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Simple Summary: Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is the most aggressive subtype of breast cancer, but effective biomarkers has yet been developed. Here, we identified ATP1A1 as prognostic marker and therapeutic target via integrated analysis of DNA methylome and transcriptome of TNBC. These data will provide new insight into not only developing specific biomarker for TNBC but also understanding TNBC pathogenesis. Dysregulated DNA methylation in cancer is critical in the transcription machinery associated with cancer progression. Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is the most aggressive breast cancer subtype, but no treatment targeting TNBC biomarkers has yet been developed. To identify specific DNA methylation patterns in TNBC, methyl-binding domain protein 2 (MBD) sequencing data were compared in TNBC and the three other major breast cancer subtypes. Integrated analysis of DNA methylation and gene expression identified a gene set showing a correlation between DNA methylation and gene expression. ATPase Na+/K+-transporting subunit alpha 1 (ATP1A1) was found to be specifically hypomethylated in the coding sequence (CDS) region and to show increased expression in TNBC. The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database also showed that hypomethylation and high expression of ATP1A1 were strongly associated with poor survival in patients with TNBC. Furthermore, ATP1A1 knockdown significantly reduced the viability and tumor-sphere formation of TNBC cells. These results suggest that the hypomethylation and overexpression of ATP1A1 could be a prognostic marker in TNBC and that the manipulation of ATP1A1 expression could be a therapeutic target in this disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We explore systematically the shocked gas in the first Galactic quadrant of the Milky Way using the United Kingdom Infrared Telescope (UKIRT) Wide-field Infrared Survey for Fe+ (UWIFE). The UWIFE survey is the first imaging survey of the Milky Way in the [Fe  ii ] 1.644 μm emission line and covers the Galactic plane in the first Galactic quadrant (7° < |$\mathit {l}$| < 62°; |$|b| $| ≲ 1 |$_{.}^{\circ }$| 5). We identify 204 extended ionized Fe objects (IFOs) using a combination of a manual and automatic search. Most of the IFOs are detected for the first time in the [Fe  ii ] 1.644 μm line. We present a catalogue of the measured sizes and fluxes of the IFOs and searched for their counterparts by performing positional cross-matching with known sources. We found that IFOs are associated with supernova remnants (25), young stellar objects (100), H  ii regions (33), planetary nebulae (17), and luminous blue variables (4). The statistical and morphological properties are discussed for each of these. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The local confinement effect, which can generate a high concentration of hydroxide ions and reaction intermediates near the catalyst surface, is an important strategy for converting CO2 into multi‐carbon products in electrocatalytic CO2 reduction. Therefore, understanding how the shape and dimension of the confinement geometry affect the product selectivity is crucial. In this study, we report for the first time the effect of the shape (degree of confinement) and dimension of the confined space on the product selectivity without changing the intrinsic property of Cu. We demonstrate that geometry influences the outcomes of products, such as CH4, C2H4, and EtOH, in different ways: the selectivity of CH4 and EtOH is affected by shape, while the selectivity of C2H4 is influenced by dimension of geometry predominantly. These phenomena are demonstrated, both experimentally and through simulation, to be induced by the local confinement effect within the confined structure. Our geometry model could serve as basis for designing the confined structures tailored for the production of specific products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highly selective electrocatalytic CO2 reduction for CO production has attracted tremendous attention for achieving the forthcoming goals of carbon neutrality and widespread industrial utilization and recycling of carbon. Among various approaches, the structural control of the catalyst is particularly interesting because of the facile control of CO2 reduction conditions, such as reaction media and reaction pathways. Thus far, a wide range of nanostructured catalysts, including Au needle tips, Au nanowires, and Au wrinkles, have been used for the enhancement of the selectivity of CO production. In this study, an electrocatalyst with a hierarchical nanostructure for the highly selective production of CO is reported. This hierarchical structure is fabricated by the deposition of Au via e-beam evaporation on a dendritic fibrous nanosilica (KCC-1) template, which is a spherical silica particle consisting of uniformly distributed center-radial fibers. The conversion efficiency of this catalyst is