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This study investigated whether interwoven self-expandable metallic stent (I-SEMS) placement suppresses stent-induced tissue hyperplasia compared with conventional knitted self-expandable metallic stent (K-SEMS) placement in a rat esophageal model. Twelve rats were randomly assigned to the I-SEMS (n = 6) and K-SEMS (n = 6) groups. All rats were sacrificed 4 weeks after the stent placement. The degree of stent-induced tissue hyperplasia on esophagography and histologic examination was compared between the groups. Stent placement was technically successful in all rats. Esophagography revealed significantly greater mean luminal diameter of the stented esophagus in the I-SEMS group than in the K-SEMS group (p < 0.001). Histologic examination revealed a significantly lower percentage of tissue hyperplasia area and a significantly thinner submucosal fibrosis in the I-SEMS group than in the K-SEMS group (all p < 0.001). There were no significant differences in the thickness of the epithelial layers (p = 0.290) and degree of inflammatory cell infiltration (p = 0.506). Formation of stent-induced tissue hyperplasia was evident with both I-SEMS and K-SEMS. Placement of I-SEMSs with a small cell size and high flexibility seems to be effective in suppressing stent-induced tissue hyperplasia compared with placement of K-SEMSs in rat esophageal models.

Background The COVID-19 pandemic caused by the severe acute SARS-CoV-2 virus has undeniably highlighted the importance of reliable nucleic acid quantification. Digital PCR (dPCR) is capable of the absolute quantification of nucleic acids. Method By using the droplet dPCR (QX200) and the digital real-time PCR (LOAA), the copy numbers were compared via multiple assays for three distinct targerts; EGFR DNA, SARS-CoV-2 and HIV-1 RNA. Results The droplet dPCR and digital real-time PCR showed similar copy numbers for both DNA and RNA quantification. When the limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantitation (LOQ) of each method were estimated for DNA and RNA targets, the digital real-time PCR showed a higher sensitivity and precision especially with low copy number targets. Conclusion The breath of nucleic acid testing in diagnostic applications continues to expand. In this study we applied common diagnostic targets to a novel digital real-time PCR methodology. It performed comparably to the established dPCR method with distinctive advantages and disadvantages for implementing in laboratories. These rapidly developing dPCR systems can be applied to benefit the accurate and sensitive nucleic acid testing for various clinical areas.

Cheese contains various beneficial nutrients, including calcium and whey protein, as well as large amounts of saturated fatty acids. Thus, intake of cheese increases the production of low‐density lipoprotein‐cholesterol (LDL‐C), a well‐defined risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Therefore, identification of natural products that inhibit LDL‐C production following cheese intake and verification of the efficacy of such products in animal models are essential. Here, we evaluated the effects of Allium hookeri, a well‐known traditional herbal remedy, on metabolism and thermogenesis in mice consuming a cheese‐containing diet. Intake of A. hookeri extracts significantly blocked increases in body weight and fat mass caused by intake of Gouda cheese in mice. Additionally, increases in blood triglyceride levels following intake of Gouda cheese were alleviated by A. hookeri. Moreover, intake of Gouda cheese enhanced thermogenesis efficiency. Thus, A. hookeri may have applications as an important additive for reducing the risk of metabolic disease resulting from cheese consumption.

Wettability control of carbonates is a central concept for enhanced petroleum recovery, but a mechanistic understanding of the associated molecular-scale chemical processes remains unclear. We directly probe the interface of calcium carbonate (calcite) with natural petroleum oil, synthetic petroleum analogues, and aqueous brines to understand the molecular scale behavior at this interface. The calcite–petroleum interface structure is similar whether or not calcite was previously exposed to an aqueous brine, and is characterized by an adsorbed interfacial layer, significant structural changes within the calcite surface, and increased surface roughness. No evidence for an often-assumed thin-brine wetting layer at the calcite–petroleum interface is observed. These features differ from those observed at the calcite–brine interface, and for parallel measurements using model synthetic petroleum mixtures (consisting of representative components, including dodecane, toluene, and asphaltene). Changes to the interface after petroleum displacement by aqueous brines are also discussed.

Manganese and its compounds have been extensively studied because of their far-reaching roles in a wide range of biogeochemical processes in natural systems. The (ad)sorption behavior of Mn(II), however, is poorly understood despite its important role as the primary reaction step for surface-catalyzed Mn(II) oxidation that is the principal abiotic process forming various Mn (oxyhydr)oxides in nature. Here, we systematically examined Mn(II) (ad)sorption to one of the most common natural sorbents, goethite, in oxygen- and carbonate-free systems. Traditional sorption edge and isotherm experiments were conducted by varying sorbate-to-sorbent ratio (0.027–15 μmol∙m−2) and solution pH (pH 5.0–9.0). The effects of dissolved carbonates on Mn(II) sorption were also assessed in a range of naturally prevalent concentrations (0.5–10 mM NaHCO3). The Mn(II) uptake on goethite followed a typical Langmuir isotherm in the absence of dissolved carbonates, with increasing maximum adsorption capacities (Γmax) from 0.19 at pH 6.5 to 3.4 μmol∙m−2 at pH 9.0. The presence of dissolved carbonates raised the extent of Mn(II) adsorption, which appeared to be directly correspondent to that of the adsorption of dissolved carbonates. Extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) analysis indicated that Mn(II) predominantly formed inner-sphere binuclear bidentate surface complexes. Mn(II) uptake became deviated from the Langmuir model and showed a clear indication of surface precipitation when the Mn(II) sorption density (Γ) exceeded a threshold value in a given solution composition. This secondary Mn(II) phase was identified as rhodochrosite using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscope (TEM). Additionally, it would be plausible that a minor fraction of adsorbed Mn(II) coexisted with the secondary rhodochrosite according to a linear combination fitting (LCF) of the X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) spectra of Mn reference and samples. These systematic investigations of the macroscopic and microscopic behaviors of Mn(II) (ad)sorption to goethite provide a critical avenue for disentangling surface-catalytic Mn(II) oxidation processes, which ultimately lead to the formation of diverse Mn (oxyhydr)oxides in the environment.

