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Micrometer-sized aqueous droplets serve as a unique reactor that drives various chemical reactions not seen in bulk solutions. However, their utilization has been limited to the synthesis of low molecular weight products at low reactant concentrations (nM to μM). Moreover, the nature of chemical reactions occurring outside the droplet remains unknown. This study demonstrated that oil-confined aqueous microdroplets continuously generated hydroxyl radicals near the interface and enabled the synthesis of polymers at high reactant concentrations (mM to M), thus successfully converting the interfacial energy into the synthesis of polymeric materials. The polymerized products maintained the properties of controlled radical polymerization, and a triblock copolymer with tapered interfaces was prepared by the sequential addition of different monomers into the aqueous microdroplets. Furthermore, a polymerization reaction in the continuous oil phase was effectively achieved by the transport of the hydroxyl radicals through the oil/water interface. This interfacial phenomenon is also successfully applied to the chain extension of a hydrophilic polymer with an oil-soluble monomer across the microdroplet interface. Our comprehensive study of radical polymerization using compartmentalization in microdroplets is expected to have important implications for the emerging field of microdroplet chemistry and polymerization in cellular biochemistry without any invasive chemical initiators.

Background: Lenvatinib is approved for patients with metastatic or recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC); however, its clinical outcomes in patients experiencing HCC recurrence after liver transplantation (LT) remain unclear. Thus, we investigated the efficacy and safety of lenvatinib in patients with recurrent HCC after LT.Methods: This multinational, multicenter, retrospective study included 45 patients with recurrent HCC after LT who received lenvatinib at six institutions in three countries (Korea, Italy, and Hong Kong) from June 2017 to October 2021.Results: At the time of lenvatinib initiation, 95.6% (n = 43) of patients were Child–Pugh A, with 35 (77.8%) and 10 (22.2%) patients classified as albumin-bilirubin (ALBI) grades 1 and 2, respectively. The objective response rate was 20.0%. With a median follow-up duration of 12.9 months (95% confidence interval [CI]: 11.2–14.7), median progression-free survival and overall survival (OS) were 7.6 (95% CI: 5.3–9.8) months, and 14.5 (95% CI: 0.8–28.2) months, respectively. Patients with ALBI grade 1 showed significantly better OS (52.3 months, [95% CI: not assessable]) than patients with ALBI grade 2 (11.1 months [95% CI: 0.0–30.4 months], p = 0.003). The most common adverse events were hypertension (n = 25, 55.6%), fatigue (n = 17, 37.8%), and anorexia (n = 14, 31.1%).Conclusion: Lenvatinib showed consistent efficacy and toxicity profiles in patients with recurrent HCC after LT compared to the results of previous studies of non-LT HCC patients. The baseline ALBI grade was correlated with better OS in lenvatinib-treated patients with LT.

Lignin, the most abundant aromatic biopolymer on Earth, has great potential to replace petrochemical-based polymers in the production of value-added products. However, lignin is difficult to extract from lignocellulose because of the recalcitrance of the latter. Herein, the extraction of lignin from lignocellulose using deep eutectic-like solvents (DESs) as green solvents was investigated. Three types of DESs were used, and the effects of treatment temperature (100, 110, and 130 °C) and time (6, 12, and 24 h) on lignin yield and its characteristics were studied. For each DES, the yield of DES-lignin increased with reaction temperature and time. At the same time, the lignin yield obtained using different DESs decreased in the order of choline chloride/lactic acid > betaine/lactic acid > K2CO3/glycerol. At higher temperatures and longer reaction times, lignin with a high molecular weight was produced, which was attributed to the recondensation of lignin fragments. Furthermore, the methoxyl and hydroxyl group contents decreased with increasing reaction temperature and time. Thermal stability studies revealed that the increased molecular weight of DES-lignin enhanced its thermal resistance.

