Abstract
We study the tidal interaction of galaxies in the Eridanus supergroup, using H
i
data from the pre-pilot survey of the Widefield ASKAP
L
-band Legacy All-sky Blind surveY. We obtain optical ...photometric measurements and quantify the strength of tidal perturbation using a tidal parameter
S
sum
. For low-mass galaxies of
M
*
≲ 10
9
M
⊙
, we find a dependence of decreasing H
i
to optical disk size ratio with increasing
S
sum
, but no dependence of H
i
spectral line asymmetry with
S
sum
. This is consistent with the behavior expected under tidal stripping. We confirm that the color profile shape and color gradient depend on the stellar mass, but there is an additional correlation of low-mass galaxies having their color gradients within 2
R
50
increasing with higher
S
sum
. For these low-mass galaxies, the dependence of color gradients on
S
sum
is driven by the color becoming progressively redder in the inner disk when tidal perturbations are stronger. For high-mass galaxies, there is no dependence of color gradients on
S
sum
, and we find a marginal reddening throughout the disks with increasing
S
sum
. Our result highlights tidal interaction as an important environmental effect in producing the faint end of the star formation suppressed sequence in galaxy groups.
Nitric oxide is produced enzymatically by the nitric oxide synthase (NOS), which converts
l-arginine in the presence of oxygen to
l-citrulline and NO. Moreover, it has been reported that asymmetric ...dimethylarginine (ADMA) acts as is an endogenous inhibitor of endothelial NOS (eNOS) by competing with the enzyme for
l-arginine.
In this study, we measured
l-arginine and ADMA in normal and preeclamptic women, and also investigated the association between the Glu298Asp
eNOS gene polymorphism and preeclampsia. Finally, we assessed eNOS expression levels in the placentas of both normal and preeclamptic patients, using Western blot and immunohistochemistry.
l-arginine levels were found to be significantly lower in the preeclamptic women than in the normal pregnant women (
p
=
0.02) but there were no significant differences in ADMA levels between the normal and preeclamptic women. We also determined there to be no association between the Glu298Asp
eNOS gene and preeclampsia. With regard to placental eNOS expression, we detected a lower degree of eNOS expression in the preeclamptic syncytiotrophoblasts than in the normal syncytiotrophoblasts. We suggest that reduced
l-arginine levels, rather than increased ADMA levels, contribute to the development of preeclampsia, and also that decreased placental eNOS expression constitutes a characteristic finding in preeclamptic placentas.
Summary
Background
Cysteinyl leukotrienes (CysLTs) play important roles in the pathogenesis of eosinophilic airway inflammation characterized by bronchoconstriction, mucus secretion and airway ...hyper‐responsiveness via cysteinyl leukotriene receptor 1 (CysLTR1)‐mediated mechanism. CysLTR1‐selective antagonists have anti‐bronchoconstrictive and anti‐inflammatory effects in asthma, particularly aspirin‐intolerant asthma (AIA).
Methods
To investigate the association of CysLTR1 with AIA development, we identified three single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), −634C>T, −475A>C, −336A>G, in the 5′ upstream region of CysLTR1 gene using a direct sequencing method in 105 AIA patients, 110 ASA‐tolerant asthma (ATA) patients and 125 normal healthy controls (NC).
Results
Significant differences were observed in allele frequencies of the three SNPs within male subjects; Male AIA patients had higher frequencies of the minor alleles of these three SNPs than male control groups (P=0.03 for AIA vs. NC; P=0.02 for AIA vs. ATA). Moreover, three‐SNP haplotype, ht2 T–C–G, was associated with increased disease risk (odds ratio (OR)=2.71, P=0.03 for AIA vs. NC; OR=2.89, P=0.02 for AIA vs. ATA) in males. CysLTR1 haplotypes were also associated with altered gene expression; luciferase activity was significantly enhanced with the ht2 T–C–G construct in comparison with the ht1 C–A–A construct in human Jurkat cells (P=0.04).
Conclusion
These results suggest that genetic variants of CysLTR1 are associated with AIA in a Korean population, and may modulate CysLTR1 expression.
