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The orchid Dendrobium moniliforme faces endangerment due to habitat loss and illegal harvesting, necessitating the development of an optimized artificial propagation system to aid conservation and reintroduction efforts. This study evaluated the effects of three plant growth media, namely Murashige and Skoog (MS), Hyponex, and Orchid Maintenance Medium (OMM) (P668), and various organic additives (apple homogenate, banana homogenate, and coconut water) on the in vitro seedling growth of D. moniliforme . The results reveal that, in early postgermination stages, seedlings achieve maximum growth in the Hyponex medium, with a fresh weight (92 mg) and root length (2.7 cm) approximately 20-fold greater than those in the MS medium and OMM. After 6 months, for seedlings grown in MS medium and OMM with banana (50 g·L -1 ), the mean fresh weights were 29 and 107 mg, respectively; however, the highest biomass was observed in seedlings grown in the Hyponex medium with coconut water (50 mL·L -1 ), exhibiting a mean fresh weight of 201 mg. This study highlights Hyponex medium with coconut water as the most effective combination for promoting D. moniliforme growth and identifies suitable organic supplements for the in vitro cultivation of seedlings from asymbiotic seed culture. This propagation system offers valuable technical support for the mass production and conservation of this epiphytic orchid.

More than half of tumor patients with high PD-L1 expression do not respond to anti-PD-1/PD-L1 therapy, and the underlying mechanisms are yet to be clarified. Here we show that developmentally regulated GTP-binding protein 2 (DRG2) is required for response of PD-L1-expressing tumors to anti-PD-1 therapy. DRG2 depletion enhanced IFN-γ signaling and increased the PD-L1 level in melanoma cells. However, it inhibited recycling of endosomal PD-L1 and reduced surface PD-L1 levels, which led to defects in interaction with PD-1. Anti-PD-1 did not expand effector-like T cells within DRG2-depleted tumors and failed to improve the survival of DRG2-depleted tumor-bearing mice. Cohort analysis revealed that patients bearing melanoma with low DRG2 protein levels were resistant to anti-PD-1 therapy. These findings identify DRG2 as a key regulator of recycling of endosomal PD-L1 and response to anti-PD-1 therapy and provide insights into how to increase the correlation between PD-L1 expression and response to anti-PD-1 therapy., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Polyimide is actively applied in various industrial fields because of its strong mechanical properties, owing to the interactions between the polymer chains. Fully aromatic imide structures exhibit high glass-transition temperatures due to the strong interactions between their chains, which hinder chain mobility. Therefore, preparing a material that exhibits self-healing at a low temperature of ≤100 °C and good mechanical properties is challenging. Thus, we prepared imides with four-component semiaromatic structures by adjusting the contents of 4,4'-(hexafluoroisopropylidene)diphthalic anhydride and 4,4'-(4,4'-isopropylidenediphenoxy)bis(phthalic anhydride) to yield four-component self-healable colorless polyimides (f-SH-CPIs) with novel structures, flexibilities, good mechanical properties, and low healing temperatures. The flexibilities and distances between the polymer chains, as the basis of the trade-off relationship between the mechanical properties and healing efficiency, were controlled. These materials may be used as substrates in wearable devices and multilayer insulation that may protect from space dust, cosmic rays, and satellite fragments.

Purpose: To analyze prognostic factors associated with ureteral stent failure and to develop a prediction model for malignant ureteral obstruction (MUO) in patients with non-urological cancers., Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed patients with non-urological cancers who underwent ureteral stenting or percutaneous nephrostomy (PCN) for MUO between 2006 and 2014. Variables predicting stent failure were identified using Cox regression analysis., Results: Of the 743 patients, 468 (63.0%) underwent ureteral stenting only, and 275 (37.0%) underwent PCN owing to technical (n=215) or functional (n=60) stent failure. The median overall survival was 4 [interquartile range (IQR) 1-11] months, and the median interval duration to stent failure was 2 (IQR 0-7) months. In univariate analysis, lower gastrointestinal cancer, previous radiotherapy to the pelvis, bladder invasion, lower ureteral obstruction, and low previous estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) (<30 mL/min/1.73 m²) were significantly associated with a decreased survival rate. In multivariate analysis, bladder invasion and previous eGFR were significant predictors. With these two predictors, we divided patients into three groups based on their presence: low-risk (neither factor; n=516), intermediate-risk (one factor; n=206), and high-risk (both factors; n=21). The median stent failure-free survival rates of patients in the low-, intermediate-, and high-risk groups were 26 (8-unreached), 1 (0-18), and 0 (0-0) months, respectively ( p <0.001)., Conclusion: In cases of ureteral obstruction caused by non-urological cancers, patients with bladder invasion and a low eGFR showed poor stent failure-free survival. Therefore, PCN should be considered the primary procedure for these patients., Competing Interests: The authors have no potential conflicts of interest to disclose., (© Copyright: Yonsei University College of Medicine 2023.)

The study evaluated the effects of dietary fiber and energy levels administered during two growing periods (d 0-28 and d 29-56) for pigs exposed to a high temperature. A total of 96 growing pigs were used in six treatments as: Two treatments in thermoneutral temperature (21°C-24°C) with dietary energy of 3,300 and the inclusion of high or low fiber, two treatments in heat stress (30°C-34°C) with dietary energy of 3,300 and the inclusion of high or low fiber, and two treatments in heat stress with dietary energy of 3,450 and the inclusion of high or low fiber. Among standard energy level treatments, heat-stressed pigs showed lower average daily gain (ADG), feed intake, digestibility of dry matter, gross energy, crude protein, and crude fiber in phases 1 and 2. Moreover, higher concentrations of acetate, propionate, butyrate, and total short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) in feces were shown in pigs fed high fiber diets. There was a negative interaction between dietary fiber and energy for the fecal concentration of isobutyrate in phase 1 and valerate in phase 2. Pigs in heat stress treatments showed a higher rectal temperature, respiratory rate, hair cortisol, plasma zonulin, and fecal lipocalin-2. Among heat stress treatments, the overall ADG was increased in pigs fed high fiber. Pigs fed high dietary fiber showed a greater concentration of acetate, propionate, butyrate, and total SCFA. High fiber treatments decreased plasma zonulin. In conclusion, the inclusion of beet pulp, soluble fiber, at the level of 4% looks necessary in pigs diet during heat stress., Competing Interests: No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported., (© Copyright 2023 Korean Society of Animal Science and Technology.)

