Battery-free, fully implantable optofluidic cuff system for wireless optogenetic and pharmacological neuromodulation of peripheral nerves

Studies of the peripheral nervous system rely on controlled manipulation of neuronal function with pharmacologic and/or optogenetic techniques. Traditional hardware for these purposes can cause notable damage to fragile nerve tissues, create irritation at the biotic/abiotic interface, and alter the natural behaviors of animals. Here, we present a wireless, battery-free device that integrates a microscale inorganic light-emitting diode and an ultralow-power microfluidic system with an electrochemical pumping mechanism in a soft platform that can be mounted onto target peripheral nerves for programmed delivery of light and/or pharmacological agents in freely moving animals. Biocompliant designs lead to minimal effects on overall nerve health and function, even with chronic use in vivo. The small size and light weight construction allow for deployment as fully implantable devices in mice. These features create opportunities for studies of the peripheral nervous system outside of the scope of those possible with existing technologies.NIH Director's Transformative Research [TR01 NS081707]; NIH SPARC Award via the NIBIB of the NIH [U18EB021793, R01 NS42595]; NIMH of the NIH [R41MH116525]; NRSA [F32 DK115122]; McDonnell Center for Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology Postdoctoral Fellowship [T32 DA007261]; Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) [T32 GM07200]; University of Missouri-Columbia start-up fund; NINDS NRSA [F31 NS103472]Open access journalThis item from the UA Faculty Publications collection is made available by the University of Arizona with support from the University of Arizona Libraries. If you have questions, please contact us at [email protected]

Prevalence and risk factors of childhood allergic diseases in eight metropolitan cities in China: A multicenter study

Background Several studies conducted during the past two decades suggested increasing trend of childhood allergic diseases in China. However, few studies have provided detailed description of geographic variation and explored risk factors of these diseases. This study investigated the pattern and risk factors of asthma, allergic rhinitis and eczema in eight metropolitan cities in China. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional survey during November-December 2005 in eight metropolitan cities in China. A total of 23791 children aged 6-13 years participated in this survey. Questions from the standard questionnaire of the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Children (ISAAC) were used to examine the pattern of current asthma, allergic rhinitis and eczema. Logistic regression analyses were performed to assess the risk factors for childhood allergies. Results The average prevalence of childhood asthma, allergic rhinitis and eczema across the eight cities was 3∙3% (95% Confidence interval (CI): 3∙1%, 3∙6%), 9∙8% (95% CI: 9∙4%, 10∙2%) and 5∙5% (95% CI: 5∙2%, 5∙8%), respectively. Factors related to lifestyle, mental health and socio-economic status were found to be associated with the prevalence of childhood allergies. These risk factors were unevenly distributed across cities and disproportionately affected the local prevalence. Conclusions There was apparent geographic variation of childhood allergies in China. Socio-environmental factors had strong impacts on the prevalence of childhood allergies; but these impacts differed across regions. Thus public health policies should specifically target at the local risk factors for each individual area

Development of a new marker system for identifying the complex members of the low-molecular-weight glutenin subunit gene family in bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

Low-molecular-weight glutenin subunits (LMW-GSs) play an important role in determining the bread-making quality of bread wheat. However, LMW-GSs display high polymorphic protein complexes encoded by multiple genes, and elucidating the complex LMW-GS gene family in bread wheat remains challenging. In the present study, using conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with conserved primers and high-resolution capillary electrophoresis, we developed a new molecular marker system for identifying LMW-GS gene family members. Based on sequence alignment of 13 LMW-GS genes previously identified in the Chinese bread wheat variety Xiaoyan 54 and other genes available in GenBank, PCR primers were developed and assigned to conserved sequences spanning the length polymorphism regions of LMW-GS genes. After PCR amplification, 17 DNA fragments in Xiaoyan 54 were detected using capillary electrophoresis. In total, 13 fragments were identical to previously identified LMW-GS genes, and the other 4 were derived from unique LMW-GS genes by sequencing. This marker system was also used to identify LMW-GS genes in Chinese Spring and its group 1 nulli–tetrasomic lines. Among the 17 detected DNA fragments, 4 were located on chromosome 1A, 5 on 1B, and 8 on 1D. The results suggest that this marker system is useful for large-scale identification of LMW-GS genes in bread wheat varieties, and for the selection of desirable LMW-GS genes to improve the bread-making quality in wheat molecular breeding programmes

