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Metal promotion is the most widely adopted strategy for enhancing the hydrogenation functionality of an oxide catalyst. Typically, metal nanoparticles or dopants are located directly on the catalyst surface to create interfacial synergy with active sites on the oxide, but the enhancement effect may be compromised by insufficient hydrogen delivery to these sites. Here, we introduce a strategy to promote a ZnZrOx methanol synthesis catalyst by incorporating hydrogen activation and delivery functions through optimized integration of ZnZrOx and Pd supported on carbon nanotube (Pd/CNT). The CNT in the Pd/CNT + ZnZrOx system delivers hydrogen activated on Pd to a broad area on the ZnZrOx surface, with an enhancement factor of 10 compared to the conventional Pd-promoted ZnZrOx catalyst, which only transfers hydrogen to Pd-adjacent sites. In CO2 hydrogenation to methanol, Pd/CNT + ZnZrOx exhibits drastically boosted activity—the highest among reported ZnZrOx-based catalysts—and excellent stability over 600 h on stream test, showing potential for practical implementation.

We investigated the clinical relevance of urinary cytokines/chemokines reflecting intrarenal immunologic micromilieu as prognostic markers and the optimal measurement timing after living donor kidney transplantation (LDKT). This prospective cohort study included 77 LDKT patients who were followed for ≥ 5 years. Patients were divided into control (n = 42) or acute rejection (AR, n = 35) group. Early AR was defined as AR occurring within 3 months. Serum and urine cytokines/chemokines were measured serially as follows: intraoperative, 8/24/72 h, 1 week, 3 months, and 1 year after LDKT. Intrarenal total leukocytes, T cells, and B cells were analyzed with immunohistochemistry followed by tissueFAXS. Urinary MCP-1 and fractalkine were also analyzed in a validation cohort. Urinary MCP-1 after one week was higher in the AR group. Urinary MCP-1, fractalkine, TNF-α, RANTES, and IL-6 after one week were significantly higher in the early AR group. Intrarenal total leukocytes and T cells were elevated in the AR group compared with the control group. Urinary fractalkine, MCP-1, and IL-10 showed positive correlation with intrarenal leukocyte infiltration. Post-KT 1 week urinary MCP-1 showed predictive value in the validation cohort. One-week post-KT urinary MCP-1 may be used as a noninvasive diagnostic marker for predicting AR after LDKT.

Ultraviolet radiation commonly causes serious skin diseases, and skin cell death. The UVB-blocking effect of hemp fabric which known to be a powerful agent against UVB was evaluated using mouse auricle skin. Based on UVB irradiation and the use of different fabrics, four mouse groups were evaluated in this study: two experimental groups, Group 1 (UVB exposed hemp fabric-shield site, EHFS), Group 2 (UVB exposed polyester fabric-shield site, EPFS), and two control groups, Group 3 (UVB exposed non-fabric-shield site, ENFS), and Group 4 (UVB unexposed non-fabric-shield site, UNFS). Except for UNFS all samples were exposed to UVB for 28 h and showed clear histologic changes in epidermis and dermis. After 45 h chronic irradiation, epidermal thickness was doubled in EHFS, roughly tripled in EPFS, and more than quadrupled in ENFS over that of UNFS. Based on the thickness of the altered epidermis, the blocking effect of hemp fabric was 50% higher than that of polyester fabric. Additionally, immunohistochemical analysis revealed expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) in ENFS and EPFS throughout the hyperplasia of keratinocytes and sebocytes. After 45 h irradiation, the sebocytes of sebaceous glands, observed in sectioned images, increased on average to 14 cells in ENFS, 9 cells in EPFS, and 7 cells in EHFS, as compared to 8 cells in UNFS. In contrast, the cell area of adipose tissue was decreased by half in EHFS, one-fourth in EPFS, and one-tenth in ENFS, and mostly replaced with fibroblasts and other supporting cells. These results suggest that UVB irradiation directly affects epidermal and dermal tissues, and induces abnormal proliferation of keratinocytes and hyperplasia of sebocytes consuming fats in adipose tissue. For skin health, hemp fabric is a better material for protecting the skin against UVB than polyester fabric.

