Coupling motor evoked potentials and brain [F]FDG-PET in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: preliminary findings on disease severity.

Background: The diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is primarily clinical, supported by the electromyographic examination to reveal signs of lower motor neuron damage. Identifying reliable markers of upper motor neuron (UMN) involvement is challenging. On this regard, the role of transcranial magnetic stimulation-induced motor-evoked potentials (TMS-MEPs), and its relationship with UMN burden, is still under investigation.

Brain MRI sequence and view plane identification using deep learning.

Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans are available in a wide variety of sequences, view planes, and magnet strengths. A necessary preprocessing step for any automated diagnosis is to identify the MRI sequence, view plane, and magnet strength of the acquired image. Automatic identification of the MRI sequence can be useful in labeling massive online datasets used by data scientists in the design and development of computer aided diagnosis (CAD) tools.

Stability and Emission Characteristics of a Stratified Hydrogen-Enriched Oxy-Methane Flame on a Multihole Burner: An Experimental Study.

Hydrogen (H) enrichment is a viable solution to deter the early blowout of oxy-fuel flames at high CO dilution levels and to enhance combustor turndown in the supercritical-CO cycles of zero-emission power plants. This was already implemented successfully in a previous study by the author, where H was premixed with the oxy-reactants upstream of the burner headend in a fully premixed flame stabilized on a micromixer-like burner. The micromixer technology is known for its superior flame stability and inherent fuel/oxidizer flexibility.

Equisetum arvense standardized dried extract hinders age-related osteosarcopenia.

Age-associated osteosarcopenia is an unresolved syndrome characterized by the concomitant loss of bone (osteopenia) and skeletal muscle (sarcopenia) tissues increasing falls, immobility, morbidity, and mortality. Unbalanced resorption of bone in the remodeling process and excessive protein breakdown, especially fast type II myosin heavy chain (MyHC-II) isoform and myofiber metabolic shift, are the leading causes of bone and muscle deterioration in the elderly, respectively. Equisetum arvense (EQ) is a plant traditionally recommended for many pathological conditions due to its anti-inflammatory properties.

Experimental Investigation of Using Manganese Monoxide as a Hydrogen Sulfide Scavenger for Aqueous Drilling Fluids.

One of the most serious safety and health concerns during drilling oil and gas wells is the potential release of hydrogen sulfide (HS) to the surface, exposing workers to high risks. Serious corrosion-related damage to handling equipment is also inevitable in the presence of HS. Various HS scavengers have been utilized, but each has its pros and cons; hence, research is continuing to develop an optimum and feasible scavenger.

Enhanced Charge Separation in Nanoporous BiVO4 by External Electron Transport Layer Boosts Solar Water Splitting.

The optimization of charge transport with electron-hole separation directed toward specific redox reactions is a crucial mission for artificial photosynthesis. Bismuth vanadate (BiVO , BVO) is a popular photoanode material for solar water splitting, but it faces tricky challenges in poor charge separation due to its modest charge transport properties. Here, a concept of the external electron transport layer (ETL) is first proposed and demonstrated its effectiveness in suppressing the charge recombination both in bulk and at surface.

Effectiveness of teriflunomide on No Evidence of Disease Activity and cognition in relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis: results of the NEDA3PLUS study.

Background: Cognitive impairment (CI) is a prevalent and debilitating manifestation of multiple sclerosis (MS); however, it is not included in the widely used concept of No Evidence of Disease Activity (NEDA-3). We expanded the NEDA-3 concept to NEDA-3 + by encompassing CI assessed through the Symbol Digit Modality Test (SDMT) and evaluated the effect of teriflunomide on NEDA3 + in patients treated in a real-world setting. The value of NEDA-3 + in predicting disability progression was also assessed.

Boosting intracellular sodium selectively kills hepatocarcinoma cells and induces hepatocellular carcinoma tumor shrinkage in mice.