Background/aim: Cancer mortality has decreased due to the contribution of extensive research on cancer treatment, including chemotherapy, radiation, and immunotherapy. However, histopathologically similar tumors originating from the same organ are treated with identical or similar chemotherapeutic regimens regardless of patient characteristics or cancer subtypes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the utility of organoids in predicting responses to chemotherapeutic agents., Patients and Methods: This study retrospectively reviewed patient-derived organoids (PDOs) from 10 colorectal cancer patients to compare chemotherapy responses. Drug sensitivities for 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), cisplatin, oxaliplatin, and irinotecan were compared using GI50 (concentration that inhibits cancer cell growth by 50%)., Results: When organoids were treated with 5-FU, GI50 was the lowest compared to the other three chemotherapeutic agents (cisplatin, oxaliplatin, and irinotecan). The responsiveness to chemotherapeutic agents differed depending on specific patient characteristics including age, tumor location, stage, and gross type. The response of the patients' organoids to chemotherapeutic agents was consistent with the response to chemotherapy actually performed in those patients with cancer recurrence after surgery., Conclusion: PDOs may be useful as a preclinical model in predicting chemotherapy responses in cancer patients., (Copyright © 2023, International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. George J. Delinasios), All rights reserved.)

Ambipolar field-effect transistors (FETs) possessing both electron and hole carriers enable implementation of novel reconfigurable transistors, artificial synaptic transistors, and output polarity controllable (OPC) amplifiers. Here, we fabricated a two-dimensional (2D) material-based complementary ambipolar FET and investigated its electrical characteristics. Properties of ohmic-like contacts at source/drain sides were verified from output characteristics and temperature-dependent measurements. The symmetry of electron and hole currents can be easily achieved by optimization of the MoS 2 or WSe 2 channels, different from the conventional ambipolar FET with fundamental issues related to Schottky barriers. In addition, we demonstrated successful operation of a complementary inverter and OPC amplifier, using the fabricated complementary ambipolar FET based on 2D materials., (© 2023 IOP Publishing Ltd.)

Many studies have been conducted to improve technology for semen cryopreservation in pigs. However, computer-assisted analysis of sperm motility and morphology is insufficient to predict the molecular function of frozen-thawed semen. More accurate expression patterns of boar sperm proteins may be derived using the isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantification (iTRAQ) technique. In this study, the iTRAQ-labeling system was coupled with liquid chromatography tandem-mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analysis to identify differentially expressed CM10-fractionated proteins between fresh and frozen-thawed boar semen. A total of 76 protein types were identified to be differentially expressed, among which 9 and 67 proteins showed higher and lower expression in frozen-thawed than in fresh sperm samples, respectively. The classified functions of these proteins included oxidative phosphorylation, mitochondrial inner membrane and matrix, and pyruvate metabolic processes, which are involved in adenosine triphosphate (ATP) synthesis; and sperm flagellum and motile cilium, which are involved in sperm tail structure. These results suggest a possible network of biomarkers associated with survival after the cryopreservation of Duroc boar semen., Competing Interests: No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported., (© Copyright 2023 Korean Society of Animal Science and Technology.)

Junctionless transistors are suitable for sub-3 nm applications because of their extremely simple structure and high electrical performance, which compensate for short-channel effects. Two-dimensional semiconductor transition-metal dichalcogenide materials, such as MoS 2 , may also resolve technical and fundamental issues for Si-based technology. Here, we present the first junctionless electric-double-layer field-effect transistor with an electrostatically highly doped 5 nm thick MoS 2 channel. A double-gated MoS 2 transistor with an ionic-liquid top gate and a conventional bottom gate demonstrated good transfer characteristics with a 10 4 on-off current ratio, a 70 mV dec -1 subthreshold swing at a 0 V bottom-gate bias, and drain-current versus top-gate-voltage characteristics were shifted left significantly with increasing bottom-gate bias due to an electrostatically increased overall charge carrier concentration in the MoS 2 channel. When a bottom-gate bias of 80 V was applied, a shoulder and two clear peak features were identified in the transconductance and its derivative, respectively; this outcome is typical of Si-based junctionless transistors. Furthermore, the decrease in electron mobility induced by a transverse electric field was reduced with increasing bottom-gate bias. Numerical simulations and analytical models were used to support these findings, which clarify the operation of junctionless MoS 2 transistors with an electrostatically highly doped channel.

Electronic wastes from used devices containing environmentally hazardous materials are an immediate concern for the sustainable development of electronic and sensor industries. To address this, a highly controllable and dedicated electronic module should be devised, that allows systematic recollection of as many components from the original device for their reuse. Here, we report the total recycling of an electronic device, exploiting a water-floating system that is based on a water-compatible semiconductor as an active material. To do so, we developed a system for stable electronics on the water surface. The floating semiconductor features a tunable morphology on the water surface, and is constructed into a water-floating gated transistor (WFGT) and water floating sensor (WFS), exhibiting an on-current of 4.2 × 10 -5 A and an on/off ratio of ∼10 3 . The device showed high recyclability over 25 cycles, with an efficiency of 99 ± 0.9% within 1 cycle and 92 ± 0.7% within 30 cycles. Furthermore, the device was also found to be stable for over 10 days. Our system has the potential to be an eco-friendly, cost-effective, and scalable device that is fully recyclable, which can be applied in areas once thought of as being beyond the scope of current semiconductor technology.

Introduction: T2 gallbladder cancer (GBC) is the only stage showing a survival benefit after complete surgical resection, but recurrence rates remain high. Although human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) has emerged as a therapeutic target, its role in T2 GBC remains unclear. This study investigated the status and prognostic impact of HER2 expression on T2 GBC., Materials and Methods: HER2 expression and amplification were detected by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), respectively, in 90 patients with T2 GBC who underwent radical cholecystectomy. We evaluated HER2 status according to the breast and gastric cancer guidelines and analyzed the effect of relevant prognostic factors on survival., Results: HER2 positive status was observed in 11.11% (10/90) and 8.89% (8/90) of cases based on gastric and breast cancer guidelines, respectively. Poor differentiation and a higher level of perineural invasion were independent prognostic factors of disease-free survival (DFS). Old age, male sex, presence of lymph node metastasis, poor differentiation, high levels of perineural invasion, and HER2 positivity based on breast cancer guidelines were identified as independent prognostic factors of overall survival (OS). Patients with HER2-positive T2 GBC according to breast cancer guidelines had worse OS., Conclusions: HER2 positivity based on breast- but not gastric-cancer guidelines was associated with poorer survival. These results provide a criterion for the evaluation of HER2 and a rationale for therapeutic strategies targeting HER2 in T2 GBC., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2022. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

