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In psoriasis treatment, not all body regions improve simultaneously after clinical interventions.This study was aimed at evaluating clinical responses across body regions, which may differentially influence patient treatment plans.This prospective, observational, and multi-center study was conducted in Koreans who adhered to ustekinumab treatment based on criteria per local label and reimbursement guidelines. A total of 581 were included in this analysis.The mean (±standard deviation) psoriasis area severity index (PASI) score at baseline, age, disease duration, and body surface area (%) were 18.9±9.69, 44.2±13.29 years, 11.3±9.65 years, and 27.8±17.83, respectively. Across the head and neck, upper extremities, trunk, and lower extremities, the correlation between the PASI sub-scores for the upper and lower extremities was the highest (r=0.680). The mean PASI sub-score for the lower extremities was the highest at baseline. PASI90 and PASI100 scores were the highest for the head and neck region, indicating the highest response rates, while those for the lower extremities were consistently low at all visits.We found differences in regional ustekinumab responses, with the lower extremities being the most difficult to treat. These findings should be considered in psoriasis treatment.

We present results related to the growth of high-aspect-ratio ZnO nanowires (NWs) using metal–organic chemical vapor deposition based on the study of the NW growth mechanism on various substrates. The ZnO NWs on Si, sapphire, and GaN substrates were optically and structurally characterized, and the effect of a low-temperature ZnO buffer layer was investigated. It was demonstrated that NWs deposited under the same conditions could be randomly oriented or vertically aligned. Well-aligned ZnO NWs were grown on Si (100) substrates with a ZnO buffer layer which was grown via atomic layer deposition. The NWs are single-crystalline wurtzite structures with a preferential growth in the (002) direction. Room-temperature photoluminescence measurements exhibited a strong ultraviolet emission and suppressed visible emission. This result affirms the absence of defects related to ZnO or oxygen vacancies. On changing the substrate, different morphologies of the ZnO NWs can be attained, which present different photoelect...

Telomeres play important roles in genome stability and cell proliferation. Telomere lengths are heterogeneous and because just a few abnormal telomeres are sufficient to trigger significant cellular response, it is informative to have accurate assays that reveal not only average telomere lengths, but also the distribution of the longest and shortest telomeres in a given sample. Herein we report for the first time, the development of single telomere length analysis (STELA) - a PCR-based assay that amplifies multiple, individual telomeres - for Ustilago maydis, a basidiomycete fungus. Compared to the standard telomere Southern technique, STELA revealed a broader distribution of telomere size as well as the existence of relatively short telomeres in wild type cells. When applied to blm∆, a mutant thought to be defective in telomere replication, STELA revealed preferential loss of long telomeres, whose maintenance may thus be especially dependent upon efficient replication. In comparison to blm∆, the trt1∆ (telomerase null) mutant exhibited greater erosion of short telomeres, consistent with a special role for telomerase in re-lengthening extra-short telomeres. We also used STELA to characterize the 5' ends of telomere C-strand, and found that in U. maydis, they terminate preferentially at selected nucleotide positions within the telomere repeat. Deleting trt1 altered the 5'-end distributions, suggesting that telomerase may directly or indirectly modulate C-strand 5' end formation. These findings illustrate the utility of STELA as well as the strengths of U. maydis as a model system for telomere research.

We investigated the optical and structural properties of ZnOS digital alloy grown on Si by atomic layer deposition. The refractive index and extinction coefficient were evaluated using spectroscopic ellipsometry. ZnOS alloy film shows a strong absorption tail extended to the below band gap regime, which is attributed to a high density of band tail states formed within the band gap owing to the amorphous crystallinity. The ZnOS alloy exhibits a large Urbach energy of 210–540 meV. After high-temperature annealing, the band tail states are reduced with a decrease in lattice disorder, which is confirmed by enhanced X-ray diffraction peaks.

Purpose Indocyanine green angiography (ICGA) was compared with swept-source optical coherence tomography angiography (SS-OCTA) for the detection of polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV). Design Retrospective, cross-sectional. Methods Patients with treatment-naive PCV based on ICGA imaging underwent same-day SS-OCTA imaging at Kyung Hee University Medical Center between April 2017 and November 2018. ICGA and SS-OCTA images were graded independently. SS-OCTA images were graded using both flow and structural information. Images were graded for the number of polypoidal lesions and the total lesion area, which included both the polypoidal lesions and the branching vascular networks (BVNs). Results A total of 31 eyes from 30 patients were enrolled. Polypoidal lesions were identified in all eyes using both modalities, and there was agreement on the number of polypoidal lesions in 17 eyes (55%). In 12 eyes (39%), SS-OCTA graders identified a greater number of polypoidal lesions, and in 2 eyes (6%) ICGA graders identified more lesions. There was no significant difference in the lesion area measurements (standard deviation = 1.09, P = .08). The lesion with the largest difference in area measurements resulted from focal areas of atrophy, misdiagnosed as polypoidal lesions on ICGA, and a low-lying serous retinal pigment epithelial detachment erroneously identified as part of the BVN by ICGA graders. SS-OCTA imaging correctly diagnosed the focal areas of atrophy and the serous retinal pigment epitheial detachment. Conclusions SS-OCTA imaging was comparable to ICGA for the diagnosis of treatment-naive PCV. However, SS-OCTA might be better than ICGA in correctly identifying both polypoidal lesions and BVNs in treatment-naive PCV.

Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) play a key role in neovascularization and have been linked to improved cardiovascular outcomes. Although there is a well-established inverse relationship between androgen levels and cardiovascular mortality in men, the role of androgens in EPC function is not fully understood. In this study, we investigated the effects of androgens on 2 subpopulations of EPCs, early EPCs (EEPCs) and late outgrowth EPCs (OECs), and their relationships with coronary collateralization. Early EPCs and OECs were isolated from the peripheral blood of young healthy men and treated with dihydrotestosterone (DHT) with or without androgen receptor (AR) antagonist, hydroxyflutamide, in vitro. Dihydrotestosterone treatment enhanced AR-mediated proliferation, migration, and tubulogenesis of EEPCs and OECs in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, DHT augmented EPC sensitivity to extracellular stimulation by vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) via increased surface VEGF receptor expression and AKT activation. In vivo, xenotransplantation of DHT pretreated human EPCs augmented blood flow recovery and angiogenesis in BALB/c nude male mice, compared to mice receiving untreated EPCs, following hindlimb ischemia. In particular, DHT pretreated human OECs exhibited higher reparative potential than EEPCs in augmenting postischemic blood flow recovery in mice. Furthermore, whole blood was collected from the coronary sinus of men with single vessel coronary artery disease (CAD) who underwent elective percutaneous intervention (n = 23). Coronary collateralization was assessed using the collateral flow index. Serum testosterone and EPC levels were measured. In men with CAD, circulating testosterone was positively associated with the extent of coronary collateralization and the levels of OECs. In conclusion, androgens enhance EPC function and promote neovascularization after ischemia in mice and are associated with coronary collateralization in men.

In this study, an advanced method was proposed for the empirical formation of current profiles. A probabilistic approach was adopted to generate a reliable empirical model which can be expressed as...

In the present study, an innovative method for estimating fatigue performance of risers under vortex-induced vibration (VIV) is proposed. Generally, fatigue performance is affected by the surrounding environment such as wind, wave, and current. It is well known that current is the most influential load among all for offshore risers. In structural safety aspect, strength and fatigue are the most important factors for riser design. In addition, fatigue design is affinitive to the VIV phenomenon. For the analysis of fatigue performance of riser, SHEAR7 numerical simulation code which is commonly used in offshore industry is applied. In order to identify the relation between current load and fatigue performance of riser, Fatigue damage versus Current index (F-C) diagram has been proposed. F-C diagram may cover change of current profiles and help predict the fatigue damage under VIV. In case of current profile, a total of sixty cases of current scenarios are considered based on six representative sea-states. The obtained results from this study will be a useful guideline to predict the effect of current on the fatigue performance of riser.

Purpose To investigate the correlation between preoperative en face spectral domain optical coherence tomography findings of the photoreceptor layer with restoration of foveal microstructure and visual acuity in repaired macular holes. Methods Medical records of 106 patients with surgically closed macular holes were retrospectively reviewed. Preoperative OCT slabs of the external limiting membrane (ELM) and ellipsoid zone (EZ) were generated using embedded tools. All patients were classified into two groups according to the presence of preoperative retinal pigment epithelium protrusion seen as hyperreflective spots in EZ slab. Visual acuity, homogenous reflectivity, and glial proliferation in the ELM and EZ slabs were followed for 12 months. Results Baseline hyperreflective spots in the EZ slab was observed in 51 (48.1%) eyes. Postoperative homogenous reflectivity and glial proliferation were related to the presence of baseline hyperreflective spots. Vision improvement was significantly greater in the absence of hyperreflective spots group from 9 months after the operation. In logistic regression analysis, the area of hyperreflective spots was significantly associated with foveal homogenous reflectivity at 12 months (P = 0.004). Conclusion Preoperative hyperreflective spots in en face EZ slab might be indicative of functional and anatomical restoration after macular hole surgery.

There have been extensive efforts to synthesize crystalline covalent triazine-based frameworks (CTFs) for practical applications and to realize their potential. The phosphorus pentoxide (P2 O5 )-catalyzed direct condensation of aromatic amide instead of aromatic nitrile to form triazine rings. P2 O5 -catalyzed condensation was applied on terephthalamide to construct a covalent triazine-based framework (pCTF-1). This approach yielded highly crystalline pCTF-1 with high specific surface area (2034.1 m2 g-1 ). At low pressure, the pCTF-1 showed high CO2 (21.9 wt % at 273 K) and H2 (1.75 wt % at 77 K) uptake capacities. The direct formation of a triazine-based COF was also confirmed by model reactions, with the P2 O5 -catalyzed condensation reaction of both benzamide and benzonitrile to form 1,3,5-triphenyl-2,4,6-triazine in high yield.

