COMPARISON OF VOLATILE COMPOSITION OF SUPERCRITICAL CARBON DIOXIDE EXTRACT FROM RHIZOMES OF KOREAN MEDICINAL PLANT 'CHUN-KUNG' (CNIDIUM OFFICINALE MAKINO) BY DIRECT-AND SPME-GC/MS

Objective: The main purpose of this study was to evaluate the volatile composition of supercritical fluid extract (SFE) obtained from Cnidium officinale Makino rhizomes. Methods: GC/MS analyses were carried out with the direct- and solid phase microextraction (SPME) of SFE obtained from rhizomes. In addition, GC/MS analysis was performed for the rhizomes of C. officinale using SPME. Results: SPME-GC/MS analysis of the rhizomes revealed the separation of 23 components. Among these, β-phellandrene (20.38%), dictyotene (12.98%), β-pinene (10.59%), β-selinene (9.45%), eugenol (7.71%) and β-farnesene (7.09%) were found to be major components. In the SFE analyzed by direct-GC/MS, linoleic acid (19.26%), 2-methoxy-4-vinylphenol (18.98%), hexadecanoic acid (12.15%), and β-selinene (9.44%) were identified as major components. Whereas, 3,4-dihydrocoumarin (16.94%), shyobunone (14.07%), dictyotene (10.65%), p-cresol (10.17%), zierone (6.36%) and umbellulone (5.71%) were major components in the SFE analyzed by SPME-GC/MS. Conclusion: The present study clearly suggested that the SPME-GC/MS analysis of SFE provided the separation of more number with diverse groups of compounds than the direct-GC/MS

Hybrid organic-inorganic light-emitting electrochemical cells using fluorescent polymer and ionic liquid blend as an active layer

We demonstrate enhanced device performance by using a blend of emissive polymer and mobile ionic liquid molecules in hybrid organic-inorganic polymeric light-emitting electrochemical cells with high air stability. The mobile anions and cations redistributed near each electrode/active layer interface make ohmic contacts, thereby enhancing current density and electroluminescence efficiency at relatively low operating voltage.open12

Efficient hybrid organic-inorganic light emitting diodes with self-assembled dipole molecule deposited metal oxides

We investigate the effect of self-assembled dipole molecules (SADMs) on ZnO surface in hybrid organic-inorganic polymeric light-emitting diodes (HyPLEDs). Despite the SADM being extremely thin, the magnitude and orientation of SADM dipole moment effectively influenced the work function of the ZnO. As a consequence, the charge injection barrier between the conduction band of the ZnO and the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital of poly(9,9(')-dioctylfluorene)-co-benzothiadiazole could be efficiently controlled resulting that electron injection efficiency is remarkably enhanced. The HyPLEDs modified with a negative dipolar SADM exhibited enhanced device performances, which correspond to approximately a fourfold compared to those of unmodified HyPLEDs.open442

Phagosome Escape of Rough Mycobacterium abscessus Strains in Murine Macrophage via Phagosomal Rupture Can Lead to Type I Interferon Production and Their Cell-To-Cell Spread

Mycobacterium abscessus complex (MAB) is a rapidly growing mycobacterium(RGM) whose clinical significance as an emerging human pathogen has been increasing worldwide. It has two types of colony morphology, a smooth (S) type, producing high glycopeptidolipid (GPL) content, and a rough (R) type, which produces low levels of GPLs and is associated with increased virulence. However, the mechanism responsible for their difference in virulence is poorly known. By ultrastructural examination of murine macrophages infected, we found that MAB-R strains could replicate more actively in the macrophage phagosome than the S variants and that they could escape into cytosol via phagosomal rupture. The cytosolic access of MAB-R strains via phagosomal rupture led to enhanced Type I interferon (IFN) production and cell death, which resulted in their cell-to-cell spreading. This behavior can provide an additional niche for the survival of MAB-R strains. In addition, we found that their enhancement of cell death mediated cell spreading are dependent on Type I IFN signaling via comparison of wild-type and IFNAR1 knockout mice. In conclusion, our data indicated that a transition of MAB-S strains into MAB-R variants increased their virulence via enhanced Type I IFN production, which led to enhanced survival in infected macrophage via cell death mediated cell-to-cell spreading. This result provides not only a novel insight into the difference in virulence between MAB-R and -S variants but also hints to their treatment strategy

Application of Computed Tomography in the Identification of Hollow Viscus Injuries in Blunt Trauma Patients

