To compare the clinical and cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging findings of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine-associated myocarditis (VAM) with those of other types of myocarditis.
...From January 2020 to March 2022, a total of 39 patients diagnosed with myocarditis via CMR according to the Modified Lake Louise criteria were included in the present study. The patients were classified into two groups based on their vaccination status: COVID-19 VAM and other types of myocarditis not associated with COVID-19 vaccination. Clinical outcomes, including the development of clinically significant arrhythmias, sudden cardiac arrest, and death, and CMR imaging features were compared between COVID-19 VAM and other types of myocarditis.
Of the 39 included patients (mean age, 39 years ± 16.4 standard deviation; 23 men), 23 (59%) had COVID-19 VAM and 16 (41%) had other types of myocarditis. The occurrence of clinical adverse events did not differ significantly between the two groups. As per the CMR imaging findings, the presence and dominant pattern of late gadolinium enhancement did not differ significantly between the two groups. The presence of high native T1 or T2 values was not significantly different between the two groups. Although the native T1 and T2 values tended to be lower in COVID-19 VAM than in other types of myocarditis, there were no statistically significant differences between the native T1 and T2 values in the two groups.
The present study demonstrated that the CMR imaging findings and clinical outcomes of COVID-19 VAM did not differ significantly from those of other types of myocarditis during hospitalization.
To date, the light emitting diode (LED) based halide perovskite was rapidly developed due to the outstanding property of perovskite materials. However, the blue perovskite LEDs based on the bulk ...halide perovskites have been rarely researched and showed low efficiencies. The bulk blue perovskite LEDs suffered from insufficient coverage on the substrate due to the low solubility of the inorganic Cl sources or damaged by the structural instability with participation of organic cations. Here, we show the new method of fabricating stable inorganic bulk blue perovskite LEDs with the anion exchange approach to avoid use of insoluble Cl precursors. The devices showed nice operational spectral stability at the desired blue emission peak. The bulk perovskite blue LEDs showed a maximum luminance of 1468 and 494 cd m–2 for the 490 and 470 nm emission peaks, respectively.
Dopaminergic (DA) neurons are involved in the integration of neuronal and hormonal signals to regulate food consumption and energy balance. Forkhead transcriptional factor O1 (FoxO1) in the ...hypothalamus plays a crucial role in mediation of leptin and insulin function. However, the homoeostatic role of FoxO1 in DA system has not been investigated. Here we report that FoxO1 is highly expressed in DA neurons and mice lacking FoxO1 specifically in the DA neurons (FoxO1 KO
) show markedly increased energy expenditure and interscapular brown adipose tissue (iBAT) thermogenesis accompanied by reduced fat mass and improved glucose/insulin homoeostasis. Moreover, FoxO1 KO
mice exhibit an increased sucrose preference in concomitance with higher dopamine and norepinephrine levels. Finally, we found that FoxO1 directly targets and negatively regulates tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) expression, the rate-limiting enzyme of the catecholamine synthesis, delineating a mechanism for the KO phenotypes. Collectively, these results suggest that FoxO1 in DA neurons is an important transcriptional factor that directs the coordinated control of energy balance, thermogenesis and glucose homoeostasis.
Alluvial groundwaters in the area where intensive agricultural activity takes place were geochemically investigated to evaluate factors regulating groundwater quality of alluvial aquifers. For this ...study, 55 groundwater samples were taken from the uniformly distributed irrigation wells and were classified into three distinct groups according to their geochemical characteristics. This study reveals that the groundwater quality and the geochemical characteristics of the clustered groups are consistent with the geology of the area. The samples collected from the area where a thick silt bed overlies the sand aquifer are clustered into Group II and show water quality that is only slightly affected by the contaminants originating from the land surface. However, groundwaters of this group are very high in Fe and Mn levels due to strong anoxic condition caused by the thick silt bed. In contrast, Group I shows water quality largely influenced by agricultural activities (i.e., fertilization, liming) and occurs in the area adjacent to the river where the silt bed is not observed and the sand aquifer is covered with sandy soils. Group III mostly occurs in the upgradient of Group I where a thin, silty soil covers the sand aquifer. In overall, the results show that the clustered groups closely reflect the groundwater susceptibility to the contaminants originated from the land surface. This suggests that groundwater clustering based on water chemistry could be applied to the contamination susceptibility assessment for groundwaters in the agricultural area.
