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Background Genomic instability is a hallmark of various cancers, and DNA repair is an essential process for maintaining genomic integrity. Mammalian cells have developed various DNA repair mechanisms in response to DNA damage. Compared to the cellular response to DNA damage, the in vivo DNA damage response (DDR) of specific tissues has not been studied extensively. Objective In this study, mice were exposed to whole-body gamma (γ)-irradiation to evaluate the specific DDR of various tissues. We treated male C57BL6/J mice with γ-irradiation at different doses, and the DDR protein levels in different tissues were analyzed. Results The level of gamma-H2A histone family member X (γH2AX) increased in most organs after exposure to γ-irradiation. In particular, the liver, lung, and kidney tissues showed higher γH2AX induction upon DNA damage, compared to that in the brain, muscle, and testis tissues. RAD51 was highly expressed in the testis, irrespective of irradiation. The levels of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and ubiquitinated PCNA increased in lung tissues upon irradiation, suggesting that the post-replication repair may mainly operate in the lungs in response to γ-irradiation. Conclusion These results suggest that each tissue has a preferable repair mechanism in response to γ-irradiation. Therefore, the understanding and application of tissue-specific DNA damage responses could improve the clinical approach of radiotherapy for treating specific cancers.

The present study investigated the potential subchronic toxicity of self-assembled-micelle inhibitory RNA-targeting amphiregulin (SAMiRNA-AREG) in mice. The test reagent was administered once-daily by intravenous injection for 4 weeks at 0, 100, 200, or 300 mg/kg/day doses. Additional recovery groups (vehicle control and high dose groups) were observed for a 2-week recovery period. During the test period, mortality, clinical signs, body weight, food consumption, ophthalmology, urinalysis, hematology, serum biochemistry, gross pathology, organ weight, and histopathology were examined. An increase in the percentages of basophil and large unstained cells was observed in the 200 and 300 mg/kg/day groups of both sexes. In addition, the absolute and relative weights of the spleen were higher in males given 300 mg/kg/day relative to the concurrent controls. However, these findings were considered of no toxicological significance because the changes were minimal, were not accompanied by other relevant results (eg, correlating microscopic changes), and were not observed at the end of the 2-week recovery period indicating recovery of the findings. Based on the results, SAMiRNA-AREG did not cause treatment-related adverse effects at dose levels of up to 300 mg/kg/day in mice after 4-week repeated intravenous doses. Under these conditions, the no-observed-adverse-effect level of the SAMiRNA-AREG was ≥300 mg/kg/day in both sexes and no target organs were identified.

Graphical abstract, Highlights • SAMiRNA-AREG is a modified siRNA nanoparticle for treatment of pulmonary fibrosis. • Safety pharmacology of SAMiRNA-AREG was evaluated using core battery studies. • No adverse effects on the neurobehavior, respiratory, and cardiovascular systems. • These data provide important safety data for clinical trials in humans., The present safety pharmacology core battery studies (neurobehavior, respiratory, cardiovascular system, and human ether a-go-go (hERG) channel current) investigated the potential harmful effects of self-assembled-micelle inhibitory RNA-targeting amphiregulin (SAMiRNA-AREG). The SAMiRNA-AREG was administered by single intravenous injection at up to 300 mg/kg and 100 mg/kg in mice and monkeys, respectively. The hERG assay was performed in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells at SAMiRNA-AREG concentrations of up to 200 μg/mL. In the evaluation on neurobehavior, a transient decrease in body temperature was found at 0.5 h (30 min) post-dose at both sexes in mice, with a single 300 mg/kg dose of SAMiRNA-AREG. However, these effects had returned to normal at 1 h post-dose. In the evaluation on hERG channel current, there were statistically significant differences in the inhibition of peak hERG potassium channel current between the 20, 100, and 200 μg/mL SAMiRNA-AREG treatment groups and the vehicle control group. However, these effects were less potent than that of E-4031, a positive control article. For the respiratory and cardiovascular systems, no treatment-related changes were observed in mice or monkeys. Thus, under these experimental conditions, these studies suggest that SAMiRNA-AREG showed no adverse effects on the neurobehavior, respiratory, and cardiovascular function.

Maintaining stability of replication forks is important for genomic integrity. However, it is not clear how replisome proteins contribute to fork stability under replication stress. Here, we report that ATAD5, a PCNA unloader, plays multiple functions at stalled forks including promoting its restart. ATAD5 depletion increases genomic instability upon hydroxyurea treatment in cultured cells and mice. ATAD5 recruits RAD51 to stalled forks in an ATR kinase-dependent manner by hydroxyurea-enhanced protein-protein interactions and timely removes PCNA from stalled forks for RAD51 recruitment. Consistent with the role of RAD51 in fork regression, ATAD5 depletion inhibits slowdown of fork progression and native 5-bromo-2ʹ-deoxyuridine signal induced by hydroxyurea. Single-molecule FRET showed that PCNA itself acts as a mechanical barrier to fork regression. Consequently, DNA breaks required for fork restart are reduced by ATAD5 depletion. Collectively, our results suggest an important role of ATAD5 in maintaining genome integrity during replication stress., How the replisome machinery contributes to fork stability under replication stress is currently not clear. Here the authors reveal a role for ATAD5 in maintaining genome integrity during replication stress by promoting replication restart through RAD51/PCNA regulation.

Chemical functionalization is demonstrated to enhance the p-type electrical performance of two-dimensional (2D) layered tungsten diselenide (WSe2) field-effect transistors (FETs) using a one-step dipping process in an aqueous solution of ammonium sulfide [(NH4)2S(aq)]. Molecularly resolved scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy reveal that molecular adsorption on a monolayer WSe2 surface induces a reduction of the electronic band gap from 2.1 to 1.1 eV and a Fermi level shift toward the WSe2 valence band edge (VBE), consistent with an increase in the density of positive charge carriers. The mechanism of electronic transformation of WSe2 by (NH4)2S(aq) chemical treatment is elucidated using density functional theory calculations which reveal that molecular "SH" adsorption on the WSe2 surface introduces additional in-gap states near the VBE, thereby, inducing a Fermi level shift toward the VBE along with a reduction in the electronic band gap. As a result of the (NH4)2S(aq) chemical treatment, the p-branch ON-currents (ION) of back-gated few-layer ambipolar WSe2 FETs are enhanced by about 2 orders of magnitude, and a ∼6× increase in the hole field-effect mobility is observed, the latter primarily resulting from the p-doping-induced narrowing of the Schottky barrier width leading to an enhanced hole injection at the WSe2/contact metal interface. This (NH4)2S(aq) chemical functionalization technique can serve as a model method to control the electronic band structure and enhance the performance of devices based on 2D layered transition-metal dichalcogenides.