The Down syndrome critical region 1 (DSCR1), a Down syndrome-associated protein, is an endogenous inhibitor of the Ca2+-dependent phosphatase calcineurin. It has been also suggested to be associated with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) but the role of DSCR1 in the pathogenesis of AD still remains controversial. In this paper, we investigated the effects of knockdown of sarah (sra), a Drosophila DSCR1 ortholog, on the Aβ42-induced developmental phenotypes of Drosophila. Knockdown of sra showed detrimental effects on the rough eye phenotype and survival of Aβ42-expressing flies without altering the Aβ42 accumulation. Furthermore, the knockdown of sra increased glial cell numbers in the larval brains and its susceptibility to oxidative stress. Overexpression of an active form of calcineurin produced similar results to sra knockdown as they both exacerbated the Aβ42-induced rough eye phenotype. However, sra knockdown did not alter apoptosis or c-Jun N-terminal kinase activation in Aβ42-expressing flies. In conclusion, our results suggest that sra does play an important role in Aβ42-induced developmental defects in Drosophila without affecting its stress responses.

2-Hydroxy-4-methoxy-2′,3′-benzochalcone (HymnPro), a chalcone derivative, induces cell cycle arrest at the G2/M phase followed by caspase-dependent apoptosis. Structurally, HymnPro contains a α-β olefin that can act as a Michael acceptor, and that is involved in the depletion of cellular glutathione. However, the effect of HymnPro on the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) is still unknown. In the present study, we observed that treatment of Capan-1 pancreatic cancer cells with HymnPro resulted in a dose-dependent accumulation of ROS, owing to the depletion of intracellular glutathione. Treatment with ROS scavenger N-acetylcycteine prevented HymnPro-induced caspase activation and cell death, but had little effect on G2/M cell cycle arrest and microtubule assembly. Our results suggest that HymnPro causes tubulin binding-mediated cell cycle arrest at the G2/M phase as well as ROS-mediated caspase activation.

Eupatorin (5,3′-dihydroxy-6,7,4′-trimethoxyflavone) is a natural flavone exhibiting antiproliferative activity in diverse cancer cell lines. In the present study, we characterized the cytotoxic effect of eupatorin in HeLa cervical carcinoma cells. Treatment with eupatorin induced cell cycle arrest at the G2/M phase within 12 h, followed by the induction of apoptosis. Eupatorin down-regulated cyclin D1 within 3 h, whereas up-regulated cyclin B1 levels after 12 h. Eupatorin also accumulated p53, p21, and Bax levels and stimulated the cleavage of caspase-3, caspase-7, and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase after 12 h of treatment. In addition, we found that eupatorin-induced p21 expression was p53-dependent, while Bax expression was Egr-1-dependent pathway. Our results suggest that eupatorin induces G2/M cell cycle arrest through dysregulation of cell cycle regulatory proteins and triggers apoptosis through activation of the p53-dependent and p53-independent pathways.

A methoxylated flavanone derivative, 2′,3′,4′-trimethoxy-5,6-naphthoflavanone (TMNF), was synthesized, and its anti-proliferative activity was evaluated. In HCT116 colon cancer cells, TMNF inhibited cellular proliferation and triggered cytotoxicity. A flow cytometry assay showed that TMNF caused cell cycle arrest at the G2/M phase with a concomitant decrease in the population of G1 phase cells. Furthermore, TMNF caused accumulation of p53 and its downstream target, Bax, and stimulated cleavage of caspase-7 and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase. These data suggest that methoxylated naphthoflavanone can be an attractive pharmacophore for further development of therapeutic adjuvants.

The importance of information security has increased gradually. Initially, the notion of information security was limited to only a few areas. Now, it has expanded to cover a variety of areas. For example, critical infrastructure facilities such as power plants are operated online using industrial control systems so that the facilities are exposed to cyber threats. This is also the case with the other fields that are operated online. Each field requires appropriate information security management. Thus, this paper proposes an advanced security measurement system that reflects the characteristics of each field to achieve effective information security management.

