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Using resting-state fMRI is a challenge in patients with large tumors owing to mass effect and potentially altered representation of function, i.e., remapping. The best approach to atlas registration in tumor patients remains uncertain. In this work, we investigated the effects of alternative approaches to atlas registration on resting-state fMRI functional connectivity in glioblastoma (GBM) patients and studied the impact of GBM on functional brain organization. We analyzed data representing 59 GBM patients and 161 age-matched healthy subjects and systemically investigated affine vs. non-linear atlas registration and two associated masking options. Outcomes were assessed both in terms of structural data match to an atlas template as well as functional connectivity (FC) match to a reference dataset. Next, we evaluated the impact of GBMs on the organization of brain networks accounting for the hierarchical organization of resting state networks. Our results demonstrate that non-linear atlas registration with tumor masking optimizes both structural normalization and FC mapping. The aberrancy map results, obtained with fine parcellations, are consistent with prior findings showing that FC abnormalities induced by focal lesions are widely distributed. However, the results obtained with coarse parcellations indicate that functional architecture is grossly normal in tumor patients.

Many studies have introduced full-duplex (FD) medium access controls (MAC) in wireless networks that realize the physical FD capability of the latest devices. However, practical experiences with 802.11 wireless LANs (WLANs) have not yet been addressed. This study proposes a novel FD MAC that extends the IEEE 802.11 based on no acknowledgment (NoAck) data transmission. Because ACK is not needed after data transmission, the MAC can be purely asynchronous; there is neither overhead required for synchronizing transmission, such as request-to-send/clear-to-send (RTS/CTS) handshaking, nor wasted time even in asymmetric traffic. The proposed MAC also provides access point (AP) initiated uni-directional full-duplex (AP-initiated UFD) transmission, which has mostly not been supported in practice, by extending the carrier sense condition. An approximated collision avoidance method is also introduced, where a CTS frame without a preceding RTS is transmitted by AP using FD capability to protect the frame being received. A prototype of the proposed MAC is implemented in ns-3 network simulator, and extensive simulation experiments are conducted in various test setups to validate the correct MAC behaviors, performance improvement, and fairness. The results show that performance improvements, more than twice as high under favorable conditions, are possible while maintaining interoperability with legacy devices.

Background The presence and progression of interstitial lung abnormalities (ILAs) is known to be associated with a decline of lung function and increased risk of mortality. Research Question We aimed to elucidate the clinical course according to ILAs in patients with COPD. Study Design and Methods A retrospective study was conducted between January 2013 and December 2018 of COPD patients who underwent chest CT imaging and longitudinal pulmonary function tests. We evaluated radiologic findings, history of acute exacerbations of COPD, and lung function changes during the longitudinal follow-up. Results Of 363 patients with COPD, 44 and 103 patients had equivocal and definite ILAs, respectively. Patients with ILAs were significantly older and had lower FEV1 and FVC than patients without ILAs. During the mean follow-up period of 5.2 years, ILAs were associated significantly with the annual incidence of moderate to severe acute exacerbation of COPD (β ± SD, 0.38 ± 0.12; P = .002) and with the risk of frequent exacerbation (adjusted OR, 2.03; P = .045). Patients with progressive ILAs showed a significantly higher rate of annual decline in FEV1 and FVC than those showing no change in, or improved, ILAs. Interpretation ILAs were associated significantly with moderate to severe acute exacerbation in patients with COPD, and the progression of ILAs was associated with an accelerated decline in lung function.

Background We examined the actionable genomic alterations in ovarian cancer by analysing the nationwide registry of next-generation sequencing (NGS) data. Methods From March 2017 to December 2018, 16,458 patients with cancer underwent NGS testing under the interim coverage programme for NGS provided by the National Health Insurance of Korea. Among these patients, 779 patients had advanced ovarian cancer. Fifty-eight mutations were reported as pathogenic variants, which included likely pathogenic variants, and 55 theoretically actionable genes were analysed. Results The prevalence of pathogenic mutations in the population was 81.5%, whereas 11.6% of the population had neither a pathogenic mutation nor a variant of unknown significance. Common pathogenic mutations shared by at least 3% of the study population were mutations in TP53 (61.5%), BRCA1 (12.2%), PIK3CA (10.4%), KRAS (10.3%), BRCA2 (9.6%) and PTEN (3.7%). BRCA1/2 pathogenic mutations were found in 14.0% (42 of 300, 95% confidence interval = 10–18%) of the patients with TP53 wild-type tumours, comprising approximately one-quarter (25.9%) of the total observed BRCA1/2 pathogen mutations. At least one pathogenic mutation in a theoretically actionable gene was found in 49.2% of patients. Among patients without a BRCA1/2 pathogenic mutation, mutations were frequently observed in KRAS (12.2%), PIK3CA (10.4%) and PTEN (4.2%). PTCH1 mutations were correlated with ATM, NF1, ERBB2 and MTOR mutations (adjusted p = 0.0054, p = 0.0035, p = 0.0010 and p = 0.0003, respectively). Conclusions Almost half of patients with ovarian cancer could be estimated as theoretical candidates for genomic medicine. Substantial BRCA1/2 pathogenic mutations were observed in patients not harbouring a TP53 mutation.

