Large-Area Growth of Ferroelectric 2D γ-In2 Se3 Semiconductor by Spray Pyrolysis for Next-Generation Memory.

In2 Se3 , 2D ferroelectric-semiconductor, is a promising candidate for next-generation memory device because of its outstanding electrical properties. However, the large-area manufacturing of In2 Se3 is still a big challenge. In this work, spray pyrolysis technique is introduced for the growth of large-area In2 Se3 thin film. A polycrystalline γ-In2 Se3 layer can be grown on 15 cm × 15 cm glasss at the substrate temperature of 275 °C. The In2 Se3 ferroelectric-semiconductor field effect transistor (FeS-FET) on glass substrate demonstrates a large hysteresis window of 40.3 V at the ±40 V of gate voltage sweep and excellent uniformity. The FeS-FET exhibits an electron field effect mobility of 0.97 cm2 V-1 s-1 and an on/off current ratio of >107 in the transfer curves. The memory behavior of the large-area, In2 Se3 FeS-FETs for next-generation memory is demonstrated.

Optimized self-microemulsifying drug delivery system improves the oral bioavailability and brain delivery of coenzyme Q10.

Our study aimed to develop a self-microemulsifying drug delivery system for the poorly aqueous-soluble drug Coenzyme Q10, to improve the dissolution and the oral bioavailability. Excipients were selected based on their Coenzyme Q10 solubility, and their concentrations were set for the optimization of the microemulsion by using a D-optimal mixture design to achieve a minimum droplet size and a maximum solubility of Coenzyme Q10 within 15 min. The optimized formulation was composed of an oil (omega-3; 38.55%), a co-surfactant (Lauroglycol® 90; 31.42%), and a surfactant (Gelucire® 44/14; 30%) and exhibited a mean droplet size of 237.6 ± 5.8 nm and a drug solubilization (at 15 min) of 16 ± 2.48%. The drug dissolution of the optimized formulation conducted over 8 h in phosphate buffer medium (pH 6.8) was significantly higher when compared to that of the Coenzyme Q10 suspension. A pharmacokinetic study in rats revealed a 4.5-fold and a 4.1-fold increase in the area under curve and the peak plasma concentration values generated by the optimized formulation respectively, as compared to the Coenzyme Q10 suspension. A Coenzyme Q10 brain distribution study revealed a higher Coenzyme Q10 distribution in the brains of rats treated with the optimized formulation than the Coenzyme Q10 suspension. Coenzyme Q10-loaded self microemulsifying drug delivery system was successfully formulated and optimized by a response surface methodology based on a D-optimal mixture design and could be used as a delivery vehicle for the enhancement of the oral bioavailability and brain distribution of poorly soluble drugs such as Coenzyme Q10.

Extraspinal Percutaneous Osteoplasty for the Treatment of Painful Bony Metastasis.

BACKGROUND: Extraspinal percutaneous osteoplasties (POPs) are novel techniques for the treatment of painful bony metastasis, which is often the cause of both persistent and incidental breakthrough pain. This retrospective study explored the efficacy and complications of extraspinal POPs. METHODS: The origin of the cancer metastasis, performed POP sites, necessity of adjacent joint injections, pain and Karnofsky Performance Scale (KPS) scores, complications related to the POPs, and life expectancy were evaluated from the medical records from 2009 to 2016. RESULTS: A total of 47 (M/F = 28/19) patients had received 54 POPs, including costoplasty, scapuloplasty, ilioplasty, humeroplasty, ischioplasty, femoroplasty, sternoplasty, and puboplasty, in order of frequency. The most common sites for the origin of the cancer, in order of frequency, were the lung, liver, breast, colon, and kidney. All patients receiving POPs including scapuloplasty, ilioplasty, humeroplasty, and femoroplasty needed adjacent joint injections before or after the POPs. Pain due to metastatic lesions was reduced significantly immediately after the POPs and the reduction was sustained until the end of their lives. The median KPS was increased from 35.4% to 67.7% immediately after the POPs. There were no complications related to the procedures. The mean life expectancy after performing the POPs, for 35 patients which died afterwards, was 99.3 days, ranging from 1 to 767 days. CONCLUSION: Even though pain in the isolated POP sites may be difficult to measure due to overlapping systemic pain, the POPs provided immediate local pain relief, and the patients showed better physical performance without procedure-related complications.

Life-threatening paraspinal muscle hematoma after percutaneous vertebroplasty.