Chalcones, one class of polyphenolic compounds synthesized as secondary metabolites during flavonoid biosynthesis in plants, have anti-inflammatory and antitumorigenic effects. In this study, we investigated the roles of a novel chalcone derivative, (E)-3-(3,5-dimethoxyphenyl)-1-(1-hydroxynaphthalen-2-yl)prop-2-en-1-one (DK-59), on rheumatoid arthritis (RA) fibroblast-like synoviocyte MH7A cells. DK-59 treatment reduced cell viability and induced caspase-mediated apoptosis in MH7A cells; activation of caspase-7 and caspase-3, as well as fragmentation of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP-1), occurred in a time-dependent manner, and treatment with a pan-caspase inhibitor, Z-VAD, significantly reduced DK-59-mediated PARP-1 cleavage. DK-59-mediated apoptosis was caused by the production of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS); DK-59 treatment induced ROS production in a time-dependent manner, and treatment with the antioxidant N-acetyl-l-cysteine significantly inhibited DK-59-mediated fragmentation of PARP-1 and recovered cell viability. Many genes that function in the unfolded protein response (UPR), including inositol-requiring protein 1, X-box binding protein 1, and C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP), were upregulated by DK-59 treatment. CHOP knockdown by lentivirus infection reduced DK-59-mediated PARP-1 cleavage, suggesting that CHOP plays a proapoptotic role in DK-59-mediated apoptosis in MH7A cells. Taken together, the results suggest that DK-59-mediated induction of ROS and activation of the UPR can be used as a target for the therapeutic treatment of RA.

Streptococcus parauberis is recognized as an alpha-hemolytic gram-positive bacterial pathogen associated with bovine udder mastitis. Recently, S. parauberis was identified as the major pathogen of olive flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus) streptococcosis in Northeast Asia, a disease that causes severe economic losses by triggering massive olive flounder mortality. In this study, the complete genome sequence of S. parauberis KCTC11980 was determined and analyzed. S. parauberis KCTC11980 harbors a single chromosome of 2,179,251 bp containing 2281 predicted coding sequences and featuring an average G+C content of 35.65 %. Dot-plot analysis of the entire genomic sequence and phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA gene revealed a close evolutionary relationship between S. parauberis KCTC11980 and S. uberis. Our findings could serve as a basis for understanding the pathogen-host relationship and developing new prophylactic and therapeutic strategies against fish streptococcosis. This study also enhances our understanding of the physiology and evolution of a key representative of the Streptococcaceae family.

KAI1/CD82, a member of the tetraspanin superfamily, is a tumor metastasis suppressor implicated in cell migration and adhesion in various tumor cells. Drosophila expresses an orthologue of KAI1/CD82, Tsp66E. However, the role of Tsp66E in cell migration and adhesion has not been studied. Here, we investigated the roles of Tsp66E in border cell migration and border cell adhesion, which are well-established in vivo models of cell migration and adhesion. Border cell migration was accelerated by loss of Tsp66E but delayed by Tsp66E overexpression. Deficiency of Tsp74F, a Drosophila orthologue of human Tspan11 and CD151, further increased the migration rate of Tsp66E mutant border cells. In addition, the premature detachment of border cells at stage 8 oogenesis induced by the loss of inflated, which encodes αPS2 integrin, was enhanced by Tsp66E deficiency. Interestingly, Tsp74F deficiency further enhanced the phenotype. αPS2 and βPS integrins were highly expressed in anterior follicle cells before border cell migration, consistent with an important role in border cell adhesion. The results suggest that Tsp66E and Tsp74F cooperate to negatively regulate border cell migration, support the integrin-mediated maintenance of border cell adhesion, and prevent premature migration.

The importance of forests continues to increase throughout the world, and one of the reasons is that a forest is a major place to emit terpenes, which have been reported to be beneficial to human health. In South Korea, forests occupy about 64% of the total land area and consist mainly of pine and oak trees. Since only a limited number of forests have been analyzed to date, a comprehensive understanding of terpenes emitted from regional forests remains in its infancy in Korea. Here, to gain insights into terpenes from regional forests located in South Korea, we review the characteristics of Korean forests and recent studies on major terpenes emitted from regional forests as well as from native trees dominant in South Korea. We also discuss meteorological factors that affect the terpene emissions in Korean forests. In conclusion, 18 types of terpenes were detected in Korean forests and their compositions in different forests are largely dependent on the dominant plant species in the forest. Moreover, terpene emissions in Korean forests are affected by various environmental factors, including temperature, amount and duration of daylight, season, and age of trees. To improve the understanding of the characteristics of terpene distribution, more studies are required on the terpene production of Korean forests in various regions.

This study is to examine the impact of organizational learning on affective commitment in Korea. In particular, this study addressed the importance of organizational learning as an HRD strategy from the socio-cognitive perspective. Data were collected from four large companies located in the area of Seoul, South Korea. There were 233 usable questionnaires yielding a response rate of 61 %. Multiple regression analysis and principal factor analyses were applied to conduct a data analysis. The results showed that a linear relationship existed between the organizational learning capacity and affective commitment (R 2 = .495). Four dimensions were statistically significant with the exception of “feedback.” Participative decision-making is the most important factor. Finally, the study discussed some implications for HRD theory and practice.

