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Cancer-targeted therapy by a chemotherapeutic agent formulated in a nanoscale platform has been challenged by complex and inefficient manufacturing, low drug loading, difficult characterization, and marginally improved therapeutic efficacy. This study investigated facile-to-produce nanocomplexes of doxorubicin (DOX), a widely used cancer drug, and clinically approved DNA fragments that are extracted from a natural source. DOX was found to self-assemble DNA fragments into relatively monodispersed nanocomplexes with a diameter of ~70 nm at 14.3% (w/w) drug loading by simple and scalable mixing. The resulting DOX/DNA nanocomplexes showed sustained DOX release, unlike overly stable Doxil®, cellular uptake via multiple endocytosis pathways, and high hematological and immunological compatibility. DOX/DNA nanocomplexes eradicated EL4 T lymphoma cells in a time-dependent manner, eventually surpassing free DOX. Extended circulation of DOX/DNA nanocomplexes, while avoiding off-target accumulation in the lung and being cleared from the liver, resulted in rapid accumulation in tumor and lowered cardio toxicity. Finally, tumor growth of EL4-challenged C57BL/6 mice (syngeneic model) and OPM2-challenged NSG mice (human xenograft model) were efficiently inhibited by DOX/DNA nanocomplexes with enhanced overall survival, in comparison with free DOX and Doxil®, especially upon repeated administrations. DOX/DNA nanocomplexes are a promising chemotherapeutics delivery platform for their ease of manufacturing, high biocompatibility, desired drug release and accumulation, efficient tumor eradication with improved safety, and further engineering versatility for extended therapeutic applications.

Background Understanding the memory T-cell response to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is crucial for assessing the longevity of protective immunity after SARS-CoV-2 infection or coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination. However, the longitudinal memory T-cell response up to 8 months post–symptom onset (PSO) according to the severity of illness is unknown. Methods We analyzed peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from healthy volunteers or patients with COVID-19 who experienced asymptomatic, mild, or severe illness at 2, 5, and 8 months PSO. SARS-CoV-2 spike, nucleocapsid, and membrane protein-stimulated PBMCs were subjected to flow cytometry analysis. Results A total of 24 patients (7 asymptomatic, 9 with mild disease, and 8 with severe disease) and 6 healthy volunteers were analyzed. SARS-CoV-2–specific OX40+CD137+CD4+ T cells and CD69+CD137+CD8+ T cells persisted at 8 months PSO. Also, antigen-specific cytokine-producing or polyfunctional CD4+ T cells were maintained for up to 8 months PSO. Memory CD4+ T-cell responses tended to be greater in patients who had severe illness than in those with mild or asymptomatic disease. Conclusions Memory response to SARS-CoV-2, based on the frequency and functionality, persists for 8 months PSO. Further investigations involving its longevity and protective effect from reinfection are warranted.

While various crystalline carbon allotropes, including graphene, have been actively investigated, amorphous carbon (a-C) thin films have received relatively little attention. The a-C is a disordered form of carbon bonding with a broad range of the CC bond length and bond angle. Although accurate structural analysis and theoretical approaches are still insufficient, reproducible structure-property relationships have been accumulated. As the a-C thin film is now adapted as a hardmask in the semiconductor industry and new properties are reported continuously, expectations are growing that it can be practically used as active materials beyond as a simple sacrificial layer. In this perspective review article, after a brief introduction to the synthesis and properties of the a-C thin films, their potential practical applications are proposed, including hardmasks, extreme ultraviolet (EUV) pellicles, diffusion barriers, deformable electrodes and interconnects, sensors, active layers, electrodes for energy, micro-supercapacitors, batteries, nanogenerators, electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding, and nanomembranes. The article ends with a discussion on the technological challenges in a-C thin films.

Respiration monitoring and human sweat sensing have promising application prospects in personal healthcare data collection, disease diagnostics, and the effective prevention of human-to-human transmission of fatal viruses. Here, we have introduced a unique respiration monitoring and touchless sensing system based on a CsPb2Br5/BaTiO3 humidity-sensing layer operated by water-induced interfacial polarization and prepared using a facile aerosol deposition process. Based on the relationship between sensing ability and layer thickness, the sensing device with a 1.0 μm thick layer was found to exhibit optimal sensing performance, a result of its ideal microstructure. This sensor also exhibits the highest electrical signal variation at 0.5 kHz due to a substantial polarizability difference between high and low humidity. As a result, the CsPb2Br5/BaTiO3 sensing device shows the best signal variation of all types of breath-monitoring devices reported to date when used to monitor sudden changes in respiratory rates in diverse situations. Furthermore, the sensor can effectively detect sweat evaporation when placed 1 cm from the skin, including subtle changes in capacitance caused by finger area and motion, skin moisture, and contact time. This ultrasensitive sensor, with its fast response, provides a potential new sensing platform for the long-term daily monitoring of respiration and sweat evaporation.

