Stabilization of Organic Cations in Lead Halide Perovskite Solar Cells Using Phosphine Oxides Derivatives.

Preventing ion migration in perovskite photovoltaics is key to achieving stable and efficient devices. The activation energy for ion migration is affected by the chemical environment surrounding the ions. Thus, the migration of organic cations in lead halide perovskites can be mitigated by engineering their local interactions, for example through hydrogen bonding. Ion migration also leads to ionic losses via interfacial reactions. Undesirable reactivities of the organic cations can be eliminated by introducing protecting groups. In this work, we report bis(2-oxo-3-oxazolidinyl) phosphinic chloride (BOP-Cl) as a perovskite ink additive with the following benefits: (1) The phosphoryl and two oxo groups form six-membered intermolecular hydrogen-bonded rings with the formamidinium cation (FA), mitigating ion migrations. (2) The hydrogen bonding reduces the electrophilicity of the ammonium protons by donating electron density, therefore reducing its reactivity with the surface oxygen on the metal oxide. Furthermore, the molecule can react to form a protecting group on the nucleophilic oxygen at the tin oxide transport layer surface through the elimination of chlorine. As a result, we achieve perovskite solar cells with an efficiency of 25.0% and improved MPP stability T93 = 1200 h at 40-45 °C compared to a control device (T86 = 550 h). In addition, we show a negative correlation between the strength of hydrogen bonding of different phosphine oxide derivatives to the organic cations and the degree of metastable behavior (e.g., initial burn-in) of the device.

A Novel Approach to Total Ankle Arthroplasty with Simultaneous Structural Tibial Cut Autograft for Anterior Tibial Bone Defects.

Severe bone defects pose a clinical challenge in total ankle arthroplasty (TAA) and are frequently considered contraindicated. We introduce an innovative approach that utilizes a structural tibial cut autograft to address anterior distal tibia bone defects during TAA. This technique is a viable alternative to employing revision TAA systems or resorting to excessively high tibial cuts. Furthermore, it facilitates achieving favorable sagittal alignment and ensures adequate fixation strength of the tibial component.

Intracranial aneurysms in sickle cell disease are associated with hemodynamic stress and anemia.

While hemodynamic stress plays a key role in aneurysm formation outside of SCD, its role is understudied in patients with SCD. We hypothesized that tissue-based markers of hemodynamic stress are associated with aneurysm presence in a prospective SCD cohort. Children and adults with SCD, with and without aneurysms, underwent longitudinal brain MRI/MRA to assess cerebral blood flow (CBF) and oxygen extraction fraction (OEF). Baseline characteristics were recorded. In the subgroup of adults, stepwise mixed-effect logistic regression examined clinical variables, CBF, and OEF as predictors of aneurysm presence. Cumulative rates of new aneurysm formation were estimated using Kaplan-Meier analyses. Forty-three aneurysms were found in 27 of 155 patients (17%). Most aneurysms were ≤ 3 mm and in the intracranial internal carotid artery. On univariate analysis, older age (p=0.07), lower hemoglobin (p=0.002), higher CBF (p=0.03), and higher OEF (p=0.02) were associated with aneurysm presence. On multivariable analysis, age and CBF remained independently associated with aneurysm presence. Seventy-six patients (49% of enrollment) received follow-up MRAs (median 3.5 years). No aneurysm grew or ruptured, however, seven new aneurysms developed in six patients. The three-year cumulative rate of aneurysm formation was 3.5%. In 155 patients with SCD, 17% had intracranial aneurysms. Three-year aneurysm formation rate was 3.5%, although limited by small longitudinal sample size and short follow-up duration. Aneurysm presence was associated with elevated CBF in adults, as a tissue-based marker of cerebral hemodynamic stress. Future studies may examine the predictive role of CBF in aneurysm development in SCD.

Neuromodulation modifies α-synuclein spreading dynamics in vivo and the pattern is predicted by changes in whole-brain function.

