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Hae Sun Seo,1,* Sun Haeng Lee,1,* Mi Hong Yim,2 Yoon Kyoung Jeong,3 Gyu Tae Chang,3 Ye-Ji Ahn,4 Jae Dong Lee,5 Won Seok Chung,6 Se Young Ahn,7 Young Min Ahn,7 Byung Cheol Lee,7 Ji-Won Noh,7 Boram Lee8 1Department of Korean Pediatrics, College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Kyung Hee University Medical Center, Seoul, South Korea; 2Digital Health Research Division, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon, South Korea; 3Department of Korean Pediatrics, College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Kyung Hee University Hospital at Gangdong, Seoul, South Korea; 4Haeundae Hamsoa Korean Medicine Clinic, Busan, South Korea; 5Department of Acupuncture & Moxibustion Medicine, College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Kyung Hee University Medical Center, Seoul, South Korea; 6Department of Korean Rehabilitation Medicine, College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Kyung Hee University Medical Center, Seoul, South Korea; 7Department of Internal Medicine, College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Kyung Hee University Medical Center, Seoul, South Korea; 8KM Science Research Division, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon, South Korea*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Boram Lee, KM Science Research Division, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, 1672 Yuseong-daero, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 34054, South Korea, Tel +82-42-868-9622, Fax +82-42-868-9395, Email qhfka9357@kiom.re.krIntroduction: Integrative Korean medicine treatment (IKM), including herbal medicine (HM) and acupuncture, has been widely used for obesity and overweight in children and adolescents in South Korea. We investigated the real-world usage status and the potential effect of the IKM for obesity and overweight in children and adolescents.Methods: Multicenter medical charts were retrospectively reviewed of obese and overweight children and adolescents who visited Korean medicine institutions with the goal of weight control for the first time and received IKM, to analyze the usage status and effect of IKM. We defined IKM responders as those with an improved obesity grade on the body mass index (BMI) percentile and analyzed their characteristics.Results: Medical charts of 209 patients (183 obese and 26 overweight) with a mean age of 11.45 years were examined. Patients visited the institution a mean of 5.95 times, and HM alone and HM plus acupuncture were frequently used IKM. HM was prescribed to 205 patients, 167 of whom received an HM prescription containing Ephedrae Herba. An HM of the decoction type was prescribed to 189 patients, and the average treatment duration was 76.54 days. After IKM, the percentile and z-score of BMI and weight significantly declined and height percentile and z-score were significantly enhanced, without serious adverse events. In the IKM responders, age, and the proportion of girls and overweight were significantly higher, and the percentile and z-score of height, weight, and BMI were significantly lower.Conclusion: This is the first study to examine the real-world usage of IKM for obesity and overweight in children and adolescents. A significant improvement in obesity-related outcome measures after IKM, illustrated the potential effect of IKM.Keywords: pediatric obesity, childhood overweight, traditional Korean medicine, herbal medicine, acupuncture

Objective: The presence of an intratesticular solid lesion is usually highly suspicious for malignancy. Conversely, most extratesticular solid lesions including paratesticular lesions are benign. The characteristic imaging features of malignant solid testicular lesions are well known, but various unusual causes and imaging features of benign solid testicular lesions can be particularly misleading. Therefore, a careful assessment of solid testicular and paratesticular lesions is warranted. The purpose of this article is to present the clinical and imaging features of the spectrum of benign solid testicular and paratesticular lesions.Methods: We demonstrate a variety of benign solid testicular and paratesticular lesions and correlate them with pathologic results.Results: Specific the clinical and imaging features of the spectrum of benign solid testicular and paratesticular lesions have been described.Conclusions: Familiarity with the clinical setting and imaging features of benign solid testicular and paratesticular lesions should facilitate prompt, accurate diagnosis and treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The metal-oxide-based gas sensors show great potential in exhaled breath analysis owing to their simple, fast, and noninvasive characteristics. However, the exhaled breath contains moisture, and the surface-active sites of metal oxides are easily poisoned by water molecules, leading to degradation of the sensor performance, particularly the gas response and selectivity. Therefore, it is essential to develop oxide sensors that can reliably sense target gases over a wide humidity range without sacrificing the gas response. In this study, a facile strategy was proposed to incorporate hydrophobic La into an oxide sensor to simultaneously improve the humidity-stability and sensitivity of NH 3 detection for early prediction of kidney failure. WO 3 sensors doped with various concentrations of La were successfully synthesized, and their gas-sensing performances under various humid conditions were systematically investigated. Interestingly, a small amount of La doping (1 at. %) effectively prevented water poisoning and improved the gas response simultaneously. This sensor was able to selectively detect NH 3 up to 200 ppb with a limit of detection (LOD) of ∼780 ppt over a wide range of humidity. The concurrent enhancement in gas response and humidity-immunity was attributed to the surface hydrophobicity and increased specific surface area caused by the incorporation of La.

Base editors (BEs) have emerged as a powerful tool for gene correction with high activity. However, bystander base editing, a byproduct of BEs, presents challenges for precise editing. Here, we investigated the effects of bystander edits on phenotypic restoration in the context of Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA), a hereditary retinal disorder, as a therapeutic model. We observed that in rd12 of LCA model mice, the highest editing activity version of an adenine base editors (ABEs), ABE8e, generated substantial bystander editing, resulting in missense mutations despite RPE65 expression, preventing restoration of visual function. Through AlphaFold-based mutational scanning and molecular dynamics simulations, we identified that the ABE8e-driven L43P mutation disrupts RPE65 structure and function. Our findings underscore the need for more stringent requirements in developing precise BEs for future clinical applications., Competing Interests: Disclosure and competing interests statement: The authors declare no competing financial and non-financial interests.

