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The systemic delivery of oligonucleotide therapeutics to the brain is challenging but highly desirable for the treatment of brain diseases undruggable with traditional small‐molecule drugs. In this study, a set of DNA nanostructures is prepared and screened them to develop a protein corona‐assisted platform for the brain delivery of oligonucleotide therapeutics. The biodistribution analysis of intravenously injected DNA nanostructures reveals that a cube‐shaped DNA nanostructure (D‐Cb) can penetrate the brain‐blood barrier (BBB) and reach the brain tissue. The brain distribution level of D‐Cb is comparable to that of other previous nanoparticles conjugated with brain‐targeting ligands. Proteomic analysis of the protein corona formed on D‐Cb suggests that its brain distribution is driven by endothelial receptor‐targeting ligands in the protein corona, which mediate transcytosis for crossing the BBB. D‐Cb is subsequently used to deliver an antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) to treat glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) in mice. While free ASO is unable to reach the brain, ASO loaded onto D‐Cb is delivered efficiently to the brain tumor region, where it downregulates the target gene and exerts an anti‐tumor effect on GBM. D‐Cb is expected to serve as a viable platform based on protein corona formation for systemic brain delivery of oligonucleotide therapeutics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Secreted protein acidic and cysteine rich/osteonectin, cwcv and kazal‐like domain proteoglycan 2 (SPOCK2) is a protein that regulates cell differentiation and growth. Recent studies have reported that SPOCK2 plays important roles in the progression of various human cancers; however, the role of SPOCK2 in melanoma remains unknown. Therefore, this study investigated the roles of SPOCK2 and the related mechanisms in melanoma progression. To evaluate the clinical significance of SPOCK2 expression in patients with melanoma, we analysed the association between SPOCK2 expression and its prognostic value for patients with melanoma using systematic multiomic analysis. Subsequently, to investigate the roles of Spock2 in melanoma progression in vitro and in vivo, we knocked down Spock2 in the B16F10 melanoma cell line. High SPOCK2 levels were positively associated with good prognosis and long survival rate of patients with melanoma. Spock2 knockdown promoted melanoma cell proliferation by inducing the cell cycle and inhibiting apoptosis. Moreover, Spock2 downregulation significantly increased cell migration and invasion by upregulating MMP2 and MT1‐MMP. The increased cell proliferation and migration were inhibited by MAPK inhibitor, and ERK phosphorylation was considerably enhanced in Spock2 knockdown cells. Therefore, Spock2 could function as a tumour suppressor gene to regulate melanoma progression by regulating the MAPK/ERK signalling pathway. Additionally, Spock2 knockdown cell injection induced considerable tumour growth and lung metastasis in C57BL6 mice compared to that in the control group. Our findings suggest that SPOCK2 plays crucial roles in malignant progression of melanoma and functions as a novel therapeutic target of melanoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Piezocatalytic cancer therapy, in which piezoelectric nanomaterials generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) via piezocatalytic redox reactions under mechanical stress, has emerged as an effective strategy for cancer treatment. However, the inherent hypoxia in tumor microenvironments enormously restricts its efficacy. To address this issue, acid‐degradable Janus‐type multicompartmental carriers able to separately encapsulate piezocatalytic gold nanoparticle‐coated poly(ethylene glycol)‐modified zinc oxide nanorods (Au@P‐ZnO NRs) and O2‐generating catalase (CAT) are fabricated in this study using stop‐flow lithography (SFL). The CAT and Au@P‐ZnO NRs are sequentially released by modulating the composition ratios of acid‐cleavable monomers in the precursor solution during the SFL. The sequential release by the Janus carriers significantly increased the intracellular ROS levels under hypoxia conditions upon ultrasound irradiation owing to the O2 supplied by the CAT. An in vivo study showed that a single intratumoral injection of Janus particles encapsulating the CAT and Au@P‐ZnO NRs efficiently alleviated tumor hypoxia and substantially suppressed tumor growth. This study demonstrates that pH‐responsive, O2‐generating, and piezocatalytic Janus carriers have high potential for piezocatalytic therapy of hypoxic tumors and offers insights into using pH‐responsive Janus carriers for efficient hypoxia‐relieving piezocatalytic cancer therapy via the cascade of oxygenation and ROS generation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Infections are considered risk factors for autoimmune inflammatory rheumatic diseases (AIRDs), the incidence of which is considered to have been impacted by the COVID‐19 pandemic. The impact of non‐pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) on the incidence of AIRDs and their associated health care services and medical expenses in Korea was investigated. Methods: We included all AIRD cases reported between January 2016 and February 2021 based on the National Health Insurance Service data. We evaluated changes in incidence trends for each AIRD before and after NPI implementation (Feb 2020 to Feb 2021) using segmented regression analysis. Changes in health care utilization and medical costs for each AIRD before and after NPI implementation were also investigated. Results: After NPI implementation, monthly incidence rates declined significantly by 0.205 per 1 000 000 (95% confidence interval [CI], −0.308 to −0.101, p <.001) in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). No significant changes in the incidence of all AIRDs other than SLE were observed before and after implementation. Further, annual outpatient department visits per patient were lower during implementation for all diseases, except juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). The prescription days per outpatient visit increased significantly during implementation for all diseases, except JIA and ankylosing spondylitis. During implementation, the total annual medical costs per patient tended to decrease for all diseases, except JIA and mixed connective tissue disease. Conclusion: Implementation of NPIs to contain the pandemic led to a reduction in the incidence of SLE and changed patterns of medical care utilization and treatment cost for most AIRDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study examined cross‐national variations in marriage and motherhood penalties between Western and East Asian countries. Background: Little is known about how and to what extent motherhood affects women's labor market outcomes in East Asia compared to Western welfare countries. We examine employment, wage, and labor income with regard to the motherhood penalty. Method: We selected the five countries of Finland, Germany, South Korea, Taiwan, and the United States and applied probit and Heckman selection models using Luxembourg Income Study (LIS) Wave IX and Korean Labor and Income Panel Survey data. Results: Variations between Western countries and East Asian welfare states are highlighted. Married mothers with children in East Asian countries are greatly disadvantaged in employment compared to those in Western countries. Having a child is associated with lower labor income and wages by 2.9% to 4.5% across the countries, but we do not find a significant association in Germany and Korea. Conclusion: Women experience various dimensions of motherhood penalties across countries. East Asian women are more likely to face both marriage and motherhood penalties than others. Implication: Marriage and motherhood in East Asian countries should be understood differently from those in Western contexts. Marriage and motherhood are life events that are associated with