Background The risk stratification value of the 6-min walk test (6MWT) to decide the feasibility of surgical resection is not well elucidated in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and moderately decreased lung function. Objective This study aimed to determine the role of the 6MWT in predicting postoperative cardiopulmonary complications in patients with NSCLC who underwent lobectomy and had moderately decreased lung function. Methods The data were obtained from a prospective cohort study called Coordinate Approach to Cancer Patient’s Health for Lung Cancer (CATCH-LUNG). Patients who underwent lobectomy for NSCLC were classified into two groups according to predicted postoperative pulmonary function (low-risk group or moderate-risk group); each group was then further classified into short-distance ( Results The adjusted ORs for any postoperative pulmonary complications, postoperative cardiac complications, and postoperative cardiopulmonary complications in patients with moderate-risk/short-distance relative to those with low-risk/long-distance were 10.26 (95% CI, 2.37-44.36), 5.65 (95% CI, 1.39-22.90), and 7.84 (95% CI, 2.24-27.46), respectively. However, these complications were not different between the patients with moderate-risk/long-term distance and those with low-risk/long-distance. Among patients in the moderate-risk group, those in the short-distance group had a significantly higher risk of postoperative cardiopulmonary complications compared with those in the long-distance group (adjusted OR, 4.95; 95% CI, 1.37-17.93). Conclusions Patients with NSCLC with moderate-risk/short-distance were at greater risk of developing postoperative cardiopulmonary complications; it may be feasible, however, for patients with NSCLC and moderate-risk/long-distance to undergo lobectomy compared with those with low-risk/long-distance. Our study suggests that the 6MWT could provide additional information in identifying optimal candidates for lung resection surgery of NSCLC. Trial Registry ClinicalTrials.gov; No.: NCT03705546 ; URL: www.clinicaltrials.gov .

The Golgi is the central sorting station in the secretory pathway and thus the destination of transport vesicles arriving from the endoplasmic reticulum and endosomes and from within the Golgi itself. Cell viability, therefore, requires that the Golgi accurately receives multiple classes of vesicle. One set of proteins proposed to direct vesicle arrival at the Golgi are the golgins, long coiled-coil proteins localized to specific parts of the Golgi stack. In mammalian cells, three of the golgins, TMF, golgin-84, and GMAP-210, can capture intra-Golgi transport vesicles when placed in an ectopic location. However, the individual golgins are not required for cell viability, and mouse knockout mutants only have defects in specific tissues. To further illuminate this system, we examine the Drosophila orthologs of these three intra-Golgi golgins. We show that ectopic forms can capture intra-Golgi transport vesicles, but strikingly, the cargo present in the vesicles captured by each golgin varies between tissues. Loss-of-function mutants show that the golgins are individually dispensable, although the loss of TMF recapitulates the male fertility defects observed in mice. However, the deletion of multiple golgins results in defects in glycosylation and loss of viability. Examining the vesicles captured by a particular golgin when another golgin is missing reveals that the vesicle content in one tissue changes to resemble that of a different tissue. This reveals a plasticity in Golgi organization between tissues, providing an explanation for why the Golgi is sufficiently robust to tolerate the loss of many of the individual components of its membrane traffic machinery.

The use of chemoresistive gas sensors based on metal oxides has expanded to various fields such as medical diagnosis and air quality systems as well as gas leakage detectors with the development of the Internet of Things. Accordingly, sensitivity, selectivity, power consumption, and reproducibility become important factors in the development of gas sensors. Herein, we developed a facile method to fabricate a gas sensor based on porous Au-incorporated tungsten trioxide (WO3) thin films for highly sensitive and selective NO2 sensing. The mixed solution of ammonium tetrathiotungstate [(NH4)2WS4] and gold chloride (AuCl3) was transformed to Au-incorporated WO3 thin films through the spin-coating and annealing process. The gas sensors based on the Au-incorporated WO3 thin films exhibited improved sensitivity, selectivity, and response time upon exposure to NO2 with a significantly low theoretical detection limit of 28 ppt at 150 ℃ compared to gas sensors based on the pristine WO3 thin film. The high sensing properties are attributed to the porous structure and catalytic effects of Au nanoparticles. In addition to these remarkable NO2 sensing properties, the facile and cost-effective fabrication process enlarges the potential of the Au-incorporated WO3 thin films for practical and commercial gas sensing applications.

We categorized patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) based on cortical atrophy patterns and evaluated whether the prognosis differed across the subtypes. Furthermore, we developed a classifier that learns the cortical atrophy pattern and predicts subtypes at an individual level. A total of 662 patients with aMCI were clustered into 3 subtypes based on cortical atrophy patterns. Of these, 467 patients were followed up for more than 12 months, and the median follow-up duration was 43 months. To predict individual-level subtype, we used a machine learning–based classifier with a 10-fold cross-validation scheme. Patients with aMCI were clustered into 3 subtypes: medial temporal atrophy, minimal atrophy (Min), and parietotemporal atrophy (PT) subtypes. The PT subtype had higher prevalence of APOE e4 carriers, amyloid PET positivity, and greater risk of dementia conversion than the Min subtype. The accuracy for binary classification was 89.3% (MT vs. Rest), 92.6% (PT vs. Rest), and 86.6% (Min vs. Rest). When we used ensemble model of 3 binary classifiers, the accuracy for predicting the aMCI subtype at an individual level was 89.6%. Patients with aMCI with the PT subtype were more likely to have underlying Alzheimer's disease pathology and showed the worst prognosis. Our classifier may be useful for predicting the prognosis of individual aMCI patients.

