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We induced immune activation in mass rearing experiments in three insect species, i.e., Gryllus bimaculatus De Geer, 1773 (Orthoptera: Gryllidae), Hermetia illucens (Linnaeus, 1758) (Diptera: Stratiomyidae), and Protaetia brevitarsis seulensis (Kolbe, 1886) (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae). Lysosomal staining of immune cells was a little over 6% in the control group insects, whereas it ranged from 17-35% in insects immunized with Escherichia coli K12 or Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt). The expression of attacin-like protein and defensin-like protein was also found to be upregulated at least 10-fold, and even up to 30-fold, from the third day of rearing in insects immunized with E. coli K12 or Bt. Non-immunized or immunized G. bimaculatus, H. illucens, and P. brevitarsis seulensis were freeze-dried and powdered, and these powders were then tested for protection against Pectobacterium carotovorum infestation. No inhibitory effects on P. carotovorum were observed when using all non-immunized insect powders or PBS. However, in the clear zone test treated with H. illucens powder at 10,000 ppm, an average size of 21.67 mm was observed. In a test using potato slices infected with P. carotovorum, we observed severe disease occurrence and potato weight loss in all non-immunized insect powders or PBS-treated groups. However, the group treated with H. illucens powder had the least potato weight loss. When tested on lettuce, the H. illucens powder-treated group revealed an approximately 10% increase in the fresh weight of lettuce, with both the dry weight and leaf area of lettuce increasing in comparison with those in the control group. Thus, our study proposes a novel method for the use of freeze-dried and powdered forms of insects immunized in mass rearing as effective functional fertilizers on a large scale that can also be effective in inhibiting microbial infections, overcoming the limitation of high production costs of such insect fertilizers using conventional methods.

After immunizing black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) larvae using Gram-negative (Escherichia coli) and Gram-positive (Bacillus thuringiensis, Bt) bacteria, we compared expression patterns across the whole genome. Compared to a control group treated with PBS buffer, the group immunized using Bt showed significant differences in the expression patterns of 2,312 genes. Similarly, the group immunized using E. coli showed significant differences in the expression patterns of 2,251 genes compared to the control. The groups immunized with E. coli and Bt both showed overexpression of genes involved in the extracellular region, serine-type endopeptidase activity, and neuropeptide signaling pathways, including genes related to the Toll pathway. In other words, the immune response of black soldier flies involves the simultaneous expression of innate immunity-related genes, irrespective of the type of bacteria. This is determined to be because, rather than showing a specific immune response, the flies depend on responding rapidly based on high expression levels.

This study investigates immune priming effects associated with granulocytes in crickets through a comprehensive analysis. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis reveals a significant contrast in survival rates, with the heat-killed Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt)-primed group exhibiting an impressive ~80% survival rate compared to the PBS buffer-primed group with only ~10% survival 60 hours post live Bt infection. Hemocyte analysis underscores elevated hemocyte counts, particularly in granulocytes of the killed Bt-primed group, suggesting a correlation between the heat-killed Bt priming and heightened immune activation. Microscopy techniques further explore granulocyte morphology, unveiling distinctive immune responses in the killed Bt-primed group characterized by prolonged immune activation, heightened granulocyte activity, phagocytosis, and extracellular trap formation, contributing to enhanced survival rates. In particular, after 24 hours of injecting live Bt, most granulocytes in the PBS buffer-primed group exhibited extracellular DNA trap cell death (ETosis), while in the killed Bt-primed group, the majority of granulocytes were observed to maintain highly activated extracellular traps, sustaining the immune response. Gene expression analysis supports these findings, revealing differential regulation of immune-related genes such as antibacterial humoral response, detection of bacterial lipopeptides, and cellular response to bacteria lipopeptides. Additionally, the heat-killed Bt-primed group, the heat-killed E. coli-primed group, and the PBS-primed group were re-injected with live Bt 2 and 9 days post priming. Two days later, only the PBS-primed group displayed low survival rates. After injecting live Bt 9 days later, the heat-killed E. coli-primed group surprisingly showed a similarly low survival rate, while the heat-killed Bt-primed group exhibited a high survival rate of ~60% after 60 hours, with actively moving and healthy crickets. In conclusion, this research provides valuable insights into both short-term and long-term immune priming effects in crickets, contributing to our understanding of invertebrate immunity with potential applications in public health.