women's employment decisions and work opportunities in East Asian countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Endophytic fungi are an important source of novel antitumor substances. Previously, we isolated an endophytic fungus, Alternaria alstroemeria, from the medicinal plant Artemisia artemisia, whose crude extracts strongly inhibited A549 tumor cells. We obtained a transformant, namely AaLaeAOE26, which completely loses its antitumor activity due to overexpression of the global regulator AaLaeA. Re‐sequencing analysis of the genome revealed that the insertion site was in the noncoding region and did not destroy any other genes. Metabolomics analysis revealed that the level of secondary antitumor metabolic substances was significantly lower in AaLaeAOE26 compared with the wild strain, in particular flavonoids were more downregulated according to the metabolomics analysis. A further comparative transcriptome analysis revealed that a gene encoding FAD‐binding domain protein (Fla1) was significantly downregulated. On the other hand, overexpression of AaFla1 led to significant enhancement of antitumor activity against A549 with a sevenfold higher inhibition ratio than the wild strain. At the same time, we also found a significant increase in the accumulation of antitumor metabolites including quercetin, gitogenin, rhodioloside, liensinine, ginsenoside Rg2 and cinobufagin. Our data suggest that the global regulator AaLaeA negatively affects the production of antitumor compounds via controlling the transcription of AaFla1 in endophytic A. alstroemeria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Small‐interfering RNA (siRNA) therapy is considered a powerful therapeutic strategy for treating cardiac hypertrophy, an important risk factor for subsequent cardiac morbidity and mortality. However, the lack of safe and efficient in vivo delivery of siRNAs is a major challenge for broadening its clinical applications. Small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) are a promising delivery system for siRNAs but have limited cell/tissue‐specific targeting ability. In this study, a new generation of heart‐targeting sEVs (CEVs) has been developed by conjugating cardiac‐targeting peptide (CTP) to human peripheral blood‐derived sEVs (PB‐EVs), using a simple, rapid and scalable method based on bio‐orthogonal copper‐free click chemistry. The experimental results show that CEVs have typical sEVs properties and excellent heart‐targeting ability. Furthermore, to treat cardiac hypertrophy, CEVs are loaded with NADPH Oxidase 4 (NOX4) siRNA (siNOX4). Consequently, CEVs@siNOX4 treatment enhances the in vitro anti‐hypertrophic effects by CEVs with siRNA protection and heart‐targeting ability. In addition, the intravenous injection of CEVs@siNOX4 into angiotensin II (Ang II)‐treated mice significantly improves cardiac function and reduces fibrosis and cardiomyocyte cross‐sectional area, with limited side effects. In conclusion, the utilization of CEVs represents an efficient strategy for heart‐targeted delivery of therapeutic siRNAs and holds great promise for the treatment of cardiac hypertrophy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Obesity is a metabolic disorder that results from an imbalance of energy intake and consumption. As low‐grade chronic inflammation caused by obesity can lead to various complications, it is important to develop effective treatments against obesity. In this study, we investigate the effects of WKYMVm, a strong anti‐inflammatory agent, against obesity. Administration of WKYMVm into high fat diet (HFD)‐induced obese mice significantly attenuated body weight gain, food intake and increased insulin sensitivity. HFD‐induced hepatic steatosis and adipose tissue hypertrophy were also markedly ameliorated by WKYMVm. During the maturation of adipocytes, WKYMVm improves lipid metabolism by increasing lipolysis, adipogenesis, mitochondrial biogenesis and fat browning. WKYMVm administration also elicited a decrease in leptin levels, but an increase in leptin sensitivity via regulation of hypothalamic endoplasmic reticulum stress and the leptin receptor cascade. Taken together, our results show that WKYMVm ameliorates obesity by improving lipid metabolism and leptin signalling, suggesting that WKYMVm can be a useful molecule for the development of anti‐obesity agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, membrane‐modified mammalian exosomes have been considered strong candidates for targeted drug delivery carriers because of their biocompatibility, biodistribution, and low immune response. However, the widespread utilization of exosomes still requires overcoming several challenging issues, including low stability, high production cost, and low mass productivity. Therefore, artificial extracellular vesicles (EVs) derived from cell membranes or liposomes containing various lipids have been suggested. However, only a few meet the demands of cost‐effective mass production and durability of EVs. Therefore, this study investigates the feasibility of replacing mammalian cell exosomes and liposomes with plant‐derived extracellular vesicles (pEVs) as targeted drug delivery carriers. They are characterized by nontoxicity, high stability, and high yield. Adding a functionalizable lipid moiety with a maleimide group at the membrane of grapefruit‐derived pEVs imparts targeting ability. The targeting function can be easily enhanced by attaching an aptamer using click chemistry. Indeed, treatment of brain cells with pEV‐aptamers (hCMEC/D3 and U87MG) confirms that aptamer functionalization of pEV enhanced selective cellular uptake. Functionalization of the pEV membrane using aptamer is expected to be effective in providing low‐cost and mass‐producible targeted drug delivery carriers with similar efficacy as mammalian exosomes or liposomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The extent of differences between genetic risks associated with various asthma subtypes is still unknown. To better understand the heterogeneity of asthma, we employed an unsupervised method to identify genetic variants specifically associated with asthma subtypes. Our goal was to gain insight into the genetic basis of asthma. Methods: In this study, we utilized the UK Biobank dataset to select asthma patients (All asthma, n = 50,517) and controls (n = 283,410). We excluded 14,431 individuals who had no information on predicted values of forced expiratory volume in one second percent (FEV1%) and onset age, resulting in a final total of 36,086 asthma cases. We conducted k‐means clustering based on asthma onset age and predicted FEV1% using these samples (n = 36,086). Cluster‐specific genome‐wide association studies were then performed, and heritability was estimated via linkage disequilibrium score regression. To further investigate the pathophysiology, we conducted eQTL analysis with GTEx and gene‐set enrichment analysis with FUMA. Results: Clustering resulted in four distinct clusters: early onset asthmanormalLF (early onset with normal lung function, n = 8172), early onset asthmareducedLF (early onset with reduced lung function, n = 8925), late‐onset asthmanormalLF (late‐onset with normal lung function, n = 12,481), and late‐onset asthmareducedLF (late‐onset with reduced lung function, n = 6508). Our GWASs in four clusters and in All asthma sample identified 5 novel loci, 14 novel signals, and 51 cluster‐specific signals. Among clusters, early onset asthmanormalLF and late‐onset asthmareducedLF were the least correlated (rg = 0.37). Early onset asthmareducedLF showed the highest heritability explained by common variants (h2 = 0.212) and was associated with the largest number of variants (71 single nucleotide polymorphisms). Further, the pathway analysis conducted through eQTL and gene‐set enrichment analysis showed that the worsening of symptoms in early onset asthma correlated with lymphocyte activation, pathogen recognition, cytokine receptor activation, and lymphocyte differentiation. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that early onset asthmareducedLF was the most genetically predisposed cluster, and that asthma clusters with reduced lung function were genetically distinct from clusters with normal lung function. Our study revealed the genetic variation between clusters that were segmented based on onset age and lung function, providing an important clue for the genetic mechanism of asthma heterogeneity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social investment policies advocate for more and better jobs by supporting families' work‐life balance and investing in human capital. But do they really help to boost employment prospects for women? Earlier literature suggests a positive relationship, but not enough attention has been paid to the type of employment, or to who the actual beneficiaries of these measures are. This article combines ISSP survey data with OECD and national data in a multilevel analysis to determine whether social investment policies benefit female employment, improve job prospects, and apply to all women irrespective of their educational level. We find that training and childcare policies are associated with higher employment levels, however, the claim that social investment increases chances for better job prospects finds little empirical support. These findings suggest that active labour market and childcare policies are associated with more women's employment, but they might still be following a push to 'just work'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To demonstrate the immune landscape of blood and synovial cells in the setting of ankylosing spondylitis (AS) through the analysis of both single‐cell transcriptome and surface protein expression, and to unveil the molecular characteristics of pathogenic Th17 cells. Methods: This study included 40 individuals with active AS, 20 individuals with stable AS, 40 patients with active rheumatoid arthritis, and 20 healthy controls. Surface phenotype and intracellular staining were assessed using flow cytometry after peripheral blood mononuclear cells and synovial fluid mononuclear cells were stimulated with T cell receptor. Single‐cell transcriptomes of 6 patients with active AS were studied along with cellular indexing of transcriptomes and epitopes by sequencing. We also assessed the outcome of targeting OX40 and glucocorticoid‐induced tumor necrosis factor receptor (GITR) on the surface of Th17 cells in a mouse model of curdlan‐injected SKG mice in which anti‐GITR ligand and/or anti‐OX40 ligand were used. Results: We identified pathogenic Th17 cells as polyfunctional interleukin‐17A (IL‐17A)– and interferon‐γ (IFNγ)–producing memory CD4+ T cells, with clinically supportive evidence for their pathogenic roles at sites of inflammation in AS. Transcriptome and flow cytometric analyses revealed that the coexpression of TNFRSF4 (OX40) and TNFRSF18 (GITR) is increased in pathogenic Th17 cells. Suppression of ligand receptor interactions in vivo through OX40 and GITR effectively suppressed clinical arthritis and decreased pathogenic Th17 cells in the curdlan‐injected SKG mouse model. Conclusion: Our results have implications for the understanding of pathogenic Th17 cells in AS patients and suggest potential therapeutic targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study aimed to explore the pharmacokinetics of danofloxacin in non‐laying hens after a single oral (PO) and intravenous (IV) dose, both at 5 mg/kg body weight (BW). Eighteen 13‐week‐old healthy hens were equally and randomly divided into two groups. After both doses, blood samples (approximately 1 ml) were collected at different time points. Danofloxacin concentrations were quantified by a validated high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method followed by a non‐compartmental analysis using the software of WinNonLin. The elimination half‐lives (t1/2λzs) after PO and IV routes were determined as 8.15 ± 3.37 and 7.69 ± 3.40 h, respectively. After IV administration, danofloxacin had an initial concentration (C0) of 3.62 μg/ml, a volume of distribution at steady state (VSS) of 3579.72 ± 454.29 ml/kg, and a total body clearance (Cl) of 0.49 ml/h/g. After PO administration, the absolute bioavailability and absorption half‐life (t1/2ka) were calculated as 100.99% ± 23.10% and 0.82 ± 0.58 h, respectively. Based on the calculated ratio values of AUC/MIC and Cmax/MIC, an oral dose of 5 mg/kg danofloxacin would be expected to successfully treat hens infected with strains with MIC values ≤0.1 μg/ml. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Progress in treating central nervous system (CNS) disorders is retarded owing to a limited understanding of brain disease pathology. Additionally, the blood–brain barrier (BBB) limits molecular entry into the brain. Many approaches for brain drug delivery to overcome the BBB, such as BBB permeability enhancement, transient BBB disruption, and direct surgical administration have been explored with limited success. Recent research has shown that direct vascular channels exist between the skull bone marrow and the meninges, allowing myeloid and lymphoid cells to migrate. We hypothesized that these direct channels may also allow brain drug delivery from the skull bone marrow to the brain. In this study, for the first time we propose intraosseous administration of drugs into the skull (intracalvariosseous [ICO]) as a novel approach for brain drug delivery via BBB bypassing routes. We tested the feasibility of the approach by applying nine representative compounds over thinned mouse skulls to simulate ICO and measuring the compound entry level in the brain compared to that after systemic administration. Surprisingly, we found that the skull is not completely impermeable to drug penetration into the brain and the tested compounds reached the brain tissue several tens‐to‐hundred times higher by ICO than systemic application. These findings suggest a role for the BBB bypassing route from skull to brain, apart from the systemic route, in the drug entry into the brain after ICO. This approach should be applicable to other CNS drugs and even BBB impermeable drugs. Overall ICO provides an innovative and advantageous pathway for effective treatment of brain diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Limited data are available on the impact of the coronavirus disease (COVID‐19) pandemic on encephalitis. Therefore, we evaluated trends in encephalitis in South Korea between 2010 and 2021 using data from the National Health Insurance Service. During the pandemic (February 2020 to 2021), the monthly incidence of encephalitis declined by 0.027 per 100 000 population (95% confidence interval [CI]: −0.055 to 0.001, p = 0.062) compared to that before the pandemic. In subgroup analysis, the estimated coefficient for level change during the pandemic in the 0–4 and 5–9 years age groups were −2.050 (95% CI: −2.972 to −1.128, p < 0.001) and −0.813 (95% CI: −1.399 to −0.227, p = 0.008), respectively. The annual incidence of encephalitis during the pandemic period significantly decreased in the 0–4 and 5–9 years age groups (incidence rate ratio: 0.34 [p = 0.007] and 0.28 [p = 0.024], respectively). The intensive care unit admission rate (39.1% vs. 58.9%, p < 0.001) and cases of death (8.9% vs. 11.1%, p < 0.001) decreased significantly during the pandemic compared to the prepandemic. During the pandemic, the incidence of encephalitis decreased markedly in South Korea, particularly in children aged ≤9 years. In addition, there were changes in the clinical outcome of encephalitis during the COVID‐19 pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) is an ecologically and economically important species widely distributed across the North Pacific Ocean. However, the population size of this fishery resource has declined globally. Identifying genetic integrity, diversity and structure, and phylogenetic relationships of wild populations of O. keta over an entire species' range is central for developing its effective conservation and management plans. Nevertheless, chum salmon from the Korean