BACKGROUND: Many neurodegenerative disease treatments, such as deep brain stimulation for Parkinson's Disease, can alleviate symptoms by primarily compensating for circuit dysfunctions. However, the stimulation's effect on the underlying disease progression remains relatively unknown. Here, we report that neuromodulation can not only modulate circuit function but also modulate the in vivo spreading dynamics of α-synuclein pathology, the primarily pathological hallmark observed in Parkinson's Disease. METHODS: In a mouse model, pre-formed fibrils were injected into the striatum to induce widespread α-synuclein pathology. Two days after fibril injection, mice were treated for two weeks with daily optogenetic stimulation of the Secondary Motor Area, Layer V. Whole brains were then extracted, immunolabeled, cleared, and imaged with light-sheet fluorescent microscopy. RESULTS: Repeated optogenetic stimulation led to a decrease in pathology at the site of stimulation and at various cortical and subcortical regions, while the contralateral cortex saw a consistent increase. Aligning the pathology changes with optogenetic-fMRI measured brain activity, we found that the changes in pathology and brain function had similar spatial locations but opposite polarity. CONCLUSION: These results demonstrate the ability to modulate and predict whole brain pathology changes using neuromodulation, opening a new horizon for investigating optimized neuromodulation therapies.

expHRD: an individualized, transcriptome-based prediction model for homologous recombination deficiency assessment in cancer.

BACKGROUND: Homologous recombination deficiency (HRD) stands as a clinical indicator for discerning responsive outcomes to platinum-based chemotherapy and poly ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP) inhibitors. One of the conventional approaches to HRD prognostication has generally centered on identifying deleterious mutations within the BRCA1/2 genes, along with quantifying the genomic scars, such as Genomic Instability Score (GIS) estimation with scarHRD. However, the scarHRD method has limitations in scenarios involving tumors bereft of corresponding germline data. Although several RNA-seq-based HRD prediction algorithms have been developed, they mainly support cohort-wise classification, thereby yielding HRD status without furnishing an analogous quantitative metric akin to scarHRD. This study introduces the expHRD method, which operates as a novel transcriptome-based framework tailored to n-of-1-style HRD scoring. RESULTS: The prediction model has been established using the elastic net regression method in the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) pan-cancer training set. The bootstrap technique derived the HRD geneset for applying the expHRD calculation. The expHRD demonstrated a notable correlation with scarHRD and superior performance in predicting HRD-high samples. We also performed intra- and extra-cohort evaluations for clinical feasibility in the TCGA-OV and the Genomic Data Commons (GDC) ovarian cancer cohort, respectively. The innovative web service designed for ease of use is poised to extend the realms of HRD prediction across diverse malignancies, with ovarian cancer standing as an emblematic example. CONCLUSIONS: Our novel approach leverages the transcriptome data, enabling the prediction of HRD status with remarkable precision. This innovative method addresses the challenges associated with limited available data, opening new avenues for utilizing transcriptomics to inform clinical decisions.

Non-equilibrium transport in polymer mixed ionic-electronic conductors at ultrahigh charge densities.

Conducting polymers are mixed ionic-electronic conductors that are emerging candidates for neuromorphic computing, bioelectronics and thermoelectrics. However, fundamental aspects of their many-body correlated electron-ion transport physics remain poorly understood. Here we show that in p-type organic electrochemical transistors it is possible to remove all of the electrons from the valence band and even access deeper bands without degradation. By adding a second, field-effect gate electrode, additional electrons or holes can be injected at set doping states. Under conditions where the counterions are unable to equilibrate in response to field-induced changes in the electronic carrier density, we observe surprising, non-equilibrium transport signatures that provide unique insights into the interaction-driven formation of a frozen, soft Coulomb gap in the density of states. Our work identifies new strategies for substantially enhancing the transport properties of conducting polymers by exploiting non-equilibrium states in the coupled system of electronic charges and counterions.

Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) for pain control in women with primary dysmenorrhoea.