Inhibition of DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK) in the non-homologous end-joining repair pathway reportedly increases the radiation sensitivity of cancer cells. We have recently reported that BR101801, a novel triple inhibitor of PI3K-gamma (γ), delta (δ), and DNA-PK, functions as an efficient sensitizer of radiation-induced DNA damage in various human solid cancer cells and a xenograft mouse model. Given that the p53 tumor suppressor gene plays an important role in radiotherapeutic efficacy, in the current study, we focused on the impact of the p53 status on BR101801-induced radiosensitization using isogenic HCT116 p53 +/+ and HCT116 p53 -/- human colorectal cancer cell lines. In vitro , HCT116 p53 +/+ and HCT116 p53 -/- human colorectal cancer cells were pretreated with 1 μM BR101801 for 24 h before exposure to ionizing radiation (IR), followed by assays to analyze colony formation, DNA damage, cell cycle changes, senescence, autophagy, apoptosis, and DNA damage response-related proteins. Xenograft mouse models were constructed to examine the potential synergistic effects of BR101801 (50 mg/kg, orally administered once daily) and fractionated IR (2 Gy × 3 days) on tumor growth inhibition in vivo . BR101801 inhibited cell proliferation and prolonged DNA damage in both HCT116 p53 +/+ and HCT116 p53 -/- human colorectal cancer cells. Combined treatment with BR101801 and IR robustly induced G2/M phase cell cycle arrest, apoptosis, and cellular senescence in HCT116 p53 -/- cells when compared with treatment with IR alone. Furthermore, BR101801 synergistically inhibited tumor growth in the HCT116 p53 -/- xenograft mouse model. BR101801 enhanced the radiosensitivity of HCT116 human colorectal cancer cells regardless of their p53 status. Moreover, BR101801 exerted robust synergistic effects on IR-induced cell cycle arrest, apoptosis, and tumor growth inhibition, even in radioresistant HCT116 p53 -/- cells. Overall, these findings provide a scientific rationale for combining BR101801 with IR as a new therapeutic strategy to overcome radioresistance induced by p53 deficiency., Competing Interests: None., (AJCR Copyright © 2023.)

Magnesium ferrite (MF 0.33 ) impregnated flower-shaped mesoporous ordered silica foam (MOSF) was successfully synthesized in present study. MOSF was added with precursor solution of MF 0.33 during MF 0.33 synthesis which soaked the materials and further chemical changes occurred inside the pore. Therefore, no additional synthesis process was required for magnesium ferrite impregnated mesoporous ordered silica foam (MF 0.33 -MOSF) synthesis. MF 0.33 -MOSF showed higher morphological properties compared to other magnesium ferrite modified nanomaterials and adsorbed arsenic III [As(III)] and arsenic V [As(V)] 42.80 and 39.73 mg/g respectively. These were higher than those of other Fe-modified adsorbents at pH 7. As MOSF has no adsorption capacity, MF 0.33 played key role to adsorb arsenic by MF 0.33 -MOSF. Data showed that MF 0.33 -MOSF contain about 2.5 times lower Fe and Mg than pure MF 0.33 which was affected the arsenic adsorption capacity by MF 0.33 -MOSF. Adsorption results best fitted with Freundlich isotherm model. The possible mechanism of arsenic adsorption might be chemisorption by electrostatic attraction and inner or outer-sphere surface complex formation., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

The anti-inflammatory efficacy of radiation therapy (RT) with single fractions below 1.0 Gy has been demonstrated in Alzheimer's disease mouse models. As neuroinflammation is also a major pathological feature of Parkinson's disease (PD), RT may also be effective in PD treatment. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the anti-inflammatory effect of low-moderate dose RT (LMDRT, 0.6 Gy/single dose, for 5 days) exposure in a 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP; 30 mg/kg, intraperitoneally, for 5 consecutive days)-induced PD mouse model. Importantly, LMDRT reduced the levels of glial fibrillary acidic protein and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (CD54) in the striatum region, which increased following MPTP administration. LMDRT also modulated inflammatory gene expression patterns in the substantia nigra region of the MPTP-treated mice. However, LMDRT had no direct effects on the severe loss of dopaminergic neurons and impaired motor behavior in the rotarod test. These results indicate that LMDRT has anti-inflammatory effects by modulating neuroinflammatory factors, including glial fibrillary acidic protein and intercellular adhesion molecule-1, but showed no behavioral improvements or neuroprotection in the MPTP-induced mouse model of PD., (Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Radiation therapy is one of the most commonly used cancer treatments. However, it has important concerns such as damage to normal tissues around cancers and radioresistance. To overcome these problems, combination therapy using radiosensitizer and radiotherapy will be a good alternative. The present study investigated the effects of AZD7648 on overcoming radioresistance as well as radiosensitizing in Hep3B xenografts and cells. The results showed that AZD7648 enhanced ionizing radiation (IR)-induced tumor growth not only in radiosensitive but also radioresistant tumors. In particular, the combination of AZD7648 with radiation reduced the expression of hypoxia induce factor-1α (HIF-1α) in radioresistant tumors. In vitro studies, AZD7648 plus IR increased IR-induced G2/M arrest and regulated cell cycle checkpoints such as cyclinB1, p-cdc2 in normoxia but not in hypoxia. AZD7648 induced more radiation-mediated ROS than radiation only under normoxia, but these ROS were not altered by AZD7648 under hypoxia. Interestingly, AZD7648 downregulated HIF-1α expression level under CoCl 2 -treated hypoxic condition but not in normoxic condition. In conclusion, AZD7648 synergistically increased radiosensitivity through accumulating IR-induced G2/M arrest and further improved radioresistance via regulation of HIF-1α. The present data suggest that AZD7648 may be a strong radiosensitizer in radioresistant as well as radiosensitive cancers., Competing Interests: None., (AJCR Copyright © 2023.)

Silicon (Si)-based anodes are promising for next-generation lithium (Li)-ion batteries due to their high theoretical capacity (∼3600 mAh/g). However, they suffer quantities of capacity loss in the first cycle from initial solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) formation. Here, we present an in situ prelithiation method to directly integrate a Li metal mesh into the cell assembly. A series of Li meshes are designed as prelithiation reagents, which are applied to the Si anode in battery fabrication and spontaneously prelithiate Si with electrolyte addition. Various porosities of Li meshes tune prelithiation amounts to control the degree of prelithiation precisely. Besides, the patterned mesh design enhances the uniformity of prelithiation. With an optimized prelithiation amount, the in situ prelithiated Si-based full cell shows a constant >30% capacity improvement in 150 cycles. This work presents a facile prelithiation approach to improve battery performance.

Although water splitting is a promising method to produce clean hydrogen energy, it requires efficient and low-cost catalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). This study focused on plasma treatment's significance of surface oxygen vacancies in improving OER electrocatalytic activity. For this, we directly grew hollow NiCoPBA nanocages using a Prussian blue analogue (PBA) on nickel foam (NF). The material was treated with N plasma, followed by a thermal reduction process for inducing oxygen vacancies and N doping on the structure of NiCoPBA. These oxygen defects were found to play an essential role as a catalyst center for the OER in enhancing the charge transfer efficiency of NiCoPBA. The N-doped hollow NiCoPBA/NF showed excellent OER performance in an alkaline medium, with a low overpotential of 289 mV at 10 mA cm -2 and a high stability for 24 h. The catalyst also outperformed a commercial RuO 2 (350 mV). We believe that using plasma-induced oxygen vacancies with simultaneous N doping will provide a novel insight into the design of low-priced NiCoPBA electrocatalysts.

