Synthesis of H_xLi_1-xLaTiO₄ from quantitative solid-state reactions at room temperature

The layered perovskite HLaTiO4 reacts stoichiometrically with LiOH·H2O at room temperature to give targeted compositions in the series HxLi1-xLaTiO4. Remarkably, the Li+ and H+ ions are quantitatively exchanged in the solid state and this allows stoichiometric control of ion exchange for the first time in this important series of compounds

The orbitofrontal cortex functionally links obesity and white matter hyperintensities

© 2020, The Author(s).Many studies have linked dysfunction in cognitive control-related brain regions with obesity and the burden of white matter hyperintensities (WMHs). This study aimed to explore how functional connectivity differences in the brain are associated with WMH burden and degree of obesity using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in 182 participants. Functional connectivity measures were compared among four different groups: (1) low WMH burden, non-obese; (2) low WMH burden, obese; (3) high WMH burden, non-obese; and (4) high WMH burden, obese. At a large-scale network-level, no networks showed significant interaction effects, but the frontoparietal network showed a main effect of degree of obesity. At a finer node level, the orbitofrontal cortex showed interaction effects between periventricular WMH burden and degree of obesity. Higher functional connectivity was observed when the periventricular WMH burden and degree of obesity were both high. These results indicate that the functional connectivity of the orbitofrontal cortex is affected by the mutual interaction between the periventricular WMHs and degree of obesity. Our results suggest that this region links obesity with WMHs in terms of functional connectivity11sciescopu

Engineered Peptides for Applications in Cancer-Targeted Drug Delivery and Tumor Detection

Cancer-targeting peptides as ligands for targeted delivery of anticancer drugs or drug carriers have the potential to significantly enhance the selectivity and the therapeutic benefit of current chemotherapeutic agents. Identification of tumor-specific biomarkers like integrins, aminopeptidase N, and epidermal growth factor receptor as well as the popularity of phage display techniques along with synthetic combinatorial methods used for peptide design and structure optimization have fueled the advancement and application of peptide ligands for targeted drug delivery and tumor detection in cancer treatment, detection and guided therapy. Although considerable preclinical data have shown remarkable success in the use of tumor targeting peptides, peptides generally suffer from poor pharmacokinetics, enzymatic instability, and weak receptor affinity, and they need further structural modification before successful translation to clinics is possible. The current review gives an overview of the different engineering strategies that have been developed for peptide structure optimization to confer selectivity and stability. We also provide an update on the methods used for peptide ligand identification, and peptide-receptor interactions. Additionally, some applications for the use of peptides in targeted delivery of chemotherapeutics and diagnostics over the past 5 years are summarized

The Non-Destructive and Nano-Microstructural Characterization of Thermal-Barrier Coatings

The durability of thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) plays an important role in the service reliability and maintainability of hot-section components in advanced turbine engines for aerospace and utility applications. Photostimulated luminescence spectroscopy (PSLS) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) are being concurrently developed as complimentary nondestructive evaluation (NDE) techniques for quality control and liferemain assessment of TBCs. This paper discusses recent achievements in understanding the residual stress, phase constituents, and electrochemical resistance (or capacitance) of TBC constituents—with an emphasis on the thermally grown oxide. Results from NDE by PSLS and EIS are correlated to the nano- and microstructural development of TBCs

Chemical Accident Hazard Assessment by Spatial Analysis of Chemical Factories and Accident Records in South Korea

This study identified the potential chemical accident occurrence in Korea by analyzing the spatial distribution of chemical factories and accidents. The number of chemical factories and accidents in 25-km2 grids were used as the attribute value for spatial analysis. First, semi-variograms were conducted to examine spatial distribution patterns and to identify spatial autocorrelation of chemical factories and accidents. Semi-variograms explained that the spatial distribution of chemical factories and accidents were spatially autocorrelated. Second, the results of the semi-variograms were used in Ordinary Kriging to estimate chemical hazard levels. The level values were extracted from the Ordinary Kriging result and their spatial similarity was examined by juxtaposing the two values with respect to their location. Six peaks were identified in both the factory hazard and accident hazard estimation result, and the peaks correlated with major cities in Korea. Third, the estimated two hazard levels were classified with geometrical interval and could be classified into four quadrants: Low Factory and Low Accident (LFLA), High Factory and Low Accident (HFLA), Low Factory and High Accident(LFHA), and High Factory and High Accident (HFHA). The 4 groups identified different chemical safety management issues in Korea; safe LFLA group, many chemical reseller factories were found in HFLA group, chemical transportation accidents were in the LFHA group, and an abundance of factories and accidents were in the HFHA group. Each quadrant represented different safety management obstacles in Korea, and studying spatial differences can support the establishment of an efficient risk management plan

The Non-Destructive and Nano-Microstructural Characterization of Thermal-Barrier Coatings

The durability of thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) plays an important role in the service reliability and maintainability of hot-section components in advanced turbine engines for aerospace and utility applications. Photostimulated luminescence spectroscopy (PSLS) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) are being concurrently developed as complimentary nondestructive evaluation (NDE) techniques for quality control and liferemain assessment of TBCs. This paper discusses recent achievements in understanding the residual stress, phase constituents, and electrochemical resistance (or capacitance) of TBC constituents—with an emphasis on the thermally grown oxide. Results from NDE by PSLS and EIS are correlated to the nano- and microstructural development of TBCs

Kynurenic acid as a biochemical factor underlying the association between Western-style diet and depression : a cross-sectional study

Consumption of a Western-style diet (WS-diet), high in saturated fat and added sugar, is associated with increased depression risk. However, the physiological mechanisms underlying the relationship requires elucidation. Diet can alter tryptophan metabolism along the kynurenine pathway (KP), potentially linking inflammation and depression. This study aimed to examine whether urinary inflammatory markers and KP metabolites differed according to WS-diet consumption and depression severity. Depression symptoms and habitual WS-diet consumption were assessed in 169 healthy adults aged 17–35 recruited from two experimental studies. Targeted metabolomics profiling of seven KP metabolites, ELISA-based assays of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and C-reactive protein (CRP) were performed using urine samples collected from the participants. Parametric tests were performed for group comparison and associations analysis. Multilevel mixed-effect modelling was applied to control for biases. Higher intake of WS-diet was associated with lower levels of neuroprotective kynurenic acid (KA; R = −0.17, p = 0.0236). There were no differences in IL-6 or CRP across diet groups (p > 0.05). Physical activity had negative associations with most KP metabolites. Mixed-effects regression analysis showed the glutamatergic inhibitor, KA, was the only biomarker to have a significant association with depression symptoms in a model adjusted for demographic and lifestyle variables: a unit increase in KA was associated with 0.21 unit decrease in Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale-21 depression score (p = 0.009). These findings suggest that urinary KA is associated with both habitual WS-diet intake, and levels of depression symptoms, independent of inflammation. Findings support the role of neuroprotection and glutamatergic modulation in depression. We propose that KA may act as endogenous glutamatergic inhibition in regulating depression severity in the absence of inflammation. Further comparison with blood-based markers will assist in validating the utility of non-invasive urine samples for measuring KP metabolites