In this study, extraction of uranium(VI) from an aqueous nitric acid solution was investigated using tri-n-butyl phosphate (TBP) as an extractant in an ionic liquid, 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium bis (trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide ([Cnmim][Tf2N]). The distribution ratio of U(VI) in 1.1 M TBP/[Cnmim][Tf2N] was significantly high when the concentration of nitric acid was low. The value of the distribution ratio decreased as the concentration of the nitric acid increased at lower acidities, and then increased with a nitric acid concentration of up to 8 M. This can be attributed to the different extraction mechanisms of U(VI) based on nitric acid concentrations. Thus, a cation exchange at low acidity levels and an ion-pair extraction at high acidity levels were suggested as the extraction mechanism of U(VI) in the TBP/[Cnmim][Tf2N] system.

High-quality alumina (Al2O3) coating has an extensive demand in the fields of optoelectronics, solar cells, and corrosion/impurity resistant coatings and cutting tools. The quality of alumina coating depends on its hardness and transparency. To obtain hard and highly transparent alumina coating, which is also a widely used ceramic material, a novel, aerosol deposition approach is presented in which the starting powder, used to fabricate Al2O3 ceramic coatings, is composed of angular and spherical Al2O3 particles. Films fabricated using angular:spherical Al2O3 particle mixtures with ratios of 10:0, 7:3, 5:5, 3:7, and 0:10, showed significant variation in surface roughness and microstructure. The dramatic morphology modulation of the 3:7 angular:spherical Al2O3 mixture film, resulting from the superposition hammering effect caused by the aerosol mixture, improved transmittance (84.7%) and hardness (13.6 GPa). Previous studies used high-energy approaches to optimize Al2O3 film properties. This dual-particle approach, however, produces Al2O3 film with excellent transmittance and hardness while achieving a fast coating speed (32 mm2 × μm/min) without additional thermal treatment. Our proposed approach provides a novel and energy efficient method to produce transparent Al2O3 films with superior durability.

To improve dielectric properties and areal capacitance according to percolation theory, 0 to 50 wt% of Cu was used as a metal filler in a BaTiO 3 (BT) matrix. BT–Cu composite films with a thickness of approximately 2 μm were fabricated using aerosol deposition at room temperature for application in embedded-film capacitors. The flow conditions of the carrier gas were varied to fabricate very compact composite thin films without surface craters and internal pores to obtain a high dielectric constant, low dielectric loss, and low leakage current. The BT–Cu composite films displayed highly dense microstructures and smooth surfaces, and good dielectric properties were observed when the carrier gas was supplied at 10 L/min. The dielectric constant of the composite films increased with the increase in Cu content. Although the dielectric loss and leakage current also increased with the increase in Cu content, they were within the allowable limits until the Cu concentration reached 40 wt% in the composite film, and the 40 wt% of Cu contained films showed high areal capacitances that were approximately five times the values reported in previous studies. In addition, a percolation threshold was observed in the composite film with 45 wt% Cu. Despite the appearance of this percolation threshold, the BT–Cu composite films all revealed low frequency dependence because the formation of micro-capacitor structures dominated their interiors.

Dense SiC layers with a thickness of 150 nm were prepared on n- and p-type Si substrates using aerosol deposition (AD) at room temperature. The contribution of electrons and holes to the conductivity in Ni/i-SiC/Si structures was investigated by conducting experiments involving the injection of carriers from silicon. Our results showed that the injection of carriers via light illumination and temperature experiments led to the generation of minority carriers, which contributed to the conductivity in the Ni/i-SiC/Si structures. The activation energies were found to be 0.8 eV and 0.4 eV for i-SiC/n-Si and i-SiC/p-Si, respectively. The conductivity of these Ni/i-SiC/Si structures was also affected by the trap-assisted tunneling process. The results indicate that the AD-prepared SiC/Si heterostructures could possibly be used to control bipolar conductivity and hold potential for application in temperature sensors and photovoltaics.

Retinoic acid-related orphan receptor α (RORα) functions as a transcription factor for various biological processes, including circadian rhythm, cancer, and metabolism. Here, we generate intestinal epithelial cell (IEC)-specific RORα-deficient (RORα ΔIEC ) mice and find that RORα is crucial for maintaining intestinal homeostasis by attenuating nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) transcriptional activity. RORα ΔIEC mice exhibit excessive intestinal inflammation and highly activated inflammatory responses in the dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) mouse colitis model. Transcriptome analysis reveals that deletion of RORα leads to up-regulation of NF-κB target genes in IECs. Chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis reveals corecruitment of RORα and histone deacetylase 3 (HDAC3) on NF-κB target promoters and subsequent dismissal of CREB binding protein (CBP) and bromodomain-containing protein 4 (BRD4) for transcriptional repression. Together, we demonstrate that RORα/HDAC3-mediated attenuation of NF-κB signaling controls the balance of inflammatory responses, and therapeutic strategies targeting this epigenetic regulation could be beneficial to the treatment of chronic inflammatory diseases, including inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

This study compared the stability and durability of copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS)-type solar cells prepared using one-step and three-step co-evaporation methods by investigating the causes ...

