Photoelectrochemical (PEC) cells for solar‐energy conversion have received immense interest as a promising technology for renewable hydrogen production. Their similarity to natural photosynthesis, ...utilizing sunlight and water, has provoked intense research for over half a century. Among many potential photocatalysts, BiVO4, with a bandgap of 2.4–2.5 eV, has emerged as a highly promising photoanode material with a good chemical stability, environmental inertness, and low cost. Unfortunately, its charge transport properties are modest, at most a hole diffusion length (Lp) of ≈70 nm. However, recent rapid developments in multiple modification strategies have elevated it to a position as the most promising metal oxide photoanode material. This review summarizes developments in BiVO4 photoanodes in the past 10 years, in which time it has continuously broken its own performance records for PEC water oxidation. Effective modification techniques are discussed, including synthesis of nanostructures/nanopores, external/internal doping, heterojunction fabrication, surface passivation, and cocatalysts. Tandem systems for unassisted solar water splitting and PEC production of value‐added chemicals are also discussed.
Elaborately modified BiVO4‐based photoanodes and the evolution of their solar water oxidation photocurrent density are presented.
Kidney fibrosis is a common process of various kidney diseases leading to end‐stage renal failure irrespective of etiology. Myofibroblasts are crucial mediators in kidney fibrosis through production ...of extracellular matrix (ECM), but their origin has not been clearly identified. Many study proposed that epithelial and endothelial cells become myofibroblasts by epithelial dedifferentiation and endothelial‐mesenchymal transition (EndoMT). TGF‐β1/Smad signaling plays a crucial role in partly epithelial‐mensencymal transition (EMT) and EndoMT. Thus, we designed the TGF‐β1/Smad oligodeoxynucleotide (ODN), a synthetic short DNA containing complementary sequence for Smad transcription factor and TGF‐β1 mRNA. Therefore, this study investigated the anti‐fibrotic effect of synthetic TGF‐β1/Smad ODN on UUO‐induced kidney fibrosis in vivo model and TGF‐β1‐induced in vitro model. To examine the effect of TGF‐β1/Smad ODN, we performed various experiments to evaluate kidney fibrosis. The results showed that UUO induced inflammation, ECM accumulation, epithelial dedifferentiation and EndoMT processes, and tubular atrophy. However, synthetic TGF‐β1/Smad ODN significantly suppressed UUO‐induced fibrosis. Furthermore, synthetic ODN attenuated TGF‐β1‐induced epithelial dedifferentiation and EndoMT program via blocking TGF‐β1/Smad signaling. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that administration of synthetic TGF‐β1/Smad ODN attenuates kidney fibrosis, epithelial dedifferentiation, and EndoMT processes. The findings propose the possibility of synthetic ODN as a new effective therapeutic tool for kidney fibrosis.
5-Fluorouracil (5-FU)-induced intestinal mucositis is one of the most common morbidities in chemotherapy and involves the reactive oxygen species (ROS) system, apoptosis, and inflammatory cytokines. ...Rebamipide exerts a mucosal-protective effect, mediated through several mechanisms. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of rebamipide in 5-FU-induced mouse small-intestinal mucositis. BALB/c mice were assigned randomly to four groups; (1) control group (n=10; receiving saline orally for 6 d), (2) rebamipide group (n=10; 150 mg/kg rebamipide for 6 d orally), (3) 5-FU group (n=10; 30 mg/kg 5-FU for 5 d, intraperitoneally (i.p.)), and (4) rebamipide +5-FU group (n=10; 150 mg/kg rebamipide for 6 d orally and 30 mg/kg 5-FU for 5 d, i.p.). Body weights and diarrhea scales were assessed. At day 5, the mice were sacrificed. Small intestinal tissue was used for: (1) hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining for determination of small intestinal villi height, (2) terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate nick-end labeling (TUNEL) assay, (3) immunohistochemistry for inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), F4/80, and transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1, (4) measurement of serum and tissue GSH levels, and (5) measurement of serum tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α levels. Rebamipide attenuated the severity of mucosal injury reflected by body weight changes, degrees of diarrhea, and heights of villi. Rebamipide reduced the expression of iNOS and TGF-β1, apoptosis, macrophage accumulation, serum TNF-α levels, and prevented reductions in serum and tissue glutathione (GSH) levels by 5-FU administration. These results suggest that rebamipide promotes several mechanisms of mucosal protection and attenuated the 5-FU-induced mucosal injury. In conclusion, administration of rebamipide may have significant protective effects against 5-FU-induced intestinal mucositis.
