Tangent Bundle of a Manifold and its Homotopy Type

There is a homotopy equivalence :MM' between closed smooth manifoldsof an odd dimension such that *TM', TM are stably isomorphicbut not isomorphic to each other.     

Gradient estimates in Orlicz space for nonlinear elliptic equations

In this paper we generalize gradient estimates in Lp space to Orlicz space for weak solutions of elliptic equations of p-Laplacian type with small BMO coefficients in δ-Reifenberg flat domains. Our results improve the known results for such equations using a harmonic analysis-free technique.     

Electromagnetic interference shielding characteristics of fabric complexes coated with conductive polypyrrole and thermally evaporated Ag

Through the chemical coating of polypyrrole (PPy) doped with naphthalene sulfonic acid (NSA) on electrically insulating poly (ethylene terephthalate) (PET) woven fabric, PPy–NSA/PET complexes were synthesized. By using the electrochemical coating of PPy doped anthraquinone-2-sulfonic acid (AQSA) on PPy–NSA/PET complexes, PPy–AQSA/PPy–NSA/PET complexes were synthesized. The silver (Ag) was thermally vacuum evaporated on the surface of PPy–AQSA/PPy–NSA/PET complexes (Ag|PPy–AQSA/PPy–NSA/PET). Electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding efficiency (SE) and dc conductivity (σ_dc) of fabric complexes were measured for EMI shielding characteristics and theoretical simulation. The measurement of EMI SE in the frequency range from 50 MHz to 1.5 GHz was performed by using ASTM D4935-99 method. The EMI shielding characteristics such as transmittance, reflectance and absorbance were obtained from the S (scattering)-parameter analysis. We control the contribution of the absorbance or the reflectance to total EMI SE through the coating of conductive PPy and the evaporation Ag.     

Application of QPLEXTM biomarkers in cognitively normal individuals across a broad age range and diverse regions with cerebral amyloid deposition

The deposition of beta-amyloid (Aβ) in the brain precedes the onset of symptoms such as cognitive impairment in Alzheimer’s disease (AD); therefore, the early detection of Aβ accumulation is crucial. We previously reported the applicability of the QPLEX^TM Alz plus assay kit for the prescreening of Aβ accumulation. Here, we tested the specific application of the kit in a large cohort of cognitively normal (CN) individuals of varying ages for the early detection of Aβ accumulation. We included a total of 221 CN participants with or without brain Aβ. The QPLEX^TM biomarkers were characterized based on age groups (1^st–3^rd tertile) and across various brain regions with cerebral amyloid deposition. The 3^rd tertile group (>65 years) was found to be the most suitable age group for the application of our assay kit. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that the area under the curve (AUC, discrimination power) was 0.878 with 69.7% sensitivity and 98.4% specificity in the 3^rd tertile group. Additionally, specific correlations between biomarkers and cerebral amyloid deposition in four different brain regions revealed an overall correlation with general amyloid deposition, consistent with previous findings. Furthermore, the combinational panel with plasma Aβ1–42 levels maximized the discrimination efficiency and achieved an AUC of 0.921 with 95.7% sensitivity and 67.3% specificity. Thus, we suggest that the QPLEX^TM Alz plus assay is useful for prescreening brain Aβ levels in CN individuals, especially those aged >65 years, to prevent disease progression via the early detection of disease initiation.Subject terms: Alzheimer''s disease, Neural ageing, ELISA     

Comparative effects of gamma irradiation and phosphine fumigation on the quality of white ginseng

The hygienic, physicochemical, and organoleptic qualities of white ginseng were monitored during 6 months under accelerated conditions (40°C, 90% r.h.) by observing its microbial populations, disinfestation, and some quality attributes following either gamma irradiation at 2.5–10 kGy or commercial phosphine (PH₃) fumigation. In a comparative study, both treatments were found to be effective for disinfecting the stored samples. Phosphine showed no appreciable decontaminating effects on microorganisms contaminated including coliforms, while 5 kGy irradiation was sufficient to control all microorganisms related to the quality of the packed samples. Irradiation at 5 kGy caused negligible changes in physicochemical attributes of the samples, such as ginsenosides, amino acids, fatty acids, and organoleptic properties, whereas phosphine fumigation was found detrimental to sensory flavor (P<0.01). Quality deterioration occurred in the commercially-packed samples was in the following order: the control, 10 kGy-, phosphine-, and 2.5–5 kGy-treated samples. Accordingly, irradiation at <5 kGy was found to be an effective alternative to phosphine fumigation for white ginseng.     

Upregulation of extracellular matrix metalloproteinase inducer (EMMPRIN) and gelatinases in human atherosclerosis infected with Chlamydia pneumoniae: the potential role of Chlamydia pneumoniae infection in the progression of atherosclerosis

Chlamydia pneumoniae infection implicated as an important etiologic factor of atherosclerosis, especially in coronary artery disease (CAD), was found in vitro to be associated with the induction of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). An extracellular matrix metalloproteinase inducer (EMMPRIN)/ membrane-type 1 matrix metalloproteinase (MT1-MMP) system which induces and activates MMPs, is suggested to be functional and were upregulated in the failing myocardium. However, the upstream regulation of MMPs by C. pneumoniae within atheroma itself remains unclear. We evaluated the seroepidemiologic study of C. pneumoniae infection in CAD patients (n= 391) and controls (n=97) and performed histopathological and in vitro analysis in atherosclerotic vascular tissues obtained from patients with seropositive to C. pneumoniae (n=20), by using immunochemistry for C. pneumoniae, EMMPRIN/MT1-MMP, MMP-2, and MMP-9. The seropositive rates of both anti-C. pneumoniae IgG and IgA were 56.7% in CAD group and 43.3% in control group (P=0.033). Seropositive rate was increased in subgroups of CAD patients without conventional coronary risk factors compared to those with conventional risk factors. Immunoreactivities of EMMPRIN, MT1-MMP, MMP-2, and MMP-9 were increased in the atheromatous plaque itself, predominantly in immunoreactive macrophages/mononuclear cells to C. pneumoniae. Furthermore, Western blot analysis showed that EMMPRIN and MMP-2 were detected more prominently in atherosclerotic tissues infected with C. pneumoniae compared to control tissues. Zymographic analysis revealed that activities of MMP-2 and MMP-9 were more increased in atherosclerotic tissues infected with C. pneumoniae compared to control tissues. The present study demonstrated upstream regulation of MMPs can be induced by C. pneumoniae within atheromatous plaque itself. These findings help to understand the potential role of C. pneumoniae in the progression of atherosclerosis.     

A nanoscale field effect data storage of bipolar endo-fullerenes shuttle device

We investigated the internal dynamics of an electro-fluid shuttle memory element, consisting of K⁺@C₆₀ and F⁻@C₆₀ encapsulated in a C₆₄₀ nanocapsule. Energetics and operating responses of bipolar endo-fullerenes shuttle memory device, (K⁺@C₆₀–F⁻@C₆₀)@C₆₄₀, were examined by classical molecular dynamics simulations under the external force fields.     

On the Automorphism Group of the Kohn-Nirenberg Domain

In this paper, we prove that there are no automorphism orbits of the Kohn-Nirenberg domain accumulating at the origin.     

Global gradient estimates for non-uniformly elliptic equations

We consider a nonlinear and non-uniformly elliptic problem in divergence form on a bounded domain. The problem under consideration is characterized by the fact that its ellipticity rate and growth radically change with the position, which provides a model for describing a feature of strongly anisotropic materials. We establish the global Calderón–Zygmund type estimates for the distributional solution in the case that the boundary of the domain is of class \(C^{1,\beta }\) for some \(\beta >0\).