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Major depressive disorder (MDD) has a high prevalence worldwide. Although the economic burden of depression increases annually, the proportion of patients with MDD receiving treatment did not increase between 2010 and 2018, suggesting an unmet treatment need. The burden of long-term treatment for depression is borne by patients. In this context, biomarkers associated with drug-treatment responses can be used as reference indicators to reduce unnecessary treatment and costs. Changes in biomolecules in response to drug treatment for depression and drug-treatment response markers have been studied extensively. The Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D) is mainly used as an indicator of response and remission; however, it is difficult to determine whether the medication contributes to recovery when evaluating the effect of drug treatment for depression based on this assessment. Therefore, it is necessary to monitor the effect of medication compared to normal health conditions. Here, serum protein levels were compared using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry among a group of patients with depression who did not receive medication, a group of patients receiving medication, and a control group. Eight selected biomarkers, including Apolipoproteins A-I, Complement factor H, Complement C5, Complement C1q subcomponent subunit B, Alpha-2-HS-glycoprotein, Complement C1q subcomponent subunit C, Vitamin D-binding protein and Corticosteroid-binding globulin were distinguished between disease states, and protein levels in the drug-treated group were similar to those in the control group. These markers can be used to monitor the effectiveness of drug treatment. [Display omitted] • Evaluating recovery using the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale is difficult. • Biomarkers that indicate a recovery tendency can be used to monitor the effectiveness of drug treatment in MDD. • Several biological processes are associated with drug treatments for depression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cadmium (Cd), a serious environmental contaminant, is associated with adverse health effects. However, the specific changes that the human body experiences in response to exposure to varying concentrations of cadmium remain unknown. The high levels of heavy metal contamination, especially Cd, in abandoned mines and smelter sites make them ideal locations to investigate the physiological manifestations of Cd exposure. This study found that individuals inhabiting abandoned mine and smelter areas had higher concentrations of Cd in their urine and blood compared to those living outside these areas (i.e., the controls). Furthermore, proteomic profiling of blood samples from all study groups was performed to identify proteomic biomarkers associated with chronic and severe Cd exposure. This analysis showed statistically significant correlations between urine Cd levels and sixteen proteins. Among these proteins, seven exhibited significantly altered expressions in samples from contaminated areas compared with those from control areas. Therefore, these proteins were selected as potential markers representing Cd-related protein alterations. Multiple reaction monitoring analysis was performed to validate the expression patterns of the proteins and four proteins were found to exhibit consistent trends. The findings show that Cd exposure significantly affects the expression of certain proteins in the human body. Understanding the underlying mechanisms and diseases associated with Cd-induced protein alterations can aid in the development of effective preventive and therapeutic strategies for individuals exposed to Cd-linked pollution. [Display omitted] • Urinary and blood Cd levels higher in residents near abandoned mine and smelter areas. • Serum proteomic revealed sixteen proteins correlated with urinary Cd levels. • Four proteins verified as biomarkers altered following Cd exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrogen fuel cell power plants are emerging as a means of transition to a hydrogen economy paradigm to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. Owing to its advantage of eliminating the need for high-voltage transmission grid installations and reducing related conflicts, the acceptance by the community is key to the successful construction of hydrogen fuel cell power plants near residential regions for a decentralized generation that provides heat as well as electricity. This study estimated residents' willingness to accept the construction of a hydrogen fuel cell power plant construction and identified the marginal willingness to accept the attributes using a contingent valuation method and discrete choice experiment, respectively. Combining the results of the two