Advancements in Polyethylene Oxide (PEO)-Active Filler Composite Polymer Electrolytes for Lithium-Ion Batteries: A Comprehensive Review and Prospects.

Polyethylene oxide (PEO) has become a highly sought-after polymer electrolyte for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) due to its high ionic conductivity, strong mechanical properties, and broad electrochemical stability range. However, its usefulness is hindered by its limited ionic conductivity at typical temperatures (<60 °C). Many researchers have delved into the integration of active fillers into the PEO matrix to improve the ionic conductivity and overall efficiency of composite polymer electrolytes (CPEs) for LIBs.

The use of hemifusion to create asymmetric giant unilamellar vesicles: Insights on induced order domains.

The natural asymmetry of the lipid bilayer in biological membranes is, in part, a testament to the complexity of the structure and function of this barrier limiting and protecting cells (or organelles). These lipid bilayers consist of two lipid leaflets with different lipid compositions, resulting in unique interactions within each leaflet. These interactions, combined with interactions between the two leaflets, determine the overall behavior of the membrane.

Assessing the radiofrequency shielding effect of titanium mesh on diffusion-weighted imaging: a comparative study of the twice-refocused spin-echo and Stejskal-Tanner sequences.

This study compared twice-refocused spin-echo sequence (TRSE) and Stejskal-Tanner sequence (ST) to evaluate their respective effects on the image quality of magnetic resonance (MR) diffusion-weighted imaging in the presence of radiofrequency (RF) shielding effect of titanium mesh in cranioplasty. A 1.5-T MR scanner with a Head/Neck coil 20 channels and a phantom simulating the T2 and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) value of the human brain were used.

Experimentally determined leaflet-leaflet phase diagram of an asymmetric lipid bilayer.

We have determined the partial leaflet-leaflet phase diagram of an asymmetric lipid bilayer at ambient temperature using asymmetric giant unilamellar vesicles (aGUVs). Symmetric GUVs with varying amounts of 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine and DOPC (1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine) were hemifused to a supported lipid bilayer (SLB) composed of DOPC, resulting in lipid exchange between their outer leaflets. The GUVs and SLB contained a red and green lipid fluorophore, respectively, thus enabling the use of confocal fluorescence imaging to determine both the extent of lipid exchange (quantified for individual vesicles by the loss of red intensity and gain of green intensity) and the presence or absence of phase separation in aGUVs.

3D phase-sensitive inversion recovery sequence for intracranial vertebrobasilar artery dissection.

Background: T1-weighted 3D turbo spin echo (T1W-3D-TSE) sequences with variable refocusing flip angle are commonly used to diagnose intracranial vertebrobasilar artery dissection (iVAD). However, magnetic susceptibility artifacts of the cavernous sinus may cause loss of the basilar and vertebral arteries. This study investigated the effectiveness of a 3D phase-sensitive inversion recovery (3D-PSIR) sequence in reducing magnetic susceptibility artifacts in the cavernous sinus, and its imaging findings for iVAD.

Dithienoazepine-Based Near-Infrared Dyes: Janus-Faced Effects of a Thiophene-Fused Structure on Antiaromatic Azepines.

We here disclose that the incorporation of thiophene rings into a seven-membered 8π azepine in a fused fashion produces a useful antiaromatic core for near-infrared (NIR) dyes. In contrast to dibenzazepine derivatives with bent structures, dithieno-fused derivatives with electron-accepting groups adopt flat conformations in the ground state. The dithieno-fused derivatives exhibited broad absorption spectra that cover the visible region as well as sharp emission bands in the NIR region, which are considerably red-shifted relative to those of the dibenzo-fused congeners.

An Unexpected Driving Force for Lipid Order Appears in Asymmetric Lipid Bilayers.

An ordered phase in one leaflet of an asymmetric bilayer can induce a precisely superimposed in the apposed leaflet. Order is induced in such simple lipid compositions as dioleoylphosphatidylcholine/cholesterol (DOPC)/chol) which is expected to be a uniform and disordered lipid mixture. Dye partitioning can be used to label and identify coexisting liquid-disordered (Ld), liquid-ordered (Lo), or gel-ordered (Lβ) molecules in a phase-separated leaflet.