Residual impurities on the surface of graphene after device fabrication degrade the performance of graphene electronic devices. It is important to solve this issue in order to use graphene in electronic devices. In this study, we removed residues using four plasma treatment methods following the photolithography process. The four plasma treatment methods were hydrogen plasma treatment (Process 1, P1), methane plasma treatment (Process 2, P2), hydrogen plasma pre- and methane plasma post-treatment (Process 3, P3), and hydrogen-methane mixed plasma treatment (Process 4, P4). The results were analyzed using atomic force microscopy and Raman spectroscopy. Of the four treatments, Process 4 showed the most remarkable removal of photoresist residue and healing of the damaged graphene film, thereby improving the mobility of the graphene. The total resistance of the graphene channel in the device was also considerably reduced. These results reveal that a hydrogen-methane mixed plasma treatment (P4) could be a powerful method for removing residue on the surface of graphene after the lithography process.

Genetically modified (GM) soybean events CT-4025 and CT-1001, which contain genes encoding thioredoxin and epidermal growth factor, respectively, have previously been developed for use in cosmetic materials. In this study, compositional analyses and metabolic profiling were carried out to assess the unintended effects on the composition of metabolites between GM soybeans and non-GM soybeans. The soybeans were cultivated in 2016 and 2017 in two regions (Ochang and Jeonju) in the Republic of Korea. Statistical analyses were performed using univariate and multivariate methods. Results from the compositional analysis showed that the compositional variation in the tested GM varieties was within the range of conventional varieties. Furthermore, the results of multivariate analysis revealed that the growing year had a much stronger effect on soybean composition than did the growing site or genotypes. In the case of soybeans harvested in 2016, the levels of most amino acids decreased while those of secondary metabolites and sucrose increased, indicating that water stress due to low rainfall in 2016 induced metabolic changes. These results suggest that environmental factors have a major impact on the composition of GM and non-GM soybeans. We further demonstrated that metabolic approaches are useful for investigating the environmental change-induced metabolic network in GM crops intended for use in cosmetic materials.

Ballast water is a common vector for the transport of invasive species to new marine and aquatic environments. We used a metagenomics approach to examine the composition and diversity of viral communities in ballast water from ships originating in Mexico, Saudi Arabia, New York, and Panama, and in water from the port of their destination in Busan, Korea. Myoviridae was the most abundant virus family in ballast water, followed Podoviridae and Siphoviridae. We also identified viruses that infect invertebrates, amoebas, and algae in ballast water and in the Busan port water. Interestingly, there were several viruses that infect humans or other animals (Swinepox virus, Raccoonpox virus, Suid herpesvirus, and Human endogenous retrovirus) in the samples from New York and Panama. In addition, there were giant viruses in all the ballast water samples, especially, identified Megavirus chilensis in New York and Panama, and Pandoravirus salinus in Mexico and Saudi Arabia. These results provide detailed descriptions of the characteristics of the viruses present in ballast water, document significant viral diversity, and indicate the potential translocation of viruses via ballast water.

Purpose The purpose of this study was to evaluate the adverse drug reactions (ADRs) and serious adverse events associated with capecitabine use in Korean patients by analyzing data from a comprehensive national database of adverse events. Method Data from all reports concerning capecitabine (Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical code: L01BC06) generated between January 2011 and December 2014 were collected from the Korean Adverse Event Reporting System database (KAERS). Results A total of 676 reports and 1069 capecitabine-related ADRs were identified. Ninety-nine cases (14.6%) were classified as serious adverse events. The most commonly reported capecitabine-related ADRs involved gastrointestinal system disorders (324, 30.3%), including diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and stomatitis , followed by skin and appendage reactions (220, 20.6%), which included symptoms such as skin discoloration/disorder/dryness, itching, and rash. Conclusions Patients need to be educated about the common ADRs associated with capecitabine intake in a clinical setting. Patient characteristics must be considered when determining the capecitabine dosage and risk of ADRs, and nursing intervention is critical for preventing exacerbation of these ADRs.

In this study, a polystyrene-block-polyisoprene-block-polystyrene (SIS) based dielectric paste was fabricated using barium titanate (BT) as dielectric filler in order to produce organic-inorganic composites for 3D dispenser printing applications. Since a high loading of inorganic filler is generally required to obtain high dielectric properties, the surface of BT was modified with two different phosphonic acids having functional groups resembling the groups contained in the block copolymer, in order to achieve a high compatibility between the filler and the polymer matrix. Upon incorporation of 80 wt% of BT in SIS, the dielectric constant was found to be approximately 3 times higher than that of bare SIS. The surface modification of the filler enhanced its dispersion within the polymer matrix, as confirmed by the surface morphology of the composite film at a high filler content. The desired viscoelasticity was achieved through the fine-tuning of the total solid content, and consequently, the potential application of the composite as 3D printable paste was demonstrated through the formation of a layer-by-layer printed structure on a flexible substrate.

Recently, two-dimensional (2D) materials have attracted attention for gas sensor fields due to their unique properties such as high surface to volume ratio and numerous active sites. In particular, reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and MoS2 are one of the most promising materials for humidity sensor due to the oxygen containing functional groups on the surface of rGO and dangling bonds at the edge site of MoS2. Herein, we present 2D rGO/2D MoS2 hybrid composites (MS-GOs) synthesized by hydrothermal method. rGO and MoS2 are mixed with different molar ratios and drop-casted on SiO2 substrate with Pt interdigitated electrode. At an optimized molar ratio of rGO/MoS2, the sensor device exhibits high sensitivity, good selectivity, rapid response and recovery, and good linearity for humidity sensing. The enhanced sensing properties are attributed to the p-n junction between rGO and MoS2. Our work provides an efficient way for realizing high-performance and fast responding humidity sensors utilizing 2D-2D heterojunction materials based chemoresistive humidity sensors for use in diverse applications.