Peninsula, which are comprised of its southwestern range margins, have been overlooked. By using mtDNA control region and 10 microsatellite loci, we here assessed the genetic diversity and structure for 16 populations, including 10 wild and six hatchery populations, encompassing the species entire geographic range in South Korea. The analyses showed that genetic diversity is significantly higher for wild than for hatchery populations. Both marker sets revealed significant genetic differentiation between some local populations. Comparisons of six wild and their respective hatchery populations indicated that allele/haplotype frequencies considerably differ, perhaps due to a strong founder effect and/or homogenizing of hatchery populations for stocking practice. Despite its single admixed gene pool for the Korean chum salmon, some local populations housing their own unique lineages should be accorded with a high priority to safeguard their genetic integrities. The results of our comparative analyses of the Korean population with other North Pacific chum salmons (inhabiting regions of Japan, Russia, and North America) revealed a lower diversity but higher contribution to the overall species‐level genetic diversity, and also its unique genetic integrity. These findings advocate for the evolutionary significance of the Korean population for species‐level conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cross‐point arrays of analog synaptic devices are expected to realize neuromorphic computing hardware for neural network computations with compelling speed boost and superior energy efficiency, as opposed to the conventional hardware based on the von Neumann architecture. To achieve desired characteristics of analog synaptic devices for fully parallel vector–matrix multiplication and vector–vector outer‐product updates, metal‐oxide based electrochemical random‐access memory (ECRAM) is proposed as a promising synaptic device due to its complementary metal‐oxide‐semiconductor‐compatibility and outstanding synaptic characteristics over other non‐volatile memory candidates. In this work, ECRAM devices with 3D vertical structure is fabricated to demonstrate a minimal 4F2 cell size, highly scalable channel volume and low programming energy, providing optimized synaptic device performance and characteristics as well as high integrity as a cross‐point array. Various weight‐update profiles of the vertical ECRAM devices are obtained by adjusting programming voltage pulses, exhibiting trade‐offs among dynamic range, linearity, symmetry, and update deviation. Based on simulation with advanced algorithms for analog cross‐point array and neural network designs, the potential of vertical ECRAM for high‐density array is evaluated. Simulation studies suggest that the neuromorphic computing performance can be improved further by balancing the weight update characteristics of vertical ECRAM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and objectives: Fresh sweet corn is vulnerable to microbial damage and difficult to preservation at ambient temperature due to the high water and sugar contents. Therefore, in the present study, fresh sweet corn kernels were subjected to hot air drying (HAD), vacuum freeze drying (VFD), microwave drying (MD), and short‐ and medium‐wave infrared drying (SMIRD). Findings: Different drying ways of dehydrated sweet corns were compared in terms of physical properties, nutritional components, volatile compounds, and antioxidant capacity. After thermal treatment, sweet corn will form more volatile components and increase the flavor of sweet corn, while sweet corn treated by VFD will lose a lot of volatile components and weaken the flavor. Conclusions: The results demonstrated that VFD products exhibited higher rehydration capacity, more nutrient retention, and better antioxidant capacity with fewer volatile compounds. A total of 63 different volatile compounds were detected in dried sweet corns. The variety of volatile substances was the maximum in the SMIRD (55), followed by HAD (35), MD (28), fresh (22), and VFD (9). Significanceand novelty: Overall, this study would be fundamental for selecting more applicable drying methods to obtain desirable quality of dried sweet corn. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) commonly occurs in dogs, but there is lack of information about potential biomarkers of clinical and histopathologic severity. Objective: To examine the role of serum C‐reactive protein (CRP) and high‐mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) concentrations in dogs with IBD. Animals: Seventeen dogs with IBD and 25 healthy dogs. Methods: In this prospective study, duodenal histopathologic severity was graded, and the clinical severity of IBD was assessed by the canine IBD assessment index (CIBDAI) score in dogs with IBD. Serum CRP and HMGB1 concentrations were compared between IBD and healthy dogs and analyzed according to histopathologic grade in dogs with IBD. The correlations between serum CRP and HMGB1 concentrations and the CIBDAI score were evaluated. Results: Dogs with IBD had higher serum CRP (median [range] = 20.39 [1.53‐67.69] μg/mL vs 2.31 [0.17‐11.49] μg/mL; P <.001) and HMGB1 concentrations (0.44 [0.07‐1.58] ng/mL vs 0.05 [0.01‐0.25] ng/mL; P <.001) than healthy dogs. The serum HMGB1 concentration was higher in IBD dogs with a moderate to severe histopathologic grade (0.51 [0.30‐1.58] ng/mL, P =.03) than in those with a mild histopathologic grade (0.17 [0.07‐0.75] ng/mL). Serum CRP concentrations and CIBDAI score were positively correlated in dogs with IBD (rs =.49, P =.05). Conclusions and Clinical Importance: Serum HMGB1 could be a potential biomarker for diagnosing IBD and might be indicative of histopathologic severity in dogs, whereas serum CRP might be an indicator of clinical severity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: In patients with severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID), the immune system often fails to eradicate maternal cells that enter the foetus via the placenta, resulting in transplacental maternal engraftment (TME) syndrome. However, the clinical significance of TME has not been comprehensively elucidated. Methods: Here, we describe a patient with SCID with a novel frameshift IL2RG mutation associated with maternal engrafted CD8+ T cells that had been expanded by viral infection. To evaluate the origin of the expanded T cells, we HLA‐typed the myeloid and T cells of the patient and analysed the immunological characteristics of the expanded CD8+ T cells using T‐cell receptor (TCR) repertoire and flow cytometry analysis. Results: In our patient, the maternal engrafted CD8+ T cells expanded and exerted in vitro antiviral function against human cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection before and after haematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT). After haploidentical HCT from the maternal donor, maternal engrafted CMV‐specific CD8+ T cells were maintained, successfully proliferated and activated against CMV. We found no evidence of acute graft‐versus‐host disease or infectious complications other than recurrent episodes of CMV viraemia, which were well controlled by ganciclovir and, possibly by, the maternal engrafted CMV‐specific CD8+ T cells. Conclusion: Our findings elucidate a possible functional role of TME in controlling CMV infection in patient with SCID and suggest an optimal strategy for donor selection in patients with SCID with TME. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to determine whether the effects of work and family reconciliation policy on the gender wage gap are moderated by institutional contexts of production and welfare regime. Using time‐series analysis for 13 countries from 1981 to 2015, the study revealed a strong association between childcare and a lower gender wage gap in the Coordinated Market Economies (CMEs)/social democratic welfare states but not in Liberal Market Economies (LMEs)/liberal welfare states. The study also found that the impact of leave generosity on the gender wage gap in CMEs/social democratic welfare states is less salient than in CMEs/continental welfare states. This study highlights the extent to which family policy affects the gender wage gap hinges on how each country organises its market coordination and welfare institutions and pushes the current literature forward to a question of 'what kinds of' family policy matters in 'which' production and welfare regimes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Combined washing effect of noni extract (NE) and oregano essential oil (OE) on the decontamination of Listeria monocytogenes on romaine lettuce was examined. The fractional inhibitory concentration index (FICI) between NE and three different essential oils (cinnamon leaf, thyme and OE) was determined. Fractional inhibitory concentration index results indicated that OE only had an additive effect (FICI = 1). Noni extract/oregano essential oil combined washing resulted in the greatest reduction in viable cell numbers (3.42 log CFU g−1) relative to non‐washed samples. Furthermore, the combined washing was more effective than sodium hypochlorite washing in terms of reducing the microbial load (>1.44‐log reduction). Washing treatment did not change the surface colour or total phenolic content in lettuce samples. These results suggest that NE/OE combined washing is applicable as a novel decontamination treatment to ensure the microbial safety of romaine lettuce without changing the quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the critical role that paid maternity leave can assume in the economic lives of low‐income families, research to date has paid insufficient attention to whether paid maternity leave reduces welfare use for low‐income families. Using the Current Population Survey (CPS) March Supplement 2007–2014 with the difference‐in‐difference (DiD) technique, this study finds a significant policy effect of paid maternity leave on reducing the probability of using Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), TANF benefit amounts and TANF participation length. This study confirms that paid maternity leave is likely to prevent low‐income families from using welfare during job interruptions stemming from the birth of a child. Given that TANF is often associated with negative political and social connotations, paid maternity leave can be used as an important social policy to improve economic security as well as offer empowerment in overall social standing for low‐income mothers. The discussion focuses on the implications of the findings in a broader context of American welfare states. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: High‐mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) is a key mediator of neuroinflammation and there are increased HMGB1 levels in laboratory animal models of epilepsy and human patients with epilepsy. Objectives: To determine serum HMGB1 levels in dogs with epilepsy. Animals Twenty‐eight epileptic dogs, 12 dogs with nonepileptic brain diseases, and 26 healthy dogs. Methods: In this case‐control study, serum HMGB1 concentrations were estimated using the canine‐specific enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay kit. Diagnosis of dogs with epilepsy was based on medical history, physical and neurological examination findings, laboratory test results, magnetic resonance image, and cerebrospinal fluid analysis. Results: Serum HMGB1 levels were significantly higher in epileptic dogs (median = 0.41 ng/mL; range, 0.03‐5.28) than in healthy dogs (median = 0.12 ng/mL; range, 0.02‐1.45; P =.002). In contrast, serum HMGB1 levels of dogs with non‐epileptic brain diseases (median = 0.19 ng/mL; range, 0.03‐1.04) were not significantly increased compared to those of healthy dogs (P =.12). Regarding idiopathic epilepsy, dogs with an epilepsy course of >3 months showed a higher serum HMGB1 concentration (median = 0.87 ng/mL; range, 0.42‐2.88) than those with that of ≤3 months (median = 0.26 ng/mL; range, 0.03‐0.88; P =.02). Conclusions and Clinical Importance: Serum HMGB1 could be a biomarker of epilepsy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Use of the Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System (LI-RADS) is increasing, but the reported results for interreader agreement seem quite variable.Purpose: To systematically determine the interreader agreement of LI-RADS on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and to determine the sources of heterogeneity between the reported results.Study Type: Systematic review and meta-analysis.Subjects: Fifteen original articles with 2968 lesions.Field Strength: 1.5T and 3.0T.Assessment: Two reviewers independently performed the data extraction. The reviewers identified and reviewed the original articles reporting the interreader agreement of LI-RADS using MRI.Statistical Tests: The meta-analytic pooled intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) for lesion size and kappa value (κ) for major features (arterial-phase hyperenhancement [APHE], nonperipheral washout [WO], enhancing capsule [EC]) and LI-RADS categorization (LR) were calculated using the random-effects model. Sensitivity analysis and meta-regression analysis were performed to explore the cause of study heterogeneity.Results: The meta-analytic pooled ICC of lesion size was 0.97 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.94-1.00). Meta-analytic pooled κ of APHE, WO, EC, and LR were 0.72 (95% CI, 0.62-0.82), 0.69 (95% CI, 0.60-0.78), 0.66 (95% CI, 0.58-0.74), and 0.70 (95% CI, 0.56-0.85), respectively. Substantial study heterogeneity was noted in all five variables (I2  ≥ 89.1%, P < 0.001). Study design, type, and clarity of blinding review were factors that significantly influenced study heterogeneity (P ≤ 0.05).Data Conclusion: LI-RADS demonstrated overall substantial interreader agreement for major features and the category on MRI, but showed heterogeneous results between studies.Level Of Evidence: 3 TECHNICAL EFFICACY STAGE: 2 J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2020;52:795-804. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND The bacterial type III secretion system (T3SS) is one of the virulence determinants of Gram‐negative bacteria through which various effector and virulence proteins are translocated into host cells. RESULTS: We constructed an assay system to screen inhibitors of hrpA gene expression (a structural gene of Hrp pili) in Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000. In a plant extract library screening, the root extract of Vitis vinifera L. displayed the most prominent activity. Three resveratrol oligomers, hopeaphenol, isohopeaphenol and ampelopsin A, were identified in grapevine root extract, which significantly reduced the transcription levels of the hrpA, hrpL and hopP1 genes without growth retardation. Additional resveratrol derivatives identified in other plant extracts were also examined for their inhibitory effect on hrpA expression. Another resveratrol oligomer, kobophenol A, also inhibited the transcription of the hrpA gene and other T3SS‐related genes, while resveratrol monomers (resveratrol and piceatannol) were not effective. The severity of bacterial specks was reduced by each hopeaphenol, isohopeaphenol and ampelopsin A treatment. CONCLUSION: These results show the potential of resveratrol derivatives as anti‐virulence agents for the control of plant diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To report characteristic imaging findings of calcifying aponeurotic fibromas (CAFs) on ultrasound (US) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Methods: Eight patients with CAF based on our institutional pathology database from 2000 to 2019 were consecutively included. Images were assessed as follows: with plain radiographs for the presence of soft tissue calcifications; with US for the presence of microlithiasis (a nonshadowing hyperechoic focus <3 mm) and discrete calcifications, size, location, margin, echogenicity, and relationship with surrounding structures; and with MRI for the presence of MRI microlithiasis (scattered tiny signal‐void dots), margin, signal intensity, contrast enhancement pattern, and relationship with surrounding structures. Results: Calcifying aponeurotic fibromas occurred most commonly in the foot (n = 5), followed by the hand, ankle, and knee, respectively. Half of the lesions (n = 4) showed intralesional calcifications on plain radiographs. On US, all lesions showed microlithiasis. They involved the subcutaneous (n = 5), perifascial (n = 2), and intermuscular (n = 1) layers. Margins were circumscribed (n = 3) or irregular (n = 5), whereas the echogenicity of the underlying tumor matrix was hyperechoic (n = 4), isoechoic (n = 2), or hypoechoic (n = 2). All lesions were abutting (n = 7) or encasing (n = 1) an adjacent tendon. On MRI, all CAFs showed tiny signal‐void dots and irregular margins. Signal intensity was mostly hyperintense (n = 5) on T2‐weighted images and all hypointense on T1‐weighted images. Three lesions showed heterogeneous contrast enhancement, and 3 showed uneven marginal enhancement. Conclusions: A CAF should be considered a differential diagnosis if a soft tissue mass abutting or encasing the tendon or fascia shows US or MRI microlithiasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Functional polymers with sulfobetaine or phosphorylcholine zwitterions as pendent groups are demonstrated as both ligands and host matrices for CsPbBr3 perovskite nanoparticles (PNPs). These polymers produce nanocomposite films with excellent NP dispersion, optical transparency, and impressive resistance to NP degradation upon exposure to water. Multidentate interactions of the zwitterion‐containing copolymers with the PNPs induce dispersed or weakly aggregated nanocomposite morphologies, depending on the extent of zwitterionic functionality in the polymer. Incorporating additional functionality into the polymers, such as benzophenone pendent groups, yields lithographically patternable films, while time‐resolved photoluminescence measurements provide insight into the electronic impact of PNPs in zwitterionic polymer matrices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organic nonvolatile memory devices based on organic field‐effect transistors (OFETs) have attracted attention as promising memory components in flexible organic integrated circuits. OFET‐based organic memories can be fabricated using solution processes with high portability and flexibility. However, many challenges still remain, such as achieving high levels of transparency and data storage while maintaining device reliability. In this study, the high‐performance of flexible organic nonvolatile memory devices is demonstrated through the synergistic effect of using a combination of polymer electret (poly(2‐vinyl naphthalene), PVN) and nanofloating gates (nickel oxide nanoparticles (NiOx NPs)). The PVN/NiOx NPs bilayer successfully acts as a charge storage medium with high transparency in the visible range. This system greatly improves memory performance including high data storage capacity, stable cyclic endurance, and quasi‐permanent retention characteristics (>10 years). Furthermore, these devices also show excellent charge storage characteristics after 1000 bending cycles and even under the sharply bent state (bending radius 3 mm). This enhanced mechanical stability of flexible synergistic memory devices demonstrates that NiOx NPs can play an important role as a reliable data storage material for next‐generation wearable electronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The influenza virus is one of the major public health threats. However, the development of efficient vaccines and therapeutic drugs to combat this virus is greatly limited by its frequent genetic mutations. Because of this, targeting the host factors required for influenza virus replication may be a more effective strategy for inhibiting a broader spectrum of variants. Here, we demonstrated that inhibition of a motor protein kinesin family member 18A (KIF18A) suppresses the replication of the influenza A virus (IAV). The expression of KIF18A in host cells was increased following IAV infection. Intriguingly, treatment with the selective and ATP‐competitive mitotic kinesin KIF18A inhibitor BTB‐1 substantially decreased the expression of viral RNAs and proteins, and the production of infectious viral particles, while overexpression of KIF18A enhanced the replication of IAV. Importantly, BTB‐1 treatment attenuated the activation of AKT, p38 MAPK, SAPK and Ran‐binding protein 3 (RanBP3), which led to the prevention of the nuclear export of viral ribonucleoprotein complexes. Notably, administration of BTB‐1 greatly improved the viability of IAV‐infected mice. Collectively, our results unveiled a beneficial role of KIF18A in IAV replication, and thus, KIF18A could be a potential therapeutic target for the control of IAV infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The present study aimed to examine the antimicrobial activity of silkworm thorn (Cudrania tricuspidata) leaf extract (CTLE) and its application as a washing agent for fresh‐cut romaine lettuce and kale. The antimicrobial activities of CTLE at various concentrations against Listeria monocytogenes were determined using disc diffusion and viable cell count assays, and CTLE exhibited strong inactivation of L. monocytogenes. In particular, after the treatment with 0.4% CTLE, the protein content of L. monocytogenes cells was significantly (P < 0.05) decreased from 507.21 to 254.58 μg mL−1, and damaged cells were observed by scanning electron microscopy. CTLE washing resulted in approximately 2‐log reduction of microbial growth, similar to that of 0.01% NaOCl. In addition, CTLE washing did not affect the quality of romaine lettuce and kale. Therefore, these results suggest that CTLE is applicable as a new washing agent for inactivating L. monocytogenes on fresh‐cut romaine lettuce and kale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the present study was to analyze the morphology and COI sequences of giant water bugs (Belostomatidae: Lethocerinae) that inhabit the Palearctic, Oriental, and Australian regions (i.e., three Lethocerus and a single Kirkaldyia species). Analysis revealed that both L. patruelis and L. indicus share two light stripes on the pronotum, but L. patruelis possesses narrower stripes and L. insulanus possesses an additional longitudinal narrow dark median band, whereas K. deyrolli was characterized by not having such markings. With regards to genetic analysis, the average intraspecific genetic distances of L. patruelis and L. indicus (from Palearctic and Oriental regions are 0.3 and 0.8%, respectively), but K. deyrolli which was collected from Northeast Asia, showed much higher intraspecific genetic distance (3.7%). The genetic distance between Kirkaldyia and Lethocerus (16.4–16.8%) is similar to that found between the genera of other hemipteran taxa. This study also newly reported the extended easternmost distribution of L. patruelis up to Surat Thani Province in southern Thailand. Along with K. deyrolli, which is considered threatened in South Korea and Japan, Lethocerus species have been facing threats in Southeast Asia, where they are heavily harvested and commonly sold in local markets as food. Therefore, future conservation efforts should be directed toward Lethocerus species in tropical Southeast Asia, especially the rarely found L. patruelis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