The aim of this study was to investigate muscle activity in the infraspinatus and posterior deltoid and infraspinatus muscle thickness during a prone external rotation (PER) exercise using pressure biofeedback. Fifteen healthy men participated in this study, performing PER exercise with pressure biofeedback under four conditions (comfortable, 2 mm Hg, 4 mm Hg, and 8 mm Hg). Surface electromyography (EMG) was used to monitor infraspinatus and posterior deltoid muscle activity, and ultrasonography was used to collect infraspinatus muscle thickness data. Infraspinatus activity and muscle thickness were greatest at 2 mm Hg pressure feedback, and both measures were significantly different from those under other pressure feedback conditions (p 0.05). In contrast, posterior deltoid activity was lower at 2 mm Hg. However, there was no significant difference between any of the four pressure feedback conditions. These findings suggest that PER exercise with pressure biofeedback, particularly at 2 mm Hg, is effective in selectively activating the infraspinatus muscle.

In this study, we propose a method for estimating the amount of expansion that occurs in subsea pipelines, which could be applied in the design of robust structures that transport oil and gas from offshore wells. We begin with a literature review and general discussion of existing estimation methods and terminologies with respect to subsea pipelines. Due to the effects of high pressure and high temperature, the production of fluid from offshore wells is typically caused by physical deformation of subsea structures, e.g., expansion and contraction during the transportation process. In severe cases, vertical and lateral buckling occurs, which causes a significant negative impact on structural safety, and which is related to on-bottom stability, free-span, structural collapse, and many other factors. In addition, these factors may affect the production rate with respect to flow assurance, wax, and hydration, to name a few. In this study, we developed a simple and efficient method for generating a reliable pipe expansion design in the early stage, which can lead to savings in both cost and computation time. As such, in this paper, we propose an applicable diagram, which we call the standard dimensionless ratio (SDR) versus virtual anchor length (LA) diagram, that utilizes an efficient procedure for estimating subsea pipeline expansion based on applied reliable scenarios. With this user guideline, offshore pipeline structural designers can reliably determine the amount of subsea pipeline expansion and the obtained results will also be useful for the installation, design, and maintenance of the subsea pipeline.

As a thermodynamic driving force obtained from sunlight, the open-circuit potential (OCP) in photoelectrochemical cells is typically limited by the photovoltage (Vph). In this work, we establish that the OCP can exceed the value of Vph when an electrolyte-permeable NiOx thin film is employed as an electrocatalyst in a Si photocathode. The built-in potential developed at the NiOx/Si junction is adjusted in situ according to the progress of the NiOx hydration for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). As a result of decoupling of the OCP from Vph, a high OCP value of 0.75 V (vs reversible hydrogen electrode) is obtained after 1 h operation of HER in an alkaline electrolyte (pH = 14), thus outperforming the highest value (0.64 V) reported to date with conventional Si photoelectrodes. This finding might offer insight into novel photocathode designs such as those based on tandem water-splitting systems.

Introduction Previous studies have revealed that the COVID-19 pandemic can cause psychological distress such as depression and anxiety. Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) might be more vulnerable to psychological distress due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Its impact could be different according to dialysis modality. The aim of this study was to investigate COVID-19-related psychological stress experienced by end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) patients and identify differences in concerns about COVID-19 between hemodialysis (HD) and peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients. Methods This cross-sectional study included 148 dialysis patients at Soonchunhyang University Cheonan Hospital from August 2020 to September 2020. These patients responded to a questionnaire covering mental health status and COVID-19 related concerns. Symptoms of depression, anxiety, stress, and insomnia were measured using a 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), a 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) scale, a 22-item Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R), and a 7-item Insomnia severity Index (ISI), respectively. Outcomes of HD and PD patients were compared by propensity score matching analysis. Results Dialysis patients reported psychological distress including symptoms of depression, anxiety, stress, and insomnia. HD patients showed higher scores for depression (p = 0.018), anxiety(p = 0.005), stress(pp = 0.006) than the PD patients. After propensity score matching, HD was associated with depression(p = 0.0131), anxiety(p = 0.0143), and stress(p = 0.000415). Conclusion Dialysis patients showed psychological distress during the COVID-19 pandemic period, with HD patients having more severe symptoms than PD patients.

Purpose Swept-source optical coherence tomography angiography was used to investigate choroidal changes and their association with pigment epithelial detachments (PEDs) in eyes with polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) after treatment with vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) inhibitors. Methods Patients with treatment-naïve PCV were included and underwent anti-VEGF therapy. Mean choroidal thickness (MCT), choroidal vascularity index (CVI), and PED volume measurements were obtained before and after treatment. Results Thirty-four treatment-naïve PCV eyes from 33 patients were included. The PED volume decreased after treatment (P < 0.05). The MCT decreased from 223.0 ± 79.6 µm at baseline to 210.9 ± 76.2 µm after treatment (P < 0.001). The CVI at baseline was 0.599 ± 0.024, and the CVI after treatment was 0.602 ± 0.023 (P = 0.16). There was a correlation between the decreased PED volumes and the decreased MCT measurements (r = 0.47; P = 0.006). Also, there was a correlation between the decreased PED volumes and the increased CVI measurements (r = −0.63; P < 0.001). Conclusions In treatment-naïve eyes with PCV, the decreases in PED volumes were correlated with the decrease in MCT and the increase in CVI measurements. We propose that, at baseline, the PCV lesions serve as high-volume arteriovenous shunts between choroidal arterial and venous circulation, causing transudation into the choroidal stroma. We propose that, after treatment, the blood flow through the vascular shunt is reduced, the excess stromal transudation is resorbed, and the exudation from the neovascular lesion is reduced, resulting in thinning of the choroid, resolution of the PEDs, and an increase in the CVI due to the resorption of excess choroidal transudation.

