a 2 mm extrusion tip, 0.5% of alginate, and 2% of CaCl2 solution with a 1:50 alginate:PCH weight ratio. Additionally, it shows 61.63 mg/g adsorption capacity with around 49% desorption efficacy under atmospheric temperature and pressure.

Quantitative Electroencephalogram Standardization: A Sex- and Age-Differentiated Normative Database.

We describe the utility of a standardized index (Z-score) in quantitative EEG (QEEG) capable of when referenced to a resting-state, sex- and age-differentiated QEEG normative database (ISB-NormDB). Our ISB-NormDB comprises data for 1,289 subjects (553 males, 736 females) ages 4.5 to 81 years that met strict normative data criteria. A de-noising process allowed stratification based on QEEG variability between normal healthy men and women at various age ranges. The ISB-NormDB data set that is stratified by sex provides a unique, highly accurate ISB-NormDB model (ISB-NormDB: ISB-NormDB-Male, ISB-NormDB-Female). To evaluate the trends and accuracy of the ISB-NormDB, we used actual data to compare Z-scores obtained through the ISB-NormDB with those obtained through a traditional QEEG normative database to confirm that basic trends are maintained in most bands and are sensitive to abnormal test data. Finally, we demonstrate the value of our standardized index of QEEG, and highlight it's capacity to minimize the confounding variables of sex and age in any analysis.

High-throughput three-dimensional lithographic microfabrication.

A 3D lithographic microfabrication process has been developed that is high throughput, scalable, and capable of producing arbitrary patterns. It offers the possibility for industrial scale manufacturing of 3D microdevices such as photonic crystals, tissue engineering scaffolds, and microfluidics chips. This method is based on depth-resolved wide-field illumination by temporally focusing femtosecond light pulses. We characterized the axial resolution of this technique, and the result is consistent with the theoretical prediction. As proof-of-concept experiments, we demonstrated photobleaching of 3D resolved patterns in a fluorescent medium and fabricating 3D microstructures with SU-8 photoresist.

Blockade of glycoprotein IIb/IIIa mediates the antithrombotic activity of butanol fraction of Actinostemma lobatum Maxim.

AIM OF THE STUDY: Actinostemma lobatum Maxim, a wildlife plant of Cucurbitaceae family, has been utilized for the prevention or treatment of cardiovascular diseases as a folk remedy in Korea. However, its scientific evidence remains unclear. Thus, in the present study, we examined the effects of butanol fraction of Actinostemma lobatum Maxim (BFALM) on the in vitro and in vivo antithrombotic activity and possible mechanisms were elucidated for the first time. MATERIAL AND METHODS: To elucidate the antithrombotic mechanism of BFALM, platelet aggregation assay, coagulation assay, glycoprotein IIb/IIIa assay, thromboxane A(2) assay and in vivo pulmonary thromboembolism experiment were performed. RESULTS: BFALM significantly inhibited collagen, adenosine diphosphate (ADP) and thrombin-induced platelet aggregation in a concentration dependent manner. Consistently, oral administration of BFALM resulted in a dose-dependent increase of survival rates of mice with pulmonary thromboembolism induced by intravenous injection of collagen and epinephrine. In mechanism assays for the antithrombotic activity of BFALM, BFALM significantly inhibited the fibrinogen binding to the platelet surface Glycoprotein IIb/IIIa (GP IIb/IIIa) receptor in a concentration dependent fashion, as well as reduced the level of thromboxane A(2) at 400microg/ml. Furthermore, BFALM significantly prolonged the prothrombin time (PT) and activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) compared with untreated control. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that BFALM may exert antithrombotic activity through inhibition of platelet aggregation via GP IIb/IIIa and thromboxane A(2) pathways, along with anticoagulatory activity through intrinsic and extrinsic pathways.

The effects of ketorolac tromethamine and baicalein on the levels of inflammatory factors in human synoviocytes.