Bleeding and hematoma formation is rarely reported in percutaneous vertebroplasty procedure. An 84 year old male presented with a large paraspinal muscle hematoma after a percutaneous vertebroplasty. The patient had neither any prior bleeding disorder nor any anticoagulant treatment. Vital signs of the patient were unstable, and his hemoglobin level decreased daily. After a month of conservative treatment, including transfusion, cryotherapy, pain control and bed rest, his hemoglobin level remained stable and he showed relief from pain. Four months later, hematoma resolved spontaneously and he could walk without back pain.

Underestimation of Rhinogenic Causes in Patients Presenting to the Emergency Department with Acute Headache.

OBJECTIVES: Differential diagnosis is essential, since secondary headache due to paranasal sinus lesions are similar in headache characteristics to primary headache. However, since patients visiting the emergency department due to acute severe headache are primarily treated by neurologists, paranasal sinuses lesions and anatomical variations of the nasal cavity causing the headache are commonly overlooked because of the clinician's lack of knowledge about rhinosinugenic headache. This study investigated the prevalence of paranasal sinus lesions and anatomical variations that may cause secondary headaches in patients who were diagnosed as primary headache and treated by neurologists in the emergency room. METHODS: A retrospective study was done involving 1235 patients who visited the emergency department from January 2008 to December 2012 and who were diagnosed with primary headache. From the axial view of brain computed tomography, examination of sinusitis, mucosal contact points, concha bullosa, isolated sphenoid lesion, and osteoma were done, and location and morphology was analyzed. METHODS: Three hundred fifty-five of 1235 (28.7%) patients had sinusitis, mucosal contact points, concha bullosa, isolated sphenoid lesion, and osteoma as possible causes for secondary headaches. CONCLUSION: Differential diagnosis of primary headaches requires knowledge of paranasal sinus lesions including rhinosinusitis or anatomical variations. Also, interdisciplinary evaluation of acute headache presenting to the emergency room is necessary for accurate diagnosis and proper management.

Clinical effect of surgical correction for nasal pathology on the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to evaluate the hypothesis that relief of nasal obstruction in subjects with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) would lead to reduce OSA severity and to discuss the available evidence on the clinical efficacy of nasal surgery as a treatment modality for OSA. STUDY DESIGN: Twenty-five subjects who had reduced patency of nasal cavity and narrowing of retroglossal or retropalatal airways were diagnosed with OSA and underwent nasal surgery, such as septoplasty or turbinoplasty to correct nasal pathologies. The effect of the surgery on nasal patency was quantified by measuring minimal cross-sectional area (MCA) using acoustic rhinometry. The watch-PAT-derived respiratory disturbance index (RDI), apnea and hypopnea index (AHI), lowest oxygen saturation, and valid sleep time were measured before and after nasal surgery. RESULTS: The present study shows that the AHI and RDI decreased significantly and the lowest oxygen saturation and valid sleep time rose after nasal surgery in 25 OSA subjects. In addition, a reduction in subjective symptoms was observed in subjects and mean MCA increased after nasal surgery. Fourteen subjects were classified as responders and 11 subjects as non-responders. Responders showed considerable improvement of their subjective symptoms and the AHI and RDI were significantly lower after surgery. We found that the changes between pre- and post-operative AHI and RDI values were minimal in 11 non-responders. However, daytime somnolence and REM sleep time improved after nasal surgery in non-responders. CONCLUSIONS: Our study provides evidence that the surgical treatment of nasal pathology improves nasal airway patency and reduces OSA severity in 56% subjects. Furthermore, correction of nasal pathology appears to result in improved sleep quality in both responder and non-responders OSA subjects.

Clinical usefulness of watch-PAT for assessing the surgical results of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to assess the accuracy and clinical efficacy of a wrist-worn device that is based on peripheral arterial tonometry (watch-PAT) to evaluate the surgical results of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) syndrome subjects. STUDY DESIGN AND METHOD: Thirty-five subjects who were diagnosed with OSA and underwent sleep surgeries such as septoplasty, tonsillectomy, or uvuloplasty to correct their airway collapse, participated in this study; the watch-PAT-derived respiratory disturbance index (RDI), apnea and hypopnea index (AHI), lowest oxygen saturation, and valid sleep time were measured after the sleep surgery. RESULTS: The present study showed that RDI (32.8 ± 10.7 vs. 14.8 ± 7.5), AHI (30.3 ± 8.6 vs. 13.4 ± 8.2 events/h), lowest oxygen saturation (78.2% ± 8.4% vs. 90.5% ± 7.1%), and valid sleep time (329.1 ± 47.2 min and a postoperative value of 389.1 ± 50.1 min) recovered to within a normal range after surgery in 28 subjects. In addition, good agreement was found between watch-PAT-derived factors and visual analogue scales for changes in subjective symptoms, such as snoring, apnea, and daytime somnolence. Seven of the 35 subjects showed no improvement for their subjective symptoms and complained of snoring and apnea after surgery. We found that the RDI and AHI of those 7 subjects were not reduced, and the changes between pre- and postoperative values which were measured with watch-PAT were minimal. Their postoperative lowest oxygen saturation and valid sleep time were not elevated per the watch-PAT. The results support a strong correlation between the findings from watch-PAT and improved symptoms after surgical correction of an airway collapse. CONCLUSIONS: Our study provides evidence that the factors measured by the watch-PAT might be reliable indicators of symptomatic changes in OSA subjects after sleep surgery and also shows that the watch-PAT is a highly sensitive portable device for estimating treatment results in OSA.

