The relationship between sleep and innate immunity.

Sleep regulates inflammatory responses, and the innate immune system affects sleep. Interleukin-1 beta, tumor necrosis factor alpha, growth hormone-releasing hormone, prolactin, and nitric oxide are somnogenic substances. Sleep deprivation, such as chronic insomnia or obstructive sleep apnea, affects cytokine production, glial function, natural killer cell activity, and inflammasome function. This review will discuss the relationship between sleep and innate immunity.

Dihydrostilbenes and flavonoids from whole plants of Jacobaea vulgaris.

The isolation of previously undescribed 12 compounds from the MeOH extract of Jacobaea vulgaris whole plants is disclosed, comprising 11 dihydrostilbenes (1-11) and one flavanone (12), and eight known compounds (six flavonoids, one dihydrostilbene, and one caffeoylquinic acid). Structural elucidation employed spectroscopic methods, including 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopy, HRESIMS, and ECD calculations. Evaluation of the compounds' effects on PCSK9 and LDLR mRNA expression revealed that compounds 1 and 3 downregulated PCSK9 mRNA while increasing LDLR mRNA expression, suggesting potential cholesterol-lowering properties.

Myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody-associated encephalitis after severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection: a case report and retrospective case reviews.

Several cases of myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) antibody-associated encephalitis have been reported after coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). In this case, the patient presented with focal status epilepticus with impaired awareness, auditory hallucinations, and incoherent speech after COVID-19. Brain magnetic resonance imaging revealed no specific findings. Cerebrospinal fluid results showed pleocytosis and MOG antibody testing confirmed anti-MOG antibody with live cell-based fluorescence-activated cell sorting assay. The patient was diagnosed with MOG antibody-associated autoimmune encephalitis and treated with intravenous immunoglobulin, rituximab, and tocilizumab. This case occurred presumably due to auto-antibody production following COVID-19.

Talaromyces rugulosus ventriculitis diagnosed by nanopore amplicon sequencing, 2022.

Ventriculitis has serious complications and a high mortality rate, so it is important to early identification of the pathogen for appropriate treatment. We report case of ventriculitis caused by Talaromyces rugulosus, a rare pathogen, in South Korea. Affected patient was immunocompromised. Repeated cerebrospinal fluid culture tests were negative, but the pathogen was identified by fungal internal transcribed spacer amplicon nanopore sequencing. The pathogen was detected outside the endemic area of talaromycosis.

The Geometry of Nonlinear Embeddings in Kernel Discriminant Analysis.

Fisher's linear discriminant analysis is a classical method for classification, yet it is limited to capturing linear features only. Kernel discriminant analysis as an extension is known to successfully alleviate the limitation through a nonlinear feature mapping. We study the geometry of nonlinear embeddings in discriminant analysis with polynomial kernels and Gaussian kernel by identifying the population-level discriminant function that depends on the data distribution and the kernel. In order to obtain the discriminant function, we solve a generalized eigenvalue problem with between-class and within-class covariance operators. The polynomial discriminants are shown to capture the class difference through the population moments explicitly. For approximation of the Gaussian discriminant, we use a particular representation of the Gaussian kernel by utilizing the exponential generating function for Hermite polynomials. We also show that the Gaussian discriminant can be approximated using randomized projections of the data. Our results illuminate how the data distribution and the kernel interact in determination of the nonlinear embedding for discrimination, and provide a guideline for choice of the kernel and its parameters.

The complete chloroplast genome of Elsholtzia byeonsanensis M. Kim, an endemic species in Korea.

Elsholtzia byeonsanensis M. Kim. is an endemic species in Korea, and its leaves are distinguished from other taxa of Elsholtzia by the leathery texture. In this study, we first presented the complete chloroplast genome of E. byeonsanensis. The complete chloroplast genome was 150,628 bp, including a large-single copy region (LSC) of 82,738 bp, a small-single copy region (SSC) of 17,492 bp, and a pair of inverted repeat regions (IRs) of 25,199 bp. It contained 112 genes including 78 protein-coding genes, four rRNA, and 30 tRNA genes. The phylogenetic analysis indicated that E. byeonsanensis and E. splendens formed a monophyletic clade and showed a close relationship. The complete chloroplast genome of E. byeonsanensis will provide useful information for phylogenetic and evolutionary studies.