Addition of supplementary materials without loss of dimension in 3D printed products can be carried out by adopting coaxial extrusion. This study aimed to produce starch-xanthan gum gels filled with nanoemulsions for customized food production based on coaxial 3D printing. Nanomemulsion-filled gel (NFG) was prepared by dispersing curcumin nanoemulsion in a mixture of xanthan gum in various concentrations and potato starch. NFGs were inserted as core parts into 3D printed products through the internal nozzle of the coaxial system. Xanthan gum content of 5% or more in NFG inhibited gelation of the starch matrix, resulting in loss of dynamic viscoelasticity and 3D printing performance. The 3% xanthan gum incorporation showed the highest shear modulus value (1792.00 ± 104.50 Pa) and the best shape support ability. The physical properties of the NFG were evaluated using a confocal laser scanning microscope and a DPPH assay; the particle size decreased and antioxidant activity increased as the level of XG increased.

The future of electrochemical energy storage spotlights on the designed formation of highly efficient and robust bifunctional oxygen electrocatalysts that facilitate advanced rechargeable metal-air batteries. We introduce a scalable facile strategy for the construction of a hierarchical three-dimensional sulfur-modulated holey C2N aerogels (S-C2NA) as bifunctional catalysts for Zn-air and Li-O2 batteries. The S-C2NA exhibited ultrahigh surface area (∼1943 m2 g–1) and superb electrocatalytic activities with lowest reversible oxygen electrode index ∼0.65 V, outperforms the highly active bifunctional and commercial (Pt/C and RuO2) catalysts. Density functional theory and experimental results reveal that the favorable electronic structure and atomic coordination of holey C–N skeleton enable the reversible oxygen reactions. The resulting Zn-air batteries with liquid electrolytes and the solid-state batteries with S-C2NA air cathodes exhibit superb energy densities (958 and 862 Wh kg–1), low charge–discharge po...

Aim This study evaluated a practical competency evaluation for nursing students in three Asian countries using tablet PC-based tests. The need to evaluate practical competencies in a non-face-to-face manner continues to pose challenges in nursing education. Design This study presents descriptive comparative research on a tablet PC-based evaluation of practical competencies in three countries. Methods tablet PC-based clinical practice competency evaluation was conducted among nursing college students in Korea, Vietnam and Mongolia. In total, 124 students answered 65 questions for practical competency evaluation and items on its usefulness. Results Students from Korea had the highest score of nursing competencies (41.6 points; n = 59, SD 6.02), followed by those from Vietnam (26.3 points; n = 30, SD 4.97) and Mongolia (18.4 points; n = 35, SD 5.36). Scores for usability showed an inverse relationship with competency scores. Questions incorporating video showed the lowest proportion of low-discrimination items. Conclusions This research recognized that using video which provides contextual elements can increase item discrimination. These findings suggest that incorporating video into evaluation items in tablet-PC-based tests is useful for international comparison.

Distributing Big Data for science is pushing the capabilities of networks and computing systems. However, the fundamental concept of copying data from one machine to another has not been challenged in collaborative science. As recent storage system development uses modern fabrics to provide faster remote data access with lower overhead, traditional data movement using Data Transfer Nodes must cope with the paradigm shift from a store-and-forward model to streaming data with direct storage access over the networks. This study evaluates NVMe-over-TCP (NVMe-TCP) in a long-distance network using different file systems and configurations to characterize remote NVMe file system access performance in MAN and WAN data moving scenarios. We found that NVMe-TCP is more suitable for remote data read than remote data write over the networks, and using RAID0 can significantly improve performance in a long-distance network. Additionally, a fine-tuning file system can improve remote write performance in DTNs with a long-distance network.