This study examined the effects of ketorolac tromethamine (KT) and baicalein (BE) on the levels of inflammatory factors in human synoviocytes. The fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS) cells were used to determine the possible regulatory effects of KT and BE (KTBE) on the levels of inflammatory factors in FLS cells. In addition, the levels of TNF-alpha, IL-6, and IL-1beta mRNA expression in FLS cells induced by a TNF-alpha and IL-1beta co-treatment were largely inhibited by a KTBE treatment. The level of FLS cells proliferation was increased by IL-1beta and TNF-alpha, and strongly inhibited by KTBE treatment. The production of oxygen species (ROS) was inhibited by KTBE in FLS cells. KTBE appears to regulate the levels of mRNA that are important for regulating RA progression.

A new lignan glycoside from the fruits of Cornus kousa Burg.

A new lignan glycoside, (7'S, 8'R)-dihydrodehydrodiconiferyl alcohol-4'-O-beta-D-xylopyranoside (1), named cornuskoside A, was isolated from the fruits of Cornus kousa. The structure of the compound was determined by spectroscopy, including FABMS, UV, IR, (1)H-and 13C-NMR, DEPT and 2D-NMR (COSY, HSQC, and HMBC). This new lignan glycoside, along with its aglycone, (7'S, 8'R)-dihydrodehydrodiconiferyl alcohol (3), and another lignan with a similar skeleton, (-)-balanophonin (2), which have been previously isolated from this plant, were evaluated for cytotoxicity in human cancer cell lines such as HeLa, MCF-7, SK-MEL-5, and SK-OV-3. Compounds 2 and 3 showed cytotoxicity against HeLa [IC50 = 29.1 microM (2), 45.5 microM (3)], MCF-7 [IC50 = 29.2 microM (2), 28.2 microM (3)], SK-MEL-5 [IC50 = 31.3 microM (2), 32.3 microM (3)], and SK-OV-3 [IC50 = 33.4 microM (2), 43.4 microM (3)] cell lines.

Apoptosis-inducing effect of akebia saponin D from the roots of Dipsacus asper Wall in U937 cells.

Methanol extracts of the root of Dipsacus asper Wall (Dipsacaceae) were found to exhibit apoptosis-inducing activities in U937 (human monocyte-like histiocytic) cells. Investigation of the active n-BuOH fraction led to the isolation of akebia saponin D (ASD). Structure was established by spectroscopic methods. Treatment of U937 cells with ASD induced apoptosis in a dose dependent manner. ASD exerted strong cytotoxicity against human and murine leukemia cells. It is significantly increased the subG1 cell population and expression of p53 and Bax gene. And also ASD enhanced NO production from RAW264.7 macrophage cells. Taken together, these results strongly indicate that ASD may exert apoptosis-inducing activity via induction of apoptosis through activation chiefly via the nitric oxide and apoptosis-related p53 and Bax gene expression. These data provide scientific evidence that Dipsacus asper Wall can be useful as a chemopreventive agent.

Application of struvite precipitation in treating ammonium nitrogen from semiconductor wastewater.

Struvite precipitation was applied to the removal of NH(4)-N in semiconductor wastewater. Batch experiments were conducted to examine the effects of final pH, magnesium and orthophosphate dosages and the initial influent concentrations of NH(4)-N and F on the removals of NH(4)-N and PO(4)-P by forming struvite deposits. pH was an important parameter in the simultaneous removals of ammonium nitrogen and orthophosphate. In struvite precipitation, the amount of orthophosphate in the solution affected NH(4)-N removal much more than that of magnesium ions in some cases. It was revealed that the low and high initial concentrations of NH(4)-N and F inhibited NH(4)-N and PO(4)-P removal efficiencies in struvite precipitation, respectively. We also evaluated field-scale treatment plant incorporated by struvite precipitation process. On semiconductor wastewater with an NH(4)-N concentration of 155 mg/L, the results obtained showed that the incorporation of the struvite precipitation process brought about a high NH(4)-N removal efficiency of over 89% on average.

Evaluation of pilot-scale in-vessel composting for food waste treatment.