Prolonged symptoms after the clearance of acute coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection, termed long COVID, are an emerging threat to the post-COVID-19 era. Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) interventions may play a significant role in the management of long COVID. The present study aimed to identify published studies on the use of CAM interventions for long COVID and provide an overview of the research status using bibliometric analysis. The present scoping review searched MEDLINE, Embase, and Cochrane Library from inception until November 2021 and identified published studies on CAM interventions for long COVID. A narrative analysis of the study types and effectiveness and safety of the CAM interventions are presented and a bibliometric analysis of citation information and references of the included publications were analyzed using the Bibliometrix package for R. An electronic database search identified 16 publications (2 clinical studies and 14 study protocols of systematic reviews or clinical studies) that were included in the present study. Dyspnea or pulmonary dysfunction, quality of life, olfactory dysfunction, and psychological symptoms after COVID-19 infection were assessed in the included publications. The two clinical studies suggested that Chinese herbal medications were effective in relieving symptoms of pulmonary dysfunction. Bibliometric analysis revealed the current trend of research publication in this area was driven by study protocols written by Chinese, Korean, and Indian authors. Thus, the present scoping review and bibliometric analysis revealed that there are few studies published about the use of CAM for long COVID and long-term management for COVID-19 survivors. Original studies on CAM interventions, including randomized controlled trials and systematic reviews, are required to actively support evidence for their use in the management of long COVID. PROSPERO registration: this trial is registered with CRD42021281526.

Background/Aims: Pulmonary hypertension (PH) in patients with heart failure contributes to a poor prognosis. However, the role of PH in the long-term clinical outcome is unclear in those with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). The clinical significance of elevated right ventricular systolic pressure (RVSP) on routine echocardiography is underestimated.Methods: This study enrolled 2,526 AMI patients (65.1 ± 12.7 years; 1,757 males [69.6%]) from the Korean AMI registry who underwent successful percutaneous coronary intervention and pre-discharge transthoracic echocardiography (TTE). The patients were divided into four groups according to the RVSP on TTE: normal RVSP (RVSP < 35 mmHg, n = 1,695), mild PH (35 ≤ RVSP < 45 mmHg, n = 601), moderate PH (45 ≤ RVSP < 70 mmHg, n = 211), and severe PH (RVSP ≥ 70 mmHg, n = 19). Major adverse cardiac events (MACE) were compared among the four groups.Results: During the 3-year clinical follow-up period, MACE occurred in 562 patients (22.2%), including 321 (18.9%), 145 (24.1%), 83 (39.3%), and 13 patients (68.4%) in the normal RVSP and mild, moderate, and severe PH groups, respectively. On multivariate analysis, independent factors for MACE were moderate or severe PH, age ≥ 65 years, Killip class ≥ III, left ventricular ejection fraction < 40%, hypertension, and diabetes.Conclusions: Measuring RVSP is useful for stratifying the risk of patients with AMI; MACE occurred in patients with moderate or severe PH.

Despite remarkable advances in surgical techniques and perioperative management, left hepatic trisectionectomy (LHT) remains a challenging procedure with a somewhat high postoperative morbidity rate compared with less-extensive resections. This study aimed to analyze the short- and long-term outcomes of LHT and identify factors associated with the postoperative morbidity of this technically demanding surgical procedure.The medical records of 53 patients who underwent LHT between June 2005 and October 2019 at a single institution were retrospectively reviewed. The independent prognostic factor of postoperative morbidity was analyzed using the logistic regression model.Hepatocellular carcinoma was the most common indication for surgery (n = 21), followed by hilar cholangiocarcinoma (n = 14), intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (n = 10), and other pathologies (including colorectal liver metastasis, hepatolithiasis, gallbladder cancer, living donor, hemangioma, and multilocular biliary cyst; n = 8). The rates of postoperative morbidities of Clavien-Dindo grade 3 or higher and 90-day mortality were 39.6% and 1.9%, respectively. The 1-, 3-, and 5-year overall survival rates were 81.1%, 61.4%, and 44.6%, respectively. Multivariate analysis revealed that preoperative jaundice [hazard ratio (HR) = 6.15, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.57-24.17, P = 0.009] and operative time 420 min (HR = 4.66, 95% CI: 1.27-17.17, P = 0.021) were independent predictors of postoperative morbidity.The in-hospital mortality of LHT surgery can be minimalized by a reliable preoperative evaluation of liver function and selection of the dominant anatomic features of right posterior sector, active and appropriate preoperative management for obstructive cholangitis and compensatory hypertrophy of the future remnant posterior sector, and the experience of the surgeon.