As global warming and climate change become perceived as significant, the release of greenhouse gases (GHGs) stored in the earth's polar regions is considered a matter of concern. Here, we focused on exploiting GHGs to address potential global warming challenges in the north polar regions. In particular, we used CO2 as a soft oxidant to recover energy as syngas (CO and H2) and to produce biochars from pyrolysis of peat moss. CO2 expedited homogeneous reaction with volatile matters from peat moss pyrolysis, and the mechanistic CO2 role resulted in the conversion of CO2 and peat moss to CO at ≥530 °C. Steel slag waste was then used as an ex situ catalyst to increase reaction kinetics, addressing the issue of the role of CO2 being limited to ≥530 °C, with the result where substantial H2 and CO formation was achieved at a milder temperature. The porosity of biochars, a solid peat moss pyrolysis product, was modified in the presence of CO2, with a significant improvement in CO2 adsorption capacity compared to those achieved by N2 pyrolysis. Therefore, CO2 has the potential to serve as an initial feedstock in sustainable biomass-to-energy applications and biochar production, mitigating atmospheric carbon concentrations.

Phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) is an essential regulatory protein of the insulin signaling pathway and several other pathways that govern cell survival, cell proliferation, cell differentiation and oncogene regulation. The protein has main two subunits; regulatory p85 and catalytic p110. Other regulatory subunits are p50, p55. The catalytic activity of p110 is stabilized by the regulatory subunit p85α. This regulatory subunit is composed of five domains; the SH3, BCR-homology (BH), N-terminal SH2 (nSH2), C-terminal SH2 (cSH2), and inter-SH2 (iSH2). In the current study, we executed comparative analysis of the computational proteomic and molecular evolution of these five domains. Our results reveal that faster and more cost-effective methods for forming intricate relationships between the domains are worth pursuing according to vital proteomic parameters such as physico-chemical properties, evolution and post-translational modification (PTM). The results show variation instability, grand average of hydrophobicity (GRAVY), aliphatic index, globularity, PTM among the five domains, and strongly indicate a likeness between the nSH2 and cSH2 domains. The study provides vital information for the structural and functional aspects of PI3K regulatory subunit p85α. Many of these property changes might be defined as protein–protein interactions, protein folding structures and structure–function correlations in future.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE The role of endothelial progenitor cells in patients with cirrhosis has seldom been investigated. This study was conducted to assess the clinical significance of circulating endothelial progenitor cells in patients with liver cirrhosis with or without hepatocellular carcinoma. METHODS A blood sample was collected once from patients with cirrhosis alone (n = 34) or cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (n = 46) and healthy controls (n = 27) for assessing levels of endothelial progenitor cells and vascular endothelial growth factor. Blood cells staining positive for CD34/CD133/KDR using flow cytometry were characterized as endothelial progenitor cells. Plasma vascular endothelial growth factor was quantified by ELISA. RESULTS The levels of CD34/KDR-positive endothelial progenitor cells, CD133/KDR-positive endothelial progenitor cells, and vascular endothelial growth factor were higher in patients with cirrhosis ± hepatocellular carcinoma than in healthy controls (P = 0.017, P < 0.001 and P < 0.001, respectively). The levels of endothelial progenitor cells and vascular endothelial growth factor did not show statistical difference according to Child-Turcotte-Pugh class. There was a moderately significant correlation between vascular endothelial growth factor levels and hepatocellular carcinoma stage (ρ = 0.464, P = 0.001). Smoking, ascites, and portal vein thrombosis were independently related to lower levels of circulating CD34/KDR-positive endothelial progenitor cells, higher levels of CD133/KDR-positive endothelial progenitor cells, and higher levels of vascular endothelial growth factor, respectively (P = 0.041, P = 0.023, and P < 0.001, respectively). CONCLUSION Circulating endothelial progenitor cells and plasma vascular endothelial growth factor levels were higher in patients with liver cirrhosis ± hepatocellular carcinoma compared to healthy controls. The increase in endothelial progenitor cells and vascular endothelial growth factor may have a possible role in the development of complications, especially ascites and portal vein thrombosis, or in progression of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Developing materials that can absorb large amounts of strain without fracture or significant degradation in their electronic properties is essential for the realization of stretchable electronics. Here, stretchable conductors made from reduced graphene oxide/polydimethylsiloxane (r-GO/PDMS) composite were fabricated to achieve stable resistance changes under uniaxial stretching. By controlling the weight fraction of GO in water, highly aligned and porous GO structure was obtained over 0.5 wt% of GO solution. After thermal and chemical reduction of GO to r-GO film, PDMS was infiltrated into pores of the film to make free-standing and elastic composites. Electrical percolation of r-GO in the composite was achieved at the r-GO concentration over 0.3 wt% along with improvement of electrical conductivity. However, highly aligned r-GO/PDMS composite only exhibited notable suppression of resistance change under the large deformation of 100% strain. The resistance change of 0.3 wt% r-GO/PDMS composites at 100% strain was over 7 times higher than that of 0.7 wt% r-GO/PDMS composites, exhibiting the dramatic effect of r-GO alignments. Even after repeated stretching/releasing cycles, the variation in resistance from 0 to 70% of strain was stable. The stretchable conductor based on the aligned r-GO/PDMS composite was successfully applied as a resistive strain sensor.

