Drosophila olfactory local interneurons (LNs) in the antennal lobe are highly diverse and variable. How and when distinct types of LNs emerge, differentiate, and integrate into the olfactory circuit ...is unknown. Through systematic developmental analyses, we found that LNs are recruited to the adult olfactory circuit in three groups. Group 1 LNs are residual larval LNs. Group 2 are adult-specific LNs that emerge before cognate sensory and projection neurons establish synaptic specificity, and Group 3 LNs emerge after synaptic specificity is established. Group 1 larval LNs are selectively reintegrated into the adult circuit through pruning and re-extension of processes to distinct regions of the antennal lobe, while others die during metamorphosis. Precise temporal control of this pruning and cell death shapes the global organization of the adult antennal lobe. Our findings provide a road map to understand how LNs develop and contribute to constructing the olfactory circuit.
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•Use ALD and hydrothermal method to attach ZnO branched nanorods to TiO2 nanorod arrays on FTO substrate.•Incorporate Au triangular nanoplates (TNP) with ZnO@TiO2 by immersing samples ...in Au TNP solution.•3D ZnO provides more reactive sites, facilitates interfacial charge transfer and promotes efficient separation of photogenerated electron-hole pairs.•Surface plasmon resonance of Au TNP amplifies the local electromagnetic field and enhances light harvesting.•Improved photoelectrochemical properties of Au@ZnO@TiO2 ternary heterostructure system are obtained.
Transition metal-oxide semiconductors have shown great potential in the renewable energy harvesting and conversion, e.g., photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting. However, the existing disadvantages of semiconductors, such as insufficient solar light utilization and fast charge recombination, are urgently needed to be addressed to realize an efficient PEC device. In this work, we synthesized a well-defined ZnO branched nanorods (b-NRs) attached to TiO2 nanorod (NR) arrays on FTO substrate using atomic layer deposition (ALD) and hydrothermal method. Meanwhile, Au triangular nanoplates (TNPs) were also incorporated with ZnO@TiO2 heterostructure by immersing the structure in Au TNPs solution. The ZnO b-NRs@TiO2 NRs and Au TNPs@ZnO b-NRs@TiO2 NRs exhibited the photocurrent densities of 0.490 mA/cm2 and 0.733 mA/cm2 at 1.23 V vs. reversible hydrogen electrode which were 2.8 and 4.2 times of pure TiO2 NR arrays (0.176 mA/cm2), respectively. Incident photon-to-current conversion efficiency measurements showed enhanced photoactivity after Au TNPs decoration. Moreover, the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and Mott-Schottky analysis provided further evidence that the separation of photogenerated carriers and the transfer kinetics of charge carriers at the semiconductor/electrolyte interface were greatly improved by the ZnO b-NRs modification and Au TNPs decoration. It was concluded that the significantly enhanced PEC water splitting performance was attributed to the synergistic effect of the three-dimensional ZnO@TiO2 composites heterostructure and the localized surface plasmon resonance resulting from Au TNPs. This study reported a facile combination of ALD and hydrothermal method for fabricating ZnO branched heterostructure and decorating Au TNPs to improve the PEC water splitting performance of TiO2.
This paper studies the amplitude-frequency characteristic of frontal steady-state visual evoked potential (SSVEP) and its feasibility as a control signal for brain computer interface (BCI). SSVEPs ...induced by different stimulation frequencies, from 13 ~ 31 Hz in 2 Hz steps, were measured in eight young subjects, eight elders and seven ALS patients. Each subject was requested to participate in a calibration study and an application study. The calibration study was designed to find the amplitude-frequency characteristics of SSVEPs recorded from Oz and Fpz positions, while the application study was designed to test the feasibility of using frontal SSVEP to control a two-command SSVEP-based BCI. The SSVEP amplitude was detected by an epoch-average process which enables artifact-contaminated epochs can be removed. The seven ALS patients were severely impaired, and four patients, who were incapable of completing our BCI task, were excluded from calculation of BCI performance. The averaged accuracies, command transfer intervals and information transfer rates in operating frontal SSVEP-based BCI were 96.1%, 3.43 s/command, and 14.42 bits/min in young subjects; 91.8%, 6.22 s/command, and 6.16 bits/min in elders; 81.2%, 12.14 s/command, and 1.51 bits/min in ALS patients, respectively. The frontal SSVEP could be an alternative choice to design SSVEP-based BCI.