BACKGROUND: Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) is a non-pharmacological treatment that works by delivering electrical currents via electrodes attached to the skin at the site of pain. It can be an alternative to pharmacological treatments. The mechanism of action of TENS for pain relief is related to the inhibition of the transmission of painful stimuli, release of endogenous opioids, and reduced muscle ischaemia of the uterus. Although it has been used for primary dysmenorrhoea ((PD); period pain or menstrual cramps), evidence of the efficacy and safety of high-frequency TENS, low-frequency TENS, or other treatments for PD is limited. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) in comparison with placebo, no treatment, and other treatments for primary dysmenorrhoea (PD). SEARCH METHODS: We searched the Gynaecology and Fertility Group's Specialized Register of controlled trials, CENTRAL, MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, AMED, CINAHL, and the Korean and Chinese language databases up to 9 April 2024. We also searched for ongoing trials in trials registries and the reference lists of relevant studies for additional trials. Language restrictions were not applied. SELECTION CRITERIA: We included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that included women (aged 12 to 49 years) with PD. Included trials compared low-frequency TENS or high-frequency TENS with other TENS, placebo, or other treatment. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Four review authors screened the trials, extracted the data according to the protocol, assessed the risk of bias using RoB 2, and assessed the certainty of evidence for all review comparisons and primary outcomes (i.e. pain relief and adverse effects) using the GRADE approach. MAIN RESULTS: This review replaces the current review, published in 2009. We included 20 RCTs involving 585 randomized women with high-frequency TENS, low-frequency TENS, placebo or no treatment, or other treatment. We included five comparisons: high-frequency TENS versus placebo or no treatment, low-frequency TENS versus placebo or no treatment, high-frequency TENS versus low-frequency TENS, high-frequency TENS versus other treatments, and low-frequency TENS versus other treatments. High-frequency TENS versus placebo or no treatment High-frequency TENS may reduce pain compared with placebo or no treatment (mean difference (MD) -1.39, 95% confidence interval (CI) -2.51 to -0.28; 10 RCTs, 345 women; low-certainty evidence; I2 = 88%). Two out of three RCTs reported no adverse effects and hence we were unable to estimate the effect of high-frequency TENS on adverse effects. Low-frequency TENS versus placebo or no treatment Low-frequency TENS may reduce pain compared with placebo or no treatment (MD -2.04, 95% CI -2.95 to -1.14; 3 RCTs, 645 women; low-certainty evidence; I2 = 0%). No trials reported adverse effects for this comparison. High-frequency TENS versus low-frequency TENS It is uncertain whether high-frequency TENS had an effect on pain relief compared with low-frequency TENS (MD 0.89, 95% CI -0.19 to 1.96; 3 RCTs, 54 women; low-certainty evidence; I2 = 0%). One trial contributed data on adverse effects but no adverse events occurred. High-frequency TENS versus other treatments It is uncertain whether high-frequency TENS had an effect on pain relief compared to acupressure (MD -0.66, 95% CI -1.72 to 0.40; 1 RCT, 18 women; very low-certainty evidence), acetaminophen (paracetamol) (MD -0.98, 95% CI -3.30 to 1.34; 1 RCT, 20 women; very low-certainty evidence), and interferential current therapy (MD -0.03, 95% CI -1.04 to 0.98; 2 RCTs, 62 women; low-certainty evidence; I2 = 0%). The occurrence of adverse effects did not differ significantly between high-frequency TENS and NSAIDs (OR 12.06, 95% CI 0.26 to 570.62; 2 RCTs, 88 women; low-certainty evidence; I2 = 78%). Low-frequency TENS versus other treatments It is uncertain whether low-frequency TENS had an effect on pain relief compared with acetaminophen (MD -1.48, 95% CI -3.61 to 0.65; 1 RCT, 20 women; very low-certainty evidence). No trials reported adverse effects for this comparison. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: High-frequency TENS and low-frequency TENS may reduce pain compared with placebo or no treatment. We downgraded the certainty of the evidence because of the risk of bias. Future RCTs should focus more on secondary outcomes of this review (e.g. requirement for additional analgesics, limitation of daily activities, or health-related quality of life) and should be designed to ensure a low risk of bias.