SARS-CoV-2 has spread across the globe in no time. In the beginning, people suffered due to the absence of efficacious drugs required to treat severely ill patients. Nevertheless, still, there are no established therapeutic molecules against the SARS-CoV-2. Therefore, repurposing of the drugs started against SARS-CoV-2, due to which several drugs were approved for the treatment of COVID-19 patients. This paper reviewed the treatment regime for COVID-19 through drug repurposing from December 8, 2019 (the day when WHO recognized COVID-19 as a pandemic) until today. We have reviewed all the clinical trials from RECOVERY trials, ACTT-1 and ACTT-2 study group, and other major clinical trial platforms published in highly reputed journals such as NEJM, Lancet, etc. In addition to single-molecule therapy, several combination therapies were also evaluated to understand the treatment of COVID-19 from these significant clinical trials. To date, several lessons have been learned on the therapeutic outcomes for COVID-19. The paper also outlines the experiences gained during the repurposing of therapeutic molecules (hydroxychloroquine, ritonavir/ lopinavir, favipiravir, remdesivir, ivermectin, dexamethasone, camostatmesylate, and heparin), immunotherapeutic molecules (tocilizumab, mavrilimumab, baricitinib, and interferons), combination therapy, and convalescent plasma therapy to treat COVID-19 patients. We summarized that anti-viral therapeutic (remdesivir) and immunotherapeutic (tocilizumab, dexamethasone, and baricitinib) therapy showed some beneficial outcomes. Until March 2021, 4952 clinical trials have been registered in ClinicalTrials.gov toward the drug and vaccine development for COVID-19. More than 100 countries have participated in contributing to these clinical trials. Other than the registered clinical trials (medium to large-size), several small-size clinical trials have also been conducted from time to time to evaluate the treatment of COVID-19. Four molecules showed beneficial therapeutic to treat COVID-19 patients. The short-term repurposing of the existing drug may provide a successful outcome for COVID-19 patients. Therefore, more clinical trials can be initiated using potential anti-viral molecules by evaluating in different phases of clinical trials.

Significance Ion distributions at charged solid–water interfaces, referred to as the electrical double layer (EDL), are poorly understood at high ion concentrations, in part due to the lack of molecular-scale descriptions of the interactions between adsorbed hydrated ions. Here, direct visualization of the salinity-dependent evolution of EDL structure reveals molecular origins of nonclassical transformation of the EDL, in which charge overscreening and heterogeneous nucleation are driven by ion–ion correlations at the interfaces. This manifestation of the atomistic basis of nonclassical behaviors provides a much-needed understanding of the impact of ion cooperativity at charged interfaces for the development of predictive models for element transport in natural environments and advanced technologies for material growth and synthesis in saline environments., Classical electrical double layer (EDL) models are foundational to the representation of atomistic structure and reactivity at charged interfaces. An important limitation to these models is their dependence on a mean-field approximation that is strictly valid for dilute aqueous solutions. Theoretical efforts to overcome this limitation are severely impeded by the lack of visualization of the structure over a wide range of ion concentration. Here, we report the salinity-dependent evolution of EDL structure at negatively charged mica–water interfaces, revealing transition from the Langmuir-type charge compensation in dilute salt solutions to nonclassical charge overscreening in highly concentrated solutions. The EDL structure in this overcharging regime is characterized by the development of both lateral positional correlation between adsorbed ions and vertical layering of alternating cations and anions reminiscent of the structures of strongly correlated ionic liquids. These EDL ions can spontaneously grow into nanocrystalline nuclei of ionic compounds at threshold ion concentrations that are significantly lower than the bulk solubility limit. These results shed light on the impact of ion cooperativity that drives heterogeneous nonclassical behaviors of the EDL in high-salinity conditions.

Previous efforts to discover new surrogate markers for the central nervous system (CNS) inflammatory demyelinating disorders have shown inconsistent results, moreover, supporting evidence is scarce. The present study investigated the IgG autoantibody responses to various viral and autoantibodies-related peptides proposed to be related to CNS inflammatory demyelinating disorders using the peptide microarray method. We customized a peptide microarray containing more than 2440 immobilized peptides representing human and viral autoantigens. Using this, we tested the sera of patients with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSD seropositive, n = 6, NMOSD seronegative, n = 5), multiple sclerosis (MS, n = 5), and myelin-oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody-associated disease (MOGAD, n = 6), as well as healthy controls (HC, n = 5) and compared various peptide immunoglobulin G (IgG) responses between the groups. Among the statistically significant peptides based on the pairwise comparisons of IgG responses in each disease group to HC, cytomegalovirus (CMV)-related peptides were most clearly distinguishable among the study groups. In particular, the most significant differences in IgG response were observed for HC vs. MS and HC vs. seronegative NMOSD (p = 0.064). Relatively higher IgG responses to CMV-related peptides were observed in patients with MS and NMOSD based on analysis of the customized peptide microarray.