The aim of this paper was to explore the application of multi-channel synchronized dynamic strain gauges in monitoring the neutral axis (N.A.) position of prestressed concrete box girders. The N.A. ...position has recently been proposed as an indicator for monitoring the health of bridge structures. Laboratory experiments were conducted on a prestressed T-beam under different prestress level conditions to investigate the correlation between the prestress magnitude and the N.A. position. In the development of the multi-channel synchronized dynamic strain gauges, edge computing was employed to significantly reduce the amount of data transmitted from the sensor nodes on-site. In edge computing, only the dynamic strain response caused by the maximum vehicle load in each minute is transmitted. This approach greatly enhances the monitoring efficiency and enables the realization of on-site non-computer-based monitoring systems. The laboratory test results of the prestressed T-beam showed that the N.A. position tends to move slightly downward as the prestress force increases. In other words, when the prestress force decreases due to loss, the N.A. position exhibits a slight upward movement. This study selected a newly constructed prestressed box girder as the subject for on-site measurement of the N.A. position using multi-channel synchronized dynamic strain gauges shortly after the prestress was applied. The on-site monitoring data indeed revealed a gradual upward movement of the N.A. position. This phenomenon confirmed that soon after the completion of prestressed concrete bridges, there is a gradual loss of prestress due to the significant shrinkage and creep effects of the early-age concrete. The on-site monitoring result aligned with the findings from the laboratory experiments, where the N.A. position was observed to move upward as the prestress decreased.
ADHD comorbidity has been associated with delayed diagnosis of ASD, but no study has investigated this association in an Asian country. Children with ASD were included and divided into three groups: ...ADHD before ASD, ADHD same/after ASD, and ASD only. Timing of ASD and ADHD diagnoses were assessed. The logistic regression model was performed to investigate the likelihood of being diagnosed with ASD after 6 years of age between three groups. ADHD before ASD (OR 10.93) group was more likely to being diagnosed with ASD after 6 years of age compared with ADHD same/after ASD (OR: 1.37) and ASD only groups. ADHD comorbidity would delay the diagnosis of ASD in the general clinical settings in Taiwan.
•The orthopedic insole features a medial arch support and heel cushion.•Its effects on postural balance in patients with stroke have not been explored.•Orthopedic insole helps to improve postural ...balance but the effects are small.•More studies are needed to evaluate its potential for routine clinical use.
Orthopedic insoles (OIs) with medial arch support and heel cushion are widely used to manage lower extremity injuries, but their effects on postural balance in patients with chronic stroke have not been adequately explored.
Design: Double-blinded, sham-controlled, randomized crossover trial. Participants: A total of 32 ambulatory patients (20 men and 12 women, aged between 30 and 76 years) with more than 6 months since stroke onset. Interventions: All participants received one assessment session wearing OIs and one session wearing sham insole (SI) in a random order with a 1-day interval. Outcomes: Our primary outcome was the Berg Balance Scale score. Secondary outcomes included the Functional Reach Test, Timed Up and Go test, and computerized posturography. All were performed in both sessions. Subgroup analyses regarding demographic and functional variables were conducted to identify potential responders.
Significant between-insole differences favoring OIs were seen in all clinical tests (P < 0.05), but were seen only in the static medial-lateral sway in computerized posturography assessment (P = 0.04). An approximate 2-point difference in the BBS score favoring OIs was observed in all subgroups, not reaching the minimal clinically important difference.
The use of OIs generated small but significant positive effects on improving postural balance among patients with chronic stroke. Additional biomechanical and clinical studies are required to evaluate their potential for routine clinical use.