A total of 10 t/d of bio-solid (BS) fuel was produced from 45 t/d of organic solid waste (OSW) containing 80 wt% water using a fry-drying and torrefaction (FDT) plant. This study aimed at evaluating economic feasibility of the FDT plant in terms of the total capital investment (TCI), total production cost (TPC), return on investment (ROI) and payback period (PBP). Two different heating sources for steam generation were used: Case 1 using BS produced in this plant, and Case 2 using LNG provided externally. A four-level economic potential approach was applied to evaluate economic feasibility. A sensitivity analysis was conducted to determine the major factors influencing ROI. Case 1 using BS showed a higher ROI than Case 2 using LNG because the LNG cost overwhelmed the TCI increment of Case 1. For Case 1 with 45 t/d of OSW, the TCI, TPC, ROI and PBP were $3.6 million, $1.3 million/yr, 6.0%/yr and 9.8 yr, respectively. To achieve a desired ROI of 10%/yr, the plant sizes of Cases 1 and 2 were 60 and 90 t/d, respectively. When the OSW treatment credit increased from 100 $/t to 120 $/t, ROI exceeded 10% in Case 1 with 45 t/d.

The resonance of media output plays an important role in the age of misinformation and fake news. While scholars have extensively studied resonance, they have mostly focused on whether and why particular messages align with the predispositions of their intended audience rather than systematically analyzing how they are interpreted by the wider population. Based on computational text analyses of the news media coverage from 118 outlets in France and weekly surveys of what people retained from the news during the same period, this paper investigates the ways in which the frames used by the media trigger different types of resonance in accordance with people’s diverse interpretations and utilizations of the messages to which they have been exposed. We theoretically argue that resonance is not just an objective alignment between a message and one’s predispositions, but a subjective interpretation and utilization of the message heard. We empirically identify three different types of subjective resonance: problem-solving, problem-aggravating, and problem-generating. This research contributes to a better understanding of the mechanisms of resonance by expanding on previous works on the cognitive and emotional dimensions of resonance.

Tar formation resulting during lignocellulosic biomass gasification is a major impediment to utilizing biomass energy sources, in that it blocks and fouls the processing equipment; as such, any tar present in the produced syngas much be effectively removed. This study analyzes the ability of commercially available Ni and Ru based CH4 reforming catalysts to effect tar removal and compares deactivation characteristics. Toluene was used as the model biomass tar at concentrations of 30 and 100 g/Nm3. Several additional parameters were also tested, including reaction temperatures (400–800 °C), space velocities (5000–30,000 h−1), and the steam/toluene ratios (2–20). The variation of toluene conversion and product gas composition with reaction conditions was analyzed. Overall, H2 and CO production were favored by the Ru catalyst and generally increased with temperature. Conversion also increased with temperature, with conversions higher than 90% obtained at 800 °C.

A cross-stacking MoS2/graphene hybrid patterns for the application to advanced flexible opto-electronic devices have been demonstrated by soft-lithographic patterning method. Well-defined MoS2/graphene hybrid pattern was fabricated simply by a soft lithographic patterning technique. In-depth exploration for the optical properties of diverse cross-stacking photodetectors based on MoS2/graphene patterns was carried out. In addition, cross-stacking MoS2/graphene was demonstrated onto a flexible polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrate for the analysis of physical properties of devices. Substantially, this method should pave the way for realistic applications of transparent and flexible nano-electronic devices based on 2D materials.

Vitamins are known to be associated with immunity and nutrition. Moreover, vitamin deficiency can affect host immunity to various infectious diseases, including tuberculosis. Although patients with tuberculosis often have vitamin D deficiency, little is known about the levels of other vitamins. Here, we aimed to investigate the status of vitamins A, BWe performed a case-control study to investigate the serum vitamin concentrations in 152 patients with tuberculosis and 137 control subjects. The concentrations of vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin E, homocysteine, and methylmalonic acid were measured using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) or HPLC-tandem mass spectrometry. Patient demographic data and other biochemical parameters were also analyzed.The serum concentrations of vitamins A, D, and E were significantly lower in patients with tuberculosis than in control subjects (1.4 vs. 2.0 μmol/L, P 0.001; 10.6 vs. 19.3 ng/mL, P 0.001; and 22.8 vs. 30.6 μmol/L, P 0.001, respectively). In contrast, the methylmalonic acid levels were higher in patients with tuberculosis (134.9 vs. 110.8 nmol/L, P 0.001). The prevalences of vitamin deficiencies were significantly higher in patients with tuberculosis. Moreover, multiple vitamin deficiencies were only observed in patients with tuberculosis (22.4% of all patients with tuberculosis vs. 0% of all control subjects). Positive correlations among vitamin A, D, and E concentrations were observed (vitamins A and D, r = 0.395; vitamins D and E, r = 0.342; and vitamins A and E, r = 0.427, P 0.001). Body mass index, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein, iron, and total iron-binding capacity all showed positive correlations with vitamin A, D, and E concentrations.Vitamin deficiencies are common in patients with tuberculosis. Further research investigating the clinical importance of vitamin and nutritional status in patients with tuberculosis is needed.