The inorganic halide perovskite Cs(Rb)PbI 3 has attracted significant research interest for its application as a light-absorbing material in perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Although there have been ...extensive studies on structural and electronic properties of inorganic halide perovskites, the investigation on their chemical stability is lacking. Therefore, we investigate the effect of substituting Rb for Cs in CsPbI 3 on the chemical stability against decomposition using first-principles thermodynamics. The calculated Helmholtz free energy of solid solutions indicates that Cs 1−x Rb x PbI 3 has good thermodynamic stability at room temperature due to the good miscibility of CsPbI 3 and RbPbI 3 . By calculating the Helmholtz free energy difference of solid solutions Cs 1−x Rb x PbI 3 from their constituents Cs 1−x Rb x I and PbI 2 , we find that the Rb content x ≈ 0.7 and 0.4 at zero and room temperature are the turning points, at which the chemical decomposition changes from endothermic to exothermic. From the calculated Gibbs free energy differences, we further highlight that RbPbI 3 may decompose spontaneously at any temperature and pressure, while CsPbI 3 in the cubic phase can be safe against decomposition in the temperature range of 0–600 K and the pressure range of 0–4 GPa. Our work reasonably explains the experimental observations and paves the way for understanding the chemical stability of inorganic halide perovskites and designing efficient inorganic halide PSCs.
This study evaluates the characteristics of n-3-enriched meat spread that is in development for consumption by elderly individuals. Herein, flaxseed oil was used as a source of n-3 fatty acid, and ...macro- and nano-sized flaxseed oil emulsions (FOE) were prepared for the fabrication of meat spreads. As the level of FOE was increased in the meat spreads, significant increases in the levels of omega-3 fatty acids (α-linolenic acid) were observed. Emulsion stability and cooking loss were also improved in meat spreads formulated with FOE compared with those the control. In particular, the addition of FOE generated softer and less chewy meat, owing to its lower melting point and rheological properties. However, the high content of unsaturated fatty acids in the FOE-containing meat spreads increased their susceptibility to lipid oxidation meat. These findings indicate that FOE, particularly macro-sized FOE, has the potential for use in n-3 fatty acid enriched meat products that are intended for consumption by elderly individuals but need to be evaluated for their impacts on shelf-life and sensory quality.
•Meat spreads were prepared by adding flaxseed oil encapsulated in emulsions (FOE).•Meat spread with FOE provided a good fatty acid profile including n-3 fatty acids.•The emulsion stability and cooking loss of meat spread with macro-FOE improved.•The hardness of the macro-FOE meat spread was adequate for elderly consumers.•Meat spreads with macro-FOE can be suitable for consumption by the elderly.
In this article, a simple and cost-effective symmetric sensing coil set to be used for the metal object detection (MOD) in a stationary wireless electric vehicle charger is newly proposed. Compared ...to the conventional nonoverlapping sensing coil using the magnetic field change detection method, the proposed symmetric sensing coil set design offers the considerable advantage of eliminating all blind zones, i.e., regions where metal is undetectable in the conventional method. Moreover, by reducing the number of layers to one, the fabrication of the proposed sensing coil is easier and more cost effective. The design of the proposed sensing coil is optimized for highly sensitive MOD based on a sensitivity equation and on the finite element method simulations. An experiment conducted with a metal object 40 × 40 mm 2 in size and a 20 A transmitting (Tx) coil current verifies the reliability and the blind-zone elimination feature of the proposed sensing coil.