Current antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) therapies for the treatment of central nervous system (CNS) disorders are performed through invasive administration, thereby placing a major burden on ...patients. To alleviate this burden, we herein report systemic ASO delivery to the brain by crossing the blood–brain barrier using glycemic control as an external trigger. Glucose‐coated polymeric nanocarriers, which can be bound by glucose transporter‐1 expressed on the brain capillary endothelial cells, are designed for stable encapsulation of ASOs, with a particle size of about 45 nm and an adequate glucose‐ligand density. The optimized nanocarrier efficiently accumulates in the brain tissue 1 h after intravenous administration and exhibits significant knockdown of a target long non‐coding RNA in various brain regions, including the cerebral cortex and hippocampus. These results demonstrate that the glucose‐modified polymeric nanocarriers enable noninvasive ASO administration to the brain for the treatment of CNS disorders.
The sweet spot: Antisense‐oligonucleotide‐loaded glucosylated‐polyion‐complex micelles can be used for RNA knockdown in various brain regions using blood‐glucose level as an external trigger. Glucose transporter‐1 expressed on the brain capillary endothelial cells binds the glucose‐coated nanocarrier and transports it, along with its cargo, across the blood–brain barrier. This could be used for the treatment of disorders of the central nervous system.
Lumbar spinal stenosis is a common spinal degenerative condition. Minimally invasive interlaminar full-endoscopic decompressive laminectomy provides greater patient satisfaction and faster recovery ...than open decompressive laminectomy. The aim of our randomized controlled trial will be to compare the safety and efficacy of interlaminar full-endoscopic laminectomy and open decompressive laminectomy. Our trial will include 120 participants (60 per group) who will undergo surgical treatment for lumbar spinal stenosis. The primary outcome will be the Oswestry Disability Index measured at 12 months postoperatively. Secondary patient-reported outcomes will include back and radicular leg pain measured via a visual analog scale; the Oswestry Disability Index; the Euro-QOL-5 Dimensions score measured at 2 weeks and at 3, 6, and 12 months postoperatively; and patient satisfaction. The functional measures will include time to return to daily activities postoperatively and walking distance/time. The surgical outcomes will include postoperative drainage, operation time, duration of hospital stay, postoperative creatine kinase (an indicator of muscle injury) level, and postoperative surgical scarring. Magnetic resonance and computed tomography images and simple radiographs will be obtained for all patients. The safety outcomes will include surgery-related complications and adverse effects. All evaluations will be performed by a single assessor at each participating hospital who will be blinded to group allocation. The evaluations will be conducted preoperatively and at 2 weeks and 3, 6, and 12 months postoperatively. The randomized, multicenter design of the trial, blinding, and justification of the sample size will reduce the risk of bias in our trial. The results of the trial will provide data regarding the use of interlaminar full-endoscopic laminectomy as an alternative to open decompressive laminectomy that results in similar surgical findings with less invasiveness. Trial registration: This trial is registered at cris.nih.go.kr. (KCT0006198; protocol version 1; 27 May 2021).
A 64-word-line-stacked 512-Gb 3-b/cell 3-D NAND flash memory is presented. After briefly examining the challenges that occur to a stack, several technologies are suggested to resolve the issues. For ...performance enhancement, a novel program method hiding two-page data loading time is presented. This paper also discusses an electrical annealing improving reliability characteristic by removing holes in shallow traps. In addition, a valley tracking read for reducing timing overhead at a read retry is introduced by fast finding optimal read levels. Finally, a high-speed self-test mode for IO operation is presented. The chip, designed with the fourth generation of V-NAND technology, achieved an areal density of 3.98 Gb/mm 2 and operated up to 1 Gb/s at 1.2 V.
Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection can cause cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma and is therefore a serious public health problem. Infected patients are currently treated with ...nucleoside/nucleotide analogs and interferon α, but this approach is not curative. Here, we screen 978 FDA-approved compounds for their ability to inhibit HBV replication in HBV-expressing HepG2.2.15 cells. We find that ciclopirox, a synthetic antifungal agent, strongly inhibits HBV replication in cells and in mice by blocking HBV capsid assembly. The crystal structure of the HBV core protein and ciclopirox complex reveals a unique binding mode at dimer-dimer interfaces. Ciclopirox synergizes with nucleoside/nucleotide analogs to prevent HBV replication in cells and in a humanized liver mouse model. Therefore, orally-administered ciclopirox may provide a novel opportunity to combat chronic HBV infection by blocking HBV capsid assembly.
Emerging evidence has suggested significant associations between ambient air pollution and changes in hemoglobin levels or anemia in specific vulnerable groups, but few studies have assessed this ...relationship in the general population. This study aimed to evaluate the association between long-term exposure to air pollution and hemoglobin concentrations or anemia in general adults in South Korea.
A total of 69,830 Korean adults from a large-scale nationwide survey were selected for our final analysis. Air pollutants included particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter less than or equal to 10 micrometers (PM
), particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter less than or equal to 2.5 micrometers, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide (SO
), and carbon monoxide (CO). We measured the serum hemoglobin concentration to assess anemia for each participant.
In the fully adjusted model, exposure levels to PM
, SO
, and CO for one and two years were significantly associated with decreased hemoglobin concentrations (all p < 0.05), with effects ranging from 0.15 to 0.62% per increase in interquartile range (IQR) for each air pollutant. We also showed a significant association of annual exposure to PM
with anemia (p = 0.0426); the odds ratio (OR) 95% confidence interval (CI) for anemia per each increase in IQR in PM
was estimated to be 1.039 (1.001-1.079). This association was also found in the 2-year duration of exposure (OR = 1.046; 95% CI = 1.009-1.083; adjusted Model 2). In addition, CO exposure during two years was closely related to anemia (OR = 1.046; 95% CI = 1.004-1.091; adjusted Model 2).
This study provides the first evidence that long-term exposure to air pollution, especially PM
, is significantly associated with reduced hemoglobin levels and anemia in the general adult population.
The printability of materials used in extrusion based 3D printing is one of the most important properties especially when fabricating objects with architectural complexities. However, this parameter ...is influenced by several factors (temperature, components, and additives) which makes thorough evaluation and classification challenging. In this study, the printability of food-ink for 3D food printing applications was evaluated by systematically adapting evaluation techniques such as dimensional stability test, handling properties assessment, and shear rheology test using edible hydrocolloid as reference materials. Methylcellulose (MC) was selected as a suitable reference material for its capability to simulate the printability of various types of food applications. In dimensional stability test, the concentrations of reference hydrocolloid mixture that could fabricate structures with height of 20, 40, and 80 mm without significant collapse were 9%, 11%, and 13%, respectively. The deformation behavior and handling properties of printed foods were classified based on the reference material produced at various concentrations (5%–20%). Shear modulus of all samples were in complete agreement with simulation results based on the dimensional stability test indicating that the printability of foods can be predicted and classified by comparing its properties to reference material. The newly established classification system of printability was categorized into grades A, B, C, and D according to the dimensional stability and degree of handling. The validity of this classification system was verified by 3D-printing tests.
•Hydrocolloids was used as a reference material to simulate the printability of various types of food applications.•The deformation behavior and handling properties of selected food were classified based on the reference material.•A printability classification system was established based on the capability in dimensional stability and degree of handling.
Depression, one of the most costly and common mental disorders, is reported to be associated with lower quality of life (QoL) in several studies. Improved understanding of the associated factors with ...QoL is necessary to optimize long-term outcomes and reduce disability in patients with depression. Therefore, the aim of this study was to identify factors that are associated with lower QoL among patients with depression.
The study was based on the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, a cross-sectional health examination, years 2008 to 2014. The final analyzed sample consisted of a total of 1,502 study subjects who had been diagnosed by clinicians as having depression. A multivariate logistic regression model was performed to exam the association between the clinical characteristics (age, sex, demographic and health-related characteristics) and QoL. Analysis of covariance was also used to analyze EQ-5D according to mental health.
Older age, lower level of education, lower income, worse subjective perception of health, unemployment, obesity and mental health struggles were found to be significantly associated with low QoL in depressive individuals after adjustment for multiple covariates.
This study has outlined grounding data in identifying patients who are at risk of QoL impairment. Policy makers should direct their interests to these individuals and provide appropriate management.
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