strongly affected by the thickness of the Au deposited on the KCC-1 template, and the highest CO selectivity of ∼98% (at −0.5 V vs. RHE) is obtained at an optimum Au thickness of 50 nm. According to the CO2 electrocatalytic reduction results obtained from KCC-1 with dendritic fibers and a conventional spherical particle without the fibers under various electrolyte conditions, such selectivity enhancement of Au on the KCC-1 template is attributed to the increase in the local pH near the hierarchical catalyst surface. This work provides potential promising templates that exhibit a unique nanostructure for efficient electrocatalysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study developed an ecological momentary assessment (EMA)-triggered text message library based on the behavior change wheel framework to encourage exercise engagement in patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD). This study was conducted in three steps. In Step 1, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 patients with PAD. Their accounts of their exercise experiences revealed six barriers and three facilitators through thematic analysis. In Step 2, based on the findings from the prior step, the EMA survey was developed; its items included barriers to exercise, PAD-related leg symptoms, and general conditions. In Step 3, intervention functions to overcome exercise barriers were mapped, and 120 text messages were generated. Responses to the exercise barriers in the EMA survey triggered the automatic text messages. Additional studies are needed to examine the end-user acceptability of the text message library and the effectiveness of EMA-triggered text message interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A growing body of research suggests that locus coeruleus‐norepinephrine (LC‐NE) system may function differently in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Understanding the dynamics of both tonic (resting pupil diameter) and phasic (pupil dilation response [PDR] and event‐related potential [ERP]) indices may provide meaningful insights about the nature of LC‐NE function in ASD. Twenty‐four children with ASD and 27 age‐ and nonverbal‐IQ matched typically developing (TD) children completed two experiments: (1) a resting eye‐tracking task to measure tonic pupil diameter, and (2) a three‐stimulus oddball paradigm to measure phasic responsivity using PDR and ERP. Consistent with prior reports, our results indicate that children with ASD exhibit increased tonic (resting pupil diameter) and reduced phasic (PDR and ERP) activity of the LC‐NE system compared to their TD peers. For both groups, decreased phasic responsivity was associated with increased resting pupil diameter. Lastly, tonic and phasic LC‐NE indices were primarily related to measures of attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and not ASD, symptomatology. These findings expand our understanding of neurophysiological differences present in ASD and demonstrate that aberrant LC‐NE activation may be associated with atypical arousal and decreased responsivity to behaviorally‐relevant information in ASD. Lay Summary: The locus coeruleus (LC), a small brain stem nucleus, is the primary source of norepinephrine (NE), plays an important role in attention and arousal, and may function differently in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Using pupillometry and event‐related potentials, we found that children with ASD show increased tonic and reduced phasic LC‐NE activation compared to their typically developing peers. These differences in LC‐NE function may be associated with impairments in attention and arousal regulation in ASD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An effective wound management strategy needs accurate assessment of wound status throughout the whole healing process. This can be achieved by examining molecular biomarkers including proteins, DNAs, and RNAs. However, existing methods for quantifying these biomarkers such as immunohistochemistry and quantitative polymerase chain reaction are usually laborious, resource‐intensive, and disruptive. This article reports the development and utilization of mRNA nanosensors (i.e., NanoFlare) that are topically applied on cutaneous wounds to reveal the healing status through targeted and semi‐quantitative examination of the mRNA biomarkers in skin cells. In 2D and 3D in vitro models, the efficacy and efficiency of these nanosensors are demonstrated in revealing the dynamic changes of mRNA biomarkers for different stages of wound development. In mouse models, this platform permits the tracking and identification of wound healing stages and a normal and diabetic wound healing process by wound healing index in real time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three‐dimensional in vitro cancer models have emerged as a promising tool for various cancer‐related applications. However, the limited availability of the in vitro model capable of adequately recapitulating the active interactions