Engineered biomaterials are envisioned to replace, augment, or interact with living tissues for improving the functional deformities associated with end-stage joint pathologies. Unfortunately, wear debris from implant interfaces is the major factor leading to periprosthetic osteolysis. Fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLSs) populate the intimal lining of the synovium and are in direct contact with wear debris. This study aimed to elucidate the effect of Ti particles as wear debris on human FLSs and the mechanism by which they might participate in the bone remodeling process during periprosthetic osteolysis. FLSs were isolated from synovial tissue from patients, and the condition medium (CM) was collected after treating FLSs with sterilized Ti particles. The effect of CM was analyzed for the induction of osteoclastogenesis or any effect on osteogenesis and signaling pathways. The results demonstrated that Ti particles could induce activation of the NFκB signaling pathway and induction of COX-2 and inflammatory cytokines in FLSs. The amount of Rankl in the conditioned medium collected from Ti particle–stimulated FLSs (Ti CM) showed the ability to stimulate osteoclast formation. The Ti CM also suppressed the osteogenic initial and terminal differentiation markers for osteoprogenitors, such as alkaline phosphate activity, matrix mineralization, collagen synthesis, and expression levels of Osterix, Runx2, collagen 1α, and bone sialoprotein. Inhibition of the WNT and BMP signaling pathways was observed in osteoprogenitors after the treatment with the Ti CM. In the presence of the Ti CM, exogenous stimulation by WNT and BMP signaling pathways failed to stimulate osteogenic activity in osteoprogenitors. Induced expression of sclerostin (SOST: an antagonist of WNT and BMP signaling) in Ti particle–treated FLSs and secretion of SOST in the Ti CM were detected. Neutralization of SOST in the Ti CM partially restored the suppressed WNT and BMP signaling activity as well as the osteogenic activity in osteoprogenitors. Our results reveal that wear debris–stimulated FLSs might affect bone loss by not only stimulating osteoclastogenesis but also suppressing the bone-forming ability of osteoprogenitors. In the clinical setting, targeting FLSs for the secretion of antagonists like SOST might be a novel therapeutic approach for preventing bone loss during inflammatory osteolysis.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of the aliphatic moiety in the sulfonated poly(arylene ether sulfone) (SPAES) backbone. A new monomer (4,4’-dihydroxy-1,6-diphenoxyhexane) was synthesized and polymerized with other monomers to obtain partially alkylated SPAESs. According to differential scanning calorimetry analysis, the glass transition temperature (Tg) of these polymers ranged from 85 to 90 °C, which is 100 °C lower than that of the fully aromatic SPAES. Due to the low Tg values obtained for the partially alkylated SPAESs, it was possible to prepare a hydrocarbon electrolyte membrane-based membrane electrode assembly (MEA) with Nafion® binder in the electrode through the use of a decal transfer method, which is the most commercially suitable system to obtain an MEA of proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). A single cell prepared using this partially alkylated SPAES as an electrolyte membrane exhibited a peak power density of 539 mW cm−2.

Graphical abstract, Highlights • Raw lacquer sap emulsion droplets shrink as ultrasonication intensity increased. • Nano-emulsified lacquer reduces drying time with promoted urushiol polymerisation. • Increased urushiol–laccase contact for enzymatic oxidation reduces discoloration. • Reduced light scattering by nano-emulsion aids high transmittance of lacquer film. • Small droplets aid strong urushiol networks and catechol substrate interaction., Lacquer sap has received much attention as a traditional natural resin because it is a renewable and eco-friendly biopolymer resource unlike artificial coating materials. However, strict drying conditions and long drying times of lacquer sap should be modified to expand its applications. This study presents the first attempt to investigate the effect of different amplitudes of ultrasonic waves on the lacquer sap composed of water-in-oil (W/O) emulsion droplets and the mechanical properties of the resultant film by solvent evaporation. Acoustically induced cavitation via batch ultrasonication facilitates the generation of submicron-sized W/O emulsion. The drying time of sonicated lacquer sap was noticeably shortened as the amplitude of acoustic power increased. Interestingly, the transparency of the film cast from lacquer sap consisting of the smallest emulsion droplets increased significantly, weakening the degree of colour change from caramel-like yellow to dark brown as polymerisation progressed. These are attributed to the effective and frequent contact of laccase enzyme with urushiol at the increased interfacial area of nano-emulsified W/O droplets pulverised by ultrasonic waves. The quinone radical-generation in the interface layer and its transfer to the urushiol oil phase through water-insoluble glycoprotein emulsifier are greatly promoted, resulting in highly cross-linked, dense three-dimensional polymer networks, which also increased the lacquer film hardness after drying. As the emulsion droplet size decreased, the mutual interaction between the catechol moiety of urushiol and the substrates increased, resulting in improved adhesion. The nano-emulsification of the lacquer sap by ultrasonic waves can be used in a simple, effective, and eco-friendly way to shorten the drying time and improve the film characteristics of natural resins. This approach could pave the way for its wide range of applications in industrial fields, taking into account green and sustainable chemistry.

Presently, we need more therapeutic molecules for this COVID-19 outbreak. The severity and mortality of the disease is associated with a high level of release of cytokine in the patients which is known as CRS (cytokine release syndrome) or cytokine storm syndrome. IL-6 is a type of pro-inflammatory cytokine which release in the severe COVID-19 patients. This cytokine initiates CRS the JAK-STAT or MAPK/NF-κB-IL-6 pathway. Tocilizumab, a humanized monoclonal antibody, is designed to bind both mIL-6R (membrane bound receptor for IL-6) and sIL-6R (soluble receptor for IL-6) and inhibit the JAK-STAT or MAPK/NF-κB-IL-6 signaling pathway. It finally stops the cytokine storm syndrome. However, we need to understand that how tocilizumab is bound with mIL-6R or sIL-6R. Similarly, we also need to understand more about the real molecular mechanism of activity of tocilizumab.

COVID-19 leads to mortality of several patients and the cytokine storm is reportedly critical in the patients. To reduce the cytokine storm, we would like to propose the interleukin (IL) 6 receptor (IL-6R) antagonist therapy for the COVID-19 patients. Two humanized monoclonal antibodies are in clinical trial following IL-6R antagonist therapies namely tocilizumab and sarilumab. However, researchers and physicians should look for more IL-6R antagonists for the therapy of cytokine storm syndrome severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infected persons to enhance the therapeutic options for cytokine storm.