Al2O3 and Al2O3/HfO2 bilayer gate stacks were directly deposited on the surface of 2D materials via low temperature ALD/CVD of Al2O3 and high temperature ALD of HfO2 without any surface functionalization. The process is self-nucleating even on inert surfaces because a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) component was intentionally produced in the Al2O3 deposition by controlling the purge time between TMA and H2O precursor pulses at 50 °C. The CVD growth component induces formation of sub-1 nm AlOx particles (nanofog) on the surface, providing uniform nucleation centers. The ALD process is consistent with the generation of sub-1 nm gas phase particles which stick to all surfaces and is thus denoted as nanofog ALD. To prove the ALD/CVD Al2O3 nucleation layer has the conformality of a self-limiting process, the nanofog was deposited on a high aspect ratio Si3N4/SiO2/Si pattern surface; conformality of >90% was observed for a sub 2 nm film consistent with a self-limiting process. MoS2 and HOPG (highly oriented pyrolytic graphite) metal oxide semiconductor capacitors (MOSCAPs) were fabricated with single layer Al2O3 ALD at 50 °C and with the bilayer Al2O3/HfO2 stacks having Cmax of ∼1.1 µF/cm2 and 2.2 µF/cm2 respectively. In addition, Pd/Ti/TiN gates were used to increase Cmax by scavenging oxygen from the oxide layer which demonstrated Cmax of ∼2.7 µF/cm2. This is the highest reported Cmax and Cmax/Leakage of any top gated 2D semiconductor MOSCAP or MOSFET. The gate oxide prepared on a MoS2 substrate results in more than an 80% reduction in Dit compared to a Si0.7Ge0.3(0 0 1) substrate. This is attributed to a Van der Waals interaction between the oxide layer and MoS2 surface instead of a covalent bonding allowing gate oxide deposition without the generation of dangling bonds.

For more than three decades, numerous studies have demonstrated the function of p53 in cell cycle, cellular senescence, autophagy, apoptosis, and metabolism. Among diverse functions, the essential role of p53 is to maintain cellular homeostatic response to stress by regulating proliferation and apoptosis. Recently, adipocytes have been studied with increasing intensity owing to the increased prevalence of metabolic diseases posing a serious public health concern and because metabolic dysfunction can directly induce tumorigenesis. The prevalence of metabolic diseases has steadily increased worldwide, and a growing interest in these diseases has led to the focus on the role of p53 in metabolism and adipocyte differentiation with or without metabolic stress. However, our collective understanding of the direct role of p53 in adipocyte differentiation and function remains insufficient. Therefore, this review focuses on the newly discovered roles of p53 in adipocyte differentiation and function.

Amphiregulin (AREG) is a transmembrane glycoprotein recently implicated in kidney fibrosis. Previously, we reported that the AREG-targeting Self-Assembled-Micelle inhibitory RNA (SAMiRNA-AREG) alleviated fibrosis by stably silencing the AREG gene, and reduced the side effects of conventional siRNA treatment of pulmonary fibrosis. However, the therapeutic effect of SAMiRNA-AREG in renal fibrosis has not been studied until now. We used two animal models of renal fibrosis generated by a unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) and an adenine diet (AD) to investigate whether SAMiRNA-AREG inhibited renal fibrosis. To investigate the delivery of SAMiRNA-AREG to the kidney, Cy5-labeled SAMiRNA-AREG was injected into UUO- and AD-induced renal fibrosis models. In both kidney disease models, SAMiRNA-AREG was delivered primarily to the damaged kidney. We also confirmed the protective effect of SAMiRNA-AREG in renal fibrosis models. SAMiRNA-AREG markedly decreased the UUO- and AD-induced AREG mRNA expression. Furthermore, the mRNA expression of fibrosis markers, including α-smooth muscle actin, fibronectin, α1(I) collagen, and α1(III) collagen in the UUO and AD-induced kidneys, was diminished in the SAMiRNA-AREG-treated mice. The transcription of inflammatory markers (tumor necrosis factor-α and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1) and adhesion markers (vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 and intercellular adhesion molecule 1) was attenuated. The hematoxylin and eosin, Masson’s trichrome, and immunohistochemical staining results showed that SAMiRNA-AREG decreased renal fibrosis, AREG expression, and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) phosphorylation in the UUO- and AD-induced models. Moreover, we studied the effects of SAMiRNA-AREG in response to TGF-β1 in mouse and human proximal tubule cells, and mouse fibroblasts. TGF-β1-induced extracellular matrix production and myofibroblast differentiation were attenuated by SAMiRNA-AREG. Finally, we confirmed that upregulated AREG in the UUO or AD models was mainly localized in the distal tubules. In conclusion, SAMiRNA-AREG represents a novel siRNA therapeutic for renal fibrosis by suppressing EGFR signals.

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disease, and its progression leads to serious complications. Although various novel therapeutic approaches for diabetes mellitus have developed in the last three decades, its prevalence has been rising more rapidly worldwide. Silk-related materials have been used as anti-diabetic remedies in Oriental medicine and many studies have shown the effects of silk fibroin (SF) in both in vitro and in vivo models. In our previous works, we reported that hydrolyzed SF improved the survival of HIT-T15 cells under high glucose conditions and ameliorated diabetic dyslipidemia in a mouse model. However, we could not provide a precise molecular mechanism. To further evaluate the functions of hydrolyzed SF on the pancreatic &beta, cell, we investigated the effects of hydrolyzed SF on the pancreatic &beta, cell proliferation and regeneration in the mouse model. Hydrolyzed SF induced the expression of the proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and reduced the apoptotic cell population in the pancreatic islets. Hydrolyzed SF treatment not only induced the expression of transcription factors involved in the pancreatic &beta, cell regeneration in RT-PCR results but also increased neurogenin3 and Neuro D protein levels in the pancreas of those in the group treated with hydrolyzed SF. In line with this, hydrolyzed SF treatment generated insulin mRNA expressing small cell colonies in the pancreas. Therefore, our results suggest that the administration of hydrolyzed SF increases the pancreatic &beta, cell proliferation and regeneration in C57BL/KsJ-Leprdb/db mice.