HER2 is amplified in 7% to 20% of gastric cancer (GC) and is associated with poor clinical outcome. Trastuzumab, HER2-targeting antibody, has already been successfully employed for the treatment of HER2 amplified metastatic GC patients. However, most GC patients who achieved an initial response to the trastuzumab-based regimen developed resistance within 1 year after treatment. In this study, we aimed to investigate the efficacy and biological mechanism of trastuzumab deruxtecan (T-DXd) for overcoming trastuzumab resistance in HER2 amplified GC cell lines. We established four trastuzumab resistant cell lines from HER2 amplified GC cell lines by trastuzumab dose-escalation treatment; YCC-33TR, YCC-38TR, NCI-N87TR, and SNU-216TR. Next, we compared the anti-tumor efficacy of trastuzumab and T-DXd (Daiichi Sankyo, Japan), a HER2-targeting antibody-drug conjugate (ADC), in parental and trastuzumab resistant cell lines. Drug sensitivities were determined by the inhibition rates (IR) at 100μg/ml using cell viability assay. Both in baseline and in post-treatment drug responses, expression levels of proteins such as HER2, Erk, Akt, H2A.X and cPARP were detected by western blotting. The parental cell lines were sensitive to trastuzumab, while four trastuzumab resistant (TR) cell lines demonstrated significant resistance to trastuzumab (p In summary, the established trastuzumab resistant cell lines retained high HER2 expression, and both HER2 amplified parental and trastuzumab resistant cell lines were sensitive to T-DXd. Our data indicated that T-DXd may have a potential therapeutic effect to overcome trastuzumab resistance in GC. Citation Format: Juin Park, Inhye Jeong, Sun Kyoung Kang, Seo Young Yu, Woo Sun Kwon, Tae Soo Kim, Jihyun Hwang, Hyun Cheol Chung, Sun Young Rha. Overcoming trastuzumab resistance using trastuzumab deruxtecan (T-DXd), a HER2 targeting antibody drug conjugate, in HER2 amplified gastric cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2021; 2021 Apr 10-15 and May 17-21. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2021;81(13_Suppl):Abstract nr 1090.

Trastuzumab, a humanized anti-HER2 monoclonal antibody, has shown clinically significant benefits for HER2-positive GC patients. Also, all anti-HER2 agents approved by the FDA are used for HER2-positive. However, since HER2-positive is only 10-20% of GC, targeted therapies for non-HER2-positive GC is needed. To overcome these limitations, antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), which directly deliver cytotoxic drugs to cancer cells, have been developed. T-DXd (Daiichi Sankyo, Japan), an anti-HER2 ADC, can induce the death of neighboring cells because it has a bystander killing effect due to the high membrane permeability of the payload. However, biomarkers for predicting drug response have not yet been studied other than HER2 overexpression/amplification. In this study, we investigated the correlation between HER2 expression level and anti-tumor effect of T-DXd in a 49 GC cell line panel and the HER2-associated molecules related to T-DXd sensitivity. For HER2 status, we analyzed multiple genetic and molecular characteristics using WES, SISH, IHC, flow cytometry, and immunoblotting. GC cell lines (n=49) were divided into 3 groups according to the HER2 expression level through flow cytometry using 4 breast cancer cell lines (SK-BR-3, ZR-75-1, MCF-7, and HCC1937) for quantitative control. Groups with HER2 over- and moderate/low-expression were characterized with higher expression levels compared to ZR-75-1 (HER2 2+) and HCC1937 (HER2-negative), respectively. HER2 non-expression had lower expression levels compared to HCC1937. The sensitivity of T-DXd was evaluated in 49 GC cell lines by cell viability assay. The inhibition rate of T-DXd was calculated at 10 µg/ml. Also, expression levels of RTKs were determined by immunoblotting, and HER2 extracellular domain (ECD) and NRG1 expression were evaluated by ELISA. GC cell lines were divided into 6 HER2 over-, 26 HER2 moderate/low-, and 17 HER2 non-expression cell lines. As expected, HER2 over-expression cell lines were sensitive to T-DXd (5/6, 83.3%). T-DXd also had anti-tumor effects in the HER2 moderate/low-expression cell lines (12/26, 46.2%). There were correlations between HER2 expression level and anti-tumor effect of T-DXd in both HER2 over and moderate/low-expression cell lines. HER2 over and moderate/low-expression cell lines with high HER2 ECD expression were sensitive to T-DXd. NRG1 had relatively low expression in all GC cell lines and was not correlated with T-DXd. Additionally, even HER2 non-expression cell lines were sensitive to T-DXd (10/17, 58.8%). We found that HER2 non-expression cell lines had an RTK amplification (9/17, 52.9%) and among those cell lines, MET amplified cells showed sensitivity to T-DXd. Currently, the evaluation of the underlying mechanisms is ongoing. Our results indicate that T-DXd shows efficacy in HER2-amplified GC cell lines, HER2 moderate/low-expression, and some cell lines with HER2 non-expression. Citation Format: Seo Young Yu, Juin Park, Woo Sun Kwon, Inhye Jeong, Sun Kyoung Kang, Hyun Joo Bae, Tae Soo Kim, Hyun Cheol Chung, Sun Young Rha. Trastuzumab deruxtecan (T-DXd) sensitivity in various levels of HER2 expressing gastric cancer cells [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2021; 2021 Apr 10-15 and May 17-21. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2021;81(13_Suppl):Abstract nr 945.

