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Aims: Comparative analysis of the soil bacterial communities inhabiting the fairy ring of Tricholoma matsutake. Methods and Results: The bacterial communities in soil samples collected from inside, beneath and outside the T. matsutake fairy ring were investigated using barcoded pyrosequencing. A total of 15 129 reads were obtained, and 500-536 operational taxonomic units were observed at a 97% similarity level. Taxonomic analysis showed similar taxa distribution patterns inside and beneath the fairy ring. Three bacterial phyla, Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria and Actinobacteria, were dominant in all sampling sites. A heat-map analysis of the bacterial genera showed that the uncultured bacterium EU445199 was remarkably abundant outside the fairy ring, and the uncultured bacteria GU727715 and DQ451510 were more and less abundant, respectively, beneath the fairy ring than inside and outside the fairy ring. Conclusions: The results indicated that there was no significant difference in bacterial diversity inside, beneath and outside the fairy ring even though T. matsutake is predominant beneath the fairy ring. Significance and Impact of the study: This study is the first report on the numerous culturable, unculturable and unclassified bacteria in the fairy ring of T. matsutake using the pyrosequencing method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The coating performance can be improved by reducing the number of defects of a coating by layering two materials on the nanometer scale. In this study, Ti/TiN, Cr/TiN, Ti/CrN, and Cr/CrN multilayer coatings were examined to determine the corrosion resistance of the multi-coating system and to obtain information on the appropriate materials for bipolar plates in proton exchange membrane fuel cells. The results showed that the Cr/CrN coating gains excellent coating performance due to the lowest passive current density as well as the highest protective efficiency and charge transfer resistance. X-ray diffraction analysis confirmed the formation of a preferred (111) orientation along with crystalline-refined (200). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy was applied to the quantitative determination of the elemental composition of glass samples containing U and Eu as a surrogate for highly radioactive glass waste. The emission intensities of both major and minor elements in the samples were measured simultaneously in the wavelength range from 200 to 780nm by using an echelle spectrometer. Calibration curves for the concentration determination were obtained from the emission intensities at 358.488nm for U I, and 459.403nm for Eu I. Limits of detection for U and Eu were ~150 and ~4.2 parts per million, respectively. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The effluence of veterinary antibiotics (VAs) to aquatic and terrestrial environments is of concern due to the potential adverse effects on human health, such as the production of antibiotic resistant bacteria. One of the main pathways for antibiotics to enter the environment is via the application of manure and/or manure-based composts as an alternative organic fertilizer to agricultural lands. While a wide diversity of manure-based composts are produced in Korea, there is currently no regulatory guideline for VA residues. Hence, monitoring and limiting the concentration of VA residues in manure and/or manure-based composts prior to application to the lands is important to mitigate any environmental burden. The current study was conducted to examine the applicability of the Charm II antibiotic test system for monitoring tetracyclines, sulfonamides and macrolides in manure-based composts. The Charm II system was a highly reproducible method for determining whether VA residue concentrations in manure-based compost exceeded specific guideline values. A wide range of manure-based composts and liquid fertilizers commercially available in Korea were examined using the Charm II system to monitor the residues of the target VAs. For this, the guideline concentrations of VA residues (0.8mgkg−1 for tetracyclines, 0.2mgkg−1 for sulfonamides, and 0.1mgkg−1 for macrolides) stated in ‘Official Standard of Feeds’ under the ‘Control of Livestock and Fish Feed Act’ in Korea were adopted to establish control points. Of the 70 compost samples examined 12 exceeded 0.8mgkg−1 for tetracyclines and 21 exceeded 0.2mgkg−1 for sulfonamides. Of the 25 liquid fertilizer samples examined most samples exceeded these prospective guidelines. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Four types of thin film coating were carried out on copper for electronic materials by the electroless plating method at a pH range from 3 to 9. The coating performance was evaluated by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and potentiodynamic polarization testing in a 3.5wt.% NaCl solution. In addition, atomic force microscopy and X-ray diffraction were also used to analyze the coating surfaces. The electrochemical behavior of the coatings was improved using the electroless nickel plating solution of pH 5. The electroless nickel/immersion gold on the copper substrate exhibited high protective efficiency, charge transfer resistance and very low porosity, indicating an increase in corrosion resistance. Atomic force microscopy and X-ray diffraction analyses confirmed the surface uniformity and the formation of the crystalline-refined NiP {122} phase at pH 5. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Off-stoichiometric (Y1RE x )Ba2Cu3O7− δ (x =0–0.4, RE=Y or Sm) films have been prepared on LaAlO3 (100) single-crystal substrates by a metal-organic deposition using dichloroacetic acid as chelating solution. Coating solutions with excess Sm or Y were prepared by dissolving Y, Sm, Ba and Cu acetates in dichloroacetic acid and distilled water followed by refluxing, drying to obtain blue gel. The final precursor solution for dip coating was prepared by diluting blue gel in 2-methoxyethanol. Coated films were calcined at low temperature up to 500°C in flowing humid oxygen atmosphere. Conversion heat treatment was performed at 800°C for 2h in flowing Ar gas containing 1000ppm oxygen with a humidity of 9.45%. The viscosities of the precursor solution were increased as the content of added Sm or excess Y increased. The transport critical current density (Jc ) of (Y1RE x )Ba2Cu3O7− δ film was enhanced with the addition of excess Sm and Y up to 20% and then decreased with further addition. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) observation showed that surface roughness was increased with the addition of excess Y. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Mechanical and electrical properties of silver stabilizer layer of coated conductor, which was prepared using nano silver paste as starting materials, have been investigated. Nano silver paste was coated on YBCO (Y1Ba2Cu3O7− δ ) film by a dip coating method with a speed of 25mm/min. Coated film was dried in air and heat treated at 400–700°C in a flowing oxygen atmosphere. Adhesion strength between YBCO and silver layer was measured by Tape test (ASTM D 3359). The hardness and electrical conductivity of the sample were measured by pencil hardness test (ASTM D 3363). Surface and volume resistance were measured by using LORESTA-GP (MITSUBISHI). The sample heat treated at 500°C showed poor adhesiveness of 1B but it is clearly enhanced to 5B when samples were heat treated at higher than 600°C. The silver layer heat treated at 700°C showed a high hardness value of higher than 9H and a volume resistance of 1.417×10−7 Ωmm at room temperature. SEM observations showed that a dense silver layer was formed with a thickness of about 2μm. Dip coated silver layer prepared by using nano silver paste showed superior electrical and mechanical characteristics which is comparable to those that sputter deposited Ag layer. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Objectives: The aim of this study was to demonstrate that the therapeutic efficacy of an estradiol 1mg/drospirenone 2mg (E2/DRSP) preparation is superior to a placebo in postmenopausal Korean women with hot flushes and other climacteric symptoms, and to demonstrate that this treatment is both safe and tolerable. Methods: This was a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, multicenter study over four 28-day treatment cycles. A total of 158 subjects were screened and 90 women were randomized into two treatment groups (E2/DRSP group, n =45; placebo group, n =45). The primary efficacy parameter was the individual relative change of hot flushes. The secondary efficacy parameters such as other climacteric, urogenital symptoms and vaginal bleeding patterns were also evaluated, and the occurrence of any adverse events was noted. In addition, physical, gynecological examinations and laboratory analyses were performed at the beginning and end of the study. Results: The mean number of