Development and Usability of a Mobile Support Application for Sexual Violence Victims Connecting With Formal Support Organizations.

The lack of awareness and accessibility about the support organizations for preventing sexual violence and assisting victims hampers the effectiveness of the social safety net. A mobile application based on a connection to support agencies was developed and evaluated for usability. A group of 15 experts and a group of 30 users evaluated usability. The developed mobile application focused on "Emergency Report," "Support Agencies and Services," and "Counseling for Support." The strength of the application was acknowledged in providing easy-to-find, reliable, useful, and necessary information, highlighting the positive usability and applicability of the mobile support application for sexual violence victims.

Femoral artery occlusion induced vasculopathy following herpes zoster: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Reactivation of the varicella zoster virus (VZV) results in herpes zoster (HZ), which is a painful unilateral rash with a typical dermatomal distribution. HZ may be followed by postherpetic neuralgia (PHN), vasculopathy, myelopathy, retinal necrosis, and cerebellitis. Vasculopathy can cause ischemic stroke, aneurysms, arterial dissection, transient ischemic attack, and rarely, peripheral arterial disease (PAD). The possible mechanism is that the VZV travels to the arteries through the sensory ganglia, leading to inflammation and pathological vascular remodeling, which result in vasculopathy. CASE DESCRIPTION: Here, we describe a rare case of femoral artery occlusion induced vasculopathy 5 years after HZ. A 65-year-old woman visited our pain clinic with persistent pain following HZ that occurred 3 months earlier. She had several rash scars on the right thigh along with a continuous throbbing, shooting, and sharp pain. The patient was diagnosed with PHN and prescribed with medications that relieved the leg pain. The symptoms remained stationary for almost 5 years. She presented again with complaints of a paroxysmal tingling sensation in the right thigh and claudication due to increased pain, which had begun 6 months prior. She reported leg pain after walking for 10 minutes. Lumbar spine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed foraminal stenosis at the level of right L2, with no abnormality below L2. Subsequently, the patient was evaluated for vascular diseases. Lower extremity ultrasonography and computed tomography (CT) angiography revealed stenosis and thrombotic occlusions in the right superficial femoral and tibial arteries as well as the left middle femoral and tibial arteries. Surgical revascularization via percutaneous angioplasty was performed bilaterally. The leg pain was relieved after the procedure and the claudication improved. CONCLUSIONS: Peripheral artery occlusion is a rare phenomenon following HZ. In cases involving changes in HZ symptoms, further evaluation is required for potential vasculopathy.

Improving the diagnostic performance of inexperienced readers for thyroid nodules through digital self-learning and artificial intelligence assistance.

Background: Data-driven digital learning could improve the diagnostic performance of novice students for thyroid nodules. Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of digital self-learning and artificial intelligence-based computer-assisted diagnosis (AI-CAD) for inexperienced readers to diagnose thyroid nodules. Methods: Between February and August 2023, a total of 26 readers (less than 1 year of experience in thyroid US from various departments) from 6 hospitals participated in this study. Readers completed an online learning session comprising 3,000 thyroid nodules annotated as benign or malignant independently. They were asked to assess a test set consisting of 120 thyroid nodules with known surgical pathology before and after a learning session. Then, they referred to AI-CAD and made their final decisions on the thyroid nodules. Diagnostic performances before and after self-training and with AI-CAD assistance were evaluated and compared between radiology residents and readers from different specialties. Results: AUC (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve) improved after the self-learning session, and it improved further after radiologists referred to AI-CAD (0.679 vs 0.713 vs 0.758, p<0.05). Although the 18 radiology residents showed improved AUC (0.7 to 0.743, p=0.016) and accuracy (69.9% to 74.2%, p=0.013) after self-learning, the readers from other departments did not. With AI-CAD assistance, sensitivity (radiology 70.3% to 74.9%, others 67.9% to 82.3%, all p<0.05) and accuracy (radiology 74.2% to 77.1%, others 64.4% to 72.8%, all p <0.05) improved in all readers. Conclusion: While AI-CAD assistance helps improve the diagnostic performance of all inexperienced readers for thyroid nodules, self-learning was only effective for radiology residents with more background knowledge of ultrasonography. Clinical Impact: Online self-learning, along with AI-CAD assistance, can effectively enhance the diagnostic performance of radiology residents in thyroid cancer.