The mRNA destabilizing factor tristetraprolin (TTP) functions as a tumor suppressor by down-regulating cancer-associated genes. TTP expression is significantly reduced in various cancers, which contributes to cancer processes. Enforced expression of TTP impairs tumorigenesis and abolishes maintenance of the malignant state, emphasizing the need to identify a TTP inducer in cancer cells. To search for novel candidate agents for inducing TTP in cancer cells, we screened a library containing 1019 natural compounds using MCF-7 breast cancer cells transfected with a reporter vector containing the TTP promoter upstream of the luciferase gene. We identified one molecule, of which the enantiomers are betamethasone 21-phosphate (BTM-21-P) and dexamethasone 21-phosphate (BTM-21-P), as a potent inducer of TTP in cancer cells. We confirmed that BTM-21-P, DXM-21-P, and dexamethasone (DXM) induced the expression of TTP in MDA-MB-231 cells in a glucocorticoid receptor (GR)-dependent manner. To identify potential pathways linking BTM-21-P and DXM-21-P to TTP induction, we performed an RNA sequencing-based transcriptome analysis of MDA-MB-231 cells at 3 h after treatment with these compounds. A heat map analysis of FPKM expression showed a similar expression pattern between cells treated with the two compounds. The KEGG pathway analysis results revealed that the upregulated DEGs were strongly associated with several pathways, including the Hippo signaling pathway, PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, FOXO signaling pathway, NF-κB signaling pathway, and p53 signaling pathway. Inhibition of the FOXO pathway using a FOXO1 inhibitor blocked the effects of BTM-21-P and DXM-21-P on the induction of TTP in MDA-MB-231 cells. We found that DXM enhanced the binding of FOXO1 to the TTP promoter in a GR-dependent manner. In conclusion, we identified a natural compound of which the enantiomers are DXM-21-P and BTM-21-P as a potent inducer of TTP in breast cancer cells. We also present new insights into the role of FOXO1 in the DXM-21-P- and BTM-21-P-induced expression of TTP in cancer cells.

2-Pyrones with a chiral branched allylic silyl ether substituent underwent intramolecular Diels-Alder reactions with remarkably high π-facial- and endo-selectivities. The resulting diastereomerically and enantiomerically pure cycloadducts were transformed into the natural products (+)-lycopladine A and (-)-lycoposerramine R., (© 2022 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Two-dimensional transition-metal dichalcogenide (TMD) materials have attracted increasing attention in efforts to overcome fundamental issues faced by the complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor industry. Multilayer TMD materials such as MoS 2 can be used for high-performance transistor-based applications; the drive currents are high and the materials handle low-frequency (LF) noise well. We fabricated double-gated multilayer MoS 2 transistors using the h-BN dielectric for the top gate and silicon dioxide for the bottom gate. We systemically investigated the bottom gate voltage ( V b )-controlled electrical characteristics and the top/bottom interface-coupling effects. The effective thickness of the MoS 2 channel ( t MoS 2 &#95;eff ) was well modulated by V b , and t MoS 2 &#95;eff reduction by negative V b dramatically improved the I on / I off ratio. Numerical simulation and analytical modeling with a variation of the depletion depth under different bias conditions verified the experimental results. We were also the first to observe V b -tuned LF noise characteristics. Here, we discuss the V b -affected series resistance and carrier mobility in detail. Our findings greatly enhance the understanding of how double-gated multilayer MoS 2 transistors operate and will facilitate performance optimization in the real world.

Metal oxides are intensively used for multilayered optoelectronic devices such as organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). Many approaches have been explored to improve device performance by engineering electrical properties. However, conventional methods cannot enable both energy level manipulation and conductivity enhancement for achieving optimum energy band configurations. Here, we introduce a metal oxide charge transfer complex (NiO:MoO 3 -complex), which is composed of few-nm-size MoO 3 domains embedded in NiO matrices, as a highly tunable carrier injection material. Charge transfer at the finely dispersed interfaces of NiO and MoO 3 throughout the entire film enables effective energy level modulation over a wide work function range of 4.47 - 6.34 eV along with enhanced electrical conductivity. The high performance of NiO:MoO 3 -complex is confirmed by achieving 189% improved current efficiency compared to that of MoO 3 -based green OLEDs and also an external quantum efficiency of 17% when applied to blue OLEDs, which is superior to 1,4,5,8,9,11-hexaazatriphenylene-hexacarbonitrile-based conventional devices., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Through time-dependent defect spectroscopy and low-frequency noise measurements, we investigate and characterize the differences of carrier trapping processes occurred by different interfaces (top/sidewall) of the gate-all-around silicon nanosheet field-effect transistor (GAA SiNS FET). In a GAA SiNS FET fabricated by the top-down process, the traps at the sidewall interface significantly affect the device performance as the width decreases. Compare to expectations, as the width of the device decreases, the subthreshold swing (SS) increases from 120 to 230 mV/dec, resulting in less gate controllability. In narrow-width devices, the effect of traps located at the sidewall interface is significantly dominant, and the 1/f 2 noise, also known as generation-recombination (G-R) noise, is clearly appeared with an increased time constant (τ i ). In addition, the probability density distributions for the normalized current fluctuations (ΔI D ) show only one Gaussian in wide-width devices, whereas they are separated into four Gaussians with increased in narrow-width devices. Therefore, fitting is performed through the carrier number fluctuation-correlated with mobility fluctuations model that separately considered the effects of sidewall. In narrow-width GAA SiNS FETs, consequently, the extracted interface trap densities (N T ) distribution becomes more dominant, and the scattering parameter ([Formula: see text]) distribution increases by more than double.

Background: This study investigated patient outcomes after urinary diversion in order to manage malignant ureteral obstruction caused by non-urologic cancers and to evaluate predictive factors for overall survival., Methods: The study retrospectively reviewed patients with non-urologic malignancies who underwent ureteral stenting or percutaneous nephrostomy for ureteral obstruction between 2006 and 2014. The variables for predicting overall survival were identified by Cox regression analysis., Results: The study enrolled 778 patients, including 522 patients who underwent ureteral stenting and 256 patients who underwent percutaneous nephrostomy. Renal function was assessed immediately and then 2 weeks after urinary diversion. The median survival period was 5 months (interquartile range [IQR] 2-12 months). A total of 708 patients died. The patients who received chemotherapy after urinary diversion had a survival gain of 7 months compared with the patients who did not receive subsequent chemotherapy (p < 0.001). The survival rate did not differ between the various types of urinary diversion (p = 0.451). In the multivariate analysis, lower survival rates were significantly associated with male sex; previous chemotherapy without radiotherapy; an increasing number of events related to malignant dissemination; low preoperative hemoglobin (< 10 mg/dL), albumin (< 3 g/dL), and estimated glomerular filtration (< 60 mL/min/1.73 m 2 ) rates; and no subsequent chemotherapy or radiotherapy., Conclusions: In cases of ureteral obstruction caused by non-urologic malignancies, the overall survival was poor. However, the patients who received chemotherapy after urinary diversion had a survival gain of 7 months. Therefore, urinary diversion could be considered to preserve renal function for subsequent chemotherapy, whereas patients with the poor prognostic factors should be presented with the option of no intervention.