Background: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is associated with chronic kidney disease (CKD). However, the causal relationship between NAFLD and CKD is uncertain, particularly in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). We aimed to investigate the association between the presence and severity of NAFLD and incident CKD in patients with T2DM.Methods: In this longitudinal cohort study of patients with T2DM, 3,188 patients with preserved renal function were followed up for the occurrence of incident CKD. NAFLD was defined as the presence of hepatic steatosis on ultrasonography, without any other causes of chronic liver disease. Advanced liver fibrosis of NAFLD was defined as a fibrosis-4 index ≥2.67. CKD was defined as an estimated glomerular filtration rate

Isocyanate impregnation was studied relative to the subterranean termite (Coptotermes curvignathus Holmgren) resistance of the inner part of oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) trunk. Unproductive oil palm trunk was harvested and divided into top and bottom parts. Samples were isolated from the inner part of the trunk with a size of 2.5 cm x 2.5 cm x 0.5 cm. The samples were impregnated with 10% and 20% aqueous polymer-isocyanate and then heated at 60 °C for 48 h. The specimens were fed to subterranean termites under laboratory conditions. The weight percent gain values were 15.3% to 21.0% and 9.2% to 14.7% for the top and bottom parts, respectively. A higher isocyanate concentration decreased the moisture content and increased the density of inner part of the oil palm trunk. Impregnation with aqueous polymer-isocyanate increased termite mortality at the bottom part and decreased the feeding rate and weight percent loss. Impregnation with 10% and 20% aqueous polymer-isocyanate enhanced the resistance class of the bottom part of the inner part of the oil palm trunk from very poorly resistant (V) to poorly resistant (IV) and moderately resistant (III), respectively, based on the standard adopted.

Peroxidation and reduction of 11S- and 13S-positions on C20 and C22 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) by Escherichia coli expressing highly active arachidonate (ARA) 11S-lipoxygenase (11S-LOX) from Enhygromyxa salina with the reducing agent cysteine.The specific activity and catalytic efficiency of ARA 11S-LOX from E. salina were 4.1- and 91-fold higher than those of only reported ARA 11S-LOX from Myxococcus xanthus, respectively. The hydroxy fatty acids (HFAs) obtained by the biotransformation of ARA, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosapentaenoic acid (DPA), and docosahexanoic acid (DHA) by Escherichia coli expressing 11S-LOX from E. salina in the presence of cysteine were identified as 11S-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (11S-HETE), 11S-hydroxyeicosapentaenoic acid (11S-HEPE), 13S-hydroxydocosapentaenoic acid (13S-HDPA), and 13S-hydroxydocosahexaenoic acid (13S-HDHA), respectively. The recombinant cells converted 3 mM of ARA, EPA, DPA, and DHA into 2.9 mM of 11S-HETE, 2.4 mM 11S-HEPE, 1. 9 mM 13S-HDPA, and 2.2 mM 13S-HDHA in 60, 80, 120, and 120 min, corresponding to productivities of 72.5, 40.4, 18.5, and 22.4 μM minWe report the highest concentrations, conversion yields, and productivities of 11S- and 13S-hydroxy fatty acids from C20- and C22-PUFAs achieved via E. coli expressing highly active E. salina 11S-LOX.

Chlorosilane is a hazardous chemical compound which is used as a raw material in the production of silicone. Despite strict restrictions, accidental spillage of chlorosilane is often reported. However, human exposure was rarely reported in the past decades and the effect on humans is barely known. We report cases of human exposure to an accidental trichlorosilane spill. Three middle aged male industrial workers visited our emergency department after exposure to trichlorosilane. They presented with shortness of breath and burns on multiple sites. Chest radiograph and laboratory studies were performed. None of the reports showed serious results and were discharged after conservative management.