Pharmacological treatments for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) have a partial efficacy. Augmented Na content and water retention are observed in human cancers and offer unexplored targets for anticancer therapies. Na levels are evaluated upon treatments with the antibiotic cation ionophore Monensin by fluorimetry, ICP-MS, Na-MRI, NMR relaxometry, confocal or time-lapse analysis related to energy production, water fluxes and cell death, employing both murine and human HCC cell lines, primary murine hepatocytes, or HCC allografts in NSG mice.

Chemical and cytotoxicity profiles of 11 pink pepper (Schinus spp.) samples via non-targeted hyphenated high-performance thin-layer chromatography.

Introduction: Pink pepper is a worldwide used spice that corresponds to the berries of two species, Schinus terebinthifolia Raddi or S. molle L. (Anacardiaceae).

A precision compost strategy aligning composts and application methods with target crops and growth environments can increase global food production.

Compost represents an important input for sustainable agriculture, but the use of diverse compost types causes uncertain outcomes. Here we performed a global meta-analysis with over 2,000 observations to determine whether a precision compost strategy (PCS) that aligns suitable composts and application methods with target crops and growth environments can advance sustainable food production. Eleven key predictors of compost (carbon-to-nutrient ratios, pH and salt content electric conductivity), management (nitrogen N supply) and biophysical settings (crop type, soil texture, soil organic carbon, pH, temperature and rainfall) determined 80% of the effect on crop yield, soil organic carbon and nitrous oxide emissions.

Leveraging cross-view geo-localization with ensemble learning and temporal awareness.

The Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) is unreliable in some situations. To mend the poor GNSS signal, an autonomous vehicle can self-localize by matching a ground image against a database of geotagged aerial images. However, this approach has challenges because of the dramatic differences in the viewpoint between aerial and ground views, harsh weather and lighting conditions, and the lack of orientation information in training and deployment environments.

Non-target estrogenic screening of 60 pesticides, six plant protection products, and tomato, grape, and wine samples by planar chromatography combined with the planar yeast estrogen screen bioassay.

For non-target residue analysis of xenoestrogens in food, sophisticated chromatographic-mass spectrometric techniques lack in biological effect detection. Various in vitro assays providing sum values encounter problems when opposing signals are present in a complex sample. Due to physicochemical signal reduction, cytotoxic or antagonistic effect responses, the resulting sum value is falsified.

Zwitterionic fluorinated detergents: From design to membrane protein applications.

We report herein the synthesis of zwitterionic sulfobetaine (SB) and dimethylamine oxide (AO) detergents whose alkyl chain is made of either a perfluorohexyl (FH) or a perfluoropentyl (FH) group linked to a hydrogenated spacer arm. In aqueous solution, the critical micellar concentrations (CMCs) measured by surface tensiometry (SFT) and isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) were found in the millimolar range (1.3-2.

Analysis of the implementation of urban computing in smart cities: A framework for the transformation of Saudi cities.

Smart city development is gaining widespread acceptance as a means of mitigating urban development problems. However, the implementation of smart cities faces challenges, especially in developing countries. Urban computing is regarded as an enabler of innovation and smart city development.

2LabsToGo─Recipe for Building Your Own Chromatography Equipment Including Biological Assay and Effect Detection.

A complete recipe for building your own chromatography equipment from readily available materials is introduced. It combines sample separation (chemistry laboratory) with biological effect detection (biology laboratory). This hyphenation of two disciplines is necessary for prioritizing important compounds in complex samples.

Authenticity assessment of cultivated berries via phenolic profiles of seeds.

Considering the health-benefits of berry fruits consumption and increased market demands for food authenticity as one of the most important quality assurances, phenolic profiling by high-performance thin layer chromatography and ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography hyphenated with mass spectrometry was combined with multivariate analysis for phytochemical characterization and intercultivar discrimination of cultivated berry seeds. The phenolic profiles of 45 berry seeds from nine genuine Serbian cultivated fruit species (strawberry, raspberry, blackberry, black currant, blueberry, gooseberry, cape gooseberry, chokeberry, and goji berry) revealed a good differentiation according to botanical origin. In order to determine biomarkers responsible for the classification, a total of 103 phenolic compounds were identified, including 53 phenolic acids and their derivatives, 26 flavonoids and 24 glycosides.

