Ordered mesoporous carbons (OMCs) have attracted considerable interest owing to their broad utility. OMCs reported to date comprise amorphous rod‐like or tubular or graphitic rod‐like frameworks, ...which exhibit tradeoffs between conductivity and surface area. Here we report ordered mesoporous carbons constructed with graphitic tubular frameworks (OMGCs) with tunable pore sizes and mesostructures via dual templating, using mesoporous silica and molybdenum carbide as exo‐ and endo‐templates, respectively. OMGCs simultaneously realize high electrical conductivity and large surface area and pore volume. Benefitting from these features, Ru nanoparticles (NPs) supported on OMGC exhibit superior catalytic activity for alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction and single‐cell performance for anion exchange membrane water electrolysis compared to Ru NPs on other OMCs and commercial catalysts. Further, the OMGC‐based full‐carbon symmetric cell demonstrates excellent performances for Li‐ion capacitors.
Ordered mesoporous carbons constructed with graphitic tubular frameworks (OMGCs) were synthesized by a dual templating route. The OMGCs simultaneously realize high electrical conductivity and large surface area, which enable high performance in alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction, anion exchange membrane water electrolysis single‐cell, and Li‐ion capacitor.
Recently, the appeal of 2D black phosphorus (BP) has been rising due to its unique optical and electronic properties with a tunable band gap (≈0.3–1.5 eV). While numerous research efforts have ...recently been devoted to nano‐ and optoelectronic applications of BP, no attention has been paid to promising medical applications. In this article, the preparation of BP‐nanodots of a few nm to <20 nm with an average diameter of ≈10 nm and height of ≈8.7 nm is reported by a modified ultrasonication‐assisted solution method. Stable formation of nontoxic phosphates and phosphonates from BP crystals with exposure in water or air is observed. As for the BP‐nanodot crystals’ stability (ionization and persistence of fluorescent intensity) in aqueous solution, after 10 d, ≈80% at 1.5 mg mL−1 are degraded (i.e., ionized) in phosphate buffered saline. They showed no or little cytotoxic cell‐viability effects in vitro involving blue‐ and green‐fluorescence cell imaging. Thus, BP‐nanodots can be considered a promising agent for drug delivery or cellular tracking systems.
Black phosphorus (BP)‐nanodots are prepared using a simple ultrasonication‐assisted solution method. Compared to conventional semiconductor quantum dots, BP‐nanodots present little in vitro cytotoxicity and further blue‐ and green‐fluorescent bioimaging roles under excitations of UV and visible light, showing potential as novel drug delivery carriers in biomedical applications.
The adverse effects of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) have been documented for pneumonia; however, there is no consensus regarding whether the use of PPIs might be harmful regarding the risk of severe ...acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. In this regard, we aimed to measure the potential associations of the current use of PPIs with the infection rates of COVID-19 among patients who underwent SARS-CoV-2 testing.
Data were derived from a Korean nationwide cohort study with propensity score matching. We included 132 316 patients older than 18 years who tested for SARS-CoV-2 between 1 January and 15 May 2020. Endpoints were SARS-CoV-2 positivity (primary) and severe clinical outcomes of COVID-19 (secondary: admission to intensive care unit, administration of invasive ventilation or death).
In the entire cohort, there were 111 911 non-users, 14 163 current PPI users and 6242 past PPI users. After propensity score matching, the SARS-CoV-2 test positivity rate was not associated with the current or past use of PPIs. Among patients with confirmed COVID-19, the current use of PPIs conferred a 79% greater risk of severe clinical outcomes of COVID-19, while the relationship with the past use of PPIs remained insignificant. Current PPI use starting within the previous 30 days was associated with a 90% increased risk of severe clinical outcomes of COVID-19.
Patients taking PPIs are at increased risk for severe clinical outcomes of COVID-19 but not susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection. This suggests that physicians need to assess benefit-risk assessments in the management of acid-related diseases amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
A highly sensitive, wearable, and multimodal skin sensor that uses hierarchically engineered elastic carbon nanotube microyarns is described. Piezocapacitive all‐carbon skin sensors simultaneously ...detect heterogeneous external subtle stimuli, including mechanical deformation, touch, temperature or humidity gradients, and even biological variables with different dipole moments, which enables in situ human monitoring as well as recognition of robot‐human‐environmental interface.