Aims/hypothesis
The aim of this work was to compare the glucose-lowering efficacy of dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors between Asian and non-Asian patients with type 2 diabetes.
Methods
We ...searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, LILACS, CENTRAL, ClinicalTrials.gov and conference proceedings. Studies were eligible if they were randomised controlled trials with a treatment duration of at least 12 weeks, compared a DPP-4 inhibitor with a placebo as either monotherapy or oral combination therapy, had information on ethnicity and HbA
1c
values and were published or described in English. A systematic review and meta-analysis with a meta-regression analysis was conducted.
Results
Among 809 potentially relevant studies, 55 trials were included. A meta-analysis revealed that DPP-4 inhibitors lowered HbA
1c
to a greater extent in studies with ≥50% Asian participants (weighted mean difference WMD −0.92%; 95% CI −1.03, −0.82) than in studies with <50% Asian participants (WMD −0.65%; 95% CI −0.69, −0.60). The between-group difference was −0.26% (95% CI −0.36, −0.17,
p
< 0.001). The baseline BMI significantly correlated with the HbA
1c
-lowering efficacy of DPP-4 inhibitors. The RR of achieving the goal of HbA
1c
<7.0% (53.0 mmol/mol) was higher in studies with ≥50% Asian participants (3.4 95% CI 2.6, 4.7 vs 1.9 95% CI 1.8, 2.0). The fasting plasma glucose-lowering efficacy was higher with monotherapy in the Asian-dominant studies, but the postprandial glucose-lowering efficacy and changes in body weight were comparable between the two groups.
Conclusions/interpretation
DPP-4 inhibitors exhibit a better glucose-lowering efficacy in Asians than in other ethnic groups; this requires further investigation to understand the underlying mechanism, particularly in relation to BMI.
The enhancement of the functional properties of materials at reduced dimensions is crucial for continuous advancements in nanoelectronic applications. Here, we report that the scale reduction leads ...to the emergence of an important functional property, ferroelectricity, challenging the long-standing notion that ferroelectricity is inevitably suppressed at the scale of a few nanometers. A combination of theoretical calculations, electrical measurements, and structural analyses provides evidence of room-temperature ferroelectricity in strain-free epitaxial nanometer-thick films of otherwise nonferroelectric strontium titanate (SrTiO3). We show that electrically induced alignment of naturally existing polar nanoregions is responsible for the appearance of a stable net ferroelectric polarization in these films. This finding can be useful for the development of low-dimensional material systems with enhanced functional properties relevant to emerging nanoelectronic devices.
Abstract Background Programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression has been suggested as a potential predictive biomarker of response to anti-PD-1/PD-L1 therapy. In this study, we investigated whether ...the expression of PD-L1 in tumour cells is affected by neoadjuvant concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) or chemotherapy in oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Patients and methods Between 2004 and 2014, we collected the medical records of locally advanced oesophageal cancer patients consecutively diagnosed and treated with neoadjuvant CCRT or chemotherapy, followed by curative resection. PD-L1 expression in acquired tissue specimens was evaluated by immunohistochemistry using the H-score. The changes in PD-L1 expression between paired samples were evaluated and we also analysed PD-L1 expression in surgical tumour specimens to evaluate its prognostic role. Results Twenty-eight paired tumour tissues that were acquired before and after neoadjuvant therapy were available: 19 patients with CCRT and 9 with chemotherapy before complete oesophagectomy. The PD-L1 H-score increased significantly from baseline tumour tissues to surgical tumour tissues after neoadjuvant CCRT ( P = 0.007, median H-score from 28 to 52), whereas it decreased significantly after neoadjuvant chemotherapy ( P = 0.048, median H-score from 53 to 22). In a total of 73 patients, including 45 additional cases for the prognosis analysis, patients with higher PD-L1 H-scores (≥20) had poorer overall survival (median 16.7 versus 32.9 months, P = 0.02) than those with lower H-scores (<20). Conclusions PD-L1 expression in tumour cells increased in oesophageal cancer patients who received neoadjuvant CCRT. Further studies with more cases are necessary to validate these findings.
