Explore the vast range of titles available.

Chronic hydrocephalus following aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is a complication that can lead to deterioration in neurological status and cognitive impairment. Our recent clinical study reported that a high concentration of plasma fibulin-5 (FBLN5), a matricellular protein, was associated with the occurrence of chronic hydrocephalus after SAH. This study aimed to investigate whether and how FBLN5 was associated with hydrocephalus during acute to later phases of SAH in mice. C57BL/6 male mice underwent sham or filament perforation SAH modeling, and vehicle or two dosages (0.01 and 0.1 μg) of short or long recombinant FBLN5 (rFBLN5) were randomly administrated by an intracerebroventricular injection. Neurobehavioral tests, measurements of the degree of ventricular enlargement, Western blotting, and immunohistochemical staining were performed to evaluate hydrocephalus 24 and 48 h after SAH. After SAH, ventricular dilatation did not occur at 24 h but developed at 48 h, and both doses of long rFBLN5 with an arginine–glycine–aspartic acid domain suppressed ventricular dilatation at 48 h after SAH. Long rFBLN5 also decreased phosphorylated p38 in the brain parenchyma and prevented post-SAH increases in perivascular macrophages, as well as microglia activation in the brain parenchyma at 48 h after SAH. Although further research is required to clarify the detailed mechanism, this study demonstrated for the first time that exogenous administration of FBLN5 may have a protective effect against ventricular dilatation after experimental SAH.

Activated carbon (AC) from sugarcane bagasse was prepared using a simple two-step method of carbonization and chemical activation with four different activating agents (HNO 3 , H 2 SO 4 , NaOH, and KOH). Amorphous carbon structure as identified by X-ray diffraction was observed in all samples. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that the AC had more porosity than the non-activated carbon (non-AC). Specific capacitance of the non-AC electrode was 32.58 F g −1 at the current density of 0.5 A g −1 , whereas the AC supercapacitor provided superior specific capacitances of 50.25, 69.59, 109.99, and 138.61 F g −1 for the HNO 3 (AC-HNO 3 ), H 2 SO 4 (AC-H 2 SO 4 ), NaOH (AC-NaOH), and KOH (AC-KOH) activated carbon electrodes, respectively. The AC-KOH electrode delivered the highest specific capacitance (about 4 times of the non-AC electrode) because of its good surface wettability, the largest specific surface area (1058.53 m 2  g −1 ), and the highest total specific pore volume (0.474 cm 3  g −1 ). The AC-KOH electrode also had a great capacitance retention of almost 100% after 1000 GCD cycles. These results demonstrate that our AC developed from sugarcane bagasse has a strong potential to be used as high stability supercapacitor electrode material.

Developing cost-effective, high-efficiency, and stable hole transporting materials (HTMs) is crucial for replacing traditional spiro-OMeTAD in perovskite solar cells (PSCs) and achieving sustainable solar energy solutions. This work presents two novel air-stable HTMs based on a spiro[fluorene-9,9′-xanthene] (SFX) core functionalized with N -methylcarbazole ( XC2-M ) and N -hexylcarbazole ( XC2-H ) rings. These HTMs were synthesized via a straightforward, three-step process with good overall yields (∼40%) and low production costs. To further reduce device cost, carbon back electrodes were employed. The resulting PSCs, with a structure of FTO/SnO 2 /Cs 0.05 FA 0.73 MA 0.22 Pb(I 0.77 Br 0.23 ) 3 /HTM/C achieved power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) of 13.5% ( XC2-M ) and 10.2% ( XC2-H ), comparable to the reference spiro-OMeTAD device (12.2%). The choice of alkyl chain on the HTM significantly impacts film morphology and device stability. The XC2-H device exhibited exceptional long-term stability, retaining approximately 90% of its initial PCE after 720 h of storage in 30–40% humidity air without encapsulation. This surpasses the performance of both the spiro-OMeTAD (55% retention) and XC2-M (68% retention) devices. The superior stability of XC2-H is attributed to its highly hydrophobic nature and the formation of a compact, smooth film due to interdigitation of the hexyl chains. The straightforward synthesis of XC2-H from commercially available materials offers a promising approach for large-scale PSC production.