Effect of laser intensity on the characteristic of inkjet-printed silver nanoparticles during continuous laser sintering.

The variation in electric conductivity was examined for laser irradiation with various beam intensities. A 532-nm continuous wave laser was irradiated onto inkjet-printed silver lines on a glass substrate and the electrical resistance was measured in situ during the irradiation. The results demonstrate that electrical conductivity varies nonlinearly with laser intensity, and has a minimum specific resistance of 3.1 x 10(-8) Ωm at 4 kW/cm2 irradiation. These results are interesting because the specific resistance achieved by the present laser irradiation was approximately 1.9 times lower than the best value obtainable by oven heating, even though it was still higher by 1.9 times than that of bulk silver. It is also demonstrated that the irradiation time required to complete the sintering process decreases with laser intensity. The numerical simulation of laser heating shows that the heating temperature could be as high as 250 degrees C for laser sintering, while it is limited to 250 degrees C for oven sintering. The characteristics of sintering with laser intensity based on the results of field emission scanning electron microscope images are discussed.

Analyzing serum eosinophil cationic protein in the clinical assessment of chronic rhinosinusitis.

BACKGROUND: Eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) is a major granule-derived protein with cytotoxic activity found in eosinophils and has been known as a useful marker of allergic inflammation. In this study, we assessed the clinical significance of ECP in chronic inflammation of the nasal mucosa by evaluating the relationship between eosinophil activity and serum ECP concentration in a cohort of subjects with or without chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) and allergic rhinitis (AR). METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 492 subjects and analyzed eosinophil percentage in nasal smears, serum eosinophil counts, serum ECP concentrations, symptom scores, CT scores, the size of nasal polyp, and recurrence of CRS at follow-up. RESULTS: Elevated serum ECP concentration was closely related with higher eosinophil expression in all subject's nasal smears and sera. CRS subjects without AR had a higher percentage of immune cells that were eosinophils compared with control subjects and it was similar to subjects' with AR only or with both CRS and AR. CRS subjects without AR also had significantly higher serum ECP concentrations and eosinophil counts compared with control subjects. Additionally, serum ECP concentration was significantly correlated with CT scores, symptom scores, polyp size, and recurrence rate in CRS subjects without AR. CONCLUSION: Serum ECP concentration can be used as a marker of local and systemic eosinophil expression. We conjecture that although serum ECP elevation may not be specific in AR, analysis of serum ECP concentration could be particularly useful in estimating the progression and prognosis of CRS.

When should retained Paparella type I tympanostomy tubes be removed in asymptomatic children?

OBJECTIVES: Tympanostomy tubes are routinely used for the treatment of otitis media with effusion (OME). There is no definite consensus on the optimal length of the intubation period and the timing of tube removal. This study was designed to determine the appropriate time for tympanostomy tube removal in asymptomatic patients of preschool age. METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted in 336 patients (478 ears) under the age of 7 years old who underwent tympanostomy tube insertion or removal from January 2006 to September 2010 at our institution. The information gathered from chart review included patients' age at the time of tube insertion, duration of intubation, and the presence of complications, such as tube site infection and persistent tympanic membrane perforation. Logistic regression, chi-square test and Fisher's exact test were used to determine the statistical significance of observations. RESULTS: The spontaneous extrusion rate of tympanostomy tubes was about 90% at 18 months and showed a plateau after 18 months. The OME recurrence rate decreased after 12 months of intubation, and complications such as tube site infection and persistent tympanic membrane perforation increased after 15 months of intubation. CONCLUSION: Tympanostomy tubes removed before 12 months showed a high possibility of recurrence. Removal after 15 months showed an increased possibility of complications. Spontaneous extrusion seldom occurred after 18 months. From these findings, we concluded that asymptomatically retained tympanostomy tubes are recommended to remove when a tube is retained for more than 18 months.

Therapeutic effects of carbogen inhalation and lipo-prostaglandin E1 in sudden hearing loss.