Incidence and Characteristics of Multiple Primary Cancers: A 20-Year Retrospective Study of a Single Cancer Center in Korea.

Rising cancer survival rates have led to an increased risk of multiple primary cancers (MPCs). Data on MPCs in South Korea are limited. This study aimed to address incidence and clinical characteristics of MPCs in a single cancer center in Korea during a 20-year period. We retrospectively analyzed 96,174 cancer patients at the Korea Cancer Center Hospital between 2003 and 2022, identifying 2167 patients with metachronous MPCs based on Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results SEER criteria. We categorized patients by cancer type (15 major solid cancer groups and 3 major hematologic cancer groups), including pathological diagnosis, assessed latency periods, and relative risks (RRs) for developing MPCs. The overall MPC incidence was 2.3%. Breast cancer (15.7%) was the most common primary cancer, and lung cancer (15.2%) was the most frequent second primary cancer. The median latency period for second primary cancers was 4.1 years. Decreasing latency periods for third and fourth primary cancers were observed (2.1 years and 1.6 years, respectively). Most cancers maintained their dominant pathological type despite notable changes in the prevalence of specific pathologies for certain types of second primaries. Lymphoma showed the highest RR (2.1) for developing MPCs. Significant associations were found between specific primary and subsequent cancers, including breast-ovary, thyroid-breast, stomach-pancreas, colorectal-head and neck, lung-prostate, and lymphoma-myeloid neoplasms. These findings contribute to a better understanding of MPC occurrence. They can inform future research on their etiology and development of improved management strategies.

Lutetium Texaphyrin-Celecoxib Conjugate as a Potential Immuno-Photodynamic Therapy Agent.

Immuno-photodynamic therapy (IPDT) has emerged as a new modality for cancer treatment. Novel photosensitizers can help achieve the promise inherent in IPDT, namely, the complete eradication of a tumor without recurrence. We report here a small molecule photosensitizer conjugate, LuCXB. This IPDT agent integrates a celecoxib (cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitor) moiety with a near-infrared absorbing lutetium texaphyrin photocatalytic core. In aqueous environments, the two components of LuCXB are self-associated through inferred donor-acceptor interactions. A consequence of this intramolecular association is that upon photoirradiation with 730 nm light, LuCXB produces superoxide radicals (O2-•) via a type I photodynamic pathway; this provides a first line of defense against the tumor while promoting IPDT. For in vivo therapeutic applications, we prepared a CD133-targeting, aptamer-functionalized exosome-based nanophotosensitizer (Ex-apt@LuCXB) designed to target cancer stem cells. Ex-apt@LuCXB was found to display good photosensitivity, acceptable biocompatibility, and robust tumor targetability. Under conditions of photoirradiation, Ex-apt@LuCXB acts to amplify IPDT while exerting a significant antitumor effect in both liver and breast cancer mouse models. The observed therapeutic effects are attributed to a synergistic mechanism that combines antiangiogenesis and photoinduced cancer immunotherapy.

Chuna Manual Therapy or Electroacupuncture with Pregabalin for Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy: A Randomized Controlled Pilot Study.