Purpose Despite advances in diagnostic and imaging technologies, the diagnosis of traumatic hollow viscus injury (HVI) remains a great challenge in clinical practice. This study aimed to determine the accuracy of computed tomography (CT) in the diagnosis of HVI in emergent blunt trauma patients. Methods The study was conducted on patients with abdominal trauma who were admitted to our center, regional emergency center, Kyung Hee University Medical Center, between January 2008 and December 2018. The clinical data of patients with abdominal trauma who underwent CT and abdominal surgery within 24 hours of hospitalization were analyzed to determine the diagnostic capacity of CT. Results In total, 156 patients were included in the study. There were 88 cases of blunt trauma. Among these patients, 27 were diagnosed with HVI using CT, and 38 patients were diagnosed with HVI in the operating room. The median injury severity score for these patients was 10.0, the revised trauma score was 7.841, and the trauma injury severity score was 0.96. The sensitivity and specificity of CT in predicting HVI in these patients were 65.8%, and 96.0%, respectively. The positive and negative predictive values were 92.6%, and 78.7%, respectively. Conclusion In urgent situations, CT findings alone are insufficient for diagnosing HVI. Further research on the HVI diagnostic capacity of CT is required

Impulsive Action and Impulsive Choice Are Differentially Expressed in Rats Depending on the Age at Exposure to a Gambling Task

Impulsivity is considered an important feature associated with the development of numerous psychiatric disorders, including addictions. In the behavioral approach, impulsivity can be broadly divided into two distinct subtypes: impulsive action and choice. In the present study, we used a rodent version of the gambling task (rGT) to examine how impulsive action and impulsive choice are differentially influenced by difference in age at exposure (i.e., late adolescents/young adults vs. mature adults) to rGT. Rats were trained in a touch-screen chamber to learn the relationships between 4 light signals on the window of the screen and accompanying reward outcomes or punishments associated with different magnitudes and probabilities. Depending on their stabilized pattern of preference when allowed free choice, rats were categorized into risk-averse or risk-seeking group. While undergoing a series of experimental schemes, including extinction, re-acquisition, and acute cocaine injection, rats were re-tested for their premature response during inter-trial interval and choice preference toward the 4 different windows in rGT. Notably, rats exposed early, compared with those exposed late, to rGT showed increased impulsive action, particularly during re-acquisition period, in all sub-groups. In contrast, rats exposed late, compared with those exposed early, to rGT showed increased impulsive choice after acute cocaine injection, but these results were only obtained in a sub-group pre-categorized as high impulsive and risk-averse. These results suggest that different aspects of impulsivity can be differentially expressed during decision-making, and differentially influenced by the age at exposure to a gambling task

Cultivating Spirulina maxima: Innovative Approaches

This chapter reports an annual production of Spirulina (Arthrospira) maxima in Ansan, South Korea (37.287°N, 126.833°E) with temperate four seasons climate for testing industrial application. Construction on pilot plant of semi-open raceway system (ORS) with each 20 ton culture volume has been established in early 2011 based on building information modeling (BIM). An optimized design of pilot culture system for microalgae scale-up culture in temperate area and details of culture was presented. In scale-up trials using two ORSs, the strain displayed satisfactory annual growth under batch condition. In an annual trial, average biomass concentration was recorded at 0.99 ± 0.16 g/L, which showed stable productivity in a year. Maximum concentration was estimated at 1.418 ± 0.09 g/L in August, while minimum production was estimated at 0.597 ± 0.05 g/L in October. Despite insufficient solar radiation and nutrients, ORS was favorable for S. maxima production. The technical strategies contribute to the annual production of S. maxima in this region: controlling the culture temperature, reducing production cost, and retrospective climatic data-based BIM construction of the greenhouse. Consequently, pilot production of S. maxima was feasible in Korean climates, a region previously thought to be outside its geographic limits

Taurine in drinking water recovers learning and memory in the adult APP/PS1 mouse model of Alzheimer's disease

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a lethal progressive neurological disorder affecting the memory. Recently, US Food and Drug Administration mitigated the standard for drug approval, allowing symptomatic drugs that only improve cognitive deficits to be allowed to accelerate on to clinical trials. Our study focuses on taurine, an endogenous amino acid found in high concentrations in humans. It has demonstrated neuroprotective properties against many forms of dementia. In this study, we assessed cognitively enhancing property of taurine in transgenic mouse model of AD. We orally administered taurine via drinking water to adult APP/PS1 transgenic mouse model for 6 weeks. Taurine treatment rescued cognitive deficits in APP/PS1 mice up to the age-matching wild-type mice in Y-maze and passive avoidance tests without modifying the behaviours of cognitively normal mice. In the cortex of APP/PS1 mice, taurine slightly decreased insoluble fraction of Aβ. While the exact mechanism of taurine in AD has not yet been ascertained, our results suggest that taurine can aid cognitive impairment and may inhibit Aβ-related damages.MIT International Science and Technology InitiativesKorea Health Industry Development Institute (H14C04660000)Korea Institute of Science and Technology (Open Research 2E24582)Korea Institute of Science and Technology (Flagship 2E25023