Recent developments in grid and cloud computing technologies have enhanced the performance and scale of storage media. Data management and backup are becoming increasingly important in these environments. Backup systems constitute an important component of operating system security. However, it is difficult to recover backup data from an environment where the operating system does not work because the storage hardware has been damaged. This study analyzes the Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) used by the Windows operating system. Windows 8 has been implemented for mobile environments; hence, it could be used for data recovery from damaged mobile devices. VSS is a backup infrastructure provided by Windows that creates point-in-time copies of a volume (known as volume shadow copies). Windows Vista and later versions use this service instead of the restore point feature used in earlier versions of the operating system. The restore point feature logically copied and stored specified files, whereas VSS copies and stores only data that have changed in the volume. In a live system, volume shadow copies can be checked and recovered using built-in system commands. However, it is difficult to analyze the files stored in the volume shadow copies of a nonfunctioning system, such as a disk image, because only the changed data are stored. Therefore, this study analyzes the structure of Volume Shadow Copy (VSC) files that were logically stored. This analysis confirms the locations of the changed data and original copies by identifying a structure that stores the file data stream to file system metadata. On the basis of our research, we propose a practical application to develop tools for the recovery of snapshot data stored within the VSC files. We also present results of our successful performance test.

Macrophages secrete inflammatory cytokines and mono-nitrogen oxide (NO), and play crucial roles in inflammation in early-stage rheumatoid arthritis (RA). This study investigated whether glucosamine hydrochloride (GlcN), a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agent (NSAID) widely used to treat arthritis, affects the expression of inflammatory cytokines via the unfolded protein response (UPR) in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated mouse macrophages (RAW264.7 cells). Pretreatment with GlcN reduced the expression of inflammatory cytokines and inhibited cell differentiation. Moreover, GlcN treatment increased the expression of CHOP and BiP/Grp78, the UPR target genes, in the presence or absence of LPS. Indeed, knockdown of CHOP using siRNAs prevented the GlcN-mediated reduction of inflammatory cytokines in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. Finally, we found that GlcN-mediated induction of CHOP reduced the phosphorylation of JNK and NF-?B in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. Combined, these results suggest that the GlcN-mediated induction of CHOP negatively regulates the inflammatory response by modulating JNK and NF-?B in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells.

Background: Codman's paradox reveals a misunderstanding of geometry in orthopedic practice. Physicians often encounter situations that cannot be understood intuitively during orthopedic interventions such as corrective osteotomy. Occasionally, unexpected angular or rotational deformity occurs during surgery. This study aimed to draw the attention of orthopedic surgeons toward the concepts of orientation and rotation and demonstrate the potential for unexpected deformity after orthopedic interventions. This study focused on three situations: shoulder arthrodesis, femoral varization derotational osteotomy, and femoral derotation osteotomy. Methods: First, a shoulder model was generated to calculate unexpected rotational deformity to demonstrate Codman's paradox. Second, femoral varization derotational osteotomy was simulated using a cylinder model. Third, a reconstructed femoral model was used to calculate unexpected angular or rotational deformity during femoral derotation osteotomy. Results: Unexpected external rotation was found after forward elevation and abduction of the shoulder joint. In the varization and derotation model, closed-wedge osteotomy and additional derotation resulted in an unexpected extension and valgus deformity, namely, under-correction of coxa valga. After femoral derotational osteotomy, varization and extension of the distal fragment occurred, although the extension was negligible. Conclusions: Surgeons should be aware of unexpected angular deformity after surgical procedure involving bony areas. The degree of deformity differs depending on the context of the surgical procedure. However, this study reveals that notable deformities can be expected during orthopedic procedures such as femoral varization derotational osteotomy.

A significant degradation of current gain of InP/InGaAs/InP double heterojunction bipolar transistors was observed after passivation. The amount of degradation depended on the degree of surface exposure of the p-type InGaAs base layer according to the epi-structure and device structure. The deposition conditions such as deposition temperature, kinds of materials (silicon oxide, silicon nitride and aluminum oxide) and film thickness were not major variables to affect the device performance. The gain reduction was prevented by the BOE treatment before the passivation. A possible explanation of this behavior is that unstable non-stoichiometric surface states produced by excess In, Ga, or As after mesa etching are eliminated by BOE treatment and reduce the surface recombination sites.