Thermal ALD of TaNx and TiNx films was performed using hydrazine (N2H4) as a reactive N-containing source. Ultralow temperature (100 °C and 300 °C) growth of TaNx was observed using N2H4 and tris(diethylamido)(tert-butylimido) tantalum (TBTDET); XPS showed nearly stoichiometric Ta3N5 films were deposited with below 10% O and 5% C incorporation. Stoichiometric TiNx films grown at 300 °C with tetrakis(dimethylamido) titanium (TDMAT) showed an RMS roughness below 2 nm consistent with good nucleation density. High conductivity nitride films were grown by a thermal low-temperature TiNx ALD process using anhydrous N2H4 and titanium tetrachloride (TiCl4) from 300 to 400 °C; uniform, nearly stoichiometric films of 0.44 nm RMS roughness were deposited. Compared to NH3 grown films, XPS confirmed N2H4 grown films contained fewer O, C, and Cl impurities consistent with lower resistivities being observed with N2H4. The data is consistent with N2H4 serving as a reducing agent and a good proton donor to Ta and Ti ligands.

Low-temperature sequential exposures of N2H4 and BCl3 have been performed on Si0.3Ge0.7(001), Cu, and HOPG surfaces at 350 °C. A novel BN ALD process has been achieved on Si0.3Ge0.7(001) with 60 cycles of BN ALD producing a uniform, pinhole-free thin film with low contamination, as characterized with XPS and AFM. On Cu and Si0.3Ge0.7(001), XPS spectra indicated a near stoichiometric BN film. While AFM imaging indicated the deposition on Cu yielded nanometer-scale etching, conformal deposition was observed on Si0.3Ge0.7(001). The BN ALD also nucleated on inert HOPG via step edges. In situ STM imaging showed that cyclic exposures at 350 °C were able to decorate step edges with features ∼2 nm tall and ∼200 nm wide, indicating the propensity for BN to grow in the planar direction. The N2H4 and BCl3 ALD allows for the deposition of low oxygen, low carbon films, but to avoid etching, the growth should be nucleated by N2H4, since exposure to BCl3 can result in the formation of volatile Cl-containing surface species on many substrates. Therefore, the formation of a stable surface nitride prior to BCl3 exposure is necessary to prevent formation and desorption of volatile species from the substrate.

Traditionally, graphene quantum dots are prepared by fragmentation of graphene sheets into the nanoscale particles of controlled sizes followed by band gap adjustment by doping with electron-donating elements. Our novel synthetic aqueous arc discharge process has been developed to produce the blue-luminescent graphene quantum dots (bGQDs). The resulting bGQDs are ∼15 nm in diameter and the amount of oxygen-including functional groups can be controlled to 27.4% and 30.8% at 1 and 4 A of a current level, respectively. The presence of a band gap is confirmed by using scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy (STM/STS). Additionally, we investigated the effect of oxygen doping levels on the band gap by photoluminescence (PL) behaviors and a density functional theory (DFT). The PL emission is red-shifted from 397 to 425 nm corresponding to the amount of oxygen-including functional groups in bGQDs and the DFT calculation confirms the decrease in a band gap from ∼2.0 to ∼1.7 eV due to electron donation from oxygen. In addition, our quantum dots have promising applications for practical use in optoelectronics devices. For example, tris-dibenzoylmethane mono-1,10-phenanthroline-europium (III) (Eu III DP) is incorporated with bGQDs for white-light emission and is shown to be successfully fabricated into light-emitting polymer films.

To fabricate practical devices based on semiconducting two-dimensional (2D) materials, the source, channel, and drain materials are exposed to ambient air. However, the response of layered 2D materials to air has not been fully elucidated at the molecular level. In the present report, the effects of air exposure on transition metal dichalcogenides (TMD) and metal dichalcogenides (MD) are studied using ultrahigh-vacuum scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). The effects of a 1-day ambient air exposure on MBE-grown WSe2, chemical vapor deposition (CVD)-grown MoS2, and MBE SnSe2 are compared. Both MBE-grown WSe2 and CVD-grown MoS2 display a selective air exposure response at the step edges, consistent with oxidation on WSe2 and adsorption of hydrocarbon on MoS2, while the terraces and domain/grain boundaries of both TMDs are nearly inert to ambient air. Conversely, MBE-grown SnSe2, an MD, is not stable in ambient air. After exposure in ambient air for 1 day, the entire surface of SnSe2 is decomposed to SnOx and...

A thin passivating SiO x control layer has been deposited via self-limiting CVD on the InGaAs(001)-(2x4) surface by first depositing 2 monolayers of silicon with –Cl x termination using Si 2 Cl 6 ,and then subsequently oxidizing the silicon seed layer by employing anhydrous HOOH(g) at a substrate temperature of 350 °C. After HOOH(g)) dosing, XPS spectra show a higher binding energy shoulder peak on Si2p indicative of SiO x bonding, while an unshifted Si 2p component remains, and In 3d, Ga 2p, and As 2p peaks show no higher binding energy components consistent with the prevention of III-V oxidation. Scanning tunneling spectroscopy (STS) measurements show after SiO x deposition on the InGaAs(001)-(2x4) surface, the bandgap broadens towards that of SiO 2 , with the electronic structure free of states in the bandgap leaving the surface ready for subsequent gate oxide ALD. Density functional theory calculations support the experimental STS data following TMA dosing, which shows TMA nucleates directly on the SiO x /InGaAs(001) surface and leaves an electrically passive interface with the bandgap free of defect states and the surface ready for high-K gate oxide nucleation.

To avoid defects associated with inhomogeneous crystallites and uneven morphology that degrade organic device performance, the deposition of ultraflat and homogeneous crystalline organic active layers is required. The growth mode transition of organic semiconducting titanyl phthalocyanine (TiOPc) molecule from monolayer-by-monolayer to bilayer-by-bilayer can be observed on highly ordered pyrolytic graphic (HOPG), while maintaining large and molecularly flat domains. The first monolayer of TiOPc lies flat on HOPG with a ∼98% face-up orientation. However, as the thickness of the TiOPc increases to over 15 monolayers (ML), the growth mode transitions to bilayer-by-bilayer with the repeated stacking of bilayers (BL), each of which has face-to-face pairs. Density functional theory calculations reveal that the increasing of thickness induces weakening of the substrate effect on the deposited TiOPc layers, resulting in the growth mode transition to BL-by-BL. The asymmetric stacking provides the driving force to ...