East Asian (EA) social welfare has been described as productivist, where social policies are subordinate to economic development. However, EA comparative studies often focus on a few select social policies and seldom examine welfare programs as a bundle. We contribute to the depiction of divergent features of EA safety nets by exploring welfare content (generosity, coverage, protective vs. productive, and work incentives) and welfare outcomes (poverty reduction and income redistribution) for lower‐income populations in the largest city in mainland China, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, and Taiwan. We collected model family (MF) data and analyzed the data through descriptive statistics and regression models. We found that Taiwan and Hong Kong, followed by Japan, have more generous programs for reducing poverty, while Korea focuses on productive programs; Singapore offers wide coverage and strong work incentives for low‐income families yet lags behind in generosity; and China appears to be a laggard in welfare provision in the region. Our findings reveal heterogeneity within EA welfare systems, and our synthesis of welfare features using MF data offers a promising, innovative strategy for conducting comparative research in regions with limited comparable data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Recently, the revised 2016 version of the 2010/2011 fibromyalgia (FM) criteria was released. No study has yet assessed whether the 2016 criteria perform better than the previous criteria. Therefore, we validated a Korean version of the revised FM criteria and explored whether they were better than the previous criteria in terms of diagnostic accuracy. Methods: We enrolled 86 FM patients and 89 patients with various rheumatological disorders, including rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, osteoarthritis, and myofascial pain syndrome. All patients were invited to complete a questionnaire that included the revised Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ), the EuroQol five‐dimensional questionnaire (EQ‐5D), and the Multidimensional Health Assessment Questionnaire (MD‐HAQ). Results: The test‐retest reliability of the revised criteria was assessed in 30 patients after 2 weeks; the Spearman coefficient ranged from 0.616 to 0.910 and the Cronbach's alpha was 0.942 (95% CI: 0.930‐0.964). The revised criteria correlated significantly with the revised FIQ score (P < .001), the EQ‐5D score (P < .001), and the MD‐HAQ score (P < .001). Using the revised criteria, FM was diagnosed in 94.2% of patients with a prior diagnosis of FM, and in 10.1% of those with other rheumatological disorders. The sensitivity and specificity of the revised criteria were 93.1% and 90.7%, respectively. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of the revised criteria was 0.966, higher than those of the 1990, 2010, and 2011 criteria. Conclusion: The revised criteria are reliable and valid when used to diagnose patients with FM, and are better than the previous criteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Canine mesenchymal stem cells (cMSCs) are gaining popularity in the veterinary field as a regenerative therapy. But, their limited culture lifespan makes it an obstacle for preclinical investigation and therapeutic use. In this study, primary canine adipose tissue‐derived MSCs (PCAT‐MSCs) were isolated from adipose tissue and were transfected with the SV40‐T retrovirus resulting in a life‐extended immortalized canine adipose tissue‐derived MSCs (ICAT‐MSCs). A comparison was made through the characterization of both PCAT‐MSCs and ICAT‐MSCs. Both showed a fibroblastic morphology; ICAT‐MSCs showed a higher potential of colony formation compared with PCAT‐MSCs and a reduced population doubling time; stem cell markers SOX2 and NANOG were expressed in both cell lines; karyotyping analysis showed no abnormalities in both PCAT‐MSCs and ICAT‐MSCs; both cell lines were CD90+, CD44 +, and CD45 −; both generated chondrogenic pellet; in osteogenic differentiation both showed upregulation of Osterix, a master transcriptome of osteogenesis, but in PCAT‐MSCs, an upregulation of SOX2 was also observed. In conclusion, ICAT‐MSCs showed similar characteristics with PCAT‐MSCs, thus established as an easy to access platform for studies on better understanding about cMSCs nature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: We investigated the characteristics and clinical outcomes of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)‐related pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) hospitalization and assessed the palivizumab (PZ) prophylaxis eligibility according to different guidelines from Korea, EU, and USA. Methods: In this multicenter study, children <18 years of age hospitalized in six PICU from different hospitals due to severe RSV infection between September 2008 and March 2013 were included. A retrospective chart review was performed. Results: A total of 92 patients were identified. The median length of PICU stay was 6 days (range, 1–154 days) and median PICU care cost was USD2,741 (range, USD556–98 243). Of 62 patients who were <2 years old at the beginning of the RSV season, 33 (53.2%) were high‐risk patients for severe RSV infection. Hemodynamically significant congenital heart disease (22.6%) was the most common risk factor, followed by chronic lung disease (11.3%), neuromuscular disease or congenital abnormality of the airway (NMD/CAA) (11.3%), and prematurity (8.1%). The percentage of patients eligible for PZ prophylaxis ranged from 38.7% to 48.4% based on the guidelines, but only two (2.2%) received PZ ≤30 days prior to PICU admission. The median duration of mechanical ventilation was longer in children with NDM/CAA than in those without risk factors (26 days; range, 24–139 days vs 6 days, range, 2–68 days, P = 0.033). RSV‐attributable mortality was 5.4%. Conclusions: Children <2 years old with already well‐known high risks represent a significant proportion of RSV‐related PICU admissions. Increasing of the compliance for PZ prophylaxis practice among physicians is needed. Further studies are needed to investigate the burden of RSV infection in patients hospitalized in PICU, including children with NMD/CAA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the effect of dietary nutmeg oil (NO) on growth performance, blood parameters, lipid peroxidation and heat shock protein (HSP) 70 expression in Korean native chicken (KNC) reared under hot temperature. We allocated 273 meat‐type KNCs (Hanhyup‐3, 4‐week‐old, body weight [BW] = 539.93 ± 1.75 g) to the following three treatments with seven replicate pens (13 birds/pen) per treatment. Three treatment diets were as follows: (a) Control, basal diet without NO supplementation; (b) NO 250; and (c) NO 500, basal diet supplemented with 250 and 500 ppm NO respectively. Diets and water were provided ad libitum throughout the 6‐week feeding trial. During overall period (0–6 weeks), no differences (p > 0.05) were observed in BW gain (BWG), feed intake (FI) and feed conversion rate (FCR) among treatments. However, the FI at 0–3 weeks decreased (p < 0.05) quadratically with increasing NO levels. Most blood parameters did not differ (p > 0.05) among treatments, although the monocyte level of the NO 500 group was considerably lower (p > 0.05) than that of the other groups. Furthermore, dietary NO did not affect serum triglyceride, cholesterol, total protein, albumin, calcium, phosphorus and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels (p > 0.05); however, it linearly decreased serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST) level (p < 0.05). Additionally, serum malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration decreased (p < 0.05) and heart MDA concentration was lower (p = 0.08) with increasing dietary NO supplementation. After a 3‐hr heat (35°C) challenge, the rectal temperature (RT) reduced (p < 0.05) linearly with increasing NO levels. Dietary NO did not affect liver HSP70 (p > 0.05) gene expression. In conclusion, NO potentially enhanced the ability of chickens to alleviate heat stress. Furthermore, our findings suggest that lipid oxidation inhibition by dietary NO likely mediated the enhanced heat‐stress tolerance of the chickens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present an innovative LiS battery concept for the potential realization of low‐cost wearable batteries. A novel LiS battery is constructed by employing a sulfur‐free carbon cathode and a sulfur‐layered separator fabricated by thermal evaporation at a temperature as low as 120°C. The cell exhibits superior performances compared with a control cell with a