[Effect of Imaging Parameters for High-resolution Diffusion-weighted Imaging on Signal-to-noise Ratio and ADC in Prostate Examination].

Readout-segmented echo-planar imaging (readout segmentation of long variable echo trains [RESOLVE]) can be set to higher resolution than single-shot echo planar imaging, but there is concern that the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is low. The purpose was to examine the effect of imaging parameters (repetition time: TR, number of excitations: NEX) for RESOLVE on SNR and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) value in 1.5 T MRI, assuming a prostate examination.

Adeno-associated virus vector system controlling capsid expression improves viral quantity and quality.

Adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors are promising tools for gene therapy. The current AAV vector system produces an abundance of empty capsids that are eliminated before clinical use, leading to increased costs for gene therapy. In the present study, we established an AAV production system that regulates the timing of capsid expression using a tetracycline-dependent promoter.

Association between Systemic Factors and Vitreous Fluid Cytokines in Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy.

Proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) is a vision-threatening complication of diabetes mellitus (DM). Systemic and intraocular factors are intricately related to PDR, and vitreous fluid (VF) cytokines are representative intraocular biomarkers. However, the associations between systemic factors and VF cytokines and their influence on PDR pathology are unclear.

Nano-scale domains in the plasma membrane are like macroscopic domains in asymmetric bilayers.

Unfavorable lipid-lipid pairwise interactions between HiTm and LowTm lipids drive liquid-disordered (Ld) + liquid-ordered (Lo) phase separation. Large size of phase domains is opposed by lipid dipole repulsions, which are more significant compared with the pairwise interactions for naturally abundant LowTm lipids such as palmitoyl oleoyl phosphatidylcholine. During the nano-to-macro domain size transition, no lipid phase transition occurs, and measured properties of Ld + Lo nanodomains are found to be essentially the same as those of macrodomains.

Resilience of native ant community against invasion of exotic ants after anthropogenic disturbances of forest habitats.

The positive association between disturbances and biological invasions is a widely observed ecological pattern in the Anthropocene. Such patterns have been hypothesized to be driven by the superior competitive ability of invaders or by modified environments, as well as by the interaction of these factors. An experimental study that tests these hypotheses is usually less feasible, especially in protected nature areas.

Improving our picture of the plasma membrane: Rafts induce ordered domains in a simplified model cytoplasmic leaflet.

By study of asymmetric membranes, models of the cell plasma membrane (PM) have improved, with more realistic properties of the asymmetric lipid composition of the membrane being explored. We used hemifusion of symmetric giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs) with a supported lipid bilayer (SLB) to engineer bilayer leaflets of different composition. During hemifusion, only the outer leaflets of GUV and SLB are connected, exchanging lipids by simple diffusion.

Model Membrane Systems Used to Study Plasma Membrane Lipid Asymmetry.

It is well known that the lipid distribution in the bilayer leaflets of mammalian plasma membranes (PMs) is not symmetric. Despite this, model membrane studies have largely relied on chemically symmetric model membranes for the study of lipid-lipid and lipid-protein interactions. This is primarily due to the difficulty in preparing stable, asymmetric model membranes that are amenable to biophysical studies.

Synthesis, optical and electrochemical properties of 4,4'-bibenzo[]thiophene derivatives.

We designed and synthesized unsubstituted 4,4'-bibenzo[]thiophene 4,4'-BBT and its silyl-substituted derivatives 1,1'-Si-4,4'-BBT and 1,1',3,3'-Si-4,4'-BBT with one or two -butyldimethylsilyl groups on each thiophene ring, as new π-building blocks in emitters, photosensitizers and semiconductors for organic optoelectronic devices. The characterization of 4,4'-BBT, 1,1'-Si-4,4'-BBT and 1,1',3,3'-Si-4,4'-BBT was successfully determined by FTIR, H and C NMR measurements, high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) analysis, photoabsorption and fluorescence spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry (CV) and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Moreover, a single-crystal X-ray structural analysis was successfully made for 1,1'-Si-4,4'-BBT and 1,1',3,3'-Si-4,4'-BBT.

