Titanium dioxide nanotubes in chloride based electrolyte: an alternative to fluoride based electrolyte

Often, fluoride based electrolyte was applied to synthesize highly ordered titanium dioxide nanotubes. However, in the present work, bundled titanium dioxide nanotubes were fabricated in chloride based electrolyte through electrochemical method. Structural and morphological investigations were carried out on the nanotubes synthesized under different anodization parameters. The growth mechanism of such nanotubes was elucidated and illustrated. The estimated diameter of the as-anodized nanotube was less than 150 nm while the length varied from hundreds of nanometer to microns. X-ray diffraction patterns and Raman spectra have showed anatase and rutile phases of titanium dioxide within the thermally treated samples

Fishes of the Eastern Johor Strait

© National University of Singapore. We record the presence of 435 fish species from the Eastern Johor Strait based on our fieldwork, a review of the existing literature, and an examination of photographs and museum specimens. Four species are recorded for the first time from the waters of Singapore: Pseudorhombus elevatus (Paralichthyidae), Heteromycteris hartzfeldii (Soleidae), Nuchequula manusella (Leiognathidae) and Johnius carouna (Sciaenidae)

Preliminary Studies of InGaON Thin Film on Si Substrate Using Simple Growth Technique

In this paper, we present a simple growth setup which is able to grow indium gallium oxynitride (lnGaON). This setup only involves furnace, ammonia gas, as well as gallium (Ga) and indium (In) sources. The characterization results heavily implied the growth of lnGaON on silicon (Si) substrate. Firstly energy-dispersive x-rays (EDX) measurement confirmed the presence of In, Ga, 0 and N. Despite 0 being significant, Fourier transform infra-red (FTIR) spectroscopy and x-rays diffraction (XRD) results revealed the absence of metal oxides signals. Further analysis from both measurements showed the sample contained high In content, with crystalline structure resembled that of lnGaN, and was of (001) dominance

The diagnostic performance of a single geneXpert MTB/RIF assay in an intensified tuberculosis case finding survey among HIV-infected prisoners in Malaysia

The new GeneXpert MTB/RIF assay (Xpert) offers accurate and rapid diagnosis of active TB, but its performance in improving case detection in high-transmission congregate settings has yet to be evaluated. We assessed the diagnostic accuracy of a single Xpert assay in an intensified case finding survey among HIV-infected prisoners in Malaysia. Methods: HIV-infected prisoners at a single site provided two early-morning sputum specimens to be examined using fluorescence smear microscopy, BACTEC MGIT 960 liquid culture and a single Xpert. The sensitivity,specificity, negative and positive predictive values of Xpert were calculated relative to gold-standard results using MGIT 960 liquid culture. Relevant clinical and demographic data were used to examine correlates of active TB disease. Results: The majority of enrolled subjects with complete data (N=125) were men (90.4%), age <40 years (61.6%) and had injected drugs (75.2%). Median CD4 lymphocyte count was 337 cells/μL (IQR 149-492); only 19 (15.2%) were receiving antiretroviral therapy. Of 15 culture-positive TB cases, single Xpert assay accurately detected only eight previously undiagnosed TB cases, resulting in a sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of 53.3% (95% CI 30.12-75.2%), 100% (95% CI 96.6-100%), 100% (95% CI 67.56-100%) and 94.0% (95% CI 88.2-97.1%), respectively. Only 1 of 15 (6.7%) active TB cases was smear-positive. The prevalence (12%) of undiagnosed active pulmonary TB (15 of 125 prisoners) was high and associated with longer duration of drug use (AOR 1.14, 95% CI 1.03-1.26, for each year of drug use). Conclusions: Single Xpert assay improved TB case detection and outperformed AFB smear microscopy, but yielded low screening sensitivity. Further examination of the impact of HIV infection on the diagnostic performance of the new assay alongside other screening methods in correctional settings is warranted

Glycosylated BODIPY- Incorporated Pt(II) Metallacycles for Targeted and Synergistic Chemo-Photodynamic Therapy

