Dye‐sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) based on hierarchical rutile TiO2 flower clusters prepared by a facile, one‐pot hydrothermal process exhibit a high efficiency. Complex yet appealing rutile TiO2 ...flower films are, for the first time, directly hydrothermally grown on a transparent conducting fluorine‐doped tin oxide (FTO) substrate. The thickness and density of as‐grown flower clusters can be readily tuned by tailoring growth parameters, such as growth time, the addition of cations of different valence and size, initial concentrations of precursor and cation, growth temperature, and acidity. Notably, the small lattice mismatch between the FTO substrate and rutile TiO2 renders the epitaxial growth of a compact rutile TiO2 layer on the FTO glass. Intriguingly, these TiO2 flower clusters can then be exploited as photoanodes to produce DSSCs, yielding a power conversion efficiency of 2.94% despite their rutile nature, which is further increased to 4.07% upon the TiCl4 treatment.
Hierarchical rutile TiO2 flower‐like clusters grown on the FTO glass are created via a facile, one‐step hydrothermal method. A high power conversion efficiency of 4.07% is achieved by capitalizing on these rutile TiO2 flower clusters as the photoanodes in dye‐sensitized solar cells.
Prophylactic use of antibiotics in-feed has been effective in decreasing the incidence of diarrhea in weaning piglets. However, the overuse of antibiotics as prophylactic or therapeutic agents in ...animal feed leads to the evolution of drug-resistant bacteria and antibiotic residues in pigs. This study investigated the effects of
-fermented products on diarrhea incidence and the fecal microbial community in weaning piglets. A total of 120 crossbred piglets with an average initial body weight of 9.87 ± 1.43 kg were randomly allotted to four dietary treatments consisting of three replicate stalls with 10 piglets in each. The dietary treatments comprised a basal diet as control, control plus 1 g/kg or 4.5 g/kg of
-fermented products, and control plus 30 mg/kg antibiotics (bacitracin methylene disalicylate). Results showed that 4.5 g/kg of
-fermented product supplementation significantly reduced diarrhea incidence in weaning piglets. Principal coordinate analysis and a heatmap of species abundance indicated distinct clusters between the groups treated with antibiotics and
-fermented products. The bacterial richness and evenness in the feces decreased in weaning piglets fed 1 g/kg of
-fermented products and antibiotics. The abundance of the genera
,
, and
in the feces decreased in weaning piglets fed
-fermented products or antibiotics. The average abundance of the genus
in the feces was positively correlated with the concentration of
-fermented products and negatively correlated with the diarrhea incidence in weaning piglets. Furthermore, the average abundance of the genus
in the feces was positively correlated with the growth performance of weaning piglets. These results demonstrate that
-fermented products can improve diarrhea incidence and fecal microflora composition in weaning piglets.
Objective
To evaluate human glymphatics and meningeal lymphatics noninvasively.
Methods
This prospective study implemented 3‐dimensional (3D) isotropic contrast‐enhanced T2 fluid‐attenuated inversion ...recovery (CE‐T2‐FLAIR) imaging with a 3T magnetic resonance machine to study cerebral glymphatics and meningeal lymphatics in patients with reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome (RCVS) with (n = 92) or without (n = 90) blood–brain barrier (BBB) disruption and a diseased control group with cluster headache (n = 35). The contrast agent gadobutrol (0.2mmol/kg 0.2ml/kg) was administered intravenously in all study subjects.
Results
In total, 217 patients (182 RCVS, 35 cluster headache) were analyzed and separated into 2 groups based on the presence or absence of visible gadolinium (Gd) leakage. Para‐arterial tracer enrichment was clearly depicted in those with overt BBB disruption, while paravenous and parasinus meningeal contrast enrichment was evident in both groups. Paravenous and parasinus contrast enrichment remained in RCVS patients in the remission stage and in cluster headache patients, suggesting that these meningeal lymphatic channels were universal anatomical structures rather than being phase‐ or condition‐specific. Additionally, we demonstrated nodular leptomeningeal enhancement in 32.3% of participants, which might represent potential lymphatic reservoirs. Four selected RCVS patients who received consecutive contrasted 3D isotropic FLAIR imaging after gadobutrol administration showed that the Gd persisted for at least 54 minutes and was completely cleared within 18 hours.