Inflammatory Factors of Macular Atrophy in Eyes With Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration Treated With Aflibercept.

Background: Neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) is a leading cause of blindness in older people. Low-grade inflammation is well-known as one of the pathogenic mechanisms in nAMD. Anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) therapy is the first-line treatment for nAMD, although macula atrophy (MA) developed under anti-VEGF therapy causes irreversible visual function impairment and is recognized as a serious disorder.

Viability of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma cells is regulated by kynurenine 3-monooxygenase activity.

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is a clinically heterogeneous lymphoid malignancy that is the most common type of lymphoma in Japan. Previous studies have demonstrated that patients with DLBCL have a poor prognosis due to increased levels of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygnase and kynurenine (KYN). However, the roles of metabolites acting downstream of KYN and associated enzymes are not fully understood.

Anomalous spin relaxation in graphene nanostructures on the high temperature annealed surface of hydrogenated diamond nanoparticles.

The electronic and magnetic structures of diamond nanoparticles with a hydrogenated surface are investigated as a function of annealing temperature under vacuum annealing up to 800-1000 °C. Near edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) spectra together with elemental analysis show successive creation of defect-induced nonbonding surface states at the expense of surface-hydrogen atoms as the annealing temperature is increased above 800 °C. Magnetization and ESR spectra confirm the increase in the concentration of localized spins assigned to the nonbonding surface states upon the increase of the annealing temperature.

A trinuclear chromium(iii) chlorocarbyne.

Reduction of CCl by CrCl in THF afforded a trinuclear chromium(iii) carbyne [CrCl(thf)](μ-CCl)(μ-Cl). The chlorocarbyne complex reacted with aldehydes to afford chloroallylic alcohols and terminal alkynes. The mechanistic study proposed two competitive pathways via an α-chlorovinyl intermediate.

[Influences of Tumor Volume and FWHM of the Water Peak and T* Value of Water on the Detection Rate of the Choline Peaks in Proton MR Spectroscopy of Breast Cancer at 3.0 T-MRI].

In proton magnetic resonance (MR) spectroscopy (H-MRS) of the breast cancer, choline peak could be detected. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the influences of the tumor volume, full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the water peak (FWHM), and T* value of water (T* value) on the detection rate of the choline peaks at 3.0 T-MRI.

Dataset of asymmetric giant unilamellar vesicles prepared via hemifusion: Observation of anti-alignment of domains and modulated phases in asymmetric bilayers.

The data provided with this paper are confocal fluorescence images of symmetric giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs) and asymmetric giant unilamellar vesicles (aGUVs). In this work, aGUVs were prepared using the hemifusion method and are labelled with two different fluorescent dyes, named TFPC and DiD. Both dyes show strong preference for the liquid-disordered (Ld) phase instead of the liquid-ordered (Lo) phase.

Investigation of the domain line tension in asymmetric vesicles prepared via hemifusion.

The plasma membrane (PM) is asymmetric in lipid composition. The distinct and characteristic lipid compositions of the exoplasmic and cytoplasmic leaflets lead to different lipid-lipid interactions and physical-chemical properties in each leaflet. The exoplasmic leaflet possesses an intrinsic ability to form coexisting ordered and disordered fluid domains, whereas the cytoplasmic leaflet seems to form a single fluid phase.

Comprehensive expression patterns of inflammatory cytokines in aqueous humor of patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration.

Neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) is a complex and multi-factorial disease, and low-grade inflammation is associated with pathogenesis of nAMD. Aqueous humor could reflect intraocular immune environments in various eye diseases. The research so far used aqueous humor samples and revealed that inflammation is involved in pathophysiology of nAMD, although immunological roles of cytokines were evaluated inadequately with aspect to individual effects.