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The DNA intelligence tool, DNA methylation‐based age prediction, can help identify disaster victims and suspects in criminal investigations. In this study, we developed a costal cartilage‐based age prediction tool that uses massive parallel sequencing (MPS) of age‐associated DNA methylation markers. Costal cartilage samples were obtained from 85 deceased Koreans, aged between 26 and 89 years. An MPS library was prepared using two rounds of multiplex polymerase chain reaction of nine genes (TMEM51, MIR29B2CHG, EDARADD, FHL2, TRIM59, ELOVL2, KLF14, ASPA, and PDE4C). The DNA methylation status of 45 CpG sites was determined and used to train an age prediction model via stepwise regression analysis. Nine CpGs in MIR29B2CHG, FHL2, TRIM59, ELOVL2, KLF14, and ASPA were selected for regression model construction. A leave‐one‐out cross‐validation analysis revealed the high performance of the age prediction model, with a mean absolute error (MAE) and root mean square error of 4.97 and 6.43 years, respectively. Additionally, our model showed good performance with a MAE of 6.06 years in the analysis of data of 181 costal cartilage samples collected from Europeans. Our model effectively estimates the age of deceased individuals using costal cartilage samples; therefore, it can be a valuable forensic tool for disaster victim and missing person investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The impact of delaying atrial fibrillation catheter ablation (AFCA) for antiarrhythmic drug (AAD) management on the disease course remains unclear. This study investigated AFCA rhythm outcomes based on the diagnosis‐to‐ablation time (DAT) and AAD responsiveness in participants with persistent AF (PeAF). Methods: We included data from 1038 AAD‐resistant PeAF participants, all of whom had a clear time point for AF diagnosis, especially PeAF at diagnosis time, and had undergone an AFCA for the first time. Participants who experienced recurrences of paroxysmal type on AAD therapy were analyzed as a cohort of AAD‐partial responders; those maintaining PeAF on AAD were AAD‐non‐responders. We determined the DAT cutoff for best discriminating long‐term rhythm outcomes using a maximum log‐likelihood estimation method based on the Cox proportional hazard regression model. Results: Of the participants (79.8% male; median age 61), 806 (77.6%) were AAD‐non‐responders. AAD‐non‐responders had a higher body mass index and a larger left atrial diameter than AAD‐partial‐responders. They also had a higher incidence of AF recurrence after AFCA (adjusted hazard ratio 1.75, 95% confidence interval 1.33–2.30; log‐rank p <.001) compared to AAD‐partial‐responders. The maximum log‐likelihood estimation showed bimodal cutoffs at 22 and 40 months. The optimal DAT cutoff rhythm outcome was 22 months, which discriminated better in the AAD‐partial‐responders than in the AAD‐non‐responders. Conclusions: Both DAT and AAD responsiveness influenced AFCA rhythm outcomes. Delaying AFCA to a DAT of longer than 22 months was inadvisable, particularly in the participants in whom PeAF was changed to paroxysmal AF during AAD therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ammonia (NH3) production has gained increasing attention owing to its versatility in both industrial and agricultural applications, as well as its potential as a next‐generation energy carrier with a high hydrogen density. Given the energy‐intensive and environmentally impactful nature of the Haber–Bosch process, there is a pressing need for a sustainable NH3 synthesis method under ambient conditions. Nitrate (NO3−) emerges as a compelling nitrogen source due to its numerous advantages over inert nitrogen (N2) gas, such as its relatively low dissociation energy and high aqueous solubility. Moreover, NO3− is a common contaminant found in wastewater, posing a threat to aquatic ecosystems. The photocatalytic NO3− reduction to NH3, which utilizes sunlight to convert contaminants into value‐added chemicals, aligns perfectly with the need for sustainable solutions. This perspective reviews the latest advancements in the field of photocatalytic NO3− to NH3 conversion. The mechanism behind the conversion of NO3− to NH3 is briefly explained, and photocatalysts exhibiting high selectivity and activity in NH3 production, along with other influential factors, are summarized. Additionally, current challenges and future prospects within this field are discussed.This perspective will provide a valuable guidance for future research in the realm of photocatalytic NH3 production via NO3− reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the sequential postoperative changes in tip aesthetics, by evaluating the aesthetic performance of the septal extension graft with or without tip grafting. Methods: A total of 62 patients who underwent rhinoplasty with tip plasty were included. Using a three‐dimensional scanner, we measured anthropometric aesthetic features of the nasal tip, including tip height, tip width, nasolabial angle, and columellar lobular angle. Preoperative and 1‐month and 12‐month postoperative anthropometric parameters were compared. The patients were grouped according to surgical techniques (i.e., septal extension only and septal extension plus tip grafting groups) and subtype of tip graft. Results: The 1‐month postoperative values of all four aesthetic features were significantly increased compared with the preoperative values. The tip height, tip width, and nasolabial angle at 12 months were significantly decreased compared with 1 month post‐operation values, whereas the tip height and width were still greater than the preoperative values. No difference was found between 1 and 12 