Pt(II)-BODIPY complexes combine the chemotherapeutic activity of Pt(II) with the photocytotoxicity of BODIPYs. Additional conjugation with targeting ligands can boost the uptake by cancer cells that overexpress the corresponding receptors. We describe two Pt(II) triangles, 1 and 2, built with pyridyl BODIPYs functionalized with glucose (3) or triethylene glycol methyl ether (4), respectively. Both 1 and 2 showed higher singlet oxygen quantum yields than 3 and 4, due to the enhanced singlet-to-triplet intersystem crossing. To evaluate the targeting effect of the glycosylated derivative, in vitro experiments were performed using glucose transporter 1 (GLUT1)-positive HT29 and A549 cancer cells, and noncancerous HEK293 cells as control. Both 1 and 2 showed higher cellular uptake than 3 and 4. Specifically, 1 was selective and highly cytotoxic toward HT29 and A549 cells. The synergistic chemo- and photodynamic behavior of the metallacycles was also confirmed. Notably, 1 exhibited superior efficacy toward the cisplatin-resistant R-HepG2 cellsFinancial support from Spanish MINECO (PID2020- 116490GB-I00 and PID2020-115801RB-C21) is acknowledged. We also thank financial support to the Comunidad de Madrid (MAD2D-CM) and MICINN (“Planes complementarios, Materiales Avanzados”). IMDEA Nanociencia acknowledges support from the “Severo Ochoa” Program for Centres of Excellence in R&D (MINECO, Grant SEV2016-0686). E.Y.X. thanks The Chinese University of Hong Kong for support through the Impact Postdoctoral Fellowship Schem

Neuropsychiatric Correlates of Small Vessel Disease Progression in Incident Cognitive Decline: Independent and Interactive Effects

BACKGROUND: Cerebral small vessel disease (SVD) and neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) independently increase the risk of cognitive decline. While their co-existence has been reported in the preclinical stage of dementia, longitudinal data establishing the prognosis of their associations, especially in an Asian context remains limited. OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the role of SVD and NPS progressions on cognitive outcomes over 2 years in a dementia-free elderly cohort. METHODS: 170 dementia-free elderly with baseline and 2-year neuropsychological assessments and MRI scans were included in this study. White matter hyperintensities (WMH), lacunes, and microbleeds (CMBs) were graded as markers of SVD. The Ne

An Extreme Solar Event of 20 January 2005: Properties of the Flare and the Origin of Energetic Particles

The extreme solar and SEP event of 20 January 2005 is analyzed from two perspectives. Firstly, we study features of the main phase of the flare, when the strongest emissions from microwaves up to 200 MeV gamma-rays were observed. Secondly, we relate our results to a long-standing controversy on the origin of SEPs arriving at Earth, i.e., acceleration in flares, or shocks ahead of CMEs. All emissions from microwaves up to 2.22 MeV line gamma-rays during the main flare phase originated within a compact structure located just above sunspot umbrae. A huge radio burst with a frequency maximum at 30 GHz was observed, indicating the presence of a large number of energetic electrons in strong magnetic fields. Thus, protons and electrons responsible for flare emissions during its main phase were accelerated within the magnetic field of the active region. The leading, impulsive parts of the GLE, and highest-energy gamma-rays identified with pi^0-decay emission, are similar and correspond in time. The origin of the pi^0-decay gamma-rays is argued to be the same as that of lower energy emissions. We estimate the sky-plane speed of the CME to be 2000-2600 km/s, i.e., high, but of the same order as preceding non-GLE-related CMEs from the same active region. Hence, the flare itself rather than the CME appears to determine the extreme nature of this event. We conclude that the acceleration, at least, to sub-relativistic energies, of electrons and protons, responsible for both the flare emissions and the leading spike of SEP/GLE by 07 UT, are likely to have occurred simultaneously within the flare region. We do not rule out a probable contribution from particles accelerated in the CME-driven shock for the leading GLE spike, which seemed to dominate later on.Comment: 34 pages, 14 Postscript figures. Solar Physics, accepted. A typo corrected. The original publication is available at http://www.springerlink.co