In this work, thermally healable graphene-nanoplate/epoxy (GNP/EP) nanocomposites were investigated. GNPs were used as reinforcement and crosslinking platforms for the diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A-based epoxy resin (DGEBA) through the Diels-Alder (DA) reaction with furfurylamine (FA). The GNPs and FA could then be used as a derivative of diene and dienophile in the DA reaction. It was expected that the combination of GNPs and FA in DGEBA would produce composites based on the interfacial properties of the components. We confirmed the DA reaction of GNPs and FA at the interface during curing of the GNP/EP nanocomposites. This procedure is simple and solvent-free. DA and retro DA reactions of the obtained composites were demonstrated, and the thermal healing properties were evaluated. The behavior of the GNP/EP nanocomposites in the DA reaction is similar to that of thermosetting polymers at low temperatures due to crosslinking by the DA reaction, and the nanocomposites can be recycled by a retro DA reaction at high temperatures.

Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP1) facilitates DNA damage response (DDR). While the Ewing's sarcoma breakpoint region 1 (EWS) protein fused to FLI1 triggers sarcoma formation, the physiological function of EWS is largely unknown. Here, we investigate the physiological role of EWS in regulating PARP1. We show that EWS is required for PARP1 dissociation from damaged DNA. Abnormal PARP1 accumulation caused by EWS inactivation leads to excessive Poly(ADP-Ribosy)lation (PARylation) and triggers cell death in both in vitro and in vivo models. Consistent with previous work, the arginine-glycine-glycine (RGG) domain of EWS is essential for PAR chain interaction and PARP1 dissociation from damaged DNA. Ews and Parp1 double mutant mice do not show improved survival, but supplementation with nicotinamide mononucleotides extends Ews-mutant pups' survival, which might be due to compensatory activation of other PARP proteins. Consistently, PARP1 accumulates on chromatin in Ewing's sarcoma cells expressing an EWS fusion protein that cannot interact with PARP1, and tissues derived from Ewing's sarcoma patients show increased PARylation. Taken together, our data reveal that EWS is important for removing PARP1 from damaged chromatin.

Thermally self-healing graphene-nanoplate/polyurethane (GNP/PU) nanocomposites were prepared via a bulk in-situ Diels&ndash, Alder (DA) reaction. Graphene-nanoplate (GNP) was used as a reinforcement and crosslinking platform by a DA reaction with a furfuryl-based chain extender of polyurethane (PU). Results showed that a DA reaction occurred in GNP during the PU forming cure process. This procedure is simple and solvent free because of the absence of any independent surface modification process. Through the calculation of the interfacial tensions, the conditions of the bulk in-situ DA reaction were determined to ensure that GNP and the furfuryl group can react with each other at the interface during the curing process without a solvent. The prepared composites were characterized in terms of thermal, mechanical, and thermally self-healing properties via the DA reaction. In the PU capable of a DA reaction (DPU), characteristic peaks of DA and retro DA reactions were observed in the Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy and endothermic peaks of retro DA reactions appeared in differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) thermograms. The DPU showed significantly enhanced physical properties and chemical resistance. The thermally self-healing capability was confirmed at 110 &deg, C via the retro DA reactions. It is inferred that thermally self-healable crosslinked GNP/PU nanocomposites via DA reactions could be prepared in a simple bulk process through the molecular design of a chain extender for the in-situ reaction at the interface.

Sustainable green energy technologies have paid much attention to the development of a solar-driven seawater desalination technique due to its ecofriendly and efficient desalination performance. We propose a novel hybrid hydrogel consisting of conducting polymer of polypyrrole (PPy) and polyvalent cations crosslinked alginate (Alg) with strong repulsive force for simultaneous seawater desalination and electricity generation. The strong repulsive force of polyvalent cations crosslinked with Alg selectively rejects salt cations by inducing reverse salinity gradient against the rapid evaporation-induced salt accumulation on the upper surface of the solar evaporator. The proposed PPy–incorporated Alg (PPy/Alg) hydrogel exhibits an evaporation rate of 1.15 kg h−1 m−2 with a conversion efficiency of 54.12% under 1 sun solar irradiation. In addition, this hydrogel has an excellent crystalline antifouling property, and can be easily scaled-up with maintaining solar desalination performance. Depending on the compositions of PPy and Alg, the spontaneous electricity generation is largely affected by the balance between the decreased salinity gradient by the accumulation of salt cations and the increased salinity gradient by the strong repulsive force. The present results would pave a novel way for the development of sustainable electricity generation in combination with solar-driven seawater desalination by a facile methodology and energy-friendly process.

Distribution of clay minerals separated from clay fraction of corn fields in Korea has been investigated along with their characterization. Crystalline phases of the clay minerals were identified by powder X-ray diffraction(XRD) pattern, and their relative chemical compositions were analyzed by X-ray fluorescence spectrometry(XRF). The soils were found to have pH 6.4, organic matter 37.2 g kg -1 , available P₂O 5 599 mg kg -1 , respectively, and exchangeable K, Ca and Mg were 1.2, 7.3 and 1.8 cmolc kg -1 , respectively. Major primary minerals consisted mainly of quartz and mica, and kaolinite and chlorite were identified as major secondary clay minerals. For most of soils, mica phase was identified to be muscovite rather than biotite. The average contents of SiO₂, Al₂O₃ and Fe₂O₃ were 43.7, 23.6 and 8.8%, respectively, although they were different with the locations.