Effect-Directed Profiling of Strawberry Varieties and Breeding Materials via Planar Chromatography and Chemometrics.

Strawberries are an important fruit in the European diet because of their unique taste and high content of essential nutrients and bioactive compounds. The anthocyanins are known to be colorful phenolics in strawberries. In 17 samples of six strawberry cultivars produced in Serbia, i.

Enhancing the Melting Process of Shell-and-Tube PCM Thermal Energy Storage Unit Using Modified Tube Design.

Recently, phase change materials (PCMs) have gained great attention from engineers and researchers due to their exceptional properties for thermal energy storing, which would effectively aid in reducing carbon footprint and support the global transition of using renewable energy. The current research attempts to enhance the thermal performance of a shell-and-tube heat exchanger by means of using PCM and a modified tube design. The enthalpy-porosity method is employed for modelling the phase change.

Validated Screening Method for 81 Multiclass Veterinary Drug Residues in Food via Online-Coupling High-Throughput Planar Solid-Phase Extraction to High-Performance Liquid Chromatography-Orbitrap Tandem Mass Spectrometry.

Current screening capabilities for veterinary drugs (VDs) in foods are limited, requiring time-consuming and expensive trace-level analyses. For the first time, a high-throughput planar solid-phase extraction (HTpSPE) cleanup, controlled by UV/vis/FLD imaging, was developed for screening 81 VDs from 6 different groups (glucocorticoids, anthelmintics, antiparasitics, coccidiostats, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and antibiotics) in 4 different matrices (honey, pig muscle, cow milk, and chicken eggs). It consumed 13 times less solvent and was more eco-friendly and 5 times faster than routine methods.

Improvement of Hydrogen Sulfide Scavenging via the Addition of Monoethanolamine to Water-Based Drilling Fluids.

The release of the lethal hydrogen sulfide (HS) gas during the drilling of sour subterranean formations is of huge health and safety concern. Additionally, the contact of this corrosive gas with handling equipment might result in severe damages and significant economic losses. Accordingly, effective in situ scavenging of HS while drilling is very crucial.

ICOSL Stimulation by ICOS-Fc Accelerates Cutaneous Wound Healing In Vivo.

Background: ICOS and its ligand ICOSL are immune receptors whose interaction triggers bidirectional signals that modulate the immune response and tissue repair.

Aim: The aim of this study was to assess the in vivo effects of ICOSL triggering by ICOS-Fc, a recombinant soluble form of ICOS, on skin wound healing.

Methods: The effect of human ICOS-Fc on wound healing was assessed, in vitro, and, in vivo, by skin wound healing assay using ICOS and ICOSL knockout (KO) mice and NOD-SCID-IL2R null (NSG) mice.

Quality Assessment of Apple and Grape Juices from Serbian and German Markets by Planar Chromatography-Chemometrics.

The high consumption of plant-based foods on a global scale has increased the number of adulterations in the food industry. Along with this, analytical approaches to fraud detection need to be further developed. A nontargeted effect-directed profiling by high-performance thin-layer chromatography hyphenated with five effect-directed assays (free radical scavenging assay, bioassay, and acetylcholinesterase, butyrylcholinesterase, and tyrosinase inhibition assays) and multi-imaging provided additional information on the antioxidative, antimicrobial, and enzyme inhibition activities for 18 apple and 18 grape juices from markets in Serbia and Germany.

Baobab pulp authenticity and quality control by multi-imaging high-performance thin-layer chromatography.

Globalization of trade and increasing demand for baobab fruit pulp powder (Adansonia digitata) has led to more adulteration incidence with physically similar products, e.g. sifted cereal flours.

Profile comparison and valorization of Tunisian Salvia aegyptiaca and S. verbenaca aerial part extracts via hyphenated high-performance thin-layer chromatography.

Aerial parts of the rare species Salvia aegyptiaca L. and S. verbenaca L.