month values of columellar lobular angle. There were no differences in the degree of decrease in tip height, tip width, nasolabial angle, and columellar lobular angle between the septal extension graft only and septal extension graft plus tip graft groups. There were no differences in the tip graft by subtypes, single‐ and multi‐layer tip grafts. Conclusions: Increased tip height, tip width, and widened nasolabial angle gained immediately after septal extension grafting surgery gradually decreased over the year regardless of addition of tip graft or tip grafting methods. Level of Evidence: 4 Laryngoscope, 134:678–683, 2024 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Direct air capture (DAC) processes for extraction of CO2 from ambient air are unique among chemical processes in that they operate outdoors with minimal feed pretreatments. Here, the impact of humidity on the oxidative degradation of a prototypical solid supported amine sorbent, poly(ethylenimine) (PEI) supported on Al2O3, is explored in detail. By combining CO2 adsorption measurements, oxidative degradation rates, elemental analyses, solid‐state NMR and in situ IR spectroscopic analysis in conjunction with 18O labeling of water, a comprehensive picture of sorbent oxidation is achieved under accelerated conditions. We demonstrated that the presence of water vapor can play an important role in accelerating the degradation reactions. From the study we inferred the identity and kinetics of formation of the major oxidative products, and the role(s) of humidity. Our data are consistent with a radical mediated autooxidative degradation mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGOUND The recycling of valuable metals from spent lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs) has attracted much attention. This work investigated the recovery of cobalt (Co), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), iron (Fe) and manganese (Mn) from metallic alloys generated from the reduction smelting of spent LIBs by a hydrometallurgical process. RESULTS: The complete leaching conditions for metals from the alloys were optimized as: 2.0 mol L–1 hydrochloric acid (HCl), 5% (v/v) hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) with 30 g L–1 pulp density at 60 °C within 150 min. Metal ions such as Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II), Fe(III), Mn(II) and silicon [Si(IV)] from HCl leachate were separated sequentially in four steps using solvent extraction and oxidative precipitation. First, Fe(III) was completely extracted over others using 0.5 mol L–1 Di‐(2‐Ethyl Hexyl) phosphoric acid (D2EHPA). Second, Cu(II) from the Fe(III)‐free raffinate was selectively extracted using 0.25 mol L–1 Cyanex301. Fe(III) and Cu(II) were quantitatively stripped from their loaded phases using 50% (v/v) aqua regia. Third, Co(II) from the Fe(III)‐ and Cu(II)‐free raffinate was selectively extracted over Ni(II), Mn(II) and Si(IV) with 0.25 mol L–1 ALi‐SCN and stripped with 10% (v/v) ammonia (NH3). Finally, Mn(II) from the raffinate containing Ni(II) and Si(IV) was separated at pH 3 by oxidative precipitation of MnO2 after adding 10% (v/v) sodium hypochlorite (NaClO). Mass balance analysis of the whole process indicated that the recovery and purity percentage of the metal ions were >99.9%. CONCLUSION: With its effective and selective performance, the application of this process to real‐life recovery of valuable metals from spent LIBs can be considered. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry (SCI). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Discrimination of nasal cavity mass lesions is a challenging work requiring extensive experience. A deep learning‐based automated diagnostic system may help clinicians to classify nasal cavity mass lesions. We demonstrated the feasibility of a convolutional neural network (CNN)‐based diagnosis system for automatic detection and classification of nasal polyps (NP) and inverted papillomas (IP). Methods: We developed a CNN‐based algorithm using a transfer learning strategy and trained it on nasal endoscopic images. A total of 99 nasal endoscopic images with normal findings, 98 images with NP, and 100 images with IP were analyzed using the developed CNN. Six otolaryngologists participated in clinical visual assessment. Image‐based classification performance was measured by calculating the accuracy and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). The diagnostic performance was compared between the CNN and clinical visual assessment by human experts. Results: The algorithm achieved an overall accuracy of 0.742 ± 0.058 with the following class accuracies: normal, 0.81± 0.14; IP, 0.57 ± 0.07; and NP, 0.83 ± 0.21. The AUC values for normal, IP, and NP were 0.91 ± 0.06, 0.82 ± 0.09, and 0.84 ± 0.06, respectively. The overall accuracy of the CNN model was comparable with the average performance of human experts (0.742 vs. 0.749; p = 0.11). Conclusions: The trained CNN model appears to reliably classify NP and IP of the nasal cavity from nasal endoscopic images; it also yields a reliable reference for diagnosing nasal cavity mass lesions during nasal endoscopy. However, further studies with more test data are warranted to improve the diagnostic accuracy of our CNN model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: We investigated the risk of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) in diabetic polyneuropathy (DPN).Methods: This study was conducted using records from the National Health Insurance System (NHIS). We divided patients diagnosed with diabetes mellitus (DM) into those with and without DPN. We assessed the effect of DPN on the risk of CTS using Cox proportional hazards regression