In extreme conditions, stay in the zone

<p>The left thalamus, MFG and insula showed increased connectivity to right hippocampus in controls after acupuncture. Left in picture is left in the brain. The color scale represents t values.</p

Designing computer-based rewards with and for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and/or Intellectual Disability Computers in Human Behavior

<p>The acupuncture induced increased functional connectivity for the AD patients (t = 1.61, p = 0.056). There was no significant difference for healthy controls (t = 0.403,p = 0.345).</p

Compartmentalization of Incompatible Catalytic Transformations for Tandem Catalysis

In Nature, incompatible catalytic transformations are being carried out simultaneously through compartmentalization that allows for the combination of incompatible catalysts in tandem reactions. Herein, we take the compartmentalization concept to the synthetic realm and present an approach that allows two incompatible transition metal catalyzed transformations to proceed in one pot in tandem. The key is the site isolation of both catalysts through compartmentalization using a core–shell micellar support in an aqueous environment. The support is based on amphiphilic triblock copolymers of poly­(2-oxazoline)­s with orthogonal functional groups on the side chain that can be used to cross-link covalently the micelle and to conjugate two metal catalysts in different domains of the micelle. The micelle core and shell provide different microenvironments for the transformations: Co-catalyzed hydration of an alkyne proceeds in the hydrophobic core, while the Rh-catalyzed asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of the intermediate ketone into a chiral alcohol occurs in the hydrophilic shell

Compartmentalization of Incompatible Catalytic Transformations for Tandem Catalysis

In Nature, incompatible catalytic transformations are being carried out simultaneously through compartmentalization that allows for the combination of incompatible catalysts in tandem reactions. Herein, we take the compartmentalization concept to the synthetic realm and present an approach that allows two incompatible transition metal catalyzed transformations to proceed in one pot in tandem. The key is the site isolation of both catalysts through compartmentalization using a core–shell micellar support in an aqueous environment. The support is based on amphiphilic triblock copolymers of poly­(2-oxazoline)­s with orthogonal functional groups on the side chain that can be used to cross-link covalently the micelle and to conjugate two metal catalysts in different domains of the micelle. The micelle core and shell provide different microenvironments for the transformations: Co-catalyzed hydration of an alkyne proceeds in the hydrophobic core, while the Rh-catalyzed asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of the intermediate ketone into a chiral alcohol occurs in the hydrophilic shell

Application of Exonuclease III-Aided Target Recycling in Flow Cytometry: DNA Detection Sensitivity Enhanced by Orders of Magnitude

DNA-functionalized microspheres in conjugation with flow cytometry detection are widely used for high-throughput nucleic acid assays. Although such assays are rapid and capable of simultaneous analysis of multiple nucleic acid analytes in a single test, the intrinsic limitation in sensitivity remains challenging. Here we report a simple, highly sensitive, and reproducible method based on Exonuclease III-aided target recycling technique applied for DNA quantification in flow cytometry. By loading a high density of Cy5-labeled probe DNA on microspheres (15 μm), we achieved hitherto unreported DNA detection limit of 3.2 pM in flow cytometry bead assay, enhancing the sensitivity by a factor of over 56.8 compared to the conventional direct hybridization bead assay. Furthermore, we evaluated multiplexing capability by simultaneous detections of two target DNAs with FAM and Cy5 reporter conjugated probes. Therefore, the novel Exonuclease III-amplified flow cytometry bead assay has great potential for the rapid, sensitive, and accurate detection and quantification of nucleic acids in clinical diagnosis and biomedical research

Remarkable Effect of Molecular Architecture on Chain Exchange in Triblock Copolymer Micelles

The effect of polymer architecture on molecular exchange in block copolymer micelles has been investigated using time-resolved small-angle neutron scattering (TR-SANS). Narrowly dispersed symmetric PEP–PS–PEP and PS–PEP–PS triblock copolymers were synthesized, where PS and PEP refer to poly­(styrene) and poly­(ethylene-<i>alt</i>-propylene), respectively. Spherical micelles of the triblocks in squalane, a selective solvent for the PEP blocks, were prepared using a cosolvent method. PEP–PS–PEP forms “hairy” micelles with the PS blocks looped in the cores, while PS–PEP–PS forms “flower-like” micelles with most of the PEP blocks looped in the corona. The micelle structure was characterized by small-angle X-ray scattering, providing in particular the core radius as a function of temperature. TR-SANS experiments were conducted on solutions containing 1 and 6 vol % PEP–PS–PEP, and 0.25 and 0.5 vol % PS–PEP–PEP, using matched pairs of deuterium-labeled (dPS) and normal (hPS) specimens and a mixture of normal and perdeuterated squalane contrast-matched to uniformly mixed hPS/dPS micelle cores. Blends of micelles with initially pure hPS and dPS cores produce scattering intensity that decays with the redistribution of block copolymer chains as a function of time, providing direct access to the rate of molecular exchange. Remarkably, the two triblock architectures display exchange rates that differ by approximately 9 orders of magnitude, even though the solvophobic PS blocks are of comparable size. This discovery is considered in the context of a model that successfully explained the exchange dynamics in PS–PEP diblock copolymer micelles

Ethanol concentration in S-SSF and Fed-batch S-SSF of solid residues from LHW pretreated corn stover with different solid loadings.

<p>Ethanol concentration in S-SSF and Fed-batch S-SSF of solid residues from LHW pretreated corn stover with different solid loadings.</p

Comparison of various ethanol productions using pretreated corn stover as the substrate found in the literatures and in the current study.

<p>Comparison of various ethanol productions using pretreated corn stover as the substrate found in the literatures and in the current study.</p

Effect of pre-hydrolysis time onconcentration of ethanol and glucose in S-SSF of pretreated corn stover with LHW.

<p>S-SSF conditions are same as that in <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0095455#pone-0095455-g001" target="_blank">Figure 1</a> except pre-hydrolysis time.</p

Lubricated Biodegradable Polymer Networks for Regulating Nerve Cell Behavior and Fabricating Nerve Conduits with a Compositional Gradient

We present a method of tuning surface chemistry and nerve cell behavior by photo-cross-linking methoxy poly­(ethylene glycol) monoacrylate (mPEGA) with hydrophobic, semicrystalline poly­(ε-caprolactone) diacrylate (PCLDA) at various weight compositions of mPEGA (ϕ_m) from 2 to 30%. Improved surface wettability is achieved with corresponding decreases in friction, water contact angle, and capability of adsorbing proteins from cell culture media because of repulsive PEG chains tethered in the network. The responses of rat Schwann cell precursor line (SpL201), rat pheochromocytoma (PC12), and E14 mouse neural progenitor cells (NPCs) to the modified surfaces are evaluated. Nonmonotonic or parabolic dependence of cell attachment, spreading, proliferation, and differentiation on ϕ_m is identified for these cell types with maximal values at ϕ_m of 5–7%. In addition, NPCs demonstrate enhanced neuronal differentiated lineages on the mPEGA/PCLDA network at ϕ_m of 5% with intermediate wettability and surface energy. This approach lays the foundation for fabricating heterogeneous nerve conduits with a compositional gradient along the wall thickness, which are able to promote nerve cell functions within the conduit while inhibiting cell attachment on the outer wall to prevent potential fibrous tissue formation following implantation