Cortical processing during robot and functional electrical stimulation.

Introduction: Like alpha rhythm, the somatosensory mu rhythm is suppressed in the presence of somatosensory inputs by implying cortical excitation. Sensorimotor rhythm (SMR) can be classified into two oscillatory frequency components: mu rhythm (8-13 Hz) and beta rhythm (14-25 Hz). The suppressed/enhanced SMR is a neural correlate of cortical activation related to efferent and afferent movement information.

GDNF family receptor alpha-like antagonist antibody alleviates chemotherapy-induced cachexia in melanoma-bearing mice.

Background: Patients with cancer undergoing chemotherapy experience cachexia with anorexia, body weight loss, and the depletion of skeletal muscles and adipose tissues. Effective treatment strategies for chemotherapy-induced cachexia are scarce. The growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF15)/GDNF family receptor alpha-like (GFRAL)/rearranged during transfection (RET) axis is a critical signalling pathway in chemotherapy-induced cachexia.

Strain-Insensitive Stretchable Fiber Conductors Based on Highly Conductive Buckled Shells for Wearable Electronics.

Based on their high applicability to wearable electronics, fiber-based stretchable electronics have been developed via different strategies. However, the electrical conductivity of a fiber electrode is severely degraded, following deformation upon stretching. Despite the introduction of conductive buckled structures to resolve this issue, there still exist limitations regarding the simultaneous realizations of high conductivity and stretchability.

Regulation of loop extrusion on the interphase genome.

In the human cell nucleus, dynamically organized chromatin is the substrate for gene regulation, DNA replication, and repair. A central mechanism of DNA loop formation is an ATPase motor cohesin-mediated loop extrusion. The cohesin complexes load and unload onto the chromosome under the control of other regulators that physically interact and affect motor activity.

Potential roles of the endoplasmic reticulum stress pathway in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is a major organelle involved in protein quality control and cellular homeostasis. ER stress results from structural and functional dysfunction of the organelle, along with the accumulation of misfolded proteins and changes in calcium homeostasis, it leads to ER stress response pathway such as unfolded protein response (UPR). Neurons are particularly sensitive to the accumulation of misfolded proteins.

Low Power Coherent Ising Machine Based on Mechanical Kerr Nonlinearity.

Finding a reliable Ising machine for solving nondeterministic polynomial-class problems has attracted great attention in recent years, where an authentic system can be expanded with polynomial-scaled resources to find the ground state Ising Hamiltonian. In this Letter, we propose an extremely low power optomechanical coherent Ising machine based on a new enhanced symmetry breaking mechanism and highly nonlinear mechanical Kerr effect. The mechanical movement of an optomechanical actuator induced by the optical gradient force greatly increases the nonlinearity by a few orders and significantly reduces the power threshold using conventional structures capable of fabrication via photonic integrated circuit platforms.

CD4 cytotoxic T cells: an emerging effector arm of anti-tumor immunity.

While CD8 cytotoxic T cells have long been considered the primary effector in controlling tumors, the involvement of CD4 "helper" T cells in anti-tumor immunity has been underappreciated. The investigations of intra-tumoral T cells, fueled by the recent advances in genomic technologies, have led to a rethinking of the indirect role of CD4 T cells that have traditionally been described as a "helper". Accumulating evidence from preclinical and clinical studies indicates that CD4 T cells can acquire intrinsic cytotoxic properties and directly kill various types of tumor cells in a major histocompatibility complex class II (MHC-II)-dependent manner, as opposed to the indirect "helper" function, thus underscoring a potentially critical contribution of CD4 cytotoxic T cells to immune responses against a wide range of tumor types.

Thermal Effect on Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting Toward Highly Solar to Hydrogen Efficiency.

Photoelectrochemical (PEC) hydrogen production is an emerging technology that uses renewable solar light aimed to establish a sustainable carbon-neutral society. The barriers to commercialization are low efficiency and high cost. To date, researchers have focused on materials and systems.

Unveiling the Potentiality of Shikonin Derivatives Inhibiting SARS-CoV-2 Main Protease by Molecular Dynamic Simulation Studies.

Shikonin, a phytochemical present in the roots of is well-known for its broad-spectrum activity against cancer, oxidative stress, inflammation, viruses, and anti-COVID-19 agents. A recent report based on a crystallographic study revealed a distinct conformation of shikonin binding to the SARS-CoV-2 main protease (M), suggesting the possibility of designing potential inhibitors based on shikonin derivatives. The present study aimed to identify potential shikonin derivatives targeting the M of COVID-19 by using molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations.

Leader Boundary-Spanning Behavior and Employee Voice Behavior: The Job Demands-Resources Perspective.

Drawing on the job demands-resources model, we suggest and test a motivational mechanism that underlies the relationship between leader boundary-spanning behavior and employee voice behavior. Based on the field survey data of 383 leader-employee pairs collected from various organizations in South Korea, the results of our mediation model showed that leader boundary-spanning behavior, as a potential job resource, enhances employee voice behavior by increasing employee self-efficacy. The results of our moderated mediation model also showed that the focal leader's abusive supervision, as a potential job demand, could attenuate the beneficial effect of leader boundary-spanning behavior on employee voice behavior by diminishing employee self-efficacy.

Quantitative proteomic analysis of bronchoalveolar lavage fluids from patients with small cell lung cancers.

Purpose: Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is one of the malignant cancers with aggressive progression and poor prognosis. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) has been arising recently as a potential source of biomarkers for lung cancers. In this study, we performed quantitative BALF proteomic analysis to identify potential biomarkers for SCLC.