analyses.Results: DPN was associated with an increased risk of CTS (hazard ratio [HR], 1.33; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.12-1.58). In sub-analyses, female gender (HR, 1.45; 95% CI, 1.20-1.76), presence of type 2 DM (HR, 1.36; 95% CI, 1.11-1.64), and age 35 to 64 years (HR 1.35; 95% CI, 1.11-1.64) were significantly associated with an increased risk of CTS.Conclusions: Patients with DPN had an increased risk of CTS compared with the non-DPN group, particularly females, those with type 2 DM, and those aged 35 to 64 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Patients with acquired brain injury show decreased pulmonary function and diaphragm excursion (DE), which can affect functional outcomes. This study aimed to compare ultrasonography (US) and fluoroscopy for DE assessment and to determine how the relationship between pulmonary function test results and DE differs according to the paralytic condition. Methods: From September 2017 to April 2018, we prospectively enrolled patients with acquired brain injury. The patients underwent a pulmonary function test, including the functional vital capacity, forced expiratory volume at 1 second, forced expiratory volume at 1 second–to–functional vital capacity ratio, peak cough flow, and respiratory muscle strength such as the maximal inspiratory pressure and maximal expiratory pressure. Diaphragm excursion was measured with M‐mode US and fluoroscopy on admission. A partial correlation analysis was used to assess the correlation between US and fluoroscopy for DE assessment. Results: During the study period, 50 patients with acquired brain injury were enrolled. After adjusting for age, sex, height, and weight, the correlation coefficients between US and fluoroscopy were 0.744 for the right side (P <.001) and 0.631 for the left side (P <.001). In a subgroup analysis for patients with hemiplegia, the correlation coefficients were 0.507 for the paretic side (P =.007) and 0.677 for the nonparetic side (P <.001). Diaphragm excursion in the nonparetic side was significantly correlated with the maximal inspiratory pressure, maximal expiratory pressure, and peak cough flow (P <.05). Conclusions: M‐mode US can be an alternative method for DE measurement in patients with impaired locomotion function after acquired brain injury. Preserved function of the nonparetic side might affect pulmonary function after brain injury, which suggests the importance of prestroke respiratory function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Patulous eustachian tube (ET) has been characterised by the visualisation of full‐length ET on computed tomography (CT) results. We wanted to investigate the changes of visualised ET lengths by age in supine and sitting positions. Design: Retrospective study. Setting: Tertiary care academic referral centre. Participants: One hundred subjects who underwent cone beam CT (CBCT) in a sitting position and conventional CT in a supine position for non‐otitis‐related or dental complaints. Main outcome measures: Visualised ET lengths from the nasopharyngeal orifice measured by different positions and ages. Results: Subjects did not show visualisation of full‐length ET throughout the study. The visualised ET lengths (9.0 ± 2.5 mm) of the CBCT group were significantly larger than those (6.8 ± 2.3 mm) of the conventional CT group (P < 0.0001).Women showed longer visualised ET lengths than men in CBCT group (P < 0.001). The visualised ET lengths of the CBCT group were consistent or slightly increasing as a function of age (P = 0.06); however, the visualised ET lengths of the conventional CT group decreased as a function of age (P = 0.001). The slopes of regression lines of the two groups were significantly different. Conclusions: When in the supine position, the ET lengths gradually shortened as the subjects got older, most likely due to venous engorgement and the collapse of surrounding tissues; this finding thus suggests that CT in a supine position is an inappropriate method to diagnose patulous ET. The visualised ET lengths by CBCT in a sitting position were consistent throughout the different ages of the subjects and may be used as a diagnostic test for patulous ET. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To compare the efficacy of a conventional fluoroscopy‐guided epidural nerve block and an ultrasound (US)‐guided intercostal nerve block in patients with thoracic herpes zoster (HZ). Methods: This work was a comparative study of 38 patients with thoracic HZ pain and a chest wall herpetic eruption, aged 18 years or older, with pain intensity of 5 or greater on a numeric rating scale (NRS) for less than a 1‐month duration. Patients were consecutively enrolled and assigned to 2 groups in which the intervention was either the US‐guided intercostal nerve block or the fluoroscopy‐guided epidural nerve block approach with the addition of a 5‐mL mix of 2.5 mg of dexamethasone plus 0.5% lidocaine. The primary outcome measure was the NRS score reduction for the pain. Secondary outcomes included the duration of treatment, number of repeated injections until the final visit, and proportion of patients with pain relief after the first and final visits. Results: All patients within both intervention groups showed significant pain relief on the NRS at the final follow‐up point (P < .05). There was no significant difference in the mean value of NRS improvement based on the intervention type. There was also no statistically significant difference in the duration of treatment and the frequency of injection for pain relief. Conclusions: These findings showed that both the US‐guided intercostal nerve block and the fluoroscopy‐guided epidural nerve block were effective in patients with thoracic HZ. Compared data showed no significant differences in the pain reduction, duration of treatment, and frequency of injection. The US‐guided intercostal nerve block, which is more accessible than the fluoroscopy‐guided epidural nerve block, might be an alternative option for thoracic HZ. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate sonographic findings according to the pathophysiologic type in patients with carpal tunnel syndrome. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the records of 80 patients (148 hands) with carpal tunnel syndrome. Patients were classified into 3 groups according to electrophysiologic findings: (1) conduction block and conduction delay; (2) axonal degeneration; and (3) mixed. We used sonographic evaluations to assess the cross ‐ sectional area at the distal wrist crease and the distal forearm and the wrist ‐ to ‐ forearm ratio of the median nerve. Results: Patients with axonal degeneration had significantly larger cross ‐ sectional areas and wrist ‐ to ‐ forearm ratios than those with a conduction block (P < .05). The increased wrist ‐ to ‐ forearm ratio correlated with a reduced amplitude of the sensory nerve action potential, which reflects the degree of axonal degeneration. Conclusions: The cross ‐ sectional area and wrist ‐ to ‐ forearm ratio were associated with the pathophysiologic type of carpal tunnel syndrome, with larger nerve swellings seen in patients with axonal degeneration compared with those with demyelinating lesions. In addition to helping in the localization of the nerve lesion, sonography may indicate the type of nerve lesion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work describes acylation reactions facilitated by a type of heterocycle-based acyl transfer agent, 2-acyloxypyridazinone. Reactions of 2-acyloxypyridazinone with carboxylic acids yield mixed carbonic anhydride intermediates, which are reactive and could be coupled with a wide range of substrates including acids, amines, alcohols, and thiols. The wide substrate scope, ease of operation (no additive or catalyst), storage and handling stability, and atom-efficiency from recycling the heterocycle carrier make the reported acylating agent attractive for acylation-based coupling reactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: It is unknown whether the treatment initiating time of immunomodulators such as thiopurines affects the course of Crohn's disease (CD). We evaluated the efficacy of early immunomodulator therapy (EIT) on the prognosis of patients with CD. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 1157 patients with CD who were enrolled in the CrOhn's disease cliNical NEtwork and CohorT study and received immunomodulator therapy. The patients were divided into an EIT group and a conventional therapy group based on whether immunomodulators were initiated within six months after being diagnosed with CD. We compared the rates of intestinal surgery, bowel complications, and hospitalization because of CD between the groups. Results: Patient age at diagnosis and sex were not significantly different between the two groups. The mean duration of follow-up was 105.8 ± 51.5 months. A Kaplan-Meier analysis identified that the EIT group was superior to the conventional therapy group in terms of delaying surgery ( P = 0.017). In multivariate analysis, EIT was an independent predicting factor associated with delaying the onset of complications ( P = 0.050). Patients were divided into two groups based on the year of CD diagnosis: from 1982 to 1999 (A) and from 2000 to 2008 (B). In group A, the time from diagnosis to the start of immunomodulatory therapy was longer ( P < 0.001), and the time to first intestinal surgery was shorter than group B ( P = 0.002). Conclusions: The early use of immunomodulators was associated with a good prognosis as defined by a need for surgery and the occurrence of complications in CD in our multicenter study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The preclinical safety of a newly developed oral anticoagulant, the low molecular weight heparin-deoxycholate conjugate (OH09208), was evaluated by a comprehensive evaluating program in compliance with standard guidelines. The single dose oral toxicity study in rats receiving 2000 and 5000 mg kg-1 of OH09208 did not reveal any mortality, unusual body weight changes or necropsy findings. The results of the 4-week oral toxicity study with a 4-week recovery program in rats receiving OH09208 in doses of 100, 300 and 1000 mg kg-1 day-1 did not reveal any mortality, or indicate any unusual clinical signs, or show any toxicokinetic relationships to the administration of OH09208. Although the increase in liver enzymes in one male dog treated with 300mg kg-1 day-1 and one female dog treated with 1000 mg kg-1 day-1 could not be excluded from the effect of the test substance, no other toxicologically significant changes were observed in the 4-week oral toxicity study with a 4-week recovery in beagle dogs. Thus, while the no-observed-adverse-effect level value from the 4-week study in both male and female rats was 1000 mg kg-1 day-1, those from the 4-week study in male and female beagle dogs were 300 and 1000 mg kg-1 day-1, respectively. Furthermore, OH09208 did not induce anaphylactic reactions in guinea pigs, micronucleated bone marrow cells in male ICR mice, chromosomal aberration in Chinese hamster lung cell lines, bacterial reverse mutation, and any abnormalities in hERG current assay, mouse central nervous system and dog cardiovascular studies. Overall, there were no unexpected toxicities in this preclinical study that might have precluded the safe administration of OH09208 to humans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photovoltaics (PV) is the most renowned sustainable energy source in the world. Grid parity has already been realized in some countries in the EU and North America. The annual global PV installation reached 37 GW in 2013, showing a growth rate of 35 %. Even after the period of worldwide liquidation in the PV industry, the annual growth rate of the PV market is expected to exceed 20 %. Not only the EU countries, the conventional early birds in the PV field, but also the countries in the Sunbelt area could join and revitalize the market. The megatrend regarding the PV industry and market can be examined from the perspective of society, culture, economy, technology, environment, system, and policy. Development aspects in the PV industry can be categorized according to the stages of significant changes in technology, industry, and market. Photovoltaics 3.0 indicates that the 2nd growth stage will soon unfold full-fledged market growth. The PV industry is the core of renewable energy (RE) industry in Korea, which accounts for 73 %, 80 %, and 90 % attribution to employment, sales, and exports, respectively, of the total amount of the RE industry. The PV R&D strategies in Korea put emphasis on the consolidation of the competitive domestic PV technologies, and the expansion of the domestic supply, through: improvement of technical competitiveness and cost reduction in system installation and generation; the creation of new markets through enhancement of commercialized key elemental technologies; the nurturing of the global hidden PV champions through promotion of the healthy ecology of the PV industry; and development of competitive technologies of components, materials, and equipment. To lead the quantum leap of the PV industry, as an act against the future market, we would advance key elemental technologies of next-generation solar cells and exploit PV fusion systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT In our previous studies, taurocholic acid (TA)-conjugated low-molecular-weight heparin derivative (LHT7) has been proven to be a potent anti-angiogenic agent by demonstrated successful blockage capability of vascular endothelial growth factors (VEGF). Preliminary safety evaluations were conducted based on its mechanism of action and chemical behavior. For this purpose, acute toxicity study, and hematological and serological evaluations were carried out. Additionally, in order to evaluate mechanism-related side effects, both blood pressure and the occurrence of proteinuria were measured using a treatment regime of multiple high doses of LHT7 in a biodistribution study. LD50 values for LHT7 in female and male mice were 56.9 and 64.7 mg kg-1 doses, respectively. There were no vital fluctuations in the serological and hematological parameters, except for the elevated levels of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) at 100 and 200 mg kg-1 doses of LHT7, representing vital changes in the liver function. Moreover, the results of mechanism-related studies showed that blood pressure at 50 mg kg-1 did not change but showed elevated levels of protein in urine. In the biodistribution study, a slight accumulation of LHT7 in the kidney and the liver were observed at the 50 mg kg-1 repeated dose owing to the presence of bile acid. No fatal damage was observed in this study; most observations were related to the chemical composition or the mechanism of action of the material. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of supercritical fluids on the production of renewable diesel-range hydrocarbons from natural triglycerides were investigated. Various supercritical fluids, which included CO2 (scCO2), propane (scC3H8) and n-hexane (scC6H14), were introduced with H2 and soybean oil into a fixed-bed reactor that contained pre-activated CoMo/γ-Al2O3. Among these supercritical fluids, scC3H8 and scC6H14 efficiently allowed the reduction of the reaction temperature by as much as 50 °C as a result of facilitated heat and mass transfer and afforded similar yields to reactions in the absence of supercritical fluids. The compositional analyses of the gas and liquid products indicated that the addition of scC3H8 during the hydrotreatment of soybean oil promoted specific deoxygenation pathways, decarbonylation and decarboxylation, which consumed less H2 than the hydrodeoxygenation pathway. As a result, the quantity of H2 required to obtain a high yield of diesel-range hydrocarbons could be reduced to 57 % if scC3H8 was used. As decarboxylation and decarbonylation are mildly endothermic reactions, the reduced heat transfer resistance in scC3H8 may drive the deoxygenation reaction to thermodynamically favourable pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mucins reportedly play numerous key roles in carcinogenesis, including in tumor invasion, regulation of differentiation and tumor cell proliferation. We investigated the effect of Muc5AC, a secreted mucin, on the invasiveness/migratory capability of gastric cancer cells and the prognostic significance of Muc5AC in gastric cancer patients. The clinicopathological and prognostic significance of Muc5AC expression was validated using immunohistochemical analysis in 412 gastric cancer patients. Differential gene expression was investigated using complementary DNA microarray analysis of 48 fresh tumor tissue samples. Silencing of Muc5AC by using a small hairpin RNA-containing lentivirus increased the invasion and migration of SNU216 and AGS cells as well as Akt phosphorylation and the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor and matrix metalloproteinase-7, which were blocked by inhibitors of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt pathway. Loss of Muc5AC