Background: Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is one of the most common side effects of chemotherapy, and effective treatments for CIPN are still lacking. For this reason, there is a growing interest in complementary and alternative medicine as a potential source of nonsurgical treatments for CIPN symptoms alongside pregabalin. One such option being explored is Chuna manual therapy (CMT), a traditional Korean manual therapy. Methods: This study compares the effectiveness and safety of using only pregabalin (PG) as a conventional method of treating breast and colorectal cancer patients with CIPN symptoms with a combination of both PG and electroacupuncture (EA) or CMT, while also assessing the feasibility of future large-scale clinical studies. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, only 74 CIPN patients were recruited to this study. Twenty-five were assigned to the PG group, 26 to the PG + EA group, and 22 to the PG + CMT group for a five-week treatment and a four-week follow-up study. Results: For the primary outcome, we evaluated the mean differences in Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy/Gynecologic Oncology Group-Neurotoxicity (FACT/GOG-Ntx) compared to the baseline at week 5 (visit 4). Although we found that the PG + CMT group showed the biggest difference (-16.64 [95% CI: -25.16, -8.11]) compared to the PG group (-8.60 [95% CI: -14.93, -2.27]) and the PG + EA group (-6.73 [95% CI: -12.34, -1.13]), this finding lacked statistical significance (p = 0.2075). In terms of safety, two patients in the PG + CMT group reported side effects: one bruise and one headache. Conclusions: The low attrition and high adherence rates of all the groups, and the similar rates of side effects among them, support the feasibility of larger-scale follow-up studies.

Cytotoxic Peptaibols from Trichoderma strigosum.

Five new lipopeptaibols (1-5) and eight new 19-residue peptaibols (8-15) along with two known lipopeptaibols, lipovelutibols C (6) and D (7) were isolated from Trichoderma strigosum. The planar structures of the newly discovered peptaibols (1-5, 8-15) were elucidated using 1D and 2D NMR, and UPLC-MS/MS data. The absolute configurations for new peptaibols (1-5, 8-15) were elucidated using the advanced Marfey's method and GITC (2,3,4,6-tetra-O-acetyl-ß-d-glucopyranosyl isothiocyanate) derivatization. Through analysis of CD spectra, these peptabols were found to have right-handed helical conformations. While most of the new compounds were significantly more active than the positive control, 9, 10, 12, and 15 containing Ser and Leu at positions 10 and 11, respectively, were the most cytotoxic against MDA-MB-231, SNU449, SKOV3, DU145, and HCT116 cancer cell lines, and the 19-residue peptaibols were generally more potent than lipopeptaibols.

Highly functional duodenal stent with photosensitizers enables photodynamic therapy for metabolic syndrome treatment: Feasibility and safety study in a porcine model.

Duodenal mucosal resurfacing (DMR) by thermal ablation of the duodenal mucosa is a minimally invasive endoscopic procedure for controlling metabolic syndrome (MS). However, thermal energy can cause adverse effects due to deep mucosal injury, necessitating an additional mucosal lifting process, which complicate the procedures. Therefore, we aimed to develop a similar procedure using non-thermal photodynamic therapy (PDT) for DMR using a highly functional metal stent covered with photosensitizers (PSs) to minimize the potential risks of thermal ablation injury. We developed a novel PS stent enabling the controlled release of radical oxygen species with specific structures to prevent stent migration and duodenal stricture after ablation and performed an animal study (n = 8) to demonstrate the feasibility and safety of PDT for DMR. The stents were placed for 7 days to prevent duodenal strictures after PDT. To confirm PDT efficacy, we stained for gastric inhibitory polypeptide (GIP) and glucose transporter isoform 1. The PS stents were deployed, and PDT was applied without evidence of duodenal stricture, pancreatitis, or hemorrhage in any of the pigs. Microscopic evaluation indicated apoptosis of the mucosal cells in the irradiated duodenum on days 7 and 14, which recovered after day 28. Immunohistochemistry revealed suppressed GIP expression in the mucosal wall of the irradiated duodenum. Endoscopic PDT for DMR using PS stents could be applied safely in a porcine model and may result in decreased GIP secretion, which is a crucial mechanism in MS treatment. Further clinical studies are required to explore its safety and efficacy in patients with MS.