The histological subtypes by peripheral tumor location remain uncharacterized in COPD patients with emphysema. We investigated histologic subtypes of peripheral lung cancers based on the context of heterogeneous emphysema distribution in patients with airflow limitation and CT-determined emphysema. A retrospective, cross-sectional study was conducted using data from 754 patients with airflow limitation and newly-diagnosed primary lung cancers from February 2013 to February 2015. Of these, 230 patients had emphysema, as determined by computed tomography software designed to quantify emphysema. Among the 230 patients, the most common subtype in central lesions (n=84) was squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) (n=64/84, 76%). Adenocarcinoma (ADC) was more frequently observed in peripheral lesions (n=146) than central lesions (58/146 [40%] vs. 4/84 [5%], p

Although transition metal carbides (TMCs) exhibit intriguing physical and chemical properties, a central issue for multifaceted applications based on TMC materials is to meet a large-scale and reliable synthetic route of air-stable TMC materials. Here, the primary aim is to address the issues by synthesizing Mo2C encapsulated with multilayer graphene coral-like nanostructure. The oxidation stability of Mo2C can be effectively compensated by the complementary hybridization of multilayer graphene, which serves as a perfect chemical barrier. Large-scale graphene/Mo2C can be readily synthesized on commercial Mo foils by surface-oxidation-mediated chemical vapor deposition. Explicit structural and chemical evaluation was implemented to explore the structural and chemical manipulation of Mo2C by selecting the starting material (Mo or MoO3). Differences in the thickness of the oxide layers on the Mo surface led to structural and material diversities for the formation of Mo2C with nanogranular and graphene/Mo2C coral-like nanostructures. The capability of graphene/Mo2C for applications in nanostructured electrodes and heaters was validated by its extraordinary electrical conductivity, substantial enhancement in chemical durability and mechanical flexibility, and outstanding performance of deformable heaters.

A strain measurement method is proposed that defines an intrinsic flow stress equation for various strain rates using representative brittle and ductile polypropylene composites. Digital image correlation is used to track strain at the local fracture point. Results are compared with those of the gauge length method. Whereas the strain up to diffuse necking is identical, regardless of the acquisition method, the strain after diffuse necking is completely dependent on the specimen's fracture location; hence, it is underestimated if the fracture is not in the specimen's center. In brittle material, fracture strain deviation is not large because fracture occurs immediately after necking. In ductile material, limits to extrapolating from the stress–strain relationship before necking exist, as stress-softening progresses slowly. The proposed method reduced the fracture strain deviation to 20% of that of the existing method, thereby determining a consistent and quantitative plastic stress–strain relationship up to fracture.

Although Mycobacterium massiliense lung disease is increasing in patients with cystic fibrosis and non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis, optimal treatment regimens remain largely unknown. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of oral macrolide therapy after an initial 2-week course of combination antibiotics for the treatment of M massiliense lung disease.Seventy-one patients received oral macrolides, along with an initial 4-week (n = 28) or 2-week (n = 43) IV amikacin and cefoxitin (or imipenem) treatment. These patients were treated for 24 months (4-week IV group) or for at least 12 months after negative sputum culture conversion (2-week IV group).Total treatment duration was longer in the 4-week IV group (median, 23.9 months) than in the 2-week IV group (15.2 months; P .001). The response rates after 12 months of treatment were 89% for symptoms, 79% for CT scanning, and 100% for negative sputum culture results in the 4-week IV group. In the 2-week IV group, these values were 100% (P = .057), 91% (P = .177), and 91% (P = .147), respectively. Acquired macrolide resistance developed in two patients in the 2-week IV group. Genotyping analyses of isolates from patients who did not achieve negative sputum culture conversion during treatment and from those with positive culture results after successful treatment completion revealed that most episodes were due to reinfection with different genotypes of M massiliense.Oral macrolide therapy after an initial 2-week course of combination antibiotics might be effective in most patients with M massiliense lung disease.ClinicalTrials.gov; No.: NCT00970801; URL: www.clinicaltrials.gov.

Background and aims Body composition contributes to the risk of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and glomerular hyperfiltration. In adults with normal body mass index (BMI), the relationships of body composition with CKD and high estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) are largely unknown. Methods and results We analyzed 10,734 adults from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES), whose body mass index (BMI) was within the normal range (18.5–24.9 kg/m 2 ). Body composition was categorized into four phenotypes (normal, sarcopenia alone, obesity alone, and sarcopenic obesity) based on appendicular lean mass index (ALMI) and total body fat percentage (TBF%) measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). We examined the relationship of CKD and high eGFR (eGFR ≥ 120 ml/min per 1.73 m 2 ) with body composition phenotypes. Sarcopenia alone (14.3%), obesity alone (16.0%), and sarcopenic obesity (10.7%) were prevalent. The association between sarcopenia alone and eGFR was J-shaped, while that between sarcopenic obesity and eGFR was U-shaped. In multivariate logistic regression analysis compared with the normal phenotype, sarcopenic obesity had an elevated odds ratio (OR) for CKD (OR: 1.59, 95% CI: 1.16–2.19). Sarcopenia alone (OR: 1.87; 95% CI: 1.41–2.47) and sarcopenic obesity (OR: 2.37, 95% CI: 1.68–3.36) had elevated OR for high eGFR. Conclusion These findings suggest that decreased muscle mass and coexistence with excess adiposity show associations with CKD and high eGFR even in adults with normal BMI. Body composition measured by DXA could provide information on the relationship of body composition with CKD and high eGFR.