This study was conducted to analyze soil physico-chemical properties of agricultural land composed from the river-bed sediments. We investigated the changes of soil physico-chemical properties at 30 different sampling sites containing paddy, upland and plastic film house from 2012 to 2015. pH, exchangeable calcium and magnesium decreased gradually in paddy soils during the four years, whereas the available P₂O 5 , exchangeable Ca, Mg and EC increased in upland and plastic film house soil. For the soil physical properties, bulk density and hardness of topsoil were 1.47 g cm -3 and 21.5 mm and those of subsoil were 1.71 g cm -3 and 25.7 mm in paddy soils. In upland soils, bulk density and hardness of topsoil were 1.48 g cm -3 and 15.9 mm and those of subsoil were 1.55 g cm -3 and 16.9 mm. In plastic film house soils, bulk density and hardness of topsoil were 1.42 g cm -3 and 14.4 mm and those of subsoil were 1.40 g cm -3 and 18.5 mm, respectively. The penetration hardness was higher than 3 MPa below soil depth 20 cm, and it is impossible to measure below soil depth 50 cm. As these results, in agricultural anthropogenic soils dredged from river basins, the pH, amount of organic matter and exchangeable cations decreased and soil physical properties also deteriorated with time. Therefore, it is needed to apply more organic matters and suitable amount of fertilizer and improve the soil physical properties by cultivating green manure crops, deep tillage, and reversal of deep soils.

A rhizobacterium LPN-2, which showed strong antifungal activity and auxin producing ability, was isolated from a farmland in North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea. Based on analysis of the 16S rDNA sequence, strain LPN-2 was identified as a novel strain of Burkholderia and was designated as Burkholderia sp. LPN-2. In vitro experiments showed that the isolated stain LPN-2 significantly produced auxin within 48 hr incubation. In order to check for PGPR function we performed in vivo growth promoting test in different crops, including mung bean, pea and cabbage. Application of Burkholderia sp. LPN-2 showed dramatic growth promoting effect on all the tested plants. We also confirmed siderophore and cellulase productions by Burkholderia sp. LPN-2 using CAS blue agar and CMC plate test. Further treatment with LPN-2 and the crude culture broth was effective in suppressing anthracnose in vitro test and also reduced incidence and severity of anthracnose in apple and pepper. Taken together, we conclude that Burkholderia sp. LPN-2 might be used as organic fertilizer for effective crop production in organic farming.

This study deals with the distribution of the clay minerals separated from clay fractions of ranch pastures in Korea and their chemical and mineralogical properties. Crystalline phases of the clay minerals were identified by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern and FT-IR spectra, and their relative chemical compositions were also analyzed by X-ray flourescence spectrometry (XRF). Primary minerals consisted mainly of quartz and mica and chlorite and kaolinite along with a trace of swelling micas were identified as secondary clay minerals. However, the relative content of these clay minerals was different with the locations, which led to significant effects on physical and chemical properties of soils like inorganic elemental composition. In particular, SiO₂ content was higher in Gochang ranch pasture than in other ranch pasture. Infrared (IR) spectra did not indicate any significant differences in organic functional groups among the locations. This study clearly showed that ranch pastures had different relative content of clay minerals and chemical properties depending on the location and consequently that those properties are worthy to be taken into account for soil amendment.

Rice cultivation in paddy field affects the global balance of methane (CH₄) as a key greenhouse gas. To evaluate a potential use of by-product gypsum fertilizer (BGF) in reducing CH₄ emission from paddy soil, CH₄ fluxes from a paddy soil applied with BGF different levels (0, 2, 4 and 8 Mg ha -1 ) were investigated by closed-chamber method during rice cultivation period. CH₄ flux significantly decreased (p -1 of BGF addition in soil reduced CH₄ flux by 60.6% compared to control. Decreased soil redox potential (Eh) resulted in increasing CH₄ emission through a CO₂ reduction reaction. The concentrations of dissolved calcium (Ca) and sulfate ion (SO₄ 2- ) in soil pore water were significantly increased as the application rate of BGF increased and showed negatively correlations with CH₄ flux. Decreased CH₄ flux with BGF application implied that SO₄ 2- ion led to decreases in electron availability for methanogen and precipitation reaction of Ca ion with inorganic carbon including carbonate and bicarbonate as a source of CH₄ formation under anoxic condition. BGF application also increased rice grain yield by 16% at 8 Mg ha -1 of BGF addition. Therefore, our results suggest that BGF application can be a good soil management practice to reduce CH₄ emission from paddy soil and to increase rice yield.

Filler injections are commonly performed for facial rejuvenation and volume replacement. Injectable polycaprolactone (PCL) derivatives are widely used as soft tissue fillers for aesthetic facial enhancement. PCL is a synthetic linear polyester with almost 50% crystallinity, and consists of 6-hydroxyhexanoates. PCL is a soft dermal filler based on PCL microspheres (range: 25-50 μm); it is non-toxic and biodegradable, and is completely excreted from the human body in two stages. The first stage starts [...]

Tuning the magnetoresistance behavior of heterostructures composed of nonmagnetic and ferromagnetic (FM) materials is crucial for improving their applicability in electronic and spintronic devices. In this study, we investigate whether the integration of organic layers to NiFe/Pt junctions can result in the modification of the magnetic moment of the FM layer using iron phthalocyanines (FePc) and copper phthalocyanines (CuPc) as the interfacial layers for controlling the spin-charge conversion. Relaxation of the out-of-plane magnetic hard axis of the NiFe/Pt junctions is observed, as a result of the modification of the interfacial magnetic structure. The transport measurements of the fabricated hybrid Hall bar junctions with NiFe/FePc/Pt and NiFe/CuPc/Pt reveal that although the intrinsic anisotropic magnetoresistance of the present Hall bar is maintained with the integration of interfacial metal phthalocyanine (MPc) layers, a change in the magnetic response along the axis perpendicular to the in-plane of Hall bars is observed, owing to the insertion of the interfacial MPc layers. The present method of interface engineering via integration of organic interfacial layers can act as a model system for controlling the spin-charge conversion behavior of magnetic heterojunction toward the development of multifunctional molecular-engineered spintronic devices.

Defect engineering of2D semiconducting transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) has been demonstrated to be a promising way to tune both their bandgaps and carrier concentrations. Moreover, controlled introduction of defects in the source/drain access regions of a TMDC FET can boost its performance by decreasing the contact resistance at the metallTMDC interface [1]. While chemical functionalization offers a facile route towards defect engineering in 2D TMDCs, several chemically-treated TMDCs have not been fully understood at the molecular level. In this study, chemical sulfur treatment (ST) utilizing ammonium sulfide [(NH 4 ) 2 S] solution is shown to enhance the p-type behavior in 2D WSe2 via introduction of acceptor defect states near its valence band edge (VBE), with the results verified using detailed scanning tunneling microscopy (STM)/spectroscopy (STS) studies, field-effect transistor (FET) measurements and theoretical density-of-states (DOS) calculations.