Toward a Comprehensive Understanding of Amorphous Photocatalysts: Fundamental Hypotheses and Applications in CO Photoreduction.

In principle, photocatalytic activity can be precisely controlled with crystalline catalysts. However, an amorphous photocatalyst could be a viable candidate for CO photoreduction to form value-added products. The amorphous phase is currently part of the crystalline material in several ongoing CO photoreduction studies.

Magnesium: properties and rich chemistry for new material synthesis and energy applications.

Magnesium (Mg) has many unique properties suitable for applications in the fields of energy conversion and storage. These fields presently rely on noble metals for efficient performance. However, among other challenges, noble metals have low natural abundance, which undermines their sustainability.

Effect of Lithium Substitution Ratio of Polymeric Binders on Interfacial Conduction within All-Solid-State Battery Anodes.

Problematic issues with electrically inert binders have been less serious in the conventional lithium-ion batteries by virtue of permeable liquid electrolytes (LEs) for ionic connection and/or carbonaceous additives for electronic connection in the electrodes. Contrary to electron-conductive binders used to maximize an active loading level, the development of ion-conductive binders has been lacking owing to the LE-filled electrode configuration. Herein, we represent a tactical strategy for improving the interfacial Li conduction in all-solid-state electrolyte-free graphite (EFG) electrodes where the solid electrolytes are entirely excluded, using lithium-substitution-modulated (LSM) binders.

Deep 3D reconstruction of synchrotron X-ray computed tomography for intact lungs.

Synchrotron X-rays can be used to obtain highly detailed images of parts of the lung. However, micro-motion artifacts induced by such as cardiac motion impede quantitative visualization of the alveoli in the lungs. This paper proposes a method that applies a neural network for synchrotron X-ray Computed Tomography (CT) data to reconstruct the high-quality 3D structure of alveoli in intact mouse lungs at expiration, without needing ground-truth data.

Likelihood-based bilateral filters for pre-estimated basis sinograms using photon-counting CT.

Background: Noise amplification in material decomposition is an issue for exploiting photon-counting computed tomography (PCCT). Regularization techniques and neighborhood filters have been widely used, but degraded spatial resolution and bias are concerns.

Purpose: This paper proposes likelihood-based bilateral filters that can be applied to pre-estimated basis sinograms to reduce the noise while minimally affecting spatial resolution and accuracy.

Zero Dimensional-Two Dimensional Hybrid Photodetectors Using Multilayer MoS and Lead Halide Perovskite Quantum Dots with a Tunable Bandgap.

We report high-performance 0D-2D hybrid photodetectors integrated with tunable band gap perovskite (CsPbI, CsFAPbI, and FAPbI) quantum dots and MOCVD-grown bilayer MoS. In our hybrid structure, the lead halide PQDs can be utilized as an absorbing layer of light of specific wavelengths and transfer the photogenerated carriers to the MoS transport layer. With tunable wavelength lead halide PQDs, the 0D-2D hybrid photodetector shows a high responsivity up to 10 AW and high specific detectivity exceeding 10 Jones due to the difference in the built-in potential between PQDs and multilayer MoS layers.

ROMI: A Real-Time Optical Digit Recognition Embedded System for Monitoring Patients in Intensive Care Units.

With advances in the Internet of Things, patients in intensive care units are constantly monitored to expedite emergencies. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, non-face-to-face monitoring has been required for the safety of patients and medical staff. A control center monitors the vital signs of patients in ICUs.

A Nonrandomized Phase 2 Trial of EG-Mirotin, a Novel, First-in-Class, Subcutaneously Deliverable Peptide Drug for Nonproliferative Diabetic Retinopathy.

EG-Mirotin (active ingredient EGT022) targets nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR), the early stage of retinopathy. EG-Mirotin reverses capillary damage before NPDR progresses to an irreversible stage. EG-Mirotin safety and efficacy were investigated in patients with type 1 or type 2 diabetes mellitus and moderate to severe NPDR.

Mosaic RBD nanoparticles induce intergenus cross-reactive antibodies and protect against SARS-CoV-2 challenge.

Recurrent spillovers of α- and β-coronaviruses (CoV) such as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)-CoV, Middle East respiratory syndrome-CoV, SARS-CoV-2, and possibly human CoV have caused serious morbidity and mortality worldwide. In this study, six receptor-binding domains (RBDs) derived from α- and β-CoV that are considered to have originated from animals and cross-infected humans were linked to a heterotrimeric scaffold, proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) subunits, PCNA1, PCNA2, and PCNA3. They assemble to create a stable mosaic multivalent nanoparticle, 6RBD-np, displaying a ring-shaped disk with six protruding antigens, like jewels in a crown.

A Microfluidic System for Investigating Anticipatory Medication Effects on Dopamine Homeostasis in Dopaminergic Cells.

Dopamine (DA) homeostasis influences emotions, neural circuit development, cognition, and the reward system. Dysfunctions in DA regulation can lead to neurological disorders, including depression, developmental disorders, and addiction. DA homeostasis disruption is a primary cause of Parkinson's Disease (PD).

Heating-mediated purification of active FGF21 and structure-based design of its variant with enhanced potency.

Fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) has pharmaceutical potential against obesity-related metabolic disorders, including non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Since thermal stability is a desirable factor for therapeutic proteins, we investigated the thermal behavior of human FGF21. FGF21 remained soluble after heating; thus, we examined its temperature-induced structural changes using circular dichroism (CD).