A Rare Case of Delayed Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt Catheter Migration Into the Heart: A Case Report.

The treatment of hydrocephalus with a ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt can lead to complications such as shunt migration. A 67-year-old male, who had previously undergone VP shunt surgery for normal-pressure hydrocephalus, presented approximately five years later with symptoms of general weakness and abdominal pain. Imaging revealed shunt malpositioning, with the catheter passing through an abnormal route to the heart. The catheter was successfully removed under fluoroscopic guidance while monitoring patient's electrocardiogram to prevent potential secondary complications. Although rare, cardiac migration of VP shunts can lead to life-threatening secondary complications. Our case highlights the possibility of delayed upward migration of the shunt catheter in patients with VP shunts, emphasizing the need for various strategies to address and manage this issue.

Mechanical properties, permeability and microstructural characterisation of rice husk ash sustainable concrete with the addition of carbon nanotubes.

This study investigated the effects of incorporating carbon nanotubes (CNTs) into rice husk ash (RHA) sustainable concrete on its mechanical properties, permeability and microstructure characterisation. Mechanical test results suggested that the addition of 0.10 % multiwalled CNTs (MWCNTs) yielded optimal results, with increases in the compressive strength, splitting tensile strength, flexural strength, and elastic modulus of the RHA concrete at 28 days of 7 %, 23.81 %, 17.5 %, and 1.0 %, respectively. However, with further addition of MWCNTs, the mechanical properties ultimately deteriorated. Further, the incorporation of CNTs enhanced the long-term performance of RHA sustainable concrete. The addition of 0.1 % MWCNTs and 15 % RHA yielded a 20 %, 14 %, and 66 % decrease in water absorption, porosity, and chloride diffusion coefficient compared to the mixture solely containing 15 % RHA. Scanning electron microscopy of this mixture revealed the filling and bridging effects of MWCNTs between the hydration products have enhanced the performance of RHA sustainable concrete.

Effects of Amyloid Beta (Aß) Oligomers on Blood-Brain Barrier Using a 3D Microfluidic Vasculature-on-a-Chip Model.

The disruption of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) in Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is largely influenced by amyloid beta (Aß). In this study, we developed a high-throughput microfluidic BBB model devoid of a physical membrane, featuring endothelial cells interacting with an extracellular matrix (ECM). This paper focuses on the impact of varying concentrations of Aß1-42 oligomers on BBB dysfunction by treating them in the luminal. Our findings reveal a pronounced accumulation of Aß1-42 oligomers at the BBB, resulting in the disruption of tight junctions and subsequent leakage evidenced by a barrier integrity assay. Additionally, cytotoxicity assessments indicate a concentration-dependent increase in cell death in response to Aß1-42 oligomers (LC50 ~ 1 µM). This study underscores the utility of our membrane-free vascular chip in elucidating the dysfunction induced by Aß with respect to the BBB.

Monolithic DNApatite: An Elastic Apatite with Sub-Nanometer Scale Organo-Inorganic Structures.

Hydroxyapatite (HA) exhibits outstanding biocompatibility, bioactivity, osteoconductivity, and natural anti-inflammatory properties. Pure HA, ion-doped HA, and HA-polymer composites are investigated, but critical limitations such as brittleness remain; numerous efforts are being made to address them. Herein, the novel self-crystallization of a polymeric single-stranded deoxyribonucleic acid (ssDNA) without additional phosphate ions for synthesizing deoxyribonucleic apatite (DNApatite) is presented. The synthesized DNApatite, DNA1Ca2.2(PO4)1.3OH2.1, has a repetitive dual phase of inorganic HA crystals and amorphous organic ssDNA at the sub-nm scale, forming nanorods. Its mechanical properties, including toughness and elasticity, are significantly enhanced compared with those of HA nanorod, with a Young's modulus similar to that of natural bone.