Background: Only few studies have investigated the relationship between the histopathology of retrieved thrombi and clinical outcomes. This study aimed to evaluate thrombus composition and its association with clinical, laboratory, and neurointerventional findings in patients treated by mechanical thrombectomy due to acute large vessel occlusion. Methods: At our institution, 79 patients were treated by mechanical thrombectomy using a stent retriever and/or aspiration catheter between August 2015 and August 2016. The retrieved thrombi were quantitatively analyzed to quantify red blood cells, white blood cells, and fibrin by area. We divided the patients into two groups – a fibrin-rich group and an erythrocyte-rich group – based on the predominant composition in the thrombus. The groups were compared for imaging, clinical, and neurointerventional data. Results: The retrieved thrombi from 43 patients with acute stroke from internal carotid artery, middle cerebral artery, or basilar artery occlusion were histologically analyzed. Erythrocyte-rich thrombi were present in 18 cases, while fibrin-rich thrombi were present in 25 cases. A cardioembolic etiology was significantly more prevalent among the patients with fibrin-rich thrombi than among those with erythrocyte-rich thrombi. Attenuation of thrombus density as shown on computed tomography images was greater in patients with erythrocyte-rich thrombi than in those with fibrin-rich thrombi. All other clinical and laboratory characteristics remained the same. Patients with erythrocyte-rich thrombi had a smaller number of recanalization maneuvers, shorter procedure times, a shorter time interval between arrival and recanalization, and a higher percentage of stent retrievers in the final recanalization procedure. The occluded vessels did not differ significantly. Conclusions: In this study, erythrocyte-rich thrombus was associated with noncardioembolic etiology, higher thrombus density, and reduced procedure time.

BackgroundCarotid stent thrombosis (CST) is a rare but devastating complication after carotid artery stenting (CAS). However, treatment strategy for CST remains controversial.Case presentationCase 1 was a 66-year-old man treated with scheduled CAS using a dual-layer stent for symptomatic internal carotid artery stenosis and developed CST 2–5 days after intervention, causing repeated transient ischemic attacks 2 months later. Case 2 was a 69-year-old man initially treated with emergent CAS using a closed-cell stent for acute ischemic stroke and developed CST with minor stroke six months after CAS. Both patients had impaired cerebrovascular reserve (CVR) on single-photon emission computed tomography. Superficial temporal artery-middle cerebral artery (STA-MCA) bypass was performed with no procedural complications, and ischemic stroke has not recurred for subsequent 2 years and 4 years, respectively.ConclusionSTA-MCA bypass may be beneficial to CST with mild neurological symptoms and impaired CVR, which occurs in subacute to chronic phases after CAS: the bypass could reduce the risks of distal embolization, damage to carotid artery and stent, and reperfusion injury.

Aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) has increased with the aging of the population, but the outcome for elderly SAH patients is very poor. Therefore, predicting the outcome is important for determining whether to pursue aggressive treatment. Pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF) is a matricellular protein that is induced in the brain, and the plasma levels could be used as a biomarker for the severity of metabolic diseases. This study investigated whether acute-phase plasma PEDF levels could predict outcomes after aneurysmal SAH in the elderly. Plasma samples and clinical variables were collected over 1–3 days, post-SAH, from 56 consecutive elderly SAH patients ≥75 years of age registered in nine regional stroke centers in Japan between September 2013 and December 2016. The samples and variables were analyzed in terms of 3-month outcomes. Acute-phase plasma PEDF levels were significantly elevated in patients with ultimately poor outcomes, and the cutoff value of 12.6 µg/mL differentiated 3-month outcomes with high sensitivity (75.6%) and specificity (80.0%). Acute-phase plasma PEDF levels of ≥12.6 µg/mL were an independent and possibly better predictor of poor outcome than previously reported clinical variables. Acute-phase plasma PEDF levels may serve as the first biomarker to predict 3-month outcomes and to select elderly SAH patients who should be actively treated.

Renin-angiotensin system (RAS) inhibitors have been increasingly prescribed due to their beneficial effects on end-organ protection. Iatrogenic hyperkalemia is a well-known life-threatening complication of RAS inhibitor use in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients. We hypothesized that CKD patients treated with RAS inhibitors frequently develop hyperkalemia after hospital discharge even if they were normokalemic during their hospitalization because their lifestyles change substantially after discharge. The present study aimed to examine the incidence of newly diagnosed hyperkalemia, the timing of hyperkalemia, and its risk factors in CKD patients treated with RAS inhibitors at the time of hospital discharge. We retrospectively enrolled patients aged 20 years or older with CKD G3-5 (estimated glomerular filtration rate < 60 mL/min/1.73 m2) and who were treated with RAS inhibitors and discharged from St. Luke's International Hospital between July 2011 and December 2015. Patients who were under maintenance dialysis or had hyperkalemic events before discharge were excluded. Data regarding the patients' age, sex, CKD stage, diabetes mellitus status, malignancy status, combined use of RAS inhibitors, concurrent medication, and hyperkalemic events after discharge were extracted from the hospital database. Our primary outcome was hyperkalemia, defined as serum potassium ≥ 5.5 mEq/L. Multiple logistic regression and Kaplan-Meier analyses were performed to identify the risk factors for and the timing of hyperkalemia, respectively. Among the 986 patients, 121 (12.3%) developed hyperkalemia after discharge. In the regression analysis, relative to CKD G3a, G3b [odds ratio (OR): 1.88, 95% confidence interval 1.20-2.97] and G4-5 (OR: 3.40, 1.99-5.81) were significantly associated with hyperkalemia. The use of RAS inhibitor combinations (OR: 1.92, 1.19-3.10), malignancy status (OR: 2.10, 1.14-3.86), and baseline serum potassium (OR: 1.91, 1.23-2.97) were also significantly associated with hyperkalemia. The Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that hyperkalemia was most frequent during the early period after discharge, particularly within one month. Hyperkalemia was frequent during the early period after discharge among previously normokalemic CKD patients who were treated with RAS inhibitors. Appropriate follow-up after discharge should be required for these patients, particularly those with advanced CKD or malignancy status, such as hematological malignancy or late-stage malignancy, and those who are treated with multiple RAS inhibitors.