PURPOSE: Vascular disorders and viral infections are considered the main causes of sudden hearing loss (SHL), although its pathogenesis remain unclear. Treatments include carbogen inhalation and lipo-prostaglandin E1 (lipo-PGE1), both of which have circulation-enhancing effects. We investigated the effectiveness of carbogen inhalation and lipo-PGE1 in SHL. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective review included 202 patients with idiopathic SHL who visited our clinic within 14 days of symptom onset between January 2006 and June 2010. All patients received oral prednisolone for 10 days. Of the 202 patients, 44 received no additional treatment, 106 received additional carbogen inhalation, and 52 received additional lipo-PGE1. Hearing improvement was measured using Siegel's criteria. RESULTS: Overall recovery rates were 67.9% in the carbogen group, 53.8% in the lipo-PGE1 group, and 52.3% in the steroid-only control group (p=0.097). Limited to type 1 and type 2 categories of Sigels's criteria, the carbogen group had a significantly higher recovery rate (53.8%) than the lipo-PGE1 group (26.9%) and the steroid-only control group (38.6%) (p=0.005). CONCLUSION: Carbogen inhalation added to steroid was a more effective treatment than lipo-PGE1 added to steroid or steroid alone in patients with SHL.

Evaluation of an Experimentally Designed Stereotactic Guidance System for Determining Needle Entry Point during Uniplanar Fluoroscopy-guided Intervention.

BACKGROUND: In discography performed during percutaneous endoscopic lumbar discectomy (PELD) via the posterolateral approach, it is difficult to create a fluoroscopic tunnel view because a long needle is required for discography and the guide-wire used for consecutive PELD interrupts rotation of fluoroscope. A stereotactic system was designed to facilitate the determination of the needle entry point, and the feasibility of this system was evaluated during interventional spine procedures. METHODS: A newly designed stereotactic guidance system underwent a field test application for PELD. Sixty patients who underwent single-level PELD at L4-L5 were randomly divided into conventional or stereotactic groups. PELD was performed via the posterolateral approach using the entry point on the skin determined by premeasured distance from the midline and angles according to preoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings. Needle entry accuracy provided by the two groups was determined by comparing the distance and angle measured by postoperative computed tomography with those measured by preoperative MRI. The duration and radiation exposure for determining the entry point were measured in the groups. RESULTS: The new stereotactic guidance system and the conventional method provided similarly accurate entry points for discography and consecutive PELD. However, the new stereotactic guidance system lowered the duration and radiation exposure for determining the entry point. CONCLUSIONS: The new stereotactic guidance system under fluoroscopy provided a reliable needle entry point for discography and consecutive PELD. Furthermore, it reduced the duration and radiation exposure associated with determining needle entry.

A case of bilateral postauricular sinuses.

Preauricular sinuses are common congenital malformations that usually occur at the anterior margin of the ascending limb of the helix. There are rare cases in which the location of the preauricular sinus is posterior to the tragus, and the direction of the sinus tract is toward the posterior. This variant type of preauricular sinus is called, 'postauricular sinus'. Postauricular sinus is uncommon. Thus, diagnosis and treatment may be delayed due to its location of its opening and atypical clinical symptoms. Typical treatment is a single stage operation through bidirectional skin incision. However, we found out that according to the length and invasion depth of the sinus tract, there was an option between unidirectional and bidirectional skin incisions that we may choose from.

Self-association free bifunctional thiourea organocatalysts: synthesis of chiral α-amino acids via dynamic kinetic resolution of racemic azlactones.

Concentration-independent high enantioselectivity in the dynamic kinetic resolution (DKR) of racemic azlactones affording chiral α-aminoesters has been achieved using self-association free thiourea-based dimeric cinchona alkaloid organocatalysts. Detailed experimental studies and single crystal X-ray analysis confirmed that these bifunctional organocatalysts I do not form H-bonded self-aggregates in either solution or solid state.

Roles of dark energy perturbations in dynamical dark energy models: can we ignore them?

We show the importance of properly including the perturbations of the dark energy component in the dynamical dark energy models based on a scalar field and modified gravity theories in order to meet with present and future observational precisions. Based on a simple scaling scalar field dark energy model, we show that observationally distinguishable substantial differences appear by ignoring the dark energy perturbation. By ignoring it the perturbed system of equations becomes inconsistent and deviations in (gauge-invariant) power spectra depend on the gauge choice.

Catalytic conversion of 1,2-dichlorobenzene using V2O5/TiO2 catalysts by a thermal decomposition process.

