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Simple Summary: This study explores the use of the 2020 ESGO/ESTRO/ESP molecular classification system in predicting survival and recurrence rates in patients with endometrial cancer. It aims to assess the effectiveness of this new classification by comparing it with previous ESMO guidelines. By incorporating both clinicopathological and molecular factors into the risk assessment, this research seeks to offer a more precise method for categorizing patients, potentially leading to more tailored and effective treatment strategies. The findings could significantly influence future approaches to managing endometrial cancer, emphasizing the importance of molecular risk categorization in improving patient outcomes. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of the 2020 European Society of Gynecological Oncology/European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology/European Society of Pathology (ESGO/ESTRO/ESP) guidelines for endometrial cancer (EC). Additionally, a novel risk category incorporating clinicopathological and molecular factors was introduced. The predictive value of this new category for recurrence and survival in Korean patients with EC was assessed, and comparisons were made with the 2013 and 2016 European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO) risk classifications. Patients with EC were categorized into the POLE-mutated (POLEmut), mismatch repair-deficient (MMRd), p53-aberrant (P53abn), and nonspecific molecular profile (NSMP) subtypes. Recurrence, survival, and adjuvant therapy were assessed according to each classification. Notably, patients with the POLEmut subtype showed no relapse, while patients with the P53abn subtype exhibited higher recurrence (31.8%) and mortality rates (31.8%). Regarding adjuvant therapy, 33.3% of low-risk patients were overtreated according to the 2020 ESGO/ESTRO/ESP guidelines. Overall and progression-free survival differed significantly across molecular classifications, with the POLEmut subtype showing the best and the P53abn subtype showing the worst outcomes. The 2020 ESGO molecular classification system demonstrated practical utility and significantly influenced survival outcomes. Immunohistochemistry for TP53 and MMR, along with POLE sequencing, facilitated substantial patient reclassification, underscoring the clinical relevance of molecular risk categories in EC management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A small molecular cage (4) with high affinity and complete selectivity for fluoride to the limit of detection over other competing small anions was synthesized. Cage 4 was also found to retain the encapsulated fluoride anion within its cavity even after one or two pyrrolic NH protons were subject to deprotonation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to examine the efficacy of combined grape pomace and omija fruit ethanol extracts (GO) on metabolic disorders in overweight or obese subjects. Seventy-six subjects (30-70 years, body mass index ≥23.0 kg/m2) were divided into control (starch, 4 g/day, n = 24), low-GO (low dose GO, grape pomace extract [342.5 mg/day] + omija fruit extract [57.5 mg/day], n = 26), and high-GO (high dose GO, grape pomace extract [685 mg/day] + omija fruit extract [115 mg/day], n = 26) groups. Body composition, nutrient intake, plasma lipid profiles, inflammation, antioxidant capacity, and hepatotoxicity markers were assessed in all subjects at the baseline and 10 weeks after taking the supplements. The body weight and body fat of overweight or obese subjects was not significantly altered in the low-GO and high-GO groups. However, the high-GO supplement significantly decreased the baseline-adjusted final plasma total-cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol, and non-high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol levels and increased the baseline-adjusted final plasma apolipoprotein (apo) A-1 level compared with that of the control group. In addition, the high-GO supplement significantly lowered apo B, apo B/apo A-1, lipoprotein a (Lp[a]), atherogenic index, interleukin (IL)-1 β, tumor necrosis factor- α, and elevated erythrocyte antioxidant capacity compared with the control group or the baseline levels. The low-GO supplement decreased the plasma IL-1 β level and elevated erythrocyte superoxide dismutase activity compared with that at baseline. However, in general, high-GO exerted a greater effect than low-GO. There were no significant differences in activities of plasma glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase and glutamate pyruvate transaminase between the groups. This study is a preliminary clinical study to verify that GO could be beneficial for amelioration of obesity-related dyslipidemia, inflammation, and oxidative stress without side effect in the overweight or obese subjects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The photovoltaic performances of i-ZnO/CdS/Cu(In,Ga)Se2(CIGS) solar cell with different window architectures of SnO2:In2O3(ITO), Al2O3:ZnO (AZO) and ITO/AZO, were experimentally compared. The solar cell with ITO deposited directly on i-ZnO layer showed an abnormal current-voltage characteristic as having a shunt path. Both of AZO and ITO/AZO resulted in normal current-voltage behavior as far as AZO is contacting ZnO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Cu(In,Ga)Se2(CIGS) thin film solar cells were fabricated using ZnS buffer layer deposited by chemical bath deposition and ZnO/Al-doped ZnO transparent conducting layers deposited by magnetron sputtering with two different configurations of target-to-substrate angle and distance in order to evaluate the effect of plasma damage on device performance. The higher efficiency was obtained from the configuration of the substrate being far away from the target center than face-to-face configuration, suggesting that the excessive bombardment of high energy particles from the plasma on the film surface is responsible for the solar cell performance degradation. It is suggested that the improved open-circuit voltage is ascribed to the increased recombination barrier height. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The stacked CuGa/In metallic precursor thin films were fabricated and annealed at low temperature of 200°C before the selenization for fabricating Cu(In,Ga)Se2photovoltaic absorber. The pre-annealing of Cu-In-Ga precursor was found to reduce Cu9Ga4phase and increase the formation of Cu16(In,Ga)9phase, which may be preferable for the subsequent selenization in terms of homogenizing Ga across the absorber thickness. However, the replacement of In with Ga in the ternary phase produced large amount of free-In, which gave rise to blistered area as shunt paths after the selenization. The performance of solar cell fabricated using the pre-annealed precursor was heavily deteriorated compared to the not-annealed precursor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, in an effort to increase the surface Ga contents of Cu(In,Ga)Se2absorber, a high Ga-containing sputter target (Cu-30 at%Ga) was used to produce a precursor and was compared with Cu-22 at%Ga target in terms of photovoltaic performances of completed solar cells. The precursors consisted of multi-stack of CuGa/In and were selenized by using Se vapor at 530°C. The higher efficiency was obtained from the high Ga target with substantial improvement of open-circuit voltage and short-circuit current density. The increased hole concentration with more Ga addition in the absorber was found to be responsible for the higher open-circuit voltage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cu(In,Ga)Se2(CIGS) films were deposited by the three-stage co-evaporation process and the effect of the second stage substrate temperature on device performance were evaluated. With increasing the substrate temperature, the preferred orientation of CIGS was found to be changed from (112) to (220), however, the Ga double grading became weaker and nearly flat for the (220) textured CIGS grown at 570°C. Despite of (220) preferred orientation, the conversion efficiency decreased mainly due to the poor fill factor and open circuit voltage. It is suggested that increasing the growth temperature in order to get (220) preferred CIGS may destroy the advantage of double-graded Ga profile. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We successfully fabricated the TiO2-based photoelectrode doped with reduced graphene oxide (rGO) to improve the power conversion efficiency of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The ratio of rGO was 0.3∼1.5 wt%. The DSSCs with the TiO2photoanode incorporated 0.3 wt% rGO showed a maximum power conversion efficiency of 6.26% which is 44% higher than the pristine TiO2photoelectrode. We concluded the introduction of rGO doped at 0.3 wt% ratio contributed to reducing the resistance of the surface and the interface of the photoelectrode from the observation of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy(EIS). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plasmodium vivax merozoite surface protein 1 (PvMSP1) is believed to be important in erythrocyte invasion. However, the detailed mechanism of PvMSP1-mediated invasion has been unclear. We demonstrate that the C-terminal 19 kDa domain (PvMSP119) of PvMSP1, the 42-kDa fragment of PvMSP1 is further cleaved to a 33 kDa N-terminal polypeptide and a 19 kDa C-terminal fragment in a secondary processing step, is a critical domain in the binding between parasite ligand and erythrocyte receptor. Also, its cytoadherence was successfully blocked by naturally acquired immunity, was partially sensitive to neuraminidase and trypsin. When expressed separately epidermal growth factor (EGF)-like motifs 1 and 2, subunits of the PvMSP119, mediated 64% and 66% of the erythrocyte-binding activity, respectively, relative to their expression together as a single intact ligand domain. These results suggest that the EGF-like motifs 1 and 2 of PvMSP119 function as a core-binding portion in the attachment of PvMSP1 to erythrocytes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Methotrexate (MTX)-mediated gene amplification has been widely used in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells for the biomanufacturing of therapeutic proteins. Although many studies have reported chromosomal instability and extensive chromosomal rearrangements in MTX-mediated gene-amplified cells, which may be associated with cell line instability issues, the mechanisms of chromosomal rearrangement formation remain poorly understood. We tested the impact of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) on chromosomal rearrangements using bleomycin, a DSB-inducing reagent. Bleomycin-treated CHO-DUK cells, which are one of the host cell lines deficient in dihydrofolate reductase (Dhfr) activity, exhibited a substantial number of cells containing radial formations or non-radial formations with chromosomal rearrangements, suggesting that DSBs may be associated with chromosomal rearrangements. To confirm the causes of DSBs during gene amplification, we tested the effects of MTX treatment and the removal of nucleotide base precursors on DSB formation in Dhfr-deficient (i.e., CHO-DUK) and Dhfr-expressing (i.e., CHO-K1) cells. Immunocytochemistry demonstrated that MTX treatment did not induce DSBs per se, but a nucleotide shortage caused by the MTX-mediated inhibition of Dhfr activity resulted in DSBs. Our data suggest that a nucleotide shortage caused by MTX-mediated Dhfr inhibition in production cell lines is the primary cause of a marked increase in DSBs, resulting in extensive chromosomal rearrangements after gene amplification processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the previous study, the culture medium was treated with nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD + ) under the hypothesis that NAD + regeneration is a major factor causing excessive lactate accumulation in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. The NAD + treatment improved metabolism by not only reducing the Warburg effect but also enhancing oxidative phosphorylation, leading to enhanced antibody production. Building on this, four NAD + precursors - nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN), nicotinic acid (NA), nicotinamide riboside (NR), and nicotinamide (NAM) - were tested to elevate intracellular NAD+ levels more economically. First, the ability of CHO cells to utilize both the salvage and Preiss-Handler pathways for NAD + biosynthesis was verified, and then the effect of NAD + precursors on CHO cell cultures was evaluated. These precursors increased intracellular NAD + levels by up to 70.6% compared to the non-treated group. Culture analysis confirmed that all the precursors induced metabolic changes and that NMN, NA, and NR improved productivity akin to NAD + treatment, with comparable integral viable cell density. Despite the positive effects such as the increase in the specific productivity and changes in cellular glucose metabolism, none of the precursors surpassed direct NAD + treatment in antibody titer, presumably due to the reduction in nucleoside availability, as evidenced by the decrease in ATP levels in the NAD + precursor-treated groups. These results underscore the complexity of cellular metabolism as well as the necessity for further investigation to optimize NAD + precursor treatment strategies, potentially with the supplementation of nucleoside precursors. Our findings suggest a feasible approach for improving CHO cell culture performances by using NAD + precursors as medium and feed components for the biopharmaceutical production., (© 2024 The Author(s). Biotechnology Journal published by Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

A molecular cage, macrobicycle 2, containing amide and pyrrole groups as hydrogen-bonding donors and imine groups as hydrogen-bonding acceptors has been synthesized. Compound 2 was found to recognize tetrahedral oxyanions with high affinities, such as H 2 PO 4 - , HSO 4 - , SO 4 2- , and HP 2 O 7 3- , as well as the spherical halide anions, in chloroform. A single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis revealed that compound 2 formed a 1:1 complex with H 2 PO 4 - in the solid state.

This study investigated the effects of a flavonoid-rich ethanol extract of persimmon leaf (PL), an ethanol extract of Citrus junos Sieb (CJS), and a PL-CJS mixture (MPC) on mice fed a highfat diet (HFD). We sought to elucidate the mechanisms of biological activity of these substances using measurements of blood coagulation indices and lipid metabolism parameters. C57BL/6J mice were fed a HFD with PL (0.5% (w/w)), CJS (0.1% (w/w)), or MPC (PL 0.5%, CJS 0.1% (w/w)) for 10 weeks. In comparison with data obtained for mice in the untreated HFD group, consumption of MPC remarkably prolonged the activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) and prothrombin time (PT), whereas exposure to PL prolonged aPTT only. Lower levels of plasma total cholesterol, hepatic cholesterol, and erythrocyte thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances, hepatic HMG-CoA reductase, and decreased SREBP-1c gene expression were observed in mice that received PL and MPC supplements compared with the respective values detected in the untreated HFD animals. Our results indicate that PL and MPC may have beneficial effects on blood circulation and lipid metabolism in obese mice.

Background/objectives: We investigated the effects of a combination of grape pomace (Vitis labrusca, Campbell Early) and Omija fruit (Schizandra chinensis, Baillon) ethanol extracts on lipid metabolism and antioxidant defense system in diet-induced obese mice., Materials/methods: Forty male C57BL/6J mice were divided into four groups and fed high-fat diet (control group, CON) or high-fat diet added 0.5% grape pomace extract (GPE), 0.05% Omija fruit extract (OFE) or 0.5% GPE plus 0.05% OFE (GPE+OFE) for 12 weeks., Results: In contrast to the GPE- or OFE-supplemented groups, the GPE+OFE group showed significantly lower body weight and white adipose tissue weights than the CON group. Moreover, GPE+OFE supplementation significantly decreased plasma total cholesterol and increased the plasma HDL-cholesterol/total-cholesterol ratio (HTR) compared to the control diet. The hepatic triglyceride level was significantly lower in the GPE+OFE and GPE groups by increasing β-oxidation and decreasing lipogenic enzyme compared to the CON group. Furthermore, GPE+OFE supplementation significantly increased antioxidant enzyme activities with a simultaneous decrease in liver H2O2 content compared to the control diet., Conclusions: Together our results suggest that supplementation with the GPE+OFE mixture may be more effective in improving adiposity, lipid metabolism and oxidative stress in high-fat diet-fed mice than those with GPE and OFE alone.

