Healable and Foldable Carbon Nanotube/Wax Conductive Composite.

In this study, a composite material with healable and foldable features is formulated to print conductive patterns on rough surfaces, such as paper, cloth, and three-dimensional (3D) printed objects. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are mixed with wax to formulate a solid composite for pen writing. The composite has a low percolation threshold of 2.5 wt % CNTs and can be written on various rough substrates, such as paper and cloth, to create conductive patterns for electronic conductors. Because of the strong infrared (IR) absorption of CNTs, the printed patterns can be selectively sintered by noncontact IR radiation efficiently to show great electrical conductivity. The electrical resistance of the written patterns on paper also show an insignificant increase after bending, folding, and crumpling. Furthermore, the conductive composite exhibits great healability after destructive damages. The conductivity of the damaged patterns after severe folding or knife cutting recovers to its original value with thermal or IR heating. Several examples, such as conductive tracks on paper, cloth, or 3D printed objects, are also demonstrated to show the potential of this healable conductive composite for electronic applications.

Angiotension receptor blockers reduce the risk of dementia.

OBJECTIVE: Recent studies implied that angiotension receptor blockers (ARBs) not only have an antihypertensive effect but also have beneficial effects on dementia. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of ARBs on dementia and the subtypes. METHODS: We conducted a population-based cohort study with data from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database. A total of 24 531 matching pairs (1 : 1) of ARB-exposed and non-ARB-exposed patients were included. Each patient was individually tracked from 1997 to 2009 to identify incident cases of dementia (onset in 1999 or later). Cox proportional hazard regressions were employed to calculate the hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the association between ARBs and dementia, Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia, conditional for matching pairs. RESULTS: There were 1322 cases (5.4%) of dementia in the ARB cohort and 2181 cases (8.9%) in the non-ARB cohort identified during the 11-year follow-up period. The multivariate-adjusted hazard ratios for dementia, Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia were 0.54 (95% CI 0.51-0.59), 0.53 (95% CI 0.43-0.64) and 0.63 (95% CI 0.54-0.73) for patients with ARB treatments, respectively. In terms of cumulative dosage, patients with more than 1460 defined daily dose of ARBs had less risk than those patients with less than 1460 defined daily dose (hazard ratio 0.37 vs. 0.61; P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: These results suggest that ARB may be associated with a reduced risk of dementia in high vascular-risk individuals. Patients exposed to ARBs for higher cumulative doses experienced more protection from dementia and the subtypes.

Neural substrates of amphetamine-induced behavioral sensitization: unconditioned (zero context) and conditioned (switch versus same context) components in c-fos overexpression.

The neural substrates of the unconditioned and conditioned components of amphetamine (AMPH)-induced behavioral sensitization remain unknown. The present study examines the brain activation of rats in response to an AMPH challenge with augmented locomotion in groups receiving chronic AMPH under chloral hydrate anesthetization (i.e., the 'zero context') or when tested in the 'same context' as a chronic treatment, or when tested in a 'different context'. The neural activations of the three groups reveal fairly consistent patterns: (a) The substantia nigra is activated in the same context condition and the pure AMPH effect (i.e., the zero context with the unconditioned component), but not in the switch context condition. (b) The ventral pallidum showed Fos expression in the switch context and the same context, but not in the zero context condition. (c) The other nuclei, including the medial prefrontal cortex, nucleus accumbens, caudate putamen, medial thalamus, hippocampus, amygdala, and ventral tegmental area, are activated in all contextual conditions and the pure AMPH effect (the zero context). The context exerts definable effects on the mesocorticolimbic dopamine system on AMPH-induced behavioral sensitization. (d) The ventral pallidum and the substantia nigra activations dissociate the unconditioned component from the conditioned component in behavioral sensitization. Further studies are needed to determine how these two nuclei mediate the effect in terms of primary and conditioned rewards.

Gender differences in the effects of presynaptic and postsynaptic dopamine agonists on latent inhibition in rats.