15-Crown-5-ether-substituted cobalt(II) phthalocyanine (CoCrPc) is an atomically thin and flat-laying, electrically insulating molecule that can solvate ions; these properties are desirable for nanoelectronic devices. A simple, solution-phase deposition method is demonstrated to produce a monolayer of CoCrPc on highly ordered pyrolytic graphite (HOPG). A uniform and continuous CoCrPc layer is obtained on freshly cleaved HOPG by solution drop casting, followed by thermal annealing under ambient pressure in Ar in the temperature range of 150–210 °C. While the quality of the monolayer is independent of annealing time, the composition of the annealing atmosphere is critical; exposure to ambient air degrades the quality of the monolayer over the time scale of minutes. Using ultrahigh vacuum scanning tunneling microscopy, a highly ordered and flat CoCrPc layer with hexagonal symmetry and average spacing of 4.09 ± 0.2 nm is observed. The band gap of the CoCrPc, measured by scanning tunneling spectroscopy, is 1.3...

Anaerobic decomposition of organic material in flooded rice fields produces methane, which escapes to the atmosphere primarily by transport through the rice plants. The annual amount of CH₄ emitted from a given area of rice is a function of the number and duration of crops grown, water regimes before and during cultivation period, and organic and inorganic soil amendments. Soil type, temperature, and rice cultivar also affect CH₄ emissions. The field experiment was conducted for three years to develop methane emission factor for water regime before the cultivation period from the rice fields. It was treated with three different water regimes prior to rice cultivation, namely: non-flooded pre-season 180 days, flooded per-season in which the minimum flooding interval is set to 30 days. Methane emission increased with days after transplanting and soil redox potential (Eh) decreased rapidly after flooding during the rice cultivation. The average methane emission fluxes were 5.47 kg CH₄ ha -1 day -1 in flooded pre-season > 30 days, 5.04 in non-flooded pre-season 180. Methane emission flux was highly correlated with soil temperature and soil Eh. Rice yields showed no difference among treatments with water regime before the cultivation period.

A saturated Si-Hx seed layer for gate oxide or contact conductor ALD has been deposited via two separate self-limiting and saturating CVD processes on InGaAs(001)-(2 × 4) at substrate temperatures of 250 and 350 °C. For the first self-limiting process, a single silicon precursor, Si3H8, was dosed at a substrate temperature of 250 °C, and XPS results show the deposited silicon hydride layer saturated at about 4 monolayers of silicon coverage with hydrogen termination. STS results show the surface Fermi level remains unpinned following the deposition of the saturated silicon hydride layer, indicating the InGaAs surface dangling bonds are electrically passivated by Si-Hx. For the second self-limiting process, Si2Cl6 was dosed at a substrate temperature of 350 °C, and XPS results show the deposited silicon chloride layer saturated at about 2.5 monolayers of silicon coverage with chlorine termination. Atomic hydrogen produced by a thermal gas cracker was subsequently dosed at 350 °C to remove the Si-Cl termination by replacing with Si-H termination as confirmed by XPS, and STS results confirm the saturated Si-Hx bilayer leaves the InGaAs(001)-(2 × 4) surface Fermi level unpinned. Density function theory modeling of silicon hydride surface passivation shows an Si-Hx monolayer can remove all the dangling bonds and leave a charge balanced surface on InGaAs.

Hyperglycemia-induced pancreatic β-cell apoptosis causes serious health complications in diabetic patients. Recently, studies demonstrated that silk and silk-related materials have anti-diabetic effects. We previously reported that silk fibroin hydrolysate (SFH) has anti-diabetic effects through increased pancreatic β-cell mass in type 2 diabetic animals (C57BL/KsJdb/db). However, it is not known whether SFH has anti-apoptotic effects in hyperglycemic conditions. The present study investigates the anti-apoptotic effects of SFH on high glucose-induced apoptosis using RIN5F cells, a rat pancreatic β-cell line. Hyperglycemic conditions decreased RIN5F cell viability in a concentration-dependent manner. High glucose treatment of 33 mM or higher caused a significant decrease in RIN5F cell viability. However, addition of SFH significantly recovered cell viability in the presence of high glucose. Flow cytometry analysis showed that high glucose treatment significantly increased early stage apoptosis in RIN5F cel...

Urea has been the most useful N-source, due to lower cost per unit of N. But nitrogen use efficiency of urea may be reduced because of losses from agricultural system by volatilization of ammonia to atmosphere. This study was conducted to evaluate the nitrogen efficiency and growth of hot pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) by mixed treatment with nitrogen and zeolite. They were treated with N 161 kg ha -1 , N 230 kg ha -1 , nitrogenzeolite mixture (NZM) 161 kg ha -1 , NZM 230 kg ha -1 and N 0 kg ha-1, respectively. In the soil chemical properties after experiment, soil pH decreased but available P₂O 5 , EC and total nitrogen increased in nitrogen-zeolite mixture treatment. NO₃-N content in the soil showed the highest level in NZM 230 kg ha-1. NZM 161 kg ha-1 treatment increased growth and yield of hot pepper compared to urea alone. Nitrogen utilization efficiency of hot pepper plant was 47.15% at the treatment of NZM 161 kg ha -1 , while 36.74% at N 230 kg ha -1 . These results showed that application of mixture of nitrogen and zeolite had positive influence to improve the efficiency of nitrogen utilization and increase of red pepper yield.

Sirt1 is an NAD+-dependent protein deacetylase that regulates many physiological functions, including stress resistance, adipogenesis, cell senescence and energy production. Sirt1 can be activated by energy deprivation, but the mechanism is poorly understood. Here, we report that Sirt1 is negatively regulated by ATP, which binds to the C-terminal domain (CTD) of Sirt1. ATP suppresses Sirt1 activity by impairing the CTD's ability to bind to the deacetylase domain as well as its ability to function as the substrate recruitment site. ATP, but not NAD+, causes a conformational shift to a less compact structure. Mutations that prevent ATP binding increase Sirt1's ability to promote stress resistance and inhibit adipogenesis under high-ATP conditions. Interestingly, the CTD can be attached to other proteins, thereby converting them into energy-regulated proteins. These discoveries provide insight into how extreme energy deprivation can impact Sirt1 activity and underscore the complex nature of Sirt1 structure and regulation., The deacetylase Sirt1, known to regulate many cellular functions, can be activated by energy deprivation, however the mechanism is unclear. Here, the authors show that ATP inhibits Sirt1 by binding to the C-terminal domain, and energy deprivation derepresses Sirt1 activity by lowering the ATP level.