The growth of aluminum (oxyhydr)oxide films on the basal surface of muscovite mica is an excellent model system for studying mineral nucleation, growth, and reactivity. Using off-specular crystal t...

In this study, based on three-dimensional (3D) framework architecture built-up with two-dimensional (2D) graphitic carbon such as graphene, we have prepared a mechanically robust polymer composite without exhibiting notable deterioration of electrical conductivity under mechanical deformation. In constructing 3D framework comprising of graphitic carbons, two sophisticated methodologies, direct formation of graphitic layers on metal foam by chemical vapor deposition (CVD), and lay-up of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) nanosheets on metal foam have been performed, respectively, and their sustainability of conductive performance under mechanical deformation has been comparatively examined in terms of electrical conductivity change by cyclic mechanical stress. The CVD-synthesized graphene (CGr) framework-embedded PDMS composite, which means a PDMS composite containing 3D graphene framework grown by CVD process, exhibited electrical conductivity of ∼5 S/m at graphene content of 1.0 wt%, which was ∼5 orders of magnitude higher than that of 3D rGO framework-embedded PDMS composite containing comparable loading of rGO. When subjected to repetitive mechanical stress, it was found that the superior conductivity performance of CGr framework over rGO framework was well retained, presumably due to the higher perfectness of graphitic layers, which would impart much longer electron transfer to the framework architecture of graphitic carbon nanosheets.

Phytomonitoring of airborne toxic metals (e.g., Pb, Cd, Cu, and Ni) at urban roadsides was conducted by studying accumulation patterns in the leaves of Calotropis procera through foliar dust, leaf samples, road dust, and soil samples. These samples were collected at four roadside sites over three consecutive months (March through May 2017). The results show that the leaves of C. procera can accumulate selected airborne toxic metals. The uptake pattern of ambient particulate matter (PM) on leaf surfaces was also examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), coupled with energy dispersive spectroscopy. Particle density analysis based on SEM images quantified and distinguished PM accumulation in a range of different sizes (0.2–100 µm) on both sides of the leaves. PM throughout the leaf (e.g., in stomata, trichomes, and epidermal appendages) was found to contain 12 airborne metals, including Pb, Cd, Cu, Ni, and Zn. The overall results support the use of C. procera as a phytomonitoring tool to assess interactions between plants and metals.

Argonaute-2 (AGO2), a member of the Argonaute family, is the only member possessing catalytic and RNA silencing activity. In here, a molecular dynamics (MDs) simulation was performed using the crystal structure of human AGO2 protein complex with miR-20a. miR-20a is involved with various kind of biological process like heart and lung development, oncogenic process, etc. In precise, MD simulation was carried out with AGO2 protein complex with wild type, two mutant sites and four mutant sites in guided microRNA (miRNA). It has been noted that root-mean-square deviation (RMSD) of atomic positions of nucleic acid for wild type and two mutant sites guided miRNA has the same pattern of fluctuations, which stabilizes around 0.27 nm after 2 ns. Cα atom of AGO2 protein in the complex shows that this complex with wild type and two mutant site mutation duplex has a stable RMSD value after 20 ns, ranging between 0.14 and 0.21 nm. From the root-mean-square fluctuation (RMSF), we observed an increased pattern of fluctuations for the atoms of four mutant complex of AGO2-miR-20a complex. This increased RMSF of non-mutated nucleic acids is contributed by U-A bond breaking at the site of the nucleotide of U2 of guided miRNA, as observed from the duplex structure taken at different time steps of the simulation. Superimposed structure of the miRNA-mRNA duplex for the three complexes depicts that the three miRNA-mRNA duplexes are stable during the simulation. Current work demonstrates the possible correlations between the conformational changes of this AGO2-miR-20a duplex structure and the interactions of different atoms.

Polymer nanocomposites incorporating nanofillers have achieved a variety of functionalities including mechanical, chemical, thermal, and electrical properties. However, the fundamental problem in such composites, poor compatibility between polymers and nanofillers, has limited the development of functionalities. Herein, we demonstrate a simple and effective approach to address this issue without using compatibilizers. The plasma-assisted mechanochemistry (PMC) process can readily form covalent bonds between polymers and nanofillers even in the solid state, providing excellent processability; it is also cost effective and environmentally friendly. Polyamide 66 (PA66) and hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) were compounded via the PMC process, which enhanced the interfacial affinity between PA66 and h-BN and promoted uniform dispersion of h-BN platelets in the composites. The resulting PA66/h-BN nanocomposites exhibited significantly improved mechanical properties and thermal conductivities. In particular, the degradation in tensile strength of the composites at high h-BN content was completely prevented by the PMC process and the thermal conductivities of the composites were over four times higher than those of conventional composites. Therefore, this approach can produce polymer nanocomposites with improved functionalities, thus greatly extending their applications.

Compounding polymers with carbon fibers (CFs) is a highly effective means of producing polymer composites with enhanced mechanical properties. However, in most conventional carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites, mechanical improvements are limited by low interfacial affinity between the polymer and the CFs. The plasma-assisted mechanochemistry (PMC) process described herein resulted in covalent bonds between the polymer matrix and CFs, greatly increasing the interfacial affinity between the two materials and allowing the efficient transfer of stress from the polymer to the CFs. Polyketone (PK) and CFs were compounded via PMC processing under O2, N2, and Ar plasmas, and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were introduced at the PK/CF interface. The resulting PK/CNT/CF composites exhibited significantly improved mechanical properties, especially when treated with O2 and N2 plasmas. The tensile strength and Young's modulus of O2 plasma-treated composites increased by 20% and 31%, respectively, compared to those of conventional composites. This approach is generally applicable to the development of high-performance CFRP composites.

