In implantable bioelectronics, which aim for semipermanent use of devices, biosafe energy sources and packaging materials to protect devices are essential elements. However, research so far has been ...conducted in a direction where they cannot coexist. Here, the development of capacitance‐matched triboelectric implants driven is reported by ultrasound under 500 mW cm−2 safe intensity and realize a battery‐free, miniatured, and wireless neurostimulator with full titanium (Ti) packaging. The triboelectric implant with high dielectric composite, which has ultralow output impedance, can efficiently deliver sufficient power to generate the stimulation pulse without an energy‐storing battery, despite ultrasound attenuation due to the Ti, and has the highest energy transmission efficiency among those reported so far. In vivo study using a rat model demonstrated that the proposed device system is an effective solution for relieving urinary symptoms. These achievements provide a significant step toward permanently implantable devices for controlling human organs and treating various diseases.
The ultrasound‐driven triboelectric nanogenerator using a high‐dielectric composite not only improves the output of the device, but also improves the connectivity between the energy harvester and the circuit, enabling the semipermanent use and miniaturization of implantable medical devices. These triboelectric implants provide a significant step toward permanently implantable devices for controlling human organs and treating various diseases.
In this Review, memristors are examined from the frameworks of both von Neumann and neuromorphic computing architectures. For the former, a new logic computational process based on the material ...implication is discussed. It consists of several memristors which play roles of combined logic processor and memory, called stateful logic circuit. In this circuit configuration, the logic process flows primarily along a time dimension, whereas in current von Neumann computers it occurs along a spatial dimension. In the stateful logic computation scheme, the energy required for the data transfer between the logic and memory chips can be saved. The non‐volatile memory in this circuit also saves the energy required for the data refresh. Neuromorphic (cognitive) computing refers to a computing paradigm that mimics the human brain. Currently, the neuromorphic or cognitive computing mainly relies on the software emulation of several brain functionalities, such as image and voice recognition utilizing the recently highlighted deep learning algorithm. However, the human brain typically consumes ≈10–20 Watts for selected “human‐like” tasks, which can be currently mimicked by a supercomputer with power consumption of several tens of kilo‐ to megawatts. Therefore, hardware implementation of such brain functionality must be eventually sought for power‐efficient computation. Several fundamental ideas for utilizing the memristors and their recent progresses in these regards are reviewed. Finally, material and processing issues are dealt with, which is followed by the conclusion and outlook of the field. These technical improvements will substantially decrease the energy consumption for futuristic information technology.
Fundamental innovations in computing systems and material and fabrication technologies are reviewed, for solving problems, particularly those related to energy consumption due to the formidable increase in digital computing systems. A fundamental shift in the paradigm from von Neumann computing to neuromorphic computing (which is the most probable realization of cognitive computing) is discussed with a focus on the active and wide use of memristors.
Targeted protein degradation is a powerful tool in determining the function of specific proteins or protein complexes. We fused nanobodies to SPOP, an adaptor protein of the Cullin-RING E3 ubiquitin ...ligase complex, resulting in rapid ubiquitination and subsequent proteasome-dependent degradation of specific nuclear proteins in mammalian cells and zebrafish embryos. This approach is easily modifiable, as substrate specificity is conferred by an antibody domain that can be adapted to target virtually any protein.
Abstract
Spine surgeons often encounter cases of delayed postoperative spinal infection (PSI). Delayed-onset PSI is a common clinical problem. However, since many studies have investigated acute ...PSIs, reports of delayed PSI are rare. The purpose of this study was to compare the clinical features, treatment course, and prognosis of delayed PSI with acute PSI.
Ninety-six patients diagnosed with postoperative spinal infection were enrolled in this study. Patients were classified into 2 groups: acute onset (AO) within 90 days (n = 73) and delayed onset (DO) after 90 days (n = 23). The baseline data, clinical manifestations, specific treatments, and treatment outcomes were compared between the 2 groups.
The history of diabetes mellitus (DM) and metallic instrumentation at index surgery were more DO than the AO group. The causative organisms did not differ between the 2 groups. Redness or heat sensation around the surgical wound was more frequent in the AO group (47.9%) than in the DO group (21.7%) (
P
= .02). The mean C-reactive protein levels during infection diagnosis was 8.9 mg/dL in the AO and 4.0 mg/dL in the DO group (
P
= .02). All patients in the DO group had deep-layer infection. In the DO group, revision surgery and additional instrumentation were required, and the duration of parenteral antibiotic use and total antibiotic use was significantly longer than that in the AO group. Screw loosening, disc space collapse, and instability were higher in the DO group (65.2%) than in the AO group (41.1%) (
P
= .04). However, the length of hospital stay did not differ between the groups.