In this study, haemocytes present in Papilio hyperbius Linnaeus were identified and characterized. Six different types of haemocyte were recorded in the haemocoel of this species of insect: prohaemocytes, plasmatocytes, granulocytes, spherulocytes, adipohaemocytes and oenocytoids. Of these the granulocytes were found to be responsible for cell-mediated immune responses such as phagocytosis. Granulocytes that were exposed to immunity inducers (carboxylate-modified polystyrene latex beads [CLBs] and Escherichia coli) had fan-like or pod-like structures on their cell membranes. The lysosomes in granulocytes were activated 2 h after injection with E. coli and after 12 h, all granulocytes exhibited highly activated lysosomes. After 24 and 48 h, the lysosome activity in granulocytes decreased. Transmission electron microscopy revealed that phagocytosis, which was mediated by granulocytes in the early hours of the E. coli infection, led to the formation of one phagosome for one E. coli within the cytosol. Moreover, as time passed, endosomes or lysosomes of different size developed. Subsequently, the phagosomes and lysosomes fused and E. coli were eliminated. After this series of immune responses, the nuclei of the granulocytes were indistinct and their cellular activity decreased. Hence, as old immune cells were replaced by new ones, active and healthy immune haemocytes were presumed to be maintained in the hemocoel.

The application of explainable artificial intelligence in nanomaterial research has emerged in the past few years, which has facilitated the discovery of novel physical findings. However, a fundamental question arises concerning the physical insights presented by deep neural networks; the model interpretation results have not been carefully evaluated. Herein, explainable artificial intelligence and quantum mechanical calculations is bridged to investigate the correlation between light scattering and emission in a WSe2 monolayer. Convolutional neural networks using light scattering and emission data are first trained, while expecting the networks to determine the relationships between them. The trained models are interpreted and the specific phonon contribution during the exciton relaxation process is derived. Finally, the findings are independently evaluated through quantum mechanical calculations, such as the Born–Oppenheimer molecular dynamics simulation and density functional perturbation theory. The study provides reliable fundamental physical insight by evaluating the results of neural networks and suggests a novel methodology that can be applied in materials science.

This study investigated the applicability of the area of spheroids and hypoxic regions for efficient evaluation of drug efficacy using machine learning (ML). We initially developed a high-throughput detection method to obtain the area of spheroids and hypoxic regions that can handle over 10 000 images per hour with an error rate of 2%–3%. The ML models were trained using cell growth of six cell lines ( i.e. HepG2, A549, Hep3B, BEAS-2B, HT-29, and HCT116) and hypoxic region variations of two cell lines ( i.e. HepG2 and BEAS-2B); our model can predict the area of spheroids and hypoxic region of certain growth date with high precision. To demonstrate the applicability, HepG2 spheroids were treated with sorafenib, and the efficacy of the drug was evaluated through a comparison of differences in areas of cell size and hypoxic regions with the predicted results. Furthermore, our ML approach has been shown to be applicable to provide the model-driven evaluative criterion for toxicity and drug efficacy using spheroids.

We cloned and sequenced full-length peptidoglycan recognition protein (PGRP)-like cDNAs, named PS PGRP-SA(a)-like, PS PGRP-SA(b)-like, PS PGRP-SB1-like and PS PGRP-SC-like, from Protaetia brevitarsis seulensis. The amino acid sequences of PS PGRPs share 32.03-47.93% homology with those of PGRP family members in insects and mammals, including humans. We identified a conserved consensus sequence for amidase activity (His; H-Tyr; Y-His; H-Thr; T-Cys; C) and residues for binding peptidoglycan (PGN), one of the major bacterial cell wall components, including Asp (D) and Phe (F) for Lys-type PGN; and Gly(G), Trp (W) and Arg (R) for DAP-type PGN. The topological structures of PS PGRP-SA(a)-like, PS PGRP-SA(b)-like and PS PGRP-SC-like proteins are structurally similar to those of Drosophila melanogaster PGRP-SA, which has three α-helices and six β-strands. The β-strands are located in a central region and helix α1 on the back and peripheral α2 and α3 helices are on the front. The three α-helices and six β-strands are also present in PS PGRP-SB1-like, but the topological structure differs from that of typical PGRP. Significantly increased levels of PS PGRP-SA (a)-like and PS PGRP-SA (b)-like mRNA were recorded when Gram-positive bacteria or yeast cells were injected into larvae. PS PGRP-SB1-like mRNA levels were up-regulated by infection by all three pathogens; however, expression of PS PGRP-SC-like mRNA was increased 20- or 30-fold only shortly after injection with Gram-negative bacteria.