The morphological evolution of micron-sized calcite crystals dissolved in static acidic solutions, with and without dissolved Pb2+ ions, was imaged using transmission X-ray microscopy (TXM). The ar...

The heterogeneous nucleation and growth of aluminum (oxy)hydroxide films in aqueous environments can be controlled by the speciation of dissolved Al species and the charge and structure of underlying mineral surfaces. The structure of gibbsite films nucleated at the interface between the muscovite (001) surface and 1 mM AlCl3 solutions was investigated as a function of pH using in situ X-ray reflectivity. The growth of well-ordered gibbsite films was observed at pH between 3 and 4, even when the solutions were undersaturated with respect to gibbsite. The ordering of these gibbsite films likely resulted from the structural similarity (i.e., epitaxy) between the basal planes of gibbsite and muscovite. The gibbsite films formed on the muscovite surface dissolved more than two orders of magnitude faster than bulk gibbsite in pH 4 HCl solution, indicating that they can be described as a metastable phase. In contrast, no film growth was observed at pH between 9 and 12 where the solutions were supersaturated wit...

Oxidation of magnetite (Fe3O4) has broad implications in geochemistry, environmental science and materials science. Spatially resolving strain fields and defect evolution during oxidation of magnetite provides further insight into its reaction mechanisms. Here we show that the morphology and internal strain distributions within individual nano-sized (~400 nm) magnetite crystals can be visualized using Bragg coherent diffractive imaging (BCDI). Oxidative dissolution in acidic solutions leads to increases in the magnitude and heterogeneity of internal strains. This heterogeneous strain likely results from lattice distortion caused by Fe(II) diffusion that leads to the observed domains of increasing compressive and tensile strains. In contrast, strain evolution is less pronounced during magnetite oxidation at elevated temperature in air. These results demonstrate that oxidative dissolution of magnetite can induce a rich array of strain and defect structures, which could be an important factor that contributes to the high reactivity observed on magnetite particles in aqueous environment., Oxidation of magnetite has broad implications in geochemistry and environmental science, but its reaction mechanisms are not fully understood yet. Here the authors use Bragg coherent diffractive imaging to show oxidative dissolution of magnetite inducing a rich array of strain and defect structures.

To effectively remove gaseous pollutants from air using sorbents, a thorough knowledge of the actual sorption performance is needed at ambient conditions rather than at unrealistically high-pressure conditions, as is commonly presented in the literature. To this end, the sorbent capacities of gaseous benzene were evaluated at a constant sorbent bed inlet pressure (50 ppm or ~5 Pa) in 1 atm of N 2 , room temperature (298 K), a fixed flow rate (50 mL min −1 ), and equal outlet sampling intervals (5 min). The benzene adsorption patterns were investigated against six sorbent types in a total of 17 different forms: 1- zeolite in five forms: beads (ZB), ground to 212 µm (ZG212), beads ground to 300 µm (ZG300), coarsely ground/washed zeolite (ZWc), and coarsely ground/washed/thermally treated zeolite (ZTc), 2- activated carbon in two forms: 212 µm (ACd212) and granular (ACdg), 3- Carbopack-X (CX), 4- Tenax TA (TA), 5- used black tea leaves of 150 or 300 µm in three forms: dry (TD150/TD300), wet (TW150/TW300), and wet dust (TWd), and 6- used ground coffee in either dry (CD) or wet forms (CW). Accordingly, the largest adsorption capacities at 5 Pa (e.g., >10 mg g −1 ) were observed for ACd212 (79.1) and ACdg (73.6). Moderate values (e.g., 5 −1 ) were obtained for ZG212 (7.98), CX (6.79), ZG300 (5.70), and ZB (5.58), while the remainder were far lower at −1 (e.g., tea leaves, ground coffee, TA, ZWc, and ZTc). The experimental benzene capacities of the tested sorbents were further assessed by the Langmuir, Henry's law, Freundlich, Dubinin-Radushkevich, and Elovich isotherm models. The linearized Langmuir adsorption isotherms of ACd212, ACdg, and CX showed the presence of more than one adsorption site (i.e., retrograde at the lowest pressures and two others at higher pressures). However, TA, zeolite, tea leaves, and ground coffee exhibited a type-V isotherm, wherein the sorption capacity continued to increase with loaded volume (i.e., multilayer adsorption). Thus, ACd212 has the best figure-of-merit based on a high 10% breakthrough volume (BTV) and low cost for real-world applications.

Thin films grown on mineral surfaces can immobilize toxic metals in natural systems, but the effects of epitaxy and film thickness on dissolution rates of the overgrowth are typically unknown. To explore these effects, otavite (CdCO3) films were grown on dolomite (104) surfaces from aqueous solutions containing [Cd] = [Ca] = [CO3] = 0.2 mM for 1–48 h and then dissolved in deionized water. Films of various thicknesses and strain states were obtained by varying the growth reaction time. Growth for up to 3 h produced strained thin films with Cd coverages of