A main goal of cattle genomics is to identify DNA differences that account for variations in economically important traits. In this study, we performed whole-genome analyses of three important cattle ...breeds in Korea--Hanwoo, Jeju Heugu, and Korean Holstein--using the Illumina HiSeq 2000 sequencing platform. We achieved 25.5-, 29.6-, and 29.5-fold coverage of the Hanwoo, Jeju Heugu, and Korean Holstein genomes, respectively, and identified a total of 10.4 million single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), of which 54.12% were found to be novel. We also detected 1,063,267 insertions-deletions (InDels) across the genomes (78.92% novel). Annotations of the datasets identified a total of 31,503 nonsynonymous SNPs and 859 frameshift InDels that could affect phenotypic variations in traits of interest. Furthermore, genome-wide copy number variation regions (CNVRs) were detected by comparing the Hanwoo, Jeju Heugu, and previously published Chikso genomes against that of Korean Holstein. A total of 992, 284, and 1881 CNVRs, respectively, were detected throughout the genome. Moreover, 53, 65, 45, and 82 putative regions of homozygosity (ROH) were identified in Hanwoo, Jeju Heugu, Chikso, and Korean Holstein respectively. The results of this study provide a valuable foundation for further investigations to dissect the molecular mechanisms underlying variation in economically important traits in cattle and to develop genetic markers for use in cattle breeding.
As lysosomal hydrolysis has long been suggested to be responsible for myelin clearance after peripheral nerve injury, in this study, we investigated the possible role of autophagolysosome formation ...in myelin phagocytosis by Schwann cells and its final contribution to nerve regeneration. We found that the canonical formation of autophagolysosomes was induced in demyelinating Schwann cells after injury, and the inhibition of autophagy via Schwann cell‐specific knockout of the atg7 gene or pharmacological intervention of lysosomal function caused a significant delay in myelin clearance. However, Schwann cell dedifferentiation, as demonstrated by extracellular signal‐regulated kinase activation and c‐Jun induction, and redifferentiation were not significantly affected, and thus the entire repair program progressed normally in atg7 knockout mice. Finally, autophagic Schwann cells were also found during segmental demyelination in a mouse model of inflammatory peripheral neuropathy. Together, our findings suggest that autophagy is the self‐myelin destruction mechanism of Schwann cells, but mechanistically, it is a process distinct from Schwann cell plasticity for nerve repair. GLIA 2016;64:730–742
Main points
The activation of canonical autophagy in Schwann cells was implicated in myelin destruction following peripheral nerve injury.
Autophagic Schwann cells were found during segmental demyelination in a mouse inflammatory peripheral neuropathy.
Various incurable eye diseases in companion animals often result in phthisis bulbi and eye removal surgery. Currently, the evisceration method using silicone balls is useful in animals; however, it ...is not available to those with impaired cornea or severe ocular atrophy. Moreover, ocular implant and prostheses are not widely used because of the diversity in animal size and eye shape, and high manufacturing cost. Here, we produced low-cost and customized artificial eyes, including implant and prosthesis, using computer-aided design and three-dimensional (3D) printing technique. For 3D modeling, the size of the artificial eyes was optimized using B-mode ultrasonography. The design was exported to STL files, and then printed using polycaprolactone (PCL) for prosthesis and mixture of PCL and hydroxyapatite (HA) for ocular implant. The 3D printed artificial eyes could be produced in less than one and half hour. The prosthesis was painted using oil colors and biocompatible resin. Two types of eye removal surgery, including evisceration and enucleation, were performed using two beagle dogs, as a preliminary study. After the surgery, the dogs were clinically evaluated for 6 months and then histopathological evaluation of the implant was done. Ocular implant was biocompatible and host tissue ingrowth was induced after in vivo application. The custom-made prosthesis was cosmetically excellent. Although long-term clinical follow-up might be required, the use of 3D printed-customized artificial eyes may be beneficial for animals that need personalized artificial eye surgery.
