Enhanced and Prolonged Immunogenicity in Mice of Thermally Stabilized Fatty Acid-Conjugated Vaccine Antigen.

Background/objectives: Influenza vaccines require good thermal stability without the need for refrigerator storage. Although the fatty acid-conjugated hemagglutinin (Heg) vaccine antigen provides good stability in both solid and liquid states, its therapeutic effectiveness must be validated in vivo. This study aimed to investigate the immunogenicity of the thermally stabilized Heg-oleic acid conjugate (HOC) and compare it with native Heg as a reference.

Evaluation of Pedicle Screw Position on Computerized Tomography Using Three-Dimensional Reconstruction Software.

: Recent advances in intraoperative navigation systems have improved the accuracy of pedicle screw placement in spine surgery. However, many hospitals have limited access to these advanced technologies due to resource constraints. In such settings, postoperative computed tomography (CT) evaluation remains crucial for assessing screw placement and related potential complications.

Detection of sow pregnancy in day-20 urine samples using monoclonal antibody against synthesized porcine early pregnancy factor: Preliminary results.

Early diagnosis of pregnancy is directly related to cost-effective livestock production. We produced a rat monoclonal antibody (mAb) against synthesized porcine early pregnancy factor (pEPF) using conventional hybridoma technology and used it as a tool for the detection of early pregnancy in Duroc sows. The rat pEPF-mAb showed reactivity to uterine tissues of pregnant sows 20 or 30 days post-mating (day 0 defined as the day of mating) and non-pregnant sows (confirmed signs of estrus) in western blotting.

Self-assembled nanonization of fatty acid-conjugated vaccine antigen for enhanced thermal stability.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the enhanced thermal stability and physicochemical properties of fattigated vaccine antigens. High molecular weight influenza hemagglutinin (Heg) was used as a model antigen because of low heat stability requiring cold chamber. Heg was conjugated with long-chain oleic acid (C18) and short-chain 3-decenoic acid (C10) to prepare fattigated Heg.

Defects Healing of the ZnO Surface by Filling with Au Atom Catalysts for Efficient Photocatalytic H Production.

Healed defects on photocatalysts surface and their interaction with plasmonic nanoparticles (NPs) have attracted attention in H production process. In this study, surface oxygen vacancy (V ) defects are created on ZnO (V -ZnO) NPs by directly pyrolyzing zeolitic imidazolate framework. The surface defects on V -ZnO provide active sites for the diffusion of single Au atoms and as nucleation sites for the formation of Au NPs by the in situ photodeposition process.

Actigraphic evidence of persistent sleep disruption following repetitive mild traumatic brain injury in a gyrencephalic model.

We studied the effect of multimodal traumatic brain injuries on daily sleep/activity patterns and related histology. Gyrencephalic ferrets wore actigraphs and received military-relevant brain injuries including shockwaves, strong rotational impact, and variable stress, which were evaluated up to 6 months post injury. Sham and Baseline animals exhibited activity patterns occurring in distinct clusters of high activity, interspersed with periods of low activity.

Sprayed FeWO thin film-based memristive device with negative differential resistance effect for non-volatile memory and synaptic learning applications.

Resistive switching (RS) memories have attracted great attention as promising solutions to next-generation non-volatile memories and computing technologies because of their simple device configuration, high on/off ratio, low power consumption, fast switching, long retention, and significant cyclic stability. In this work, uniform and adherent iron tungstate (FeWO) thin films were synthesized by the spray pyrolysis method with various precursor solution volumes, and these were tested as a switching layer for the fabrication of Ag/FWO/FTO memristive devices. The detailed structural investigation was done through various analytical and physio-chemical characterizations viz.

Persistent hypersomnia following repetitive mild experimental traumatic brain injury: Roles of chronic stress and sex differences.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is often more complicated than a single head injury. An extreme example of this point may be military service members who experience a spectrum of exposures over a prolonged period under stressful conditions. Understanding the effects of complex exposures can inform evaluation and care to prevent persistent symptoms.

Development of a novel bioengineered 3D brain-like tissue for studying primary blast-induced traumatic brain injury.