The impact of biochar (BC) application on soil varies with BC feedstock and soil type. The objective of this study was to investigate the linkage between the properties and surface functionality of various BCs and their role in the rehabilitation of two infertile soils. Sandy loam (SL) and sandy (S) soils were collected from agricultural areas in Korea and Vietnam, respectively. The BCs of amur silvergrass residue (AB), paddy straw (PB), and umbrella tree (UB) were applied to the soils at a rate of 30 t ha−1 and incubated at 25 °C for 90 d. Soil carbon (C) mineralization was investigated by a periodic measurement of CO2 efflux. Soil texture strongly influenced the CO2 efflux more than the BC type as indicated by 2–4 folds increase in cumulative CO2-C efflux from the SL soil compared to that from the S soil. For the PB-, AB-, and UB-treated S soils, the values of cation exchange capacity (CEC) were increased by 906%, 180%, and 130%, respectively, compared to that of the control; however, for the PB-treated SL soil, only a 13% increase in CEC was found. The pH in the PB-treated S soil sharply increased by 4.5 units compared to that in the control, due to a high concentration of readily soluble compounds in the PB and the low buffering capacity of the S soil. The S soil was more sensitive to the addition of BCs than the SL soil. A more prominent improvement in soil fertility can be achieved by BC application to the sandy soil having low clay, nutrient, and organic matter contents.

Background The advancement of treatment with direct-acting antiviral (DAA) agents has improved the cure rate of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection close to 100%. The aim of our study was to assess the real-world effectiveness and safety of DAA regimens for the treatment of patients with chronic HCV genotype 2. Methods We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of patients treated with sofosbuvir plus ribavirin (SOF + RBV) or glecaprevir/pibrentasvir (G/P) for chronic HCV genotype 2 infection at seven university hospitals in the Korean southeast region. Results SOF + RBV therapy produced an 89% and 98.3% sustained virologic response 12 week (SVR12) after treatment completion in the full analysis set and per-protocol set, respectively, and the corresponding values for G/P therapy were 89.5% and 99.2%, respectively. The difference between the treatments was probably because 6.2% (59/953) of patients in the SOF + RBV group did not complete the treatment and 9.8% (14/143) in the G/P group did not test HCV RNA after treatment completion. Adverse events (A/Es) were reported in 59.7% (569/953) and 25.9% (37/143) of the SOF + RBV and G/P groups, respectively. In the SOF + RBV group, 12 (1.26%) patients discontinued treatment owing to A/Es, whereas no patients discontinued treatment because of A/Es in the G/P group. Conclusion In both treatment groups, SVR was high when treatment was completed. However, there was a high dropout rate in the SOF + RBV group, and the dropout analysis showed that these were patients with liver cirrhosis (LC; 43/285, 15.1%), especially those with decompensated LC (12/32, 37.5%). Therefore, an early initiation of antiviral therapy is recommended for a successful outcome before liver function declines. Furthermore, patients with decompensated LC who are considered candidates for SOF + RBV treatment should be carefully monitored to ensure that their treatment is completed, especially those with low hemoglobin and high alanine transaminase., Graphical Abstract

Aromatic hydrocarbons (AHCs) are one of the major environmental pollutants introduced from both natural and anthropogenic sources. Many AHCs are well known for their toxic, carcinogenic, and mutagenic impact on human health and ecological systems. Biodegradation is an eco-friendly and cost-effective option as microorganisms (e.g., bacteria, fungi, and algae) can efficiently breakdown or transform such pollutants into less harmful and simple metabolites (e.g., carbon dioxide (aerobic), methane (anaerobic), water, and inorganic salts). This paper is organized to offer a state-of-the-art review on the biodegradation of AHCs (monocyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (MAHs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)) and associated mechanisms. The recent progress in biological treatment using suspended and attached growth bioreactors for the biodegradation of AHCs is also discussed. In addition, various substrate growth and inhibition models are introduced along with the key factors governing their biodegradation kinetics. The growth and inhibition models have helped gain a better understanding of substrate inhibition in biodegradation. Techno-economic analysis (TEA) and life cycle assessment (LCA) aspects are also described to assess the technical, economical, and environmental impacts of the biological treatment system.

A novel nanocomposite-based non-volatile resistance switching random access memory device introducing single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT)@TiO2 core–shell wires was proposed for flexible electronics. The SWCNT was de-bundled by ultrasonication with sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate (SDBS), and then the TiO2 skin layer on the SWCNT surface was successfully introduced by adding benzyl alcohol as a weak surfactant. The nanocomposite resistance switching layer was composed of the SWCNT@TiO2 core–shell wires and poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) matrix by a simple spin-coating method. The device exhibited reproducible resistance switching performance with a remarkably narrow distribution of operating parameters (VSET and VRESET were 2.63 ± 0.16 and 0.95 ± 0.11 V, respectively) with a large RON/ROFF ratio of 105 for 200 consecutive switching cycles. Furthermore, the excellent resistance switching behavior in our device was maintained against mechanical stress up to 105 bending test. We believe that the nanocomposite memory device with SWCNT@TiO2 core–shell wires would be a critical asset to realize practical application for a flexible non-volatile memory field.

We aimed to compare seroprevalence of anti-myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) and anti-aquaporin-4 (AQP4) antibodies in Korean adults with inflammatory demyelinating diseases (IDDs) of the central nervous system (CNS), based on a multicenter nationwide database. Sera were analyzed using a live cell–based assay for MOG and AQP4 antibodies. Of 586 Korean adults with IDDs of the CNS, 36 (6.1%) and 185 (31.6%) tested positive for MOG and AQP4 antibodies, respectively. No participant showed double positivity. Seroprevalence of MOG antibodies was about five times lower than that of AQP4 antibodies in a large cohort of Korean adults with IDDs of the CNS.