Despite advances in telemedicine, practices remain diverse, ranging from telephonic to still images and video-based conferencing. We review the various modes of telemedicine in burn care and summarize relevant studies, including their contributions and limitations. We also review the role of a more recent technology, augmented reality, and its role in the triage and management of burn patients. Telemedicine in burn care remains diverse, with varied outcomes in accuracy and efficiency. Newer technologies such as augmented reality have not been extensively studied or implemented but show promise in immersive, real-time triage.

Background/Aims Sensitization to staphylococcal superantigens (SAgs) could contribute to asthma severity. However, its relevance with eosinophilic phenotype has not yet been clarified. This study aimed to investigate associations between serum specific IgE levels to SAg and eosinophilic airway inflammation in adult asthmatics. Methods The serum specific IgE levels to 3 SAgs, including staphylococcal enterotoxin A (SEA) and B (SEB), and toxic shock syndrome toxin-1 (TSST-1) were measured by ImmunoCAP in 230 adult asthmatic patients and 50 healthy controls (HCs). Clinical characteristics and laboratory parameters, including serum total/free IgE, and 2 eosinophil-activation markers, eosinophil cationic protein (ECP), and eosinophil-derived neurotoxin (EDN), were analyzed according to blood eosinophil counts (BEC; 150 cells/μL) and serum specific IgE levels to 3 SAgs (0.35 kU/L). Results Asthmatic patients showed higher serum specific IgE levels to 3 SAgs than HCs (p < 0.05 for all). The serum total/clinfree IgE levels were significantly higher in asthmatics with positive IgE responses to 3 SAgs than those without (p < 0.05 for all). There were no significant differences in clinical parameters including age, asthma severity, comorbidities, or smoking according to IgE responses to 3 SAgs. Patients with positive IgE responses to SEB (not to SEA/TSST-1) had higher serum specific IgE levels to house dust mites and ECP/EDN as well as higher BEC with positive correlations between serum SEB-specific IgE levels and BEC/ECP/EDN (p < 0.05 for all). Conclusions These findings suggest that serum SEB-specific IgE levels could contribute to eosinophil activation as well as IgE production in adult asthma.

Background: Lactobacillus paracasei has been known to reduce airway resistance and inflammation in asthma. However, the therapeutic effect of its extracellular vesicles (EVs) in patients with asthma remains unclear. Methods: To validate the clinical relevance of L. paracasei-derived EVs (LpEV) in asthma, the composition of gut microbial EVs was verified by metagenomics in LPS-induced C57BL/6 mice. The components of proteins and metabolites in LpEV were identified by peptide mass fingerprinting and metabolomic analysis. The serum levels of specific IgG1 or IgG4 antibodies to LpEV were compared by ELISA between patients with eosinophilic asthma (EA, n = 10) and those with neutrophilic asthma (NA, n = 10) as well as with healthy controls (HCs, n = 10). Finally, therapeutic effects of LpEV and their metabolites in asthma were validated in vivo/in vitro. Results: Significantly lower proportions of EVs derived from Lactobacillus at the genus level were noted in mice with NA than in control mice. Moreover, the serum levels of LpEV-specific IgG4, but not IgG1, were lower in patients with NA than in those with EA or in HCs and positively correlated with FEV1 (%) values. In addition, oral administration of LpEV reduced airway resistance and inflammation in mice with NA. Finally, LpEV and their 3 metabolites (dodecanoic acid, palmitoleic acid, and D-(−)-tagatose) significantly inhibited JNK phosphorylation/IL-8 production in airway epithelium in vitro. Conclusions: These findings suggest that LpEV may have a therapeutic potential targeting NA by suppressing the JNK pathway and proinflammatory cytokine production in airway epithelium.