The present study investigated gender differences in the effects of presynaptic and postsynaptic DA agonists on latent inhibition in the passive avoidance paradigm. During the preexposure phase, 32 male and 32 female Wistar rats were exposed to a passive avoidance box (or a different context) and received drug injections in three trials: the control group received an injection of 10% ascorbic acid in a different context. The experimental groups received injections of 10% ascorbic acid (latent inhibition [LI] group), 1mg/kg of the postsynaptic DA D(1)/D(2) agonist apomorphine (APO group), and 1.5mg/kg of the presynaptic DA agonist methamphetamine (METH group) in a passive avoidance box. All experimental groups were placed in the light compartment of the passive avoidance box and were allowed to enter into the dark compartment to receive a footshock (1mA, 2s) in five trials over 5 days. The latency to enter into the dark compartment was recorded in these five trials. The latent inhibition occurred in the female LI group but not in the male LI group. Regardless of gender, the APO group exhibited an increase in latent inhibition. Male rats in the METH group exhibited a decrease in latent inhibition, but female rats in the METH group exhibited an increase in latent inhibition, indicating that the METH group exhibited sexual dimorphism. The gender factor interacted only with the METH group and not the LI or APO group. The present paper discusses whether gender, the postsynaptic DA D(1)/D(2) agonist APO, and presynaptic DA agonist METH may be related to schizophrenia.

Effects of paliperidone extended release on the symptoms and functioning of schizophrenia.

BACKGROUND: We aimed to explore relations between symptomatic remission and functionality evaluation in schizophrenia patients treated with paliperidone extended-release (ER), as seen in a normal day-to-day practice, using flexible dosing regimens of paliperidone ER. We explored symptomatic remission rate in patients treated with flexibly dosed paliperidone ER by 8 items of Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) and change of Personal and Social Performance (PSP) scale. METHOD: This was a 12-week multicenter, open-label, prospective clinical study conducted in in-patient and out-patient populations. Flexible dosing in the range 3-12 mg/day was used throughout the study. All subjects attended clinic visits on weeks 0, 4, 8, and 12 as usual clinical practice for the 12-week observation period. Data were summarized with respect to demographic and baseline characteristics, efficacy measurement with PANSS scale, PSP, and social functioning score, and safety observations. Descriptive statistics were performed to identify the retention rate at each visit as well as the symptomatic remission rate. Summary statistics of average doses the subjects received were based on all subjects participating in the study. RESULTS: A total of 480 patients were enrolled. Among them, 426 patients (88.8%) had evaluation at week 4 and 350 (72.9%) completed the 12-week evaluation. Patients with at least moderate severity of schizophrenia were evaluated as "mild" or better on PANSS scale by all 8 items after 12 weeks of treatment with paliperidone ER. There was significant improvement in patients' functionality as measured by PSP improvement and score changes. Concerning the other efficacy parameters, PANSS total scale, PSP total scale, and social functioning total scale at the end of study all indicated statistically significant improvement by comparison with baseline. The safety profile also demonstrated that paliperidone ER was well-tolerated without clinically significant changes after treatment administration. CONCLUSIONS: Although the short-term nature of this study may limit the potential for assessing improvements in function, it is noteworthy that in the present short-term study significant improvements in patient personal and social functioning with paliperidone ER treatment were observed, as assessed by PSP scale. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinical Trials. PAL-TWN-MA3.

Evaluating the effects of immunosuppression by in-vivo bioluminescence imaging after allotransplantation of ovarian grafts.

Bioluminescence imaging (BLI) has been introduced for studies of ongoing biological processes but has never been applied for ovarian transplantation. Here, BLI was used as a novel approach to trace the survival of ovarian grafts. The ovarian donors were transgenic mice carrying FVB/N-Tg (PolII-luc) as a reporter gene, encoding luciferase to catalyse luciferin which results in visible light emission as bioluminescence. There were three groups of recipients: (i) group A: BALB/c mice without immunosuppressant treatment; (ii) group B: BALB/c mice receiving a cocktail immunosuppressant treatment; and (iii) group C: immunodeficient NOD-SCID mice without immunosuppression. Luciferin BLI was used to follow graft survival, and viable follicle numbers were counted as a measure of success. Bioluminescence intensity fluctuated but was consistent with the end-point counts of viable follicle numbers. Group A showed loss of viable follicles and bioluminescence disappeared as early as day 10 following ovarian engraftment, indicating strong immune rejection. Groups B and C showed graft survival and measurable bioluminescence for up to 30 days. In conclusion, BLI provided non-invasive longitudinal dynamic monitoring of ovarian grafts with excellent sensitivity and spatial resolution. This approach should prove valuable for research on ovarian transplantation.

Tubal ligation via colpotomy or laparoscopy: a retrospective comparative study.