Serum folate levels and hypertension.

We aimed to examine the association between serum folate levels and hypertension in Korean adults. Our study population was 6343 Korean adults whose blood pressure and folate levels were measured in the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2016-2018. We aggregated the study populations into quintiles according to serum folate levels (1.5-4.3, 4.4-5.7, 5.8-7.5, 7.6-10.3, and 10.4-35.9 ng/mL). Multivariable logistic and linear regression models were used to analyze the relationships between serum folate levels, blood pressure, and hypertension. The weighted average of serum folate levels was 7.4 ng/mL, and the weighted prevalence of hypertension was 30.4% in the study populations. After adjusting for all potential confounders, compared to those in the lowest quintile of serum folate levels, systolic and diastolic blood pressure of the people in the other quintiles were not significantly different. The linear relationship between serum folate levels and blood pressure was not statistically significant. The odds for hypertension were not significantly different across the quintiles of serum folate levels. This study showed high serum folate levels was not significantly associated with lowering hypertension in Korean adults.

The complete chloroplast genome of the medicinal plant Lysimachia mauritiana (Lamarck, 1792).

Lysimachia mauritiana Lam. (Primulaceae) is known as a medicinal plant with anti-tumor and anti-viral effects. In this study, we reported the first complete chloroplast genome sequence of L. mauritiana. The total length of the complete chloroplast genome was 152,691 bp, comprising a small-single copy region (SSC) of 17,928 bp, a large-single copy region of 83,811 bp, and a pair of inverted repeat regions of 25,476 bp. It contained 114 genes comprising 80 protein-coding genes, four rRNA, and 30 tRNA genes. The phylogenetic analysis showed that a chloroplast genome of L. mauritiana was a sister to a monophyletic clade, including L. christinae, L. congestiflora, L. hemsleyana. Our study will help to provide basic information for further studies on phylogenetics and population genetics.

Thin Film Biocomposite Membrane for Forward Osmosis Supported by Eggshell Membrane.

There is a general drive to adopt highly porous and less tortuous supports for forward osmosis (FO) membranes to reduce internal concentration polarization (ICP), which regulates the osmotic water permeation. As an abundant waste material, eggshell membrane (ESM) has a highly porous and fibrous structure that meets the requirements for FO membrane substrates. In this study, a polyamide-based biocomposite FO membrane was fabricated by exploiting ESM as a membrane support. The polyamide layer was deposited by the interfacial polymerization technique and the composite membrane exhibited osmotically driven water flux. Further, biocomposite FO membranes were developed by surface coating with GO for stable formation of the polyamide layer. Finally, the osmotic water flux of the eggshell composite membrane with a low structural parameter (~138 µm) reached 46.19 L m-2 h-1 in FO mode using 2 M NaCl draw solution.

Retrospective lumbosacral CT analysis and prospective observational study of the ipsilateral tunnel view technique for fluoroscopy-guided selective S1 transforaminal epidural injection.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to retrospectively observe the anatomic relationship between dorsal S1 foramen (DS1F) and ventral S1 foramen (VS1F) through computed tomography (CT) analysis and to prospectively determine the optimal angle of ipsilateral tunnel view technique for performing S1 transforaminal epidural steroid injection (S1-TFESI). METHODS: The axial lumbosacral CTs taken between in 208 consecutive patients and the following measurements were obtained on both sides: (1) the α-angle was defined as an angle between a sagittal line passing through the center of the sacrum and an imaginary line passing through the center of DS1F, (2) the largest diameter of DS1F and VS1F. The fluoroscopy was adjusted to show the largest L5/S1 intervertebral disc space, which was defined as the cephalad angle, and tilted to the ipsilateral oblique side until the entrance of DS1F had a well-defined, round shape, which defined as the ß-angle in 40 humans. RESULTS: CT measurements showed that the α-angle was 26.3 ± 3.3 degrees (15-38 degrees) and the diameter of DS1F was 7.1 ± 0.7 mm (4-10.9 mm), which was significantly smaller than the diameter of VS1F, 10.1 ± 1.0 mm (7.2-13.8 mm). The ß-angle was 24 ± 4.6 degrees, which was not much different from the α-angle and the cephalad angle was 23 ± 4.6 degrees. The success rate of S1-TFESI was 100% and there were no procedure-related complications. CONCLUSIONS: The entrance of DS1F is easily identified with an ipsilateral 25 degrees-tunnel view technique while performing S1-TFESI, and it is a clinically applicable approach.