sulfur‐containing cathode, as all sulfur on the separator takes part in the electrochemical reactions. We reveal that all electrically isolated sulfur from the carbon cathode is successfully converted to polysulfides via the electrode reactions of sulfur molecules at the interface of the carbon surface and the electrolyte solution. Our new concept brings a paradigm shift in the rechargeable battery community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The aim of this study was to define clinical, histopathologic, and prognostic differences according to the presence of anti‐ribosomal P antibody (anti‐P) in Korean patients with biopsy‐proven lupus nephritis (LN). Methods: We studied 79 patients who underwent kidney biopsies prior to the start of induction treatment, and who were subsequently treated with immunosuppressive drugs for at least 6 months and followed‐up for more than 6 months. Anti‐P was measured by immunoblot analysis at the time of renal biopsy. Results: Of all patients, 35.4% were anti‐P‐positive. Such patients exhibited earlier LN onset, a higher Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index 2000 score, and a higher estimated glomerular filtration rate at the time of renal biopsy, than did those without antibodies. Upon renal histopathological analysis, patients with anti‐P exhibited less interstitial inflammation in terms of the activity index, less glomerular sclerosis, less tubular atrophy, and less interstitial fibrosis in terms of the chronicity index. Furthermore, anti‐P was associated with lower chronicity scores. At a median follow‐up time of 47 months, renal function was preserved in 27 of 28 patients who had anti‐P, but only 38 of 51 patients without such antibodies did not progress to chronic renal disease. After multivariate logistic regression, we found that anti‐P positivity was associated with a reduced rate of progression to chronic kidney disease after adjusting for gender, baseline creatinine, activity and chronicity score, and treatment response (odds ratio = 0.196, 95% CI: 0.039‐0.989, P = 0.048). Conclusion: Anti‐P was associated with better histological findings, and anti‐P‐positive patients had better renal outcomes than those without anti‐P. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Free‐standing carbon nanotube (CNT) frameworks have been found to be highly effective in increasing sulfur loading and energy density of lithium–sulfur (Li–S) batteries. This owes to their ability to accommodate a large amount of sulfur in their interspaces. Also, this solution does require neither a binder nor a current collector. As a drawback, the application of free‐standing CNT frameworks suffers from the abundance of their inherent macroporosities, as these promote the diffusion of polysulfides. In this work, we address this issue by incorporating disordered mesoporous carbon (DMC), as a polysulfide reservoir, into a CNT matrix to form CNT–DMC hybrid film. We apply facile hot‐pressing to incorporate sulfur into the composite electrode. Furthermore, we determine the electrochemical performances of CNT–DMC/sulfur (S) cathode by a galvanostatic method. We find that the CNT–DMC/S cathode exhibits a high initial capacity of 1032 mAh/g at 0.25 C and a superior capacity retention of 92% after 100 cycles, compared to sulfur‐impregnated CNT cathode. We attribute these enhancements to the efficient polysulfide absorption ability of DMC. This novel approach bears a high potential for the development of high‐performance Li–S batteries with flexible sulfur cathodes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using multiple indices of family policy efforts – work/family reconciliation, gender equality and income protection, this study offers a nuanced understanding of family policy expansion in 14 OECD countries across three welfare regimes from 1990 to 2010. Findings suggest an overall convergence of family policies, particularly in gender equality and work/family reconciliation. Convergence has occurred simultaneously with distinctive family policy changes across welfare regimes. Conservative welfare states have experienced the most profound family policy alterations, shifting from a traditional gender model to one that encourages women's employment, but have, nevertheless, maintained policy efforts that sustain the traditional gender role. Despite an increase in their family policy efforts, liberal welfare states have continued to maintain minimal state action regarding family policy. Changes in social democratic welfare states have been less substantial, as they seem to continue to pursue a dual‐earner model with high degree of gender equality and work/family reconciliation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a sulfur‐layered carbon electrode, a new configuration of sulfur cathode, which is constructed by a two‐step slurry‐casting process. The LiS cells employing the new sulfur cathode normally operate with large capacities. Sulfur particles on the carbon layer are not visible upon discharging to 2.1 V in the first discharge, indicating that electrically isolated sulfur is participated in the electrochemical reactions at the carbon surface. This strategy will bring about a paradigm shift in the design of high‐performance sulfur cathodes and open new perspectives in the low‐cost manufacturing of sustainable LiS cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We test an ensemble data assimilation system using the four‐dimensional Local Ensemble Transform Kalman Filter (4D‐LETKF) for a global numerical weather prediction (NWP) model with unstructured grids on the cubed‐sphere. It is challenging to selectively represent structures of dynamically growing errors in background states under system uncertainties such as sampling and model errors. We compute Ensemble Singular Vectors (ESVs) in an attempt to capture fast‐growing errors on the subspace spanned by ensemble perturbations, and use them as additive inflation to enlarge the covariance in the area where errors are flow‐dependently growing. The performance of the 4D‐LETKF system with ESVs is evaluated in real data assimilation, as well as Observing System Simulation Experiments (OSSEs). We find that leading ESVs help to capture fast‐growing errors effectively, especially when model errors are present, and that the use of ESVs as additive inflation significantly improves the performance of the 4D‐LETKF. Background error (contours, solid: positive, dash: negative) and analysis increment (shading) of zonal wind U (m/s) at the model level 45, around 850 hPa at 0600 UTC 20 February 2014 from the tests (a) ImPerfModel‐Random, and (b) ImPerfModel‐ESV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

DNA barcoding of aquatic macroinvertebrates holds much promise as a tool for taxonomic research and for providing baseline reference for phylogenetic analysis and aquatic ecosystem biomonitoring. We obtained 112 novel sequences of the barcode region of the mitochondrial DNA cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene representing 11 families, 25 genera, and 43 species of mayfly (Insecta: Ephemeroptera) from South Korea. No species shared barcode sequences and all can be identified with barcodes with a possible exception of some species. Minimum levels of interspecific genetic distances ranged from 6.7 to 32.9% (mean: 23.7%), whereas average levels of intraspecific divergence was 3.7%. The latter value was inflated by the presence of very high divergences within some taxa. In fact, approximately 33.3% (15/45) of the species included two or more haplotype clusters showing greater than 5.0% sequence divergence and some values were as high as 32.9%. Many of the species with high intraspecific divergences are para‐ or polyphyletic and represent the possibility of species complexes. Our study suggests that type or topotype specimens should be sequenced to identify accurate barcoding clusters with morphological species concepts and also to determine the status of currently synonymized species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]