methods, a simulation was conducted to determine the subsidy level. The results revealed that the annual WTA of residents for a 5 MW hydrogen fuel cell power plant at a distance of 1 km from the residential area was about KRW 7.8 million (USD 6037/year). However, the annual WTA decreases to KRW 5.41 million (USD 4185/year) if the plant does not have a large-scale hydrogen storage tank internally and increases to KRW 9.42 million (USD 7287/year) if the plant does not supply hot water. The results of this study can serve as empirical evidence for policymakers to secure their acceptance of expanding hydrogen fuel cell power plants and achieving a hydrogen economy. • Estimate willingness to accept a subsidy for a hydrogen fuel cell power plant • Employed DCE methodology to identify the key factors affecting community acceptance • The annual subsidy of USD 6037/household is needed for a baseline scenario • WTA is influenced by attributes related to safety issues like hydrogen storage tank • Subsidies can increase the acceptance rate by 21.1% points. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) has gained attention for use in cancer treatment owing to its ability to preferentially induce cancer cell death; however, the involved molecular mechanism remains to be elucidated. Herein, an epigenetic effect of CAP on cancer cells was examined by performing a genome-wide ChIP-seq for H3K4me3 in MCF-7 breast cancer cell line. Consequently, 899 genes showed significantly changed methylation level at H3K4 with constructing "Cellular Compromise, DNA Replication, Recombination, Repair, and Cell Cycle" as the top network. Comparisons with expression array data revealed a coincidence between histone modification and gene expression for 18 genes, and the association was confirmed by ChIP-PCR and qRT-PCR for selected genes. The expression of the affected genes, such as HSCB and PRPS1, was recovered when a histone demethylase JARID1A was inhibited. Furthermore, JARID1A was induced by CAP via the reactive oxygen species signaling. The two genes are known as oncogenes and show a higher expression in breast cancer tissue, and this was supported by the decreased colony formation ability of MCF-7 cells when the cells were treated with siRNAs against each gene. Taken together, these data indicate that CAP inhibits cancer cell proliferation by modulating the methylation level of H3K4 corresponding to oncogenes. Graphical abstract fx1 Highlights • Cold atmospheric plasma induced genome-wide alteration of H3K4me3 in the MCF-7. • The H3K4me3 of HSCB and PRPS1 was increased by cold atmospheric plasma. • Inhibition of a histone demethylase (JARID1A) recovered expression of HSCB and PRPS1. • Cold atmospheric plasma inhibits cancer cell proliferation by modulating H3K4me3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cancer recurrence, which is frequently accompanied by chemotherapy, has been a challenge in cancer treatment. This study was carried out to examine the potential applications of the reactive oxygen species (ROS)-producing cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) to overcome the cancer cells’ drug resistance, which has been emerging as an alternative therapeutic tool for cancer. For this, we developed a tamoxifen (Tam)-resistant MCF-7 (MCF-7/TamR) breast cancer cell model and examined the effect of CAP on the recovery of Tam sensitivity at the cellular and molecular level. The ROS level was increased 1.9-fold in CAP-treated MCF-7/TamR cells compared to the non-treated cell. CAP was proven to restore sensitivity by up to 50% for MCF-7/TamR cells against Tam after CAP treatment. The comparison of genome-wide expression between the acquisition of Tam resistance and CAP treatment identified 20 genes that commonly showed significant expression changes. Notably, all the genes except two have been oppositely dysregulated in the two cellular statuses, and the majority of them are known to contribute to the acquisition of Tam resistance. The protein expression of selected genes, MX1 and HOXC6, was recovered to that of their parental cell by CAP. Furthermore, the dysregulation of MX1 and HOXC6 in MCF-7/TamR alleviated the drug sensitivity recovery effect of CAP. Taken together, CAP inhibited the growth of Tam-resistant MCF-7 cancer cells and reset it to the Tam-sensitive status by restoring the expression of drug resistance–related genes. These findings may lend credence to CAP as an alternative or complementary tool in the treatment or prevention of Tam-resistant cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Aligned and non-aligned active magnetic regenerators were compared to each other. • An external magnetic field ordered irregular gadolinium only for the aligned one. • X-ray computed tomography visualized particles inside active magnetic regenerators. • The friction