Ethanol purification enables high-quality α-phase FAPbI3 perovskite microcrystals for commercial photovoltaic applications.

Reliable quality and sustainable processes must be developed for commodities to enter the commercial stage. For next-generation photovoltaic applications such as perovskite solar cells, it is essential to manufacture high-quality photoactive perovskites via eco-friendly processes. We demonstrate that ethanol, an ideal green solvent, can be applied to yield efficient alpha-phase FAPbI3 perovskite microcrystals.

A probable case of syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion associated with linezolid.

PURPOSE: A probable case of syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion (SIADH) due to linezolid use is reported. SUMMARY: An 81-year-old Korean woman hospitalized for progressive malignant otitis externa due to methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection was started on linezolid therapy (600 mg i.v. twice daily). On day 22 of linezolid use, the patient had severe hyponatremia (serum sodium concentration, 118 meq/L), with stable vital signs and no specific physical findings except for somnolence. The patient's urine sodium concentration was 1183 meq/L, and her serum and urine osmolarity values were 250 and 357 mOsm/kg, respectively; these findings were consistent with SIADH. Hypertonic saline infusion and fluid restriction (<1 L/day) were continued for four days with the aim of achieving a desired serum sodium concentration of 130 meq/L. On day 26 of linezolid therapy, the drug was discontinued due to development of progressive anemia (hemoglobin concentration, 6.7 g/dL). The next day, the patient's serum sodium concentration increased abruptly to 135 meq/L and remained stable until hospital discharge. After multiple alternative etiologies were excluded, drug-induced SIADH due to linezolid use was determined to be the most likely diagnosis. Using the adverse drug reaction probability scale of Naranjo et al., the case was assigned a score of 6, indicating a probable association between linezolid use and SIADH. CONCLUSION: SIADH was observed in a woman who was administered linezolid for more than three weeks, with concurrent development of progressive severe anemia associated with linezolid toxicity. The patient's hyponatremia resolved after cessation of linezolid use.

Enhanced cardiomyogenic differentiation of P19 embryonal carcinoma stem cells.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: We investigated the effects of different concentrations of serum, 5-azacytidine, and culture time on the cardiomyogenic differentiation of P19 embryonal carcinoma stem cells in the course of developing an efficient protocol for generating the cardiomyogenic lineage. MATERIALS AND METHODS: P19 cells were plated at a density of 1x10(6) cells on 10-cm bacterial dishes for 96 hours in the presence of 1% dimethyl sulfoxide to form embryoid bodies. The embryoid bodies were cultured in medium with 2% or 10% fetal bovine serum for an additional 10 or 15 consecutive days in the presence of 0, 1, or 3 microM 5-azacytidine. RESULTS: Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis showed that the messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) expression of cardiac muscle-specific genes, such as GATA4, alpha-actin, alpha-myosin heavy chain, and cardiac troponin T, were significantly higher in the 15-day culture groups than in the 10-day culture groups. Furthermore, the cardiac muscle-specific genes were expressed more in the high-serum groups compared to the low-serum groups regardless of the culture time. Cardiomyogenic differentiation of the P19 cells was most effective in 1 microM 5-azacytidine regardless of the serum concentrations. In addition, the stimulation effects of 5-azacytidine on cardiomyogenic differentiation were more significant under low-serum culture conditions compared to high-serum culture conditions. Cardiomyogenic differentiation of P19 cells was further confirmed by immunostaining with cardiac muscle-specific antibodies. CONCLUSION: Taken together, these results demonstrated that cardiomyogenic differentiation of P19 cells was enhanced by a combination of different experimental factors.

Her4 is necessary for establishing peripheral projections of the trigeminal ganglia in zebrafish.

Transcripts of notch and its target genes have been detected in some differentiating neurons. However, the role of Notch in neuronal differentiation remains poorly defined. Here, we show that a subset of differentiating sensory neurons in the trigeminal ganglia express her4. Expression of her4 requires Notch signaling during neurogenesis but not during differentiation, when peripheral projections of the trigeminal ganglia are established. These projections develop poorly in her4 morphants. While many components of the canonical Notch signaling pathway are not required for late her4 expression or peripheral axon outgrowth in trigeminal neurons, simultaneous knock-down of Notch receptors prevents establishment of these peripheral projections. These observations suggest that Her4 and Notch play a role in peripheral outgrowth of sensory neurons.