► The inhibitory effects of fucoidan on LPS-induced pro-inflammatory mediators in BV2 microglia were investigated. ► Fucoidan inhibited production of NO and PGE2, and levels of iNOS, COX-2, and ...pro-inflammatory cytokines. ► Moreover, fucoidan exhibited anti-inflammatory properties by suppression of NF-κB, MAPK, and AKT pathways. ► We conclude that fucoidan could be used for development of nutraceuticals for inflammatory and neurodegenerative disorders.
Fucoidan, a sulfated polysaccharide extracted from brown seaweed, displays a wide variety of internal biological activities; however, the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying fucoidan’s anti-inflammatory activity remain poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the inhibitory effects of fucoidan on production of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)–induced pro-inflammatory mediators in BV2 microglia. Our data indicated that fucoidan treatment significantly inhibited excessive production of nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) in LPS-stimulated BV2 microglia. It also attenuated expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), cyclooxygenase (COX)-2, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), and pro-inflammatory cytokines, including interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α. Moreover, fucoidan exhibited anti-inflammatory properties by suppression of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) activation and down-regulation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), and AKT pathways. These finding suggest that fucoidan may offer substantial therapeutic potential for treatment of neurodegenerative diseases that are accompanied by microglial activation.
Cordyceps militaris, a traditional medicinal mushroom, produces the bioactive compound cordycepin (3'-deoxyadenosine). Although cordycepin has been shown to have pharmacological, immunological ...stimulating, anti-cancer, and anti-inflammatory activities, its activities and cellular mechanisms during microglial activation have yet to be elucidated. Thus, we evaluated the anti-inflammatory effect of cordycepin on the production of inflammatory mediators in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated murine BV2 microglia. We also investigated the effects of cordycepin on LPS-induced nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-κB) activation and on phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs). After LPS stimulation, nitric oxide (NO), prostaglandin E
2 (PGE
2), and pro-inflammatory cytokine production was detected in BV2 microglia. However, we found that cordycepin significantly inhibited the excessive production of NO, PGE
2, and pro-inflammatory cytokines in a concentration-dependent manner without causing cytotoxicity. In addition, cordycepin suppressed NF-κB translocation by blocking IkappaB-α (IκB-α) degradation and inhibited the phosphorylation of Akt, ERK-1/2, JNK, and p38 kinase. Our results indicate that the inhibitory effect of cordycepin on LPS-stimulated inflammatory mediator production in BV2 microglia is associated with the suppression of the NF-κB, Akt, and MAPK signaling pathways. Therefore, cordycepin may be useful in treating neurodegenerative diseases by inhibiting inflammatory mediator production in activated microglia.
► Cordycepin exert an anti-inflammatory effect on the BV2 microglia cell line. ► Cordycepin significantly attenuated the release of inflammatory mediators. ► Cordycepin inhibit activation of NF-kB, Akt, and MAPKs.
All-inorganic perovskite nanocrystals (PeNCs), CsPbX3 (X = Cl, Br, or I), have been considered as one of the prospective emissive materials for display applications, which showed superior ...photoluminescence quantum yield and high color purity with narrow spectral line width. Recently, high-performance green and red perovskite light-emitting diodes (PeLEDs) were introduced; however, the efficiency of blue PeLEDs still lagged owing to PeNCs’ deep HOMO energy level (∼6.0 eV), which is in discord with the adjacent organic interlayer. In this work, we demonstrated an interfacial engineering strategy with conjugated polyelectrolytes, functionalized PFN (poly(9,9-bis(3′-(N,N-dimethylamino)propyl)-2,7-fluorene)-alt-2,7-(9,9-dioctylfluorene)) with halide anions, between the hole injection layer and PeNCs. By introducing PFN-X (X = Cl, Br, or I), they exhibit well-balanced charge carriers and resultant effective radiative recombination in the PeNC layer with reduced hole injection barrier and electron blocking behavior. Among them, in particular, the PFN-Cl-treated PeLEDs display a maximum external quantum efficiency of 1.34% at 470 nm electroluminescence emission with enhanced spectral operating stability.
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