Drought is a harmful abiotic stress that threatens the growth, development, and yield of rice plants. To cope with drought stress, plants have evolved their diverse and sophisticated stress-tolerance ...mechanisms by regulating gene expression. Previous genome-wide studies have revealed many rice drought stress-responsive genes that are involved in various forms of metabolism, hormone biosynthesis, and signaling pathways, and transcriptional regulation. However, little is known about the regulation of drought-responsive genes during rehydration after dehydration. In this study, we examined the dynamic gene expression patterns in rice seedling shoots during dehydration and rehydration using RNA-seq analysis. To investigate the transcriptome-wide rice gene expression patterns during dehydration and rehydration, RNA-seq libraries were sequenced and analyzed to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs). DEGs were classified into five clusters based on their gene expression patterns. The clusters included drought-responsive DEGs that were either rapidly or slowly recovered to control levels by rehydration treatment. Representative DEGs were selected and validated using qRT-PCR. In addition, we performed a detailed analysis of DEGs involved in nitrogen metabolism, phytohormone signaling, and transcriptional regulation. In this study, we revealed that drought-responsive genes were dynamically regulated during rehydration. Moreover, our data showed the potential role of nitrogen metabolism and jasmonic acid signaling during the drought stress response. The transcriptome data in this study could be a useful resource for understanding drought stress responses in rice and provide a valuable gene list for developing drought-resistant crop plants.
The NLRP3 inflammasome is upregulated by various agents, such as nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB), lipopolysaccharide (LPS), and adenosine triphosphate (ATP). The NLRP3 inflammasome facilitations the ...maturation of interleukin (IL)-1β, a proinflammatory cytokine that is critically involved in the pathogenesis of atopic dermatitis (AD). Although the NLRP3 inflammasome clearly exacerbates AD symptoms such as erythema and pruritus, drugs for AD patients targeting the NLRP3 inflammasome are still lacking. Based on the previous findings that
essential oil (MAEO) possesses strong anti-inflammatory and anti-AD properties through its inhibition of the ERK/NF-κB signaling pathway, we postulated that MAEO might be capable of modulating the NLRP3 inflammasome in AD. The aim of this research was to investigate whether MAEO affects the inhibition of NLRP3 inflammasome activation in murine bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs) stimulated with LPS + ATP in vitro and in a murine model displaying AD-like symptoms induced by 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB) in vivo. We found that MAEO inhibited the expression of NLRP3 and caspase-1, leading to the suppression of NLRP3 inflammasome activation and IL-1β production in BMDMs stimulated with LPS + ATP. In addition, MAEO exhibited efficacy in ameliorating AD symptoms in a murine model induced by DNCB, as indicated by the reduction in dermatitis score, ear thickness, transepidermal water loss (TEWL), epidermal thickness, and immunoglobulin E (IgE) levels. Furthermore, MAEO attenuated the recruitment of NLRP3-expressing macrophages and NLRP3 inflammasome activation in murine dorsal skin lesions induced by DNCB. Overall, we provide evidence for the anti-AD effects of MAEO via inhibition of NLRP3 inflammasome activation.
Summary
An important issue in impedance‐based damage monitoring is to deploy sensors in proper positions in which damage‐sensitive impedance responses can be captured effectively. In this study, a ...full‐scale multi‐strand anchorage is analyzed to determine optimal locations of piezoelectric sensors for impedance‐based monitoring of locally damaged strands. First, stress variations of the multi‐strand anchorage are experimentally measured to estimate the anchorage behavior under the effect of locally damaged strands. Strain signals are examined for axial, circumferential, and radial stress components under the variation of prestress forces. Second, a finite element analysis is made on the multi‐strand anchorage to back up the experimental findings. Third, a damage‐sensitive structural model is interpreted for the local strand breakage. Finally, impedance responses sensitive to local strand breakage are experimentally examined for a few scenarios simulated in the anchorage system. PZT (lead zirconate titanate) sensors deployed on the anchor head and the bearing plate are evaluated to comparatively determine ideal regions of interest for impedance monitoring. The results show that the greater stress variation yields the greater variations in impedance responses and the near‐top and near‐anchor heads are ideal regions of interest for damage‐sensitive impedance monitoring.
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