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Cas12j, a hypercompact and efficient Cas protein, has potential for use in CRISPR diagnostics, but has not yet been used because the trans‐cleavage activity of Cas12j is veiled. Here, the trans‐cleavage behavior of Cas12j1, 2, and 3 variants and evaluate their suitability for nucleic acid detection is unveiled. The target preferences and mismatch specificities of the Cas12j variants are precisely investigated and the optimal Cas12j reaction conditions are determined. As a result, the EXP‐J assay for miRNA detection by harnessing the robust trans‐cleavage activity of Cas12j on short ssDNA is developed. The EXP‐J method demonstrates exceptional detection capabilities for miRNAs, proving that Cas12j can be a pivotal component in molecular diagnostics. Furthermore, the translational potential of the EXP‐J assay is validated by detecting oncogenic miRNAs in plasma samples from lung cancer patients. This investigation not only elucidates the trans‐cleavage characteristics of Cas12j variants, but also advances the Cas12j‐based diagnostic toolkit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study assessed the factors allowing middle‐income countries to achieve higher income levels and thus escape the middle‐income trap (MIT). By deriving a stochastic production function using the Cornwell–Schmidt–Sickles (CSS) estimator and country panel data, we successfully distinguished between growth due to total factor productivity (TFP) and that attributable to various production inputs after controlling for random shocks and cross‐sectional dependence. We found that TFP growth was the main factor distinguishing middle‐income countries that have and have not escaped from the MIT; the former countries had significantly higher TFP growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The limited lifespan of aqueous zinc‐ion batteries (with vanadium‐oxide based cathodes) is constrained by practical applications due to corrosion accelerated by vanadium ions leaching from the cathode and uneven dendrite growth on the zinc metal anode. To address these issues, the difference in size between hydrated zinc ions (4.30 Å) in electrolyte and vanadium ions (8.34 Å) is considered. Uniformly coating the MOF‐801 nanoparticles (with a pore size of 6.0 Å) on the zinc foil formed a selective ion transport layer. The uniform zinc ion flux generated by the selective ion transport layer allows hydrated zinc ions to be transported evenly and promotes uniform zinc deposition, leading to a low overpotential (17.4 mV) and high cycle stability (1000 h) in the symmetric cell. Moreover, the selective ion transport layer, having pores smaller than vanadium ions, blocked vanadium ions from migrating toward the zinc anode, thereby reducing its corrosion and contributing to a capacity retention of 86% after 2000 cycles under full‐cell conditions. This study demonstrates that the pore size of the coating layer influences the long‐term stability of aqueous zinc‐ion batteries and may serve as a guide when selecting interface modification materials for various metal batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A two-tiered ambulance system, consisting of advanced and basic life support for emergency and nonemergency patient care, respectively, can provide a cost-efficient emergency medical service. However, such a system requires accurate classification of patient severity to avoid complications. Thus, this study considers a two-tiered ambulance dispatch and redeployment problem in which the average patient severity classification errors are known. This study builds on previous research into the ambulance dispatch and redeployment problem by additionally considering multiple types of patients and ambulances, and patient classification errors. We formulate this dynamic decision-making problem as a semi-Markov decision process and propose a mini-batch monotone-approximate dynamic programming (ADP) algorithm to solve the problem within a reasonable computation time. Computational experiments using realistic system dynamics based on historical data from Seoul reveal that the proposed approach and algorithm reduce the risk level index (RLI) for all patients by an average of 11.2% compared to the greedy policy. In this numerical study, we identify the influence of certain system parameters such as the percentage of advanced-life support units among all ambulances and patient classification errors. A key finding is that an increase in undertriage rates has a greater negative effect on patient RLI than an increase in overtriage rates. The proposed algorithm delivers an efficient two-tiered ambulance management strategy. Furthermore, our findings could provide useful guidelines for practitioners, enabling them to classify patient severity in order to minimize undertriage rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our aims in this paper are to (1) examine the higher moments of the distribution of winning percentages and (2) discover economic implications of such an examination. The results prove useful to both current sports league policy questions and future research. We speculate that the institutional differences between North American pro leagues and European soccer leagues will prove fruitful areas for future research on the determination of competitive balance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A