Key to the widespread and secure application of genome editing tools is the safe and effective delivery of multiple components of ribonucleoproteins (RNPs) into single cells, which remains a biological barrier to their clinical application. To overcome this issue, a robust RNP delivery platform based on a biocompatible sponge-like silica nanoconstruct (SN) for storing and directly delivering therapeutic RNPs, including Cas9 nuclease RNP (Cas9-RNP) and base editor RNP (BE-RNP) is designed. Compared with commercialized material such as lipid-based methods, up to 50-fold gene deletion and 10-fold base substitution efficiency is obtained with a low off-target efficiency by targeting various cells and genes. In particular, gene correction is successfully induced by SN-based delivery through intravenous injection in an in vivo solid-tumor model and through subretinal injection in mouse eye. Moreover, because of its low toxicity and high biodegradability, SN has negligible effect on cellular function of organs. As the engineered SN can overcome practical challenges associated with therapeutic RNP application, it is strongly expected this platform to be a modular RNPs delivery system, facilitating in vivo gene deletion and editing., (© 2022 The Authors. Advanced Healthcare Materials published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Magnesium ferrites (MgFe 2 O 4 ) drew much attention in water treatment because of higher stability, magnetic properties, availability and higher safety. MgFe 2 O 4 having different Fe and Mg ratios were synthesized through a simple one-step solvothermal method and applied for the removal of toxic arsenic oxyanions from water. Three different magnesium ferrites, MF 0.1 , MF 0.2 and MF 0.33 , were synthesized using molar Mg and Fe ratio of 10:90, 20:80 and 33:67, respectively. The Mg and Fe ratio affected the physical and magnetic properties, surface area, crystallite size, pore diameter and magnetism, of magnesium ferrites, which were evidenced by the XRD, SEM-EDS, BET and VSM. Increasing Mg content reduced the pore size, pore volume and saturation magnetization but increased surface area and pH PZC . It was estimated that defective iron oxide, γ-Fe 2 O 3 maghemite, had been formed with the magnesium ferrites, when the ratios of Mg and Fe were non-stoichiometric. The difference in characteristics of magnesium ferrites synthesized with three ratios of Mg and Fe affected arsenic adsorption capacity and the stability of adsorbed arsenic. Arsenic adsorption data followed Freundlich isotherm model and maximum As(III) and As(V) adsorption capacities were found to be 51.48, 100.53, 103.94 mg/g and 26.06, 43.44, 45.52 mg/g by MF 0.1 , MF 0.2 and MF 0.33 , respectively. Fast adsorption of arsenic was confirmed by kinetic data which followed the Pseudo-2nd-order kinetic model. The MF 0.33 having stoichiometric ratio of Mg and Fe showed higher adsorption capacity and stability for arsenic than the other two at neutral pH., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Yeon-Koo Jeong reports financial support was provided by Kumoh National Institute of Technology., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: It is difficult to identify early sepsis after surgery due to postoperative inflammatory reactions. Presepsin, a glycoprotein expressed on the surface of innate immune cells, is produced during bacterial phagocytosis, and its level increases in the bloodstream of sepsis patients. We aimed to measure the differences between the diagnostic ability of presepsin and other biomarkers to identify postoperative sepsis and septic shock in acute period after major abdominal surgery., Methods: From March 2020 to March 2021, patients who underwent surgery due to intra-abdominal infection were enrolled. Level of presepsin and procalcitonin, and white blood cell counts were prospectively measured every morning for 3 d from intensive care unit admission after surgery (from T0 to T3). Diagnostic values of inflammatory markers were compared to predict early development of sepsis or septic shock within 7 d after surgery. Cut-off value of significant risk factor associated with postoperative sepsis or septic shock were evaluated., Results: Among 298 patients, postoperative sepsis and septic shock occurred in 91 and 38 patients, respectively. For prediction of early postoperative sepsis or septic shock, presepsin and procalcitonin had comparable diagnostic abilities. In multivariate analysis, presepsin > 406.5 pg/mL at T0 (Odds Ratio [OR]:4.055, P = 0.047), presepsin > 1216 pg/mL at T2 (OR:40.030, P = 0.005) and procalcitonin > 1.685 ng/mL at T2 (OR: 5.229, P = 0.008) were significant factors for predicting the occurrence of early postoperative septic shock., Conclusions: Diagnostic accuracy of presepsin for sepsis or septic shock was feasible in acute postoperative period. It would be useful to monitor newly developed sepsis from normal inflammatory response, especially in patients who underwent surgical operation for the elimination of intra-abdominal infection., (Copyright © 2022 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

In humid conditions, water vapor can easily neutralize the surface active sites of metal oxide sensors, leading to a lowering in the sensitivity of the gas sensor and a resultant inaccurate signal in practical applications. Herein, we present a new hybrid sensor by introducing a two-dimensional calcium silicate (CS) nanosheet as a water-trapping layer in SnO 2 nanowires. Unlike the heavily wrinkled and aggregated morphology of conventional CS nanosheets, our nanosheet in the hybrid material is ultrathin and flat. Moreover, it was grown in the empty spaces between the spider-web-like networks of SnO 2 nanowires without covering the nanowire surface. These two morphological features improve moisture trapping with minimal reduction in the active sensing area. Consequently, stable and sensitive gas detection under humid conditions was achieved in this hybrid sensor. The superior humidity-independent sensing is ascribed to the preferential adsorption of water molecules on hydroscopic CS nanosheets through the hydrogen bond. Based on density functional theory calculations, we determined that the improved gas response is driven by the additional formation of oxygen vacancy in SnO 2 due to the diffusion of aliovalent Ca ions from the CS nanosheet., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Drawing on the moral exclusion theory and resource allocation perspective, we examine the association between supervisor perception of subordinate performance and abusive supervision (AS), and the interaction effects of a supervisor's need for achievement and second-level superiors' close monitoring of first-line supervisors, as key boundary conditions for the performance-AS relationship. We conducted a time-lagged survey with 142 matched reports from supervisors and subordinates who had direct reporting relationships with the supervisors in the South Korea military. The results of this study indicate that subordinate performance, as rated by the supervisor, was negatively associated with AS. Furthermore, a supervisor's need for achievement moderated the relationship between subordinate performance and AS, such that the relationship was more negative under a supervisor who had a higher need for achievement. In addition, second-level superiors' close monitoring of first-line supervisors moderated the effect of the interaction of subordinate performance and a supervisor's need for achievement on AS, such that the existing moderation effect of a supervisor's need for achievement is more pronounced when supervisors are under high close monitoring by their superiors. Our investigation of antecedents of supervisor's abusive behavior could help expand our previous knowledge regarding the mechanism of the performance-AS relationship., Competing Interests: No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s)., (© 2022 Society for Military Psychology, Division 19 of the American Psychological Association.)