Sepsis causes multiple organs failures and eventually death. Changes in blood constituents due to sepsis lead to alterations in hemorheological properties, and cell adhesiveness. In this study, a new microfluidic system is proposed to measure temporal variations in biophysical properties of blood after injecting lipopolysaccharide (LPS) into a rat extracorporeal model under ex vivo condition. To measure blood viscosity, the interfacial line between blood and a reference fluid is formed in a Y-shaped channel. Based on the relation between interfacial width and pressure ratio, the temporal variation in blood viscosity is estimated. Optical images of blood flows are analyzed by decreasing flow rate for examination of red blood cell (RBC) aggregation. Platelets initiated by shear acceleration around the stenosis adhere to the post-stenosed region. By applying a correlation map that visualizes the decorrelation of the streaming blood flow, the area of adhered platelets can be quantitatively attained without labeling of platelets. To assess sepsis inflammation, conventional biomarkers (PCT and IL-8) are also monitored. The increasing tendency for blood viscosity, RBC aggregation, platelet adhesion, and septic biomarkers are observed after LPS injection. This microfluidic system would be beneficial for monitoring the changes in hemorheological properties and platelet activation caused by sepsis.

Ammonia loss from urea significantly hinders efficient use of urea in agriculture. The level of nitrous oxide (N₂O) a long-lived greenhouse gas in atmosphere has increased mainly due to anthropogenic source, especially application of nitrogen fertilizers. There are reports in the literature showing that the addition of zeolite to N sources can improve the nitrogen use efficiency. This study was conducted to evaluate nitrous oxide (N₂O) and ammonia (NH₃) emission by mixed treatment of urea and zeolite in upland crop field. Urea fertilizer and zeolite were applied at different rates to study their effect on N₂O emission during red pepper cultivation in upland soils. The N₂O gas was collected by static closed chamber method and measured by gas chromatography. Ammonia concentration was analyzed by closed-dynamic air flow system method. The total N₂O flux increased in proportion to the level of N application. Emission of N₂O from the field increased from the plots applied with urea-zeolite mixture compared to urea alone. But urea-zeolite mixture treatment reduced about 30% of NH₃-N volatilization amounts. These results showed that the application of urea and zeolite mixture had a positive influence on reduction of NH3 volatilization, but led to the increase in N₂O emission in upland soils.

This study was carried out to develop the new mushroom cultivation medium for Pleurotus ostreatus using by EFB. Two strains of Pleurotus ostreatus were used for this study and the difference in productivity was observed in each strain. There was not confirmed a mycelial growth inhibition by addition of Empty Fruit Bunch which is palm tree waste. In the productivity test of the mixed medium, In Suhan 1ho, yield of T2 treatment was highest as 90.6 g per bottle, It was 14.9% higher than control. In Kimje variety which is Chunchu strain, Yield of T2 treatment was highest as 139.8 g per bottle. It was 25.2% higher than control. In Kimje variety, as amount of 6mm diameter PEFB pellet is increased in medium, yield of mushroom was decreased. When 8mm diameter EFB was used for 532 medium, yield of both 50% EFB(T3) and 100% EFB (T5) treatment was better than other treatments. Therefore, it is suggested that 8 mm diameter EFB pellet is good material for mushroom cultivation medium and T5 treatment was showed a potential possibility as an alternative medium.

Electronic packaging materials with high thermal conductivity and suitable viscosity are necessary in the manufacturing of highly integrated electronic devices for efficient heat dissipation during operation. This study looked at the effect of boron nitride (BN) platelets on the rheology and thermal conductivity of composites based on alumina (Al2O3) and epoxy resin (EP) for the potential application as electronic packaging. The viscosity and thermal conductivity of the composite were increased upon increasing filler content. Furthermore, thermal conductivity of the BN/Al2O3/EP was much higher than that of Al2O3/EP at almost the same filler loadings. These unique properties resulted from the high thermal conductivity of the BN and the synergistic effect of the spherical and plate shapes of these two fillers. The orientation of BN platelets can be controlled by adjusting their loading to facilitate the formation of higher thermally conductive pathways. The optimal content of the BN in the Al2O3/EP composites was confirmed to be 5.3 vol %, along with the maximum thermal conductivity of 4.4 W/(m&middot, K).

Transition metal oxide TFTs were fabricated on a fabric substrate for wearable display. Atomic layer deposition (ALD) was employed to reduce process temperature. The gate electrode (Ti/Al/Ti) was deposited by thermal evaporation. The gate insulator and channel layer were Al2O3 and ZnO, respectively. Ti/Al was deposited by thermal evaporation to make the source and drain contacts for ZnO TFTs. The TFT fabricated on the fabric substrate showed TFT driving behavior with the following performances: µFE = 0.6 cm2/V-s, on off ratio = 9.07×102, Subthreshold Swing = 1.725 decade-1, Vth = -1.57 V. The results confirmed that it may be feasible to apply our low temperature fabrication of TFTs using the ALD process to wearable displays based on fabric substrates.

BACKGROUND: Methane (CH4) emission is calculated using the default CH4 emission factor as recommended by the International Panel on Climate Change(IPCC guidelines). However, the default emission factor has been derived using including the data from other countries having different soil and environmental conditions and may not reflect the real CH4 emission rates in Korea. The objective of this study was to estimate the baseline emission factor of CH4 in Korean paddy soils during rice cultivation. METHODS AND RESULTS: Methane emission patterns were characterized in four different paddy soils across country for a consecutive 3 years during the rice cultivation period. Rice plants were cultivated under continuous flooding and fertilized using the recommended chemical fertilization in Korea (N-P2O5-K2O=90-45-57kg/ha). The mean CH4 emission rate was 2.32 kg CH4/ha/day and the uncertainty of the investigated data was 21.7%, with a valuable error range at 1.82-2.82 kg CH4/ha/day with a 95% confidence interval. CONCLUSION(S): Conclusively, the Korean paddy soils' baseline emission factor of CH4 is approximately 2.32 kg CH4/ha/day and can be used to estimate the CH4 emissions more exactly.