between the cancer cells and the surrounding tumor microenvironment (TME) hampers their use for therapeutic applications. Here, it is demonstrated that the proteins adsorbed on the culture substrate significantly influence the characteristics of the cancer cells, thereby suggesting that the modulation of cell–protein interaction can be a powerful tool to construct an advanced cancer model. A series of polymers are prepared for the precise control of the surface hydrophobicity of the culture plate. Cancer cells cultured on the polymers exhibit distinct morphological transitions ranging from monolayer to spheroids with entirely different characteristics depending on the surface hydrophobicity. The poly (cyclohexyl methacrylate) surface of the highest hydrophobicity tested in this study strongly attracts albumin from the media for enhanced adsorption and induces conformational changes in albumin upon binding, leading to the formation of spheroid with the most enriched tumorigenic properties. It is believed that this finding can provide new insights when selecting the experimental strategy to appropriately mimic the complex interplay between the cancer cells and the TME. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reduction of CO2 to carbon monoxide (CO) is the starting point for producing valuable carbon chemicals and liquid fuels. To date, efficient CO2 electroreduction to CO has been accomplished predominantly by using the control of the structural parameters of a catalyst, including its nanostructure and surface morphology. In this study, the highly selective CO formation (∼90% of faradaic efficiency) at a low applied potential (−0.4 V vs. reverse hydrogen electrode) is reported by using the control of the local pH near the reaction site, which has been of less interest compared to other factors in prior studies. The local pH near the reaction site was controlled by using a confined cavity in the Au wrinkle film. Experimental and computational calculation results revealed that such enhancement is mainly related to the few-micrometer-amplitude confined space in the tens of nanometers thickness Au wrinkle film. Notably, the fabrication of the wrinkle catalyst film was extremely simple, permitting large-scale fabrication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) has higher aggressiveness and poorer outcomes compared with other subtypes of breast cancer. However, the genomic and molecular aberrations of TNBC are largely unknown. In this study, miR-374a-5p was discovered as a novel TNBC-specific miRNA and its functions and the molecular mechanisms involved were investigated. Combined gene expression profiling of miRNA-microarray and human transcriptome dataset analysis revealed that miR-374a-5p is specifically upregulated in TNBC patients. Functional studies using in vitro and in vivo models indicated that upregulated miR-374a-5p promotes tumor progression in TNBC. miR-374a-5p was also found to directly target arrestin beta 1 (ARRB1) that is specifically downregulated in TNBC patients in several human genomic datasets. Overexpressed ARRB1 reduced TNBC cell growth and migration, and the ARRB1 expression level is inversely correlated with the histological grade of the breast cancer and positively associated with TNBC patient survival, suggestive of a tumor-suppressive function of ARRB1 in breast cancer. Interestingly, increased ARRB1 activates AMPK in TNBC cells, associated with the expression of miR-374a-5p. Taken together, the findings suggest that miR-374a-5p is a potential prognostic marker of TNBC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lymphocyte antigen 6 family member K (LY6K) is upregulated in a number of types of cancer and promotes tumor cell proliferation and metastasis. In addition, LY6K is involved in tamoxifen resistance in breast cancer. However, the in vivo molecular mechanism of LY6K has not yet been investigated. In the present study, transgenic mice overexpressing human LY6K (hLY6K) were generated using the pMAMneo vector, and the effect of LY6K upregulation in vivo was investigated. A total of 4 transgenic mice were generated, and the gene copy number was examined using reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). RT-qPCR demonstrated that mRNA of hLY6K was overexpressed in the thymus and spleen of the transgenic mice compared with wild-type mice. Flow cytometric analysis demonstrated that the proportions of B and T cells in the spleen were similar in wild-type and transgenic mice; however, the proportion of thymic mature T cells decreased in the transgenic mice, while there was an increase in the proportion of naïve T cells. These findings suggest that the overexpression of LY6K suppresses T cell development, and that LY6K is a potential therapeutic target for cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Underwater object detection and tracking are of considerable interest in offshore defense. Recently, a new method that takes advantage of direct-current resistivity survey techniques has been