OBJECTIVE: To compare transvaginal with laparoscopic tubal sterilization with respect to invasiveness and outcomes. METHOD: The outcomes of 103 patients who received interval tubal sterilization were compared. Group A (n = 38) underwent the transvaginal approach, group B (n = 38) a laparoscopic approach, and group C (n = 27) underwent mini-laparotomy due to difficulties encountered in one of the other procedures. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in patient age between the groups. There was no significant difference in operative time or blood loss between groups A and B. Operative time was significantly longer in group C (120 ± 35 min) than group A (40 ± 5 min) or group B (45 ± 9 min) (p < 0.05). Blood loss was significantly greater in group C (120 ± 30 ml) than in group A (10 ± 2 ml) or group B (10 ± 1 ml) (p < 0.05). The cost of transvaginal tubal sterilization was the lowest, and that of mini-laparotomy was the highest. There was no contraception failure in any group. CONCLUSIONS: Transvaginal tubal sterilization is technically more difficult, but when correctly performed it is not associated with an increased complication rate, and is less costly than laparoscopic sterilization.

Tracking the rejection and survival of mouse ovarian iso- and allografts in vivo with bioluminescent imaging.

The applications of in vivo bioluminescent imaging (BLI) with a luciferase reporter gene occur widely across biomedical fields. Luciferase-transgenic mice are highly useful donors for tracking transplanted ovarian tissues. Realizing the full potential of this system may greatly benefit the study of the physiological behaviour and function of transplanted grafts, and the rapid and reliable evaluation of new transplantation protocols. The ovarian tissues of donor FVB/N-Tg(PolII-Luc)Ltc transgenic mice, with a luciferase transgene as the reporter, were transplanted into iso/allogeneic recipients. Rejection, ovarian function and BLI were quantitatively analysed in vivo over time. The BLI of the ovarian isografts revealed longer survival than that of allografts, even with cyclosporine A (CsA) treatment. The CD4(+)/CD8(+) ratios of peripheral T-cells were significantly reduced in allografts compared with those in isografts (P<0.0001) during rejection, whereas CD19(+) cell numbers were higher in allografts. The infiltration of CD4(+)/CD8(+) cells into the graft was unremarkable in isografts from day 1, but was strong in allografts from day 8 onwards. Hormone activity revealed complete oestrus cycles in the isografts but only the dioestrus stage in the allografts. These results demonstrate that BLI in vivo expedites the fast throughput and fate maps of ovarian grafts. The use of BLI to longitudinally monitor ovarian grafts for immunorejection demonstrated the short survival of allografts and the much longer survival of isografts. CsA treatment alone is ineffective against the acute rejection of ovarian allografts.

Protective effect of a gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogue on chemotherapeutic agent-induced ovarian gonadotoxicity: a mouse model.

OBJECTIVE: To demonstrate the protective effect of triptorelin, a GnRH analogue, on chemotherapy-induced ovarian gonadotoxicity. STUDY DESIGN: Twenty-four sexually mature, virgin, female FVB/NJNarl mice were divided into four groups: busulfan (B); low-dose triptorelin plus busulfan (T(L)+B); high-dose triptorelin plus busulfan (T(H)+B); and control. Mice in the T(L)+B and T(H)+B groups were injected with 3.8 and 38 mg/kg of triptorelin subcutaneously, respectively. Four weeks later, mice in the B, T(L)+B, and T(H)+B groups were injected with busulfan intraperitoneally at a dose of 36 mg/kg. Histologic examinations were performed 4 weeks later. RESULTS: Obvious destruction of ovarian structure and significant depletion of primordial, primary, and secondary follicles were demonstrated in the B group compared with the control group, affirming the gonadotoxicity of busulfan. In the T(L)+B group, a greater number of larger primordial and primary follicles were enumerated compared with the B group; however, statistical significance was not achieved. In the T(H)+B group, the number of primordial and primary follicles was significantly greater than in the B group, and the ovarian tissue in the T(H)+B group was spared, demonstrating the effect of triptorelin pre-treatment on ovarian protection. CONCLUSION: Our results have demonstrated a dose-dependent protective effect against gonadotoxic chemotherapy of a GnRH analogue on ovarian reserve, thus suggesting a novel application of GnRH analogues in fertility preservation.