Biomaterials are designed to replace and augment living tissues in order to provide functional support to skeletal deformities. However, wear debris produced from the interfaces of metal implants initiates inflammatory bone loss, causing periprosthetic osteolysis. Lately, fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS) have been shown to play a role in wear-debris-induced osteolysis. Thus, here we have tried to understand the underlying mechanism of FLS involvement in wear-debris-induced osteolysis. Our results demonstrate that the effects of Ti particle (1:100 cell-to-Ti particle ratio) on FLS can induce Cox-2 expression and activate NFkB signaling. Moreover, the mRNA expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-6, IL-8, IL-11, IL-1&beta, and TNF&alpha, was found to be elevated. However, among these pro-inflammatory cytokines, the mRNA and protein levels of only IL-6, IL-1&beta, were found to be significantly higher. Ti particles activated extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) as an early response in FLS. Co-inhibition of ERK and JNK signaling pathways by their specific inhibitors (PD9805 and SP600125, respectively) resulted in the suppression of mRNA and protein levels of IL-6, IL-1&beta, in FLS. Taken together, targeting ERK and JNK MAPKs in FLS might provide a therapeutic option for reducing the secretion of bone-resorbing pro-inflammatory cytokines, thus preventing periprosthetic osteolysis.

Using a co-precipitation method, starch-Mg/Al layered double hydroxide (S-Mg/Al LDH) composites were synthesized. Their physicochemical properties were assessed by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and thermo-gravimetric analysis. The quantification of six non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) was conducted using real samples (e.g., hospital waste water, river water, sewage treatment plant water, and tablet formulations) by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. For the development of this method, the system was optimized in terms of several key variables (e.g., pH, flow rate, and eluent type/volume). The developed method for NSAIDs exhibited good resolution, sensitivity, reproducibility, and specificity even in complex matrices with limits of detection between 4 and 20 pg/mL. Hence, S-Mg/Al LDH composites were proven to be efficient and fast solid phase extraction (SPE) sorbents for NSAIDs. In addition, each LDH-SPE cartridge showed good reusability without a noticeable change in performance (e.g., up to 30 cycles) and target recoveries between 99.5 – 82.9 %. This work should open up new opportunities for a sesnsitive and sustainable quantitative method for the determination of NSAIDs in complex samples.

We demonstrated catechol lipid-based bioresin, which is collected from lacquer trees, to produce conductive pastes that can be processed at low temperatures, which are highly adhesive and multidurable. Our conductive paste, which consists of catechol lipid-based urushiol resin and a multimodal mixture of silver fillers, exhibited stable dispersion with shear thinning properties. The urushiol lacquer induced spontaneous reduction of silver salt at the surface of the silver fillers, thereby contributing to lower the contact resistance between conductive fillers in the electrical conduction. Furthermore, the directional volume shrinkage of the urushiol lacquer matrix in a cross-linking reaction resulted in a highly ordered microstructure of the silver fillers with layer-by-layer stacking of the silver flakes. This structure contributed to the improvement of the electrical contact between fillers as well as excellent mechanical hardness, anti-scratch capability, and the long-term environmental stability of the conductive films. Conductive films based on the silver paste with urushiol lacquer exhibited low electrical resistivity below 4.4 × 10-5 Ω cm, 5B-class strong adhesion strength, and high hardness exceeding 200 MPa. Finally, we demonstrated the facile room-temperature processability and screen printability of the UL-Ag paste by fabricating a printed antenna and three-dimensional (3D) electrode assembly based on a plastic 3D block.

This work investigates the effect of CO2 in pyrolysis of brown coal (also referred to as lignite). CO2 changes the distribution of pyrolytic products of brown coal. More CO is generated for the pyrolysis of brown coal in CO2 than that in N2. Differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) experiments show that the pyrolysis of brown coal in CO2 is more exothermic than that in N2. This may indicate that the enhanced generation of CO is attributed to an enhanced thermal cracking induced by CO2. The more generation of CO for the reaction in CO2 (4.2 mol.% at 700 °C) than in N2 (0.5 mol.% at 700 °C) is a result of shifting carbon distribution from condensable hydrocarbons (e.g., tar) to CO. In addition, more CO is generated from the pyrolysis of brown coal in CO2 than pyrolysis of sub-bituminous coal. This study signifies that low-rank coal can be effectively used as an energy source when CO2 is employed during pyrolysis process.

The interfacial instability between fillers and polymer matrix has been of prime concern in preparing polymer composites of high performance, and large endeavors have been poured to solve the matter through functionalization of fillers. Considering the embedment of graphite nanoplatelet (GNP) to polymer for mechanically-robust composites of electro-conductivity, it would be essential to find out a method without employing oxidation-involved functionalization of GNP due to the structural degradation of GNP under harsh chemical oxidation reaction. Alternatively, based on the solvent-free mechanochemistry (MC)-involved GNP functionalization, we have proposed to complete an electro-conductive thermoplastic composite. It was notable that the MC-treated GNPs were extensively adhered on polyketone (PK) particles to form GNP-coated PK particles (G-PK) even without chemical functionalization, imparting successfully PK composite deploying controlled distribution of GNPs. As evidenced by the GNP distribution analyses through Raman mapping and X-ray tomography, the MC-treated GNPs were distributed with a tendency to form a continuous network-like structure in PK matrix, while the untreated GNP exhibited random distribution of severely agglomerated GNPs, a typical morphology of the incompatible filler-containing polymer composites. The MC-assisted formation of G-PK and the following network-formed distribution of GNPs endowed the effective transport of electron, resulting in notable electrical conductivity of G-PK composites, especially even at small loading of GNP. The MC-assisted G-PK and the corresponding PK composite exhibiting network-like distribution of GNPs are believed to be efficient as a sustainable structural material requiring controlled electrical conductivity.