The chemiresistive response of metal-oxide gas sensors depends on ambient conditions. Humidity is a strongly influential parameter and causes large deviations in signals and, consequently, an inaccurate detection of target gases. Developing sensors unaffected by humidity, as documented by extensive works of research, comes at the cost of response - a significant drop in sensor response inevitably accompanies an increase in humidity-independence. This trade-off between humidity-independence and gas response is one of the major obstacles that limit practical applications of metal-oxide gas sensors. This study presents a novel approach to improve both the features by incorporating the rare-earth element, yttrium, into the host SnO 2 sensor. The Y-doped SnO 2 nanofibers are highly stable across relative humidity values ranging from 0% to 87%, and show improved selectivity and sensitivity in the detection of up to 20 ppb of NO 2 target gas with the limit of detection at 103.71 ppt. Based on experimental results and van der Waals (vdW)-corrected DFT calculations, these improvements can be attributed to the synergistic effect of oxygen vacancy created by the introduction of aliovalent Y and the formation of Y 2 O 3 nanoparticles that play a critical role in making the sensor surface hydrophobic., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Nanoadsorbents having large specific surface area, high pore volume with tunable pore size, affordability and easy magnetic separation gained much popularity in recent time. Iron-based nanoadsorbents showed higher adsorption capacity for different pollutant removal from water among other periodic elements. Spinel ferrite nanomaterials among iron-bearing adsorbent class performed better than single iron oxide and hydroxides due to their large surface area, mesoporous pore, high pore volume and stability. This work aimed at focusing on water treatment using magnesium ferrite (MgFe 2 O 4 ) nanomaterials. Synthesis routes, properties and pollutant adsorption were critically investigated to explore the performance of magnesium ferrite in water treatment. Structural and surface properties were greatly affected by the factors involved in different synthesis routes and iron and magnesium ratio. Complete removal of pollutants through adsorption was achieved using magnesium ferrite. Pollutant adsorption capacity of MgFe 2 O 4 and its modified forms was found several folds higher than Fe 2 O 3 and Fe 3 O 4 nanomaterials. In addition, MgFe 2 O 4 showed strong stability in water than other pure iron oxide and hydroxide. Modification with graphene oxide, activated carbon, biochar and silica was demonstrated to be beneficial for enhanced adsorption capacity. Complex formation was suggested as a dominant mechanism for pollutant adsorption. These nanomaterials could be a viable and competitive adsorbent for diverse pollutant removal from water., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK), an essential component of the non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) repair pathway, plays an important role in DNA damage repair (DDR). Therefore, DNA-PK inhibition is a promising approach for overcoming radiotherapy or chemotherapy resistance in cancers. In this study, we demonstrated that BR101801, a potent DNA-PK inhibitor, acted as an effective radiosensitizer in various human solid cancer cells and an in vivo xenograft model. Overall, BR101801 strongly elevated ionizing radiation (IR)-induced genomic instability via induction of cell cycle G 2 /M arrest, autophagic cell death, and impairment of DDR pathway in human solid cancer cells. Interestingly, BR101801 inhibited not only phosphorylation of DNA-PK catalytic subunit in NHEJ factors but also BRCA2 protein level in homologous recombination (HR) factors. In addition, combination BR101801 and IR suppressed tumor growth compared with IR alone by reducing phosphorylation of DNA-PK in human solid cancer xenografts. Our findings suggested that BR101801 is a selective DNA-PK inhibitor with a synergistic radiosensitizing effect in human solid cancers, providing evidence for clinical applications., Competing Interests: None., (AJCR Copyright © 2021.)

Adenine base editors (ABEs) catalyze specific A-to-G conversions at genomic sites of interest. However, ABEs also induce cytosine deamination at the target site. To reduce the cytosine editing activity, we engineered a commonly used adenosine deaminase, TadA7.10, and found that ABE7.10 with a D108Q mutation in TadA7.10 exhibited tenfold reduced cytosine deamination activity. The D108Q mutation also reduces cytosine deamination activity in two recently developed high-activity versions of ABE, ABE8e and ABE8s, and is compatible with V106W, a mutation that reduces off-target RNA editing. ABE7.10 containing a P48R mutation displayed increased cytosine deamination activity and a substantially reduced adenine editing rate, yielding a TC-specific base editing tool for TC-to-TT or TC-to-TG conversions that broadens the utility of base editors., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature America, Inc.)

Ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complex-mediated base editing is expected to be greatly beneficial because of its reduced off-target effects compared to plasmid- or viral vector-mediated gene editing, especially in therapeutic applications. However, production of recombinant cytosine base editors (CBEs) or adenine base editors (ABEs) with ample yield and high purity in bacterial systems is challenging. Here, we obtained highly purified CBE/ABE proteins from a human cell expression system and showed that CBE/ABE RNPs exhibited different editing patterns (i.e., less conversion ratio of multiple bases to single base) compared to plasmid-encoded CBE/ABE, mainly because of the limited life span of RNPs in cells. Furthermore, we found that off-target effects in both DNA and RNA were greatly reduced for ABE RNPs compared to plasmid-encoded ABE. We ultimately applied NG PAM-targetable ABE RNPs to in vivo gene correction in retinal degeneration 12 ( rd12 ) model mice., (Copyright © 2021 The Authors, some rights reserved; exclusive licensee American Association for the Advancement of Science. No claim to original U.S. Government Works. Distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial License 4.0 (CC BY-NC).)

The Human Epidermal Growth Receptor 2, or the HER2 is one of the highest expressed negative receptor that constitutes approximately 15-20% of malevolent breast cancerous tumors among women. The prevalence of HER2 has untimely and unfavorable consequences on breast cancer, and its underlying carcinomous cell processes, structures, and growth. Trastuzumab (TRZ), a humanized antibody that is rooted in relatively recent foundations, has been found operational in its construction of treatments against HER2-positive breast cancer. This drug is combined with radiotherapy or chemotherapy to deregulate HER2 genes in the body. However, patients who suffer from evolved tumors in advanced stages of cancer exhibit a good amount of tolerance towards singularly used TRZ treatment. Inversely, the factorization of Tumor Testing Fields (TTFields or TTFs) into cancer therapy revives the functions of a TRZ treatment plan, by sensitizing the HER2 genes to the drug. In turn, this facilitates TRZ to continue limiting cancerous cell multiplication and toxicity levels within the treatment. This research evaluates the aspects and effects of this pairing, both in vivo and in vitro through BT474 cells. The TTFields conduct an electromagnetic boundary, which generates sine-wave radiations to manipulate the HER2 gene structure. The methods followed in the research also examines the gene cell cultures and their viability through solutions like Tryptophan blue, or the Crystal violet which may or may not deliver certain testmants to the experiment. The Western Blot Test and the IHC confirm the presence of antibodies and negative receptors in the BT474 cells. These procedures contribute to the formulation of a treatment plan that overcomes the TRZ-resistant nature of the tumor, which is essentially the aim of the research. Thus, the paper substantiates that a healthy combination of TTF's with TRZ can enhance the penetration of TRZ after inducing apoptosis due to TTFields therapy. The success of a TTField in undertaking this pursuit makes room for more utilization of it in future cancerous treatment ventures., Competing Interests: None., (AJCR Copyright © 2021.)