Primary blast injury is caused by the direct impact of an overpressurization wave on the body. Due to limitations of current models, we have developed a novel approach to study primary blast-induced traumatic brain injury. Specifically, we employ a bioengineered 3D brain-like human tissue culture system composed of collagen-infused silk protein donut-like hydrogels embedded with human IPSC-derived neurons, human astrocytes, and a human microglial cell line.

Limbic Responses Following Shock Wave Exposure in Male and Female Mice.

Blast traumatic brain injury (bTBI) presents a serious threat to military personnel and often results in psychiatric conditions related to limbic system dysfunction. In this study, the functional outcomes for anxiety- and depressive-like behaviors and neuronal activation were evaluated in male and female mice after exposure to an Advanced Blast Simulator (ABS) shock wave. Mice were placed in a ventrally exposed orientation inside of the ABS test section and received primary and tertiary shock wave insults of approximately 15 psi peak pressure.

PIM-PI-1 and Poly(ethylene glycol)/Poly(propylene glycol)-Based Mechanically Robust Copolyimide Membranes with High CO-Selectivity and an Anti-aging Property: A Joint Experimental-Computational Exploration.

Polymer membranes with excellent thermomechanical properties and good gas separation performance are desirable for efficient CO separation. A series of copolyimide membranes are prepared for the first time using PIM-PI-1, a hard segment with high CO permeability, and poly(ethylene glycol)/poly(propylene glycol) (PEG/PPG), a soft segment with high CO selectivity. Two different unit polymers are combined to compensate the limitations of each polymer (e.

The Fate of Lumbar Facet Cyst After Indirect Decompression Using Oblique Lateral Interbody Fusion in Degenerative Spondylolisthesis.

Favorable clinical outcomes have been reported for oblique lateral interbody fusion (OLIF) for various lumbar degenerative diseases. However, there is only limited evidence on the safety and effectiveness of OLIF in degenerative spondylolisthesis with lumbar facet cyst (LFC), and OLIF is often regarded as a relative contraindication for these patients. The authors prospectively enrolled patients who underwent a single-level OLIF for degenerative spondylolisthesis with LFC to evaluate the morphological changes of LFC and their clinical significance following OLIF.

Modified Graphene Oxide-Incorporated Thin-Film Composite Hollow Fiber Membranes through Interface Polymerization on Hydrophilic Substrate for CO Separation.

Thin-film composite mixed matrix membranes (CMMMs) were fabricated using interfacial polymerization to achieve high permeance and selectivity for CO separation. This study revealed the role of substrate properties on performance, which are not typically considered important. In order to enhance the affinity between the substrate and the coating solution during interfacial polymerization and increase the selectivity of CO, a mixture of polyethylene glycol (PEG) and dopamine (DOPA) was subjected to a spinning process.

Repetitive Blast Exposure Produces White Matter Axon Damage without Subsequent Myelin Remodeling: Analysis of Brain Injury Using Fluorescent Reporter Mice.

The potential effects of blast exposure on the brain health of military personnel have raised concerns and led to increased surveillance of blast exposures. Neuroimaging studies have reported white matter abnormalities in brains of service members with a history of blast exposure. However, blast effects on white matter microstructure remain poorly understood.

Polydopamine Films with 2D-like Layered Structure and High Mechanical Resilience.

Highly oriented, layered, and mechanically resilient films of polydopamine (PDA) have been synthesized from the air/water interface. The films show a unique layered structure, as shown by scanning and transmission electron studies (SEM/TEM) and X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), which resemble that of 2D layered materials. The films exhibit a composition typical of PDA-based materials, as evidenced by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS); moreover, the samples present the distinctive resonance modes of PDA-based nanomaterials in Raman and infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) experiments.

Behavioral and Myelin-Related Abnormalities after Blast-Induced Mild Traumatic Brain Injury in Mice.

In civilian and military settings, mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) is a common consequence of impacts to the head, sudden blows to the body, and exposure to high-energy atmospheric shockwaves from blast. In some cases, mTBI from blast exposure results in long-term emotional and cognitive deficits and an elevated risk for certain neuropsychiatric diseases. Here, we tested the effects of mTBI on various forms of auditory-cued fear learning and other measures of cognition in male C57BL/6J mice after single or repeated blast exposure (blast TBI; bTBI).

Sagittal Alignment in Patients with Thoracic Myelopathy Caused by the Ossification of the Ligamentum Flavum: A Retrospective Matched Case-Control Study.