Asthma is characterized by airway obstruction and inflammation, and presents significant diagnostic and treatment challenges. The concept of endotypes has improved understanding of the mechanisms of asthma and has stimulated the development of effective treatment strategies. Sputum profiles may be used to classify asthma into two major inflammatory types: type 2-high (T2H) and type 2-low (T2L) asthma. T2H, characterized by elevated type 2 inflammation, has been extensively studied and several effective biologic treatments have been developed. However, managing T2L is more difficult due to the lack of reliable biomarkers for accurate diagnosis and classification. Additionally, conventional anti-inflammatory therapy does not completely control the symptoms of T2L; therefore, further research is needed to identify effective biologic treatments. This review provides new insights into the clinical characteristics and underlying mechanisms of severe T2L and investigates potential therapeutic approaches to control the disease.

Background: Increased blood/sputum neutrophil counts are related to poor clinical outcomes of severe asthma (SA), where we hypothesized that classical monocytes (CMs)/CM-derived macrophages (Mφ) are involved. We aimed to elucidate the mechanisms of how CMs/Mφ induce the activation of neutrophils/innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) in SA. Methods: Serum levels of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) and soluble suppression of tumorigenicity 2 (sST2) were measured from 39 patients with SA and 98 those with nonsevere asthma (NSA). CMs/Mφ were isolated from patients with SA (n = 19) and those with NSA (n = 18) and treated with LPS/interferon-gamma. Monocyte/M1Mφ extracellular traps (MoETs/M1ETs) were evaluated by western blotting, immunofluorescence, and PicoGreen assay. The effects of MoETs/M1ETs on neutrophils, airway epithelial cells (AECs), ILC1, and ILC3 were assessed in vitro and in vivo. Results: The SA group had significantly higher CM counts with increased migration as well as higher levels of serum MCP-1/sST2 than the NSA group. Moreover, the SA group had significantly greater production of MoETs/M1ETs (from CMs/M1Mφ) than the NSA group. The levels of MoETs/M1ETs were positively correlated with blood neutrophils and serum levels of MCP-1/sST2, but negatively correlated with FEV1%. In vitro/in vivo studies demonstrated that MoETs/M1ETs could activate AECs, neutrophils, ILC1, and ILC3 by increased migration as well as proinflammatory cytokine production. Conclusions: CM/Mφ-derived MoETs/M1ETs could contribute to asthma severity by enhancing neutrophilic airway inflammation in SA, where modulating CMs/Mφ may be a potential therapeutic option.

Background: Platelets play a modulatory role in inflammatory response by secreting a vast array of granules and disintegrating into membrane-bound microparticles upon activation. The interplay between eosinophils and platelets is postulated to be implicated in the pathology of allergic airway inflammation. In this study, we investigated whether activated platelets can induce eosinophil extracellular trap (EET) formation, a cellular process by which activated eosinophils release net-like DNA fibers. Methods: Platelets were stimulated with the calcium ionophore, A23187, and the platelet agonists, thrombin and adenosine diphosphate (ADP). Platelet cultures were fractionated into conditioned medium (CM) and pellet, which were then overlaid on eosinophils to examine EET formation. Results: The CM and pellet from A23187-activated platelets stimulated eosinophils to generate EET, whereas those from thrombin- or ADP-activated platelets failed to induce such generation. The EET-inducing activity of the A23187-activated platelet culture was linearly proportional to the number of activated platelets. Interestingly, while EET formation induced by the direct stimulation of eosinophils with A23187 was NADPH oxidase (NOX)-dependent, EET formation induced by A23187-activated platelets was NOX-independent and significantly inhibited by necroptosis pathway inhibitors. Conclusions: Activated platelets and their products may induce EET formation, thereby potentiating their role in eosinophilic airway inflammation.

We report 850 μ m continuum polarization observations toward the filamentary high-mass star-forming region NGC 2264, taken as part of the B -fields In STar forming Regions Observations large program on the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope. These data reveal a well-structured nonuniform magnetic field in the NGC 2264C and 2264D regions with a prevailing orientation around 30° from north to east. Field strength estimates and a virial analysis of the major clumps indicate that NGC 2264C is globally dominated by gravity, while in 2264D, magnetic, gravitational, and kinetic energies are roughly balanced. We present an analysis scheme that utilizes the locally resolved magnetic field structures, together with the locally measured gravitational vector field and the extracted filamentary network. From this, we infer statistical trends showing that this network consists of two main groups of filaments oriented approximately perpendicular to one another. Additionally, gravity shows one dominating converging direction that is roughly perpendicular to one of the filament orientations, which is suggestive of mass accretion along this direction. Beyond these statistical trends, we identify two types of filaments. The type I filament is perpendicular to the magnetic field with local gravity transitioning from parallel to perpendicular to the magnetic field from the outside to the filament ridge. The type II filament is parallel to the magnetic field and local gravity. We interpret these two types of filaments as originating from the competition between radial collapsing, driven by filament self-gravity, and longitudinal collapsing, driven by the region's global gravity.