novel approach to highly efficient, blue thermally activated delayed fluorescent (TADF) emitters is proposed. A series of ortho‐carbazole‐appended triarylboron compounds (1–5) are prepared with various substituents, including tert‐Bu, Me, and OMe, introduced to the carbazole donor and/or to the dimesitylphenylboron (PhBMes2) acceptor. Depending on the substituents on the donor and/or acceptor moieties, the emission color is finely tuned over the entire blue region from sky blue to ultradeep blue. Retention of a twisted donor (D)–acceptor (A) structure enabled by the ortho D–A connectivity and bulky triarylboron leads to small energy splitting (ΔEST) between singlet and triplet excited states, resulting in very efficient TADF. High‐efficiency blue TADF organic light‐emitting diodes (OLEDs) are realized by using the proposed ortho D–A compounds as emitters. Among them, the blue OLEDs incorporating a BuCzMeoB (2) emitter exhibit a very high external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 32.8% at Commission Internationale de l'Eclairage (CIE) color coordinates of (0.135, 0.266). The high device efficiency is attributed to both the high photoluminescence quantum yield of 2 in a given host film (93%) and the high horizontal transition dipole ratio (Θ) of 0.76. Ultradeep blue OLEDs with a record‐high efficiency are also fabricated with a CzOMeoB (5) emitter, exhibiting an EQE of 14.9% at CIE coordinates of (0.151, 0.058). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine whether digital panoramic radiographs could be used for the diagnosis of osteoporosis through evaluation of the radiographs based on the correlation with bone mineral density (BMD).Methods: One hundred and ninety-four post-menopausal women were selected from participants who had participated in the Dong-gu study. Panoramic radiographic indices measured are mental index (MI), mandibular cortical index (MCI) and simple visual estimation (SVE). BMD at the lumbar spine and proximal femur was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). The Pearson's correlation test was performed to analyse the correlation between MI and age and BMD at the lumbar spine, femoral neck and total hip. Multiple linear regression analysis was performed to analyse the association of MI, MCI and SVE with BMD after adjusting for age, height and weight. To determine the optimal cut-off point of MI for the diagnosis of osteoporosis, the receiver operating characteristic analysis was performed.Results: The MI was positively correlated with BMDs: lumbar spine: r = 0.36, femoral neck: r = 0.59 and total hip: r = 0.58 (p < 0.001). As age increased, MI decreased (r = -0.46). BMD at the lumbar spine and total hip were significantly lower in participants with reduction of mandibular width, thinning and resorption of mandibular cortex by the MI, SVE and MCI, respectively. The optimal cut-off value of MI for the diagnosis of spinal osteoporosis was 2.22 mm.Conclusion: Thickness and morphological changes of mandibular inferior cortical bone are associated with BMD, independent of age, height and weight. These results suggest that MI, MCI and SVE may be useful indices for the diagnosis of osteoporosis in a Korean population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study reviews previous research on sports economics and applied descriptive analyses to derive policy recommendations for the Korean Baseball Organization and the Nippon Professional Baseball. We discuss various aspects of the contemporary baseball business, and compare them with the American Major League Baseball ( MLB). One distinctive characteristic common to both Asian leagues is the governance structure, where member teams are owned by major conglomerates. We explore this characteristic to assess the business objectives of the Korean Baseball Organization and the Nippon Professional Baseball, and find that their sources of competitive balance differ from those in MLB. Our conclusion suggests that their business objective should begin to move slowly toward one similar to that of MLB, and safeguards should be implemented to maintain a reasonable competitive balance. We also conclude that sports diplomacy and the creation of international competition are important because international competition and the success of national teams are critical for fan demand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate the association of periodontal disease and the number of teeth present with the risk of prediabetes and diabetes as well as with blood glucose and HbA1c levels in adult Koreans.Background: The relationship between periodontal disease and diabetes has not been fully elucidated.Materials and Methods: Cross-sectional data from 5535 participants aged ≥50 years were obtained from 2008 to 2010. Periodontal status was measured as pocket depth (PD), clinical attachment loss (CAL) and bleeding on probing (BOP) recorded. The percentage of sites with a PD ≥4 mm, CAL ≥4 mm (CAL4) and BOP (BOP%) were recorded. Participants were divided into three groups according to PD4, CAL4 and BOP% measurements. Number of teeth present was divided into four groups. Participants were classified as normoglycaemic, prediabetic or diabetic based on HbA1c and fasting glucose levels.Results: After full adjustment, the highest tertile of CAL4 (OR: 1.47, 95% CI: 1.18-2.02, p < 0.001), PD4 (OR: 1.58, 95% CI: 1.26-1.97, p < 0.001) and BOP% (OR: 1.37, 95% CI: 1.07-1.75, p = 0.012) had significantly increased odds of diabetes. The number of teeth present was inversely related to diabetes (p < 0.001) and prediabetes (p = 0.032) risk. Periodontal disease severity was positively associated with HbA1c and glucose levels. The number of teeth present was positively associated with HbA1c, but not glucose, levels.Conclusion: Periodontal disease and the number of teeth present are associated with an increased risk of diabetes and increased blood glucose and HbA1c levels in Koreans aged ≥50 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The genus Malassezia is associated with a wide range of skin diseases and is the predominant fungal genus isolated from human skin. Of the 14 Malassezia species identified, M. restricta is the most abundant fungal species found from both healthy and diseased skin. Emerging evidences have suggested that extracellular lipases of Malassezia play a critical role in its survival on the host skin surface. This study aimed to characterise the lipase 1 homologue (MrLip1) in M. restricta and to analyse its expression under different environmental conditions. The full sequence of the gene encoding MrLip1 was determined by rapid amplification of cDNA ends, and it was then heterologously expressed in Pichia pastoris. MrLip1 protein was successfully purified and used for lipase assay and specific antibody generation for use in expression analysis. The optimum pH and temperature for the activity of purified MrLip1 were pH 5.0 and 34 °C respectively. Furthermore, the expression of MrLip1 peaked at a similar pH and temperature, suggesting that the optimal conditions for MrLip1 protein activity and expression are similar to that found on the human skin surface. This study provides data to improve our understanding of the role and characteristics of lipase 1 in M. restricta. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon nanotube (CNT) nanocomposites with a polystyrene thermoplastic matrix were injection molded and the high shear stress exerted during the injection process partially enabled the alignment of the CNTs in the flow direction. Nanocomposites with different CNT loadings and degrees of alignment were produced, and their thermal conductivities were measured based on ASTM D5470. The results were compared with compression molded samples featuring random alignments of CNTs. The results showed that the injection molded samples possessed anisotropic thermal conductivities, due to the partial alignment of the CNTs in the flow direction. The effective medium approach was used to analytically estimate the thermal conductivity of the molded samples. Good agreement was observed between the experimental and analytically simulated results in lower CNT concentrations (less than 5 wt% of CNT). Using transmission electron microscopy pictures taken of the nanocomposites, the alignment of CNTs in the thermoplastic matrix were modeled; and their thermal conductivities were simulated using the finite element method. Good agreement was observed between the experiments and simulated results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of [(C^N)2Ir(acac)] complexes [{5-(2-R-CB)ppy}2Ir(acac)] ( 3 a- 3 g; acac=acetylacetonate, CB= o-carboran-1-yl, ppy=2-phenylpyridine; R=H ( 3 a), Me ( 3 b), iPr ( 3 c), iBu ( 3 d), Ph ( 3 e), CF3C6H4 ( 3 f), C6F5 ( 3 g)) with various 2-R-substituted o-carboranes at the 5-position in the phenyl ring of the ppy ligand were prepared. X-ray diffraction studies revealed that the carboranyl CC bond length increases with increasing steric and electron-withdrawing effects from the 2-R substituents. Although the absorption and emission wavelengths of the complexes are almost invariant to the change of 2-R group, the phosphorescence quantum efficiency varies from highly emissive ( ΦPL≈0.80 for R=H, alkyl) to poorly emissive (R=aryl) depending on the 2-R group and the polarity of the medium. Theoretical studies suggest that 1) the almost nonemissive nature of the 2-aryl-substituted complexes is mainly attributable to the large contribution to the LUMO in the S1 excited state from an o-carborane unit and 2) the variation in the CC bond length between the S0 and T1 state structures increases with increasing steric (2-alkyl) and electronic effects (2-aryl) of the 2-R substituent and the polarity of the solvent. The solution-processed electroluminescence (EL) devices that incorporated 3 b and 3 d as emitters displayed higher performance than the device based on the parent [(ppy)2Ir(acac)] complex. Along with the high phosphorescence efficiency, the bulkiness of the 2-R- o-carborane unit is shown to play an important role in improving device performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The expression of phospholipase D1 (PLD1) and PLD2 were found to decrease at the transcription level during both replicative and premature senescence in human lung fibroblast IMR‐90 cells. Knockdown of PLD2 dramatically induced senescent phenotype in proliferating IMR‐90 cells and wild‐type HCT116 colon cancer cells, whereas this response was nearly abolished in p53‐ or p21Cip1/WAF1‐null HCT116 cells. PLD2 knockdown increased the intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS). Antioxidant N‐acetyl‐l‐cysteine, NADPH oxidase inhibitor apocynin, and p22phox small interfering RNA (siRNA) reduced ROS generation