hot flushes per week during treatment weeks 3–16 decreased by 48.1% during treatment with placebo, and by 84.4% during treatment with E2/DRSP (p <0.001). The E2/DRSP combination also reduced the incidence and intensity of menopausal symptoms in postmenopausal women. Most of adverse events was mild or moderate degree of intensity. None of the parameters measured in the study, including laboratory analyses, physical and gynecological examinations, vital signs, and weight, led to any concerns of safety. Conclusions: The E2 1mg/DRSP 2mg combination tested in the study was efficacious and safe in the treatment of hot flushes and other climacteric symptoms in postmenopausal Korean women. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Plasma polymerized organic thin films have been deposited on Si(100), glass and metal substrates at 25∼100 °C using thiophene and toluene precursors by plasma enhanced CVD method. In order to compare physical and electrochemical properties of the as-grown thin films, the effect of the RF (13.56 MHz) plasma power in the range of 30∼100 W and the deposition temperature on the corrosion protection efficiency and optical property were mainly studied in this work. Corrosion protection efficiency (P k), which is one of important factors for corrosion protection in the interlayer dielectrics of microelectronic devices application, provided an increasing tendency with increasing RF power. The highest P k value of plasma polymerized toluene film (85.27% at 70 W) was higher than that of the plasma polymerized thiophene film (65.17% at 100 W). The result of contact angle measurement showed that the plasma polymerized toluene films have more hydrophobicity than that of the plasma polymerized thiophene films. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Plasma treatment was evaluated as an alternative clean desizing technology in this work. As indicated by weight loss, O2 plasma treatment efficiently removed sizing agents such as polyvintyl alcohol (PVA), polyacrylic acid esters and their mixture (MIX) on polyethylene terephthalate (PET) fabrics. SEM pictures of the plasma treated samples directly proved the disappearance of the sizing agents. XPS analysis showed apparent changes in chemical composition and functional groups of the PET surface after O2 plasma treatment. Carbon content decreased due to the removal of sizing agents while oxygen content increased. O2 plasma treatment also increased hydrophilic functional groups of sizing agents, which is confirmed by C1s and O1s deconvolution analyses. After O2 plasma treatment, the PET fabric was subjected to conventional desizing process at different temperatures. Except for the PET fabric sized with PVA, plasma-treated fabrics showed more efficient desizing results when compared with untreated fabrics. Furthermore, the desizing effluent from the treated fabric gave lower TOC, COD and BOD values. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Corrosion behaviour of coatings sprayed with water-atomized (WA), cast iron powder were investigated by surface analyses and electrochemical methods, such as potentiodynamic polarization test and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) in deaerated 0.5 M H2SO4 solution. WA cast iron powders of Fe–3.75C–3.60Si–3.93Al (wt.%) were deposited onto an aluminum alloy (AA383 alloy) substrate by atmospheric DC plasma spraying. Four types of samples were prepared including cast iron liner and aluminum alloy substrate. C 1 coating was produced by using as-received WA cast iron powders without graphite and C 2 coating by using pre-annealing cast iron powder containing graphite structure. The results of the electrochemical tests indicated that the C 2 coating had greater corrosion-resistant properties than the C 1 coating, which could be attributed to its lower porosity, higher protective efficiency, and increased packing factor. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper presents a modification to conventional magnetron sputtering systems. The introduction of grid in front of the target increases metal ion ratio. By using optical emission spectroscopy (OES) and observing both Ti neutrals and Ti ions, the relative fraction of ion could be qualitatively extended to grid-attached magnetron sputtering as compared with the conventional magnetron system. And, experimental results clearly demonstrated that a smooth and dense TiN film with a specular reflecting surface and could be produced by grid-attached magnetron with much increased Ti ion fractions as compared to conventional magnetron. From the potentiodynamic polarization test, it was shown that the corrosion current density of TiN deposited by two grid-attached magnetron sputtering was lower than that of TiN deposited by conventional magnetron sputtering. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The corrosion resistance of coatings produced by PVD method was mainly based on two factors: (i) the degree of porosity in the coatings; (ii) the interdiffusion and adhesion of the coating–substrate system. The presence of porosity in the coatings can rapidly lead to the electrochemical dissolution of the substrate. The characterization of porosity in the coatings is indeed for quality assurance and coating process optimization. Thus, the characterization of porosity in a quantitative manner is of great interest to researchers. Recent technological advances in porosity measurement using electrochemical methods have resulted in overcoming the traditional porosity measurement limitations. The trends of porosity as a function of immersion time were evaluated by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurement. Also, it was found that the accurate porosity measurement depended strongly on the correlation between the porosity enlarged ratio and the charge transfer resistance, which defined the critical time. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Hickman catheter site infections are known to increase transplant-related mortality. A retrospective analysis of 103 patients who received allogeneic stems cell transplants was performed to define the incidence and outcomes of Hickman infections. Seventy-six patients received peripheral blood stem cells (PBSC) (73.8%) and 29 patients (28.2%) nonmyeloablative conditioning. During the median follow-up of 9 months, Hickman infections were observed in 10 patients (9.7%) at a median onset of 32 days posttransplant (range 2 to 102 days). The causative organisms identified in five cases included Staphylococcus species (n = 4) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (n = 1). Six events successfully resolved with antibiotic treatment, while the other four required the removal of the Hickman catheter with subsequent death in two cases. The survival duration for infected patients was shorter than that for the noninfected group (83 days vs 366 days, P < .001). Myeloid engraftment was delayed in the infected group (18.0 days vs 15.0 days, P = .038) and this complication was more frequently observed among the BMT compared with PBSC group (22.2% vs 5.3%, P = .019). Hickman infections were associated with transplant-related mortality especially during the first 3 months posttransplant. As such, the current results emphasize both the importance of Hickman catheter care and the need for surveillance cultures after stem cell transplantation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

WC–(Ti1−xAlx)N coatings of stepwise changing Al concentration (WC–Ti0.86Al0.14N, WC–Ti0.72Al0.28N, and WC–Ti0.58Al0.42N) were deposited on AISI 1045 substrate by high-ionization sputtered PVD method. The Al concentration could be controlled by using evaporation source for Al and fixing the evaporation rate of the metals (WC alloy and Ti). The corrosion behavior of WC–(Ti1−xAlx)N coatings in deaerated 3.5% NaCl solution was investigated by electrochemical corrosion tests and surface analyses. Particular attention was paid to the effects of Al target power density on the film properties related to the corrosion behavior. The measured galvanic corrosion currents between coating and substrate indicated that WC–Ti0.72Al0.28N coating showed the best resistance of the coating tested. The results of potentiodynamic polarization tests showed that this coating had passivation and lower porosity. This indicated that this coating is effective in improving corrosion resistance. In electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, the WC–Ti0.72Al0.28N coating showed one time constant loop and the increased polarization resistance of coating relative to other samples. The better corrosion performance of WC–Ti0.72Al0.28N coating is due to the modified compactness, porosity and adhesion of the coating layer. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