The Global Diet Quality Score Is Inversely Associated with Nutrient Inadequacy, Low Midupper Arm Circumference, and Anemia in Rural Adults in Ten Sub-Saharan African Countries

Background: Key nutrient deficits remain widespread throughout sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) whereas noncommunica­ ble diseases (NCDs) now cause one-third of deaths. Easy-to-use metrics are needed to track contributions of diet quality = 8 3 :J to this double burden. Objectives: We evaluated comparative performance of a novel food-based Global Diet Quality Score (GDOS) against Dani:' other diet metrics in capturing nutrient adequacy and undernutrition in rural SSA adults. � � Methods: We scored the GDOS, Minimum Dietary Diversity-Women (MDD-W). and Alternative Healthy Eating lndexen C: 2010 (AHEl-2010) using FFO data from rural men and nonpregnant, nonlactating women of reproductive age (15-49 y) "'Cl "'Cl ro in 10 SSA countries. We evaluated Spearman correlations between metrics and energy-adjusted nutrient intakes, and 3 age-adjusted associations with BMI, midupper arm circumference (MUAC), and hemoglobin in regression models. (:1J) I� Results: Correlations between the GDOS and an energy-adjusted aggregate measure of dietary protein, fiber, calcium, ...... iron, zinc, vitamin A, folate, and vitamin B-12 adequacy were 0.34 (95% Cl: 0.30, 0.38) in men and 0.37 (95% Cl: 0.32, (0 (/) 0.41) in women. The GDOS was associated (P . 0 with 01 OR in men: 0.44, 95% Cl: 0.22, 0.85; women: 0.57, 95% Cl: 0.31, 1.03] and anemia (05/01 OR in men: 0.56, (0 01 95% Cl: 0.32, 0.98; women: 0.60, 95% Cl: 0.35, 1.01 ). The MDD-W correlated better with some nutrient intakes, though w.j>. CT associated marginally with low MUAC in men (P= 0.07). The AHEl-2010 correlated better with fatty acid intakes, though '< tC C: associated marginally with low MUAC (P = 0.06) and anemia (P = 0.14) in women. Overweight/obesity prevalence was (1) !e. low, and neither the GDOS, MDD-W, nor AHEl-2010 were predictive. Conclusions: The GDOS performed comparably with the MDD-W in capturing nutrient adequacy-related outcomes i

Hydrophobically Modified Sulfobetaine Copolymers with Tunable Aqueous UCST through Postpolymerization Modification of Poly(pentafluorophenyl acrylate)

Polysulfobetaines, polymers carrying highly polar zwitterionic side chains, present a promising research field by virtue of their antifouling properties, hemocompatibility, and stimulus-responsive behavior. However, limited synthetic approaches exist to produce sulfobetaine copolymers comprising hydrophobic components. Postpolymerization modification of an activated ester precursor, poly(pentafluorophenyl acrylate), employing a zwitterionic amine, 3-((3-aminopropyl)dimethylammonio)propane-1-sulfonate, ADPS, is presented as a novel, one-step synthetic concept toward sulfobetaine (co)polymers. Modifications were performed in homogeneous solution using propylene carbonate as solvent with mixtures of ADPS and pentylamine, benzylamine, and dodecylamine producing a series of well-defined statistical acrylamido sulfobetaine copolymers containing hydrophobic pentyl, benzyl, or dodecylacrylamide comonomers with well-controllable molar composition as evidenced by NMR and FT-IR spectroscopy and size exclusion chromatography.This synthetic strategy was exploited to investigate, for the first time, the influence of hydrophobic modification on the upper critical solution temperature (UCST) of sulfobetaine copolymers in aqueous solution. Surprisingly, incorporation of pentyl groups was found to increase solubility over a wide composition range, whereas benzyl groups decreased solubility—an effect attributed to different entropic and enthalpic contributions of both functional groups. While UCST transitions of polysulfobetaines are typically limited to higher molar mass samples, incorporation of 0–65 mol % of benzyl groups into copolymers with molar masses of 25.5–34.5 kg/mol enabled sharp, reversible transitions from 6 to 82 °C in solutions containing up to 76 mM NaCl, as observed by optical transmittance and dynamic light scattering. Both synthesis and systematic UCST increase of sulfobetaine copolymers presented here are expected to expand the scope and applicability of these smart materials