Delayed-onset PSI requires more extensive and longer treatment than acute-onset surgical site infection. Clinicians should try to detect the surgical site infection as early as possible.
Sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) or axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) can be performed either with a separate axillary incision or through the mastectomy incision. The authors hypothesized that ...after SLNB or ALND through a single incision, connection of the axilla with mastectomy pocket could increase drainage. This study investigated whether a separate incision decreases drainage amount and duration in implant-based breast reconstruction.
Medical records of breast cancer patients who underwent nipple-sparing or skin-sparing mastectomy with immediate breast reconstruction with prosthesis from March 2018 to February 2021 in a single tertiary center were reviewed. Demographic data, intraoperative details, and postoperative complications were reviewed. Breast drains were removed if the drain amount was less than 30cc for two consecutive days. Total breast drain amount, duration until removal, and prolonged drainage were compared with multivariate analysis.
A total of 206 patients were included in the study, with separate incisions placed in 145 breasts and a single breast incision placed in 70 breasts. Mean duration and amount until drain removal were 12.8 ± 4.9 days and 817 ± 520 cc in the single incision group, respectively, and 9.9 ± 3.1 days and 434 ± 228 cc in the separate incision group, respectively Separate incision placement (p < 0.001), lower mastectomy weight (p < 0.001), and prepectoral plane of insertion (p < 0.001) were significantly associated with less drain amount and duration. None-separate incision placement (p = 0.01) and preoperative radiation therapy (p = 0.023) were significant factors for prolonged drainage.
Placing a separate incision for axillary surgery during mastectomy and immediate implant-based reconstruction can decrease both drain amount and duration and reduce the risk of prolonged drainage.
Epilepsy is a prevalent neurological disorder characterized by recurrent seizures. Validamycin A (VA) is an antibiotic fungicide that inhibits trehalase activity and is widely used for crop ...protection in agriculture. In this study, we identified a novel function of VA as a potential anti-seizure medication in a zebrafish epilepsy model. Electroencephalogram (EEG) analysis demonstrated that VA reduced pentylenetetrazol (PTZ)-induced seizures in the brains of larval and adult zebrafish. Moreover, VA reduced PTZ-induced irregular movement in a behavioral assessment of adult zebrafish. The developmental toxicity test showed no observable anatomical alteration when the zebrafish larvae were treated with VA up to 10 µM within the effective range. The median lethal dose of VA in adult zebrafish was > 14,000 mg/kg. These results imply that VA does not demonstrate observable toxicity in zebrafish at concentrations effective for generating anti-seizure activity in the EEG and alleviating abnormal behavior in the PTZ-induced epileptic model. Furthermore, the effectiveness of VA was comparable to that of valproic acid. These results indicate that VA may have a potentially safer anti-seizure profile than valproic acid, thus offering promising prospects for its application in agriculture and medicine.
The detailed mechanism of electronic bipolar resistance switching (BRS) in the Pt/TiO(2)/Pt structure was examined. The conduction mechanism analysis showed that the trap-free and trap-mediated ...space-charge-limited conduction (SCLC) governs the low and high resistance state of BRS, respectively. The SCLC was confirmed by fitting the current-voltage characteristics of low and high resistance states at various temperatures. The BRS behavior originated from the asymmetric potential barrier for electrons escaping from, and trapping into, the trap sites with respect to the bias polarity. This asymmetric potential barrier was formed at the interface between the trap layer and trap-free layer. The detailed parameters such as trap density, and trap layer and trap-free layer thicknesses in the electronic BRS were evaluated. This showed that the degradation in the switching performance could be understood from the decrease and modified distribution of the trap densities in the trap layer.
Many studies have reported that minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (MI-TLIF) provides satisfactory treatment comparable to other fusion methods. However, in the case of ...MI-TLIF, there are concerns about the long-term outcome compared to conventional bilateral PLIF due to the small amount of disc removal and the lack of autogenous bone graft. Long-term follow-up studies are still lacking as most of the previous reports have follow-up periods of up to 5 years.