Cross-interference with humidity is a major limiting factor for the accurate detection of target gases in semiconductor metal-oxide gas sensors. Under humid conditions, the surface-active sites of metal oxides for gas adsorption are easily deactivated by atmospheric water molecules. Thus, development of a new approach that can simultaneously improve the two inversely related features for realizing practical gas sensors is necessary. This paper presents a facile method to engineer surface-point defects based on proton-beam irradiation. The sensor irradiated with a proton beam shows not only an improved NO 2 response but also considerable tolerance toward humidity. Based on surface analyses and DFT calculations, it is found that proton beams induce three types of point defects, which make NO 2 molecules preferentially adsorb on the ZnO surfaces compared to H 2 O molecules, eventually enabling improved NO 2 detection with less humidity interference., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Although autogenous demineralized dentin matrix (auto-DDM) has shown promising clinical and histological results, it has certain limitations beyond its osteoinductivity and osteoconductivity. Therefore, the application of dentin graft material from other individuals-allogeneic DDM (allo-DDM)-has been considered an alternative to auto-DDM. However, few studies have investigated the osteoinductivity and antigenicity of allo-DDM. Herein, we reviewed all human studies related to allogeneic dentin application for the management of maxillofacial bone defects. Clinical studies have shown the osteoinductivity of allo-DDM in extraskeletal and skeletal sites, regardless of occasional antigenicity. Impact statement Although autogenous demineralized dentin matrix (auto-DDM) has shown promising clinical and histological results, it has certain limitations beyond its proven osteoinductivity and osteoconductivity. Therefore, the application of dentin graft material from other individuals-allogeneic DDM (allo-DDM)-has been considered as an alternative to auto-DDM. However, few studies have investigated the osteoinductivity and antigenicity of allo-DDM. This is the first review of all human studies related to allogeneic dentin grafts for the management of maxillofacial bone defects. Clinical studies have shown the osteoinductivity of allo-DDM in extraskeletal and skeletal sites, regardless of occasional antigenicity.

Prime editing technology is capable of generating targeted insertions, deletions, and base conversions. However, the process of designing prime editing guide RNAs (pegRNAs), which contain a primer binding site and a reverse-transcription template at the 3' end, is more complex than that for the single guide RNAs used with CRISPR nucleases or base editors. Furthermore, the assessment of high-throughput sequencing data after prime editors (PEs) have been employed should consider the unique feature of PEs; thus, pre-existing assessment tools cannot directly be adopted for PEs. Here, we present two user-friendly web-based tools for PEs, named PE-Designer and PE-Analyzer. PE-Designer, a dedicated tool for pegRNA selection, provides all possible target sequences, pegRNA extension sequences, and nicking guide RNA sequences together with useful information, and displays the results in an interactive image. PE-Analyzer, a dedicated tool for PE outcome analysis, accepts high-throughput sequencing data, summarizes mutation-related information in a table, and provides interactive graphs. PE-Analyzer was mainly written using JavaScript so that it can analyze several data sets without requiring that huge sequencing data (>100MB) be uploaded to the server, reducing analysis time and increasing personal security. PE-Designer and PE-Analyzer are freely available at http://www.rgenome.net/pe-designer/ and http://www.rgenome.net/pe-analyzer/ without a login process., (© The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.)

This study examined the effects of general anesthesia on the postoperative pain level after third molar extractions compared to local anesthesia. This retrospective study included patients who underwent four simultaneous third molar extractions under general or local anesthesia and had records of their postoperative pain levels (visual analog scale, VAS). The pain level was determined in the early (Postoperative day; POD < #3) and late (POD #3-7) periods. The operation time and recently modified difficulty index were analyzed to validate the homogenous condition of the extraction. Of the 227 male inpatients (aged 20.9 ± 1.3 years), 172 and 55 patients underwent third molar extractions under local and general anesthesia, respectively. The age and difficulty index were distributed equally, but the operation time was longer in general anesthesia than in local anesthesia ( p < 0.001). The early and late periods featured similar pain outcomes. The operation time correlated with the total periods with a correlation coefficient of 0.271 ( p < 0.001). In conclusion, the postoperative pain following whole third molar extraction was related to the operation time rather than the anesthetic methods.

Walking is one of the most basic human activities. Various diseases may be caused by abnormal walking, and abnormal walking is mostly caused by disease. There are various characteristics of abnormal walking, but in general, it can be judged as asymmetric walking. Generally, spatiotemporal parameters can be used to determine asymmetric walking. The spatiotemporal parameter has the disadvantage that it does not consider the influence of the diversity of patterns and the walking speed. Therefore, in this paper, we propose a method to analyze asymmetric walking using Dynamic Time Warping (DTW) distance, a time series analysis method. The DTW distance was obtained by combining gyroscope data and pressure data. The experiment was carried out by performing symmetrical walking and asymmetrical walking, and asymmetric walking was performed as a simulation of hemiplegic walking by fixing one ankle using an auxiliary device. The proposed method was compared with the existing asymmetric gait analysis method. As a result of the experiment, a p -value lower than 0.05 was obtained, which proved that there was a statistically significant difference.