The antidiabetic properties in silk materials, such as silkworm and silk fibroin, have been described in traditional folk medicine. In a previous study, we reported that the silk fibroin hydrolysate (SFH) had a protective effect against glucotoxicity in HIT-15 cells and an antidiabetic effect in a noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (type 2 diabetes, T2DM) mouse model. This study aimed to determine whether SFH ameliorates diabetic dyslipidemia and promotes pancreatic β-cell function in a T2DM animal model (C57BL/KsJdb/db). SFH significantly improved blood glucose levels after 4 weeks of treatment. T2DM animals had a normal serum blood glucose level after 6 weeks of SFH treatment. Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels were significantly lower in T2DM animals that were treated with SFH for 6 weeks. Glucose tolerance in T2DM animals also significantly improved after 6 weeks of SFH treatment. Furthermore, plasma total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, nonesterified fatty acid, and triglyceride con...

Ambient NO2 adsorption onto copper(II) phthalocyanine (CuPc) monolayers is observed using ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) to elucidate the molecular sensing mechanism in CuPc chemical vapor sensors. For low doses (1 ppm for 5 min) of NO2 at ambient temperatures, isolated chemisorption sites on the CuPc metal centers are observed in STM images. These chemisorbates almost completely desorb from the CuPc monolayer after annealing at 100 C for 30 min. Conversely, for high NO 2 doses (10 ppm for 5 min), the NO2 induces a fracture of the CuPc domains. This domain fracture can only be reversed by annealing above 150 C, which is consistent with dissociative chemisorption into NO and atomic O accompanied by surface restructuring. This high stability implies that the domain fracture results from tightly bound adsorbates, such as atomic O. Existence of atomic O on or under the CuPc layer, which results in domain fracture, is revealed by XPS analysis and ozone-dosing experiments. The observed CuPc domain fracturing is consistent with a mechanism for the dosimetric sensing of NO2 and other reactive gases by CuPc organic thin film transistors (OTFTs). © 2013 American Chemical Society.

This study aimed at optimizing the manufacturing conditions of a milk beverage supplemented with coffee, and monitoring its physicochemical and sensory properties during storage. Raw milk, skim milk powder, coffee extract, and emulsifiers were used to manufacture the beverage. Two sucrose fatty acid esters, F110 and F160, were identified as suitable emulsifiers. The optimum conditions for the beverage manufacture, which can satisfy two conditions at the same time, determined by response surface methodology (RSM), were 5,000 rpm primary homogenization speed and 0.207% sucrose fatty acid emulsifier addition. The particle size and zeta-potential of the beverage under the optimum condition were 190.1 nm and - 25.94±0.06 mV, respectively. In comparison study between F110 added group (GF110) and F160 added group (GF160) during storage, all samples maintained its pH around 6.6 to 6.7, and there was no significant difference (p

To deposit an ultrathin dielectric onto WSe2, monolayer titanyl phthalocyanine (TiOPc) is deposited by molecular beam epitaxy as a seed layer for atomic layer deposition (ALD) of Al2O3 on WSe2. TiOPc molecules are arranged in a flat monolayer with 4-fold symmetry as measured by scanning tunneling microscopy. ALD pulses of trimethyl aluminum and H2O nucleate on the TiOPc, resulting in a uniform deposition of Al2O3, as confirmed by atomic force microscopy and cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy. The field-effect transistors (FETs) formed using this process have a leakage current of 0.046 pA/μm(2) at 1 V gate bias with 3.0 nm equivalent oxide thickness, which is a lower leakage current than prior reports. The n-branch of the FET yielded a subthreshold swing of 80 mV/decade.

Platelet functions, including adhesion, activation and aggregation have an influence on thrombosis and the progression of atherosclerosis. In the present study, a new microfluidic-based method is proposed to estimate platelet adhesion and blood viscosity simultaneously. Blood sample flows into an H-shaped microfluidic device with a peristaltic pump. Since platelet aggregation may be initiated by the compression of rotors inside the peristaltic pump, platelet aggregates may adhere to the H-shaped channel. Through correlation mapping, which visualizes decorrelation of the streaming blood flow, the area of adhered platelets (APlatelet) can be estimated without labeling platelets. The platelet function is estimated by determining the representative index IA·T based on APlatelet and contact time. Blood viscosity is measured by monitoring the flow conditions in the one side channel of the H-shaped device. Based on the relation between interfacial width (W) and pressure ratio of sample flows to the reference, blood sample viscosity (μ) can be estimated by measuring W. Biophysical parameters (IA·T, μ) are compared for normal and diabetic rats using an ex vivo extracorporeal model. This microfluidic-based method can be used for evaluating variations in the platelet adhesion and blood viscosity of animal models with cardiovascular diseases under ex vivo conditions.

The effect of air exposure on 2H-WSe2/HOPG is determined via scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). WSe2 was grown by molecular beam epitaxy on highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG), and afterward, a Se adlayer was deposited in situ on WSe2/HOPG to prevent unintentional oxidation during transferring from the growth chamber to the STM chamber. After annealing at 773 K to remove the Se adlayer, STM images show that WSe2 layers nucleate at both step edges and terraces of the HOPG. Exposure to air for 1 week and 9 weeks caused air-induced adsorbates to be deposited on the WSe2 surface; however, the band gap of the terraces remained unaffected and nearly identical to those on decapped WSe2. The air-induced adsorbates can be removed by annealing at 523 K. In contrast to WSe2 terraces, air exposure caused the edges of the WSe2 to oxidize and form protrusions, resulting in a larger band gap in the scanning tunneling spectra compared to the terraces of air-exposed WSe2 monolayers. The preferential oxidation at the WSe2 edges compared to the terraces is likely the result of dangling edge bonds. In the absence of air exposure, the dangling edge bonds had a smaller band gap compared to the terraces and a shift of about 0.73 eV in the Fermi level toward the valence band. However, after air exposure, the band gap of the oxidized WSe2 edges became about 1.08 eV larger than that of the WSe2 terraces, resulting in the electronic passivation of the WSe2.