With growing population, vertical spaces from skyscrapers are vast. Semi-transparent solar cells enable an effective pathway for vertical energy harvesting. With composition tunability, perovskite materials can be designed with different transparencies and colors. In this work, an ultra-high bandgap layered triple cation perovskite system was developed for the first time to meet the demand of clear optoelectronic applications; low dimensional triple cation perovskite thin films were fabricated using perovskite with the formula (PEA) 2 (Cs x MA 0.61-x FA 0.39 ) 39 (Pb) 40 (Cl 0.88-0.32x Br 0.12+0.32x ) 121 , 0 ≤  x  ≤ 0.02 with DMSO as the appropriate solvent. The absorption edge of the material is around 410–430 nm, achieving great transparency to visible light. The structural, optical, and photovoltaic performances of the clear perovskite materials are explored with the variation of Cs contents via CsBr. The relation between thickness, transparency, and optoelectronic properties of the clear perovskite materials along with other physical properties were investigated. The highest photovoltaic conversion efficiency (PCE) of clear perovskite solar cells with 1.5% Cs was achieved to be 0.69% under xenon lamp irradiation at 100 mW/cm 2 (1.5 mW/cm 2 of UVA within 100 mW/cm 2 ) and 5.24% under 365 nm UV irradiation at 2.4 mW/cm 2 . Photoresponsivity, external quantum efficiency (EQE), and detectivity were also determined for photodetector applications.

Rapid advancements in perovskite materials have led to potential applications in various optoelectronic devices, such as solar cells, light-emitting diodes, and photodetectors. Due to good photoelectric properties, perovskite enables low-cost and comparable performance in terms of responsivity, detectivity, and speed to those of the silicon counterpart. In this work, we utilized triple cation perovskite, well known for its high performance, stability, and wide absorption range, which is crucial for broadband photodetector applications. To achieve improved detectivity and faster response time, graded multilayer perovskite absorbers were our focus. Sequential spray deposition, which allows stacked perovskite architecture without disturbing lower perovskite layers, was used to generate single, double, and triple-layer perovskite photodetectors with proper energy band alignment. In this work, we achieved a record on self-powered perovskite photodetector fabricated from a scalable spray process in terms of EQE and responsivity of 65.30% and 0.30 A W -1 . The multilayer devices showed faster response speed than those of single-layer perovskite photodetectors with the champion device reaching 70 µs and 88 µs for rising and falling times. The graded band structure and the internal electric field generated from perovskite heterojunction also increase specific detectivity about one magnitude higher in comparison to the single-layer with the champion device achieving 6.82 × 10 12 cmHz 1 / 2  W − 1 .

Aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is a poor-outcome disease with a delayed neurological exacerbation. Fibulin-5 (FBLN5) is one of matricellular proteins, some of which have been involved in SAH pathologies. However, no study has investigated FBLN5’s roles in SAH. This study was aimed at examining the relationships between serially measured plasma FBLN5 levels and neurovascular events or outcomes in 204 consecutive aneurysmal SAH patients, including 77 patients (37.7%) with poor outcomes (90-day modified Rankin Scale 3–6). Plasma FBLN5 levels were not related to angiographic vasospasm, delayed cerebral ischemia, and delayed cerebral infarction, but elevated levels were associated with severe admission clinical grades, any neurological exacerbation and poor outcomes. Receiver-operating characteristic curves indicated that the most reasonable cut-off values of plasma FBLN5, in order to differentiate 90-day poor from good outcomes, were obtained from analyses at days 4–6 for all patients (487.2 ng/mL; specificity, 61.4%; and sensitivity, 62.3%) and from analyses at days 7–9 for only non-severe patient (476.8 ng/mL; specificity, 66.0%; and sensitivity, 77.8%). Multivariate analyses revealed that the plasma FBLN5 levels were independent determinants of the 90-day poor outcomes in both all patients’ and non-severe patients’ analyses. These findings suggest that the delayed elevation of plasma FBLN5 is related to poor outcomes, and that FBLN5 may be a new molecular target to reveal a post-SAH pathophysiology.