Coproduction of multiple proteins at high levels in a single human cell line would be extremely useful for basic research and medical applications. Here, a novel strategy for the stable expression of multiple proteins by integrating the genes into defined transcriptional hotspots in the human genome is presented. As a proof-of-concept, it is shown that EYFP is expressed at similar levels from hotspots and that the EYFP expression increases proportionally with the copy number. It is confirmed that three different fluorescent proteins, encoded by genes integrated at different loci, can be coexpressed at high levels. Further, a stable cell line is generated, producing antigens from different human coronaviruses: MERS-CoV and HCoV-OC43. Antibodies raised against these antigens, which contain human N-glycosylation, show neutralizing activities against both viruses, suggesting that the coexpression system provides a quick and predictable way to produce multiple coronavirus antigens, such as the recent 2019 novel human coronavirus., (© 2021 The Authors. Advanced Biology published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Purpose: This retrospective study examined distal bone healing on the adjacent second molar between the demineralized bone matrix incorporated with recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2 (DBM/rhBMP-2) and a collagen sponge in the mandibular third molar extraction socket., Materials and Methods: From 2018 to 2020, 26 extraction patients (male, average 21.5 years), who received a graft (each of 13 using DBM/rhBMP-2 and collagen plug, respectively) on the extraction socket without primary closure, were enrolled in this study. The bony defect was measured by computed tomography before and 6 months after the extraction. The difference in the bone healing was analyzed between the DBM/rhBMP-2 and collagen plug groups using a Mann-Whitney U test., Results: No complications, such as infection and food packing, were encountered. The DBM/rhBMP-2 and collagen plug groups showed a similar distribution of preoperative bony defect (median 5.8 and 5.0 mm, respectively). After 6 months, more bone healing was observed in the DBM/rhBMP-2 group than in the collagen plug group (median 3.85 and 2.37 mm, respectively, P = .029) CONCLUSIONS: A DBM/rhBMP-2 graft after a third molar extraction does significantly alter the bony defect on the distal aspect of the second molar compared with a collagen plug., (Copyright © 2020 American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Studies on allogeneic demineralized dentin matrix (Allo-DDM) implantation in the 1960s and 1970s provided the most reliable preclinical evidence of bone formation and antigenicity in an extraosseous site. Recently, applications of Allo-DDM at skeletal sites were studied, and have provided reliable evidence of bone-forming capacity and negligible antigenicity. However, the osteoinductivity and antigenicity properties of Allo-DDM in extraskeletal sites have not yet been investigated due to the lack of follow-up studies after the initial research. The clinical applications of autogenous DDM (Auto-DDM) have been standardized in some countries. Long-term clinical studies have reported the development of several shapes of Auto-DDM, such as powders, blocks, moldable forms, and composites, with recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2. For the development of Allo-DDM as a reliable bone graft substitute next to Auto-DDM, we reviewed preclinical studies on the bone induction capacity of allogeneic dentin at extraskeletal as well as skeletal sites. Electronic databases were screened for this review in January 2020 and searched from 1960 to 2019. This review aims to provide a foundation on the preclinical studies of Allo-DDM, which could enable future researches on its osteogenic capability and antigenicity. In conclusion, Allo-DDM showed great potential for osteoinductivity in extraskeletal sites with low antigenicity, which neither adversely affected osteogenic capability nor provoked immunologic reactions. However, the risk of viral disease transmission should be researched before the clinical application of Allo-DDM.

The design of atomically dispersed single atom catalysts (SACs) must consider high metal-atom loading amount, effective confinement, and strong interactions with matrix, which can maximize their catalytic performance. Here reported is a promising method to synthesize SACs on highly conductive multiwall carbon nanotube (MWCNT) supports using pulsed laser confinement (PLC) process in liquid. Atomic cobalt (Co) and phosphorus (P) with a high loading density are homogeneously incorporated on the outer wall of the MWCNT (Co-P SAC MWCNT). Density functional theory (DFT) calculations in combination with systematic control experiments found that the incorporated Co and P adatoms act as an adsorption energy optimizer and a charge transfer promoter, respectively. Hence, favorable kinetics and thermodynamics in Co-P SAC MWCNT can be simultaneously achieved for water oxidation resulting in a superior catalytic performance than the benchmark RuO 2 catalyst. Crucially, total processing time for assembling Co-P SAC MWCNT via PLC process is less than 60 min, shedding light on the promising practical applications of our SAC design strategy.

Staphylococcus aureus is currently a significant multidrug-resistant bacterium, causing severe healthcare-associated and community-acquired infections worldwide. The current antibiotic regimen against this pathogen is becoming ineffective due to resistance, in addition, they disrupt the normal microbiota. It highlights the urgent need for a pathogen-specific drug with high antibacterial efficacy against S. aureus . α-Viniferin, a bioactive phytochemical compound, has been reported to have excellent anti- Staphylococcus efficacy as a topical agent. However, so far, there were no clinical trials that have been conducted to elucidate its efficacy. The present study aimed to investigate the antibacterial efficacy of α-viniferin against S. aureus in a ten-day clinical trial. Based on the results, α-viniferin showed 50% minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC 50 values) of 7.8 μg/ml in culture broth medium. α-Viniferin was administered in the nares three times a day for ten days using a sterile cotton swab stick. Nasal swab specimens were collected before (0 days) and after finishing the trial (10 th day), and then analyzed. In the culture and RT-PCR-based analysis, S. ureus was reduced significantly: 0.01. In addition, 16S ribosomal RNA-based amplicon sequencing analysis showed that S. aureus reduced from 51.03% to 23.99% at the genus level. RNA-seq analysis was also done to gain insights into molecular mechanisms of α-viniferin against S. aureus , which revealed that some gene groups were reduced in 5-fold FC cutoff at two times MIC conditions. The study results demonstrate α-viniferin as a potential S. aureus -specific drug candidate., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest The authors do not report any financial or personal connections with other persons or organizations, which might negatively affect the contents of this publication and/or claim authorship rights to this publication., (© 2021 Md Abdur Rahim et al.)

Osteoporosis is a progressive systemic skeletal disease associated with decreased bone mineral density and deterioration of bone quality, and it affects millions of people worldwide. Currently, it is treated mainly using antiresorptive and osteoanabolic agents. However, these drugs have severe adverse effects. Cell replacement therapy using mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) could serve as a treatment strategy for osteoporosis in the future. LIGHT (HVEM-L, TNFSF14, or CD258) is a member of the tumor necrosis factor superfamily. However, the effect of recombinant LIGHT (rhLIGHT) on osteogenesis in human bone marrow-derived MSCs (hBM-MSCs) is unknown. Therefore, we monitored the effects of LIGHT on osteogenesis of hBM-MSCs. Lymphotoxin-β receptor (LTβR), which is a LIGHT receptor, was constitutively expressed on the surface of hBM-MSCs. After rhLIGHT treatment, calcium and phosphate deposition in hBM-MSCs, stained by Alizarin red and von Kossa, respectively, significantly increased. We performed quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction to examine the expressions of osteoprogenitor markers (RUNX2/CBFA1 and collagen I alpha 1) and osteoblast markers (alkaline phosphatase, osterix/Sp7, and osteocalcin) and immunoblotting to assess the underlying biological mechanisms following rhLIGHT treatment. We found that rhLIGHT treatment enhanced von Kossa- and Alizarin red-positive hBM-MSCs and induced the expression of diverse differentiation markers of osteogenesis in a dose-dependent manner. WNT/β-catenin pathway activation strongly mediated rhLIGHT-induced osteogenesis of hBM-MSCs, accelerating the differentiation of hBM-MSCs into osteocytes. In conclusion, the interaction between LIGHT and LTβR enhances osteogenesis of hBM-MSCs. Therefore, LIGHT might play an important role in stem cell therapy., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