The aim of this study was to evaluate serum cytokines and natural antimicrobial peptide profiles in pulmonary tuberculosis, and compare them with levels in controls without tuberculosis, to explore the associations between these biomarkers and response to antituberculosis treatment. Serum levels of 10 biomarkers were measured using a Luminex bead array platform. Tuberculosis biosignatures were identified from the discovery cohort (n=148) and were validated in the independent cohort (n=148). Association between biosignatures and clinical outcome was investigated with negative conversion in follow-up sputum culture after 2months of treatment. Serum concentrations of eotaxin, MIP-1α, sIL-2Rα, and lipocalin 2 were significantly different between pulmonary tuberculosis patients and controls (P0.05). Serum concentrations of eotaxin and sIL-2Rα were higher in pulmonary tuberculosis patients than in controls, while those of MIP-1α and lipocalin 2 were lower (P0.05). Eotaxin concentrations were significantly higher in good responders to treatment (P0.05), indicating this immunomolecule may serve as a positive predictor for therapy response in pulmonary tuberculosis. The magnitude serum eotaxin, MIP-1α, sIL-2Rα, and lipocalin 2 are important indicators for pulmonary tuberculosis. These biomarkers alone or combinatorial detections have potential applicability in monitoring tuberculosis patients during antituberculosis treatment.Cytokines and endogenous antimicrobial peptides represent an important part of immune system and the identification of a pattern of differentially expressed those biomarkers (a "biosignature") could help to differentiate tuberculosis infection from the non-infected state which might eventually assist case identification and accelerate access to treatment. In this direction, cytokine analysis including multiple serum biomarkers to evaluate biosignatures of pulmonary tuberculosis would provide basic knowledge to aid understanding of the pathophysiology of tuberculosis infection and for the development of future diagnostic methods, treatments, and monitoring for pulmonary tuberculosis.

Integrated graphene films (IGFs) with self-assembled single-layer graphene as a channel and multi-layer graphene as an electrode material were synthesized simultaneously using a one-step process by thermal chemical vapor deposition. The prominent difference in graphene growth rate between Ni and Cu catalytic substrates made enable to synthesize the IGFs with self-assembled single-layer and multi-layer graphene on a Cu foil with pre-patterned Ni films. The thickness of multi-layer graphene for IGFs was precisely controlled by optimizing conditions including the injection temperature of carbon feedstock and the surface concentration of Ni atoms affected by the inter-diffusion related to the growth temperature and time. The thickness and crystallinity of synthesized IGFs were evaluated by resonant Raman spectroscopy. We fabricated the IGFs-based field effect transistors (FETs) to examine electrical transport properties of the films. These results suggest that the synthesis technique for IGFs could lead to mass fabrication of wearable graphene-based FETs in the near future.

Resveratrol-enriched rice (RR) contains genes that express the recombinant Arachis hypogaea stilbene synthase (AhSTS1) and phosphinothricin-N-acetyltrasferase (PAT) for resveratrol production and glufosinate tolerance, respectively. To satisfy regulatory safety evaluations, herein, the content of 55 analytes in the RR (non-sprayed and sprayed with glufosinate) and conventional non-transgenic rice grown at three different sites in the Republic of Korea was determined. Data evaluated using univariate and multivariate analyses indicated compositional equivalence between the RR and conventional rice. Principal components analysis (PCA) revealed significantly higher differences among plants from different locations than between the transgenic versus non-transgenic plants. Pearson correlation and hierarchical clustering (HCA) analyses indicated significant correlations among the contents of most minerals. Furthermore, PCA could not distinguish among glufosinate-sprayed RR, non-sprayed RR, and its control, supporting the conclusion that glufosinate-ammonium treatment caused insignificant changes in the RR grain composition.

Current National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines recommend routine brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) screening in patients with stage II to IV non-small cell carcinoma, regardless of histological subtype. This recommendation might not be universally applicable, however, because brain metastasis (BM) is seen less frequently in patients with lung squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) than in those with a histological diagnosis of nonsquamous cell carcinoma.The cases of 564 patients with lung SCC in our institution between January 2012 and December 2013 were reviewed prospectively for comprehensive staging. All subjects' lung SCC, but not their BM, was staged on the basis of the seventh edition of the guidelines of the American Joint Committee on Cancer. We evaluated the incidence of BM across the stages and clinical factors associated with BM.Of the 564 patients, 28 (5.0%) had BM. BM did not occur in patients with stage Ia or Ib disease; however, it increased significantly as the disease progressed from stage IIa to IV (p0.001, trend test). Multivariate analysis showed that tumor involvement in N3 lymph nodes and distant metastasis other than BM (M1b) was independently associated with the development of BM.Routine brain MRI screening in patients with lung SCC in stage II to IV can help to evaluate asymptomatic BM. By contrast, we did not find any evidence supporting routine brain MRI screening in patients with stage I disease.