Interpretation
This large‐scale in vivo study successfully demonstrated the putative human para‐arterial glymphatic transports and meningeal lymphatics by clear depiction of para‐arterial, parasinus, and paravenous meningeal contrast enrichment using high‐resolution 3D isotropic CE‐T2‐FLAIR imaging noninvasively; this technique may serve as a basis for further studies to delineate clinical relevance of glymphatic clearance. ANN NEUROL 2021;89:111–124
TP53 alterations are frequent relapse‐acquired mutations in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). The present study evaluated the clinical significance of relapsed childhood ALL in Taiwan. ...Diagnostic and/or relapsed bone marrow or peripheral blood was obtained from 111 children with relapsed ALL who were initially treated by using Taiwan Pediatric Oncology Group (TPOG) ALL protocols from January 1997 to May 2018. Mutations were detected by PCR and sequencing, as well as by multiplex ligation‐dependent probe amplification to detect copy number alterations. Copy number and/or sequence alterations of TP53 were detected in 29% (28 of 98) and in 46% (6 of 13) of patients with relapsed B‐cell and T‐cell ALL, respectively. This incidence was much higher than that in several similar studies conducted in Caucasian populations. Seventy percent of all TP53 alterations were gained at relapse in 67 matched samples by back‐tracking matched diagnostic samples. TP53 alterations were associated with lower 5‐year event‐free survival (EFS) and overall survival (OS) rates (P = .013 and P = .0002, respectively). Multivariate analysis confirmed the prognostic significance of TP53 alterations. Forty‐five patients received hematopoietic stem‐cell transplantations post‐relapse. Patients with TP53 alterations (14/45) had inferior 5‐year EFS and OS than patients without TP53 alterations after transplantation (P = .002 and P = .001, respectively). The significance of these TP53 alterations for patients who received transplantations was confirmed by multivariate analysis. In conclusion, TP53 alterations were enriched and useful as prognostic markers in relapsed childhood ALL.
Relapsed pediatric ALL patients with TP53 alterations had inferior 5‐year EFS and OS. TP53 alterations were enriched and useful as prognostic markers in relapsed childhood ALL.
With the global shortage of feed ingredients, the use of agricultural by-products has become an alternative to animal feed. Okara, a by-product of soymilk and tofu processing, is high in nutrients ...but contains non-starch polysaccharides (NSP) and has a high-water content, which are disadvantages in animal feed. Herein, we mixed okara and copra meal (CM) with probiotics (Lactobacillus species and Clostridium butyricum) and NSP enzymes (NSPases) for solid-state fermentation (SSF) to enhance okara feed value; the optimal parameters of fermented okara and CM (FOCM) and their effects on broiler growth performance and ileal microbiota were investigated. The result showed that FOCM in combination with NSPases and probiotics at 55% of the initial moisture content and 60 h fermentation time at 37 °C were able to degrade NSP and reduce sugar content. After fermentation, the total viable counts, lactic acid, and butyric acid contents in the FOCM were 8.6 log CFU/g, 3.7%, and 17.15%, respectively. During the fifth week of the feeding period and over the whole feeding period, broilers fed with 1.25% and 2.5% FOCM had a better feed conversion ratio (p < 0.05); both groups increased the duodenal villus length (p < 0.05). Further microbiome analysis suggested that FOCM significantly increased the abundance of the phylum Firmicutes and reduced the abundance of Escherichia-Shigella in the ileal content (p < 0.05). Collectively, supplementation of probiotics and enzymes during SSF was found to be effective in enhancing the nutritional value of FOCM. Moreover, dietary supplementation of FOCM improved the broiler feed conversion ratio, gut morphology, and ileal microbiota.
Epilepsy is a neurological disorder characterized by abnormal neuron discharge, and one-third of epilepsy patients suffer from drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE). The current management for DRE includes ...epileptogenic lesion resection, disconnection, and neuromodulation. Neuromodulation is achieved through invasive electrical stimulus including deep brain stimulation, vagus nerve stimulation, or responsive neurostimulation (RNS). As an alternative therapy, transcranial focused ultrasound (FUS) can transcranially and non-invasively modulate neuron activity.