and thus suppressed the appearance of senescence markers. Elevated CK2 α subunit (CK2α) expression repressed PLD2 downregulation‐mediated senescence. PLD2 overexpression increased protein kinase CK2 (also known as casein kinase 2) (CK2) activity. Taken together, these results show that PLD2 downregulation causes senescence through the p53–p21Cip1/WAF1 pathway by stimulating ROS production, which is induced by CK2 inhibition.PLD1 and PLD2 expression apparently decreased during replicative and premature senescence in IMR‐90 cells. PLD2 knockdown induced premature senescence in IMR‐90 and HCT116 cells. PLD2 knockdown increased the levels of p53 and reactive oxygen species. Elevated CK2 activity almost suppressed PLD2 downregulation‐mediated senescence. Thus, PLD2 downregulation promotes senescence through a ROS–p53 pathway, which is induced by CK2 inhibition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim We assessed the association of periodontal disease and number of missing teeth with subclinical atherosclerosis in an adult Korean population. Materials and Methods Cross-sectional data from 5404 individuals aged ≥50 years were obtained from the 2008-2010 Dong-gu study. Periodontal examinations were conducted to determine the number of missing teeth, pocket depth ( PD), clinical attachment loss ( CAL), and bleeding on probing ( BOP). The percentages of sites with PD ≥ 4 mm ( PD 4%), CAL ≥ 4 mm ( CAL 4%), and BOP ( BOP%) were recorded for each participant. B-mode ultrasound was performed to determine common carotid artery intima-media thickness ( CCA IMT) and the presence of carotid plaques. Multivariate linear regression models were used to assess the associations between periodontal parameters and CCA IMT and carotid plaque. Results Number of missing teeth was associated with increased CCA IMT, and BOP% was associated with increased CCA IMT in females only. This association was robust in never smokers. Conclusions The number of missing teeth was associated with CCA IMT, and BOP% was associated with CCA IMT in females only. These associations were robust in never smokers. Our results suggest that tooth loss due to oral disease may play a role in subclinical carotid atherosclerosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is evidence that attractive looking workers earn more than average looking workers, even after controlling for a variety of individual characteristics. The presence of such beauty premiums may influence the labor supply decisions of attractive workers. For example, if one unit of a product by an attractive worker is more rewarded than that by her less attractive coworker, the attractive worker may put more effort into improving her productivity. We examine this possibility by analyzing panel data for individual female golfers participating in the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) tour. We found that attractive golfers recorded lower than average scores and earn more prize money than average looking players, even when controlling for player experience and other variables related to their natural talents. This finding is consistent with the notion that physical appearance is associated with individual workers' accumulation of human capital or skills. If the human capital of attractive workers is at least partly an outcome of favoritism toward beauty, then the premium estimates obtained by previous studies may have been downwardly biased. (JEL J3, J7, L8 ) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A quaterphenylterpyridine ligand (qptpy) with the rodlike quaterphenyl unit attached in the 4′-position has been synthesised by a Pd-catalysed Suzuki cross-coupling reaction. A crystal structure determination on the complex [Zn(qptpy)Cl2]·dmf (dmf = dimethylformamide) has shown the ligand to be bound in the expected N3-tridentate manner to the essentially trigonal-bipyramidal dichloro metal ion, with the quaterphenyl substituents involving a twisted array of the separate phenyl groups and the shortest contacts between aromatic groups involving just the polar terpyridine head groups to give an infinite, offset face-to-face (OFF) π-stacking array. A comparison is made with the structures of the bis(ligand) complexes of Zn(ClO4)2 and Cd(ClO4)2 with the bromobiphenylterpyridine ligand (Brbptpy) synthesised as an intermediate for the formation of qptpy. A study of the absorption and emission spectra of qptpy and a range of its metal-ion complexes has shown that the ligand provides a ratiometric fluorescence response for both ZnII and CdII. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long-chain-alkylated terpyridine cobalt(II) complexes provide an opportunity for the study not only of their unique physical properties but also of the synchronicity between spin-state transitions and crystal-liquid-crystal phase transitions because the thermal motion of the long alkyl chains leads to a synergetic effect exerted by external stimuli. This microreview presents recent results of terpyridine cobalt(II) complexes bearing a variety of long alkyl chains with a particular focus on the structural features as well as magnetic and liquid-crystalline properties. In addition, various influences, such as the size of the counter anion, the polarity of the terminal substituent, and mixed metal-ion systems, on the magnetic properties of these complexes are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Although