Abstract Laser three-dimensional (3D) manufacturing technologies have gained substantial attention to fabricate 3D structured electrochemical rechargeable batteries. Laser 3D manufacturing techniques offer excellent 3D microstructure controllability, good design flexibility, process simplicity, and high energy and cost efficiencies, which are beneficial for rechargeable battery cell manufacturing. In this review, notable progress in development of the rechargeable battery cells via laser 3D manufacturing techniques is introduced and discussed. The basic concepts and remarkable achievements of four representative laser 3D manufacturing techniques such as selective laser sintering (or melting) techniques, direct laser writing for graphene-based electrodes, laser-induced forward transfer technique and laser ablation subtractive manufacturing are highlighted. Finally, major challenges and prospects of the laser 3D manufacturing technologies for battery cell manufacturing will be provided.

Abstract Background Probiotics have been shown to prevent various allergic diseases by producing extracellular vesicles (EVs). However, the role of EVs in allergic asthma has not yet been completely determined. Methods Gut microbial composition, mainly genera related to probiotics, was investigated in allergic asthmatic mice. Moreover, EVs were isolated from Lactococcus lactis (L. lactis, a selected bacterium) and EV proteins were identified by peptide mass fingerprinting. EV functions in immune responses were evaluated in vivo or ex vivo. Furthermore, the levels of specific IgG antibodies (an alternative marker for EV quantification) to L. lactis‐EVs were measured by ELISA in the sera of 27 asthmatic patients and 26 healthy controls. Results Allergic asthmatic mice showed a lower proportion of Lactococcus compared to healthy mice. L. lactis was cultured and its EVs abundantly contained pyruvate kinase. When allergic asthmatic mice were intranasally treated with EVs, airway hyperresponsiveness, eosinophil number, cytokine secretion, and mucus production were significantly decreased. Moreover, L. lactis‐EV treatment shifted immune responses from Th2 to Th1 by stimulating dendritic cells to produce IL‐12. In addition, significantly lower levels of serum specific IgG4 (but not IgG1) to L. lactis‐EVs were noted in asthmatic patients than in healthy controls. A positive correlation between the levels of EV‐specific IgG4 and FEV1 (%), but a negative correlation between the levels of EV‐specific IgG4 and IL‐13 were observed. Conclusion These findings suggest that L. lactis‐EVs may have immune‐regulating effects on airway inflammation mediated by dendritic cell activation, providing a potential benefit for allergic asthma.

Asthma is commonly recognized as a heterogeneous condition with a complex pathophysiology. With advances in the development of multiple medications for patients with asthma, most asthma symptoms are well managed. Nevertheless, 5% to 10% of adult asthmatic patients (called severe asthma) are in uncontrolled or partially controlled status despite intensive treatment. Especially, severe eosinophilic asthma is one of the severe asthma phenotypes characterized by eosinophilia in sputum/blood driven by type 2 immune responses. Eosinophils have been widely accepted as a central effector cell in the lungs. Some evidence has demonstrated that persistent eosinophilia in upper and lower airway mucosa contributes to asthma severity by producing various mediators including cytokines, chemokines and granule proteins. Moreover, extracellular traps released from eosinophils have been revealed to enhance type 2 inflammation in patients with severe asthma. These novel molecules have the ability to induce airway inf lammation and hyperresponsiveness through enhancing innate and type 2 immune responses. In this review, we highlight recent insight into the function of eosinophil extracellular traps in patients with severe asthma. In addition, the role of eosinophil extracellular vesicles in severe asthma is also proposed. Finally, current biologics are suggested as a potential strategy for effective management of severe eosinophilic asthma.