This study examined the catalytic oxidation of 1,2-dichlorobenzene on V(2)O(5)/TiO(2) nanoparticles. The V(2)O(5)/TiO(2) nanoparticles were synthesized by the thermal decomposition of vanadium oxytripropoxide and titanium tetraisopropoxide. The effects of the synthesis conditions, such as the synthesis temperature and precursor heating temperature, were investigated. The specific surface areas of V(2)O(5)/TiO(2) nanoparticles increased with increasing synthesis temperature and decreasing precursor heating temperature. The catalytic oxidation rate of the V(2)O(5)/TiO(2) catalyst formed by thermal decomposition process at a catalytic reaction temperature of 150 and 200 degrees C was 46% and 95%, respectively. As a result, it was concluded that the V(2)O(5)/TiO(2) catalysts synthesized by a thermal decomposition process showed good performance for 1,2-DCB decomposition at a lower temperature.

Pr-lynx1, a modulator of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in the insect.

Insect nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) are targets for insecticides. Despite the importance of the nAChR as a major target for insecticide action, modulators of nAChRs in insects remain unidentified. Here we describe the cloning and identification of a nAChR modulator gene in an insect. This gene was isolated by searching the firefly Pyrocoelia rufa cDNA library, and the gene itself encodes a protein 120 amino acids in length, named Pr-lynx1. Pr-lynx1 shares all the features, including a cysteine-rich consensus motif and common gene structure, of the Ly-6/neurotoxin superfamily. The recombinant Pr-lynx1, which is expressed as a 12-kDa polypeptide in baculovirus-infected insect Sf9 cells, is normally present at the cell surface as a GPI-anchored protein. Northern and Western blot analyses revealed that Pr-lynx1 is expressed in various tissues, such as the ganglion, brain, mandibular muscle, proventriculus, leg muscle, and epidermis. This expression pattern is similar to the distribution of nAChRs as assayed by alpha3 nAChR immunoreactivity. Co-expression of Pr-lynx1 in Xenopus oocytes expressing alpha3beta4 nAChRs results in an increase in acetylcholine-evoked macroscopic currents, indicating a functional role of Pr-lynx1 as a protein modulator for nAChRs. This study on Pr-lynx1 is the first report of a modulator of nAChRs in an insect species.

Oxygen-enriched air for co-incineration of organic sludges with municipal solid waste: a pilot plant experiment.

Pilot-plant experiments were performed to evaluate the effect of oxygen enrichment on the co-incineration of MSW and organic sludge from a wastewater treatment facility. Combustion chamber temperatures, stack gas concentrations, i.e., CO(2) and CO, and the residual oxygen were measured. The maximum ratio of organic sludge waste to total waste input was 30 wt.%. Oxygen-enriched air, 22 vol.% (dry basis) oxygen, was used for stable combustion. As the co-incineration ratio of the sludge increased, the primary and secondary combustion chamber temperatures were decreased to 900 and 750 degrees C, respectively, approximately 100 degrees C below the proper incineration. However, if the supplied air was enriched with 22 vol.% (dry basis) oxygen content, the incinerator temperature was high enough to burn the waste mixture containing 30 wt.% moisture sludge, with an estimated heating value of 6.72 MJ/kg. There are two main benefits of using oxygen enrichment in the co-incineration. First, the sensible heat can be reduced as the quantity of nitrogen in the flue gas will be decreased. Second, the unburned carbon formation is reduced due to the oxygen-enriched burning of the waste, despite an increase in the sludge co-incineration ratio.

Genomic structure and promoter analysis of human NeuAc alpha2,3Gal beta1,3GalNAc alpha2,6-sialyltransferase (hST6GalNAc IV) gene.

We have cloned the genomic DNA encoding the human NeuAc alpha2,3Gal beta1,3GalNAc alpha2,6-sialyltransferase (hST6GalNAc IV) and analysed its structure. The hST6GalNAc IV gene was found to span about 9 kb and to be composed of six exons. The 5'-RACE (rapid amplification of cDNA ends) results indicated that mRNA isoform of the hST6GalNAc IV was generated by alternative splicing in the 5'-untranslated region. The expression of this gene was highly restricted in human fetal tissues. The potential transcriptional start site was determined by CapSite hunting. Sequence analysis of the 5'-flanking region of this gene lacked canonical TATA and CAAT boxes, but contained several putative binding sites for transcription factors SP1, MZF1, GATA1, LMO2COM, NFAT, HFH8 and USF, etc. Functional analysis of the 5'-flanking region by transient expression method revealed a high transcriptional activity in both HepG2 cells and Molt4 cells in a cell type-dependent manner, but not in SK-N-MC cells. These results suggest cell type-specific regulation of the basal hST6GalNAc IV promoter activity.