Organic-inorganic hybrid perovskite nanoparticles (NPs) are a very strong candidate emitter that can meet the high luminescence efficiency and high color standard of Rec.2020. However, the instability of perovskite NPs is the most critical unsolved problem that limits their practical application. Here, an extremely stable crosslinked perovskite NP (CPN) is reported that maintains high photoluminescence quantum yield for 1.5 years (>600 d) in air and in harsher liquid environments (e.g., in water, acid, or base solutions, and in various polar solvents), and for more than 100 d under 85 °C and 85% relative humidity without additional encapsulation. Unsaturated hydrocarbons in both the acid and base ligands of NPs are chemically crosslinked with a methacrylate-functionalized matrix, which prevents decomposition of the perovskite crystals. Counterintuitively, water vapor permeating through the crosslinked matrix chemically passivates surface defects in the NPs and reduces nonradiative recombination. Green-emitting and white-emitting flexible large-area displays are demonstrated, which are stable for >400 d in air and in water. The high stability of the CPN in water enables biocompatible cell proliferation which is usually impossible when toxic Pb elements are present. The stable materials design strategies provide a breakthrough toward commercialization of perovskite NPs in displays and bio-related applications., (© 2020 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Environmentally friendly ZnSe/ZnS core/shell quantum dots (QDs) as an alternative blue emission material to Cd-based QDs have shown great potential for use in next-generation displays. However, it remains still challenging to realize a high-efficiency quantum dot light-emitting diode (QLED) based on ZnSe/ZnS QDs due to their insufficient electrical characteristics, such as excessively high electron mobility (compared to the hole mobility) and the deep-lying valence band. In this work, the effects of QDs doped with hole transport materials (hybrid QDs) on the electrical characteristics of a QLED are investigated. These hybrid QDs show a p-type doping effect, which leads to a change in the density of the carriers. Specifically, the hybrid QDs can balance electrons and holes by suppressing the overflow of electrons and improving injection of holes, respectively. These electrical characteristics help to improve device performance. In detail, an external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 6.88% is achieved with the hybrid QDs. This is increased by 180% compared to a device with pure ZnSe/ZnS QDs (EQE of 2.46%). This record is the highest among deep-blue Cd-free QLED devices. These findings provide the importance of p-type doping effect in QD layers and guidance for the study of the electrical properties of QDs., (© 2020 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

For use in flexible, printable, wearable electronics, Schottky-barrier field-effect transistors (SB-FETs) with various channel materials including low-dimensional nanomaterials have been considered so far due to their comparatively simple and cost-effective integration scheme free of junction and channel dopants. However, the electric conduction mechanism and the scaling properties underlying their performance differ significantly from those of conventional metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) field-effect transistors. Indeed, an understanding of channel length scaling and drain bias impact has not been elucidated sufficiently. Here, multiple ambipolar SB-FETs with different channel lengths have been fabricated on a single silicon nanowire ensuring a constant nanowire diameter. Their length scaling behavior is analyzed through drain current and transconductance contour maps, each depending on the drain and gate bias. The reduced gate control and extended drain field effect on Schottky junctions were observed in short channels. Activation energy measurements showed lower sensitive behavior of the Schottky barrier to gate bias in the short-channel device and confirmed the thinning of Schottky barrier width for electrons at the source interface with drain bias.

The next-generation wearable near-eye displays inevitably require extremely high pixel density due to significant decrease in the viewing distance. For such denser and smaller pixel arrays, the emissive material must exhibit wider colour gamut so that each of the vast pixels maintains the colour accuracy. Electroluminescent quantum dot light-emitting diodes are promising candidates for such application owing to their highly saturated colour gamuts and other excellent optoelectronic properties. However, previously reported quantum dot patterning technologies have limitations in demonstrating full-colour pixel arrays with sub-micron feature size, high fidelity, and high post-patterning device performance. Here, we show thermodynamic-driven immersion transfer-printing, which enables patterning and printing of quantum dot arrays in omni-resolution scale; quantum dot arrays from single-particle resolution to the entire film can be fabricated on diverse surfaces. Red-green-blue quantum dot arrays with unprecedented resolutions up to 368 pixels per degree is demonstrated.

Malignant metastatic melanoma (MM) is the most lethal of all skin cancers, but detailed mechanisms for regulation of melanoma metastasis are not fully understood. Here, we demonstrated that developmentally regulated GTP-binding protein 2 (DRG2) is required for the growth of primary tumors and for metastasis. DRG2 expression was significantly increased in MM compared with primary melanoma (PM) and dysplastic nevi. A correlation between DRG2 expression and poor disease-specific survival in melanoma patients was also identified. Furthermore, inhibition of DRG2 suppressed the binding of Hypoxia-inducible factor 1α to the VEGF-A promoter region, expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-A, and formation of endothelial cell tubes. In experimental mice, DRG2 depletion inhibited the growth of PM and lung metastases and increased survival. These results identify DRG2 as a critical regulator of VEGF-A expression and of growth of PMs and lung metastases., (© 2019 Federation of European Biochemical Societies.)

Catechins in green tea possess various health benefits. Enzymatic treatment improves physiological activities by inducing bioconversion of catechins. Here, we investigated the effect of green tea infusion (GT) after tannase treatment, which transforms (-)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) to gallic acid (GA) and (-)-epigallocatechin (EGC), on adipocyte differentiation and mature adipocyte metabolism. The optimal conditions for tannase-mediated improvement in GA and EGC yields in GT were investigated using response surface methodology. Yields of GA and EGC were 43-fold (0.43 mg/mL) and 1.66-fold higher (1.11 mg/mL), respectively, compared to GT without tannase treatment. The optimal reaction conditions for tannase-mediated biotransformation were observed on 0.54 mg mL -1 of tannase, reaction time (86.79 min), and reaction temperature at 22.59 °C. GT and tannase-treated GT (TANs) upregulated adiponectin, uncoupling protein 1, adipose triglyceride lipase, and hormone-sensitive lipase gene expression in differentiated 3T3-L1 adipocytes, with TAN inducing better effects than GT, which implies that tannase treatment improved the beneficial effect of GT on adipocyte metabolism. Thus, tannase-mediated bio-transformation is an attractive candidate for preparing GT with enhanced anti-obesity properties., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest All authors read and approved the final manuscript. The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Recent research revealed that doxorubicin (DOX) decreased expression of programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) in cancer cells. However, the detailed mechanisms underlying this effect are not well established. Here, we demonstrate that doxorubicin down-regulates PD-L1 expression through induction of AU-rich element (ARE) binding protein tristetraprolin (TTP) in cancer cells. PD-L1 mRNA contain three AREs within its 3'UTR. Doxorubicin induced expression of TTP, increased TTP binding to the 3rd ARE of the PD-L1 3'UTR, and increased decay of PD-L1 mRNA. Inhibition of TTP abrogates the inhibitory effect of doxorubicin on PD-L1 expression. Our data suggest that TTP plays a key role in doxorubicin-mediated down-regulation of PD-L1 by enhancing degradation of PD-L1 mRNA in cancer cells., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The enzyme 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose-2,6-bisphosphatases 3 (PFKFB3) catalyzes the first committed rate-limiting step of glycolysis and is upregulated in cancer cells. The mechanism of PFKFB3 expression upregulation in cancer cells has not been fully elucidated. The PFKFB3 3'-UTR is reported to contain AU-rich elements (AREs) that are important for regulating PFKFB3 mRNA stability. However, the mechanisms by which PFKFB3 mRNA stability is determined by its 3'-UTR are not well known. We demonstrated that tristetraprolin (TTP), an ARE-binding protein, has a critical function regulating PFKFB3 mRNA stability. Our results showed that PFKFB3 mRNA contains three AREs in the 3'-UTR. TTP bound to the 3rd ARE and enhanced the decay of PFKFB3 mRNA. Overexpression of TTP decreased PFKFB3 expression and ATP levels but increased GSH level in cancer cells. Overexpression of PFKFB3 cDNA without the 3'-UTR rescued ATP level and GSH level in TTP-overexpressing cells. Our results suggested that TTP post-transcriptionally downregulated PFKFB3 expression and that overexpression of TTP may contribute to suppression of glycolysis and energy production of cancer cells in part by downregulating PFKFB3 expression., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Enhancing the luminescence efficiency and stability of solid-state phosphors with facile processability is important for various applications. Carbon-based materials might have proper optical features and durability under ambient conditions. However, carbon-based phosphors usually showed severe quenching of the photoluminescence in the absence of solvent. Alkylamine-functionalization of carbon-based phosphors can alleviate the quenching, but it also resulted in low luminous efficiency. In this study, tailoring the functional groups of carbon nanodots (CNDs) was carefully studied through alkylamine-functionalization and reduction. The reduction with NaBH 4 changed the electron-withdrawing functional groups on the alkylamine-functionalized CNDs to electron-donating groups, enhancing the luminescence efficiency. The delicate modulation of alkylamine-functionalization and reduction enabled efficient and robust photoluminescence in the film without any host materials.