NCT03194282
Mitochondrial dysfunction has been implicated in Parkinson's disease. Mic60 is a critical component of mitochondrial crista remodeling and participates in maintaining mitochondrial structure and ...function. This study investigated whether the carnosic acid (CA) of rosemary protects the mitochondria of SH-SY5Y cells against the neurotoxicity of 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) by regulating Mic60. Our results showed that CA pretreatment reversed the reduction in the Mic60 and citrate synthase proteins, as well as the protein induction of PKA caused by 6-OHDA. Moreover, Mic60 and PINK1 siRNAs blocked the ability of CA to lessen the release of mitochondrial cytochrome c by 6-OHDA. As shown by immunoprecipitation assay, in 6-OHDA-treated cells, the interaction of Mic60 with its phosphorylated threonine residue was decreased, but the interaction with its phosphorylated serine residue was increased. PINK1 siRNA and forskolin, a PKA activator, reversed these interactions. Moreover, forskolin pretreatment prevented CA from rescuing the interaction of PINK1 and Mic60 and the reduction in cytochrome c release and mitophagy impairment in 6-OHDA-treated cells. In conclusion, CA prevents 6-OHDA-induced cytochrome c release by regulating Mic60 phosphorylation by PINK1 through a downregulation of PKA. The regulation of Mic60 by CA can be considered as a protective mechanism for the prevention of Parkinson's disease.
•CA improved 6-OHDA-induced mitochondrial cytochrome c release by Mic60.•CA increased the Mic60 phosphorylation at threonine residue by PINK1.•CA blocked 6-OHDA-activated PKA by reducing the Mic60 phosphorylation at serine.•CA rescued 6-OHDA-induced mitophagy impairment through inhibiting PKA by PINK1.
To investigate the surface characteristics of titanium (Ti) implant materials, which were coated with different thicknesses of nanoscale tin oxide (SnO2) using the atomic layer deposition technique, ...and evaluated its biological performance on human embryonic palatal mesenchyme (HEPM) cells.
The thickness of the coating layer on Ti was 0 (Ti0), 20 nm (Ti20), 50 nm (Ti50), and 100 nm (Ti100), respectively. The surface morphology was observed with an SEM and AFM. The root mean square roughness of micron-scale (mRq) and nanoroughness (nRq) of Ti discs’ surface were measured. The Alamar blue (AB) assay and F-actin fluorescence staining were used to evaluate the biocompatibility, and the osteocalcin (OCN) was measured to clarify the differentiation of HEPM cells on materials.
In the coating groups, the mRq was decreased, but the nRq was increased. The spreading and polygonal morphology of HEPMs was apparent in coating groups. On Day 4, the survival rate of HEPM cells on Ti0 was higher than on Ti20 and Ti50. There was no significant difference on Day 7, Day 10, and Day 14. The OCN was significantly higher on Day 14 in all the coating groups than Ti0.
The results showed that the cell growth was intensified with rough surfaces. However, the OCN and morphology change was prominent when the nanoroughness was increased, which meant the increased nanoroughness might enhance OCN production and improve the tendency of osseointegration. The nanoscale SnO2 coating could increase the ability of bone formation but not cell growth.
In the past few decades, gate insulators with a high dielectric constant (high-k dielectric) enabling a physically thick but dielectrically thin insulating layer, have been used to replace ...traditional SiOx insulator and to ensure continuous downscaling of Si-based transistor technology. However, due to the non-silicon derivative natures of the high-k metal oxides, transport properties in these dielectrics are still limited by various structural defects on the hetero-interfaces and inside the dielectrics. Here, we show that another insulating silicon compound, amorphous silicon nitride (a-Si3N4), is a promising candidate of effective electrical insulator for use as a high-k dielectric. We have examined a-Si3N4 deposited using the plasma-assisted atomic beam deposition (PA-ABD) technique in an ultra-high vacuum (UHV) environment and demonstrated the absence of defect-related luminescence; it was also found that the electronic structure across the a-Si3N4/Si heterojunction approaches the intrinsic limit, which exhibits large band gap energy and valence band offset. We demonstrate that charge transport properties in the metal/a-Si3N4/Si (MNS) structures approach defect-free limits with a large breakdown field and a low leakage current. Using PA-ABD, our results suggest a general strategy to markedly improve the performance of gate dielectric using a nearly defect-free insulator.
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