The daily oral administration of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitors for Alzheimer’s disease features low patient compliance and can lead to low efficacy or high toxicity owing to irregular intake. Herein, we developed a subcutaneously injectable hyaluronic acid hydrogel (MLC/HSA hydrogel) hybridized with microstructured lipid carriers (MLCs) and human serum albumin (HSA) for the sustained release of donepezil (DNP) with reduced initial burst release. The lipid carrier was designed to have a microsized mean diameter (32.6 ± 12.8 µm) to be well-localized in the hydrogel. The hybridization of MLCs and HSA enhanced the structural integrity of the HA hydrogel, as demonstrated by the measurements of storage modulus (G′), loss modulus (G″), and viscosity. In the pharmacokinetic study, subcutaneous administration of MLC/HSA hydrogel in rats prolonged the release of DNP for up to seven days and reduced the initial plasma concentration, where the Cmax value was 0.3-fold lower than that of the control hydrogel without a significant change in the AUClast value. Histological analyses of the hydrogels supported their biocompatibility for subcutaneous injection. These results suggest that a new hybrid MLC/HSA hydrogel could be promising as a subcutaneously injectable controlled drug delivery system for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.

Summary Homologous recombination and repair factors are known to promote both telomere replication and recombination-based telomere extension. Herein we address the diverse contributions of several recombination/repair proteins to telomere maintenance in Ustilago maydis, a fungus that bears strong resemblance to mammals with respect to telomere regulation and recombination mechanisms. In telomerase-positive U. maydis, deletion of rad51 and blm separately caused shortened but stably maintained telomeres, whereas deletion of both engendered similar telomere loss, suggesting that the repair proteins help to resolve similar problems in telomere replication. In telomerase-negative cells, the loss of Rad51 or Brh2 caused accelerated senescence and failure to generate survivors on semi-solid medium. However, slow growing survivors can be isolated through continuous liquid culturing, and these survivors exhibit type II-like as well as ALT-like telomere features. In contrast, the trt1Δ blmΔ double mutant gives rise to survivors as readily as the trt1Δ single mutant, and like the single mutant survivors, exhibit almost exclusively type I-like telomere features. In addition, we observed direct physical interactions between Blm and two telomere-binding proteins, which may thus recruit or regulate Blm at telomeres. Our findings provide the basis for further analyzing the interplays between telomerase, telomere replication, and telomere recombination. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

The purpose of this study was to compare the changes in the aqueous cytokine levels after intravitreal bevacizumab with those after combined intravitreal bevacizumab and subtenon triamcinolone injection in diabetic macular edema (DME). This study examined 24 eyes of 23 patients with DME. Each patient with DME received randomly either an intravitreal injection of bevacizumab (IVBe) or IVBe with a subtenon triamcinolone injection (IVBe + STTA). Best corrected visual acuity and foveal thickness were evaluated and aqueous samples were obtained before and 4 weeks after the injection. The aqueous concentrations of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, interferon-induced protein (IP)-10, monocyte chemotactic protein (MCP)-1, platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-AA, and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) were measured using a multiplex bead assay. After the injection, the foveal thickness decreased more in the IVBe + STTA group than in the IVBe group (P = 0.042). The MCP-1, PDGF-AA, and VEGF levels decreased significantly in the IVBe + STTA group (p = 0.013, p = 0.004 and p = 0.018 respectively), but only the VEGF level decreased in the IVBe group (p = 0.001). IL-8 was significantly increased in the IVBe + STTA group (p = 0.003) but the changes in the VEGF levels were smaller than in the IVBe group (p = 0.025). Intravitreal bevacizumab and subtenon triamcinolone injection reduces the VEGF, MCP-1 and PDGF-AA levels and increases the IL-8 level in the plural cytokine profiles of patients with DME, which might explain the limited therapeutic effect of combination therapy.

In this study, we have newly developed a flexible adhesive skin patch of electrocardiogram (ECG) device for continuous physiological monitoring of mental disorders. In addition, this flexible patch did not cause any damage to the skin even after 24 hours attachment. We have also suggested the possibility of novel interconnection for copper film on polyimide and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) layers of the flexible patch. Self-align and soldering of IC chips such as resistor between metal pads on flexible skin patch have also successfully fabricated for 5 min at 180 °C in vacuum oven. Low temperature interconnection technology based on a Sn42/Bi58 solder was also developed for flexible ECG devices. As a result, we can monitor the mental health status through a comprehensive analysis of biological signals from flexible ECG devices.

Background: This is part of a prospective study carried out as a national project to secure standardized public resources for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients in Korea. We compared various characteristics of long-standing T2DM patients with diabetic retinopathy (DR) and macular edema (ME). Methods: From September 2014 to July 2015, T2DM patients with disease duration of at least 15 years were recruited at a single university hospital. Clinical data and samples were collected according to the common data elements and standards of procedure developed by the Korean Diabetes Association Research Council. Each participant was assessed by ophthalmologists for DR and ME. Results: Among 220 registered patients, 183 completed the ophthalmologic assessment. DR was associated with longer disease duration (odds ratio [OR], 1.071; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.001 to 1.147 for non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy [NPDR]) (OR, 1.142; 95% CI, 1.051 to 1.242 for proliferative diabetic retinopathy [PDR]) and the use of long-acting insulin (OR, 4.559; 95% CI, 1.672 to 12.427 for NPDR) (OR, 4.783; 95% CI, 1.581 to 14.474 for PDR), but a lower prevalence of a family history of cancer (OR, 0.310; 95% CI, 0.119 to 0.809 for NPDR) (OR, 0.206; 95% CI, 0.063 to 0.673 for PDR). ME was associated with higher glycosylated hemoglobin levels (OR, 1.380; 95% CI, 1.032 to 1.845) and the use of rapid-acting insulin (OR, 5.211; 95% CI, 1.445 to 18.794). Conclusion: Various clinical features were associated with DR and ME. Additional epidemiological and biorepository-based studies using this cohort are being conducted to deepen our understanding of diabetic complications in Korea.