Mucosal mast cell counts correlate with visceral hypersensitivity in patients with diarrhea predominant irritable bowel syndrome.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Although increased mast cells in the gut and their role in visceral hypersensitivity in irritable bowel syndrome have been postulated, this relationship remains unclear. Our aim was to determine whether a relationship exists between the number of mucosal mast cells in the gut and visceral hypersensitivity. METHOD: Eighteen patients with diarrhea predominant irritable bowel syndrome (D-IBS) (eight females, 10 males aged 25-65 years; mean 42.6 years) with symptoms meeting the Rome-II criteria, and 15 healthy controls (five females, 10 males aged 31-57 years; mean 41.4 years) were recruited. Participants completed a questionnaire for bowel symptoms and psychological distress. Colonic mucosal mast cells were identified immunohistochemically and quantified by image analysis, and maximally tolerable pressures were evaluated using barostat test. RESULTS: Numbers of mast cells were significantly greater in the terminal ileum, ascending colon and rectum of D-IBS patients compared with controls (P<0.01). A multivariate analysis of the barostat test showed that maximally tolerable pressures of D-IBS patients were significantly lower than those of controls (P<0.01). When patients were divided into the rectal hypersensitivity (+) and (-) groups by the distension level of 34 mmHg, mast cell counts were significantly higher in the rectal hypersensitivity (-) group than in the rectal hypersensitivity (+) group for the terminal ileum, ascending colon and rectum (P<0.05, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Rectal sensitivity was enhanced in D-IBS patients with moderately increased mucosal mast cells, but it was attenuated in patients with markedly increased ones. This study might provide evidence for an important role of mast cells in visceral hypersensitivity.

Gender-related differences in visceral perception in health and irritable bowel syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is more common in female subjects, and IBS patients generally exhibit reduced pain thresholds to rectal distension. The aim of the present paper was to determine gender-related differences in rectal perception in both healthy controls and IBS patients. METHODS: Fifty-nine IBS patients (age 20-65 years; mean, 39.2 years; 31 women, 28 men) with symptoms that fulfilled Rome-II criteria and 21 healthy controls (age 25-58 years; mean, 37.8 years; 11 women, 10 men) were recruited. Participants completed a questionnaire regarding bowel symptoms and psychological distress, and maximal tolerable pressures were evaluated via barostat tests. RESULTS: Although healthy women appear to have lower perception thresholds than men, significant gender differences in pain sensitivity were not detected (P > 0.05). In addition, female patients with IBS also exhibited no enhanced colorectal perception, as compared with male IBS patients (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: No gender differences in visceral perception were determined to exist between the healthy controls and the IBS patients. Therefore, the increased prevalence of IBS in women may be related to another set of pathophysiological factors, and not to gender-related differences in visceroperception.

Increased beta-adrenergic sensitivity correlates with visceral hypersensitivity in patients with constipation-predominant irritable bowel syndrome.

Autonomic imbalance has been proposed to be a pathophysiological factor for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). The aim of this study was to assess beta-adrenergic abnormalities in IBS and to evaluate their relationship to visceral hypersensitivity and other symptoms of IBS patients. Sixteen IBS patients and 16 control subjects were recruited into this study. Participants were asked to complete a questionnaire regarding bowel symptoms, and in order to study beta-adrenergic sensitivity, isoproterenol stimulation tests were performed and visceral hypersensitivity was evaluated by barostat test. Results showed that beta-adrenergic activity and rectal sensitivity were more pronounced in IBS patients than in normal control patients (P < 0.01). Although both IBS subgroups also exhibited more pronounced beta-adrenergic sensitivity than did the controls (P < 0.05), a significant correlation between beta-adrenergic activity and maximally tolerable pressures on the barostat test was found only in IBS-C patients (P = 0.03, R = 0.855). In addition, patients with "hard or lumpy" stools exhibited a higher degree of beta-adrenergic activity (P = 0.00). We conclude that increased beta-adrenergic activity significantly correlated with visceral hypersensitivity in constipation-predominant IBS and symptoms of hard or lumpy stools in IBS patients.