expression was significantly associated with tumor progression (advanced T stage; p = 0.004), lymph node metastases ( p = 0.001), lymphovascular invasion ( p < 0.0001), and increased tumor size ( p = 0.027). Lower MUC5AC expression was identified as an independent poor prognostic factor in diffuse-type gastric cancer by using the Cox regression proportional hazard model (hazard ratio, 2.39; p = 0.043). Complementary DNA microarray analysis revealed 86 differentially expressed genes, including genes related to metastasis and invasion, in gastric cancer tissues with high (≥25%) and low (<25%) Muc5AC expression levels. Low Muc5AC expression increased the invasion and migration of gastric cancer cells and could be a useful biomarker of poor prognosis in gastric cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Direct air capture (DAC) processes for extraction of CO2 from ambient air are unique among chemical processes in that they operate outdoors with minimal feed pretreatments. Here, the impact of humidity on the oxidative degradation of a prototypical solid supported amine sorbent, poly(ethylenimine) (PEI) supported on Al2O3, is explored in detail. By combining CO2 adsorption measurements, oxidative degradation rates, elemental analyses, solid‐state NMR and in situ IR spectroscopic analysis in conjunction with 18O labeling of water, a comprehensive picture of sorbent oxidation is achieved under accelerated conditions. We demonstrated that the presence of water vapor can play an important role in accelerating the degradation reactions. From the study we inferred the identity and kinetics of formation of the major oxidative products, and the role(s) of humidity. Our data are consistent with a radical mediated autooxidative degradation mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS)/functionalized-graphene nanocomposites were synthesized using the solution-blending method in chloroform. A dispersion of graphite oxide was added to a solution of the ammonium salt of octadecylamine (C18) to form octadecylamine-graphene (C18-graphene), which was then used as a functionalized graphene in the preparation of ABS nanocomposite films. ABS nanocomposite films with different C18-graphene contents (0-3 wt %) were compared in terms of their thermomechanical properties and morphology. Despite the relatively low C18-graphene loadings studied, the nanocomposite films exhibited greatly improved thermomechanical properties compared with pure ABS. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We characterized the subgap density-of-states (DOS)-based reliability in hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) thin film transistors (TFTs). Physical origins of the negative bias illumination stress (NBIS)-induced threshold voltage shift (ΔVT) with wavelength-dependence are quantitatively and systematically investigated. As a result, the photon energy is closely related to a creation of subgap states and the rate of ΔVOX (charge trapping into the gate insulator) /ΔVT is determined by the relation between the photon energy and the band offset. Our methodology is expected to be very useful for the development of next generation large-area high performance active matrix liquid crystal display (AMLCD) technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alpha-eleostearic acid (α-ESA) is known to suppress the growth in cancer cells although its underlying molecular mechanisms have not been fully elucidated. The present study was designed to elucidate and evaluate the anticancer mechanism of α-ESA on MCF-7 breast cancer cells. Also, an attempt was made to better understand the anticancer mechanism by which α-ESA activated PPARγ and attenuated the ERK1/2 MAPK phosphorylation state. The MCF-7 breast cancer cell-line and nontumorigenic MCF-10A human mammary epithelial cells were treated with α-ESA and compared with negative control (without treatment) and positive control groups (treated with rosiglitazone), and changes of apoptosis-related molecules, PPARγ and pERK1/2 were examined. In MCF-7 cells treated with α-ESA, we found that the expression of p53, p21, and Bax was up-regulated whereas expression of Bcl-2 and procaspase-9 was down-regulated. Moreover, nuclear translocation of PPARγ by α-ESA positively correlated with inhibition of ERK1/2 activation. Our data suggest that α-ESA can be considered to be a PPARγ agonist and thus a candidate for a chemotherapeutic agent against breast cancer. ( Cancer Sci 2009; 00: 000–000) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we investigate the influence of grain boundaries on the performance of polycrystalline silicon thin-film transistors (poly-Si TFTs) for high resolution active-matrix organic light-emitting diode (AMOLED) displays using Voronoi diagram. The novel 2-D Voronoi polycrystalline grain structure can show a more realistic electrical parameter variability when the channel dimension is scaled down for high-resolution display. Using a proposed method, the impact of polycrystalline granular structure controlled by crystallization process is identified. Further, we predict the effect of grain boundary-induced variations under different laser annealing process, such as Excimer Laser Annealing (ELA). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a study on the mechanical and physical properties of miscible poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC)/alpha methyl-styrene-acrylonitrile (MSAN) with different blend ratios prepared by melt extrusion and the effect of molecular weight on the rheological, mechanical and physical properties of PVC/alphaMSAN blends PVC. It indicates that the resulting PVC/alphaMSAN blends had good mechanical and physical properties with no adverse effects.