Objectives: Tricalcium phosphate and calcium hydrogenorthophosphate are high production volume chemicals, mainly used as foodstuff additives, pharmaceuticals, lubricants, synthetic resin, and disinfectants. Phosphate has the potential to cause increased algal growth leading to eutrophication in the aquatic environment. However, there is no adequate information available on risk assessment or acute and chronic toxicity. The aim of this research is to evaluate the toxic potential of phosphate compounds in the aquatic environment., Methods: An aquatic toxicity test of phosphate was conducted, and its physico-chemical properties were obtained from a database recommended in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) guidance manual. An ecotoxicity test using fish, Daphnia, and algae was conducted by the good laboratory practice facility according to the OECD TG guidelines for testing of chemicals, to secure reliable data., Results: THE RESULTS OF THE ECOTOXICITY TESTS OF TRICALCIUM PHOSPHATE AND CALCIUM HYDROGENORTHOPHOSPHATE ARE AS FOLLOWS: In an acute toxicity test with Oryzias latipes, 96 hr 50% lethal concentration (LC(50)) was >100 (measured:>2.14) mg/L and >100 (measured: >13.5) mg/L, respectively. In the Daphnia test, 48 hr 50% effective concentration (EC(50)) was >100 (measured: >5.35) mg/L and >100 (measured: >2.9) mg/L, respectively. In a growth inhibition test with Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata, 72 hr EC(50) was >100 (measured: >1.56) mg/L and >100 (measured: >4.4) mg/L, respectively., Conclusions: Based on the results of the ecotoxicity test of phosphate using fish, Daphnia, and algae, L(E)C(50) was above 100 mg/L (nominal), indicating no toxicity. In general, the total phosphorus concentration including phosphate in rivers and lakes reaches levels of several ppm, suggesting that phosphate has no toxic effects. However, excessive inflow of phosphate into aquatic ecosystems has the potential to cause eutrophication due to algal growth.

Background and Objectives: The incidence of postoperative atrial fibrillation after noncardiothoracic surgery is known to be very rare; there have been few prior studies on this topic. We evaluated the incidence, predictors, and prognosis of atrial fibrillation after noncardiothoracic surgery., Subjects and Methods: Patients who underwent noncardiothoracic surgery at our medical center under general anesthesia were enrolled. We reviewed medical records retrospectively and evaluated whether the atrial fibrillation developed postoperatively or was pre-existing. Patients who had a previous history of atrial fibrillation or atrial fibrillation on the pre-operative electrocardiogram were excluded., Results: Between January 2005 and December 2006, 7,756 patients (mean age: 69 years, male: 46%) underwent noncardiothoracic surgery in Samsung Medical Center and 30 patients (0.39%) were diagnosed with newly-developed atrial fibrillation. Patients who developed atrial fibrillation were significantly older and had significantly lower body mass indexes. Newly-developed atrial fibrillation was detected in 0.53% of the male patients and 0.26% of the female patients. The incidence of postoperative atrial fibrillation after an emergency operation was more frequent than that of elective operations (p<0.001). According to the multivariate analysis, age and emergency operations were independent predictors for new onset atrial fibrillation after noncardiothoracic surgery. Postoperative atrial fibrillation developed after a median of 2 days after the noncardiothoracic surgery and was associated with a longer hospitalization and increased in-hospital mortality. Four (13.3%) patients died and the causes of death were non-cardiovascular events such as pneumonia or hemorrhage., Conclusion: Postoperative atrial fibrillation after noncardiothoracic surgery is a rare complication and is associated with older age and emergency operations. Patients who develop atrial fibrillation have longer hospitalizations and higher in-hospital mortality rates.

A complete cDNA sequence encoding a pore-forming subunit (Kir6.2) of ATP-sensitive potassium channel in the adult worm, Clonorchis sinensis, termed CsKir6.2, was isolated from an adult cDNA library. The cDNA contained a single open-reading frame of 333 amino acids, which has a structural motif (a GFG-motif) of the putative pore-forming loop of the Kir6.2. Peculiarly, the CsKir6.2 shows a lack-sequence structure, which deleted 57 amino acids were deleted from its N-terminus. The predicted amino acid sequence revealed a highly conserved sequence as other known other Kir6.2 subunits. The mRNA was weekly expressed in the adult worm.