River water is very much important for domestic, agriculture and industrial use in Bangladesh which is in critical condition from long time based on research data. During last 40 years, extreme pollution events occurred in peripheral rivers surrounding Dhaka city and Karnaphuli River in Chittagong city. Present data showed that other urban rivers are also in critical condition especially Korotoa, Teesta, Rupsha, Pashur and Padma. The pollutants flowing with water made a severe pollution in downstream areas of rivers. Metals concentrations in river water was found to be higher in dry season. Dissolve oxygen (DO) was nearly zero in Buriganga River and several points in Turag, Balu, Sitalakhya and Karnaphuli River. NO 3 - , NO 2 - and PO 4 3- pollution occurred in different rivers. Zn, Cu, Fe, Pb, Cd, Ni, Mn, As and Cr concentration was above drinking water standard in most of the river and some metals was even above irrigation standard in water from several rivers. Sediment data showed very much higher metal concentrations in most of the rivers especially peripheral rivers in Dhaka and Karnaphuli, Korotoa, Teesta, Rupsha and Meghna River. Metal concentrations in sediment was above US EPA threshold value in most of the rivers. Metal concentrations in fish and agricultural crops showed that bioaccumulations of metals had occurred. The concentration of metals showed the trend like: water

Purpose: Several investigations have been performed for a postoperative edema after extraction, but the results have been controversial due to low objectivity or poorly reproducible assessments of the edema. The aim of this study was to suggest a classification and patterns of postoperative edema according to the anatomical division associated with extraction of mandibular third molar as a qualitative evaluation method., Methods: This study was conducted forty-four mandibular third molars extracted and MRI was taken within 48 h after extraction. The postoperative edema space was classified by MRI (one anatomic component-buccinator muscle-and four fascial spaces-supra-periosteum space, buccal space, parapharyngeal space, and lingual space), and evaluated independently by two examiners. The inter-examiner reliability was calculated using Kappa statistics., Results: The evaluation of buccinator muscle edema showed good agreement and the fascial spaces showed constant high agreement. The incidence of postoperative edema was high in the following order: supra-periosteum space (75.00%), buccinator muscle (68.18%), parapharyngeal space (54.55%), buccal space (40.91%), and lingual space (25.00%)., Conclusion: Postoperative edema could be assessed clearly by each space, which showed a different tendency between the anatomic and fascial spaces.

Arsenic (As) toxicity is a global phenomenon, and it is continuously threatening human life. Arsenic remains in the Earth's crust in the forms of rocks and minerals, which can be released into water. In addition, anthropogenic activity also contributes to increase of As concentration in water. Arsenic-contaminated water is used as a raw water for drinking water treatment plants in many parts of the world especially Bangladesh and India. Based on extensive literature study, adsorption is the superior method of arsenic removal from water and Fe is the most researched periodic element in different adsorbent. Oxides and hydroxides of Fe-based adsorbents have been reported to have excellent adsorptive capacity to reduce As concentration to below recommended level. In addition, Fe-based adsorbents were found less expensive and not to have any toxicity after treatment. Most of the available commercial adsorbents were also found to be Fe based. Nanoparticles of Fe-, Ti-, Cu-, and Zr-based adsorbents have been found superior As removal capacity. Mixed element-based adsorbents (Fe-Mn, Fe-Ti, Fe-Cu, Fe-Zr, Fe-Cu-Y, Fe-Mg, etc.) removed As efficiently from water. Oxidation of AsO 3 3- to AsO 4 3- and adsorption of oxidized As on the mixed element-based adsorbent occurred by different adsorbents. Metal organic frameworks have also been confirmed as good performance adsorbents for As but had a limited application due to nano-crystallinity. However, using porous materials having extended surface area as carrier for nano-sized adsorbents could alleviate the separation problem of the used adsorbent after treatment and displayed outstanding removal performances.

Objectives: : This study aimed to validate the effectiveness of a recently proposed difficulty index for removal of impacted mandibular third molars based on extraction time and suggest a modified difficulty index including the presence of pathologic conditions associated with third molars., Materials and Methods: This retrospective study enrolled 65 male patients younger than 25 years with third molars. Extraction time was calculated from start of the incision to the last suture. The difficulty scores for third molars were based on spatial relationship (1-5 points), depth (1-4 points), and ramus relationship (1-3 points) using cone-beam computed tomography. The difficulty index was defined as follows: I (3-4 points), II (5-7 points), III (8-10 points), and IV (11-12 points). The modified difficulty score was calculated by adding one point to the difficulty score if the third molar was associated with a pathologic condition. Two modified difficulty indices, based on the presence of pathologic conditions, were as follows: the half-level up difficulty index (HDI) and the one-level up difficulty index (ODI) from the recently proposed difficulty index., Results: The correlations between extraction time and difficulty index and or modified difficulty indices were significant ( P <0.001). The correlation coefficient between extraction time and difficulty index was 0.584. The correlation coefficients between extraction time and HDI and ODI were 0.728 and 0.764, respectively., Conclusion: Extraction time of impacted third molars exhibited a moderate correlation with difficulty index and was strongly correlated with the modified indices. Considering the clinical implications, the difficulty index of surgical extraction should take into consideration the pathologic conditions associated with third molars.

Background: Stress is associated with various detrimental changes in physiological health that affect an animal's quality of life. The hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and the sympathetic-adreno-medullar (SAM) axis are two main physiological pathways that constitute the stress response of an organism. Arginine vasopressin (AVP) is a mediator of the HPA axis and is known to be related to social behaviours and stress. The serum concentration of AVP is higher in more aggressive dogs and humans with post-traumatic stress disorder. Salivary biomarker analysis is a non-invasive method to assess stress. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the possibility of using salivary AVP as an acute stress biomarker in dogs. Salivary AVP concentration was measured before and after exposure to all relevant environmental stimuli (i.e. car trip to the lab, physical examination by the veterinarian, and sampling procedure,) and then after 30 min of vacuum noise exposure. Behavioural assessments, physiologic parameter assessments, and serum cortisol analysis were conducted in combination. Statistical analysis was conducted separately in the total study population, the less stressed group, and the more stressed group, respectively., Results: Based on stress behaviour analysis scores, 28 dogs were classified into less or more stressed groups. All four physiologic parameters (blood pressure, body temperature, heart rate, and respiratory rate) were significantly increased after noise and environmental challenges, in the more stressed group. Serum cortisol did not show any significant change. Salivary AVP significantly decreased after noise and environmental stimulation in the more stressed group but not in the less stressed group. Salivary AVP and blood pressure changes were negatively correlated in the more stressed group., Conclusion: Salivary AVP may be a potential acute stress biomarker in dogs.