factor was improved by 35.9% using the aligned irregular gadolinium. • The COP of the system was enhanced up to 37.3% by the proposed packing method. In this study, we investigate two types of active magnetic regenerators (AMRs) including non-aligned and aligned particles of irregular gadolinium and verify their effect on the performance of a magnetic refrigeration system. The aligned AMRs were packed with irregular particles under the external magnetic field to line them up, while the non-aligned AMRs without the magnetic field during their preparation. According to the X-ray computed tomography, the particles were observed to be arranged in parallel to the flow direction in the aligned AMRs whereas they were randomly located in the non-aligned ones. The pressure drop by the aligned AMRs was 18.8 % smaller than that by the non-aligned ones when heat transfer fluid flowed, which was deionized water with 3 vol% of anti-corrosive additive. Moreover, the friction factor for the aligned AMRs was 35.9 % smaller than that for the non-aligned ones on average, which was even 20.5 % lower than the ones with spheres estimated by the Carman correlation. Meanwhile, the coefficient of performance of the aligned AMRs was improved by 37.3 %, 27.3 %, and 10.5 % in 0.56, 0.71, and 1.00 Hz of the nominal operating frequencies in the system with 4.5 K of the temperature span. This enhancement was mainly attributed to the power consumption by the pump which declined by 8.9 %, 16.4 %, and 9.4 % on average at each nominal operating frequency by using the aligned AMRs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A new testbed is developed for a reciprocating magnetic refrigeration system. • The magnetic assembly enables both series and parallel AMR modes. • A novel sequential flow controller simplifies the magnetic refrigeration system. • Cartridge-type AMR is suggested for layering different magnetocaloric materials. • 25.5 W/kg of the maximum specific cooling capacity was obtained in the testbed. In this research, a new testbed for a magnetic refrigeration system (MR system) at room temperature is proposed. The testbed is characterized by a magnetic assembly for both series and parallel active magnetic regenerator (AMR) modes, a hydraulic system simplified by a novel sequential flow controller, and a cartridge-type AMR with an original design for mechanically packing magnetocaloric materials. To evaluate the testbed, experimental analysis was performed. Firstly, the magnetic assembly was measured that the maximum magnetic flux density was 0.921 T in the magnetization area and the minimum was 0.013 T in the demagnetization area. It was found that the sequential flow controller worked up to 0.63 Hz of the operating frequency. Moreover, the controller was validated to operate in both magnetic Brayton and hybrid Brayton-Ericsson refrigeration cycles with data on the mass flow rate of the heat transfer fluid. According to the performance test using 60.3 g of Gadolinium in the cartridge-type AMRs, the testbed achieved 5.9 K of maximum temperature span at 0.63 Hz of operating frequency and 0.52 of utilization factor in the parallel AMR mode without a thermal load in the hybrid cycle. In a load test, the system produced a maximum of 1.54 W of cooling capacity with 2.4 K of temperature span and 0.8 of coefficient of performance in the parallel AMR mode at 0.56 Hz of operating frequency and 0.75 of utilization factor during the hybrid cycle. Finally, the results state that the overlap of the higher and lower temperature cycles adversely influenced the temperature span in the series mode while the parallel mode contributed to a stable temperature span, especially in the thermal load condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Spin-transfer-torque (STT) switching in magnetic-tunnel-junction (MTJ) has important merits over the conventional field induced magnetic switching (FIMS) MRAM in avoiding half-select problem, and improving scalability and selectivity. Design of MRAM circuitry using STT-based MTJ elements requires an accurate circuit model which exactly emulates the characteristics of an MTJ in a circuit simulator such as HSPICE. This work presents a novel macro-model that fully emulates the important characteristics of STT-based MTJ. The macro-model is realized as a three terminal sub-circuit that reproduces asymmetric resistance versus current (R–I) characteristics and temperature dependence of R–I hysteresis of STT-based MTJ element. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Excessive cellphone use impacts attention and learning in classrooms. Given that attention declines over time, we investigated when during lecture cellphones might impair learning. Across two experiments, participants watched a 20-min lecture under different cellphone conditions (keep or remove). Groups who kept their cellphones received distracting text messages during the lecture. Participants were quizzed on the lecture. Quiz questions were divided into four segments depending on when the material was presented. Lastly, participants' nomophobia—the fear of being without access to one's cellphone—was assessed. Participants who kept their cellphone performed worse on the quiz for material presented in the 3rd quarter of the lecture than those without cellphones. Distracted participants performed worse on the test for the same material than those who were not distracted. Participants higher in nomophobia, especially on subscales having to do with losing connectedness and giving up convenience, performed worse on the quiz for material that occurred in the 3rd quarter of the lecture. Findings indicate that having cellphones in a short lecture has its largest impact on attention and learning 10–15 min into the lecture. This study provides novel insights into the interactions between technology and learning to help educators and students optimize learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the thermal transition and concomitant morphology change of polyimide films, investigated through dynamic mechanical analyses, thermo-mechanical analyses, and X-ray diffraction spectroscopy. For this study, highly transparent polyimide films composed of 3,4,3′,4′-biphenyltetracarboxylic dianhydride and fluorinated diamines, 2,2′-bis(trifluoromethyl)-4,4′-diaminobiphenyl, are prepared through a solvent-casting method. The films are annealed at different temperatures, and two kinds of reaction solvents (n-methyl-2-pyrrolidone and N,N-dimethylacetamide) for the polyimide precursors are compared. The mechanical analyses during thermal transition along with spectroscopic measurements reveal unusual transition behaviors and morphology differences between the polyimide films at various annealing temperatures. The results can be applied to the quantitative analysis of the imidization ratio in highly imidized polyimides when the films are imidized thermally at temperatures above 300 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Direct internal pressure measurements of the cylindrical Li-ion cells with a mixture of LiCoO2 and Li1.167Ni0.233Co0.1Mn0.467Mo0.033O2 (a solid solution between 0.4 Li2Mn0.8Ni0.1Mo0.1O3 and 0.6 LiNi0.4Co0.2Mn0.4O2) as cathode and graphite as anode have been performed during cell charging. Cell internal pressure at the end of charging is greatly reduced from 2.85 to 0.84–1.84 bar by adding a small amount of phosphorus derivatives such as triphenyl phosphine (TPP), ethyl diphenylphosphinite (EDP), and triethyl phosphite (TEP) into a carbonate-based electrolyte. The phosphorus derivatives are supposed to react with O2 generated from the decomposition of the Li2MnO3 component. The chemical states of additive molecules before and after the charging process have been characterized with a nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). It has also been shown that those additives improve the cycle life when applied in coin full cells. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Set in rural Uganda and using Lowenfeld (1947–1957) developmental stages model as a theoretical framework, this study describes an early childhood literacy project (Goodman and Dent, 2019) and the impact of the Storytelling/Story-Acting (STSA) play-based intervention on participating children's drawings. Ugandan children ages 3–5 were randomly assigned to participate in either the STSA play intervention (n = 63) or a story-reading activity (n = 60) for one hour twice weekly for six months. All children were assessed for school readiness skills before and after the six-month intervention. Two-hundred sixty-three drawings of four Ugandan children (two from the control group and two from the intervention group) who demonstrated the greatest change on a measure of school readiness were selected from the larger sample for analysis using the Formal Elements and Content rating scales. All four children demonstrated important deviations from Lowenfeld's developmental stages model, including a vertical baseline and faceless human figures observed in most of the drawings. Formal Elements but not Content changed over time. Girls performed differently from boys on both Formal Elements and Content. Artistic progression is relative to the cultural milieu in which the child is embedded. • The formal elements of Ugandan preschool children's drawings changed over six months. • The content of Ugandan preschool children's drawings did not change over six months. • Ugandan preschool children demonstrated the use of a vertical baseline and no faces. • Researchers and therapists can use drawings to assess change in non-Western cultures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]