Enterovirus 71 encephalomyelitis and Japanese encephalitis can be distinguished by topographic distribution of inflammation and specific intraneuronal detection of viral antigen and RNA

Aims: To investigate if two important epidemic viral encephalitis in children, Enterovirus 71 (EV71)e ncephalomyelitis and Japanese encephalitis (JE) whose clinical and pathological features may be nonspecific and overlapping, could be distinguished. Methods: Tissue sections from the central nervous system of infected cases were examined by light microscopy, immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization. Results: All 13 cases of EV71 encephalomyelitis collected from Asia and France invariably showed stereotyped distribution of inflammation in the spinal cord, brainstem, hypothalamus, cerebellar dentate nucleus and, to a lesser extent, cerebral cortex and meninges. Anterior pons, corpus striatum, thalamus, temporal lobe, hippocampus and cerebellar cortex were always uninflamed. In contrast, the eight JE cases studied showed inflammation involving most neuronal areas of the central nervous system, including the areas that were uninflamed in EV71 encephalomyelitis. Lesions in both infections were nonspecific, consisting of perivascular and parenchymal infiltration by inflammatory cells, oedematous/necrolytic areas, microglial nodules and neuronophagia. Viral inclusions were absent. Conclusions: Immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization assays were useful to identify the causative virus, localizing viral antigens and RNA, respectively, almost exclusively to neurones. The stereotyped distribution of inflammatory lesions in EV71 encephalomyelitis appears to be very useful to help distinguish it from JE

Predicting high-risk patients using the International IGA Nephropathy risk prediction tool: a preliminary single-centre analysis

Introduction The International IgA Nephropathy Risk Prediction Tool (IgAN- RPT) has been utilized to predict renal progression up to 5 or 7 years after biopsy via histological and clinical risk factors. We reported the preliminary analysis of the renal outcome of IgAN patients in relation to their predicted risk based on the IgAN-RPT at biopsy. Methods We included 29 biopsy-proven adult IgAN patients diagnosed between 2010 and 2017. The IgAN-RPT predicted risk score at 5 years was calculated for each patient. The primary outcome was the risk of developing a 50% decline in the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) or end stage renal disease (ESRD) at 5 years after biopsy. Independent Student T-test and chi-square analysis were used to compare the clinical data between groups, while Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was done to compare the predicted and observed outcomes within risk groups using SPSS 26 (2020; IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA). Results Our cohort consisted of 13 Chinese, 12 Malay and 4 Indian patients with a mean eGFR of 68.2 (±5.7) at biopsy. The median 5-year IgAN-RPT risk score was 13.12% (IQR: 6.02 to 28.00). 20.7% (n=6) reached the primary outcome. Statistically significant; lower mean serum albumin level [30.5 ± 3.3 versus 38.0 ± 6.9, t=2.571 (27), p= 0.016], higher proportion of not using RAS blocker [100.0% versus 11.5%, χ2 = 10.9 (2), p=0.004] and higher proportion of using immunosuppression at biopsy [36.4% versus 5.9%, χ2 =7.54 (2), p=0.023] were noted among these patients. At this preliminary point, none of the other clinical data was significant, thus no further multivariate analyses were performed. To compare the predicted and observed outcomes within the risk group, a cut-off point of 30% for the predicted risk was determined by calculating the Youden Index of a receiving operating curve plotted between the predicted outcome versus observed outcome at 5 years. Results showed well-separated curves between the two risk groups, indicating a good discriminant ability of the tool among our patients. Conclusions Our study demonstrated the median 5-year 1gAN-RPT risk score among our patients was 13.12% with 20.7% of them reaching the primary outcome. Moreover, a cut-off of 30% IgAN- RPT predicted score could discriminate between high-risk versus low-risk patients to develop ESRD or a 50% decline in eGFR in this population. No conflict of interes