No abstract

Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a retinal vasoproliferative disease that affects premature infants. Despite improvements in neonatal care and management guidelines, ROP remains a leading cause of childhood blindness worldwide. Current screening guidelines are primarily based on two risk factors: birth weight and gestational age; however, many investigators have suggested other risk factors, including maternal factors, prenatal and perinatal factors, demographics, medical interventions, comorbidities of prematurity, nutrition, and genetic factors. We review the existing literature addressing various possible ROP risk factors. Although there have been contradictory reports, and the risk may vary between different populations, understanding ROP risk factors is essential to develop predictive models, to gain insights into pathophysiology of retinal vascular diseases and diseases of prematurity, and to determine future directions in management of and research in ROP.

Recently, 2D materials have been intensively studied as emerging materials for future electronics, including flexible electronics, photonics, and electrochemical energy storage devices. Among representative 2D materials (such as graphene, boron nitride, and transition metal dichalcogenides) that exhibit extraordinary properties, graphene stands out in the flexible electronics field due to its combination of high electron mobility, high thermal conductivity, high specific surface area, high optical transparency, excellent mechanical flexibility, and environmental stability. This review covers the synthesis, transfer, and characterization methods of graphene and 2D materials and graphene's application to flexible devices as well as comparison with other competing materials.

The shift from terrestrial to aquatic life by whales was a substantial evolutionary event. Here we report the whole-genome sequencing and de novo assembly of the minke whale genome, as well as the whole-genome sequences of three minke whales, a fin whale, a bottlenose dolphin and a finless porpoise. Our comparative genomic analysis identified an expansion in the whale lineage of gene families associated with stress-responsive proteins and anaerobic metabolism, whereas gene families related to body hair and sensory receptors were contracted. Our analysis also identified whale-specific mutations in genes encoding antioxidants and enzymes controlling blood pressure and salt concentration. Overall the whale-genome sequences exhibited distinct features that are associated with the physiological and morphological changes needed for life in an aquatic environment, marked by resistance to physiological stresses caused by a lack of oxygen, increased amounts of reactive oxygen species and high salt levels.

Although a common reaction in anaerobic environments, the conversion of formate and water to bicarbonate and H(2) (with a change in Gibbs free energy of ΔG° = +1.3 kJ mol(-1)) has not been considered energetic enough to support growth of microorganisms. Recently, experimental evidence for growth on formate was reported for syntrophic communities of Moorella sp. strain AMP and a hydrogen-consuming Methanothermobacter species and of Desulfovibrio sp. strain G11 and Methanobrevibacter arboriphilus strain AZ. The basis of the sustainable growth of the formate-users is explained by H(2) consumption by the methanogens, which lowers the H(2) partial pressure, thus making the pathway exergonic. However, it has not been shown that a single strain can grow on formate by catalysing its conversion to bicarbonate and H(2). Here we report that several hyperthermophilic archaea belonging to the Thermococcus genus are capable of formate-oxidizing, H(2)-producing growth. The actual ΔG values for the formate metabolism are calculated to range between -8 and -20 kJ mol(-1) under the physiological conditions where Thermococcus onnurineus strain NA1 are grown. Furthermore, we detected ATP synthesis in the presence of formate as a sole energy source. Gene expression profiling and disruption identified the gene cluster encoding formate hydrogen lyase, cation/proton antiporter and formate transporter, which were responsible for the growth of T. onnurineus NA1 on formate. This work shows formate-driven growth by a single microorganism with protons as the electron acceptor, and reports the biochemical basis of this ability.

Bradykinesia encompasses slowness, decreased movement amplitude, and dysrhythmia. Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale–based bradykine-sia-related items require that clinicians condense abnormalities in speed, amplitude, fatiguing, hesitations, and arrests into a single score. The objective of this study was to evaluate the reliability of a modified bradykinesia rating scale, which separately assesses speed, amplitude, and rhythm and its correlation with kinematic measures from motion sensors. Fifty patients with Parkinson’s disease performed Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale–directed finger tapping, hand grasping, and pronation–supination while wearing motion sensors. Videos were rated blindly and independently by 4 clinicians. The modified bradykinesia rating scale and Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale demonstrated similar inter- and intrarater reliability. Raters placed greater weight on amplitude than on speed or rhythm when assigning a Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale score. Modified bradykinesia rating scale scores for speed, amplitude, and rhythm correlated highly with quantitative kinematic variables. The modified bradykinesia rating scale separately captures bradykinesia components with interrater and intrarater reliability similar to that of the Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale. Kinematic sensors can accurately quantify speed, amplitude, and rhythm to aid in the development and evaluation of novel therapies in Parkinson’s disease.

The reversed halo sign, although seen only in one fifth of patients with the disease, appears relatively specific to make a diagnosis of cryptogenic organizing pneumonia on CT.

The practical use of graphene in consumer electronics has not been demonstrated since the size, uniformity, and reliability problems are yet to be solved to satisfy industrial standards. Here we report mass-produced graphene films synthesized by hydrogen-free rapid thermal chemical vapor deposition (RT-CVD), roll-to-roll etching, and transfer methods, which enabled faster and larger production of homogeneous graphene films over 400 × 300 mm(2) area with a sheet resistance of 249 ± 17 Ω/sq without additional doping. The properties of RT-CVD graphene have been carefully characterized by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, chemical grain boundary analysis, and various electrical device measurements, showing excellent uniformity and stability. In particular, we found no significant correlation between graphene domain sizes and electrical conductivity, unlike previous theoretical expectations for nanoscale graphene domains. Finally, the actual application of the RT-CVD films to capacitive multitouch devices installed in the most sophisticated mobile phone was demonstrated.