Atrial Cardiopathy Biomarkers and MRI-Based Infarct Patterns in Patients with Embolic Strokes of Undetermined Source.

OBJECTIVES: The study aimed to investigate whether N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) concentration and/or left atrial volume index (LAVI), as atrial cardiopathy biomarkers, were associated with infarct patterns on diffusion-weighted imaging in patients with embolic strokes of undetermined source (ESUS). MATERIALS AND METHOD: We retrospectively evaluated patient with ESUS from our stroke registry between January 2018 and November 2019. Cut-off values for atrial cardiopathy biomarkers were defined as >250 pg/mL for NT-proBNP and >34 mL/m2 for LAVI. Eligible patients were then assigned to 3 groups and infarct patterns were compared according to their atrial cardiopathy markers: Group 1 (no atrial cardiopathy markers), Group 2 (one marker), and Group 3 (both markers). RESULTS: Among 194 eligible patients with ESUS (76 women; mean age, 69.2 years), simultaneous increases of NT-proBNP concentration and LAVI were identified in 39 (20.1%). Group 3 had a significantly larger infarct volume, relative to Group 1 and Group 2 (P=0.043) Multivariable logistic regression analyses revealed that these patients (Group 3) were significantly more likely to have multi-territorial infarcts (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 3.03, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.05-8.72; P=0.04), a maximal lesion diameter >15mm (aOR: 4.51, 95% CI: 1.70-11.93; P=0.001), and large cortical infarctions (aOR: 4.17, 95% CI: 1.75-9.96; P=0.001). CONCLUSION: We found that simultaneously increased values for NT-proBNP concentration and LAVI were independently associated with multi-territorial and large cortical infarct patterns in patients with ESUS. These findings suggest that NT-proBNP and LAVI may be useful biomarkers for identifying cardioembolic subtypes and guiding treatment selection in patients with ESUS.

The complete chloroplast genome sequence H olmskioldia sanguinea retz., an ornamental plant of Lamiaceae.

Holmskioldia sanguinea Retz. (Lamiaceae) is a widely cultivated ornamental plant. As a first report in the genus, we present the complete chloroplast genome sequence of H. sanguinea using genome skimming of paired-end NGS data. The total genome size measures 153,273 bp in length containing four subregions: 84,693 bp of large single-copy region, 17,330 bp small single-copy region, and a pair of inverted repeat regions, measuring 25,625 bp. The genome contains 115 genes including 80 protein-coding genes, 4 rRNAs, and 31 tRNAs. Phylogenetic analysis showed that H. sanguinea is a sister to Scutellaria in the subfamily Scutellarioideae of Lamiaceae.

Effect of operative time on the outcome of patients undergoing off-pump coronary artery bypass surgery.

BACKGROUND: Several studies have been reporting circadian variation in postoperative morbidity and mortality. We investigated whether the outcomes after off-pump coronary artery bypass (OPCAB) surgery are influenced by the operation start time. METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated 1690 patients who received elective OPCAB surgery from January 2006 to December 2016. The patients were divided into two groups according to the operation start time (morning or afternoon). The primary outcome was the occurrence of a major adverse cardiac event (MACE) within 30 days after surgery and death within 1 year after surgery. Propensity matching analysis and multivariable analyses were performed to evaluate the relationship between the operation start time and postoperative outcomes. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in the overall 1-year mortality rate (2.2% vs 2.9%; P = .568 in the entire cohort and 1.5% vs 2.7%; P = .259 in the propensity-matched cohort) and 30-day MACE rate (8.9% vs 10.4%; P = .378 in the entire cohort and 9.4% vs 10.0%; P = .827 in the propensity-matched cohort) between the morning and afternoon surgery group. Multivariable regression analyses also did not show any significant relationship between the operation start time and postoperative outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: In elective OPCAB surgery, the operative time was not associated with an increased risk of postoperative mortality and complications.

Prominent FLAIR Vascular Hyperintensity Is a Predictor of Unfavorable Outcomes in Non-thrombolysed Ischemic Stroke Patients With Mild Symptoms and Large Artery Occlusion.