Physical and chemical characteristics of bamboo culm heat-treated at low temperature (200 °C to 320 °C) were analyzed to understand their carbonization mechanisms. The physical features and chemical compositions of four Indonesian and one Korean bamboo species were examined, and they were compared with red pine and cork oak after treatment. Weight loss, pH, and calorific value increased with increasing temperature. Weight loss and calorific value of the bamboo species increased from 200 to 240 °C, while those of the wood species increased from 240 to 280 °C. The pH of the bamboo and wood changed from acidic to neutral at 280 and 320 °C, respectively. The crystalline cellulose of the samples in the X-ray diffraction analysis changed to amorphous at various temperatures for each material. In Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, all species showed a considerable change in hemicellulose peaks at 280 °C and a substantial change in cellulose peaks at 320 °C. In conclusion, the carbonized bamboo culm showed a considerable difference, at 200 °C to 320 °C, in the physical and chemical characteristics.

Formation of galvanic cells between constituent phases is largely responsible for corrosion in Mg-based alloys. We develop a methodology to calculate the electrochemical potentials of intermetallic compounds and alloys using a simple model based on the Born-Haber cycle. Calculated electrochemical potentials are used to predict and control the formation of galvanic cells and minimize corrosion. We demonstrate the applicability of our model by minimizing galvanic corrosion in Mg-3wt%Sr-xZn alloy by tailoring the Zn composition. The methodology proposed in this work is applicable for any general alloy system and will facilitate efficient design of corrosion resistant alloys.

Fatty acid has a various role in preimplantation embryo development. Especially, Linoleic acid, polyunsaturated fatty acid, has been reported to affect the apoptosis pathway via nuclear transcription factor-kappa B. But to date, the function of NF-κB has not been demonstrated in porcine preimplantation embryos. We demonstrated that linoleic acid had a positive effect on embryo development at a certain concentration(25 μM), but developmental failure was observed at higher concentration. Furthermore, the expression level of NF-κB increased, unlike that of IL-6, as the concentration of linoleic acid increased. Interestingly, the concentration of NF-κB was found to increase even at the concentration of linoleic acid at which embryo development decreased. We found that pro-apoptotic gene expression was downregulated in the linoleic acid-treated group. It was also found that MCL-1, an anti-apoptotic gene known to be unaffected by IL-6, was found to be increased at the mRNA level in the linoleic acid-treated group. As the concentration of NF-kB increased, the nuclear translocation of C-JUN gradually increased dependent on the linoleic acid concentration. It was confirmed that NF-κB is an important factor in porcine embryos by treated ammonium pyrrolidinedithiocarbamate (APDC 0.1 μM, an inhibitor of NF-κB) affected NF-κB protein expression, IL-6 expression, and blastocyst production. These data supported porcine embryos can use exogenous linoleic acid as a metabolic energy source via NF-κB.

In this paper, an integrated guidance and control approach is presented to improve the performance of the missile interception. The approach includes damping augmented system with attitude rate feedback to decrease the oscillation during the homing phase for missiles with low damping. In addition, physical constraints, which can affect the performance of the missile interception, such as acceleration limit, seeker’s look angle, and look angle rate constraints are considered. The integrated guidance and control problem is formulated as a convex quadratic optimization problem with equality and inequality constraints, and the solution is obtained by a primal–dual interior point method. The performance of the proposed method is verified through several numerical examples.

The study aimed to evaluate the morphologic changes in the pharyngeal airway after bimaxillary surgery in skeletal Class III malocclusion patients with or without asymmetry. We also analyzed the correlation between positional changes in the menton, hyoid bone, and changes in the dimensions of the pharyngeal airway.We included 32 patients with skeletal Class III malocclusion who underwent bimaxillary surgery. There were 16 subjects in the symmetry group (10 male, 6 female; mean age, 22.44 ± 5.14 years), and 16 in the asymmetry group (10 male, 6 female; mean age, 21.38 ± 4.62 years). Preoperative and postoperative (2 months after surgery) cone-beam computed tomography scans were taken and then analyzed by comparing postoperative changes in each group.The anteroposterior lengths at the uvula level (P2L) and epiglottis level (P3L) were significantly decreased in the symmetry group. The P2L was also significantly decreased in the asymmetry group, and a difference in the P3L was observed. However, there was no significant change in the width at the uvula level (P2W) and epiglottis level (P3W) in the symmetry group. In contrast, in the asymmetry group, P2W and P3W were significantly decreased. The cross-sectional ratio was significantly decreased P2 (P2L/P2W) and P3 (P3L/P3W) in the symmetry group. However, a statistically significant decrease occurred only at P3 in the asymmetry group. Anteroposterior positional changes of the menton and P2L (r = -0.370; P .05), P3L (r = -0.414; P 0.05), and P3L/P3W (r = -0.361; P 0.05) were correlated.Differences in the morphologic features of the pharyngeal airway after bimaxillary surgery was observed in both the symmetry and asymmetry groups. Bimaxillary surgery with a mandibular setback in patients with skeletal Class III malocclusion worsened morbidity of the elliptical structure of the pharyngeal airway. However, it worsened less in the asymmetry group than in the symmetry group.