Nowadays, novel tools have been developed for efficient analysis and visualization of large-scale metabolite profile data associated with metabolic pathways. A high-throughput platform using PathVisio 3 combined with multivariate analysis is proposed for the first time. Additionally, this is the first analysis of the relationships among terpenoids monoterpene, sesquiterpene, triterpene, and tetraterpene during pepper fruit ripening, and their changes. This platform was successfully applied to interpret large-scale data related to 131 metabolites from mature and immature fruits of 13 pepper phenotypes. The carotenoid-derived volatiles, such as dihydroactinidiolide and β-ionone were closely correlated with carotenoids, indicating that the synthesis and degradation of carotenoids occurred in pepper fruit mature stage. Using PathVisio 3, the metabolic changes in pathway could be presented quickly, revealing the accumulation of stress-related metabolites, such as proline, capsaicin, and phenylalanine, in the mature stage. This approach could provide useful information about comprehensive biochemical regulation of fruit ripening.

To elucidate the functional alteration of the recombinant hybrid chitinases composed of bacterial and insect's domains, we cloned the constitutional domains from chitinase-encoding cDNAs of a bacterial species, Bacillus thuringiensis (BtChi) and a lepidopteran insect species, Mamestra brassicae (MbChi), respectively, swapped one's leading signal peptide (LSP) - catalytic domain (CD) - linker region (LR) (LCL) with the other's chitin binding domain (ChBD) between the two species, and confirmed and analyzed the functional expression of the recombinant hybrid chitinases and their chitinolytic activities in the transformed E. coli strains. Each of the two recombinant cDNAs, MbChi's LCL connected with BtChi's ChBD (MbLCL-BtChBD) and BtChi's LCL connected with MbChi's ChBD (BtLCL-MbChBD), was successfully introduced and expressed in E. coli BL21 strain. Although both of the two hybrid enzymes were found to be expressed by SDS-PAGE and Western blotting, the effects of the introduced genes on the chitin metabolism appear to be dramatically different between the two transformed E. coli strains. BtLCL-MbChBD remarkably increased not only the cell proliferation rate, extracellular and cellular chitinolytic activity, but also cellular glucosamine and N-acetylglucosamine levels, while MbLCL-BtChBD showed about the same profiles in the three tested subjects as those of the strains transformed with each of the two native chitinases, indicating that a combination of the bacterial CD of TIM barrel structure with characteristic six cysteine residues and insect ChBD2 including a conserved six cysteine-rich region (6C) enhances the attachment of the enzyme molecule to chitin compound by MbChBD, and so increases the catalytic efficiency of bacterial CD.

To enhance the storage stability and quality of fresh-cut potato, potato cubes with dimensions of 1 × 1 × 1 cm3, 2 × 2 × 2 cm3, and 3 × 3 × 3 cm3 were blanched at 90 °C for 15, 30, or 45 s, followed by soaking in ice-water for 1 min; the treatment was repeated for up to six cycles. The 2 × 2 × 2 cm3 and 3 × 3 × 3 cm3 potato cubes subjected to six thermal shock cycles for cycling times of 30 s and 45 s showed significant lowering of the browning index during storage at ambient temperature. The 1 × 1 × 1 cm3 potato cube was most highly susceptible to browning, although repeated thermal shock cycling reduced the development of browning. A higher number of thermal shock cycles effectively decreased the polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activity of the potato cubes. The reduction of the PPO activity was more pronounced as the sample size decreased. The hardness of the raw and fried samples decreased, along with reduction of the melting enthalpy, as the treatment time and number of cycles increased. The browning index of the fried potato declined as the number of cycles increased.

We have demonstrated a simple and convenient chemical solution deposition method without employing catalysts, surfactants or carrier gases to synthesize sodium vanadate (β-Na0.33V2O5) nanowires (NWs) supported on conducting substrates. Both high resolution transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction studies indicate the single-crystalline properties of such NWs. The morphologies of the β-Na0.33V2O5 NWs can be controlled by varying the growth temperature and duration. Moreover, the β-Na0.33V2O5 NWs show promising field emission (FE) performance with a high current density (54 mA cm−2), low turn-on field voltage (0.60 V μm−1) and a high degree of emission stability. These results suggest that β-Na0.33V2O5 NWs can serve as a candidate material for future electronic and FE devices.

A SWCNT-G/Si hybrid film was fabricated from graphene (G) film by chemical vapor deposition and single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) by an immobilization method, in which a 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane monolayer was formed on a UV irradiated graphene film by self-assembly, and acid-oxidized SWCNTs were chemisorbed on it. The G/Si, 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane immobilized G/Si and SWCNT-G/Si hybrid films were characterized by SEM, Raman spectroscopy, XPS, and conductivity and electrochemical tests. Results indicate that the immobilization changes the p-type G/Si into n-type by electron donation from a lone electron pair on the amine and the chemisorption reduces the n-type behavior. The SWCNT-G/Si hybrid film has a higher specific capacitance than the G/Si film. This approach could be of great use in the fabrication of supercapacitors, flexible hybrid electrodes and other devices.

Natural killer (NK) cells play critical roles in induction of antiviral effects against various viruses of humans and animals. However, few data on NK cell activities during canine distemper virus (CDV) infections are available. Recently, we established a culture system allowing activation and expansion of canine non-B, non-T, large granular NK lymphocytes from PBMCs of normal dogs. In the present study, we explored the ability of such expanded NK cells to inhibit CDV infection in vitro. Cultured CD3-CD5-CD21- NK cells produced large amounts of IFN-γ, exhibited highly upregulated expression of mRNAs encoding NK-cell-associated receptors, and demonstrated strong natural killing activity against canine tumor cells. Although the expanded NK cells were dose-dependently cytotoxic to both normal and CDV-infected Vero cells, CDV infection rendered Vero cells more susceptible to NK cells. Pretreatment with anti-CDV serum from hyperimmunized dogs enhanced the antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) of NK cells against CDV-infected Vero cells. The culture supernatants of NK cells, added before or after infection, dose-dependently inhibited both CDV replication and development of CDV-induced cytopathic effects (CPEs) in Vero cells. Anti-IFN-γ antibody neutralized the inhibitory effects of NK cell culture supernatants on CDV replication and CPE induction in Vero cells. Such results emphasize the potential significance of NK cells in controlling CDV infection, and indicate that NK cells may play roles both during CDV infection and in combating such infections, under certain conditions.