ErbB3, a heterodimeric partner of EGFR or ErbB2, is activated by heregulin binding in various cancers. ISU104, blocking ErbB3 activation and dimerization, showed anti-tumor effects in various preclinical models as mono- or combination-therapy. In the part 1, we enrolled the patients with advanced solid tumor who were refractory to standard treatments. Study was conducted with a standard 3 + 3 dose escalation scheme at 5 different doses (1, 3, 5, 10, 20 mg/kg/day). Dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs) were evaluated during the 1st Cycle of 28 days. Thereafter, ISU104 was given weekly, and tumor response was assessed every 8 weeks. Blood samples for pharmacokinetics (PK) and immunogenicity studies were performed. In the part 1, 15 patients (13 males, 2 females) were enrolled. Median age was 54 (range 36–96). No DLT was observed even at the maximum dose (20mg/kg/day). The most common drug-related adverse events (AEs) were oral mucositis (n = 3), pruritus (n = 2), diarrhea (n = 2), and fatigue (n = 2), but of which were grade 1. Only two grade 3 AEs were noted; asthenia (n = 1) and anemia (n = 1). Thirteen subjects were assessable; 7 stable diseases and 1 partial response (table). One responder lasted up to 40 weeks. Drug clearances tend to decrease (0.77±0.41 ml/h/kg at 1 mg/kg; 0.20±0.03 ml/h/kg at 20 mg/kg) and half-lives to increase (44.50±5.74 h at 1 mg/kg; 269.86±19.08 h at 20 mg/kg) as dose is increased. PK analysis and modeling suggested target-mediated clearance of ISU104 and saturation of target binding at 3 mg/kg, and the dosing regimen for the part 2 of the current study, which would be 20 mg/kg tri-weekly. Table 454PD Table Cancer type Hypopharynx Hypopharynx * Rectal Breast Palate Rectal Submandibular Parotid Colon NSCLC Esophagus Tonsil Esophagus Best response PR SD SD SD SD SD SD SD PD PD PD PD PD Maximum change in tumor size (target lesion) (%) -60.5 -21.9 -21.4 -8.1 0.5 2.8 3.6 6.9 13.2 13.5 17.4 28.1 73.7 * Double primary with esophagus Intravenous administrations of ISU104 were well tolerated up to 20 mg/kg/day without DLT, and showed disease control rate of 60.0%. Safety and efficacy of ISU104 as mono- or combination-therapy and potential biomarkers will be further explored in head and neck, colorectal and breast cancers. NCT03552406. ISU Abxis. KDDF: Korea Drug Development Fund. B. Keam: Advisory / Consultancy: AstraZeneca; Advisory / Consultancy: MSD; Advisory / Consultancy: Genexin; Research grant / Funding (self): ONO; Research grant / Funding (self): MSD; Research grant / Funding (institution): AstraZeneca. T.M. Kim: Research grant / Funding (institution): AstraZeneca. K. Park: Advisory / Consultancy: Astellas Pharma; Advisory / Consultancy, Research grant / Funding (institution): AstraZeneca; Advisory / Consultancy, Speaker Bureau / Expert testimony: Boehringer Ingelheim; Advisory / Consultancy: Clovis Oncology; Advisory / Consultancy: Lilly; Advisory / Consultancy: Hanmi; Advisory / Consultancy: Kyowa Hakko Kirin; Advisory / Consultancy: Norvatis; Advisory / Consultancy: Ono Pharmaceutical; Advisory / Consultancy: Roche; Advisory / Consultancy: Bristol-Myers Squibb; Advisory / Consultancy: GlaxoSmithKline; Advisory / Consultancy: MSD; Speaker Bureau / Expert testimony: AZD. J.S. Ahn: Advisory / Consultancy: Samsung Bioepis; Honoraria (institution): Menarini; Honoraria (institution): Amgen; Honoraria (institution): Pfizer; Honoraria (institution): AstraZeneca; Honoraria (institution): Roche; Honoraria (institution): Janssen; Honoraria (institution): MSD; Honoraria (institution): Bristol-Myers Squibb-Ono Pharmaceutical; Honoraria (institution): Eisai; Honoraria (institution): Boehringer Ingelheim. J. Juhn: Leadership role, Shareholder / Stockholder / Stock options, Full / Part-time employment, Officer / Board of Directors: ISU Abxis. S. Kim: Full / Part-time employment: ISU Abxis. S. Hong: Shareholder / Stockholder / Stock options, Full / Part-time employment: ISU ABXIS. M. Ahn: Honoraria (institution), Advisory / Consultancy: AstraZeneca; Honoraria (institution), Advisory / Consultancy: BMS; Honoraria (institution), Advisory / Consultancy: MSD; Honoraria (institution): ONO; Honoraria (institution), Advisory / Consultancy: Roche; Advisory / Consultancy: TAKEDA; Advisory / Consultancy: Novartis; Advisory / Consultancy: Alpha pharmaceutical. All other authors have declared no conflicts of interest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article talks about a study which investigates the effects of light emitting diode or LED irradiation on human vascular endothelial cells and concludes that LED irradiation can be used as a therapeutic strategy for vascular erectile dysfunction.