Exploring how peak leg power and usual gait speed are linked to late-life disability: data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), 1999-2002.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relation of both peak leg power and usual gait speed in their association with varying domains of late-life disability. DESIGN: Participants (> or =60 yrs of age, n = 1753) were from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1999-2002. Disability in activities of daily living, instrumental activities of daily living, leisure and social activities, lower limb mobility, and general physical activities was obtained by self-report. Peak muscle power was the product of isokinetic peak leg torque and peak force velocity. Functional limitations were evaluated via usual gait speed, which was obtained from a 20-foot timed walk. RESULTS: Low usual gait speed was associated with disability independent of basic demographics, cognitive performance, co-morbidities, health behaviors, and inflammatory markers. The odds ratios for disabilities in activities of daily living, instrumental activities of daily living, leisure and social activities, lower limb mobility, and general physical activities for each standard-deviation increase in walking speed were 0.72 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.59-0.87), 0.63 (95% CI, 0.52-0.77), 0.57 (95% CI, 0.45-0.72), 0.56 (95% CI, 0.47-0.67), and 0.74 (95% CI, 0.64-0.85), respectively. The odds ratios for disabilities in activities of daily living, instrumental activities of daily living, leisure and social activities, lower limb mobility, and general physical activities for each standard-deviation increase in leg power were 0.70 (95% CI, 0.55-0.89), 0.67 (95% CI, 0.53-0.86), 0.62 (95% CI, 0.47-0.83), 0.58 (95% CI, 0.47-0.72), and 0.73 (95% CI, 0.61-0.87), respectively. Supplementary adjustment for walking speed mildly attenuated the relation of leg power to disability. CONCLUSION: Peak leg power and habitual gait speed were associated with varying domains of late-life disability. The association between peak leg power and disability seems to be partially mediated through usual gait speed.

Five NOTCH4 polymorphisms show weak evidence for association with schizophrenia: evidence from meta-analyses.

NOTCH4 initially received consideration as a risk gene for schizophrenia based on its location within a region on chromosome 6p that had previously shown strong evidence for genetic linkage with the illness. The initial published test for allelic association found strong evidence for involvement of this gene in schizophrenia, but subsequent studies failed to confirm this finding. Presently, we have used meta-analysis to derive a best estimate of the nature and magnitude of the associations between schizophrenia and five polymorphisms in and around the NOTCH4 gene. No significant association was detected between schizophrenia and repeat length of alleles at the (TAA)n, (CTG)n, or (TTAT)n polymorphisms, or between the disease and specific risk alleles at these polymorphisms or at the SNP1 or SNP2 polymorphisms. Heterogeneity and stronger evidence of association with the putative risk alleles of the (TAA)n, (CTG)n, SNP1, and SNP2 polymorphisms was observed in family-based studies than in case-control studies, suggesting that these polymorphisms may reliably influence risk for schizophrenia under certain circumstances. Since more consistent and robust associations with schizophrenia risk have been observed for haplotypes of these polymorphisms [especially those containing SNP2 and (CTG)n], additional large family-based or genomic-controlled studies would be helpful for definitively specifying the role of NOTCH4 haplotypes in risk for schizophrenia.

Meta-analysis shows schizophrenia is not associated with the 40-base-pair repeat polymorphism of the dopamine transporter gene.

OBJECTIVE: Several case-control studies examined an association between schizophrenia and the 40-bp variable number tandem repeat (VTNR) polymorphism in the 3'-UTR of the dopamine transporter gene (SLC6A3). The results of these studies have been equivocal due to small sample size and low power. This meta-analysis has the aim to evaluate the collective evidence for an association between the VTNR polymorphism and schizophrenia. METHOD: Different meta-analyses were performed, sequentially considering the 9- and 10-repeat alleles and different genotypes (genotypes 9/9, 9/10, 10/10) as risk factors for schizophrenia. Analyses of the alleles included 659 cases and 563 controls from six case-control studies. RESULTS: The pooled OR from each analysis approximated 1.0, and none were significant. Lack of significance attributable to the negative effects of single large studies or to heterogeneity between the studies was excluded. CONCLUSION: Despite over 90% power to detect a significant odds ratio as small as 1.3, no association was observed. Considering the cumulative evidence from six case-control studies and results from additional family-based studies, it seems unlikely that the 40-base-pair VTNR polymorphism of the SLC6A3 gene influences risk for schizophrenia.