Therapeutic effects of a novel electrode for transcranial direct current stimulation in ischemic stroke mice.

Non-invasive transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), a promising stimulation tool to modulate a wide range of brain disorders, has major limitations, such as poor cortical stimulation intensity and focality. We designed a novel electrode for tDCS by conjugating a needle to a conventional ring-based high-definition (HD) electrode to enhance cortical stimulation efficacy. HD-tDCS (43 µA/mm, charge density 51.

Feasibility study of storing CO in the ocean by marine environmental impact assessment.

Since the industrial revolution, which was accompanied with the use of fossil fuels as an energy source, the content of carbon dioxide (CO) in the atmosphere has increased. To mitigate global warming, industries that utilize fossil fuels have continuously explored new approaches to reduce CO emissions and convert it to alternative fuels. The ocean is a vast source of absorbed CO on Earth, and various studies have been conducted on the use of the ocean to reduce global CO.

Transcranial alternating current stimulation rescues motor deficits in a mouse model of Parkinson's disease via the production of glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor.

Background: Therapeutic effects of transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) for treating Parkinson's disease (PD) are limited to modulating abnormally synchronized oscillations; however, long-lasting tACS effects may involve non-neuronal mechanisms like the regulation of neurotrophic factors.

Objectives/hypothesis: We investigated whether tACS exerts neuroprotective effects on dopaminergic neurons in a mouse model of PD by regulating endogenous glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF).

Methods: Repeated high-definition tACS (HD-tACS, 20 min, 89.

Effects of electroacupuncture on the functionality of NG2-expressing cells in perilesional brain tissue of mice following ischemic stroke.

Neural/glial antigen 2 (NG2)-expressing cells has multipotent stem cell activity under cerebral ischemia. Our study examined the effects of electroacupuncture (EA) therapy (2 Hz, 1 or 3 mA, 20 minutes) at the Sishencong acupoint on motor function after ischemic insult in the brain by investigating the rehabilitative potential of NG2-derived cells in a mouse model of ischemic stroke. EA stimulation alleviated motor deficits caused by ischemic stroke, and 1 mA EA stimulation was more efficacious than 3 mA EA stimulation or positive control treatment with edaravone, a free radical scavenger.

Evaluation of Disk carbapenemase test using improved disks for rapid detection and differentiation of clinical isolates of carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales.

Objectives: Rapid detection of carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales (CPE) is important to control spread of the resistance. We previously reported that imipenem disks prepared from injectable imipenem-cilastatin could rapidly detect KPC- and NDM-type carbapenemases. In the present study, we evaluated performance of disks of IPM and combined disks of imipenem-tazobactam and imipenem-EDTA, which were prepared from powders of imipenem and inhibitors.

Contralesional Application of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation on Functional Improvement in Ischemic Stroke Mice.

Background And Purpose: The therapeutic use of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), an adjuvant tool for stroke, induces long-term changes in cortical excitability, for example, the secretion of activity-dependent growth factors. We assessed the proper therapeutic configuration of high-definition tDCS (HD-tDCS) in the subacute stage of ischemic stroke and its underlying expression profiling of growth factors to propose a new method for ensuring better therapeutic effects.

Methods: Male C57BL/6J mice were subjected to middle cerebral artery occlusion, after which repetitive HD-tDCS (20 minutes, 55 µA/mm, charge density 66 000 C/m) was applied from subacute phases of their ischemic insult.

Design of a Novel Theranostic Nanomedicine (III): Synthesis and Physicochemical Properties of Tumor-Targeting Cisplatin Conjugated to a Hydrophilic Polyphosphazene.

Purpose: A new theranostic nanomedicine involving anticancer-active cisplatin moiety was designed to study its tumor-targeting properties as well as its drug efficacy and toxicity.

Methods: A cisplatin carrier polymer was prepared by grafting equimolar polyethylene glycol of a molecular weight of 550 (PEG550) and aminoethanol to the poly(dichlorophosphazene) backbone. Cisplatin was conjugated to the carrier polymer using -aconitic acid as a linker.

Positive effects of α-asarone on transplanted neural progenitor cells in a murine model of ischemic stroke.

Background: Some traditional Oriental herbal medicines, such as Acorus tatarinowii and Acorus gramineus, produce beneficial effects for cognition enhancement. An active compound in rhizomes and the bark of these plants is α-asarone.