For reliable characterization of two-dimensional semiconducting devices and continuous monitoring in toxic environments, construction of an electrical characterization-based massive database using a portable source measure unit (SMU) with a WiFi connection is desirable. The web-drive based SMU using a microcontroller developed here exhibits superior voltage source performance (∼1 mV) and voltage/current measurement (∼0.15 mV/∼1 nA) capabilities, with automatic construction of a measurement database for online storage using web-drive based software, which can be applied for reliable electrical characterization. Electrical characterization of ionic liquid-gated MoS 2 transistors was achieved with the designed SMU and showed results comparable with those obtained using a commercial semiconductor characterization system. Ionic liquid-gated transistors only require a small gate bias (∼1.5 V) for on-state operation because of the high gate capacitance originating from the thin dielectric layer constructed of an electrical double layer, which makes the device a promising candidate for low power consumption applications. Finally, several electrical parameters of the ionic liquid-gated transistor were extracted from the datasets and uploaded to the web-drive.

Perilla (Perilla frutescens) is a commonly consumed herb with various health benefits in Asia. However, the risks of food-borne illness owing to the presence of pathogens on perilla leaves have not been evaluated. In this study, we evaluated the microbiota of perilla leaves harvested in South Korea using Illumina MiSeq sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene. In total, 2,743,003 sequencing reads were obtained, and 92-437 operational taxonomic units were observed in all samples. Bacterial loads were quantified, and the diversity indices were compared. Differences in the microbiota among sampling times and regions were also investigated. Proteobacteria and Firmicutes were predominant phyla at both times. At the class level, the bacterial communities were composed primarily of Alphaproteobacteria, Bacilli, and Gammaproteobacteria. Diverse bacterial taxa, such as Bacillus, uncultured family Enterobacteriaceae, and Sphingomonas were detected, and the representative pathogenic species (i.e., Acinetobacter lwoffii, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Staphylococcus aureus) were quantified by qRT-PCR. The results of the co-occurrence network analysis showed characteristics of bacterial taxa in the microbiome on perilla leaves and provided insights into the roles of correlations among diverse microbes, including potential pathogens. Based on these results, the potential risk of food-borne illness from consumption of perilla leaves may be higher in July than in April. In summary, the microbial compositions determined in this study can be used as a base data for food-safety management for prediction and prevention of future outbreaks., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Achieving high emission efficiency in solid-state quantum dots (QDs) is an essential requirement for high-performance QD optoelectronics. However, most QD films suffer from insufficient excitation and light extraction efficiencies, along with nonradiative energy transfer between closely adjacent QDs. Herein, we suggest a highly effective strategy to enhance the photoluminescence (PL) of QD composite films through an assembly of QDs and poly(styrene- b -4-vinylpyridine)) (PS- b -P4VP) block copolymer (BCP). A BCP matrix casted under controlled humidity provides multiscale phase-separation features based on (1) submicrometer-scale spinodal decomposition between polymer-rich and water-rich phases and (2) sub-10 nm-scale microphase separation between polymer blocks. The BCP-QD composite containing bicontinuous random pores achieves significant enhancement of both light absorption and extraction efficiencies via effective random light scattering. Moreover, the microphase-separated morphology substantially reduces the Förster resonance energy transfer efficiency from 53% (pure QD film) to 22% (BCP-QD composite), collectively achieving an unprecedented 21-fold enhanced PL over a broad spectral range.

Recently, quantum dots (QDs) have often garnered significant attention and have been employed for various applications. Nevertheless, most conventional devices utilize a glass substrate and/or brittle substrate, which is not compatible with next-generation wearable electronics. A suitable method for devising conductive and flexible free-standing platforms that can be combined with various kinds of QDs is thus in great need for next-generation wearable electronics. In this work, we introduce a universal and simple method to coat QDs on carbon nanofibers (CNFs) by a dip-coating process, where many kinds of QDs can be well decorated on the surface of CNFs. As one potential application among many, QD-coated CNFs were examined for their photocatalytic applications and characterization. As a result, it was found that the best performance of CdSe QD-coated CNFs for hydrogen production was 3.8 times higher than that of only QDs with the same 1 mg of QDs. This is an early report on fabricating various kinds of QD-coated CNFs, which can be extended to a myriad set of applications., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

We have prepared a highly luminescent quantum dot (QDs)-TiO2 nanocomplex film by the dip coating method. Because QDs with 3-mercaptopropionic acid as a ligand adsorb ionized Ti+ cations on the TiO2 particle, the average distance between the QDs can be changed through controlling the porosity in the film. The porosity is controlled using ethyl cellulose (EC). EC is the best material for well dispersing the hydroxyl functional group (-OH) in the chemical structure, and forming pores inside the film under the decomposition temperature (above 698 °F). As the porosity decreases, the average decay time controlled by the porosity increases to the maximum 91.2 ns. On the other hand, the amount of QDs decreased to 50%, hindering the increase of photo-luminescence (PL) intensity. Through this result, we have found that the PL intensity of the QD films is strongly related to the amount of the QDs and the resolution of aggregation. Consequently, we have optimized the porosity of the film and obtained high PL intensities up to approximately 17 times.