Xenopus laevis has been a model of choice for comparative and developmental studies of the immune system, little is known about organogenesis of the thymus, a primary lymphoid organ in vertebrates. Here we examined the expression of three transcription factors that have been functionally associated with pharyngeal gland development, gcm2, hoxa3, and foxn1, and evaluated the neural crest contribution to thymus development. Results: In most species Hoxa3 is expressed in the third pharyngeal pouch endoderm where it directs thymus formation. In Xenopus, the thymus primordium is derived from the second pharyngeal pouch endoderm, which is hoxa3-negative, suggesting that a different mechanism regulates thymus formation in frogs. Unlike other species foxn1 is not detected in the epithelium of the pharyngeal pouch in Xenopus, rather, its expression is initiated as thymic epithelial cell starts to differentiate and express MHC class II molecules. Using transplantation experiments we show that while neural crest cells populate the thymus primordia, they are not required for the specification and initial development of this organ or for T-cell differentiation in frogs. Conclusions: These studies provide novel information on early thymus development in Xenopus, and highlight a number of features that distinguish Xenopus from other organisms. Developmental Dynamics, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Structural break points in the First Division/ English Premier League time series of competitive balance identify an Early Period, a Pre- World War II Period, a Post- War Period, and a Modern Period. The Early Period corresponds to technology diffusion (defense and tactics) along with important economic structural imposition by leagues. The war periods are common to many time series. The Modern Period's sharp decline in balance corresponds to the newest version of the Champions League in 1994/1995 and the Bosman Ruling of 1995. Rottenberg's invariance principle suggests that it would be the former, rather than the latter, responsible for the historical rate of decline that follows this structural break. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper seeks to re-examine the issue of estimating team efficiency for sports teams via an application of data from the National Basketball Association. This paper argues that the inputs the coaches allocate are the players the team employs. Therefore, this paper employs a measure of playing talent in modeling team production. Unlike previous studies, which only employed one measure of playing talent, we employ measures of guards, small forwards and big men in a study of basketball. This paper also argues that the time-varying stochastic frontier models with the identical temporal pattern assumption such as Lee and Schmidt and Battese and Coelli cannot be used in the analysis of team efficiency in sports. The evidence we present shows by hypothesis test that this argument holds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Analyzing North American major sports leagues other than baseball, we find no break points in competitive balance time series corresponding to rule changes, the draft, free agency, salary caps, or labor disputes except for the 1998 basketball lockout. Some expansion and team relocation correspond with break points. Mergers that do correspond with break points all enhance competitive balance. But not all expansions, moves, and mergers correspond with break points. Remaining explanatory challenges include a general negative trend in competitive balance in basketball and the occurrence of a break point in football, 1976–1977. ( JEL C32, L83) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Single crystals of Co(3)(PO(4))(2)·4H(2)O, tricobalt(II) bis-[ortho-phosphate(V)] tetra-hydrate, were obtained under hydro-thermal conditions. The title compound is isotypic with its zinc analogue Zn(3)(PO(4))(2)·4H(2)O (mineral name hopeite) and contains two independent Co(2+) cations. One Co(2+) cation exhibits a slightly distorted tetra-hedral coordination, while the second, located on a mirror plane, has a distorted octa-hedral coordination environment. The tetra-hedrally coordinated Co(2+) is bonded to four O atoms of four PO(4) (3-) anions, whereas the six-coordinate Co(2+) is cis-bonded to two phosphate groups and to four O atoms of four water mol-ecules (two of which are located on mirror planes), forming a framework structure. In addition, hydrogen bonds of the type O-H⋯O are present throughout the crystal structure.

Single crystals of Co(3)(PO(4))(2)·H(2)O, tricobalt(II) bis-[ortho-phosphate(V)] monohydrate, were obtained under hydro-thermal conditions. The compound is the second polymorph of this composition and is isotypic with its zinc analogue, Zn(3)(PO(4))(2)·H(2)O. Three independent Co(2+) cations are bridged by two independent orthophosphate anions. Two of the metal cations exhibit a distorted tetra-hedral coordination while the third exhibits a considerably distorted [5 + 1] octa-hedral coordination environment with one very long Co-O distance of 2.416 (3) Å. The former cations are bonded to four different phosphate anions, and the latter cation is bonded to four anions (one of which is bidentate) and one water mol-ecule, leading to a framework structure. Additional hydrogen bonds of the type O-H⋯O stabilize this arrangement.