In recent years, the demand for small-scale remote sensing, which is used in disaster monitoring, agriculture, and ground subsidence has increased. A multichannel synthetic aperture radar (SAR) system can provide image and topographic information of the illuminated scene, regardless of adverse weather conditions. As a cost-effective solution to radar imaging, a multichannel W-band SAR system mounted on a multirotor unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is presented. The radar module was designed to operate at W-band to achieve small size and weight allowing the module to be mounted on multirotor UAVs with small payload. A detailed description of the design and measurement of the system is provided in this paper. The radar imaging capability of the developed system was verified by performing outdoor experiments using isolated buildings as targets. The multichannel functionality of the system was verified by measuring height of a point target placed above the ground. The measurements and experiments verified the feasibility of a multichannel radar mounted on a multirotor UAV for imaging and topographic applications.

We present observations of polarized dust emission at 850 μ m from the L43 molecular cloud, which sits in the Ophiuchus cloud complex. The data were taken using SCUBA-2/POL-2 on the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope as a part of the BISTRO large program. L43 is a dense ( ${N}_{{{\rm{H}}}_{2}}\sim {10}^{22}$ –10 ^23 cm ^−2 ) complex molecular cloud with a submillimeter-bright starless core and two protostellar sources. There appears to be an evolutionary gradient along the isolated filament that L43 is embedded within, with the most evolved source closest to the Sco OB2 association. One of the protostars drives a CO outflow that has created a cavity to the southeast. We see a magnetic field that appears to be aligned with the cavity walls of the outflow, suggesting interaction with the outflow. We also find a magnetic field strength of up to ∼160 ± 30 μ G in the main starless core and up to ∼90 ± 40 μ G in the more diffuse, extended region. These field strengths give magnetically super- and subcritical values, respectively, and both are found to be roughly trans-Alfvénic. We also present a new method of data reduction for these denser but fainter objects like starless cores.

We present BISTRO Survey 850 μ m dust emission polarization observations of the L1495A-B10 region of the Taurus molecular cloud, taken at the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope (JCMT). We observe a roughly triangular network of dense filaments. We detect nine of the dense starless cores embedded within these filaments in polarization, finding that the plane-of-sky orientation of the core-scale magnetic field lies roughly perpendicular to the filaments in almost all cases. We also find that the large-scale magnetic field orientation measured by Planck is not correlated with any of the core or filament structures, except in the case of the lowest-density core. We propose a scenario for early prestellar evolution that is both an extension to, and consistent with, previous models, introducing an additional evolutionary transitional stage between field-dominated and matter-dominated evolution, observed here for the first time. In this scenario, the cloud collapses first to a sheet-like structure. Uniquely, we appear to be seeing this sheet almost face on. The sheet fragments into filaments, which in turn form cores. However, the material must reach a certain critical density before the evolution changes from being field dominated to being matter dominated. We measure the sheet surface density and the magnetic field strength at that transition for the first time and show consistency with an analytical prediction that had previously gone untested for over 50 yr.

Patients with severe eosinophilic asthma (SEA; characterized by persistent eosinophilia in blood and airway tissues) experience frequent asthma exacerbations with poor clinical outcomes. Interleukin 5 (IL-5) and IL-5 receptor alpha subunit (IL-5α) play key roles in eosinophilia maintenance, and relevant therapeutic strategies include the development of antibodies (Abs) against IL-5 or IL-5α to control eosinophilia. Benralizumab, an anti–IL-5α Ab that depletes eosinophils mainly via Ab-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity and through blockage of IL-5 function on eosinophils, has been clinically approved for patients with SEA. Here, we report engineering of a new humanized anti–IL-5Rα Ab with potent biological activity. We first raised murine Abs against human IL-5Rα, humanized a leading murine Ab, and then further engineered the humanized Abs to enhance their affinity for IL-5Rα using the yeast surface display technology. The finally engineered version of the Ab, 5R65.7, with affinity (KD ≈ 4.64 nM) stronger than that of a clinically relevant benralizumab analogue (KD ≈ 26.8 nM) showed improved neutralizing activity toward IL-5–dependent cell proliferation in a reporter cell system. Domain level Ab epitope mapping revealed that 5R65.7 recognizes membrane-proximal domain 3 of IL-5Rα, distinct from domain I epitope of the benralizumab analogue. In ex vivo assays with peripheral eosinophils from patients with SEA and healthy donors, 5R65.7 manifested more potent biological activities than the benralizumab analogue did, including inhibition of IL-5–dependent proliferation of eosinophils and induction of eosinophil apoptosis through autologous natural-killer-cell–mediated Ab-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity. Our study provides a potent anti–IL-5Rα Ab, 5R65.7, which is worthy of further testing in preclinical and clinical trials against SEA as a potential alternative to the current therapeutic arsenal.