Recently, quantum dots based light-emitting diodes (QLEDs) have received huge attention due to the properties of quantum dots (QDs), such as high photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) and narrow emission. To improve the performance of QLEDs, reducing non-radiative energy transfer is critical. So far, most conventional methods required additional chemical treatment like giant shell and/or ligands exchange. However that triggers unsought shifted emission or reduced PLQY of QDs. In this work, we have firstly suggested a novel approach to improve the efficiency of QLEDs by introducing inorganic nanoparticles (NPs) spacer between QDs, without additional chemical treatment. As ZnS NPs formed a mixture layer with QDs, the energy transfer was reduced and the distance between the QDs increased, leading to improved PLQY of mixture layer. As a result, current efficiency (CE) of the QLED device was improved by twice compared with one using only QDs layer. This is an early report on utilizing ZnS NPs as an efficient spacer, which can be utilized to other compositions of QDs., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

We investigated the exciton decay dynamics of CsPbBr 3 perovskite quantum dots (PQDs) through an X-type ligand passivation process. 1-Dodecanethiol (DDT), as an X-type ligand, covers Br vacancies of PQDs and then the photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) sharply improved from 76.1% to 99.8%. Impressively, after passivation, the photoluminescence (PL) lifetime of PQDs decreased from 3.16 ns to 2.42 ns, contrary to the PLQY increase. To clarify this phenomenon, we observed exciton decay dynamics by varying the temperature. Thereby, we found that shallow traps from Br vacancies not only reduce the PLQY but also induce a longer lifetime related to the nonradiative exciton decay leading to an increase in the lifetime. Our results are novel and important in a way that we provide a systematic understanding of the exciton decay dynamics by combining two key concepts together: (1) near unity PLQY via ligand engineering and (2) temperature-dependent photogenerated excitons., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

One-pot synthesis of mixed-valence manganese oxide (MnO x )/potassium ion-doped reduced graphene oxide (rGO) composites for efficient electrochemical supercapacitors is introduced. Using manganese nitrate and potassium permanganate as co-precursors for the MnO x and by directly annealing the rGO without tedious purification steps, as described herein, MnO x /rGO composites with a high specific capacitance of 1955.6 F g -1 at a current density of 1 A g -1 are achieved. It is found that the presence of potassium ions helps in the development of mixed-valence MnO x on the surface of the rGO.

Objective: In Korea, there are three main cattle breeds, which are distinguished by coat color: Brown Hanwoo (BH), Brindle Hanwoo (BRH), and Jeju Black (JB). In this study, we sought to compare the genetic diversity and divergence among there Korean cattle breeds using a BovineHD chip genotyping array., Methods: Sample data were collected from 168 cattle in three populations of BH (48 cattle), BRH (96 cattle), and JB (24 cattle). The single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotyping was performed using the Illumina BovineHD SNP 777K Bead chip., Results: Heterozygosity, used as a measure of within-breed genetic diversity, was higher in BH (0.293) and BRH (0.296) than in JB (0.266). Linkage disequilibrium decay was more rapid in BH and BRH than in JB, reaching an average r² value of 0.2 before 26 kb in BH and BRH, whereas the corresponding value was reached before 32 kb in JB. Intra-population, inter-population, and Fst analyses were used to identify candidate signatures of positive selection in the genome of a domestic Korean cattle population and 48, 11, and 11 loci were detected in the genomic region of the BRH breed, respectively. A Neighbor-Joining phylogenetic tree showed two main groups: a group comprising BH and BRH on one side and a group containing JB on the other. The runs of homozygosity analysis between Korean breeds indicated that the BRH and JB breeds have high inbreeding within breeds compared with BH. An analysis of differentiation based on a high-density SNP chip showed differences between Korean cattle breeds and the closeness of breeds corresponding to the geographic regions where they are evolving., Conclusion: Our results indicate that although the Korean cattle breeds have common features, they also show reliable breed diversity.

The rapid and sensitive detection of pathogen DNA (Deoxyribonucleic acid) would be essential for diagnosis and appropriate antibiotic treatment time. Herein, we report a novel direct DNA detectable impedimetric sensor. Direct assay of the amplified target DNA (mecA gene from methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)) was performed using the PCR (polymerase chain reaction) product without any purification. Even though there are lots of PCR reagents and excess salts in sample PCR product, the nanogap electrode-based impedimetric sensor was able to detect DNA amplification fast in 5th PCR cycle which had 260 fM mecA gene in sample originally. The 70 nm gap electrode sensor yielded over 20% signal increase at the 5th PCR cycle and the impedance change grew up to about 60% at 25th in case of sample with 260 fM mecA gene template originally. The increased concentration of target DNA template led to the rise in impedance change such as 60% up at 5th and 120% up at 25th cycle with 260 pM, respectively. It is very outstanding result as compared with the traditional PCR agarose gel. Besides, it is 7-fold superior sensitivity to the microgap electrode. Furthermore, genomic DNA sample extracted from MRSA was detected rapidly. The nanogap electrode-based impedimetric sensor could be a good candidate for a rapid, sensitive, and low-cost electrical biosensor for DNA characterization in diagnostics and disease monitoring., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Porcine circovirus-associated diseases (PCVAD), caused by porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2), threaten the pig industry worldwide. Five genotypes of PCV2 were recently identified: PCV2a, PCV2b, PCV2c, PCV2d and PCV2e. In addition, a novel porcine circovirus from a case of a sow with dermatitis, nephropathy syndrome and reproductive failure has been identified based on metagenomic analysis and classified as porcine circovirus type 3 (PCV3). Therefore, the current study was conducted to determine the prevalence and genetic characteristics of PCV2 and PCV3 in clinical samples., Results: A total of 471 samples (161 tissue samples of lungs and lymph nodes from 34 farms and 310 serum samples from 47 farms) were tested for PCV2. Among them, 171 samples from 59 farms that had been positive for PCV2 were genotyped. Another 690 samples (296 tissue samples of lungs and lymph nodes from 91 farms, 108 samples of aborted foetuses from 26 farms, and 286 serum samples from 47 farms) were tested for PCV3. Based on PCV2 genotyping results, PCV2d was the most prevalent genotype (107 of 171 samples), and co-infections with combinations of PCV2a, 2b and 2d were identified in 48 samples from 17 farms. A total of 14 samples from 11 farms were also positive for both PCV2 and PCV3. For PCV3, 57 samples (9.8%) from 32 farms (23.2%) were positive. Among the 108 aborted foetuses from 26 farms, only 2 samples were positive for PCV3. Based on sequence comparisons, PCV2d shares 89.6-91.0% and 93.2-94.3% homology with PCV2a and PCV2b, respectively; 98.6-100% homology is shared among PCV2d strains. The PCV3 strains identified in this study share 98.0-99.5% homology., Conclusions: Our study concludes that PCV2d has become the most predominant genotype in Korea. PCV3 was also identified in clinical samples, though no significant association with clinical symptoms was observed in PCV3-positive cases.