This study seeks to verify the use of FUS pulsations to suppress spikes in an acute epileptic small-animal model, and to investigate possible biological mechanisms by which FUS pulsations interfere with epileptic neuronal activity.
The study used a total of 76 Sprague-Dawley rats. For the epilepsy model, rats were administered pentylenetetrazol (PTZ) to induce acute epileptic-like abnormal neuron discharges, followed by FUS exposure. Various ultrasound parameters were set to test the epilepsy-suppressing effect, while concurrently monitoring and analyzing electroencephalogram (EEG) signals. Animal behavior was monitored and histological examinations were conducted to evaluate the hazard posed by ultrasound exposure and the expression of neuronal activity markers. Western blotting was used to evaluate the correlation between FUS-induced epileptic suppression and the PI3K-mTOR signaling pathway.
We observed that FUS pulsations effectively suppressed epileptic activity and observed EEG spectrum oscillations; the spike-suppressing effect depended on the selection of ultrasound parameters and highly correlated with FUS exposure level. Expression level changes of c-Fos and GAD65 were confirmed in the cortex and hippocampus, indicating that FUS pulsations deactivated excitatory cells and activated GABAergic terminals. No tissue damage, inflammatory response, or behavioral abnormalities were observed in rats treated with FUS under these exposure parameters. We also found that the FUS pulsations down-regulated the S6 phosphorylation and decreased pAKT expression.
Our results suggest that pulsed FUS exposure effectively suppresses epileptic spikes in an acute epilepsy animal model, and finds that ultrasound pulsation interferes with neuronal activity and affects the PTZ-induced PI3K-Akt-mTOR pathway, which might help explain the mechanism underlying ultrasound-related epileptic spike control.
•Focused ultrasound pulsation effectively suppresses epileptic spikes in an acute epilepsy animal model.•FUS induced spike-suppressing effect depends on the selection of ultrasound parameters.•Ultrasound pulsation down-regulates the S6 phosphorylation and decreases pAKT expression.
Abstract
Architected materials that actively respond to external stimuli hold tantalizing prospects for applications in energy storage, wearable electronics, and bioengineering. Molybdenum disulfide, ...an excellent two-dimensional building block, is a promising candidate for lithium-ion battery anode. However, the stacked and brittle two-dimensional layered structure limits its rate capability and electrochemical stability. Here we report the dewetting-induced manufacturing of two-dimensional molybdenum disulfide nanosheets into a three-dimensional foam with a structural hierarchy across seven orders of magnitude. Our molybdenum disulfide foam provides an interpenetrating network for efficient charge transport, rapid ion diffusion, and mechanically resilient and chemically stable support for electrochemical reactions. These features induce a pseudocapacitive energy storage mechanism involving molybdenum redox reactions, confirmed by in-situ X-ray absorption near edge structure. The extraordinary electrochemical performance of molybdenum disulfide foam outperforms most reported molybdenum disulfide-based Lithium-ion battery anodes and state-of-the-art materials. This work opens promising inroads for various applications where special properties arise from hierarchical architecture.
ABSTRACT In the present study, we examined the growth parameters of Bacillus licheniformis in solid-state fermentation (SSF) and evaluated the effects of Bacillus licheniformis-fermented products on ...Clostridium perfringens-challenged broilers. During four and six days of SSF, the highest viable biomass was observed at 5% glucose, 10% soybean meal, 3% yeast, and 50% initial moisture content. The Bacillus licheniformis SSF products were heat- and acid-resistant. Furthermore, the fermented products were able to inhibit the growth of Clostridium perfringens and Staphylococcus aureus in vitro. In feeding experiments, in a similar manner to the antibiotic treatment group, dietary supplementation of Bacillus licheniformis-fermented products significantly improved intestinal morphology and necrotic lesions under Clostridium perfringens challenge, accompanied by increased IFN-γ mRNA expression in the spleen and bursa of Fabricius. These results together suggest that Bacillus licheniformis-fermented products have potential for development as feed additives and use as possible substitutes for antibiotics to treat Clostridium perfringens in the poultry industry.
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