Central Role of Hypothalamic Circuits for Acupuncture's Anti-Parkinsonian Effects.

Despite clinical data stretching over millennia, the neurobiological basis of the effectiveness of acupuncture in treating diseases of the central nervous system has remained elusive. Here, using an established model of acupuncture treatment in Parkinson's disease (PD) model mice, we show that peripheral acupuncture stimulation activates hypothalamic melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH) neurons via nerve conduction. We further identify two separate neural pathways originating from anatomically and electrophysiologically distinct MCH neuronal subpopulations, projecting to the substantia nigra and hippocampus, respectively.

Peripheral mast cells derive the effects of acupuncture in Parkinson's disease.

This research investigates the peripheral mechanisms of acupuncture in treating Parkinson's disease (PD), a progressive neurodegenerative disorder marked by motor impairments. While the central mechanisms of acupuncture have been extensively studied, our focus lies in the peripheral mechanisms at the acupoints, the sites of acupuncture signal initiation. Employing a PD model, we analyzed the local responses to acupuncture stimulation at these points.

Advancing equitable access to digital mental health in the Asia-Pacific region in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond: A modified Delphi consensus study.

The COVID-19 pandemic had an unprecedented impact on global mental health and well-being, including across the Asia-Pacific. Efforts to mitigate virus spread led to far-reaching disruption in the delivery of health and social services. In response, there was a rapid shift to the use of digital mental health (DMH) approaches.

Acupuncture Regulates Symptoms of Parkinson's Disease Brain Neural Activity and Functional Connectivity in Mice.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a multilayered progressive brain disease characterized by motor dysfunction and a variety of other symptoms. Although acupuncture has been used to ameliorate various symptoms of neurodegenerative disorders, including PD, the underlying mechanisms are unclear. Here, we investigated the mechanism of acupuncture by revealing the effects of acupuncture treatment on brain neural responses and its functional connectivity in an animal model of PD.

Sub-10 nm Precision Engineering of Solid-State Defects via Nanoscale Aperture Array Mask.

Engineering a strongly interacting uniform qubit cluster would be a major step toward realizing a scalable quantum system for quantum sensing and a node-based qubit register. For a solid-state system that uses a defect as a qubit, various methods to precisely position defects have been developed, yet the large-scale fabrication of qubits within the strong coupling regime at room temperature continues to be a challenge. In this work, we generate nitrogen vacancy (NV) color centers in diamond with sub-10 nm scale precision using a combination of nanoscale aperture arrays (NAAs) with a high aspect ratio of 10 and a secondary E-beam hole pattern used as an ion-blocking mask.

A Comprehensive Phenotype of Non-motor Impairments and Distribution of Alpha-Synuclein Deposition in Parkinsonism-Induced Mice by a Combination Injection of MPTP and Probenecid.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is characterized by non-motor symptoms as well as motor deficits. The non-motor symptoms rarely appear individually and occur simultaneously with motor deficits or independently. However, a comprehensive research on the non-motor symptoms using an experimental model of PD remains poorly understood.

Characterization of the complete chloroplast genome of (Asparagaceae: Nolinoideae) isolated in Korea.

is used as an important medicinal plant for fatigue, cough, and inflammation in South Korea. Here, we report the complete chloroplast genome of . The total genome size of the chloroplast is 157,076 bp with a large single-copy region (LSC: 85,374 bp), a small single-copy region (SSC: 18,748 bp), and inverted repeat regions (IRa and IRb: 26,477 bp).

Anisotropic characteristics and improved magnetic performance of Ca-La-Co-substituted strontium hexaferrite nanomagnets.

Recent studies on next-generation permanent magnets have focused on filling in the gap between rare-earth magnets and rare-earth-free magnets, taking into account both the cost-effectiveness and magnetic performance of the magnetic materials. As an improved rare-earth-free magnet candidate, here, Ca-substituted M-type Sr-lean hexaferrite particles within a nano- to micro-scale regime, produced using an ultrasonic spray pyrolysis method, are investigated. Theoretically, the maximum coercivity (H) can be achieved in submicron Sr-ferrite crystals (i.

Acupuncture alleviates chronic pain and comorbid conditions in a mouse model of neuropathic pain: the involvement of DNA methylation in the prefrontal cortex.

Chronic pain reduces life quality and is an important clinical problem associated with emotional and cognitive dysfunction. Epigenetic regulation of DNA methylation is involved in the induction of abnormal behaviors and pathological gene expression. We examined whether acupuncture can restore epigenetic changes caused by chronic pain, and identified the underlying mechanisms in neuropathic pain mice.

Pathogens of peritoneal dialysis peritonitis: Trends from a single-center experience over 15 years.

Background: Concerns are increasing about the emergence of pathogens with antibiotic resistance in peritoneal dialysis (PD) peritonitis. We investigated the current pathogen trends and risk factors in PD peritonitis.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective study analyzing data from 643 patients who maintained PD over 3 months between January 2001 and December 2015.

Muscovite nanoparticles mitigate neuropathic pain by modulating the inflammatory response and neuroglial activation in the spinal cord.