Cysteinyl leukotriene (cysLT) overproduction and eosinophil activation are hallmarks of aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease (AERD). However, pathogenic mechanisms of AERD remain to be clarified. Here, we aimed to find the significance of transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-β1) in association with cysteinyl leukotriene E4 (LTE4) production, leading to eosinophil degranulation. To evaluate levels of serum TGF-β1, first cohort enrolled AERD (n = 336), ATA (n = 442) patients and healthy control subjects (HCs, n = 253). In addition, second cohort recruited AERD (n = 34) and ATA (n = 25) patients to investigate a relation between levels of serum TGF-β1 and urinary LTE4. The function of TGF-β1 in LTE4 production was further demonstrated by ex vivo (human peripheral eosinophils) or in vivo (BALB/c mice) experiment. As a result, the levels of serum TGF-β1 were significantly higher in AERD patients than in ATA patients or HCs (P = .001; respectively). Moreover, levels of serum TGF-β1 and urinary LTE4 had a positive correlation (r = 0.273, P = .037). In the presence of TGF-β1, leukotriene C4 synthase (LTC4S) expression was enhanced in peripheral eosinophils to produce LTE4, which sequentially induced eosinophil degranulation via the p38 pathway. When mice were treated with TGF-β1, significantly induced eosinophilia with increased LTE4 production in the lung tissues were noted. These findings suggest that higher levels of TGF-β1 in AERD patients may contribute to LTE4 production via enhancing LTC4S expression which induces eosinophil degranulation, accelerating airway inflammation.

Asthma: Traps to target for treatment Controlling the formation of mesh-like structures of DNA and protein which induce airway damage in asthma could offer new therapeutic opportunities, especially for patients who do not respond well to conventional treatments. The structures are produced by activated cells as part of the immune response in asthma. They are known as eosinophil extracellular traps (EETs) since they are most prominently released by the activity of white blood cells called eosinophils. Hae-Sim Park and colleagues at Ajou University in South Korea studied the involvement of EETs in patients with severe asthma. Their results suggest eosinophils are more activated to create damaging EETs in patients with severe asthma than in those with less severe forms of the disease. Searching for ways to control EET formation could be a fruitful approach to helping patients with severe eosinophilic asthma.

Since the Gyeongju earthquakes in 2016, there have been increased research interests in the areas of seismic design, building collapse, and rescue radar applications in Korea. Ground penetrating radar (GPR) is a nondestructive electromagnetic method that is used for underground surveys. To properly design ground penetrating radar that detects buried victims precisely, it is important to study electromagnetic wave propagation channel characteristics in advance. This work presents an electromagnetic propagation environment analysis of a trapped victim for GPR applications. In this study, we develop a realistic collapse model composed of layered reinforced concrete and a victim positioned horizontally. In addition, the effects of rebars and the distance between the radar antenna and target are investigated. The numerical analysis presents the electromagnetic wave propagation characteristics, including amplitude loss and phase difference, in the 450‐MHz and 1,500‐MHz frequency band, and it shows the electric field distribution in the environment.

Graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets were utilized as a selective layer on a highly porous polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) nanofiber support via a pressure-assisted self-assembly technique to synthesize composite nanofiltration membranes. The GO layer was rendered stable by cross-linking the nanosheets (GO-to-GO) and by linking them onto the support surface (GO-to-PVA) using glutaraldehyde (GA). The amounts of GO and GA deposited on the PVA substrate were varied to determine the optimum nanofiltration membrane both in terms of water flux and salt rejection performances. The successful GA cross-linking of GO interlayers and GO-PVA via acetalization was confirmed by FTIR and XPS analyses, which corroborated with other characterization results from contact angle and zeta potential measurements. Morphologies of the most effective membrane (CGOPVA-50) featured a defect-free GA cross-linked GO layer with a thickness of ~67 nm. The best solute rejections of the CGOPVA-50 membrane were 91.01% for Na2SO4 (20 mM), 98.12% for Eosin Y (10 mg/L), 76.92% for Methylene blue (10 mg/L), and 49.62% for NaCl (20 mM). These findings may provide one of the promising approaches in synthesizing mechanically stable GO-based thin-film composite membranes that are effective for solute separation via nanofiltration.