Optimal needle depth in transforaminal epidural injection (TFEI) is determined by body measurements and is influenced by the needle entry angle. Physician can choose the appropriate needle length and perform the procedure more effectively if depth is predicted in advance.This retrospective study included patients with lumbosacral pain from a single university hospital. The skin depth from the target point was measured using magnetic resonance imaging transverse images. The depth was measured bilaterally for L4 and L5 TFEIs at 15°, 20°, and 25° oblique angles from the spinous process.A total of 4,632 measurements of 386 patients were included. The lengths of the left and right TFEI at the same level and oblique angle were assessed, and no statistical differences were identified. Therefore, linear regression analysis was performed for bilateral L4 and L5 TFEIs. The R-squared values of height and weight combined were higher than the height, weight, and body mass index (BMI). The following equation was established: Depth (mm) = a - b (height, cm) + c (weight, kg). Based on the equation, maximal BMI capable with a 23G, 3.5-inch, Quincke-type point spinal needle was presented for three different angles (15°, 20°, and 25°) at lumbar levels L4 and L5.The maximal BMI that derived from the formulated equation is listed on the table, which can help in preparations for morbid obesity. If a patient has bigger BMI than the one in the table, the clinician should prepare longer needle than the usual spinal needle.

The aim of this study was to develop a novel deep learning (DL) model without requiring large-annotated training datasets for detecting pancreatic cancer (PC) using computed tomography (CT) images. This retrospective diagnostic study was conducted using CT images collected from 2004 and 2019 from 4287 patients diagnosed with PC. We proposed a self-supervised learning algorithm (pseudo-lesion segmentation (PS)) for PC classification, which was trained with and without PS and validated on randomly divided training and validation sets. We further performed cross-racial external validation using open-access CT images from 361 patients. For internal validation, the accuracy and sensitivity for PC classification were 94.3% (92.8–95.4%) and 92.5% (90.0–94.4%), and 95.7% (94.5–96.7%) and 99.3 (98.4–99.7%) for the convolutional neural network (CNN) and transformer-based DL models (both with PS), respectively. Implementing PS on a small-sized training dataset (randomly sampled 10%) increased accuracy by 20.5% and sensitivity by 37.0%. For external validation, the accuracy and sensitivity were 82.5% (78.3–86.1%) and 81.7% (77.3–85.4%) and 87.8% (84.0–90.8%) and 86.5% (82.3–89.8%) for the CNN and transformer-based DL models (both with PS), respectively. PS self-supervised learning can increase DL-based PC classification performance, reliability, and robustness of the model for unseen, and even small, datasets. The proposed DL model is potentially useful for PC diagnosis.

Chicory leaves (Cichorium intybus) are widely consumed due to their health benefits. They are mainly consumed raw or without adequate washing, which has led to an increase in food-borne illness. This study investigated the taxonomic composition and diversity of chicory leaves collected at different sampling times and sites. The potential pathogenic genera (Sphingomonas, Pseudomonas, Pantoea, Staphylococcus, Escherichia, and Bacillus) were identified on the chicory leaves. We also evaluated the effects of various storage conditions (enterohemorrhagic E. coli contamination, washing treatment, and temperature) on the chicory leaves’ microbiota. These results provide an understanding of the microbiota in chicory and could be used to prevent food-borne illnesses.