Introduction Correct mediastinal staging is critical for determination of the most appropriate management strategy in patients with non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The purpose of this study was to compare the diagnostic performance of endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) with that of mediastinoscopy in patients with NSCLC. Methods A prospective trial was conducted in a tertiary referral center in Korea. Patients with histologically proven NSCLC and suspicion for N1, N2, or N3 metastasis were enrolled. Each patient underwent EBUS-TBNA followed by mediastinoscopy. Surgical resection and complete lymph node dissection were conducted in patients for whom no evidence of mediastinal metastasis was apparent after mediastinoscopy. Results In total, 138 patients underwent EBUS-TBNA and 127 completed both EBUS-TBNA and mediastinoscopy. N2/N3 disease was confirmed in 59.1% of the patients. The diagnostic sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value (NPV) of EBUS-TBNA on a per-person analysis were 88.0%, 100%, 92.9%, 100%, and 85.2%, respectively. The diagnostic sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value, and NPV of mediastinoscopy on a per-person analysis were 81.3%, 100%, 89.0%, 100%, and 78.8%, respectively. Significant differences in the sensitivity, accuracy, and NPV were evident between EBUS-TBNA and mediastinoscopy ( p Conclusions EBUS-TBNA was superior to mediastinoscopy in terms of its diagnostic performance for mediastinal staging of cN1–3 NSCLC. Because EBUS-TBNA is both less invasive and affords superior diagnostic sensitivity, it should be the first-line procedure performed in patients with NSCLC.

Catalytic nanoparticle (NP) size is the crucial factor that determines carbon nanotube (CNT) diameter. Therefore, we explored the Ostwald ripening phenomenon of catalytic NPs from the radial breathing modes in resonant Raman spectra of synthesized single-walled CNTs (SWCNTs). SWCNTs were synthesized using chemically derived monodisperse Fe oxide catalytic NPs by a conventional thermal chemical vapor deposition system. The density of the NPs was manipulated by simply adjusting the spin-coating speed and cycle. The diameter distribution and tube type (SWCNTs or multi-walled CNTs) were thereby determined, which can be understood by density-dependent Ostwald ripening of the NPs. As a result, the diameter-selective growth of SWCNTs was successfully achieved, which will be useful for SWCNTs-based electronic applications.

Inverted-structure polymer solar cells (I-PSCs) containing sequentially sprayed electron-transporting layers (ETLs) and photoactive layers were fabricated. Low-temperature sol–gel-derived ZnO thin films were used as the ETLs and films of a poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT)/[6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) blend were used as the photoactive layers. Nanoripples-containing ZnO ETLs could be successfully fabricated by controlling the spraying rate of the ZnO precursor solution and the subsequent annealing conditions. The P3HT/PCBM active layers sprayed on the ZnO ETLs were optimized using a unique solvent-assisted post-deposition treatment, namely, the sprayed solvent overlayer (SSO) treatment. The power conversion efficiency (PCE) of the I-PSCs based on the optimized ETLs and active layers was as high as 3.55%, which is comparable to that reported for I-PSCs fabricated using the conventional spin-coating method. The sprayed I-PSCs also exhibited high environmental stability, maintaining ∼80% of their PCE even after 40 days of aging in air under ambient conditions without encapsulation. The I-PSCs based on the P3HT/PCBM photoactive layers optimized using the SSO treatment displayed much higher stability than those based on photoactive layers optimized using a conventional thermal annealing treatment. This result indicated that the SSO treatment is a suitable post-deposition treatment method for improving the morphological stability of P3HT/PCBM active layers. Further, the fabrication technique investigated in this study is a high-throughput low-temperature one and is suitable for fabricating high-stability PSCs.

Purpose The outcomes and predictors of mortality from Pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP) in HIV-negative patients requiring mechanical ventilation (MV) for respiratory failure were evaluated. Materials and Methods This retrospective observational study enrolled 48 patients with PCP requiring MV in the medical intensive care unit (ICU). Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to identify independent predictors of in-hospital mortality. Results The main conditions underlying the PCP were malignancies (60%) or post solid organ transplant (35%). Excluding four patients whose initial treatment was changed due to adverse reactions, 21 (44%) of 44 patients did not respond to the initial treatment. During the ICU stay, additional complications developed: shock in 22 (46%), ventilator-associated pneumonia in 16 (33%), and acute kidney injury in 15 (31%). Ultimately, 31 (65%) patients died while hospitalised. In multivariate analysis, hospital mortality was independently associated with severity of illness on ICU admission, failure of initial antimicrobial treatment for PCP, and newly developed shock during ICU stay. Conclusions PCP in HIV-negative patients requiring MV for respiratory failure remains a serious illness with high mortality. Failure of the initial antimicrobial treatment for PCP as well as severity of illness was independent predictors of poor outcomes.