Optogenetics refers to a technique that uses light to modulate neuronal activity with a high spatiotemporal resolution, which enables the manipulation of learning and memory functions in the human ...brain. This strategy of controlling neuronal activity using light can be applied for the development of intelligent systems, including neuromorphic and in‐memory computing systems. Herein, a flexible van der Waals (vdW) optoelectronic synapse is reported, which is a core component of optogenetics‐inspired intelligent systems. This synapse is fabricated on 2D vdW layered rhenium disulfide (ReS2) that features an inherent photosensitive memory nature derived from the persistent photoconductivity (PPC) effect, successfully mimicking the dynamics of biological synapses. Based on first‐principles calculations, the PPC effect is identified to originate from sulfur vacancies in ReS2 that have an inherent tendency to form shallow defect states near the conduction band edges and under optical excitation lead to large lattice relaxation. Finally, the feasibility of applying the synapses in optogenetics‐inspired intelligent systems is demonstrated via training and inference tasks for the CIFAR‐10 dataset using a convolutional neural network composed of vdW optoelectronic synapse devices.
A flexible van der Waals (vdW) optoelectronic synapse fabricated on 2D vdW layered rhenium disulfide, which features an inherent photosensitive memory nature derived from the persistent photoconductivity effect, is proposed. Following in‐depth analysis including density functional theory calculations on rhenium disulfide, its feasibility for hardware neural networks with learning ability is demonstrated using a convolutional neural network composed of vdW optoelectronic synapses.
Seed oils are used as edible oils and increasingly also for industrial applications. Although high-oleic seed oil is preferred for industrial use, most seed oil is high in polyunsaturated fatty acids ...(PUFAs) and low in monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) such as oleic acid. Oil from Camelina, an emerging oilseed crop with a high seed oil content and resistance to environmental stress, contains 60% PUFAs and 30% MUFAs. Hexaploid Camelina carries three homoeologs of
FAD2
, encoding fatty acid desaturase 2 (FAD2), which is responsible for the synthesis of linoleic acid from oleic acid. In this study, to increase the MUFA contents of Camelina seed oil, we generated
CsFAD2
knockout plants via CRISPR-Cas9-mediated gene editing using the pRedU6fad2EcCas9 vector containing
DsRed
as a selection marker, the U6 promoter to drive a single guide RNA (sgRNA) covering the common region of the three
CsFAD2
homoeologs, and an egg-cell-specific promoter to drive
Cas9
expression. We analyzed
CsFAD2
homoeolog-specific sequences by PCR using genomic DNA from transformed Camelina leaves. Knockout of all three pairs of
FAD2
homoeologs led to a stunted bushy phenotype, but greatly enhanced MUFA levels (by 80%) in seeds. However, transformants with two pairs of
CsFAD2
homoeologs knocked out but the other pair wild-type heterozygous showed normal growth and a seed MUFAs production increased up to 60%. These results provide a basis for the metabolic engineering of genes that affect growth in polyploid crops through genome editing.
Experimental results obtained from research using only one sex are sometimes extrapolated to both sexes without thorough justification. However, this might cause enormous economic loss and unintended ...fatalities. Between years 1997 and 2000, the US Food and Drug Administration suspended ten prescription drugs producing severe adverse effects on the market. Eight of the ten drugs caused greater health risks in women. Serious male biases in basic, preclinical, and clinical research were the main reason for the problem. This mini-review will describe why and how funding organizations such as the European Commission, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, and the US National Institutes of Health have tried to influence researchers to integrate sex/gender not only in clinical research, but also in basic and preclinical research. Editorial policies of prominent journals for sex-specific reporting will also be introduced, and some considerations in integrating sex as a biological variable will be pointed out. To produce precise and reproducible results applicable for both men and women, sex should be considered as an important biological variable from basic and preclinical research. BMB Reports 2018; 51(4): 167-173.
Background
Free tissue transfer is often required for the reconstruction of complex and deep anterior chest wall wounds, for which the identification of suitable recipient vessels is crucial. ...Although the internal mammary arteries (IMAs) are a representative option, identifying secondary options when these vessels are compromised remains a challenge. This report evaluated the efficacy of using the thoracoacromial vessels (TAVs) as recipients for chest wall reconstruction by reviewing our experience.
Methods
We conducted a retrospective review of patients undergoing free‐flap‐based chest wall reconstruction using TAVs as recipient vessels from February 2020 to March 2023. Patient demographics and surgery‐related characteristics data were collected. The primary outcome of interest was the occurrence of flap perfusion‐related complications.
Results
In total, 12 cases utilized TAVs as recipients, primarily for defects following sternotomy, where bilateral IMA was unavailable due to prior surgery. The TAVs with reliable perfusion were consistently identified beneath the pectoralis major muscle. The anterolateral thigh flap was predominantly employed, with musculocutaneous or chimeric flaps introduced for bony defects. The mean pedicle length of the harvested flap was 7.2 cm (range, 3–13), and in cases with a vascular gap, the pedicle was extended using an arteriovenous interposition graft. This resulted in a mean pedicle length needed to reach recipient vessels of 9.9 cm (range, 6.5–19). All flaps survived, with only one experiencing partial necrosis.
Conclusions
The TAV could be considered as an attractive alternative recipient vessel in microsurgical reconstruction of complicated chest wall defects when the use of IMA is not feasible.
Background
Extensive experimental evidence has suggested the potential efficacy of prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) in enhancing flap survival, leading to its widespread empirical use following free flap ...operation. However, the translation of these experimental findings into clinical benefits remains uncertain. This study aimed to assess the clinical effectiveness of postoperative PGE1 administration on the outcomes of microsurgical reconstruction.