This study is aimed to evaluate the performance of pilot-scale in-vessel composting for food wastes treatment. The composting plant was installed with 324 m3 of the composting bay volume and 14,000 kg/day of the composting material flow rate. The evaluations studied included the operational indices, the compost maturity indices, and the quality of the final compost. Blowers of this system were useful in maintaining aerobic condition (over 6% oxygen concentration in off-gas) through the entire compost bay. The levels of indices evaluated remained constant in the final part of composting. The final compost was satisfactory for its agricultural application. It was revealed in this study that bulk density bore a linear relation to moisture content during composting, and the final compost without bulking agent showed negative correlation between heavy metal and organic matters content.

Visualization and quantification of skin barrier perturbation induced by surfactant-humectant systems using two-photon fluorescence microscopy.

In order to visualize the effects of aqueous surfactant-humectant systems on the skin barrier, an in vitro two-photon fluorescence microscopy (TPM) study, including dual-channel visualization, was carried out. TPM is a non-invasive imaging technique based on two-photon induced nonlinear excitations of fluorophores, with the capability for deep-tissue imaging (up to several hundred micrometers). The following aqueous solutions of surfactants, a humectant, and a surfactant+humectant mixture that contacted pig full-thickness skin (p-FTS) were studied: (i) a harsh surfactant solution-sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) (1 wt%); (ii) a harsh surfactant+humectant solution-SDS (1 wt%) + glycerol (10 wt%); (iii) a mild surfactant solution-sodium cocoyl isethionate (SCI) (1 wt%); (iv) a control solution-phosphate-buffered saline (PBS); and (v) a humectant solution-glycerol (10 wt%). Sulforhodamine B (SRB), a hydrophilic fluorescent probe, was used to visualize the effects of aqueous contacting solutions i-v on the skin barrier morphology. The results of the TPM visualization study revealed that SDS induces corneocyte damage by denaturing keratins and creating intracorneocyte penetration pathways. On the other hand, SDS+glycerol did not significantly induce corneocyte damage. The dual-channel TPM images corresponding to aqueous contacting solutions iii-v showed low SRB penetration into the corneocytes, as well as localization of the SRB probe within the lipid bilayers surrounding the corneocytes of the SC. Through a quantification of the amount of SRB that penetrated into the skin as a function of skin depth, we found that adding glycerol to an SDS aqueous contacting solution can significantly reduce the SDS-induced penetration depth of SRB, which provides evidence of the ability of glycerol to mitigate SDS-induced skin barrier perturbation. The distribution of SRB in the p-FTS samples was analyzed using a theoretical model that quantified changes in the skin aqueous pore characteristics induced by aqueous contacting solutions i, ii, iii, and v, relative to aqueous contacting solution iv, the control. The results of the theoretical model indicate the following ranking order in the extent of perturbation to the skin aqueous pores (from the highest to the lowest): i > ii > iii > iv > v. The development of such an in vitro visual ranking methodology, including quantification using TPM, can potentially reduce many costly in vivo screening procedures, thereby significantly reducing the cost and time-to-market of new cosmetic formulations containing surfactants and humectants.

Shikonin, acetylshikonin, and isobutyroylshikonin inhibit VEGF-induced angiogenesis and suppress tumor growth in lewis lung carcinoma-bearing mice.

Lithospermum erythrorhizon has been used for treatment of inflammatory diseases and cancer as a folk remedy. Based on the evidences that anti-inflammatory agents frequently exert antiangiogenic activity, thus we examined comparatively the antiangiogenic activities of three naphthoquinone derivatives (shikonin, acetylshikonin, and isobutyroylshikonin) isolated from the plant. Three derivatives exhibited weak cytotoxicity against human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) with IC50 of over 20 microM. Shikonin had more specific inhibitory effects on proliferation and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) production by VEGF compared with different derivatives. All of derivatives significantly suppressed the migration of VEGF treated HUVECs at different optimal concentrations. Also, shikonin and acetylshikonin significantly disrupted VEGF-induced tube formation. Furthermore, three derivatives effectively downregulated the expression of urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA), but not its receptor uPAR. Additionally, shikonin significantly inhibited tumor growth in LLC-bearing mice, whereas its derivatives had relatively mild effects. Taken together, our findings suggest that shikonin and its derivatives exhibit the antiangiogenic and antitumorigenic effects by suppressing proliferation and angiogenic factors.