For low-cost and facile fabrication of innovative nanoscale devices with outstanding functionality and performance, it is critical to develop more practical patterning solutions that are applicable to a wide range of materials and feature sizes while minimizing detrimental effects by processing conditions. In this study, we report that area-selective sub-10 nm pattern formation can be realized by temperature-controlled spin-casting of block copolymers (BCPs) combined with submicron-scale-patterned chemical surfaces. Compared to conventional room-temperature spin-casting, the low temperature ( e.g., -5 °C) casting of the BCP solution on the patterned self-assembled monolayer achieved substantially improved area selectivity and uniformity, which can be explained by optimized solvent evaporation kinetics during the last stage of film formation. Moreover, the application of cold spin-casting can also provide high-yield in situ patterning of light-emitting CdSe/ZnS quantum dot thin films, indicating that this temperature-optimized spin-casting strategy would be highly effective for tailored patterning of diverse organic and hybrid materials in solution phase.

Lettuce ( Lactuca sativa L.) is a major ingredient used in many food recipes in South Korea. Lettuce samples were collected during their maximum production period between April and July in order to investigate the microbiota of lettuce during different seasons. 16S rRNA gene-based sequencing was conducted using Illumina MiSeq, and real-time PCR was performed for quantification. The number of total bacterial was greater in lettuce collected in July than in that collected in April, albeit with reduced diversity. The bacterial compositions varied according to the site and season of sample collection. Potential pathogenic species such as Bacillus spp., Enterococcus casseliflavus , Klebsiella pneumoniae , and Pseudomonas aeruginosa showed season-specific differences. Results of the network co-occurrence analysis with core genera correlations showed characteristics of bacterial species in lettuce, and provided clues regarding the role of different microbes, including potential pathogens, in this microbiota. Although further studies are needed to determine the specific effects of regional and seasonal characteristics on the lettuce microbiota, our results imply that the 16S rRNA gene-based sequencing approach can be used to detect pathogenic bacteria in lettuce.

The present study was performed to investigate the infection status with Clonorchis sinensis metacercariae (CsMc) in fishes from 2 sites, the middle and lower reaches, of Tamjin-gang (River) in Jeollanam-do, the Republic of Korea. Total 1,132 fishes in 22 species were collected from the middle reaches in Jangheung-gun for 4 years (2014-2017) and 517 fishes in 17 species were also collected from the lower reaches in Gangjin-gun in 2014 and 2017. They were all individually examined with the artificial digestion method in our laboratory. CsMc were detected in 322 (28.5%) out of 1,132 fishes from Jangheung-gun, and in 161 (31.1%) out of 517 fishes from Gangjin-gun, and their densities were 51 and 57 per fish infected each. In the fish species with CsMc, positive rates were 61.5% in Jangheung-gun and 62.7% in Gangjin-gun. A total of 222 Pungtungia herzi were examined and they were all infected with CsMc. The average intensity was 103 CsMc in the index fish, P. herzi (95 in Jangheung-gun and 121 in Gangjin-gun). In P. herzi bimonthly examined in 2017, the intensity was commonly most higher in March in 2 surveyed sites, however the significant seasonal endemicity was not showed. Conclusively, it was confirmed that CsMc is more or less prevalent in fishes from Tamjin-gang and their endemicity is higher in fish from the lower reaches in Gangjin-gun than the middle reaches in Jangheung-gun in Jeollanam-do, Korea.

Agrimonia eupatoria L. has been shown to protect against liver injury due to its lipid lowering and antioxidant activities. The aim of this research was to evaluate the effect of A. eupatoria L. aqueous extract (AEE) on 80 subjects with elevated alanine transaminase (ALT) levels in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, 8-week study. This trial was conducted between January 2013 and July 2013 at the Oriental Medical Hospital (Jecheon) of Semyung University. The trial included subjects aged 20 years or older who were diagnosed with mildly to moderately elevated ALT levels (between 45 and 135 IU/L). Subjects received two capsules of placebo or AEE twice a day for 8 weeks. Adverse events were recorded. Eighty subjects were randomized to placebo or AEE groups who had similar baseline characteristics. During the 8 weeks of treatment, 11 subjects were excluded from the analysis for protocol violation or consent withdrawal; efficacy of treatment was, therefore, evaluated in 69 subjects (placebo = 35, AEE = 34). The AEE group showed a significant reduction in ALT and serum triglyceride (TG) at 8 weeks compared with the placebo group (ALT P = .044, TG P = .020). Significant group and time interactions were found in ALT (P = .038), aspartate aminotransferase (P = .040), and TG (P = .010). Alkaline phosphatase, total bilirubin, and gamma-glutamyl transferase levels were not different between the two groups. There were no reported severe adverse events during this study, and total protein, albumin, blood urea nitrogen, creatine, and total cholesterol levels were normal in both groups. AEE consumption was safe and generally well tolerated without severe adverse events.

Low voltage operational organic transistors (< 4 V) based on pentacene were successfully fabricated with hybrid dielectric films composed of aluminum oxide using atomic layer deposition and various phosphonic acid-based self-assembled monolayers as the gate dielectrics. High capacitances up to 279 nF/cm 2 , low leakage current densities of 10 -8  A/cm 2 at 6 V, and high breakdown fields up to 7.5 MV/cm were obtained. The transistors with the octadecylphosphonic acid hybrid dielectric exhibited an improved saturation mobility of 0.58 cm 2 /Vs, a subthreshold slope of 151 mV/decade, a threshold voltage of - 1.84 V and an on-off current ratio of 10 6 . The low surface energies of the self-assembled monolayers having non-polar terminal groups, such as methyl and pentafluorophenoxy, improved the carrier conduction of the transistors due to the pentacene growth with an edge-on orientation for low voltage operation. The pentafluorophenoxy end-group showed an accumulation of holes at the semiconductor-dielectric interface.

We synthesized uniform CuInS 2 /ZnS nanocubes by adjusting reaction parameters at the ZnS growth stage. Higher temperature and zinc concentration were shown to drive resultant crystals to have cubic morphology, which could be ascribed to the facet-dependent ligand dynamics on the crystal surface and concomitantly preferred directions of crystal growth. It was found that these nanocubes exhibit sensitive responses, as of photoluminescence quenching, toward hydrogen peroxide, compared to pyramid-shaped nanocrystals. The origin of quenching was further analyzed to be the oxidation of thiolate ligands that leaves the quenching center on the surface. It was noted that the quenched photoluminescence could be fully recovered by introducing additional ligand molecules into the system. Being adopted in the shape-controlled crystal growth, the ligand-to-crystal interaction was shown to still govern the interfacial reaction, the oxidation by hydrogen peroxide, of faceted crystals in our system. It turns out that the reactivity at the crystal surface depends on the exposed facets, especially induced by shape control, and the weak ligand-binding nature of the nanocube renders it vulnerable to the surface reaction.