Since an attenuated response to stress is a characteristic of senescence, a cellular senescence model was used to examine the mechanism of resistance against oxidative stress using human diploid fibroblasts (HDF). With increasing passage, the HDF showed increased production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Late passage HDF were resistant to the lethal effects of oxidative stress, showing less cleavage of pro-caspase-3 and PARP than those of early ones. Since heat shock proteins (Hsps) are not only cytoprotective but also interfere with the apoptotic cascade, the expression patterns of Hsps during cellular senescence were next examined. Oxidative stress induced a decrease in the mitochondrial Hsp60 levels with a concomitant increase in the cytosolic Hsp60 levels in the early passage HDF, but not in late ones. To show that the resistance to oxidative stress is a specific effect of Hsp60, the levels of Hsp60 were knocked down by siRNA. As expected the Hsp60 knock-down cells were more resistant to oxidative stress. These findings show that Hsp60 is a key player in the resistance mechanism against oxidative stress and aging. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using young pigs, this study compared the strategies of alpha-stat and pH-stat during deep hypothermic circulatory arrest (DHCA) for the cooling time of brains during the induction of hypothermia and rewarming time with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB); the cerebral perfusion rate and metabolism rate, and the ratio of these 2 rates; and the extent of the cerebral edema development after circulatory arrest. Fourteen young pigs were assigned to 1 of 2 strategies of gas management. Cerebral blood flow was measured with a cerebral venous outflow technique. With CPB, core cooling was initiated and continued until the nasopharyngeal temperature fell below 20°C. The flow rate was set at 2,500 ml/min. Once the temperature reached below 20°C, the animals were subjected to DHCA for 40 min. During the cooling period, the acid-base balance was maintained using either alpha-stat or pH-stat strategy. After DHCA, the body was rewarmed to the normal body temperature. The animals then were sacrificed, and we measured the brain water content. The cerebral perfusion and metabolism rates were measured before the onset of CPB, before cooling, before DHCA, 15 min after rewarming, and upon the completion of rewarming. The cooling time was significantly shorter with alpha-stat than with pH-stat strategy while no significant differences were observed in the rewarming time between groups. Also, no significant differences were found in cerebral blood flow volume, metabolic rate, or flow/metabolic rate ratio between groups. In each group, the cerebral blood flow volume, metabolic rate, and flow/metabolic rate ratio showed significant differences in body temperature. Brain water content showed no significant differences between the 2 groups. In summary, this study found no significant differences between alpha-stat and pH-stat strategies, except in the cooling time. The cooling time was rather shorter with the alpha-stat than with the pH-stat strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents chemical equations for the article "Alkyl and Aryl 4,5-Dichloro-6-oxopyridazin-1(6H)-carboxylates: A Practical Alternative to Chloroformates for the Synthesis of Symmetric and Asymmetric Carbonates" by H. K. Moon and others published in "Synlett" in 2016.

2-Acyloxypyridazinone is utilized as heterocycle-based acyl-transfer agent in various acylation reactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to find differences in dietary patterns through menu analysis among 3 groups: 1591 normal group (NG), 405 impaired fasting glucose group (IG, 100~125mg/dl) and 132 diabetes group (DG). The data was obtained from the 2005 National Health and Nutrition Survey of Korea. The subjects were adults aged 40~64 years old without dietary treatment. The dishes of 3 meals (excluding snacks) were classified into 29 categories by cooking method. DG preferred more side dishes than other groups and had the highest frequency of stew and 2 or more kimchis. DG, especially, preferred side dishes using a lot of salt and seasonings, for example, braised foods, seasoned-fermented foods, and all sort of sauce. IG had a dietary pattern similar to DG, but frequencies were lower than DG within the 10 top-ranking whereas NG had the lowest frequency of dietary pattern with stew and preferred fewer side dishes. Consequently, a simple dietary pattern & light eating, and cooking methods using little salt and seasonings are recommended for preventing diabetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to find differences in dietary patterns through menu analysis by economic status and area. The economic status was classified into low, middle, high, and top classes using a poverty line based on the 2001 minimum standard cost of living. The areas were divided into metropolis, small city, and rural areas. The dishes of 3 meals were classified into 29 categories by cooking method. The most frequent pattern was "rice + soup + kimchi". The frequency of this Korean basic dietary pattern was the lowest in the top income class and metropolis areas, while the highest in the low income class and rural areas. The frequency of Korean recommended dietary pattern, that is, "rice + soup or stew + kimchi + side dish" was the highest in the top income class. The metropolis group preferred side dishes using meat and cooking method that save time, but the rural group preferred side dishes using vegetables and cooking methods that take a longer time. Consequently, the major dietary pattern in Korea is rice-style, though the western pattern is increasing in the top income class, especially in metropolis areas. And, to make a better dietary pattern, we should develop and spread low-priced recipes of various side dishes for lower income classes and emphasize the importance of the balance between meat and vegetables for the top income class, especially in the metropolis areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Increased left atrial pressure (LAP) contributes to dyspnea and heart failure with preserved ejection fraction in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). The purpose of this study was to investigate the differences in baseline LAP and LAP response to rapid pacing between paroxysmal and persistent AF., Methods and Results: This observational study prospectively enrolled 1369 participants who underwent AF catheter ablation, excluding those with reduced left ventricular ejection fraction. H 2 FPEF score was calculated by echocardiography and baseline characteristics. Patients underwent LAP measurements during AF, sinus rhythm, and heart rates of 90, 100, 110, and 120 beats per minute (bpm), induced by right atrial pacing and isoproterenol. The baseline LAP-peak in the persistent AF group consistently exceeded that in the paroxysmal AF (PAF) group across each H 2 FPEF score subgroup (all P <0.05). LAP-peak increased with pacing (19.5 to 22.5 mm Hg) but decreased with isoproterenol (20.4 to 18.4 mm Hg). Under pacing, patients with PAF exhibited a significantly lower LAP-peak (90 bpm) than those with persistent AF (17.7±8.2 versus 21.1±9.3 mm Hg, P <0.001). However, there was no difference in LAP-peak (120 bpm) between the 2 groups (22.1±8.1 versus 22.9±8.4 mm Hg, P =0.056) because the LAP-peak significantly increased with heart rate in the group with PAF., Conclusions: Patients with PAF exhibited lower baseline LAP with greater increases during rapid pacing compared with individuals with persistent AF, indicating a need to revise the H 2 FPEF score for distinguishing PAF from persistent AF and emphasizing the importance of rate and rhythm control in PAF for symptom control., Registration: URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov; Unique Identifier: NCT02138695.