CRISPR-mediated DNA base editors, which include cytosine base editors (CBEs) and adenine base editors (ABEs), are promising tools that can induce point mutations at desired sites in a targeted manner to correct or disrupt gene expression. Their high editing efficiency, coupled with their ability to generate a targeted mutation without generating a DNA double-strand break (DSB) or requiring a donor DNA template, suggests that DNA base editors will be useful for treating genetic diseases, among other applications. However, this hope has recently been challenged by the discovery of DNA base editor shortcomings, including off-target DNA editing, the generation of bystander mutations, and promiscuous deamination effects in both DNA and RNA, which arise from the main DNA base editor constituents, a Cas nuclease variant and a deaminase. In this review, we summarize information about the DNA base editors that have been developed to date, introduce their associated potential challenges, and describe current efforts to minimize or mitigate those issues of DNA base editors., (Copyright © 2020 The American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Transition metal (TM)-based carbon hybrids have numerous applications in the field of regenerative electrochemical energy. The synergetic effects of high conductivity of carbon supports and abundant catalytic active sites in TMs make these hybrids promising oxygen evolution reaction (OER) electrocatalysts. However, strategies for modulating the catalytic active species in the above hybrids are limited despite being highly sought after. Furthermore, the exact roles of chemical species in the hybrids (e.g., N, C, or TM) mainly responsible for this high OER performance remain unknown. Herein, an innovative approach based on atomic layer deposition is developed to tune the true active species in Co nanoparticle/N-doped carbon nanotube (Co/N-CNT) hybrids. Specifically, the configuration predominantly promoting water oxidation in an alkaline medium is identified as pyridinic N-Co-C. Furthermore, a physicochemical intact interface between metallic Co nanoparticles and conductive N-CNTs is demonstrated to induce synergetic effects for accelerating charge transfer and enhancing electrocatalytic activity as well as stability in the hybrid catalysts. The optimized hybrid catalyst is revealed to exhibit outstanding alkaline OER activity and stability, outperforming RuO 2 , a benchmark novel OER electrocatalyst., (© 2020 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

To tune the electronic and optoelectronic properties of graphene quantum dots (GQDs), heteroatom doping (e.g., nitrogen (N), boron (B), and sulfur (S)) is an effective method. However, it is difficult to incorporate S into the carbon framework of GQDs because the atomic size of S is much larger than that of C atoms, compared to N and B. In this study, we report a simple and one-step method for the synthesis of sulfur-doped GQDs (S-GQDs) via the pulsed laser ablation in liquid (PLAL) process. The as-prepared S-GQDs exhibited enhanced fluorescence quantum yields (0.8% → 3.89%) with a huge improved absorption band in ultraviolet (UV) region (200 ∼ 400 nm) and excellent photo stability under the UV radiation at 360 nm. In addition, XPS results revealed that the PLAL process can effectively facilitate the incorporation of S into the carbon framework compared to those produced by the chemical exfoliation method (e.g., hydrothermal method). And also, the mechanisms related with the optical properties of S-GQDs was investigated by time-resolved photoluminescence (TRPL) spectroscopy. We believe that the PLAL process proposed in this study will serve as a simple and one-step route for designing S-GQDs and opens up to opportunities for their potential applications.

The overproduction and purification of human proteins is a requisite of both basic and medical research. Although many recombinant human proteins have been purified, current protein production methods have several limitations; recombinant proteins are frequently truncated, fail to fold properly, and/or lack appropriate post-translational modifications. In addition, such methods require subcloning of the target gene into relevant plasmids, which can be difficult for long proteins with repeated domains. Here we devised a novel method for target protein production by introduction of a strong promoter for overexpression and an epitope tag for purification in front of the endogenous human gene, in a sense performing molecular cloning directly in the human genome, which does not require cloning of the target gene. As a proof of concept, we successfully purified intact human Reelin protein, which is lengthy (3460 amino acids) and contains repeating domains, and confirmed that it was biologically functional.

The synthesis and consolidation of nano-sized W powders are attempted with the combination process of hydrogen reduction of ball-milled WO₃ powder and spark plasma sintering. The reduction behavior of WO₃ is analyzed by temperature-programmed reduction. The reaction peaks for reduction of WO₃ are observed in the temperature range of 590-782 °C. XRD and TEM analysis reveals that oxide powder is changed to metallic W with an average particle size of 100 nm by hydrogen reduction at 900 °C for 1 h. The densified specimen by spark plasma sintering at 1700 °C under an applied pressure of 50 MPa using nano-sized W powder shows increased relative density compared with that using micron-sized W powder. The results suggested that the W bulk with increased relative density fine microstructure can be fabricated by spark plasma sintering of hydrogen-reduced WO₃ powder, more effectively.

Background: Leukemia stem cells (LSCs) in play an important role in the initiation, relapse, and progression of acute myeloid leukemia (AML), and in the development of chemotherapeutic drug resistance in AML. Studies regarding the detection of LSCs and the development of novel therapies for targeting them are extensive. The identification of LSCs and targeting therapies for them has been continuously under investigation., Methods: We examined the levels of CD45 dim CD34 + CD38 - CD133 + cells in bone marrow samples from patients with hematological malignancies and healthy controls, using four-color flow cytometry., Results: Interestingly, the CD45 dim CD34 + CD38 - CD133 + cells were highly expressed in the bone marrow of patients with AML compared to that in healthy controls (HC). Moreover, the proportions of CD45 dim CD34 + CD38 - CD133 + cells were also examined in diverse hematological malignancies, including AML, CML, DLBCL, MM, MDS, HL, ALL, and CLL. LSCs were prominently detected in the BMCs isolated from patients with AML and CML, but rarely in BMCs isolated from patients with DLBCL, MM, MDS, ALL, CLL, and HL. Additionally, the high CD45 dim CD34 + CD38 - CD133 + cell counts in AML patients served as a significantly poor risk factor for overall and event free survival., Conclusions: Therefore, our results suggest that CD45 dim CD34 + CD38 - CD133 + cells in AML might potentially serve as LSCs. In addition, this cell population might represent a novel therapeutic target in AML.