Study Design: Retrospective case-control study.

Objective: The aim of this study was to describe and compare the sagittal spinal alignment between patients with and without the ossification of the ligamentum flavum in the thoracic spine (TOLF).

Summary Of Background Data: Although mechanical factors play an important role in the development of TOLF, limited evidence exists on the association of sagittal spinal alignment and TOLF in the literature.

A conductive self healing polymeric binder using hydrogen bonding for Si anodes in lithium ion batteries.

A ureido-pyrimidinone (UPy)-functionalized poly(acrylic acid) grafted with poly(ethylene glycol)(PEG), designated PAU-g-PEG, was developed as a high performance polymer binder for Si anodes in lithium-ion batteries. By introducing both a ureido-pyrimidinone (UPy) unit, which is capable of self-healing through dynamic hydrogen bonding within molecules as well as with Si, and an ion-conducting PEG onto the side chain of the poly(acrylic acid), this water-based self-healable and conductive polymer binder can effectively accommodate the volume changes of Si, while maintaining electronic integrity, in an electrode during repeated charge/discharge cycles. The Si@PAU-g-PEG electrode retained a high capacity of 1,450.

PEG/PPG-PDMS-Adamantane-based Crosslinked Terpolymer Using the ROMP Technique to Prepare a Highly Permeable and CO-Selective Polymer Membrane.

In this study, precursor molecules based on PEG/PPG and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), both widely used rubbery polymers, were copolymerized with bulky adamantane into copolymer membranes. Ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) was employed during the polymerization process to create a structure with both ends crosslinked. The precursor molecules and corresponding polymer membranes were characterized using various analytical methods.

Boosting Visible-Light Photocatalytic Redox Reaction by Charge Separation in SnO /ZnSe(N H ) Heterojunction Nanocatalysts.

In this work, environmentally friendly photocatalysts with attractive catalytic properties are reported that have been prepared by introducing SnO quantum dots (QDs) directly onto ZnSe(N H ) substrates to induce advantageous charge separation. The SnO /ZnSe(N H ) nanocomposites could be easily synthesized through a one-pot hydrothermal process. Owing to the absence of capping ligands, the attached SnO QDs displayed superior photocatalytic properties, generating many exposed reactive surfaces.

Resolving Dirac electrons with broadband high-resolution NMR.

Detecting the metallic Dirac electronic states on the surface of Topological Insulators (TIs) is critical for the study of important surface quantum properties (SQPs), such as Majorana zero modes, where simultaneous probing of the bulk and edge electron states is required. However, there is a particular shortage of experimental methods, showing at atomic resolution how Dirac electrons extend and interact with the bulk interior of nanoscaled TI systems. Herein, by applying advanced broadband solid-state Te nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) methods on BiTe nanoplatelets, we succeeded in uncovering the hitherto invisible NMR signals with magnetic shielding that is influenced by the Dirac electrons, and we subsequently showed how the Dirac electrons spread inside the nanoplatelets.

Shape-controlled assemblies of graphitic carbon nitride polymer for efficient sterilization therapies of water microbial contamination via 2D g-CN under visible light illumination.

Bacterial pathogens of water origin have potential public threats thus suggesting the need of developing efficient and sustainable water disinfection strategies from waterborne pathogens. We set out to synthesize different controlled morphologies of graphitic carbon nitride (g-CN) polymer, evaluate their comparative effects on the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and investigate potential applications in water purification systems. Characterization of the synthesized microstructures of g-CN, such as melamine-cyanuric acid (MCA)-based rosette-type, rod-type, 2D hexagonal, and 3D cubic mesoporous silica was accomplished using Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffractometry (XRD), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM).

Mild traumatic brain injury induced by primary blast overpressure produces dynamic regional changes in [F]FDG uptake.

Changes in F-fluorodeoxyglucose ([F]FDG) measured by positron emission tomography (PET) can be used for the noninvasive detection of metabolic dysfunction following mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). This study examined the time course of metabolic changes induced by primary blast injury by measuring regional [F]FDG uptake. Adult, male rats were exposed to blast overpressure (15 psi) or sham injury, and [F]FDG uptake was measured before injury and again at 1-3 h and 7 days post-injury, using both volume-of-interest (VOI) and voxel-based analysis.