introduced as a complement to the conventional detection method for use in acoustically noisy conditions. However, dedicated rapid target localization methods are required to enable real-time tracking in this detection method. Therefore, in this paper, we propose a real-time localization method using grid-based template matching. The main features of our method are as follows: 1) measurement data sets from two separate detection lines are used; 2) template matching based on correlation is used; 3) the templates are precalculated by numerical modeling; and 4) real-time localization processing is implemented by efficient calculations. To verify our method, we first performed experiments for stationary target object positions under a water tank condition: template versus numerical modeling data and template versus physical modeling data. Next, real-time localization experiments for a moving target in the water tank were conducted using the real-time data at 3-Hz refresh rate. In the real-time experiments, we confirmed that the estimated positions could keep track of the actual target positions continuously. We expect that this paper will contribute positively to offshore defense and surveillance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Portulaca oleracea L. ( P . oleracea ) is an herb that is widely used in traditional medicine to treat various diseases. However, its effects on inflammatory diseases, such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), are not yet well characterized. Here, we investigated the impact of the ethyl acetate (EtOAc) and ethanol (EtOH) extracts of P . oleracea on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammatory responses and phosphorylation of ERK, JNK, and p38 expression in RAW264.7 macrophages. In addition, the inhibitory effects of these extracts and fractions on 3% dextran sulphate sodium (DSS)-induced ulcerative colitis were examined using an ICR mouse model. DSS-induced colitis, including body weight loss, reduced colon length, and histological colon injury, was significantly ameliorated in mice fed the P . oleracea extracts (200 and 500 mg/kg). In particular, P . oleracea extracts also inhibited pro-inflammatory cytokine (TNF-α, IL-6, and 1L-1β) production in mice with DSS-induced colitis; the P . oleracea extracts displayed higher and/or similar inhibitory activity to sulfasalazine at high concentrations. Furthermore, the chemical structures of active compounds separated from the EtOAc extract of P . oleracea were elucidated using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy (see Figure in supplementary materials), resulting in the identification of three known compounds. Among these active compounds, cis - N -feruloyl-3′-methoxytyramine ( 2 ) exhibited the strongest effects on preventing DSS-induced IBD in animal models. Thus, extract of P . oleracea and their active compounds represents a new therapeutic approach for patients with inflammatory bowel diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Software filtering systems can be employed to detect and filter out pirated or counterfeit software on the Web sites and peer-to-peer networks. They determine whether a suspicious program is legal or not by comparing it with original programs in a database or in the market. To identify pirated or counterfeit software, software filtering systems need to measure software similarity when comparing a suspicious program with original ones. In this case, the comparison overhead might be very high because the suspicious program is compared with all programs in the database or market in the worst case. This paper proposes a software classification scheme for efficient software filtering systems. The scheme focuses specifically on the Windows portable executable files which have been prime targets for software pirates. The scheme extracts software characteristics from a suspicious program and classifies it into one of pre-defined categories quickly based on the characteristics. The suspicious program is compared only with the programs in the one of pre-defined categories in most cases; thus, the comparison overhead is reduced. We propose two classification methods. The first one extracts strings from GUI-related resources of a program and computes the relevance of the program to each category based on the pre-computed score of the strings. The second one extracts API call frequency from a program's execution codes and uses Random Forest technique to classify the program. Experimental results show that the proposed scheme can classify programs effectively and can reduce the comparison overhead significantly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Depression is a severe psychological concern that negatively affects health in older adults. Serious games applied in various fields are considered appropriate interventions, especially in mental health care. However, there is a lack of evidence regarding the effects of serious games on depression in older adults. Objective: This study aimed to investigate the characteristics and effectiveness of serious games for depression in older adults. Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials were conducted. In total, 5 electronic databases (PubMed, CINAHL, Embase, PsycINFO, and Cochrane Library) were searched to identify relevant studies published until July 6, 2021. A total of 2 reviewers independently conducted study selection, data extraction, and quality appraisals. The risk of bias in the included studies was assessed using the JBI Critical Appraisal Checklist. For the meta-analysis, the effect size was calculated as the standardized mean difference (SMD) by using a random effects model. Results: A total of 17 studies with 1280 older adults were included in the systematic review, and 15 studies were included in the meta-analysis. Serious game interventions were classified into 3 types: physical activity (PA), cognitive function, and both PA and cognitive function. The meta-analysis demonstrated that serious games reduced depression in older adults (SMD −0.54, 95% CI −0.79 to −0.29; P <.001). Serious games had a more significant effect size in community or home settings (SMD −0.61, 95% CI −0.95 to −0.26; P <.001) than in hospital settings (SMD −0.46, 95% CI −0.85 to −0.08; P =.02); however, the difference between groups was not significant. Among the types of games, games for PA (SMD −0.60, 95% CI −0.95 to −0.25; P <.001) and games for both (SMD −0.73, 95% CI −1.29 to −0.17; P =.01) had a significant effect on reducing depression in older adults. However, no significant correlations were observed between the duration or number of serious games and depression. Conclusions: Serious games were beneficial in reducing depression in older adults. Regardless of the study setting, serious games appeared to reduce depression. Particularly, serious games including PA had a significant impact on reducing depression. Furthermore, high-quality randomized controlled trials are needed to establish substantial evidence for the effectiveness of serious games on depression in older adults. Trial Registration: PROSPERO CRD42021242573; https://tinyurl.com/26xf7ym5 J Med Internet Res 2022;24(9):e37753 doi:10.2196/37753 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The United Kingdom Infrared Telescope (UKIRT) Widefield Infrared Survey for Fe+ (UWIFE) is a 180 deg2 imaging survey of the first Galactic quadrant (7° < l < 62°; |b| ≲ 1 $_{.}^{\circ}$5) that uses a narrow-band filter centred on the [Fe ii] 1.644-μm emission line. The [Fe ii] 1.644-μm emission is a good tracer of dense, shock-excited gas, and the survey will probe violent environments around stars: star-forming regions, evolved stars, and supernova remnants, among others. The UWIFE survey is designed to complement the existing UKIRT Widefield Infrared Survey for H2 (UWISH2). The survey will also complement existing broad-band surveys. The observed images have a nominal 5σ detection limit of 18.7 mag for point sources, with a median seeing of 0.83 arcsec. For extended sources, we estimate a surface brightness limit of 8.1 × 10−20 W m−2 arcsec−2. In this paper, we present an overview and some preliminary results of this survey. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Akkermansia muciniphila (A. muciniphila) is a promising probiotic candidate owing to its health-promoting properties. A previous study reported that the pasteurized form of A. muciniphila strains isolated from human stool samples had a beneficial impact on high-fat diet-induced obese mice. On the other hand, the differences in the probiotic effects between live and pasteurized A. muciniphila on the metabolism and immune system of the host are still inconclusive. This study examines the differences between the live and pasteurized forms of A. muciniphila strains on the lipid and glucose metabolism and on regulating the inflammatory immune responses using a HFD-fed obese mouse model. The animals were administered the live and pasteurized forms of two A. muciniphila strains five times per week for the entire study period of 12 weeks. Both forms of the bacterial strains improved the HFD-induced obesity and metabolic dysregulation in the mice by preventing body-weight gains after one week. In addition, they cause a decrease in the weights of the major adipose tissues, adipogenesis/lipogenesis and serum TC levels, improvement in glucose homeostasis and suppression of inflammatory insults. Furthermore, these treatments restored the damaged gut architecture and integrity and improved the hepatic structure and function in HFD-induced animals. On the other hand, for both bacterial strains, the pasteurized form was more potent in improving glucose tolerance than the live form. Moreover, specific A. muciniphila preparations with either live or pasteurized bacteria decreased the number and population (%) of splenic Treg cells (CD4+ Foxp3+) significantly in the HFD-fed animals, further supporting the anti-inflammatory properties of these bacteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]