We provide a comprehensive comparison of $$W^\pm / Z$$ vector boson production data in pPb and PbPb collisions at the LHC with predictions obtained using the nCTEQ15 PDFs. We identify the measurements which have the largest potential impact on the PDFs, and estimate the effect of including these data using a Bayesian reweighting method. We find this data set can provide information as regards both the nuclear corrections and the heavy flavor (strange quark) PDF components. As for the proton, the parton flavor determination/separation is dependent on nuclear corrections (from heavy target DIS, for example), this information can also help improve the proton PDFs.

One of the major issues in Kuantan, Pahang, Malaysia is the water quality of Galing River which is flowing through the area. Currently, overall water quality of the river is very poor, i.e., Class IV (based on the Malaysian water quality standards), mainly due to wastewater discharged from residential area and industries without being properly treated. Due to severe pollution, aquatic ecosystem has not been properly developed. Thus, it is being considered to construct a new wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) to prevent discharge of pollutants and to improve the river water quality. Therefore, this study was conducted to identify the pollution sources along the river and assess their impacts on the water quality. In addition, a numerical model was formulated with the Environmental Fluid Dynamic Code (EFDC) to find a best plan to improve the water quality. Through the model simulation, it was found that wastewater from all the U-drains and culverts along the river should be collected by sewer, transported to a WWTP for treatment, and then pumped to the upstream of the river for discharge. It was also found that if the WWTP would reduce pollution load by 80%, the current water quality of the river would improve by 80% to achieve Class II.

BACKGROUND Psoriasis is an immune-mediated, chronic inflammatory disease affecting multiple aspects of patients' lives. Its epidemiology varies regionally; however, nationwide epidemiologic data on psoriasis depicting profile of Korean patients has not been available to date. OBJECTIVE To understand nationwide epidemiologic characteristics and clinical features of adult patients with psoriasis visited university hospitals in Korea. METHODS This multicenter, non-interventional, cross-sectional study recruited 1,278 adult patients with psoriasis across 25 centers in Korea in 2013. Various clinical data including PASI, BSA, DLQI, SF-36 and PASE were collected. RESULTS A total of 1,260 patients completed the study (male:female=1.47:1). The mean age was 47.0 years with a distribution mostly in the 50s (24.9%). Early onset (

The objective of the present study was to elucidate the complicated interrelationship between necking, post-uniform elongation (epu), strain rate sensitivity (SRS), fracture mechanism and Al concentration in Fe-18Mn-0.6C-xAl twinning-induced plasticity steels. Many tensile tests were conducted for in- and ex-situ observations of necking, fracture surfaces, crack propagation and the density and size of micro-voids with the assistance of a high-speed camera and X-ray tomographic equipment. The addition of Al increased epu, SRS and reduction ratios in dimension of the neck part of tensile specimens, and also changed fracture mode from quasi-cleavage to ductile fracture at the edge part. The quasi-cleavage surface of Al-free specimen was induced by edge and side cracks occurring along grain boundary junctions and twin boundaries within the edges and side surfaces where local deformation bands meet. The ductile-fracture surface of 1.5 %Al-added specimen was formed by the coalescence of micro-voids. While the side-to-middle crack propagation occurred in Al-free and 1 %Al-added specimens due to side cracks, the middle-to-side crack propagation was observed in 1.5 %Al-added specimen. The Al-free specimen had the larger size of the 20 largest voids compared to the 1.5 %Al-added specimen despite its lower void density and local strain due to the accelerated growth of voids near the tips of side cracks. Evaluating the negligible epu of Al-free specimen by SRS is not deemed to be reasonable due to its inappreciable necking and side cracks. The improvement of epu in 1.5 %Al-added specimen is primarily due to disappearance of edge and side cracks.

In the present study, the advanced procedure has been proposed to estimate higher accuracy of embedment of pipes that are installed on soft clay seabed. Numerical simulation by OrcaFlex simulation code was performed to investigate dynamic seabed embedment, and two steps, i.e., static and dynamic analysis, were adopted. In total, four empirical curves were developed to estimate the seabed embedment including dynamic phenomena, i.e., behaviour of vessel, environmental condition, and behaviour of nonlinear soil. The obtained results were compared with existing methods (named general method) such as design code or guideline to examine the difference of seabed embedment for existing and advance methods. Once this process was carried out for each case, a diagram for estimating seabed embedment was established. The applicability of the proposed method was verified through applied examples with field survey data. This method will be very useful in predicting seabed embedment on soft clay, and the structural behaviours of installed subsea pipelines can be changed by the obtained seabed embedment in association with on-bottom stability, free span, and many others.