Despite numerous efforts to overcome neuropathic pain, various pharmacological drugs often fail to meet the needs and have many side effects. Muscovite is an aluminosilicate mineral that has been reported to have an anti-inflammatory effect, but the efficacy of muscovite for neuropathic pain has not been investigated. Here, we assessed whether muscovite nanoparticles can reduce the symptoms of pain by controlling the inflammatory process observed in neuropathic pain.

Analysis of involuntary admissions in Korea through the admission management information system.

The Mental Health Promotion and Welfare Act, revised in 2016, tightened the involuntary admission regulations and processes, such as reporting involuntary admission within 3 days of admission, secondary diagnosis within 2 weeks, and admission suitability evaluation within 1 month, to improve the human rights of the mentally handicapped. The Admission Management Information System (AMIS) was also developed in 2017 to support these procedures and manage patients who were involuntarily admitted to the hospital. We analyzed 34,685 cases of involuntary admission registered in the AMIS between July 2017 and June 2018.

Effects of Combined Treatment with Acupuncture and Chunggan Formula in a Mouse Model of Parkinson's Disease.

Parkinson's disease is the second most common neurodegenerative disease. Patients with Parkinson's disease can be treated with a combination of acupuncture and herbal medicine, but studies on the synergistic effects of the combined treatment have not yet been conducted. Thus, we subjected an MPTP-induced Parkinson's disease mouse model to the combined treatment.

Pt/Graphene Catalyst and Tellurium Nanowire-Based Thermochemical Hydrogen (TCH) Sensor Operating at Room Temperature in Wet Air.

We present a thermochemical hydrogen (TCH) gas sensor fabricated with Pt-decorated exfoliated graphene sheets and a tellurium nanowire-based thermoelectric (TNTE) layer operating at room temperature in wet air. The sensor device was able to detect 50 ppm to 3% of hydrogen gas within several seconds (response/recovery times of 6/5.1 s at 4000 ppm of hydrogen gas) at room temperature due to the relatively high surface area of homogeneously dispersed Pt nanocrystals (∼8 nm) decorated on graphene sheets and the excellent Seebeck coefficient (428 μV/K) of the TNTE layer.

Exchange-Coupling Interaction in Zero- and One-Dimensional SmCo/FeCo Core-Shell Nanomagnets.

Rare-earth-based core-shell spring nanomagnets have been intensively studied in the permanent magnet industry. However, the inherent agglomeration characteristics of zero-dimensional (0-D) magnetic nanoparticles are an issue in practical fabrication of magnetic nanocomposites due to deterioration in exchange-coupling interactions, resulting in inferior magnetic performance. Here, with an aim to overcome the structural limitations, we report a new type of SmCo/FeCo core-shell nanomagnet with a well-dispersed one-dimensional (1-D) structure prepared by a combination of electrospinning and electroless plating processes.

Diastolic dysfunction and acute kidney injury in elderly patients with femoral neck fracture.

Background: Femoral neck fracture is common in the elderly population. Acute kidney injury (AKI) is an important risk factor for mortality in patients who have had such fracture. We evaluated the incidence of AKI in patients who had femoral neck fracture and identified risk factors for AKI and mortality.

Near theoretical ultra-high magnetic performance of rare-earth nanomagnets via the synergetic combination of calcium-reduction and chemoselective dissolution.

Rare earth permanent magnets with superior magnetic performance have been generally synthesized through many chemical methods incorporating calcium thermal reduction. However, a large challenge still exists with regard to the removal of remaining reductants, byproducts, and trace impurities generated during the purifying process, which serve as inhibiting intermediates, inducing productivity and purity losses, and a reduction in magnetic properties. Nevertheless, the importance of a post-calciothermic reduction process has never been seriously investigated.

Synthesis of Samarium-Cobalt Sub-micron Fibers and Their Excellent Hard Magnetic Properties.

High-throughput synthesis of Samarium-Cobalt sub-micron fibers with controlled composition and dimension was demonstrated by combining electrospinning and reduction-diffusion processes. The composition of fibers was readily varied (8 < Sm < 20 at.%) by adjusting precursor composition whereas the diameter of fibers was precisely controlled by varying electrospinning parameters (e.

Cognitive Remediation in Middle-Aged or Older Inpatients with Chronic Schizophrenia: A Randomized Controlled Trial in Korea.

Accumulating evidence indicates that cognitive remediation (CR) is effective for improving various cognitive deficits in adult patients with schizophrenia. Although reports of brain plasticity in older adults and the service needs for chronic patients with schizophrenia are increasing, very few randomized controlled trials of CR have been conducted in middle-aged or older inpatients with chronic schizophrenia. We investigated the efficacy of individualized CR on the cognitive impairments of middle-aged or older inpatients with chronic schizophrenia within the context of comprehensive psychiatric rehabilitation (PR) by comparing the results obtained with PR only and treatment as usual (TAU).

Effect of Electrical Stimulation on Blood Flow Velocity and Vessel Size.

Interferential current electrical stimulation alters blood flow velocity and vessel size. We aimed to investigate the changes in the autonomic nervous system depending on electrical stimulation parameters. Forty-five healthy adult male and female subjects were studied.