Thirty patients who underwent MI-TLIF were followed up for > 10 years (mean, 11.1 years). Interbody fusion rates were determined using a modified Bridwell grading system. Adjacent segment disease (ASD) was defined as radiological adjacent segment degeneration (R-ASDeg) as seen on plain X-rays; reoperated adjacent segment disease referred to the subsequent need for revision surgery. Clinical outcomes after surgery were assessed based on back and leg pain as well as the Oswestry disability index (ODI).
The overall radiological fusion rate, at the 1-, 5-, and 10-year follow-up was 77.1%, 91.4%, and 94.3%, respectively. The incidence of R-ASDeg 1, 5, and 10 years after surgery was 6.7%, 16.7%, and 43.3% at the proximal adjacent segment and 4.8%, 14.3%, and 28.6% at the distal adjacent segment, respectively. R-ASDeg at either the proximal or distal segment was determined in 50.0% of the patients 10 years postoperatively. All clinical parameters improved significantly during follow-up, although the ODI and the visual analog scale (VAS) for leg pain at the 10-year follow-up were significantly worse in the R-ASDeg group than in the other patients (
= 0.009,
= 0.040).
MI-TLIF improved both clinical and radiological outcomes, and the improvements were maintained for up to 10 years after surgery. However, R-ASDeg developed in up to 50% of the patients within 10 years, and both leg pain on the VAS and the ODI were worse in patients with R-ASDeg.
Ipconazole, a demethylation inhibitor of fungal ergosterol biosynthesis, is widely used in modern agriculture for foliar and seed treatment, and is authorized for use in livestock feed. Waste from ...ipconazole treatment enters rivers and groundwater through disposal and rain, posing potential toxicity to humans and other organisms. Its metabolites remain stable under standard hydrolysis conditions; however, their neurodevelopmental toxicity is unknown. We investigated the potential neurodevelopmental toxicity of ipconazole pesticides in zebrafish (
). Our behavioral monitoring demonstrated that the locomotive activity of ipconazole-exposed zebrafish larvae was reduced during early development, even when morphological abnormalities were undetected. Molecular profiling demonstrated that the mitochondrial-specific antioxidants, superoxide dismutases 1 and 2, and the genes essential for mitochondrial genome maintenance and functions were specifically reduced in ipconazole-treated (0.02 μg/mL) embryos, suggesting underlying ipconazole-driven oxidative stress. Consistently, ipconazole treatment substantially reduced
expression and increased ERK1/2 phosphorylation in a dose-dependent manner. Interrupted
expression confirmed that GABAergic inhibitory neurons were dysregulated at 0.02 μg/mL ipconazole, whereas glutamatergic excitatory and dopaminergic neurons remained unaffected, resulting in an uncoordinated neural network. Additionally, ipconazole-treated (2 μg/mL) embryos exhibited caspase-independent cell death. This suggests that ipconazole has the potential to alter neurodevelopment by dysregulating mitochondrial homeostasis.
There is a demand for longitudinal studies that use both objective and subjective measures of physical activity to investigate the association of physical activity with the change in carotid ...intima-media thickness (CIMT). In order to investigate such association, we conducted an 8-year follow-up study that used both objective and subjective measures of physical activity.
This cohort study used subsamples of the ongoing Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study (KoGES). Included participants were between 49 to 79 years of age at baseline. Exclusion criteria included incomplete assessments of pedometer/accelerometer, international physical activity questionnaire (IPAQ), and baseline CIMT. Participants with a history of cardiovascular diseases were further excluded. Linear regression models were used for the main analysis. Age differences were assessed by stratifying the participants into < 60 years and ≥ 60 years.
After removing excluded participants, 835 participants were included in the final analysis (age, 59.84 ± 6.53 years; 326 (39.04%) males). 453 participants were < 60 years and 382 participants were ≥ 60 years. The daily total step count was inversely associated with the percent change in overall CIMT over 8-years (β = -0.015, standard error = 0.007, P = 0.034). This association was present among participants in the < 60-year-old group (β = -0.026, standard error = 0.010, P = 0.006), but not among participants in the ≥ 60-year-old group (β = -0.010, standard error = 0.011, P = 0.38).
The findings suggest that taking preemptive actions of increasing physical activity may prevent the incidence of atherosclerosis.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
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