Respiration monitoring and human sweat sensing have promising application prospects in personal healthcare data collection, disease diagnostics, and the effective prevention of human-to-human transmission of fatal viruses. Here, we have introduced a unique respiration monitoring and touchless sensing system based on a CsPb

Retinoic acid-related orphan receptor α (RORα) functions as a transcription factor for various biological processes, including circadian rhythm, inflammation, cancer, and lipid metabolism. Here, we demonstrate that RORα is crucial for maintaining cholesterol homeostasis in CD8+ T cells by attenuating NF-κB transcriptional activity. Cholesterol sulfate, the established natural agonist of RORα, exhibits cellular cytotoxicity on, and increased effector responses in, CD8+ T cells. Transcript analysis reveals that the suppression of RORα leads to the upregulation of NF-κB target genes in T cells. Chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis was used to determine the corecruitment of RORα and histone deacetylase (HDAC) on NF-κB target promoters and the subsequent dismissal of coactivators for transcriptional repression. We demonstrate that RORα/HDAC-mediated attenuation of NF-κB signaling controls the balance of cholesterol metabolism in CD8+ T cells, and that therapeutic strategies targeting this epigenetic regulation could be beneficial to the treatment of solid tumors including colon cancers.

The effect of Cu particle size on deposition behavior of Cu coating layer was investigated by experimental and numerical studies to understand coating behavior of metal films during aerosol deposition (AD) process. Experimental results showed that Cu film fabricated using 2 μm Cu powder had high deposition rate, low resistivity, and high internal micro-strain. Moreover, Cu films fabricated using 2 μm Cu powder had dense microstructure and Cu oxide phases due to elevated temperature caused by kinetic energy of impacted particles. However, Cu films prepared with 5 μm Cu powder formed filmy deposition layers with poor structural and electrical properties. Numerical results revealed that the generated strain and heat at the impact interface between the particle and the substrate were significantly decreased with increasing particle size. In contrast, the maximum shock pressure of particles was increased with increasing particle size. These results demonstrate that metal Cu particle with size of about 2 μm is suitable for forming good quality coating layers and that their bonding is associated with high compressive strain and thermal energy.

향후 원자력시설 해체 시 막대한 양의 해체 콘크리트 폐기물이 발생할 수 있음을 감안하였을 때, 방사성 콘크리트 폐기물의 최적 처리기술에 대한 면밀한 검토와 향후 기술개발 방향에 대한 논의는 반드시 필요하다. 본 논문에서는 방사성 콘크리트 폐기물의 국내외 발생 사례를 종합해 보고, 처리 대상이 되는 방사성 콘크...

Recent developments in the field of energy storage systems have led to the need for a process that can synthesize an electrode in a cost-effective and environmentally friend manner with excellent performance. In this study, we developed a noble electrode structure by direct powder deposition process of MnO2 powder for a pseudo-capacitor configuration. This homogeneous electrode has uniformly distributed pores and direct contact between MnO2 particles, which helps improve ionic transport in an aqueous electrolyte and electron transport between MnO2 particles. In addition, electrochemical impedance analysis confirms that the homogeneous MnO2 electrode structure by powder deposition has a considerably lower value of charge transfer resistance (∼ 100 times) and double layer capacitance (∼10 times) compared to those for paste-type electrodes. Furthermore, our electrodes maintain a high specific capacitance of 383.4 F g−1 at more than 2 mg cm−2 of mass loading, whereas the capacitance of the paste-type electrode decreases considerable.

PURPOSE The purpose of this study is to examine on the effects of 12 weeks combined exercised on physical fitness, Irisin and BNDF in white-collar women workers who are sedentary lifestyles. METHODS In this study, there were controlled groups and exercise group: one was composed of women who had no regular exercise program and sedentary lifestyle (n=20), the other was made of white-collar women who had combined exercise, no muscular skeletal disease, same lifestyle (n=19), totally 39 women were participated in this study. Combined exercises were composed of aerobic exercise, resistance exercise, flexibility, and balance exercise: Conducting mid-level exercise with 65% VO2max consumption, 3 times a week, and 80 minutes for 12 weeks. For certifying the purpose of this study, calculate the average and standard deviation of every variant using descriptive statistics and apply analysis of covariance measures ANCOVA for interaction between groups. RESULTS In LBM and Body fat percentage, there was no significant difference after exercise. In other words, there was significant difference in body fat (p