Substantial amounts of aluminum (Al), which is one of the most abundant elements and period III post-transition metals, can be incorporated into graphene nanoplatelets (GnPs) by ball-milling graphite in the presence of solid Al beads. After thoroughly etching away any unreacted Al residues, the structure and properties of the resultant aluminated GnPs (AlGnPs) were characterized using various analytical techniques including transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectroscopy (TOF-SIMS). The results indicate that AlGnPs contain a considerable amount of Al (30.9 wt%, by TEM energy dispersive X-ray spectrum) and display good dispersibility in various solvents, including water. Next, composite films from aqueous AlGnP/poly(vinyl alcohol) (1/4, wt/wt) solutions were cast and tested for flame retardation. The results indicate that AlGnPs could serve as an outstanding flame retardant that operates by both chemical (condensation) and physical (cooling and blocking) mechanisms. This suggests that AlGnPs may provide a promising option for a new, cost-effective, eco-friendly, yet efficient flame retardant.

국내에서 지하수 데이터베이스가 운영되지만 수질 자료가 충분치 않고 그 신뢰성이 확보되지 않아 자료의 이용에 제한이 있으므로 수질 데이터베이스를 제대로 구축하고 활용하기 위해서는 먼저 수질 자료에 대한 신뢰성 확보가 필요하다. 이 연구에서는 지하수 수질 자료를 이론적 판단 기준과 투키 박스 도시법에 근거한 통계적 판단 기준으로 신뢰성과 유의범위를 평가하는 방법을 제시하였다. 이론적 판단 기준은 과학적 상식과 지구화학적 이론에 근거하여 설정한 기준이다. 이 연구에서 사용한 수질 자료는 한국농어촌공사의 농어촌지하수넷에 공개된 2,400여개의 자료이다. 이들 자료에 대한 검토 결과 이론적 판단 기준에 따라 기각하여야 하는 값들이 발견되었으며, 통계적 판단 기준에 따라 그 신뢰성을 재검토하여야 하는 값들도 발견되었다. 투키 박스 도시법에 의해 판단된 유의 범위 내 지하수의 수온, pH, ORP, EC 및 TDS 자료는 전체의 60.0 ~ 97.7%의 범위를 차지하였다. 수온, pH, ORP, EC 및 TDS의 유의범위는 각각 11.0 ~ 21.7℃, 5.1 ~ 8.6, -121 ~ 218 mV (보정이 필요함), 0.5 ~ 565 μS/cm 및 0.3 ~ 301 mg/L로 계산되었으며 이 범위를 벗어난 자료는 추가적인 평가를 통해 자료의 신뢰성을 평가해야 된다. 기각된 자료의 원인은 자료등록 시 발생한 오류, 측정 장비의 이상, 전문지식의 부족으로 인한 것으로 해석되었으며 이를 개선하여 자료의 신뢰성을 확보하기 위해서는 관련 분야의 매뉴얼을 작성하고 정기적인 교육을 통해 오류발생을 최소화하며 데이터베이스 시스템에서 이상값을 인지하여 이를 보완할 수 있는 시스템 개발이 필요하다.

To simplify processes to produce self-assembled nanostructures from polymeric materials, there have been several attempts for in situ self-assembly of block copolymers. As one of these strategies, we developed the in situ nanoparticlization of conjugated polymers (INCP) process to construct various stable nanostructures without postsynthetic treatments. To get spontaneous mesoscopic evolution of the nanostructures obtained by INCP, a new strategy utilizing a unique conformational change of the conjugated polymer is reported herein. The combination of living ring-opening olefin metathesis polymerization (ROMP) and cyclopolymerization produced block and gradient copolymers through one-pot or one-shot polymerization, which initially formed spherical micelles via INCP. Then, the core block of the micelle stiffened through a coil-to-rod conformational change by simple aging in organic solvents because of cis-to-trans isomerization of the conjugated polymer under light. Subsequently, this enhanced the π-π interaction among the cores, and eventually promoted the growth of stable nanostructures from spheres to 1D-nanocaterpillars or 2D-sheet-like architectures. This time-dependent macroscopic evolution provides deeper insight into the production of a variety of kinetically fixed nano- and mesoscale structures through INCP. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2017, 55, 3058–3066

Nitrogen-enriched two-dimensional (2D) porous polybenzimidazole (2D-HPBI) network was synthesized from the reaction between 1,2,4,5-tetraaminobenzene (TAB) and benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxylic acid (BTA) in polyphosphoric acid (PPA) medium. Interestingly, the remnant terminal groups such as amine and carboxyl groups at the periphery of 2D-HPBI were selectively stripped off by heat-treatment at 470 °C. The resultant heat-treated 2D-HPBI (HT-HPBI) displayed substantially improved electrical conductivity and thus outstanding performance as the counter electrode (CE) for the cobalt reduction reaction (CRR) in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The charge-transfer resistance (Rct=0.51 Ω cm2) at the HT-HPBI-CE/electrolyte interface was even lower than that of Pt-CE (1.09 Ω cm2). More importantly, HT-HPBI-based CE showed near “zero” loss of electrochemical stability (1/Rct) even after 1000 potential cycles, while the 1/Rct of Pt decreased to