Objectives: Few long-term studies have been conducted on the serotype and antibiotic resistance patterns of Salmonella speices (spp.) The aim of this study was to determine the serotypes and antibiotic resistance patterns of Salmonella spp. isolated at Jeollanam-do in Korea from 2004 to 2014., Methods: A total of 276 Salmonella samples were evaluated. Serotyping was carried out according to the Kauffmann-White scheme. Antibiotic susceptibility was determined using the Vitek II system with an AST-N169 card., Results: A total of 22 different serotypes were identified, and the major serotypes were Salmonella Enteritidis (116 strains, 42.0%) and Salmonella Typhimurium (60 strains, 21.7%). The highest resistance was observed in response to nalidixic acid (43.4%), followed by ampicillin (40.5%) and tetracycline (31.6%). Resistance to nalidixic acid was detected in 81.0% of S . Enteritidis. Multidrug resistance was detected in 43.3% of Salmonella spp. S . Enteritidis and S . Typhimurium presented the highest resistance (98.3%) and multidrug resistance rate (73.3%), respectively. The most highly observed antibiotic resistance pattern among Salmonella spp. in this study was ampicillin-chloramphenicol (14 strains, 5.7%)., Conclusion: Overall, S . Enteritidis and S . Typhimurium showed higher antibiotic resistance than the other Salmonella serotypes tested in this study. Our study will provide useful information for investigating the sources of Salmonella infections, as well as selecting effective antibiotics for treatment., Competing Interests: CONFLICTS OF INTEREST No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

Background: Two outbreaks of gastroenteritis occurred in South Korea, affecting a middle school in the Jeollanam-do province in 2013 (Outbreak 1) and 10 schools in the Incheon province in 2014 (Outbreak 2). We investigated the outbreaks to identify the pathogen and mode of transmission., Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted in the Outbreak 1; and case-control studies were performed for the Outbreak 2. Samples from students, environments, and preserved food items were collected and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) was conducted to identify strains of pathogen., Results: We identified 167 and 1022 students who met the case definition (≥3 loose stools in any 24-h period) in the Outbreaks 1 and 2, respectively. The consumption of cabbage kimchi and young radish kimchi were significantly associated with the illness. Adjusted odds ratios of kimchi were 2.62-11.74. In the Outbreak 1, cabbage kimchi was made and consumed in the school restaurant and in the Outbreak 2, young radish kimchi was supplied by food company X and distributed to all the 10 schools in the Incheon province. Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) O6 was isolated from fecal samples in 375 cases (33.9%) and from kimchi samples. PFGE patterns of the outbreak strains isolated from cases and food were indistinguishable in each outbreak., Conclusion: The suspected food vehicle in these two consecutive outbreaks was kimchi contaminated with ETEC O6. We recommend continued monitoring and stricter sanitation requirements for the food supply process in Korea, especially in relation to kimchi.

Enterobacter aerogenes is recognized as an important bacterial pathogen in hospital-acquired infections. This report describes two unusual cases of septicemia caused by E. aerogenes in immunocompetent healthcare workers. E. aerogenes was isolated from blood cultures of the two patients experiencing septicemia. The clinical isolates were initially identified as E. aerogenes using a VITEK II automated system and 16S rRNA sequence analysis, and; both isolates involved in the outbreak shared a common pulse-field gel electrophoresis pattern. The similarities between the two cases included the simultaneous development of gastroenteritis symptoms, severe sepsis and thrombocytopenia after taking intravenous injections of ketorolac tromethamine. A common source of normal saline, a 100 mL bottle, was used for diluting the analgesic in both cases. In addition to the general population, healthcare workers, especially those who are also intravenous drug abusers, should be considered subjects that could cause a transmission of Enterobacter infection.

In order to remove the residual nitrogen from the secondary-treated milking centre wastewater, the electrochemical reaction including NH4-N oxidation and NOx-N reduction has been known as a relatively simple technique. Through the present study, the electrochemical reactor using the Ti-coated IrO2 anode and stainless steel cathode was optimized for practical use on farm. The key operational parameters [electrode area (EA) (cm(2)/L), current density (CD) (A/cm(2)), electrolyte concentration (EC) (mg/L as NaCl), and reaction time (RT) (min)] were selected and their effects were evaluated using response surface methodology for the responses of nitrogen and colour removal efficiencies, and power consumption. The experimental design was followed for the central composite design as a fractional factorial design. As a result of the analysis of variance, the p-values of the second-order polynomial models for three responses were significantly fit to the empirical values. The nitrogen removal was significantly influenced by CD, EC, and RT (p < .05), whereas colour removal was significantly governed by EA, CD, RT, the interaction of EA and EC (p < .05). For higher efficiency of nitrogen removal over 90%, the combination of [EA, 20 cm(2)/L; CD, 0.044 A/cm(2); EC, 3.87 g/L as NaCl; RT, 240 min] was revealed as an optimal operational condition. The investigation on cathodic reduction of NOx-N may be required with respect to nitrite and nitrate separately as a future work.

Imidazolium ionic side-group-containing fluorene-based conjugated polyelectrolytes (CPEs) with different π-conjugated structures, poly[(9,9-bis(8'-(3″-methyl-1″-imidazolium)octyl)-2,7-fluorene)-alt-2,7-(9,9-dioctylfluorene)] dibromide (F8im-Br) and poly[(9,9-bis(8'-(3″-methyl-1″-imidazolium)octyl)-2,7-fluorene)-alt-(benzo(2,1,3)thiadiazol-4,8-diyl) dibromide (F8imBT-Br), are synthesized and utilized as an electron injection layer (EIL) in green-emitting F8BT polymer light-emitting diodes (PLEDs). Both CPE EIL devices significantly outperform Ca cathode devices; 17.9 cd A(-1) (at 3.8 V) and 16.6 lm W(-1) (at 3.0 V) for F8imBT-Br devices, 11.1 cd A(-1) (at 4.2 V) and 9.1 lm W(-1) (at 3.4 V) for F8im-Br devices, and 7.2 cd A(-1) (at 3.6 V) and 7.0 lm W(-1) (at 3.0 V) for Ca devices. Importantly, unlike the F8im-Br EIL devices, F8imBT-Br PLEDs exhibit much faster electroluminescence turn-on times (<10 μs) despite both EILs possessing the same tethered imidazolium and mobile bromide ions. The F8imBT-Br devices represent, to the best of our knowledge, the highest efficiency in thin (70 nm) single-layer F8BT PLEDs in conventional device architecture with the fastest EL response time using CPE EIL with mobile ions. Our results clearly indicate the importance of an additional factor of EIL materials, specifically the conjugated backbone structure, to determine the device efficiency and response times.

Si nanowire (Si-NW) based thin-film transistors (TFTs) have been considered as a promising candidate for next-generation flexible and wearable electronics as well as sensor applications with high performance. Here, we have fabricated ambipolar Schottky-barrier (SB) TFTs consisting of a parallel array of Si-NWs and performed an in-depth study related to their electrical performance and operation mechanism through several electrical parameters extracted from the channel length scaling based method. Especially, the newly suggested current-voltage (I-V) contour map clearly elucidates the unique operation mechanism of the ambipolar SB-TFTs, governed by Schottky-junction between NiSi2 and Si-NW. Further, it reveals for the first-time in SB based FETs the important internal electrostatic coupling between the channel and externally applied voltages. This work provides helpful information for the realization of practical circuits with ambipolar SB-TFTs that can be transferred to different substrate technologies and applications.