Aims
In this study, we investigated the anti‐obesity effects of kimchi (Korean traditional fermented vegetable) fermented either without starter culture or with a specific starter culture, Weissella ...koreensis OK1‐6.
Methods and Results
C57BL/6J mice were divided into four groups (n = 7); normal diet, HF (high‐fat diet), HF‐KC (high‐fat diet containing 3% kimchi manufactured without starter) and HF‐KCO (high‐fat diet containing 3% kimchi manufactured with the starter culture W. koreensis OK1‐6). After 12 weeks of dietary intervention, the mice were killed, and serum and tissue samples were examined. Serum and hepatic lipid profile, insulin, leptin concentration and expression level of lipid anabolic genes like peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor γ, stearoyl‐CoA desaturase‐1, liver X receptor α and SREBP2 were significantly decreased (<0·05) along with body and epididymal fat pad weight in the HF‐KCO group compared with the HF‐KC and HF group.
Conclusions
These results suggested that kimchi fermented with the starter W. koreensis OK1‐6 has anti‐obesity effects in HF‐induced obese mice.
Significance and Impact of the Study
These results may contribute to nutraceutical and food industries in developing functional food and probiotics based therapies for the treatment and prevention of obesity.
The discovery of a two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) at the LaAlO
/SrTiO
interface
has resulted in the observation of many properties
not present in conventional semiconductor heterostructures, and ...so become a focal point for device applications
. Its counterpart, the two-dimensional hole gas (2DHG), is expected to complement the 2DEG. However, although the 2DEG has been widely observed
, the 2DHG has proved elusive. Herein we demonstrate a highly mobile 2DHG in epitaxially grown SrTiO
/LaAlO
/SrTiO
heterostructures. Using electrical transport measurements and in-line electron holography, we provide direct evidence of a 2DHG that coexists with a 2DEG at complementary heterointerfaces in the same structure. First-principles calculations, coherent Bragg rod analysis and depth-resolved cathodoluminescence spectroscopy consistently support our finding that to eliminate ionic point defects is key to realizing a 2DHG. The coexistence of a 2DEG and a 2DHG in a single oxide heterostructure provides a platform for the exciting physics of confined electron-hole systems and for developing applications.
Carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales (CPE) are of serious concern worldwide due to high morbidity and mortality.
To evaluate the impact of the result of a subsequent polymerase chain reaction ...(PCR) test for carbapenemase after serial negative surveillance cultures on positive culture conversion in patients with three consecutive negative surveillance cultures for CPE, and to identify risk factors for conversion.
A retrospective study of patients with positive CPE cultures on CHROMagar KPC medium was performed in a Korean tertiary hospital from October 2018 to December 2022. PCR for blaKPC, blaNDM, blaIMP, blaVIM, blaGES, and blaOXA-48 was performed after three consecutive negative rectal swab cultures. Clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients were compared according to whether follow-up PCR was positive (CNPP) or negative (CNPN).
Of 1075 patients with positive CPE cultures, 150 (14.0%) yielded three consecutive negative rectal swab cultures. Of these, 50 (33.3%) were CNPP, and 100 (66.7%) were CNPN. Risk factors associated with a positive PCR result on multivariate analysis were: age, central venous catheter, and Escherichia coli infection. CNPP patients were more likely to have positive culture conversion for CPE than CNPN patients (39/44 (88.6%) vs 21/50 (42.0%), P<0.001). In multivariate analysis, independent risk factors for culture conversion were: a positive PCR result after surveillance cultures, diabetes mellitus, central venous catheter, and Klebsiella pneumoniae.
CNPP patients have higher rates of culture conversion than CNPN patients, and a follow-up PCR test after serial negative surveillance cultures is useful in deciding whether or not to discontinue contact precautions.
Fabrication of arrays of vertically aligned ZnO nanorods by a simple sonochemical route is demonstrated (see figure). The nanorods can be grown in situ over large areas at a high density under ...ambient conditions—important for nanoelectronic circuit integration—and on various substrates, including transparent glass and polycarbonate. Growth of the nanorods in patterns using a lithographic technique is also described.
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