Methods
A retrospective review was conducted for patients who underwent free flap‐based reconstruction between September 2020 and November 2022, dividing into two cohorts. For all consecutive cases conducted during the formal half, PGE1 was administered for postoperative 7 days (PGE1 cohort), and for those during the latter, PGE1 was not given (non‐PGE1 cohort). The profiles of perfusion‐related complications (PRC) were compared between the two cohorts. Further analyses after propensity‐score matching were performed.
Results
In total, 274 cases were analyzed, consisting of 142 in PGE1 and 132 in non‐PGE1 cohort. Baseline characteristics were similar between the two cohorts, except for higher rates of comorbidities and chronic wound‐related defects in the PGE1 cohort. Overall PRC developed in 37 cases (13.5%), including 6 (2.1%) total loss and 38 (10.2%) partial necrosis. Compared to the control, the PGE1 cohort exhibited significantly lower rates of overall PRC and partial flap necrosis. This difference remained significant on multivariable analyses. The rate of total flap loss did not differ between the cohorts. Consistent associations were observed in the propensity‐score matching analysis.
Conclusion
Postoperative administration of PGE1 appears to be associated with reduced risks for the development of partial flap necrosis.
Wide local excision of noninvasive malignant melanomas has been increasingly performed instead of digit amputation, which often results in extensive fingertip defects. Owing to the unique anatomical ...characteristics of the fingertips, achieving favorable outcomes in both function and cosmesis is challenging during reconstruction. The free superficial palmar branch of the radial artery (SPBRA) flap is advantageous for finger reconstruction. However, its application in circumferential fingertip defects has rarely been reported. In this report, we describe two cases of circumferential fingertip defect reconstruction using a free SPBRA flap after wide local excision of subungual melanoma. The patients were women aged 74 and 63 years at the time of surgery. They presented with subungual melanoma on the right fourth finger and left thumb, in which both biopsies confirmed malignant melanoma in situ (Tis N0 M0), Breslow thickness of 0 mm (noninvasive). After wide local excision, circumferential defects, sized 2.5 × 6 and 2.7 × 7 cm, were formed on their fingertips. A vertically designed free SPBRA flap measuring 2.7 × 6 and 3 × 6 cm was elevated from the unaffected palm in each patient. After performing microvascular anastomosis, the flap was inserted transversely, wrapping the exposed phalangeal bone in a conical shape. The donor site was primarily closed. All flaps survived, and postoperative complications did not develop. Neither local recurrence nor distant metastasis was detected at the latest follow‐up in either patient at 24 or 28 months postoperatively. The patients were satisfied with the natural contour of the reconstructed fingertip and recovered functions. In the evaluation of subjective sensory recovery using four scales (excellent, good, fair, and poor), they responded “fair” and “good,” respectively. We suggest that the free SPBRA flap could be a reliable reconstructive method for circumferential fingertip defects.
This study was conducted to examine digestibility of insect meals for Pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) and their utilization as fish meal substitutes. The tested insect meals were ...mealworm, silkworm, black soldier fly, rice grasshopper, two-spotted cricket, dynastid beetle and white-spotted flower chafer. Apparent digestibility coefficients of the tested insect meals were 83-89% for protein, 91-98% for lipid, 84-90% for energy, 77-81% for dry matter, 28-36% for chitin, 76-96% for amino acids and 89-93% for fatty acids. The amino acid availability of insect meals was high in taurine (93-96%), arginine (91-95%) and lysine (90-95%). Availability of fatty acids were 89-93% for saturated fatty acids, 90-93% for monounsaturated fatty acids and 88-93% for polyunsaturated fatty acids. For a feeding trial, a control diet was formulated using 27% tuna byproduct meal as a fish meal source and seven other diets were prepared replacing 10% tuna byproduct meal in the control diet with each insect meal. Triplicate groups of shrimp (initial body weight: 0.17 g) were fed the diets for 65 days. The growth performance was significantly improved when the shrimp were fed black soldier fly or dynastid beetle included diet. Dietary supplementation of insect meals significantly improved non-specific immune responses and antioxidant enzyme activity in the shrimp. These results indicate that the tested insect meals have high potentials to be used as a protein source that could replace fish meal in diets for the shrimp.
Predicting the harvest yield enables farm practices to be modified throughout the growing season, with potential to increase the final yield. Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) based remote sensing is a ...promising way to estimate crop yields. In this study, rice yield was estimated by segmenting grain areas using low altitude RGB images collected using a rotary-wing type UAV. In particular, an image processing method that combines K-means clustering with a graph-cut (KCG) algorithm was proposed to segment the rice grain areas. The graph-cut algorithm was applied to extract the foreground and background of the images. The foreground RGB images were converted to the Lab colour space and then K-means clustering was used to label pixels based on colour information. The area of the rice grains in the images was calculated from the clustered images. Using this grain area information, the rice yield of the field could be estimated. Experiments show that the proposed method can segment the grain areas with a relative error of 6%–33%, and it improved the relative error of the previous method (by 1%–31%). The coefficient of determination between the results of the proposed method and the ground truth was found to be 0.98. Furthermore, the relative error of the yield estimation for four field sections was 21%–31%. The results indicate that the UAV image-based grain segmentation has the potential to estimate rice yield accurately and conveniently.
•Rice yield estimation based on segmented rice grain area using UAV images.•Improve the accuracy of segmented rice grain area by using estimated foreground objects.•Estimate the rice yield during whole stage of growing season.•Measure the optimal estimation stage for rice yield in the lifecycle of rice plant.
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