Background: Although successful atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation can maintain sinus rhythm and reduce the left atrial (LA) dimension, blunted LA reverse remodeling can be observed in patients with atrial myopathy. We explored the potential mechanisms and long-term outcomes in patients with blunted LA reverse remodeling after successful AF catheter ablation., Methods and Results: We included 1685 patients who underwent baseline and 1-year follow-up echocardiograms, had a baseline LA dimension ≥40 mm, and did not have a recurrence of AF within a year. The patients were divided into tertile groups according to the delta value of the change in LA dimension on the preprocedure and 1-year postprocedure echocardiography. After propensity score matching for age, sex, AF type, and LA dimension, 1272 patients were finally included in the analyses (424 in each group; the least/blunted, moderate, and the most reverse remodeling group). The patients in the T1 group (blunted LA reverse remodeling) were independently associated with higher left ventricular mass index (odds ratio [OR], 1.014 [95% CI, 1.005-1.022], P =0.001), change in ΔH 2 FPEF score (heavy, hypertensive, atrial fibrillation, pulmonary hypertension, elder, filling pressure) score (OR, 1.445 [95% CI, 1.121-1.861], P =0.004), ventricular epicardial adipose tissue volume (OR, 1.010 [95% CI, 1.003-1.017], P =0.003), thinner LA wall thickness (OR, 0.461 [95% CI, 0.271-0.785], P =0.004), lower LA voltage (OR, 0.670 [95% CI, 0.499-0.899], P =0.008), and showed higher long-term AF recurrence (log-rank P <0.001) than other groups., Conclusions: Blunted LA reverse remodeling after AF catheter ablation, which is suggestive of atrial myopathy, was independently associated with a larger ventricular epicardial adipose tissue volume and worsening of H 2 FPEF score. Blunted LA reverse remodeling after AF catheter ablation was also an independent predictor for higher recurrences of AF post-1-year AF catheter ablation.

The simple quantification of viable intracellular bacteria is important for the study of an obligate intracellular bacterium, Orientia tsutsugamushi. We applied a novel monoclonal antibody (M686-13)--specific for intracellular Orientia--to an immunofluorescent antibody (IFA) test for determining antibiotic susceptibility of O. tsutsugamushi. M686-13 did not react with Orientia that was inhibited by doxycycline, although bacterial particles still remained in the cells. This preferential staining of proliferating bacteria made the IFA test rapid and precise. Using this method, we could successfully measure the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of a Korean strain of O. tsutsugamushi to doxycycline and clindamycin. This method may be used in other procedures to evaluate the growth of Orientia.

Intracellular bacteria often change the expression of their genes in order to adapt to new environmental conditions. Here we describe a monoclonal antibody (MAb) that reacts exclusively against intracellular Orientia tsutsugamushi. Although MAb applied to the 56-kDa protein, a major outer membrane protein, reacted against a large number of bacteria that had attached to host cells at the early stage of infection, M686-13 reacted against only a minor portion of the attached bacteria. In the later stage of the intracellular growth cycle, both antibodies showed identical staining patterns by double immunofluorescent staining. These results suggest that M686-13 reacted to an epitope or a protein that had probably been expressed during the intracellular growth cycle and rapidly diluted or degraded upon release into the extracellular environment. Although its molecular characteristics remain unknown, the reactive antigen may prove to be a novel developmental antigen and this MAb could be used as reagent for the staining of viable O. tsutsugamushi.