Search for continuous gravitational wave emission from the Milky Way center in O3 LIGO--Virgo data

We present a directed search for continuous gravitational wave (CW) signals emitted by spinning neutron stars located in the inner parsecs of the Galactic Center (GC). Compelling evidence for the presence of a numerous population of neutron stars has been reported in the literature, turning this region into a very interesting place to look for CWs. In this search, data from the full O3 LIGO--Virgo run in the detector frequency band $[10,2000]\rm~Hz$ have been used. No significant detection was found and 95$\%$ confidence level upper limits on the signal strain amplitude were computed, over the full search band, with the deepest limit of about $7.6\times 10^{-26}$ at $\simeq 142\rm~Hz$. These results are significantly more constraining than those reported in previous searches. We use these limits to put constraints on the fiducial neutron star ellipticity and r-mode amplitude. These limits can be also translated into constraints in the black hole mass -- boson mass plane for a hypothetical population of boson clouds around spinning black holes located in the GC.Comment: 25 pages, 5 figure

All-sky search for continuous gravitational waves from isolated neutron stars using Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo O3 data

We present results of an all-sky search for continuous gravitational waves which can be produced by spinning neutron stars with an asymmetry around their rotation axis, using data from the third observing run of the Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo detectors. Four different analysis methods are used to search in a gravitational-wave frequency band from 10 to 2048 Hz and a first frequency derivative from $-10^{-8}$ to $10^{-9}$ Hz/s. No statistically-significant periodic gravitational-wave signal is observed by any of the four searches. As a result, upper limits on the gravitational-wave strain amplitude $h_0$ are calculated. The best upper limits are obtained in the frequency range of 100 to 200 Hz and they are ${\sim}1.1\times10^{-25}$ at 95\% confidence-level. The minimum upper limit of $1.10\times10^{-25}$ is achieved at a frequency 111.5 Hz. We also place constraints on the rates and abundances of nearby planetary- and asteroid-mass primordial black holes that could give rise to continuous gravitational-wave signals

All-sky search for continuous gravitational waves from isolated neutron stars using Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo O3 data

We present results of an all-sky search for continuous gravitational waves which can be produced by spinning neutron stars with an asymmetry around their rotation axis, using data from the third observing run of the Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo detectors. Four different analysis methods are used to search in a gravitational-wave frequency band from 10 to 2048 Hz and a first frequency derivative from $-10^{-8}$ to $10^{-9}$ Hz/s. No statistically-significant periodic gravitational-wave signal is observed by any of the four searches. As a result, upper limits on the gravitational-wave strain amplitude $h_0$ are calculated. The best upper limits are obtained in the frequency range of 100 to 200 Hz and they are ${\sim}1.1\times10^{-25}$ at 95\% confidence-level. The minimum upper limit of $1.10\times10^{-25}$ is achieved at a frequency 111.5 Hz. We also place constraints on the rates and abundances of nearby planetary- and asteroid-mass primordial black holes that could give rise to continuous gravitational-wave signals.Comment: 23 main text pages, 17 figure