Background and objective: The aim was to evaluate the clinical significance of prominent fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) vascular hyperintensity (FVH) on the prognosis of mild acute ischemic stroke with middle cerebral artery (MCA) occlusion. Methods: We recruited consecutive stroke patients with initial National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) scores ≤5 and MCA occlusion on magnetic resonance angiography within 24 h of stroke onset. Prominent distal FVH was defined as an extension to more than one-third of the MCA territory. We compared clinical outcomes between prominent and non-prominent FVH groups in patients who had and had not received reperfusion therapy. Results: Of 112 participants [43 women; median age, 67 years [Interquartile range, 54-79]], prominent FVH was identified in 80 (71.4%). For 75 patients who had not received reperfusion therapy, the prominent FVH group had a more unfavorable outcome (modified Rankin Scale score >1) at 3 months than the non-prominent FVH group (44.4 vs. 15.0%, P = 0.029). In multivariate analysis, a higher NIHSS score [odd ratio [OR] = 1.67; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.16-2.41; P = 0.006], proximal MCA occlusion [OR = 7.31; 95% CI, 1.68-31.9; P = 0.008], and prominent FVH [OR = 5.49; 95% CI, 1.29-23.4; P = 0.021], were independently associated with an unfavorable outcome. There was no association between prominent FVH and the clinical outcome in the reperfusion therapy group. Conclusions: For acute stroke patients with mild symptoms and MCA occlusion who do not receive reperfusion therapy, prominent FVH and proximal MCA occlusion may be independent predictors of an unfavorable outcome.

The complete chloroplast genome of Scutellaria indica var. coccinea (Lamiaceae), an endemic taxon in Korea.

Scutellaria indica var. coccinea (Lamiaceae) is an endemic taxon in Jeju Island, Korea. We present the complete chloroplast genome sequence of S. indica var. coccinea. Its genome size is 151,956 bp in length comprising a large single copy of 83,951 bp, a small single copy of 17,539 bp, and a pair of inverted repeats measuring 25,233 bp. The complete genome contains 115 genes including 80 protein-coding genes, four rRNAs, and 31 tRNAs. Phylogenetic analysis of this species with 10 published chloroplast genomes in Lamiaceae showed that S. insignis is a sister to S. indica var. coccinea.

iPSC Modeling of Presenilin1 Mutation in Alzheimer's Disease with Cerebellar Ataxia.

Disease modeling of Alzheimer's disease (AD) has been hampered by the lack of suitable cellular models while animal models are mainly based on the overexpression of AD-related genes which often results in an overemphasis of certain pathways and is also confounded by aging. In this study, we therefore developed and used induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) lines from a middle-aged AD patient with a known presenilin 1 (PSEN1) mutation (Glu120Lys; PS1-E120K) and as a control, an elderly normal subject. Using this approach, we demonstrated that the extracellular accumulation of Aß was dramatically increased in PS1-E120K iPSC-derived neurons compared with the control iPSC line. PS1-E120K iPSC-derived neurons also exhibited high levels of phosphorylated tau, as well as mitochondrial abnormalities and defective autophagy. Given that the effect of aging is lost with iPSC generation, these abnormal cellular features are therefore indicative of PSEN1-associated AD pathogenesis rather than primary changes associated with aging. Taken together, this iPSC-based approach of AD modeling can now be used to better understand AD pathogenesis as well as a tool for drug discovery.

Effect of temperature on the oxidation of Cu nanowires and development of an easy to produce, oxidation-resistant transparent conducting electrode using a PEDOT:PSS coating.

Oxidation can strongly influence the performance of Cu nanowires (CuNWs) by decreasing their conductivity. Here, we identify and investigate a way to prevent the oxidation process of CuNWs to maintain the high conducting performance of CuNWs as transparent electrodes. CuNWs were synthesised using an aqueous method. We prepared several temperature treatments (from 0-300 °C) to represent oxidation of CuNWs in different environments, to study the oxidation process and changes in morphology in detail. Depending on the temperature, smooth and uniform CuNWs exposed to oxidation produced rough Cu2O and CuO nanowires. We then suggest a method of protecting nanowires from oxidation, using the Mayer rod coating method to apply a layer of PEDOT:PSS to a transparent conducting film of CuNWs. The result indicates that this method of protection can protect the film, and maintain a stable, and constant resistance over of time, without effecting the excellent conductivity properties of pure CuNWs.