Purpose: This study investigated the effects of α-asarone on the proliferation and differentiation of neural progenitor cells (NPCs) in a primary culture and a murine model of ischemic stroke.

Combined therapy involving electroacupuncture and treadmill exercise attenuates demyelination in the corpus callosum by stimulating oligodendrogenesis in a rat model of neonatal hypoxia-ischemia.

We investigated whether electroacupuncture (EA) and treadmill (TM) exercise improve behaviors related to motor and memory dysfunction in a cerebral palsy-like rat model via activation of oligodendrogenesis. A neonatal hypoxia-ischemia model was created using Sprague-Dawley rats (P7), and these underwent EA stimulation and treadmill training from 3 to 5weeks after hypoxia-ischemia induction. EA treatment was delivered via electrical stimulation (2Hz, 1mA) at two acupoints, Baihui (GV20) and Zusanli (ST36).

Surface Diffusion Directed Growth of Anisotropic Graphene Domains on Different Copper Lattices.

Anisotropic graphene domains are of significant interest since the electronic properties of pristine graphene strongly depend on its size, shape, and edge structures. In this work, considering that the growth of graphene domains is governable by the dynamics of the graphene-substrate interface during growth, we investigated the shape and defects of graphene domains grown on copper lattices with different indices by chemical vapor deposition of methane at either low pressure or atmospheric pressure. Computational modeling identified that the crystallographic orientation of copper strongly influences the shape of the graphene at low pressure, yet does not play a critical role at atmospheric pressure.

Atmospheric Pressure Chemical Vapor Deposition of Graphene Using a Liquid Benzene Precursor.

Graphene has attracted great attention owing to its unique structural and electrical properties. Among various synthetic approaches of the graphene, metal assisted chemical vapor deposition (CVD) is the most reasonable and proper method to produce large-scale and low-defect graphene films. Until now, CVD from gaseous hydrocarbon sources has shown great promises for large-scale graphene growth, but high growth temperature is required for such growth.

Axon-First Neuritogenesis on Vertical Nanowires.

In this work, we report that high-density, vertically grown silicon nanowires (vg-SiNWs) direct a new in vitro developmental pathway of primary hippocampal neurons. Neurons on vg-SiNWs formed a single, extremely elongated major neurite earlier than minor neurites, which led to accelerated polarization. Additionally, the development of lamellipodia, which generally occurs on 2D culture coverslips, was absent on vg-SiNWs.

Identification of a resveratrol tetramer as a potent inhibitor of hepatitis C virus helicase.

Background And Purpose: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is responsible for various chronic inflammatory liver diseases. Here, we have identified a naturally occurring compound with anti-HCV activity and have elucidated its mode of antiviral action.

Experimental Approach: Luciferase reporter and real-time RT-PCR assays were used to measure HCV replication.

Correlating defect density with growth time in continuous graphene films.

We report that graphene flakes and films which were synthesized by copper-catalyzed atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition (APCVD) method using a mixture of Ar, H2, and CH4 gases. It was found that variations in the reaction parameters, such as reaction temperature, annealing time, and growth time, influenced the domain size of as-grown graphene. Besides, the reaction parameters influenced the number of layers, degree of defects and uniformity of the graphene films.

Growth mechanism of graphene on graphene films grown by chemical vapor deposition.

We report an approach for the synthesis of mono- or bilayer graphene films by atmospheric-pressure chemical vapor deposition that can achieve a low defect density through control over the growth time. Different heating ramp rates were found to lead to variation in the smoothness and grain size of the Cu foil substrate, which directly influenced the density of the graphene domains. The rough Cu surface induced by rapid heating creates a high density of graphene domains in the initial stage, ultimately resulting in a graphene film with a high defect density due to an increased overlap between domains.

Annealed Au-assisted epitaxial growth of si nanowires: control of alignment and density.

The epitaxial growth of 1D nanostructures is of particular interest for future nanoelectronic devices such as vertical field-effect transistors because it directly influences transistor densities and 3D logic or memory architectures. Silicon nanowires (SiNWs) are a particularly important 1D nanomaterial because they possess excellent electronic and optical properties. What is more, the scalable fabrication of vertically aligned SiNW arrays presents an opportunity for improved device applications if suitable properties can be achieved through controlling the alignment and density of SiNWs, yet this is something that has not been reported in the case of SiNWs synthesized from Au films.