Comparison of postoperative coagulation profiles and outcome for sugammadex versus pyridostigmine in 992 living donors after living-donor hepatectomy.

Donor safety is the major concern in living donor liver transplantation, although hepatic resection may be associated with postoperative coagulopathy. Recently, the use of sugammadex has been gradually increased, but sugammadex is known to prolong prothrombin time (PT) and activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT). We compared the postoperative coagulation profiles and outcomes of sugammadex versus pyridostigmine group in donors receiving living donor hepatectomy.Consecutive donor hepatectomy performed between September 2013 and August 2016 was retrospectively analyzed. For reversal of rocuronium-induced neuromuscular blockade, donors received sugammadex 4 mg/kg or pyridostigmine 0.25 mg/kg. The primary end-points were laboratory findings (PT, aPTT, hemoglobin, platelet count) and clinically evaluated postoperative bleeding (relaparotomy for bleeding, cumulative volume collected in drains). Secondary outcomes were anesthesia time, postoperative hospital day.Of 992 donors, 383 treated with sugammadex and 609 treated with pyridostigmine for the reversal of neuromuscular blockade. There were no significant differences between both groups for drop in hemoglobin and platelet, prolongation in PT, aPTT, and the amount of 24-h drain volume. Bleeding events within 24 h were reported in 2 (0.3%) for pyridostigmine group and 0 (0%) for sugammadex group (P = .262). Anesthesia time was significantly longer in pyridostigmine group than that in sugammadex group (438.8 ±â€Š71.4 vs. 421.3 ±â€Š62.3, P < .001). Postoperative hospital stay was significantly longer in pyridostigmine group than that in sugammadex group (P = .002).Sugammadex 4 mg/kg was not associated with increased bleeding tendency, but associated with reduced anesthesia time and hospital stay. Therefore, sugammadex may be safely used and will decrease morbidity in donor undergoing living-donor hepatectomy.

Development of a scoring system to predict massive postpartum transfusion in placenta previa totalis.

PURPOSE: It is important to predict massive postpartum hemorrhage in patients with placenta previa totalis (PPT) and a method that accurately predicts this event is needed. The present study developed a scoring system that predicts massive transfusion in patients with PPT. METHODS: This single-center retrospective cohort study comprised 238 patients with PPT who underwent caesarean section between January 2004 and December 2010. Massive transfusion was defined as the transfusion of ≥8 units of packed red blood cells within 24 h after delivery. Multivariate regression analysis was used to estimate the risks of massive transfusion. A probability score model was then constructed and tested for performance. Subsequently, the model was validated in other patients with PPT (n = 117). RESULTS: Thirty-one patients (13.0%) underwent massive transfusion. Ultrasound suspicion of placental adhesion, previous caesarean section, gestational age <37 weeks, sponge-like appearance of the cervix, and anterior placenta were all independent predictors of massive transfusion. The performance for the score model revealed good calibration (Hosmer-Lemeshow chi-squared 1.64; P = 0.44), and its discrimination (the area under the receiver operating characteristic for this model was 0.84) was better than when suspicion of placental adhesion was used alone (0.67; P < 0.001). In the validation set, the performance was 0.88. CONCLUSION: The scoring system developed using the five independent risk factors had better performance to predict massive transfusion in patients with PPT than when suspicion of placental adhesion was used alone. However, further large-scale studies are warranted to clarify the usefulness and accuracy of this model.

Computational inverse design of non-intuitive illumination patterns to maximize optical force or torque.

This paper aims to maximize optical force or torque on arbitrary micro- and nanoscale objects using numerically optimized structured illumination. By developing a numerical framework for computer-automated design of 3d vector-field illumination, we demonstrate a 20-fold enhancement in optical torque per intensity over circularly polarized plane wave on a model plasmonic particle. The nonconvex optimization is efficiently performed by combining a compact cylindrical Bessel basis representation with a fast boundary element method and a standard derivative-free, local optimization algorithm. We analyze the optimization results for 2000 random initial configurations, discuss the tradeoff between robustness and enhancement, and compare the different effects of multipolar plasmon resonances on enhancing force or torque. All results are obtained using open-source computational software available online.